A lady came to Landing-town
To learn the ways of city folk,
And all about her ran in fear
Or stood and stared, or laughed to choke--
Her hair was wild, her years were young,
And she couldn’t speak the common tongue.
It’s of her ways this song is sung--
Rurk, the troll chief’s daughter.

When young, Rurk always sought to leave,
Her heart was filled with wanderlust.
But her big papa didn’t approve
Until she knocked him in the dust--
But that’s the proper trollish way,
And so her dad was glad to say,
“Grek krenk pregurk, akt prengurk”-- hey,
Rurk came to Landing town.

When headed down to Landing-town,
Rurk thought, “Now, I most want to blend
Into their ways-- I’ll find some clothes.”
A ragged scarf seemed good-luck send,
In rotting skins, she was arrayed,
A tarnished ring, some socks half-frayed,
In finery she’d found or made,
Rurk came to Landing-town.

Rurk brought some food, to make new friends.
She brought a skewered diced-up thrak,
A rat’s-blood stew, some parsley too,
All mixed-up in a giant sack.
The townsfolk stared as she walked past,
The smell she left would surely last
For days, and make weak stomachs fast--
Rurk, the troll chief’s daughter.

She knew tonsfolk kept pointy sticks,
So, since she had her trollish pride,
She carried with her half a tree,
Each branch-tip sharpened.  When she spied
A thief’s attempt to steal her pouch,
She made the thief cry ‘ouch ouch ouch!’
And kept his hide to stitch a couch,
Rurk, the troll chief’s daughter.

She sought the central city square
And found there monsters racked in pain
That lurched up, bleeding, shouting loud.
She thought them truly beasts insane–
They chased the wounded to the ground,
And then the injury shifted round.
These frightning monsters did confound
Rurk, the troll chief’s daughter.

She knew for goods or services
Folks saved up pretty bits of stone,
But when she tried to buy a shield
She had to flee from treasures thrown–
(She took the grocer’s table– all
His goods were spoiled in the fall.)
He gave an angry amulet call–
“Restrain this troll chief’s daughter!”

Afraid, confused, young Rurk soon ran,
From angry words and blows she fled;
She used her ‘shield’ to barricade
The temple door, and hid her head.
She wailed in fear, and wished she’d never
Gone to seek the folk who’d sever
Her life now– she’d die forever!
Rurk, the troll chief’s daughter.

A cleric, startled by the troll,
Gave pause to his recited prayer.
Rurk did not see him venture near;
In terror, she was unaware
Of one small halfling.  When the smell
Of Rurk’s garb struck, he almost fell,
But kept his head to cast a spell
On Rurk, the troll chief’s daughter.

Her terror died beneath his spell.
He took away her barricade
And bid the crowd outside disperse.
Like some small chief, he was obeyed.
His words were strange, his movement slow,
He gentled her like fawn or doe,
Until Rurk feared no coming blow–
Rurk, the troll chief’s daughter.

The Halfling watched the puzzled troll
And saw her history in her ways–
Her wanderlust, her hopes of more
Than blood to fill her nights and days,
Her hopes of more than fear and greed,
Her dreams to triumph, grow and lead--
He helped her in her hour of need,
Rurk, the troll chief’s daughter.

And so Rurk left the Landing gates
And sought the town of River’s Rest,
For where the reiver guard stands proud
A troll could be accepted best.
These days she brushes teeth and hair,
And keeps a sword and shield to spare,
Go down and meet her if you dare–
Rurk, the troll chief’s daughter!