Ossian retells his and Marius' adventures to Folly.

The Tower

This is a tale not all true from the journeys of Ossian and Marius.
Early they started, the morning was quiet, but something was breaking the stillness.
Beats from a drum could be heard far away, with a rhythm slow and even.
"Should we avoid getting close to the source of the drumming?" asked Marius.
"No", answered Ossian, his voice now excited "let's find out I'm curious".

Leaving their horses they slowly advanced 'til they came to a tower.
Tall, octagonal it stood there, surrounded by ruins and ashes.
Fire consumed long ago the whole place; everyone fled the village.
Now it was dead, empty and barren, the tower was all that was standing.
Still the same drumbeat was heard from the uppermost floor of the tower.

Ossian gritted his teeth, "Would it hurt with some variation?
Inside the tower, nothing was left but the uppermost level.
Hard to get up it would be with no stairs to the hatch in the ceiling.
There, on the floor lay remains of a man, from the hatch he had fallen.
"Look there", said Marius, "At least we'll get down, very quickly, if needed."

Finally, climbing, the boys reached the room at the top of the tower.
Nothing was there but the drum that sounded allover the district.
No one was beating but strangely the drum skin still boomed as if beaten.
"Let's have a look" whispered Ossian "Oh, something is written upon it."
"All fled the fire forgetting the poor man who gave them the warning."
"Therefore I curse them, this place and this drum, may it never be peaceful!"
Marius he cut it apart with his sword, now forever it's silenced.
"Missing a beat can be healthy at times" was Marius' conclusion.