genuine fear for the future.
After Nooks had finished talking, there were now two more glum faces, as the Sisters felt an equal sense of sadness by what had transpired, not to mention an even deeper sense of injustice!
They sat in silence as the shock of being betrayed by their King began to sink in, and just like all of the other Bears, they felt totally helpless.
The smell of ale drifted across from where they were sitting, and up into Roggie’s nostrils. His whiskers had begun to twitch, as all Elphin Rabbits have a very acute sense of smell. Roggie was not averse to the odd tankard of ale himself, and the smell was enough to awaken him.
He began to stir as he emerged from a deep restful sleep, feeling a lot better than he had done earlier in the day. The Sisters could see him stretching out his arms as he yawned, and quickly left their drinks. They did not think that it would be wise for his presence to be detected within the village, particularly as the Friar and the Men were still loitering around. After all, the Great King had asked to remain undercover until he had spoken to the Wise Old Griffin.
Before he knew what was happening, Roggie felt the cart being moved, and when he regained his balance and pulled back his hood, he found that the cart had been quickly wheeled into a more secluded part of the village.
“What’s been going on?”
Roggie sat up as the Sisters gently lowered the handles of the cart. He could tell that all was not well, and when they told him what had happened, he was also very worried.
It seemed as though Friars and Men were travelling all over the ancient kingdom of Elphamia, frightening everyone into believing that unless they allowed the Self Appointed One to protect them, then they would be left to the mercy of the Dragons.
In return for his protection, he would amass all the gold in the lands, and those who did not have any would be forced to work in the gold mines!
It seemed to him that it was as though this Self Appointed One was addicted to wealth and splendour, and would stop at nothing until there was no one left, apart from his followers.
Why he was doing this was just as big a mystery to Roggie as it was to the Sisters. Everyone had been living relatively peacefully, and the thought of being surrounded by vast quantities of gold, or forcing everyone into what amounted to slavery was a concept that they simply did not understand.
“Well, what are we going to do about it?”
The Sisters looked at Roggie for leadership; after all, he was supposed to be the Great King!
He looked thoughtful, not to mention more than a little worried.
After spending a few minutes considering the situation, he emerged from his thoughts with a plan. It was a bold one, and not without an element of risk attached to it. However, there was a chance that it might just succeed!
Eleven
The air of gloom still filled the atmosphere as the Sisters walked hesitantly out from the cover of the trees onto the path, which led towards the centre of the village. Roggie had stayed behind, not wishing to encounter any other Bears, and particularly not the Men. He feared that he may be recognised, and doubted if he would be lucky enough to escape again!
These were not the actions of a King, although Roggie was not a King, just someone who by chance, happened to look like the most famous King that there had ever been.
The Sisters still believed that he was a King, and that was the most important factor. He would have to continue his deception until he made his way out of The Land of the Bears.
That was a distant prospect, as there was important business to attend to first. His plan was going to be very risky, and he was already having second thoughts about it. Having had time to think it over, what had seemed like a good idea at the time was now causing him grave concern!
However, it was too late to back out of it now, as the Sisters were already on their way. He just had to trust in them, and hope that everything turned out as they had planned.
When the Sisters arrived in the main clearing, the Men had already begun to load the gold onto a cart of their own, as everyone looked on with great disappointment. The Royal Guards also stood and watched, with their thoughts echoing the thoughts of the other Bears gathered around them. Their disapproval was clearly visible on their faces, and when the Sisters approached, they stopped them demanding to know what they were doing.
“We wish to see the King!”
The guards looked down upon them, as the King was enjoying his evening meal and did not wish to be disturbed.
“I wish to issue him with a challenge!”
Cuddles announced bravely.
The guards began to laugh, as it was a male dominated society and they did not take her seriously.
“I demand the right of challenge!”
Cuddles continued, stamping her large foot down on the ground.
The guards were still laughing, and told her that only male Bears were able to offer a challenge, and that could only happen during a tournament, and even if she was a male Bear, it would make no difference, as the tournament had now been cancelled.
“I am a female Bear, so the rules do not apply to me!”
Cuddles persisted, as they slowly began to take her a little more seriously. She was correct, and being as this had never happened before, they did not really know what to do about it.
“A female Bear can not challenge a King!”
The Head Guard intervened, as he had come over to see what all of the fuss was about.
Nooks now spoke up.
“Where does it say that a female Bear can not make a challenge to the King?”
He knew as well as they did, that no one had ever thought of that before. There was nothing in the rules that stated, one way or another, that a female bear could not challenge the King.
He scratched his chin with one of his big powerful hands, deep in thought. It was bad enough having to watch the Men loading all of their gold onto a cart, and this was something else that he could have done without. However, a challenge had been made, and by custom it had to be honoured. Whether it would be or not depended on the King, who would have to be consulted.
The Head Guard had no choice, and so reluctantly left them, to go and consult with the King. This was another prospect that he did not relish, as the King was often bad tempered and did not like to be disturbed, particularly when he was eating.
The Sisters sat down on a nearby bench, and waited for the Head Guard’s return, being watched over by the other guards, who in turn, were watching over the Men loading all of their gold onto the cart.
Time seemed to drag on, as the Men finished what they were doing. The cart was now fully laden, and they also sat down to rest. The Sisters looked over to them with disgust, and it was clear from the way the Men looked back at them that they had little regard for Bears, and even less for female ones!
The uneasy stand-off lasted until the Head Guard returned, and they could also see, from the expression on his face, that he was none too pleased either.
“The King was very angry at being disturbed, particularly at having received such a ridiculous challenge.”
The Sisters could see that the Head Guard’s ears were still smarting and could only imagine what had been said to him. They felt a little sorry for him, as the King Bear was noted for having a very bad temper.
“So, the King has no honour!”
That was something which the Head Guard was in full agreement with, although it was far more than his job, or even life was worth admitting to.
“Is he scared of me then?”
Cuddles stood firm, and by the look on the Head Guard’s face, he was rapidly losing his own temper.
“We demand to speak to the Council!”
Nooks now stamped her foot down on the ground. In Bear culture, if you really wanted to make your point, then you stamped your foot. She knew that all citizens had the right to demand to be heard by the Council, if the matter they were raising could not be settled by both parties concerned.
The Hea
d Guard now faced quite a dilemma, as he knew that she was right, under the rules which governed their culture. It also looked as though the Bear Sisters were not going to back down, and there seemed little else that he could do.
“Oh very well then, wait here and I will see what I can do.”
Twelve
The crescent moon shone down brightly on The Land of the Bears, as the warmth of the day drifted away bringing a chill to the air. It was unusually bright, considering that most of the moon was obscured, and everywhere was bathed in moonlight.
A group of senior Bears gathered round a fire in the centre of the village on the rather chilly night. It would be Mid Summer tomorrow, but the weather was almost as cold as the hearts of the Bear People.
It was an extraordinary occasion, and no one could remember anything quite like it before, and the mood was very sombre. These were indeed strange times, and their whole way of life had already changed, and not for the better either!
Usually, the Council would have been summoned to discuss the offer made by the Friar, and the implications of allowing the Men to take all of the gold in the royal coffers. Sadly, this was not the case, as the Bear King had usurped them, and left the Council members feeling isolated.
They were old Bears, and their power was based upon respect and honour. The King had shown them neither, and there was nothing much that they could do to oppose his decision. It looked as though whatever they now decided in committee would be disregarded, and never before in the whole history of the Bear People, had the Council of Elders been