The Reach Of Three Rivers

by Joff

An old campfire song sung by soldiers and mercenaries.

And so off a-soldiering I shall go And shall I return again, who can know? But never forget, should I fall to the foe Don't leave me behind for Three Rivers.

The North holds its horrors or so I've been told Of snow that can cut you much deeper than cold. Should I jump to my death as my nightmares take hold May I fall past the reach of Three Rivers.

The men of the East have their barbarous ways And they bring in their wake the great war of the age But when thousands lie dead hear the words of the sage: Leave none whole can rise for Three Rivers.

The Lord of the South he is broken of mind He'll turn you to glass if your soul he can find But at least if you're glass that leaves nothing behind That can be in the thrall of Three Rivers.

The Great Western Forest is best left alone For who knows what horrors the Weavers have known? Those who go looking, well they have been shown… But it's nothing as bad as Three Rivers.

So close my eyes gently when my time here ends And share out my gold between comrades and friends Don't leave me unburned or I must die again And again and again for Three Rivers.

Sometimes, this last verse gets a bit upsetting for the younger soldiers and mercs, so the veterans, to avoid making their comrades uneasy on the eve of battle, will sing this bawdy version:

So close my eyes gently when my time here ends And share out my gold between comrades and friends, But hands off my wife or I'll rise once again And it won't be to fight for Three Rivers!