Suddenly, Grimheld's face blushed with embarrassment, but he recovered immediately: The Captain stood at a sharp attention with his gaze fixed outward. Then he withdrew his sword with his right hand and swiftly bent down on one knee with the flat of the sword held up across his nose and forehead. The blade pointed skyward. "Lord of Ontor!" he stated gravely.
"What do I do?" asked Kip of Elkin.
"Tell him to rise, Consair." suggested Elkin.
"Very well; Arise, Grimheld -- there needs to be no ceremony out here!"
"As you wish, Lord." said the Captain as he stood up and deftly sheathed his sword.
"Lord," said the Captain, "I have upheld the accord of recognition between Holds, but since this has occurred, I must get word to Dondor. With your permission, I will dispatch my best messenger at once!"
"As you wish."
"Consair of Ontor, out of Toridar Custom, I plead with you to remain in Sparkle Valley so that we may guard you until this issue of internal trouble is settled."
"There is no need, Captain. I must go with these to try and free my people."
Kip lowered his head and spoke sadly: "Now it seems that even the malignant Ard, my yomen's captors, are also my people. How sore a fate!"
Elkin's voice was sharp: "Hold Consair! The Ard have been swept away by a wave of terror! Only the Kanokai are your people now! I ask you to renounce the Ard and the other rebellious tribes! Please do so now, in the company of witnesses!"
Kip made his first executive decision. "Very well... As Consair of Ontor, now called Baldor, I reject all the peoples of Baldor that will not stay firm in the Law of the Holds! The Ard and Yuccah have left the Hold Law, therefore let the Law now leave the Ard and Yuccah..."
"Well spoken, Consair!" said Grimheld.
"Here! Here!!" shouted the happy adventurers.
Rollvag held his outstretched arm toward Tara. "Now is the time, young lady." Tara handed a roll to Rollvag. Rollvag spoke up above the cheers: "Now Ladies and Gentlemen, I will reveal a standard. This is the flag that will fly at the side of Kanokai. See here: This is the beginning. The dawning sun with its seventeen rays, one for each tribe, united. Kip will need this to rally the good Ontorians behind him and I offer it to him. It is sincere, created by the sweat and blood of companions tried and true. It shall be the symbol of a new Ontor nation. It is time to put Ontor misplaced energy to use. Kip! Come and take this standard!"
Kip answered "Gladly!"
"Lord of Ontor!"
"Hooray!! Hooray!!" shouted everyone together.
Kip studied the banner and beheld his tribe's colors pointing up. Then he smiled, turned to them, and said: "Though I have not the saying that will express my gratitude, thank you sincerely for making this ever grim young man happy beyond belief! Although I must remind you of the work ahead, know that these colors will travel me, and all those fight for my dream. May the True Lord of all the Holds guide us now."
Kip turned to the Captain: "Since I am Consair of Ontor, I ask you to take a personal message also to the Charge of Dondor."
Rollvag said: "Sir!! Here! Let me scribe the message!" Rollvag withdrew a parchment roll and began to pen what Kip said:
To the Charge of Dondor:
I, Kip Kanokai, Consair of Ontor, now named the horrible name of Baldor, request that the Articles of Wartime be instilled for the Ontor, now Baldor, Hold. The Ard mainly have
risen with the tribe of Yuccah to mercilessly capture and enslave
the Tribe of Kanoli -- now Kanokai. WE need to request troops to
man the border between Toridar and Baldor, in order to stop the
Ard mainly from spilling into the Crystal Valley and cities therein.
Kip Kanokai
Sir:
Consair of Ontor.
Elkin looked squarely at Kip and said: "It is a good request, Consair, but I fear for it's reception. Dondor is not what it once was..."
"What do you mean, Elkin of Toridar?"
"You will soon discover..."
(Q1) Formulate your plans.
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© Copyright 1999 by Abram Paradies.
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