Once, Ladies Three

Once, Ladies Three (Dargova, H. (ed), 492 ME) is a transcription of an old nursery rhyme once often sung by Vistani and Zarossian parents alike, which is now widely forgotten in Barovia. Few copies of it remain, for it is regarded with little academic value at best, and "heretical nonsense" at worst.
The fairytale talks of the "Ladies Three," who appear to be some form of Archfey who guided a "people" — presumably the Zori — in the lands of Rassveta before the coming of a "wanderer" who cursed them to live as mortals.
Given the age of the tale, no author is given for these transcriptions. A copy of Once, Ladies Three is kept by Fiona Wachter in Wachter Manor, which was edited by Harkus Dargova in 492 ME, and written in Old Yazyk.

Contents

Once, Ladies Three danced in Sun,
As three they were but ever one,
Their people did they guide and fawn,
'Till Wanderer come, and people scorn.
One of Leaves, she read them well,
In cups and cards their stories tell,
Time's aft and fore laid bare to peer,
Round Pools of sky, wide bright and clear.
One of Roots, woven, spun,
She made 'ere all act as one,
Bound hand to hand, brought babes afetch,
'Tween mountain peaks, where wallow Letch.
One of Branches, bough and broken,
Her arms encircled, shields oaken,
She stood defiant in vim and will,
Upon the stark and lonely Hill.
But shining clad as Golden Dawn,
The rider came upon the Morn,
They laid their plan as if a map,
And trapped the Powers within a Sap.
Bled and bowed, Leaf, Root and Branch,
Thwart' by ice and avalanche,
The Ladies Three fell to skin,
But vengeance now was theirs to win.

Type

Text, Literary (Novel/Poetry)

Medium

Vellum / Skin

Authoring Date

492 ME

Location

County of Barovia

Authors

• Harkus Dargova