The Tower
Side 2, Track 4
This is another in a series of stories drawn from the 1975 Chris de Burgh album, Spanish Train And Other Stories. I have endeavoured to be faithful to the spirit of the stories and in some cases include lyrics relevant to tell the tale. As with any fiction, there will also be cases where some license is taken to create and complete a story line.
-----------
Towers have always fascinated man and have been the downfall of many who have tried to build towers to reach the heavens and towers for people to look on for their greatness.
The Lord of the Castle in the forest was no less a man than these. He already had a Tower his grandfather had built to show his power and might. This Lord of the Castle wanted to assert his power over the forest and the countryside of his kingdom so, he hunted. He killed for the sport because the forest was his and he filled the rooms of his castle and adorned the walls of the tower with his prizes.
One day while riding through the forest he spotted a white bird flying over the trees. Just another bird among the many, but he had not yet claimed a prize for the day. He dismounted, nocked an arrow, followed the path of the bird, and with a practiced movement let loose his shot. The arrow was true but when he went to retrieve his prize there was nothing to be found except for a single white feather and blood on the ground.
The Lord cursed at his misfortune. "I could not have missed," and turned to go back to his horse to continue the hunt.
There, standing only a few feet in front of him, was a young woman dressed all in white lace. One arm hung with a bloodied hand hung loosely by her side and she was clearly in pain.
This was his forest and his forest alone where no one dare trespass but he was so overcome with her beauty that he dismissed the suddenness of her appearance and declared, "I must have her; she must be mine. She will be mine."
"You shall not." was her answer. He persisted and withdrew two pouches from the saddlebag of his horse.
"I have silver." He pressed a pouch into her uninjured hand. She dropped it to the ground.
"I have gold." He placed another pouch into her palm and pressed her hand tightly around it. She tossed the pouch aside.
The Lord of the Forest fell to his knees and begged her to come with him and live in his castle. "I promise whatever comforts and needs you might wish will be yours."
She replied, "Sire, I'll go if you put up your bow and spare the creatures of your forest. Leave them in peace. You have no need of them nor do you have many walls left on which to hang them."
The image of the woman as his Lady and his Queen was all he could see so her words were lost to him. His desire was not to be denied.
"You will come to be mine," he said. He lifted her on to his horse, quickly tied her in place behind him, then with a kick to the flanks of his horse, rode off to his castle. There he had his physician tend to her wounded hand and she was moved into the Lord's tower where he would have her become the Lady of the Castle.
No sooner was she thrown into the dark reaches of the Tower than the skies above the forest emptied of Song Birds and instead were filled with Storm Birds. One flapped its wings so hard it made the winds blow; other birds with tufts of red feathers rained down lightning; one with the head of a bear and the body of a bird caused it to thunder, while yet another Storm Bird caused it to rain. The centre of these strange events was the Tower and Castle, but the people of the kingdom witnessed the scene and could not utterly escape the mounting storm,
After seven days the birds disappeared and the air was calm and the Lord visited his Tower and once again asked the object of his desire to become his wife. All she would say was "leave them in peace," and once again her words were lost on the Lord and once again the Storm Birds appeared and cast their elements over the forest. After another seven days they disappeared, leaving behind destroyed vegetation and a damaged Castle.
The Lord of the Castle went to the woman where he found her singing a sad song. It was a song for the animals of the forest but it was lost on him.
"Are you ready to be my Lady and my Queen?" he demanded.
"Leave them in peace," was her quiet reply and she continued with her song which the winds carried throughout the forest and beyond.
The scene was played out in many ways until it was spring again. The swallows did not return with Spring in tow as was their role in the world, newly sown crops surrounding the forest would not grow, and the leaves on the trees were slow in returning.
Ever focused on his quest to win the woman, the changes happening around the Castle and to his Forest went unnoticed by the Lord. He continued to ask her the same question and still did not heed the answer that would have brought him what he desired.
Then one day the air was filled with a shrill sound that was coming in from far away. It drowned out the woman's sad song and to many it sounded like an ancient flute heralding an urgent warning. It approached the forest for days until finally the Seven Whistlers flew into view. These birds brought with them a despair that settled on the castle and everything around it. Still the Castle Lord could not hear her simple words, "leave them in peace."
When the Castle Lord came to see his future Queen one morning, he was horrified to see she was gone. All that remained was a white feather.
He looked up and saw a huge flock of Ravens. As the Tower walls started to crumble under their weight, he finally heard the woman's plea.
"Leave them in peace."
But it was too late. There were no birds and no animals left to leave in peace and as time wore on there would be no people.
All that was left of the Tower were piles of sand, a single feather, and — for the Lord — a memory of what he could not forget and could not attain.
The Tower is one of my favourites. Thanks for sharing the story