Chapter Ten
The land setteled into a period of great peace and prosperity. The Dove convinced the rich and the merchants of the land to donate to the construction of a great Road System, connecting all the cities which would greatly improve travel overland.
2 "They will pay for themselves," he explained, "in improved commerce, and the caravans travelling through our land will gladly pay a toll for roads that are easily passable in wet or dry weather. After a few years, your investiment wil be returned, and the people will gain a great benefit.
3 So it was the Great Project was begun. It was not totally finished in The Dove's lifeimte, but his widsom in starting it was recognized for all time.
4 The Dove also started the Great Irrigation Project in the southwest, that turned a great stretch of that useless land into valuable cropland.
5 Not only that, but the people could use the great canals to move their goods to market. And they were always called The Dove's Canals.
6 Now, Yellow Blossom, in the first year of their union, produced for The Dove a fine son. He was a joyous boy who ran to and fro and filled his parent's hearts with happiness.
7 From his earliest year he was always at his father's side when he inspected defenses, or visited the Warlock's Schools.
8 He was always full of questions, and soon knew more than most of the Warlocks.
9 His ideas of strategy were surprising for one so young. And his father often asked his advice on maneuvers, when he led the army in practice against Swift Deer and Red Boar.
10 The others complained this was unfair. What chance did THEY have against the two best military minds in their land?
11 When the boy became of age to serve, The Dove showed him no favor, but started him in the ranks.
12 He went on desert patrol like any fighting person, hunted bandits in the wilderness, and when he became a Patrol Damon, caught more than his share.
13 His rise through the ranks was not by favoritism, but by his ability. He would have it no other way, and neither would The Dove.
14 Eight years after the birth of their son, Yellow Blossom produced their second child, a beautiful little girl. The Dove was as proud of her as he was his son.
15 Where her brother was interested in the military, she was interested in The Law and engineering.
16 Whenever her father sat in Judgment she sat by his side. Whenever he visited constructions of any kind, she had to go.
17 She studied with the best Law Speakers, and the best Engineers in the land.
18 By the time she was twelve, she was hearing cases as a Law Speaker. But even before this, she had been making inventions.
19 Her first was the pump, a vast improvement over the lifting buckets that had been used until then, to irrigate the land.
20 Her second invention was the catapult that could hurl great stones from city walls onto attacking enemies.
21 She also improved the bow and the crossbow, introducing two new designs, that rapidly replaced older versions of these weapons.
22 She also won many awards for the design of buildings. Her father often compalined that she knew more about EVERYTHING than he did!
23 The people were happy with The Dove's rule, and for a long time, all went well.
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