The Life of Hernan Mendez

Prologue and Early Childhood

Ferros came to Allaman
to fight for pride and honour
Days and nights he sped his horse
and rambled in his armour

The knights where there, all forty-three
quivelling with eager,
parading in their shiny wear
some fat, some scarely meagre.

Our hero fought as heroes do
felled champion after champion
finally he won the groo
and Allaman's holy lampion.

His horse he mounted, swift to go
but then a frilly girl did come
"Lord", she yelled, "Lord wait for me!"
"Thou forgotst thy hungry stomach!"

Overwhelmed with joy and love
he heaved her on his horse.
The steed complained, "No extra load!"
but Ferros didn't show remorse

"Oh my lady, thou art my dove
thou broughtst me extra feed.
Hungry stomachs, though, are light to bear
when thy love is what I need"

"I'll come with thee, thou art the best",
the lady said without a shame
"I am dumb, so please forgive,
but what was again thy name?"

"Fine", our hero said, "I'm Ferros,
but could you please shut up?
Talking makes me tired now,
I'm longing for a bed."

In Terraman a bed they found
where they frumbled long with joy
no details here, but guessable
what trade they did deploy.

So no surprise when some wents later
a little Ferros did show up
his mother gurred so happily
The father drained his cup.

"My son", he beamed, "should baffle me
with all his strength and fame
therefore I will unravel thee
that Hernan Mendez be his name."

"Whatever", the lady sighed, "but see,
how happily he laughs!
And isn't it just sweet
how he balls his fists and slaughs?"

"All must know about my heir,
Can you mail it to my friends?
'Come here, you all, and drink and drink'
and put something about Hernan at the end"

His friends did come, all two of them
and bungled for the boy,
but their noses came too close to his
and Hernan hit them with a toy.

"Au", they said and praised the Lord.
They laughed and drank and smoked.
"A lovely heir you've got, my friend"
"Hernan, the nose-slayer", they joked.

One year he was and grew like garb
he screamed and yelled at all.
But now a strippled spider
came waggling down the wall.

Poisoness and thick as fists
(and not the little Hernan's one)
It dandled on his hairsome legs
The boy, he would be food and fun!

With eyes as big as flog-flog flies
Hernan caustly watched it come.
His fist, well trained on battered walls
turned the beast to spider foam.

Three he was, a sturdy boy
He waggled around the house
His arms were crossed, his nose up high
He was the lord of cows!

The wooden gate stood threatening there
between the house and shed
Hernan attacked, so merciless
with his fists and head.

The gate, however, would not budge,
his head spinned like a clock.
Ferros came, lifted Hernan up
and opened up the lock.

Hernan cried. "Defeat! Defeat!"
This was not his desire!
Sulkily he went inside
and stared into the fire.

A thought did rise and secretly
he snapped his father's match
excited, yet though carefully
he kept it in his snatch.

To win he would, to win he should.
He went back to his wooden goal
he lit the match quite eagerly
and burnt his foe to coal

It was Hernan's fifth when Ferros came
with a pony in his hand
"Come, my lad", did daddy say.
"It's time you see the land"

They waved goodbye and rode along
through field and wood and town
they winked at girls, they stopped at inns
and made the land their own.

They stopped at the Golden Raven Inn
to make their thirst begone
when Ferros met an old acquaintance
who was travelling with his son.

While Ferros talked and drank a beer
the boys viewed each other through and through
Hernan, dark, with brown-black eyes,
and Svenhardt, blond and blue.

Hernan challenged his opponent
he owned this world, oh yes!
The other wasn't much impressed,
since he owned the world no less.

Then tension rose, the fists were balled
the eyes sparkled with blue flames
Hernan grabbed his father's flail
and Svenhardt took a chair.

The dads where ready, grabbed their boys
and moved out of the inn
while Hernan punched the blond-blue boy
and Svenhardt stabbed the other's chin

So they met the first of times
but they will meet again.
It depends, however, on the writers mood
where and why and when.

Copyright by Marius Ernst, 2003