The Sword of Stone - Sworn Honours

Chapter 14: When the Winds End

It had been two days since the battle, now named by the locals as the battle of the crows, and Rolan had spent the time after recovering from his wounds. He was stood at a window in his quarters within the amberfor keep, overlooking the yard where the new house guards of Edward's began escorting Loyalists of Simon to be hanged in the town square. 

Rolan looked to his shoulder, pulling the tunic up to reveal the wound that had been bandaged up, seeing the blood darkening. It wasn't as sore as it had been after the battle when his nerves finally began to settle, and he was reminded of the arrow planted within his shoulder blade. His chest was also sore and bruised from the mace that impacted him, denting his armour slightly. All in all, Rolan was just grateful to be alive, and he and his squire, and a small part of him, celebrated Edward's victory. 

The paladin left his room, entered the corridors of the keep, and proceeded down to the lord's hall, where Edward was waiting. As he went through, he spotted the many guardsmen patrolling the halls, still on edge. Most of them were the men who served with Edward during the battle and were there in the ruins of Tam during his dowager years. 

He entered the lord's hall, seeing the banner of Greycrow raised around the room and Edward at the end upon a dais, sitting on a small wooden throne and holding his house sceptre, a golden rod with rubies encrusted along its rounded top part, with a single emerald crowning it. The room was full of men and women of the lands; Haisley was amidst it, and alongside her was an older man wearing a silky red garment that bore the sigil of a yellow rabbit in its centre. Haisley, too, represented the colours, leading Rolan to assume it might be her father.

Edward wore finer regalia, an amber-coloured Jerkin made from fine linen embroidered in the grey crow from top to bottom. Rolan noted how thin he appeared now, compared to his usual appearance in the gambison, which made him look larger than he was. 

Rolan spotted Lucan as he went through the small crowd, manoeuvering around to avoid disturbing the baron and his court. Arriving beside the squire, they both had a clear view of the man on his knee below Edward.

'You didn't miss much. The baron just sentenced a few men to death. Thugs by the sound of it went round all the settlements in the Redwoods, taking all their coin,' Lucan whispered to Rolan. 'Oh and-'

'Shush,' Rolan told him sternly, pointing out the others nearby who were looking on with annoyance. Lucan looked away with embarrassment. 

'I, Marvin Tankaguard, pledge my fealty to you, the rightful baron of Amberfor,' Marvin, who Rolan assumed must've been a village elderman, said with a humble bow. 'May the Father judge me for the sincerity of these words.' He got up and began returning to his place amongst the gathering.

'Now all fealty has been sworn to me; I call upon lord Henry Sarbark!' Edward announced, his voice booming across the throne room. 

Henry came out from the crowd and approached the baron, standing tall with a confident smile. The lordling had gained a new scar across his cheek during the battle, along with a few other injuries along his chest that were concealed behind a yellow-coloured surcoat that had the redwood tree embroidered in the centre. He entered the battle a boy and won it a man, Rolan reflected.

'For your aid in the restoration of my rightful position as Baron, I, Lord Edward Greycrow, grant you the thanks of my house. To show this, I wish to give you this gift.' Edward raised a hand, and soon, a servant came out, holding an arrow carved from amber. She bowed to present it to the lord. 'Take this amber arrow to show our two houses's new and unbreakable alliance.'

Henry took the arrow gracefully and gave a bow with his head. 'It was a pleasure to fight beside you, Lord Edward.'

The baron nodded respectfully, yet his smile was weaning from the exhaustion he tried to hide. Rolan remembered when they first entered Amberfor and how most of the people celebrated, yet Edward held no celebrations of his own, nor did the men, as they were all still far too fatigued and battle-weary. Not to mention that Edward still had to send men out to deal with Simon's remaining loyalists and those who deserted and had taken up banditry.