Princess Eloise #11 - Hunters

Through knotted brush the headlong rush

Of the fleeing fugitive

But the Forest Grim is friend to him

And will sanctuary give

The baying of the giant hounds

In the moonlit night resounds
Every which way seeking prey
Their rabid bloodlust without bounds

The Prince and Libertine await

The sound of hounds upon their bait

Yet now the sound of prey at bay

Is not as they anticipate

A yelping and a crashing

A roaring and a smashing

The hunters pressing through the brush

Too late emerging in the hush

That follows mortal toil and strife

And there before them without life

Like so many scattered logs

The bloodied bodies of the dogs

Disbelieving staring running

The Prince and Libertine becoming

Instead of hunters, fleeing prey

That runs by night and hides by day

Through the Forest Grim they race

Searching for a hiding place

Along a narrow track they ran

That let onto a road

The Stonebuilt Forge was drawing nigh

Suddenly they slowed

'Look there the Boy, the Gardener

The fugitive from law'

The Prince let loose a crossbow bolt

That shattered on the door

The Smithy burst out from within

Hammers in his hands

Another bolt flies at him

And strikes him where he stands

At this the Bruin crashes through

The tangled undergrowth

He stands between the Boy and Prince

He remembers well enough

The killer of his brother

The slaughter of his mother

And with a mighty lethal paw

He evens up the score

Thus fell the Prince on evil bent

Thus was justice done

The Libertine that moment went

And was forever gone

The Smithy struggled to his feet

'Come Boy we too must go

There is one that you must meet

What's to be done she will know'

The Smithy leant upon the boy

Together they made haste to go

The Bruin followed at the rear
Ever watchful for the foe