An Original by MJB. Comment as you will:) : Part III

Tam stood on the dais in the arch of the crescent shaped table in the council lodge. The six members sat at the table with there wives standing behind them. They were smiling and congratulating Tam for his success.
"Well done, young man. You have done very well. Your father would be proud." said Rozzel, Minister of Foreign Dealing, the oldest, and considered wisest member of the council. He had known Tam's father, Thracken, when he was a boy.
"Yes. Just from a quick glance, I can tell that the supplies and items you took from the Kyborites will be more than enough for a good amount of time, perhaps all of winter and into spring when pooled with our other supplies." said Deviss, Minister of the Town's Stores, Taxes, and Finances.
"You have clearly redeemed yourself and even gained a healthy amount of prestige, my boy." said Galaar the spokesman of the Council, and indeed, the entire Wold tribe of the Sappian mountains.
"Yes and the horses and wagons you brought will be very useful. No the doubt the warriors who don't keep them will sell them for a fair price. They will help will carting goods to the other seven mountain towns." said Levet, Minister of Construction and Transportation of Goods, the youngest member of the council, but not at all the least valued. It was he who organized the construction and repair of buildings and other structures needed the the town.
Thire, official Minister of Education and acting Minister of Military Affairs, sat on his seat with his elbows on the table and his chin on his hands. He stood and began to pace, as he did when teaching, "You have done very well Tammelo, son of Thracken. Your father would be very proud of you. Now I wish to bring up to you the offer you made me when we were last in this lodge. Marcus, would you please read it for us from the records?"
Marcus was the recorder of the council. He was the most educated member save perhaps Thire and wrote the best and the fastest. He went to the shelves where all the documents were kept and pulled out a book from close to the end. He flipped to the last page and cleared his throat. With a strong, clear voice, he began to speak, "Tammelo, son of Thracken took a knee and said these words, 'I plea for the chance to redeem myself for the failure to provide meat. For the life of Turgan, I offer my life, such as it is. Do with it as you will'" Marcus closed the book and bowed. Thire nodded respectfully, "Thank you, Marcus. Tammelo, does that offer still stand?" Tam took a knee once again and nodded, "Yes sir." Thire walked over to him and helped him to his feet, saying, "Very well. As soon as my business here is done, we will go to your quarters at the barracks and gather your belongings." Tam bow and stepped off the platform. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Galaar called, "come." It was Keller, a sharp eyed young man who scouted for Tam on the raid on the Kyborites. "Begging your pardons sirs, but I have here something that Tammelo found on the raids." He ran up and handed a large leather document case to Tam, who, in turn, handed it to Thire, saying, "You should look at this, sir. It is very important." Thire nodded and said, "Thank you. In the mean time, go to the barracks and gather your things. Be ready for me by nightfall." Tam bowed and left the lodge.
Tam walked in a bit of a daze back towards the barracks. The beautiful evening was lost on him. When he reached the massive building, he stopped on the outside and took a long look at it. Merrick's family had built it as a large house and as a combat training building. The top floors were a home, with a living, dining, and kitchen area. The bottom floor was divided into twelve large rooms. Nine rooms were dormitory rooms with basic closets and beds. One was a hand-to-hand combat room with swinging bags from fifty to a three hundred pounds of small stones or sand. The bags themselves were made of rough canvas. The second was a long narrow room, used for practicing archery and other ranged weapons. The third and final room was racked from wall to wall with wooden practice weapons and swinging oak logs for practicing with weapons. Tam walked through each room, pushing the swinging logs and bags, stroking his favorite training weapons, and remembering all the good times. Merrick taught me what my father couldn't do for me after his death, he thought, and a flash went through his mind, Tam swung his fist at the bags, slashing his hand on the rough canvas. "Exhale as you strike, not too early, not too late." said Merrick. Thracken stood next to him and said, "Yes, but put your hips into it. Don't use only the power of your shoulder, but also the energy from your twisting hips. Relax, you are not big and strong like Merrick is." A tear went down Tam's face as he made it to his own room. Inside were six large wooden chests. Three contained clothes, one contained all the things that his father had left him, and two had weapons in them. Tam looked around the small room, a lump in his throat. With a shuddering sigh, he heaved the chest with his father's heirlooms and tried to settle it on his shoulder. It was heavier than it first seemed, but Tam persisted. As soon as the chest was on his shoulder, he walked out to the path and set the chest down. The second chest was even more difficult, and when he went back for the third, Merrick stood there, a chest on each shoulder. Tam just nodded in thanks, the lump in his throat even larger. Tam grabbed the last chest and the two walked out together. After they set their cargo down, the two just stood there silently. Then, Merrick said, "I never showed you what was in your father's chest. He gave my father the key. Now I will give it to you. Take a look at your father's gifts." He handed a ring of keys to Tam, who knelt down and opened the chest without a word. Inside were many valuable things. A large leather bound book with another lock on it, a golden ring with an insignia shaped like a howling wolf's head cut out of a ruby, a smaller box with an odd puzzle combination lock on it, a suit of flexible scale armor made of high quality steel, and a long, curved sword. Tam looked at it all for a long time. Then he took the ring and slipped it on his finger. The sword, he pulled out and drew from its scabbard. It was obviously a two handed weapon, the like of which Tam did not know how to use. The blade had to be at least four feet and the handle was nine inches and tinted a very dark silver, almost a shiny black. The wrapping of the handle was tanned wolf skin with silken cord for a good grip. The scabbard was also black. Tam choked, remembering watching his father walk away with his very sword on his hip, and remembered him coming back being carried on a stretcher. He would never forget that day. He sheathed the mighty weapon and place it neatly back in the box.

To be continued...