Drota’S Bard

By Clark Smith

Still in tears Nedgwar stood and returned to look over the wall of the palace. Look and learn Derisius. All of Phalcobands kingdom is my children. Some day they will all be your children and you must care for each of them. When one of my children rejoices, I rejoice with him. When one of my children grieves, I grieve also and you will grieve. Nedgwar wept and Derisius returned to inside the palace.

How can a young man be responsible for an entire kingdom? If something happens to his father, then Derisius must become Drota of Phalcoband and follow the ancient traditions of the Falcon and keep the wicked away from his throne.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 25, 2007
• ISBN: 9781467825528

Clark Smith

NA

Book preview

Bard I

Canto I

In those days Nedgwar took the throne of Phalcoband. To the disgrace of tradition in he married Besimine a Caracrass. The Caracrass were an evil and second-class heathen society that did not worship the Phalco as did the Phalcoband people. Shortly after the wedding, Drota, welcomed his wife’s people, the Caracrasses to Phalcoband. A famine plagued Caracrass and Drota saw it fit that the inhabitants share its rich and fertile soil. Nedgwar had prayed that he would finally unite the two nations and made a decree that Caracrass may stay in the land. Instead of peace and harmony the unity caused turmoil and disruption among the people for about a century.

Canto 11

As the generations moved along, the Caracrass’ number increased greatly. They began to outnumber the Phalcoband. Nedgwar’s great-grandson, Nedgwar IV became Drota and took the throne. Nedgwar IV did not know of Besimine or of her people’s need. Since he first learned the responsibilities of the Drota, he made his top order of business to drive the Caracrass back to their own land before they become too powerful and seek to destroy the Phalcoband’s land that they inherited from their fathers. Nedgwar’s son Derisius served as the advisor of the armed forces. He stood before his father and before the great panel of sandrotos and proclaimed, The Caracrass have been successfully quarantined and moved the northwest corner of Medryfsi. Our people may live happily once again, but what shall we do now?

We must not kill all of them at once for shedding so much blood on our soil would upset the gods. Negwar spoke as to warn his counselors not to celebrate just yet.

Some argued, but who is to pay for the blood of those innocent civilians of our country whom the impure ones killed?

The four men who killed our citizens have been arrested and placed in the dungeon until an execution date is set. The Drota’s top advisor, Mosendu clarified. Let Phalco guide us as his chosen Drota should not make a decision to upset the gods.

You advise well, Mosendu Nedgwar says. While these men must die let us simply order that the Caracrass must remain in the swamps and tarpits of Medryfsi or they must return to their island across the sea. What say you to this decree my son? Nedgwar addressed his son. Let it be as Drota says. Deriseus nodded hesitantly.

And you, High Advisor? he addressed Mosendu.

Let it be as Drota says, let each sandroto return to his home county and proclaim to all the cities as the Drota has decreed in the name of Phalco. Mosendu raised his staff in an angle. Each sandroto and the Drota raised their hands in likewise manner and responded, In the name of Phalco, and the gongio loudly rang from the highest tower so that everyman in the land could hear Drota has sent a decree. The people rejoiced and then the gongio and dulcimers cried out Long live Drota, Long live his legacy, he knows his servants’ hearts.

Now as Genyaf, sandroto of the Dexi returned to his castle to deliver the news to his constituents, an unidentified Caracrass stabbed and killed him. Seeing that the Dexi had jurisdiction over the Medryfsi where Drota had exiled the Caracrass, the Caracrass had sent a spy disguised as one Genyaf’s personal assistants. The spy was instructed, if the counsel rules in favor of our people, our senator will live, but if the counsel plots against our people, the kings spokesman must die.

While Genyaf’s company moved ahead of him to prepare his house, He and his servant staggered so as to prepare his speech before the people. The servant and his horse galloped ahead and suddenly swerved off the road, for the sun’s glare had spooked the horse and threw the servant to the ground. The servant only pretended to be in pain as his master approached and tried to tend to his wounds. When Genyaf knelt down and touched him, the servant quickly grabbed Genyaf’s arm and threw him over to the ground beside the road and grabbed his knife.

Why must my servant do this? cried the sandroto in vain. The spy lowered the cloth covering his mouth and showed his face to Genyaf, and from his face, Genyaf knew the man was not his servant but a Caracrass. The spy stabbed him seven times and left him dead beside the road. He took the Sandroto’s hat and said, if I wear the sandroto’s hat and carry the sword with Drota’s ensignia, then when I arrive in the square the people will think they see Genyaf when they see me. So he took the sandroto’s hat and sword with Drota’s ensignia and rode into town proclaiming to the Dexi and the Brykon, Hail, Drota, who has promised to make the Caracrass equal with the Phalcoband. The Caracrass will not live in the swamps but in the high houses and villages with the Phalcoband! The people who heard him and saw him said to themselves, Why does Drota suddenly favor Caracrass? Why does our sandrota ride with such haste? Why does our sandroto cover his mouth with a cloth as do the Caracrass!

As the spy disguised as Genyaf rode on through the county. A soldier ran from outside the walls of the city crying, Genyaf our Sandroto has been murdered! The man on the horse is an imposter! The people began to chase the spy knowing that no Phalcoband would cover his mouth with a cloth and saying this man, a Caracrass, has killed our sandroto. May the gods shed much wrath on his people for what he has done! but the spy disguised as Genyaf galloped more speedily on his horse so that no one could catch him. Soon he galloped so fast that he faded into the horizon. The