Chapter Six
The Hawk went to work immediately with his first tour of The Land. He
saw much that disturbed him. Many of the cities had let their defenses
slacken. The militia was ill-trained, walls were in desperate need of
repair.
2 The Hawk began a campaign to convince the people that they must
contribute to repairing the city's defenses. "There may come a time,"
he argued, "when you are glad your walls are thick, and you have many
catapults and, that your militia knows how to use their swords and
shields, their bows and arrows!"
3 The people came forward with the gifts of money, material, and time
that was needed. Soon, the walls were thickened, and, heightened, the
militias trained to absolute perfection.
4 On his second tour The Hawk was better pleased. Gray Boar, who The
Hawk had made First Warlock, boasted of their people's strength. "We
have the strongest Land of any
peoples," he boasted, "the defenses you have built will keep any enemy
at bay. There are none who could conquer us!"
5 "These defenses," answered The Hawk, "do not make us mighty, they
only buy us time. The only thing that can truly protect us, is a swift
and powerful striking force that can
rapidly move from place to place, engage and destroy the enemy.
6 There is no defense that cannot be overcome, if an enemy has enough
persistence and time. But thousands of swords and shields wielded by
those who know how to handle them, that
he cannot defeat!
7 That is a land's strength, not its motes, or, its walls, or, its
impaling pits; it's the people that carry its weapons.
Without them, any land is doomed!"
8 "I am corrected!" agreed Gray Boar, "And, I see your wisdom. I will
put the emphasis on our people's training. There will be none better
anywhere! Let any enemy beware!"