The Shield and The Ice Queen (Poem)

Gather around Summoners, let me spin you a tale! Of the wicked Ice Queen, whose eyes had paled. Her wicked demeanor had chilled all that she had encountered. Her cruelty matched only by cunning, hatred, her power it towered. Less be the day though, when the coldest of hearts did began healed, For this is the tale of a man who saved a little girl, with only his shield.

The Ice Queen did find, in her frozen land, A poor girl nearly frozen, in need of a helping hand. “Alas, go forth my trolls, trundle away! Capture her and bring her alive, or else all I shall slay!” Her trolls did heave, their backs whipped from her crystalline ice, For they were nothing more to the lioness, a mere pack of mice.

Across the tundra they scuttled, their teeth gnashing and bare, To claim for their queen the blessed maiden fair. Though she shrieked in fear, howling about the wind, It did nothing but excite the devils more in the end. Their stout bodies chased her across the snowy tundra of ice and snow, Before one of their bloody clubs caught her with a sickening blow.

THUNK! Went the poor girl, her blood it pooled crimson across the virgin snow, Her death would be one of many, or so it would go. Save for a great change in this fable I tell. For a man and his shield promised to save her, come winter or hell.

The great brawny man had heard of her sudden departure, far north into the frozen land. Her parents grew worried, for they knew the dark queen and her culling magic of ice that crept from her hand. The man laughed and boasted, “What prey tell of this magnificent queen? I assure you, there is no monster that can best me, none that I’ve seen.”

A promise made, and supplies rushed, The Shield ran towards her last known place, where snow fell, and the land hushed. Upon the tracks that he finally spied her dark blood, Disturbed by the marching of trolls that made way to a castle, like a wicked flood.

The Shield sat in silence, conjuring a plan, Finally shouting, “I shall save the little girl, for it can be done by no other man!” He hoisted his ancient and heavy shield, In which through battles and struggles, it would never yield. He knew that this task would not be his last, And made way towards the dark citadel in which the Ice Queen held domain fast.

Leaping deep across the chasm of ice and death, The Shield fought through the army of trolls with his frigid breath. Slamming his mighty weapon of defense upon their thick skulls, Empty they become, nothing but hulls.

The battle waged for many days and many nights, Before the Queen emerged, her sickly pale skin ready to match mights. “ENOUGH! The maiden and her heart belong to me! Your shield cannot save her, for this you will see!”

The shield looked upon the Ice Queen, with sadness in his eyes, “What shall happen to my fate, the future I do not know what lies. But the little girl’s heart shall be saved, With ice, it shall not become paved. Please, oh beautiful Ice Queen, hear my word! Let the innocent be freed, for your will is absurd. These beasts will not best me so long as my shield is raised high!” With a sudden burst of shattering ice, the paled eyed queen screamed, “THEN YOU SHALL DIE!”

The snow from her fingers erupted with a blast, The Shield though would not budge, and held ever fast. He saw the poor girl laying chained by winters bite, And knew he could save her still, if he used all of his might.

As the Ice Queen attacked the man, her frigid magic biting across his shield, He bellowed loudly, “What if we made a deal!” The air grew deathly still as the Ice Queen ceased her attack. “What do you speak of? There is no deal that could give me something I lack.”

“You’ve taken the girl, for her beauty and kindness has blinded you and all from the start. Oh Great Ice Queen, what if instead I saved her by giving YOU my heart?”

The Queen grew quiet, her blind eyes they hid, A great surge of thought, the bargain intrigued her, it did. “What of your heart, why is it greater? I can slay you and take it for later!”

“Truly a heart is greatest, when not tricked or deceived, But given willingly, to someone alone to be received. I promised myself, upon the outskirts of this frosted keep, The little girl would be saved, her death for no one would need to weep.”

The Queen untied the girl and let her fall. “Very well then, my trolls will take her, home to be safe from all! But your bargain, it shall be upheld!” With that phrase, The Shield’s chest did swell. He came close to the Ice Queen, her blind eyes he did see, “As I promised….the little girl, she shall be free.” For he then dropped his shield, letting it fall with the tears from his face. And just as quickly, pulled the sinister queen into a loving embrace.

The Queen did not know what to do, for so warm his hold was upon her. Deep inside her chest, a feeling long before gone now began to stir.

Memories and thoughts of her lonely cold existence, began to melt away fast. Her dark and sorrow filled life, her cruel and dark past. All of this came rushing upon the Ice Queen’s face, Feeling the tears of The Shield, in his loving embrace.

“What are you doing, unhand me and let us part!” “As I promised, I am saving the little girl and her heart.”

“There is more than one way, to give my heart to you. With love I hold you, warm my hold, my feelings true. You have suffered so much, in your voice I hear. For even now, your blind and beautiful eyes, let fall a tear.”

She felt a warm sensation, how odd upon this creature of cold. Her dark heart becoming untwisted, by this man and his shield, so bold. Weeping, she could not hold it any longer. “ENOUGH! I shall not allow you to do this to me, and now you I shall slaughter!”

The Shield let her go, his face filled with sorrow. Watching the Ice Queen cry, her anguish she did bellow. Her slaves looked on in horror, unable to grasp, Why their powerful leader did weep, her warm tears falling between gasps. Slinging her magic, her aim it did sway, Unable to hit The Shield, who refused to budge, and would stay. As her grief overtook her, The Ice Queen did flee. Deep inside her fortress, for none to ever see. From deep inside, her voice did erupt, “You have bested me Shield, your heart I could not corrupt! Please, leave me be and let me grieve. But before you go, a wish I now conceive.”

As The Shield heard her voice echo, it weakening in power, There lying before him emerged a crystalline flower. Its petals so frail, and beautiful to behold. Nothing could match its beauty or come close to being told. “Take this flower, my beloved Shield. You have bested my heart, and for that, I shall yield. The days will grow dark, and cold will once again become my heart… But maybe, just maybe, this flower will keep us from ever truly being apart. You have given me love, for that I cannot stand. For now you have given me hope in this cursed land. A sensation I thought long gone from my being. Now, please leave, before I shatter this castle, crushing us with its ceiling.

With that, The Shield plucked the delicate flower from the ground, Its purity and beauty for in nothing else could be found. The Shield took his gift, and carried it along. Becoming one with him, with his shield in song.

Now the legends tell of a man and his shield this very day, And the wondrous flower that shines every which way. A gift he received from playing his greatest part. In the legend of the Ice Queen, and how he saved that little girl’s cold, frozen heart.