The hero looked in shock to see his friend in such a state

he’d missed the merchant’s sharp blue eyes, but couldn’t celebrate

“don’t suppose you’ve any gold for one who’s near his end

if you don’t, I’ll ask you for some luck, my little friend”

He took the old man in his arms and said with teary eyes

“the last time that I saw you, you were more than twice this size”

the merchant’s young assistant had grown up since they last met

the merchant though, was skin and bones, a portrait of regret

As he turned to take the merchant somewhere warm and dry

he heard an angry voice resound from in a shop nearby

“you put down my slave or I’ll report you to the guards

you could hang for stealing things off other peoples’ yards”

With bloodshot eyes the hero simply asked the man “how much”

then tossed a shining silver coin to him, too hot to touch

“that should do” he said with burning hands “yes thank you sir”

the merchant sighed and said “you overpaid, you amateur”

“working in the mines was fun, but there I lost a leg

I was lucky I survived with strength enough to beg

later on I wound up back in chains in that there store

since then I’ve been basket weaving there upon the floor”

The hero almost laughed at how absurd the story was

such a rich man working like the poorest worker does

“here I thought my luck and friends had seen me off to hell

I guess I had a little left, and you’ve been doing well”

The hero told the merchant of his life since last they met

they laughed and cried for friends they’d known and times they won’t forget

then he took the merchant to an inn and paid his board

and bought his old friend every luxury he could afford

“I finally have gold with which to clear my oldest debt

but we’re still not even for the help you gave me yet

now I have the power to make fortunes with my blade

come and let me care for you until my debts are paid”

“You’ve paid me back in freedom now, and that’s enough for me

charity is painful for a merchant proud as me

minus what you bought me for, and I remember well

you just owe me one gold coin as far as I can tell”

The hero tried to give him more, but couldn’t change his mind

he tried to give his slaves away, but those too were declined

“let me tell you how I made my fortune in my youth

it might seem a little strange to some but it’s the truth

I was just an orphan but I put my faith in luck

and always listened closely to my fate when I was stuck

I learned early on to trust the road that fate prepares

holding on to friends and trusting luck with my affairs

Yes, it’s true that luck and friends will save you til you die

and sometimes it’s the luck of friends on which we must rely

but yours is not a fate I share, beyond this happy day

to struggle against everything that fate has thrown your way”

“What about the pirates who attacked us out at sea

are the scars that we both carry luck or destiny”

the merchant looked with kindness at his frustrated young friend

proud he’d grown to be a man on whom he could depend

“Boy, I saw you struggle with your fate for several years

fighting up the current, never weakened by your fears

I can see you’ve made some luck yourself while on your quest

one day when you’ve lost enough, I hope you find some rest”

The merchant understood that he could never tie him down

he’d be restless whether in a prison or a crown

the hero looked away and sighed for he had made his choice

but still it made him happy once again to hear his voice

“I wish that I could help you more, but this is where we part

I’ll prove that I was meant to be a hero from the start

just because I wasn’t put upon this path by fate

doesn’t mean a farmer’s son must sit around and wait”

The merchant laughed and reassured his friend he’d be okay

“with this much gold to work with, I’ll be rich again some day

you get back to work now and don’t worry about me

when we meet again I’ll be more rich than you are free”

Bittersweet the meeting was, and soon it had to end

the optimistic merchant cheered and sent away his friend

as if the meeting was a dream, the hero then returned

continuing along the path for which he’d always yearned

In the end he had no doubt the merchant would do well

Indeed, his faith in luck and friends had seen him out of hell

and so his mind came back to thoughts about the task at hand

keeping safe the merchants with his mercenary band

When he found the merchants though, they weren’t prepared to leave

could there be some profit, still which they’d yet to achieve

he asked another mercenary, “what’s with all the fuss”

quietly the man replied, “the queen has come for us”