Stories and Poems of Trueterra

By Charles Kiernan

This is an evolving/companion book to the fantasy "A Vacant Throne" containing the full versions of the stories and poems referred to in the novel. It is evolving because periodically new stories and poems are added.
Trueterra is one of the realms of a medieval creature-world where the two dominant races are cats and squirrels, often in conflict with each other. The stories and poems are being transferred from the manuscript form into electronic medium by Laszorson the Eighth, son of Laszorson the Seventh, Eleven Great for the Poet Laszor, this work started in the year 713 from the Ascent of King Solay.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charles Kiernan
• Release date: Nov 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005032487

Charles Kiernan

Storyteller Charles Kiernan, now retired from gainful employment, performs at theatres, listening clubs, schools, libraries, and arts festivals. He tells a wide variety of traditional tales. He is also coordinator for the Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild.This, his first entry into the written world of fantasy, sprung from ‘car’ stories he told his children, which involved a litter of cats.

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Dedication

To all the literary cats who have appeared in so many stories in so many places. It is through their wisdom and perseverance that we benefit by their example.

Copyright ©2021

Table of Contents

Introduction

One Who is Sleeping

Battle on the Bridge

Laszor’s Dance

Four Dragons

Laszor and the Tomb of the Kings

Kattrell’s Revelation

Witch of Nor

Arial

Young Solay

The Goatherd

Laszor and Cirrus

The Three Travelers

Two Brothers

Dear Reader

Introduction

hese poems and stories were collected and written down by Felina of Ailuros, herself a skilled teller, trained and mentored by the famed Dame Calico, during the time of the coming of King Solay.

As is usual with traditional material, the authorships are unknown, having been passed from paw to paw orally. Their power lies in the collective memory of our feline race.

It is with great pleasure that I have begun the laborious task of transferring this material from the original manuscripts to this medium for its greater accessibility to our community. As my task is performed, the material will appear here.

Laszorson the Eighth, son of Laszorson the Seventh, Eleven Great for the Poet Laszor, in the year 713 from the Ascent of King Solay.

One Who is Sleeping

he One Who Is Sleeping dreams about us. He has dreamt for eons. His dreaming is our time. When he awakes we will be no more. As he sleeps he has watched this world form around our star. He has watched it cool and turn to stone. He saw the water settle into the low areas and become the sea. Our sun drew the water up and would have taken it all for itself, but the burden, too heavy, fell back onto the stone. The dreaming cat watched the water, drop by drop, wearing away the stone, turning it into sand and mud. But still the sun stole the water, not content until it possessed it all. And still it dropped the water again when it became too heavy, like a dragon that will not give up its thirst for gold but cannot carry what it has.

As The One Who Is Sleeping dreamt, life came. And life too wanted the water. It made itself into the grass. It put roots into the mud and sand, pulling from the ground as much water as it could. From the grass emerged trees of all kinds, leaves, and flowers of all colors. They too put down their roots and drank the water. Then from the grass came all the moving creatures: birds, beasts, and, not the least, cats, like the dreamer himself.

All drank the water, for life wanted the water for itself. Like the sun it could not keep it. When life dies it gives the water back again.

Cats are different from all other life that sought the water. They too, like the dreamer, could dream. When they dreamt of shelter, they built of wood and stone. When they dreamt of fields, they forged plows. When they dreamt of war, they forged swords. All that they dreamt they brought into this world.

Into the dream came Aquair, who dreamt of commanding the water. In his dream, he tried to conquer the water in battle. The water, weak, gave way, but always it surrounded him. On he fought, losing his strength. He dissolved, but he did not die.

When he awoke he understood his dream. Fully armed, he threw himself into the water. It took him, drowned him, and made him its own. Then Aquair reemerged a reborn warrior that no cat could stand against. The lands he conquered grew green. Where he stood, all things prospered. He was the first king. Long did he live, and those who gathered themselves about him shared in his strength. However, life, like water, seeps away. Aquair’s strength faded in his old age. So did the green of his land, and his followers suffered with him.

Then Aquair dreamt again, a dream of great promise that filled him with sadness. Upon waking, Aquair called for his master armorer. Aquair described a sword, how it was to look and how it was to be made. The ore that yielded metal