I have absolutely no clue where this ballad of a poem came from in my head, but I know I wasn't exactly seeking the Muse of Poetry when this suddenly appeared...

Anyway, this poem describes Clare's story from her point of view up until the time before Teresa's battle with Priscilla. And yes, I finally was able to figure out how to get the stanzas formatted correctly.

I was christened Clare

A name not quite rare

In the southern land

Where the sun is grand

…

My family lived in peace

Until the day it ceased

When a beast so savage

Came, our bodies to ravage

…

They threw me aside

Begging me to hide

Tears flowing from their eyes

As they fell to never rise

…

I drift for years

My eyes dry of tears

A monster's shield by day

But at night its toy to play

…

Pain became familiar

Hopelessness regular

My voice retreated

And my will defeated

…

Thinking became painful

The night hours baneful

I retreated into my mind

Hoping for peace to find

…

Each village we see

Means misfortune to me

Though relief it brings

Another's death toll rings

…

Loneliness and death

A village comes and is left

As sure as my heart beats

This accustomed pattern repeats

…

Then one mundane day

With clouds gloomy and gray

You came with beauty fair

With silver eyes and blond hair

…

You walked through the village

Causing most to be distressed, for

A large sword was in your hand

Though its structure nothing grand

…

My captor shivered and shook

Daring to not chance a look

In front of him I stood

My body as unfeeling as wood

…

You smiled and fought

To six monsters a harsh lesson taught

Only then did you turn your gaze

Allowing your eyebrows to raise

…

You strode towards me

Oh what a sight to see

Your confidence and grace

All in a single pace

…

So enraptured was I

I did not see you fly

Nor the single stroke, then

In the fiend's blood I did soak

…

Upward, I turned my gaze

Your face haloed in the sun's rays

Still your silver eyes

Hid a pain uncompromised

…

Now alone and afraid

I sat hands clenched and prayed

With nowhere to go

And not a person did I know

…

Morning turned to night

Yet nothing changed my plight

I stared longingly at the inn

Where you were taken in

…

Would you help me?

My pain did you see?

Though kindred in spirit

Would you see my merit?

…

You flung me away

That very next day

You left me grasping for breath

And part of me longing for death

…

But onward I trudged

My spirit somehow nudged

To save you from the despair

That I once held without care

…

My will would not be denied

For I felt your soul as it cried

For you thought you were a monster

But I had known one as I did wander

…

You were the same as me

Both shackled and free

Bound to a past that you never desired

Free to wander as though you never tired

…

But soon your wandering would come to an end

Would it be a peaceful passing with a friend?

Or would you fade all alone?

With the darkness as your fated home

…

I strove to become your friend

Though your stubbornness against me did not bend

Eventually you resigned yourself to fate

But my presence you seemed to hate

…

You protected me from bandits

Offering yourself with resolve like granite

You saved me from death

When a fall had captured my breath

…

How could you deny yourself the truth?

Did you think that you were too aloof?

Or was it the despair that you held dear

Keeping you from coming too near

…

Pursued were we

When you journeyed with me

By a vengeful man

Seeking payment for a lost hand

…

Silent you were as he loomed

As tranquil as if a mere flower bloomed

I strove to drive him away

By using a stick to send him on his way

…

My efforts were in vain

And only brought pain

But as he hit me again and again

You acted boldly without restrain

…

As I looked upon you

I understood and knew

That though the danger was not dire

Your heart still lay in the mire

…

So touched was I

I could do not but cry

Until words long sealed

From my lips, were revealed

…

You embraced me then

And I could feel it within

Your heart began to warm

Until it calmed your storm

…

Now forever, I know

Through harsh wind or snow

You'll always be by my side

The truth we can no longer hide

…

Now as we walk through distant land

Never to expect anything grand

When every night we sit or lay

I will forever and always say

…

Teresa

…

Your protective embrace

Your face full of grace

And your faint smile

Made all my pain worthwhile

And there you have it! The poem that's been stuck in my head for at least two months...

Hope you enjoyed! If you did (or even if you didn't), let me know!

However, IF you didn't like it, please have the courtesy to give me feedback on how I could fix those problems in the future! Thanks!

I thank you for reading my humble work,

~Aurora Shadowglen~