One Hundred Years: Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Bitter End

Now...
December 20th, 2120

"But who was Cooper's real father then" One of the children asked.

Redwing-lives-forever shook his head and adjusted his red and black ceremonial blanket as they walked.

"All in good time. Every part of a story has its own time for telling. Tell me children- do any of you know why the Winter Wolves are not allowed to speak at meetings of the Great Alliance?"

The children were silent as they walked and considered Redwing's question. There was snow this winter, which was especially rare on the west coast. And the only sound was the shuffing and splorching of moccasins in wet cold snow.

"Didn’t you say that they were talking for the False King?"

Redwing nodded quietly, "And what did I say proved that they were speaking for the false king?"

The children were silent again, save for the sound of wet moccasins as the children and their guardians moved through the forest heading for safety. Finally, after several minutes Pike's daughter Sparrow spoke up.

"They want to get really big and they're hurting other tribes and townees to do it. Right?"

"Yes, that is one of the charges that I leveled against the Winter Wolves- that they were expanding without regard to limitation and that they were devouring other tribes in order to expand. The natural world is a world of limits, and anything that seeks to expand without limit is a danger to all life. Anything that seeks to expand like this is a cancer, the false king incarnate. What other charges did I level against the Winter Wolves?"

The children whispered amongst themselves this time, trying to come to a consensus.

"They raid with guns and not raiding staves."

"They try to kill everyone in a tribe, instead of raiding and making peace."

"They're mean!"

Redwing smiled at the last comment and intervened," Being mean is not a crime against the Great Alliance. If it was, the Black Rider Tribe to the north would have been thrown out of the Alliance long ago. The laws of the Great Alliance are simple, but not always easy to follow. To live in the Great Alliance, a tribe must keep themselves in check. They must not expand like a plague. They must not conquer, although they may seek retribution. They must stay light upon the mother earth. For some people this is hard, the lure of the false king and his bargain are too great for many people to resist. And what does he promise?"

Lamont Freeman's daughter Joy answered, "He promises power for you today, at the cost of everyone's tomorrow."

"Very good Joy. He offers all the bounty of the earth now, but in order to have it now, there is nothing left to bloom tomorrow. If you to understand the rest of Cooper's story and how his story relates to my own story and how they both explain the war between us and the Winter Wolves- then you need to hear the story of the meeting of the Great Alliance where the Winter Wolves were forbidden to speak."

* * *

Fifteen years earlier...

June 21st, 2105

 

The council of the Great Alliance met in a open air amphitheater, carved out a hillside with great slabs of rock dragged in to help stop erosion from reclaiming the land. The Seating areas had canopies built above them and then covered in moss to help hide the amphitheater from aircraft. It was raining lightly as the tribes began to gather.

Redwing-lives-forever walked beside Fergus Wong and Cooper Redwing. Trailing a little behind them were Koko Freeman and Alice Wellington, who were officially here as representatives of the Redwing Tribe and unofficially here as guards for the two elders. Redwing leaned on his walking stick- heavier than needed, but he was playing the part of an old man. Redwing was nearing his hundredth year, but was still strong for his age and more agile than most suspected. Fergus Wong was not much younger, and it showed in his weathered face and wild hair that reminded his contemporaries of Albert Einstein. Fergus also leaned on a walking stick- made from a steel pipe and painted black. Fergus had been a fierce warrior once, and although he needed the cane to walk, his arms were still strong enough to make the cane a deterrent against harm. Fergus dressed in the standard Redwing garb, brigandine armor with no sleeves, the loose leather pants with knee high moccasins wrapped with a leather thong. All of Fergus' clothes were dyed black however, which made him stand out against the red-brown of the rest of the Redwing tribe members. Both Redwing and Fergus also wore ceremonial blankets befitting their status as elders. Redwing's blanket was decorated in northwest traditional red, white and black Native American style. Two bright Red wings spread across Redwings shoulders, wrapped in black and white. Fergus Wore a black blanket with a single white Chinese ideogram on his back "Thunder".

Fergus looked to his left and then coughed towards Redwing, "They're here."

Redwing didn't look, "I know. I can smell the milk from here."

Fergus continued, "I see Maxwell and his entourage. I think he brought every bodyguard he has. Even his 'wife' is here. He looks like he's spoiling for a fight."

"He won't be allowed to bring any more than five members into the council though, so it hardly matters. Everyone brings a show a force to these meetings in order to back up their words." Redwing answered.

"So why didn't we?"

Redwing smiled, "We have something stronger than arms. If we came here with military force and tried to make the argument we are about to make, it would have far less credibility than if two old men and a small child made the argument, protected by only two bodyguards and the good will of their neighbors."

As the two old men spoke another old man was approaching from a different camp. He was dressed in loose leather breeches and wool poncho decorated in brown and green leaf patterns. His head was shaved and his skin was a permanently tanned shade of nut brown.

"Redwing! Fergus! It's great to see you. And who is this?"

Redwing smiled, "Vincent Wilder, it is good to see you too. This is Cooper Redwing; he's an orphan the tribe took in."

Vincent looked at Redwing silently for a moment. Redwing met his gaze calmly. Finally, Vincent nodded...

"It's good to meet you Cooper." He said.

"It's good to meet you too, sir." Cooper said looking up at the man.

"He must be an orphan, no Redwing is that polite to their elders. Show respect for Munin before your elders. Isn't that what you say?"

Redwing chuckled, "When you question your elders, you respect the community and defend it from pride. Yes, that is our way."

"Does that work?"

"It seems to."

Wilder paused and looked over to the Winter Wolves. He pressed his palms together and flexed his fingers, his eyes looking into the distance.

"Redwing, I do not know if you have the support you need. You are making a gamble. I have found no other tribe willing to call the Winter Wolves as conquerors."

"Surely your tribe- The Free Mountain Communes..."

"None of the communes have been attacked old friend. None of my people have first hand accounts they can bring forward. We will support your claims, but on the basis of your reputation alone. And I do not think that will be enough to remove the Winter Wolves from the Alliance."

"Then what about the Caribou Hills tribe? They were attacked. Our scouts were there. We lost five warriors helping the first village evacuate. Surely they will stand forward."

"Old friend, they claim that they were never attacked."

Redwing was quiet. Fergus looked at the ground avoiding Redwing's searching gaze. Cooper had never seen his Uncle look as old as in this moment. But the moment passed, and Redwing's face set into a look of resolve.

"That means the Caribou Hills Tribe was conquered. The Wolves are playing a careful game. They are not admitting to their conquests. This way they can claim legitimacy and still expand. It is a bold move and not a foolish one. What about the Jerome Clan? They also are near neighbors to the Winter Wolves, and what about the Clear Wind Ranch, they are close as well."

"The Clear Wind Ranch claims to have seen no hostility. I spoke with Anne Jerome and the Jerome Clan delegation. She says her clan has seen a lot of movement of supplies and people in Clear Wind Ranch territory, but said that raids have died down well below the level one expects of a neighboring tribe. They are suspicious but they have no proof."

"This weakens our position significantly. I was expecting the support of Caribou Hills Tribe. We will have to take a different tactic then. We shall aim to weaken their influence and try to force an accounting by the Alliance. But we will work with what we have. Take your seats so this can begin."

Cooper found the ceremony long and boring, as each delegation was introduced and named. It was more than an hour before members were allowed to speak. However when members were allowed to make claims, Redwing stood immediately. Several other delegates had been moving to stand as well, but all sat when Redwing pushed up from his seat.

"The Council of the Great Alliance recognizes founding elder Redwing-lives-forever."

"Thank you Speaker. I am here for a dark purpose, and for this I apologize. You all know me. You know I do not speak lightly. So I hope you will listen now as I charge the Winter Wolves with being taken by the False King." Redwing said solemnly. The people in the council burst into shouts and murmurs as Redwing spoke. Redwing continued speaking. "They are engaged in an attempt to eradicate the Redwing tribe. They attempted to conquer the Caribou Hills tribe- my warriors died defending a Caribou Village several months ago. I fear that the Caribous Hills tribe has been conquered. The Winter Wolves are further engaged in trade with the cities of the DRO, and while this is not illegal, it does not speak to the spirit of the Alliance Laws."

One of the young warriors on the Caribou Delegation stood up and stepped forward.

"The Council of the Great Alliance recognizes delegate Byron Jacks."

"This is an outrage! We are not conquered. The Winter Wolves have not even made attacks against us. This is baseless! I respect the founding elder, as all of us do, but he is nearly a century old. I doubt his memory and I doubt his judgment. Our tribe prospers and has nothing to complain about. If the Redwing tribe has lost warriors, it was not at our village."

Alice Wellington shot out of her seat and stormed forward, "You bastard! You city coward! My husband died in your village so your children and elders could escape! I watched him die, and couldn't help him because it would have left your people undefended as they fled! You defile the lives we gave, and the lives of your own that died. You disrespect the Alliance and Law of the Alliance and your own ancestors with your words."

"Alice Wellington, you speak out of turn. The Council has not recognized you yet."

Anne Jerome stood up and walked forward. She was tall and willowy with eyes like iron fillings.

"The Council of the Great Alliance recognizes delegate Anne Jerome. “

“My clan has seen disturbing signs,” Anne said, “Supplies moving in greater number than I have ever seen in peace time. Normal raiding has disappeared, like a dangerous calm. Neighboring tribes seem odd. The Caribou Hills delegation is composed of one respected elder who won’t meet my gaze and four strange thugs who I have never seen before. I do not like this, and I do not intend to wait for the day when I wake up to find snowflakes on my palms to realize that I have lost my freedom and my clan to the False King.”

A wave of murmurs ran through the crowd. And as they subsided, Anne continued speaking.

“I have no proof that is conclusive. But all tribes not yet silenced must see what I see. We did not form the Great Alliance to allow its ideal to be compromised by red tape and bureaucracy. These are the ways of the False King. The Winter Wolves and their pawns reveal their corruption by hiding behind them.”

Abigail Driskell, an elder for the Clear Wind Ranch stood up.

"The Council of the Great Alliance recognizes delegate Abigail Driskell. Anne Jerome please be seated."

Anne nodded and sat down. Abigail was shaped like an over ripe apple- round but no longer firm. Her hair was wrapped up into a grey bird’s nest and she wore an overly friendly smile.

“The Jerome Clan is correct to warn against too much bureaucracy. Anne Jerome is right to say that this can be used as a dangerous tool of the False King. But, let us not forget either that the laws of the Great Alliance are also here to protect us from each other. My Ranch does not require new members to marry into the Jerome Clan in order to join. This works for the Jerome Clan, but it bothers me. My Ranch does not send children into the warrior pits in order to be adults, as the Winter Wolves do. I think this throw back to Sparta is horrible, but it seems to work for them. I do not like the secrecy of the Redwing tribe regarding the location of their village. It strikes me as dishonest, but they have been honest in all their dealings with us so I do not complain.”

The council was silent at this point. And Abigail continued.

“We all have laws and traditions that frighten or disgust the other members of the alliance. That is why there are such strict rules regarding the accusations that Redwing has made. I do not dispute the Redwing tribe's accusations. They have seen them they say. That is what we ask of them. For the motion to carry some other member must also have seen this behavior. This is because there are many ways to live in line with alliance law, and many of them would horrify those who choose not to live be them. We must be certain or we cease to be an alliance and become a nation under the rule of the council and on the road to becoming the servants of the False King- one and all.”

Vikram Patara stood up. He was the Captain of the River Gypsies and built like a short nutmeg colored bowling ball. He was missing the first two fingers of his right hand and was bald with chalk white mutton chops style mustache.

"The Council of the Great Alliance recognizes delegate Vikram Patara. Abigail Driskell please be seated."

Abigail sat down and Vikram began speaking in a booming heavily accented baritone, “My people travel the rivers, all river are our home. We trade wherever the water reach. We see many thing and many thing that we see, we see unknown to those who do them. We keep the Hindi language of my great grandfather. So we may speak without the ear of the stranger understanding. We are outsider in everything and this is our strength.”

“We trade with the Redwing. They are honest, we will speak to that. We trade to the Winter Wolf people. They are harsh, and we do not know if they are honest, but we do not speak against them. But we do speak against the Caribou Hills people. We see strange things as well. Like the Jerome, we see things moving more than normal. And like the Jerome we see new people on the Caribou delegation. But unlike the Jerome, we know the new people. They are from the Winter Wolf people.”

The council burst into conversation as delegation began to speak to each other and yell out of turn. Vikram held up his hands.

“This prove none of what Jerome accuse or Redwing accuse. This is suspicious, but people get married and we all know that will small town we must send young people to other tribes to keep us from breeding too close for genetic comfort. So I say this is suspicious, but I do not say this is proof.”

Vikram turned and sat back down as the volume level rose in the amphitheater. Maxwell Winters rose from his chair and the crowd of delegates went silent. Maxwell was of average height and slim with a narrow face and dark hair. He wore a musketeer mustache and goatee with his hair greased back in a ponytail.

"The Council of the Great Alliance recognizes delegate Maxwell Winters."

Maxwell nodded and addressed the council, “We are not a sociable clan. We do not apologize for this. Life is hard and the strong alone are worthy of our time. But we do not follow the False King. The elder Redwing and my family have… history together. I do not think he is unbiased in this. Nobody would call me unbiased were we reversed in this situation. Both sides have inflicted wounds that fester. We raid them and they raid us. This is allowed under alliance law. We do not seek conquest. Quite frankly few of our neighbors would meet the standards to which we hold all Winter Wolf adults. Expansion is of no interest to us. Strength and the ability to survive is of interest to us. I do not think that elder Redwing is senile, as the Caribou Hills representative suggests. I think he is angry and biased by our long rivalry. I do not think that it is appropriate for either of our groups to draw the entire alliance into our feud. That is all I wish to say. “

As the crowd began to murmur again, Vincent Wilder stood up.

"The Council of the Great Alliance recognizes delegate Vincent Wilder."

Vincent Wilder looked around slowly, as though gathering the attention of the delegates. Then he spoke. “I am Vincent Wilder of the Free Mountain Communes. I will put all thought of neutrality aside now. I am not neutral in this. The Free Mountain Communes were home to Redwing-lives-forever and his father: Jack Yellowcrow. This was before there was a Redwing tribe. It is because of the actions of Redwing that The Free Mountain Communes still exist at all. Our parent group, the Hidden Waters Eco-Village has been absorbed by the DRO, out of this were born the Free Mountain Commune and the Redwing Tribe. We are still in their debt.”

Vincent paused and looked around at the groups assembled and then he pointed to one group who had been silent.

“The Black Riders are feared even amongst the tribes of the Great Alliance, but they had their numbers bolstered by Redwing Warriors when the RNT armies swept in from the North.”

Vincent pointed out another group, “The Nova Roma Gypsy clan has been accused of serving the False King before, by a rival clan who coveted the Nova Roma trade agreements. It was the Redwing tribe who insisted upon a multi-tribe investigation so nobody could claim bias in the final product, and it was this investigation that revealed the other clans ties to the Demon City of Seattle.”

“I could go on, Elder Redwing is older than the Alliance itself and virtually every tribe, clan and commune here owes his tribe something. Yes, they are secretive. Yes, they are private. Yes, they are strange. But even the Winter Wolves benefit from the hard work of the elders of that tribe. I have known Redwing for almost my entire life, and in that time the only thing I have ever known him to be dishonest about is his hair color.”

The assembled delegations laughed, and Vincent continued, “But beside the henna Redwing purchases from the free ports, I know no reason not to believe his words. As Abigail has pointed out, the limits of Alliance law are there to protect the independence of each tribe, clan and so on. Nobody else has seen what the Redwing tribe has seen. So be it. The Winter Wolves cannot be banned from the Alliance without additional support. But let us follow the wisdom of Alliance history. Let us form an investigative unit, made up of many delegations, and look into the claims made today. The Redwing tribe alone brings eyewitness accounts, but the River Gypsies and the Jerome Clan both bring evidence that is worrying. It may be nothing. As Vikram says, these things are suspicious by may have reasonable explanations. So let us seek those reasonable explanations. It is within the power of the council to do this. Let us see and end to this.”

Maxwell stood back up, “We will not allow such an attack upon our independence. Any investigative delegation will be turned away.”

Redwing stood back up, “This speaks volumes fellow delegates. If the Winter Wolves will not allow an investigation, then I motion that they be denied the right to speak at council meetings until such time as they agree to allow the law of the alliance to function.”

Maxwell gritted his teeth and glared at Redwing as tribe after tribe rose to support Redwing’s motion.