Milo mindspoke dryly, “But how to get such practicality across to your peers? Be not too harsh in your judgment of them, though, Bili; the chiefs who were their many-times-grandsires were no less petulant and quarrelsome, yes, and just as grasping at times.”
“ENOUGH?’ snapped the ahrkeethoheeks disgustedly. “Our young Kinsman’s proposal is the best I expect to hear. I, for one, am in favor of immediately adopting it. I say we name Chief Hwahltuh surrogate Thoheeks Vawn. To simplify matters, why not combine the names-Thoheeks and Chief of Vawn-Sanderz. Eh?”
Squat, muscular, black-haired Thoheeks Djaimzos of Duhn-kin slapped horny palm to table. “Not so fast, Kinsman, not so fasti Part of the Agreements of Confederation states, if I recall properly, that new-come clans will not be given the lands or any parts thereof already settled by Kindred. The High Lord may correct me if I be wrong, but I believe that he has, in times past, given such newcomers recently subdued border lands for their duchies; in fact, I think Vawn was originally one such, years agone.
“No, we must look amongst the old, established Kindred for a proper surrogate, and I can think of none better than my brother Tanist Petros’ son-in-law, Vahrohneeskos Ahrktos Baikuh!”
“That dimwit?” snorted Thoheeks Hari of Baikuh, his brick-red mustachios quivering, his gray eyes flashing. “My cousin-my own mother’s sister’s son-he be, yet I must teU you that Cousin Ahrktos cannot find his arse with both hands! Quite frankly, we had almost despaired of finding a noble Kinsman stupid enough to suffer a daughter to marry the moron, until”-he grinned slyly-“we lucked onto the House of Duhnkin.
“No, if a Baikuh’s to be chosen-and what House better qualified?-my second-oldest brother, Komees Lupos, who-”
“Who,” Thoheeks Alehk of Skaht sneered, “anytime you or even your horse farts, shouts ‘Here I be, my lord!’ Oh, true, he obviously knows his name and station, but the Vawn went to Wind bravely and in honor. Can we choose a lesser man for such a chiefs surrogate?”
He paused to clear his throat. “Now my son, Dahn-”
Another round of shouting, threating and general uproar then ensued. Milo’s broadbeamed mindspeak finally ended it.
“Gentlemen . . . and I use the term very loosely since there appear to be but two such in my presence. There be weightier things at hand than the disposal of a vacant title and its lands, and these be not yours to award in any case but mine. I have decided in favor of Thoheeks Morguhn’s wise suggestion.
“Nor can this decision be construed as favoritism, since the Sanderz is Kindred to all here yet close relative of none.
“Nor, Thoheeks Duhnkin, are the Agreements of Confederation in any manner compromised by this decision. Think you, are we not all here assembled to conquer Vawn? Are not Chief Hwahltuh and most of his clan’s fighters taking part in that conquest? Could we adhere any more closely to the Agreements, then?”
So it was that, before all the assembled nobles of the archduchy, Chief Hwahltuh of Sanderz and his clansmen took their oaths to the Undying God of the Horseclans, Milo of Morai, High Lord of the Confederation of Kindred and Ehleenoee.
After so many weeks of living and fighting and roistering among these, once strange, eastern Kinsmen, the short, wiry, middle-aged warrior was no longer ill at ease, though he still held Milo in greater awe than did the more sophisticated easterners. In the new clothing, boots and armor Bili had pressed upon him, he impressively fulfilled his part of the long ceremony, and he was proclaimed Thoheeks of Vawn and Chief of Sanderz by the High Lord, these titles being confirmed by each of the major and minor nobles, in turn- which took considerable time plus the best efforts of a brazen-throated sergeant major of the Confederation kahtahfrahk-toee.
And when “Komees Daiviz of Horse County!” was called, the chunky Vaskos stood and roared back his “Aye, my lords. All of Horse County say, ‘Long life to Thoheeks Hwahltuh of Vawn!'”
“And so,” Komees Hari’s son went on, smiling at Bili over his goblet of Vahrohnos Myros’ best honey wine, “we cleared the county of rebels. As best we can figure, only the huntsman, Danos, escaped us. At least we couldn’t find his body, though his sword, bow and armor and all his clothing were still in his quarters. Among those papers I brought is the receipt from your prison keeper for the persons of Lady Hehrah Daiviz, Sub-kooreeos Pavlos and his woman, one Ntohrees Kahntlehs. The only others left alive in Horse Hall were the headman’s kidnapped wife and a handful of servants’ children, all of them since taken in by villagers who had lost their own to Hehrah’s evil.”