Herne
I have been since the forest and the men. They call me Herne the Hunter and they worship me.
I have already been when the blue-painted warriors from the south came. They made the items of power; the chalice, the arrow. They gave them to me.
Then came the ones who cut the trees and built houses of stone. They cut lanes in my forest and built roads.
All the time I was and watched. Whenever I needed a form I chose one of them. I came over him and he became the Hunter.
Then the builders of stone houses vanished. The wolves came from the south; they were stopped by the one that was and that is to be; but not for long.
Then the wolves returned. They settled and began to love the land. I showed them my power and they worshipped me. They gave me the sword.
Then men of another kind came from the south. They were led by the one they called the bastard. He and his successors conquered my land. They didn't believe in me. For them I was but a mere fairytale, a bugbear of the stupid peasants they dominated.
My trees were cut, my people mistreated. Injustice spread like a plague throughout my land. They prayed to me, the poor, the oppressed. I saw it was time to choose a fighter. A son for me. The Hunter needed the hooded man to stand in for my people.
I chose well. One of them, the son to a brave father who had died for me. They took the arrow. I let them. The hooded man would come. I waited. Twenty years while child turned to man. He saw the injustice. I felt his growing anger.
An injustice against him. He and the boy he called brother were caught. In the dungeon he found others like him. Men who would follow him.
A girl. She too felt the injustice, she too suffered.
They freed themselves. They came to me. I showed them my power. I revealed myself to my son. He followed me. He did my bidding. I gave him the sword. He brought back the arrow.
While he led them on my people found new courage. He helped the dispossessed, avenged the slain, became legend.
His men followed him. The giant, the boy, the monk, the hothead, the stranger. The girl. I blessed them. They belonged together bound by the powers of light and darkness.
The girl. Marion. He loved her. He needed her.
His enemies; my enemies. They tried to overcome him; many times. They always failed.
Finally the time came that he had to face the greatest enemy. His enemies overcame him. His friends were captured.
He gave the sword to the girl. He broke his bow. Without defending himself he went.
Nothing's forgotten, nothing is ever forgotten. Now he is free.
His friends had to survive; the fight had to continue.
I called another son. He freed the fighters, but he refused to lead on the fight. He came from the others and yet he was different from them. He saw. He understood.
When the girl was in danger he came back. She was the key. He searched and found the companions. They saved the girl.
He stayed in the forest and the fight began again.
He brought my people hope.
He overcame the evil sorcerer but he lost the girl; his heart broke.
The fight continues.
The legend of the hooded man lives on.
As long as there is the forest and the people I will be.
For I am Herne the Hunter.
