Pendant of Fortune Read Online Free PDF Page B

Ikling.”
    Volle leaned back against the carriage wall. “All right, all right. Tell us the history.”
    The weasel’s short tail wagged quickly. “Vellenland has always been a richly gifted land. Its name comes from an ancient Felid word vellis , meaning sweet. The Felids were the first rulers here, before the Panbestian Church, and Vellenland was actually one of the last to accept the Church, even though the prophet Gaïs was said to have stopped here in person.” He paused. “If you’re interested in that sort of thing, the place where he delivered the “bounty of the earth” sermon is about fifty miles south of here.”
    “ Not familiar with that one,” Volle said, and Streak shook his head too.
    “ Well, it’s not one of the better known ones, and it’s in the book of Felis anyway.”
    “ So what happened to the cats who ruled here?”
    “ They built that big castle up on the hill, and ruled for several hundred years. There were good and bad rulers, but the last one was the worst of all. He was a bobcat, name of Xiffle, and he is, ironically, the most celebrated of the rulers. We still celebrate Ziff Day here in his honor. Well, in the honor of the victorious weasel army that stormed the castle and installed Alfer in his place.”
    “ Why isn’t it called Alfer Day?”
    Huster nodded to Streak. “Alfer insisted that the entire army should be honored. They spent years organizing and training, and he was just the noble they chose to install in power. Weasels, otters, and minks were the majority of the serfs under the bobcat’s rule at the time and they worked together for the first time to expel the felids from Vellenland. Alfer was proud of the heart his people had shown, and so they decided to name the day for the enemy who had brought their ranks together, so they might always remember the fortitude and unity they had felt; “the entire shaft of the arrow, not just the stone placed at its tip, for without a dependable body and well-placed feathers, and a paw to aim it, the point of the arrow could never find its mark.””
    “ I’ve heard that before,” Volle said.
    “ It gets repeated a lot. Alfer was a good ruler, and his family has been in power ever since then. They’ve had good and bad rulers, too, but the people are much more tolerant because they’re weasels, like most of us are.”
    “ Weren’t there ever any canids or rodents or anything but weasels here?”
    “ Weasels settled Vellenland and shared it with the felids from the north until one of the northern clan of pumas took over the country and established felid rule. They’re the ones who built the castle atop the mountain.”
    “ Ah,” Volle said. “So Alfer built a new mansion, without all the history of the old.”
    “ That’s right. And one more tailored for the rightful lords of Vellenland.”
    “ Tailored?” The weasel was grinning back at Volle. “Oh, I think I see.”
    Huster nodded. “The buildings are scaled to the proportions of weasels and otters. Don’t worry, a hundred years ago a small suite of guest rooms was added for taller guests, but it’s not nearly enough for the King and all his retinue. Plenty of room for a wolf and fox, though.”
    Streak smiled. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
    The weasel peered out the window. “Those are the governor’s orchards, by the way.” He pointed at a grove of trees by the roadside. “Private stock is brewed from that. The river’s just over on the other side of the fields. These are some of the best orchards in the country.” He said it with personal pride, as if he tended the fields himself.
    “ Helfer always had the best brews,” Volle said.
    “ Still does.” Huster waved past the fields. “On the other side of the river are the vineyards. These are very good. The ones down south of Ikling are even better.” He looked the other way. “You can see the governor’s mansion now. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
    Volle couldn’t keep his tail