Music of Darkover by Elisabeth Waters

Author:Elisabeth Waters
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Darkover, music, telepathy, songs
Publisher: Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust
Published: 2018-07-24T00:00:00+00:00

All Who Breathe Are Chained

by Rosemary Edghill

“All who breathe are chained.” That line echoed through my head after I read India’s story, like the refrain of a song. I suggested to India that it really should be a song, giving this anthology another story/song combination like “Horsetamer’s Daughter” and “Tower of Horses.” Writing a song, however, is a different skill than writing a story, so India persuaded her sister Rosemary to take on the task.

Rosemary Edghill, like her sister India, has been published under more than one name; as eluki bes shahar she has several novels and a number of short stories, including ones in SWORD AND SORCERESS and Marion Zimmer Bradley’s FANTASY Magazine. As Rosemary Edghill, she collaborated with Marion Zimmer Bradley on the “Light” series (GHOSTLIGHT, WITCHLIGHT, GRAVELIGHT, etc.), and lately she has been working with Mercedes Lackey. SACRIFICES, the third book in their Shadow Grail series, just came out in April.

On a mission called a rescue the Renunciates ride,

Down into the Dry Towns, their sisters by their side.

To save a captive comynara from a deadly cruel plight

The band of woman warriors goes riding through the night.

But all who breathe are chained

For power, love, or wealth

By laran, breeding, family

By others or by self.

The Amazons regained the prize and told her she was free.

The Comyn lady wept and stormed and made a frantic plea:

My brother has misled you—to slavery I ride

The Dry Town man you took me from would have me for his bride.

For all who breathe are chained

And chains aren’t always gold.

The oaths you swear will bind your wrists

And chain you hard and cold.

“But how can you choose slavery?” the warrior women cried,

“The man who chains a woman has a chattel for a bride.”

“His chains are but a symbol,” the comynara said.

“The chains with which I bind him are the reason that we wed.”

For all who breathe are chained

The freedom we can claim

Comes in choosing our own chains

And no two are the same.

The Renunciate captain stood forward from the rest.

“I cannot drag you home in chains; I'll do what I think best.

A woman has no freedom but she still may have a choice.

I’ll let you choose your bondage, but I never will rejoice.”

But all who breathe are chained

For power, love, or wealth

By laran, breeding, family

By others or by self.

The warrior women watched as the Dry Towner claimed his bride.

They rode into the morning, she behind him, both astride,

And all she left behind her was a length of shattered chain

And words that would long echo through the warrior woman’s brain.

For all who breathe are chained

And chains aren’t always gold.

The oaths you swear will bind your wrists

And chain you hard and cold.

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