Come, Dear Heart. Lean On

I Have Listened To Many Tales In My Life, And Told A Few Of My Own. If This Has Taught Me Anything, It Is That There Are Some Occurrences That Change The Course Of Things, That Make An Alteration Far Beyond Their Own Apparent Magnitude. It Is Like The Throwing Of A Tiny Pebble Into A Pool, How It Makes An Ever-expanding Circle Of Ripples, Spreading Right Across The Water's Surface.

Breath Of The Winds; Dancing Flame; Peace Of The Earth; Song Of The Waves.

I've Loved Fairytales, Folklore And Mythology Since I Was A Small Child, And I Think It Was Inevitable That They Would Influence My Style And My Development Of Stories.

He Was Sitting Not Far Away, Watching Me, And I Surprised A Smile On His Face, The First Real Smile I Had Ever Seen Him Give, A Smile That Curved And Softened The Tight Mouth, And Warmed The Ice-cool Eyes; A Smile That Brought The Blood To My Face And Made My Heart Turn Over.

Because If I See You Defeated, Then I Think I Will See Alban Defeated, And If That Happens, None Of Us Can Go On. To Guard You Is To Guard The Heart Of This Land Of Ours.