The Path of Silver and Steel

Wolf in the snow, Cat in the rain, Griffin in ash, Viper in chain, Bear in the storm where the old keeps kneel, We walk the Path of silver and steel. We were not born to hearth or name, No cradle-song, no father's land. Taken young to the mountain flame, Small bones bound by a master's hand. Green fire burned through vein and breath, Fever spoke where children cried. Some woke changed from the kiss of death, Some stayed still on the other side. They call it craft, they call it need, They call us cursed when the lamps burn low. But when the graves begin to bleed, They remember the road we know. Our eyes are gold, our hearts are scarred, Our prayers are potions, bitter and black. No door stays open, no bed stays warm, Yet every village calls us back. We are the oath no kingdom keeps, The nameless wall where midnight creeps. No sons to mourn, no wives to wait, We drink the moon, we bargain fate. They curse our eyes, then cry for aid, They spit, then count the lives we saved. Silver for fang and steel for throne- We kill the monsters, flesh and bone. A medallion hums in the tavern smoke, And mothers pull their children near. "Mutant," they whisper, "but let him stay- The woods have teeth this time of year." A noonwraith weeps in a wedding veil, A striga claws at a royal lie. A leshen walks where the red leaves fail, And drowners sing where the dead men lie. But not all beasts have horn or claw, Some smile from courts in velvet skin. Some write the law, then break the law, And call the slaughter discipline. So weigh your evils, small or great, Dress them in reason, crown, or creed. We know the stain beneath the name- Evil is evil when it feeds. We are the oath no kingdom keeps, The nameless wall where midnight creeps. No sons to mourn, no wives to wait, We drink the moon, we bargain fate. They curse our eyes, then cry for aid, They spit, then count the lives we saved. Silver for fang and steel for throne- We kill the monsters, flesh and bone. By Vesemir's fire in the ruined keep, By Eskel's scar and Lambert's sneer, By every wolf that learned not to weep, By every child who died of fear. By Kaer Morhen, cold and high, By schools now dust, by names forgot, By the White Wolf passing silent by- We are what the world is not. No heir. No home. No grave with roses over stone. No peace. No crown. Only the Path when the sun goes down. Sign and silver, oil and flame, No clean hands and no clean name. Fang or crown, claw or lie- Name the beast and watch it die. We are the oath no kingdom keeps, The last hard breath before death reaps. No sons to mourn, no wives to wait, We drink the moon, we bargain fate. Let them fear us, let them plead, Let them curse the lives they need. Silver for fang and steel for throne- We kill the monsters, flesh and bone. We are the ones between the door And all the dark that hungers more. No song will make our sorrow heal- We walk the Path of silver and steel. Wolf in the snow, Cat in the rain, Griffin in ash, Viper in chain, Bear in the storm where the old keeps kneel, We walk the Path of silver and steel.