Fantasy fiction; Imaginary wars and battles -- Fiction
So after some talk and searching of that book of Gro they determined
this should be their plan: to fare to Impland by way of the Straits
of Melikaphkhaz and the Didornian Sea, and so lay up their ships in
the Gulf of Muelva, and landing there start straightway across the
wilderness to Morna Moruna, even as Gro had described the way.
“Ere we leave it,” said Brandoch Daha, “hear what he speaketh
concerning Koshtra Belorn. This he beheld from Morna Moruna, whereof
he saith: ‘The contery is hylly, sandy, and baren of wood and corne,
as forest ful of lynge, mores, and mosses, with stony hilles. Here
is a mighty stronge and usid borow for flying serpens in sum baren,
hethy, and sandy grownd, and thereby the litle round castel of Morna
Moruna stondith on Omprenne Edge, as on the limit of the worlde, sore
wether beten and yn ruine. This castelle was brent in tyme of warre,
spoyled and razyd by Kynge Goriyse the fourt of Wytchlande in auncient
dayes. And they say there was blamelesse folke dwellid therein and
ryghte gentle, nor was ther any need for Goriyse to have usid them so
cruellie, when hee cawsyd the hole howsholde there to appere before
hym and then slawe sum owt of hande, and the residew he throughe all
downe the steep cliffe. And but few supervivid after the gret falle,
and these fled awaye thorough the untrodden forests of Bavvynaune and
withoute question perysht ther yn great sorwe and miserie. Sum fable
that it was for thys cruel facte sake that King Goriyse was eat by
divels on the Moruna with al hys hoste, one man onely cumming home
again to tell of these thynges bifallen.’ Now mark: ‘From Morna Moruna
I behelde sowthawaye two grete mowntaynes standing over Bavvinane as
two Queenes in bewty seted in the skye by estimacion xx legues fro
hence above meny more ise robed mowntaines supereminente. The wyche as
I lernyd was Coschtre Belourne the one and the othere Koshtre Pivrarca.
And I veuyed them continuallie unto the going downe of the sun, and
that was the fayrest sighte and the most bewtifullest and gallant
marvaille that mine eyen hath sene. Therewith talkid I with the smaule
thynges that dwell there in the ruines and in the busschis growing
round abowte as it ys my wonte, and amongst them one of those byrdes
cawld martlettes that have feete so litle that they seime to have none.
And thys litle martlette sittynge in a frambousier or raspis busche
tolde mee that none may come alive unto Coschtra Beloorn, for the
mantycores of the mowntaines will certeynely ete his brains ere he come
thither. And were he so fortunate as scape these mantycores, yet cowlde
hee never climbe up the gret cragges of yce and rocke on Koschtre
Beloorn, for none is so stronge as to scale them but by art magicall,
and such is the vertue of that mowntayne that no magick avayleth there,
but onlie strength and wisdome alone, and as I seye these woulde not
avayl to climbe those cliffes and yce ryvers.’”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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