Winterfylleth The Mercian Sphere 1. Gateway to the Dark Peak & The Wayfarer Pt. 1 - The Solitary One Waits for Grace The solitary one waits for grace, For mercy divine, For he of troubled thought must travel through the seaway, Stir with his hands the frosty-cold sea and travel paths of exile. Unhinged by the certainty of fate. Thus spoke the Wayfarer, mindful of hardships, Of cruel battles & beloved kinsmen fallen: "...I bewail my cares alone, the dawn of each day. They, who eager for glory who bind fast a sad thought in my breast; Separated from homeland, far from noble kinsmen" He who has experience, Knows cruel sorrow, As his companion, No longer one with many, One with few, The path of an exile claims him, His heart frozen, No wealth on earth at all Now all joy has departed. Without his lord's counsel, Sorrow and sleep together, Bind the wretched solitary one. 2. The Wayfarer Pt. 2 - Awakens He, Bereft of Kinsmen Bereft of friends, awakens he, Dark waves before him, Frost and snow, Mingled with hail fall, His wounded heart is heavier, Painful for the beloved, Sorrow is renewed. Spirits of the seafarers bring not, familiarity there. Care is renewed for the one who must, Send a weary mind over the bound waves. A mind in darkness, pondering life, How they abandoned the hall, The brave young! Thus the earth declines, Falls every day for he, The riches of this world stand deserted, Walls still stand, Blown upon by winds, Covered with frost, Bereft of joy... ...for they all perished. Proud beside the well, War destroyed many, Caried in departure, Over the high sea, a bird of carrion makes haste, The grey-haired wolf shared in death, The ancient work stood empty. 3. The Fields of Reckoning Learned we in former-days, Of glory-blessed heroes, The thegns of the Lord, Their force did not fail, In the war, When banners clashed together. Illustrious men upon the earth, Bold folk-leaders on the fields of reckoning Doughty Warriors, Battle-Brave! When shield and hand defended their crown. When all man's land was wound in murder, The enemy's deceit was rife within the kingdom. On the dwelling-place of mighty men, Homeland of heroes. They of true spirit! Neither bread, nor water for men, Consumed they, blood and skin throughout the nation, The flesh-homes of foreign-coming men, Such was the peace-less token The violence of the wretched, That the enemy, sword-grim and sad-minded, Destroyed the sight of th eyes, With the point of spears. Then they strove against incursion, Swiftly under shield, Bristling with spears, Enraged ash-bearers, Corwards the flight's flame! One and all, together, for home! 4. Children of the Stones instrumental 5. The Ruin Shattered by Fate! The castles rend asunder, The work of giants moldereth away, Its towers crumble, Aquae Sulis, in ruin, The mortar white with frost. The mighty men who built it, they of giants renown, Departed hence, undone by death, are held, Fast in the earth's embrace. While overhead for living men, A hundred generations pass. Long this red wall, now mossy gray, withstood, While kingdom followed kingdom in the land, Wide-wasting was the battle where they fell. Plague-laden days upon the city came: Yet the wall surrounded all with its bright bosom; There stood the courts of stone. Hence to reign hereafter, the Angle! 6. The Honour of Good Men on the Path to Eternal Glory Then did they of proud spirit split the shield-wall, Men of King Aethelstan, men of honour. Battle shields were hewn with the remnants of hammers. Befitting their noble descent, That they should, defend their land, In battle against each hostile people, Horde and home! Horde and home! The enemy perished, The field flowed with the blood of warriors, Till that noble creation, The Lords bright randle, Sank to its seat. The West-Saxons hewed them...Fugitives all, Grievously with swords sharp from the grinding, Departed then the North-men in nailed ships, The dejected survivors of battle, They who sought respite over deep water, Leaving Dinges mere, Ashamed in spirit 7. The Wayfarer Pt. 3 - To Find Solace... Where Security Stands Then he who thought wisely of, Deeply contemplates this dark life, Wise in mind, remembers he, the battles of old; Time has departed, Grown dark under cover of night, As if it were never there. Powerful spears took earls away, Weapons greedy for slaughter, Storms now batter these stone cliffs, A falling snowstorm binds the Earth, The tummult of winter; Shade of night grows dark, Sends from the north, The rough hailstorm in hosility to men. Everything is fraught with hardship in the kingdom of Earth, Here all is temporary, Earth's foundations become vain! Apart in counsel, good is he who preserves faith. Nor ought a man to ever, Make known the grief of his heart too quickly, Well it is for the one, who seeks mercy for himself, To find solace, where security stands "My lord was covered in darkness, I was wretched, I was desolate, As the winter coming of waves, To find solace, where security stands!" 8. When the Woods Were Young instrumental 9. A Valley Thick with Oaks Still is a valley Surrounded by a forest of Oaks Bespiring deeply With the breath of our ancestors A knot of roots Hold steadfast the earth Bonds that link a nation, Foregoing generations Eternal, unswayed Roots of heritage Pertain to the valley Roots of hope Growing strong Entwined in the land A valley thick with oaks Its villages silenced By the drift of clear water A bell tolls for many Their presence long gone A voice in the wind Telling secrets of the fallen Lessons without words A proud spirit remains In the heart of every Englishman 10. Defending the Realm (Bonus Track) If you find yourself, On the tip of an enemy sword, Pull them close to you, Look in to their eyes and laugh, Look to the future See they, children of the Engla, Blood of the Land For a drop of blood That falleth to soil Means you will live, In the Land that you love, Forever! You will look back, Be among ancestors, The Fathers of Albion