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| Duran Swiftpike | Sep 13 2008, 10:57 AM |
High Commander
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The High Commander listened attentively as Uriah spoke, though in the back of his mind he was happy he was able to get the badger to sit this time. It was almost like a game between them whenever they interacted for Duran to attempt to get Uriah to relax and feel comfortable being a little less formal in his words and actions. For the vole to manage to get the badger seated as he gave his report was a minor victory. As Duran listened to what Uriah told him even thoughts in the back of his mind vanished and his full attention was quickly given to the topic. Though his face remained as calm as when they began and his features still showed a look of honest interest, inside he was taken quite off guard by this news. Signs of good faith between the alliance were common, such as the cart that came every summer from Redwall carrying barrels of October Ale and was sent back each autumn with kegs of apple beer that the fort was getting a name for brewing. Often ships from the Southsward region would be guided into the underground harbor and receive repairs as a sign of goodwill, and the next season they sailed by again they brought supplies that were hard to obtain in the harsh north. Salamandastron, on the other paw, usually offered military support and stone from their nearby quarry, and that was only to be expected. As in the case of young Enamel Pardon, hares from the mountain were told they were free to seek service at the fort if they so chose, instead of serving all their years at Salamandastron. The badger lord also supplied Black Arch with many fine weapons, particularly for special occasions. Duran actually had it in the works at that very moment that Thickstripe was forging a fine blade with a ruby pommel stone that he would present to Sceotend as a gift for her promotion to a Tower Commander. But this… was different. As Duran’s eye sped over the letter his face took a much stonier tone and he made no effort to hide that he was displeased. While Duran and Lord Thickstripe had worked together on the building and founding of the fort and of the Compass Alliance they had had their differences. Most beasts would never know it, but the last day the badger lord was at the fort before his return to Salamandastron the two commanders had a terrible fight right where Duran and Uriah were now seated. Thickstripe was trying to impart some advice to the vole about how to command his new fort, and Duran, now fully instated as the High Commander, he told him exactly what he thought about Thickstripe’s style of command. Since then their relationship had been strictly formal and professional, which galled Duran because it was just those qualities that he thought Thickstripe overstressed and abused in his command. And he was seeing it again now as he lifted his eyes from the letter and looked upon Uriah. Duran twitched his whiskers in a way that could only be annoyance as he closed up the letter and tossed it on his desk. For a few moments he let the silence stretch as he eyed the badger before him. “I do no agree with what Lord Thickstripe has done,” he began, and his voice was as cold as it had ever been. “However, I know better than to send the lot of you back. I am not so foolish that I would give up three such skilled warriors.” A slight glint appeared in the vole’s dark eyes now, and his face and voice softened as he continued. “Uriah, there is something we must settle here, now, before anything else can happen. “I refuse to have in my service anybeast who has not chosen to be here of their own accord. We stand guard and fight out of a sense of duty to the good of all those who love and try to keep peace. No one puts on their uniform here in the morning because they feel they answer to me. They follow me as their commander not because of my name or title, but because of where I lead them. I lead here in a battle against injustices, against those who take advantage of others, against those that abuse, destroy, steal, and murder. Any sword that is drawn, any arrow set to a bow, it is done not because the fighter is thinking they fight because they have taken an oath to my name. When I pass the battle will not, and I want you, perhaps above all others, to know this. “I give you this choice now: with whom does your duty lie? If you say with me then I don’t want you. But if you choose for yourself that you will remain at Black Arch and fight with us here… only then will I allow you to fight with us.” |
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High Commander of Black Arch Fort | |
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10:15 AM Nov 28
