forced their way through, and although he threw several of them to the ground, they did eventually manage to restrain him. He was still shouting at the top of his voice as the crowd parted allowing the Royal Guard to drag him away to an awaiting cell. There was also the matter of his announcement during the contest that he was responsible for the disappearance of his main challenger Tyr, and he would be thoroughly questioned when he eventually calmed down.
The crowd on the other hand was still wild with excitement, as the drums continued to pound out the rhythm of victory. It was absolute chaos, as everyone danced about in wild excitement, as nothing quite like this had ever happened before.
Eventually, with the help of the Royal Guard, Cuddles was rescued from the crowd, who had been throwing her up into the air, before catching her again, which was no mean feet considering that she was large Bear!
They had now surrounded her, and were pushing their way across what had been the wrestling ring, towards where her corner had been. Nooks was waiting for her, doing her best not to be swept away in the melee.
Eventually, they were reunited and the two sisters held onto one another, hugging excitedly. Cuddles had achieved the impossible, and the Bear King had been defeated.
Nooks had been very worried that her sister could have been seriously injured, and had also feared what the Bear King would have done to them, if he had of won.
However, Nooks knew how skilful and agile Concordia was, particularly for a large Bear, having witnessed her defeat many other opponents in the past. They had grown up with a true champion wrestler, and their father had taught them well before he had mysteriously disappeared. Now, after the Bear King’s admission, they had the opportunity to find out just what had exactly happened to him. In their hearts they knew that he was still alive, and perhaps now they would have a chance of being reuniteed with him, as they missed him so very much.
The members of the Council were also overjoyed, and needed the help of the Royal Guards to protect them from the joyous crowd, as they were all far too frail to cope with being thrown up into the air, as Concordia had been. The Bear People just wanted to celebrate, and their over exuberance knew no bounds!
The Royal Guards had formed a protective ring around them, but even they had difficulty keeping the crowd at bay, and it was proving impossible to calm them. It was going to take a considerable time before the Council had the opportunity to offer their congratulations, and to make an announcement.
Roggie had observed the wrestling match from an advantage point in a nearby tree. It was the first time that he had ever climbed one, and it took a great deal of help getting him up there, and would take considerably more to get him down again!
He was absolutely thrilled, and in the excitement, he had nearly fallen out of the tree, and only managed to save himself by grabbing onto a branch. The tree seemed to be the safest place to be at the moment, as he could see all of the pandemonium around him.
Elphin Rabbits were not prone to bouts of excitement, and he was now learning more about Bear culture than he had thought possible. They were very emotional creatures, and could swing from anger to joy, happiness to sadness very easily. He had witnessed anger, and now he was seeing joy, not to mention more than a little excitement!
Eventually, the crowd began to disperse, heading off towards the taverns, and it looked as though the celebrations were going to go on all day, and well into the night!
Bears seemed to drink quite a lot, and by the look of things, vast quantities of ale would be consumed over the next few hours. Roggie also liked the odd tankard, although he knew that he could never compete with a Bear.
His immediate problem was going to be how to get down from the tree, and he was mightily relived, when some Royal Guards arrived. They were stretched to the limit, struggling to control the crowd, whilst deep inside they also wished to celebrate. With more than a little effort, they did manage to get him safely to the ground. Although, being as he was still wearing his hood, they were not quite sure who he really was.
The Guards were acting under the orders of the Chairman of the Council, who was now in temporary charge, until Concordia was officially crowned. They were all waiting in the safety of the Royal Palace, together with Nokie and Concordia. It was not that far away from the tree, although it did take them quite a considerable time to reach it, as the crowd was still celebrating. Eventually they did make it, and Roggie was overjoyed to be reunited with the Sisters.
He had grown quite fond of them, and really admired the way that they had stood up for what they believed in. It had given him strength and courage, which were two things that he had been lacking. If they could do all of this, then just maybe, he could make a difference too?
Fifteen
The sound of the crowd echoed around the outside of the Royal Place, as the celebrations continued unabated. It was a great day for the Bear People, as their former and very unpopular King had been defeated. Now it was a new dawn for them, as it would be the very first time that they had ever had a female leader, and little did they realise the full implications of not only this, but of what else was about to be revealed to them.
The Palace was not very big, or very palatial, as Bears liked to live simple lives. All of their buildings were made of wood, and it was not uncommon for a Bear to live in a cave. The Palace was actually built into one, although it did have a wooden frontage. There were several rooms inside, and when Roggie was taken in through the big doors, he was surprised at how messy it was. The Bear King had nothing in the way of manners, and how he lived was even worse than his temperament!
By the looks of things, it was going to take a considerable effort just to get the Palace habitable again, let alone a place fit for a Queen. Victory had not come cheaply, and little did any of them realise just what price they were all going to have to pay!
That was however, something for another day, as it was a time of celebration, and celebration was a thing Bears did very well.
“Well done!”
Roggie hugged the Sisters excitedly, forgetting that he was supposed to be the Great King. No one seemed to notice as they were all caught up in the moment. There would have to be a coronation, although judging by the celebrations, it was unlikely that there would be an opportunity for that until tomorrow.
With the Palace in such a mess, and no one in the mood to begin the big clean up, the Chairman invited them all back to his home. The offer was gratefully accepted, and with the help of the Royal Guards, they decided to leave.
The Chairman was a kindly old Bear, and lived with his wife in their humble abode in the vicinity of the Palace. Even though it was close, it was going to be difficult to get out unnoticed, so they all donned cloaks with hoods, and slipped out of a side exit. The crowd was still celebrating, dancing round excitedly to the pounding of drums. There was a lot of revelry going on, and it proved quite difficult to force their way through the revellers. When they did eventually arrive at the Chairman’s home, they were relieved to finally close the door behind them.
Inside was furnished simply, with a large wooden table and chairs that sat in the front room, which also formed part of the kitchen. There were only the two rooms within the house, with the other being the bedroom. The simplicity of the dwelling did not seem to matter, as the warmth of the welcome filled their hearts as they were greeted by the Chairman’s wife. She was frail, but in good spirits, and there was obviously a lot of love in there home.
That was the main thing that really mattered, as most Bears did not go in for material things, just like Elphin Rabbits. In some ways, it reminded Roggie of his own burrow, and he instantly felt at home. The only thing missing was his warm comfortable bed, although he could always snuggle down in front of the fire, which blazed away in the hearth.
A cooking pot simmered over it, with the luscious smell of vegetable soup drifting out, filling the room with a very appetising smell. It looked as though they had been expected, as there on the table, was a selection of wild mushroo
ms, berries, and roasted nuts. There was also several jugs of ale, and to Roggie it did indeed look like a feast fit for a King or Queen for that matter!
Removing their cloaks, they each took a seat at the table, and were offered a tankard, which was quickly filled by the Chairman’s wife. She seemed very happy that she had been joined by the victors, although when she saw Roggie’s face for the first time, the shock of seeing someone who looked just like the Great King meant that she had to sit down for a moment.
It looked as though the Bear People had been saved, and she was deeply humbled when Roggie bowed before her. It was at times like this that he was glad of his good manners, as everyone appreciated his kind and gentle nature. This was in contrast to the former King, who had no manners at all!
Why he was so unpleasant was just as big a mystery as how he had managed to become King in the first place. However, from what he had said in the contest, the truth about how he had disposed of his main contender was something which the Royal Guards would no doubt soon discover.
The ale was very refreshing, and he thanked the Chairman’s wife again, as she offered him some roasted nuts. They had been coated with honey, and he found them absolutely delicious. Bears had a love of sweet things, and although the food was a