his spade, realising how close he had come to being killed by them. Now, as he looked at the Sisters happily pulling the cart along, he began to wonder if there was something that he could do to help them?
It was all very odd being mistaken for the Great King, and that, combined with the help of the Faery, which in itself was something that he found very hard to explain, were all difficult to make any real sense of.
There were just too many co-incidences, and as he sat there in contemplation, he began to wonder if there really was any such thing as a co-incidence. Perhaps in a way, it was his destiny?
Destiny or not, if he played along with the fact that the sisters thought that he was the Great King, then maybe there would be a chance of being able to help the people of his village after all?
Roggie, King Elphin Rabbit!
It did have a certain ring to it!
He was lost in his daydream, thinking of himself sitting on a golden throne giving out commands, wearing the finest of clothes, not to mention eating the finest of foods. His mind was still drifting as he thought about one of those succulent pies that were baked in his village, and how he had enjoyed tucking into it after winning the spear throwing contest. That seemed a lifetime away, and as he visualised himself sitting on his throne with a slice of the biggest pie he had ever seen resting in his hands, he suddenly thought about the sceptre. The last time that he had seen it was when he placed it in his bag, and he quickly came back to reality, reaching for it. He undid the cord which held the bag together, and there sitting amongst his other things was the sceptre. Roggie felt a great deal of relief, as he now not only possessed it, but also the spear which the sisters found so fascinating. Maybe he was already half way to becoming King after all!
His confidence was short lived though, as they began to reach the outskirts of a village. Although he seemed to have surmounted seemingly insurmountable obstacles already, it was going to be just as difficult convincing everyone else that he was indeed the Great King!
Oh how he wished to speak to the Wise Old Griffin and get some answers to the multitude of questions that were welling up in his mind. He was truly thankful of the help and support of the sisters, but there were opposing forces within him, and his self confidence ebbed and flowed like the river he had nearly drowned in the day before. He suddenly felt very tired, and he pulled his hood over his eyes as they closed heavily. He was exhausted, as thoughts of a mouth watering pie filed his mind, and before long he was soundly asleep.
The cart still trundled along the little track which led into the village of the Bear King, and the sisters looked at each other as everywhere was unusually quiet. Normally it was a hive of activity with Bears from all of the land merging for the tournament.
Everyone seemed subdued and the air was full of trepidation as opposed to the usual excitement. All those they passed seemed to have their heads down, and the normal high spirits had been replaced by a feeling of gloom. Roggie was still asleep with his hood covering his face, and was oblivious to everything. He was dreaming of his old life in his burrow, mixed with the disbelief that the Sisters actually thought that he was the Great King.
Disbelief was something that he shared with the Bear Sisters, as they could not understand why the village was not in a mood of celebration. Something had clearly happened, and whatever it was, must have been very serious!
Ten
An uneasy calm spread through the air hovering like a mist of dejection, sapping the normal excitement out of everyone that it touched, hanging there like an invisible cloud shrouding everything in a gloom. There had never been anything quite like it before, and the normal happiness of the Bears arriving from all over the land, had been replaced by a deep sadness.
This sadness was everywhere, and both Nokie and Concordia could feel it entering their bones, making them ache with a sort of despairing pain. The pain which they felt also sapped their strength, and they could not understand what was causing it.
Gone were the drummers who seemed to find the energy to play endlessly for three solid days, and the colourful characters who hung around the ale vats. The stalls were also missing, where a Bear could pick up almost anything from the traders who sold their wares. The only people they saw were odd forlorn groups gathered under the large trees that usually had a real excitement about them. This was so very odd, that the Sisters began to think that they were either in the wrong village, or that they had arrived at the wrong time!
Normally, it would have taken them quite a considerable time to push their way towards the centre of the village, but today it seemed to take them no time at all. When they did arrive, they had a real shock. Instead of the banners and throng of excited Bears, the sight that greeted them was of a Friar, accompanied by some other Men. This was even more unusual, as there had not been any Men in this village, or any other part of The Land of the Bears for centuries.
The Sisters stopped, gently placing the handles of the cart down onto the floor, as Roggie slept on. His cuts and bruises were healing nicely, and he could count himself very lucky that they had only been superficial. Being rescued by the Sisters was just the stroke of luck that he needed, and the ride in the cart meant that when he eventually awoke, he would be fully rested.
The Men stared at them, making the Sisters feel very uncomfortable, so Nooks decided to go off and investigate, and to try and find out just what had transpired, whilst Cuddles stayed to guard their cart.
It was not the most pleasant of waits, as the atmosphere was thick with tension. Never in their lifetimes, or the lifetimes of countless generations of Bears, had there ever been anything quite like it. Time dragged on, and it felt like an eternity before Nooks finally came back, and when she did, by the look on her face, things were about to get considerably worse!
Cuddles could see that Nooks was in no mood to talk, and she just raised her eyebrows when she looked at her. That was a clear sign that there was something afoot, so she remained silent.
The handles of the cart were carefully raised, and they headed off in the opposite direction, moving away from the Men. Then, when they were safely out of sight, they doubled back, eventually joining a gathering of other Bears, who were huddled around a vat of ale. Now that they were safely hidden, they delicately place the handles of the cart back down on to the ground again. Even then, Nooks did not speak until she had purchased two tankards.
Nooks took a large drink, signalling that she wanted her sister to join her, pointing to some empty seats under one of the trees, and shook her head as they sat down. The news was not good, and in a hushed tone, she started to explain just what she had learnt.
Apparently the Men and the Friar had appeared a few days ago, and just like in Roggie’s village, they had told everyone that they had been sent by the Self Appointed One. Everyone had been equally as confused, especially as he had proclaimed himself ruler over all of their lands. As far as they were concerned, the Bear King was in overall charge, and he was not nearly as powerful as the Great King, who had been their last proper ruler.
It was also safe to say, that the Bear King’s leadership had left a lot to be desired, as he was considered to be nothing more than a big bully. The only things that really concerned him were eating and drinking, which he did to excess, but at least he was a Bear!
They had been further frustrated by the fact that he had not wrestled since his victory several years ago, and to Bears, wrestling was something that came naturally to them.
The Friar had done all of the talking, and he also told them that the Self Appointed One was the only person who could protect them from Dragons, and that they must all pay a Dragon Tax for his protection.
Similarly, they had been told that Dragons were terrible creatures, which could suddenly appear from nowhere breathing fire and destroying everything in their path. The Friar went on to tell them that a Dragon could destroy an entire village in a matter of seconds, and everyone within it, and the last thing the Bears would wish for was to be roasted alive or torn
limb from limb!
This statement had caused everyone a great deal of concern, for it was a matter of honour. No self respecting Bear wished another to fight their battles for them and, whether it be a Dragon or any other foe, their pride would stop them from accepting such a proposal.
The Friar had not been too pleased by this reaction, and was determined that the Bears would accept the proposal, and had requested a meeting with the Bear King. The meeting was held in secret, with no members of the Bear Council being present, which again, was something totally unheard of. If this was not bad enough, after the meeting the Bear King had announced that he had agreed to hand over what gold there was in the royal coffers, in exchange for protection from the Self Appointed One.
There had been great shock and total disbelief, further compounded by the cancellation of the tournament, and everyone felt as though they had been dishonoured by what the Bear King had done. They all knew that the Men would leave for now, but they would return, and when they did, they would want even more. There was not much more gold in their lands, and the prospect of being forced to work in the gold mines did not appeal to anyone. Because of the code of honour, no one had the right to oppose the King outside a tournament, and there was