Sauragia

Chapter 10

The coming of a new season was always an exciting time throughout the Kingdom of Cardolin. Since times long before memory the changing of seasons had been celebrated with lavish festivals. Summer and winter festivals were especially important to the dinosaurs, as they took place on the longest and shortest days of the year respectively. Autumn was also an important time for bringing in the harvest, and spring was celebrated because of the lovely new growth after the cold of winter.

Different dinosaurs in different regions and kingdoms had their own ways of marking these holidays, of course, but they always brought good feelings to them wherever they were. Oftentimes they would not work on days like these, but take time to rest and enjoy the happy occasion in the warm company of friends and family. Games were sometimes played, songs were sung, and special suppers were eaten. Everyone had their own traditions, but no one could put on a celebration like the dinosaurs of Saurahall.

Thus, the next day—the last of spring—the festivities began early in the city of Saurahall. After a particularly spectacular breakfast with larger-than-average portions—some of which had been prepared by the cook and his staff the night before—King Henrik paid a visit to the barracks. There he inspected and chatted with the Guard before it went on parade through the streets. He dressed in his royal finest for the occasion, with a damson velvet cloak and gilded armour from days gone by. As soon as he had left, Captain Torilis and his lieutenant, Quintilius Rorke—who was from the northwest somewhere, and therefore spoke a slightly odd dialect—arranged select members of the Guard into marching order. Rob and Alf were given back their swords for the occasion. As he was new and not yet trained in marching, Astron was among those chosen to stay behind and guard the Palace, which was especially important on a day when the grounds were open to all Saurahallers.

Most shops were closed on account of the holiday, and the streets were full of families awaiting the passage of the Guard by their homes. The younger children were especially excited at the prospect of something different happening, just as Richard had said, while older children waited to admire the soldiers’ dressy uniforms and shiny arms. Some were undoubtedly looking on in awe and imagining themselves in those prestigious uniforms, which they hoped to one day don when they reached the right age.

When the chosen guards were lined up, they marched out in grand procession with the two at the front and back holding banners aloft. It pleased the Saurahallers no end to see the Guard marching through the Palace gates and into the streets of the town proper. From the Palace they turned immediately left, then left again at the corner, down a side street, up the stairs onto the wall, then the entire length of the east wall. They came back down to street level at the southern wall corner, marched west to the gate, then marched straight up the main street to the Palace gates. Rather than passing through, though, they cut another left and commenced marching the same pattern through the western half of Saurahall. The whole time hearty cheers went up from the inhabitants, including the troops of the Saurahall Defence Force.

Like the Royal Guard, the Saurahall Defence Force was a military unit trained to protect the city and its inhabitants. However, whereas the Guard was a small elite unit which patrolled only the Palace and its grounds, the Force, as it was frequently known, was a larger organization consisting of locally trained volunteer soldiers who guarded the rest of Saurahall. Though not as prestigious as the Guard, it was still an important and respectable part of Saurahall’s army, and many who served in the Guard had started out as part of the Force. In fact, one had to be either exceptionally talented like Astron or well-connected like Alfred to be accepted into the Guard without serving in a standard unit first.

Thus, under the guidance of Captain Torilis and his faithful lieutenant, the procession completed its circuit through the city, marching straight up the central street and into the Palace grounds. There they were dismissed to rest up and recover themselves before the real celebrations began later.

Shortly thereafter, King Henrik decided to make his brief season commencement speech. Standing on a pedestal before the Palace gates, he addressed a few words to the inhabitants of Saurahall.

“Dear Saurahall, city and citizens alike,” he began as usual. “Upon this day we say farewell to the old season and greet happily the new. Before we begin, however, let us first give thanks to the stars above for these past many years of peace within our realm, and let us hope for our continued prosperity for many years to come.” The residents of Saurahall nodded and murmured to each other in concurrence with the king’s words, after which he concluded. “Now then, without further ado, I hereby welcome you to this, your Palace, and sincerely hope you enjoy this day.”

This was met with hearty applause and cheering as the king stepped down. A moment later, the pedestal was moved aside and Saurahallers of every age and size flooded into the spectacular Palace courtyard. The grounds had been elaborately decorated for the occasion. Though anyone could visit the Palace on business any day, this was the one chance Saurahallers got every season to look around at their leisure, and they took full advantage of it. The king himself loved having the opportunity to meet so many of his good citizens in person, and if he had had his way, he would have let them walk the grounds anytime at all. But as Captain Torilis reminded him, there had to remain some distinction between royalty and subjects, and Henrik reluctantly agreed. Even so, Henrik was well acquainted with them, knowing most everyone in his small city by name. And they, in turn, loved him very much as their monarch. He was, in the tradition of Cardolin’s royalty, a very good king.

A short while later, the contests began. The first event to be held was a race. This was open to all who wished to participate, and was a favourite among the Saurahallers. The racecourse, which was laid out by the Captain of the Guard, started in the garden at the northwest corner, then ran in a curve all the way around the Palace grounds to the northeast corner where the training yard was located. The winner traditionally received a necklace of some sort and five gold coins from the king himself. It was considered a great honour to win, but most just did it for fun.

Because there were so many participants, they were often divided into groups which ran one after the other. On this occasion, there were four groups of ten dinosaurs each, and they ran every once in a while. The winners of each group then raced against each other to determine who the fastest truly was. As the first race was about to begin, dinosaurs lined up along the course to watch. Many were there to cheer on their family members or friends, but others just watched for the pure sport of it.

“Right!” Lieutenant Rorke spoke. “Line up on the line. No early starts, no cheating, and everybody do your best, eh? Okay. Ready, set, and go!”

The first set of dinosaurs flew off from the start with a burst of speed. The audience looked on with enthusiasm at the exciting spectacle, some waving at those they knew as they flew by. The whole course took the runners o nly a short time to complete, and soon the winner was determined, then led away to prepare for the final round. Meanwhile, the next three races took place, each with another dinosaur being crowned a winner in turn.

Easily the best runner in the fourth race was Johnny Harrison. As his strong legs suggested, he had always been a superb runner, and enjoyed very much showing off his talent by beating the older participants. No one knew quite how he did it, least of all Johnny himself. His training was not any different from that of the other guards. “I just like to run,” he would say with a shrug when asked, which was entirely true. Before Astron’s arrival, he could often be seen running circuits around the city walls in his free time, and no other dinosaur could match him.

Thus, it was little surprise to anyone when, in the final race, he beat the other three soundly and took the prize as usual. Most knew from the start that they could not win against him, but they had fun trying all the same.

In one of the short intervals between events, Rob came up to Astron in a cheerful mood.

“Did you see Johnny out there, Astron?” he asked excitedly. “Good ole Johnny! Never lost a race in his life.”

“Of course he hasn’t!” said Astron. “I’ve never seen a dinosaur so quick.”

“Yes.” Rob hesitated before going on. “You and Johnny are pretty close, aren’t you?”

“We’re good friends, yes.”

“That’s not exactly what I meant, but…” He sighed, then continued in a low voice. “I know it’s not really my watch, but I feel I should warn you that fraternizing within the Guard is forbidden.”

“How so? Colin is married to Wilma, from what I’ve heard, and they’re both in the Gaurd.”

“Yes, but Wilma’s not a male, Astron.”

Astron shrugged, not sure how else to respond. But Rob pre-empted him.

“It’s not that I object personally, though that’s certainly not my cup of tea. I just wanted to let you know.”

Astron sighed. “Thanks Rob. You’re a true friend. But as you said, it’s not your watch. It’s ours.”

“Understood, old lad. And I promise I won’t say a word about it to anyone.” He paused before abruptly changing the subject. “By the way, did you see me out there on parade? How’d I look, eh?”

“You looked just fine from what I could tell. The Guard made a good showing for itself this morning.”

“Did you hear what the lieutenant said about my sword?” pressed Rob. Then, without waiting on an answer, “He said if I did well today, I could keep it. Isn’t that great?”

“Fine, I’m sure,” said Astron. “But didn’t you say you were off duty anyway?”

“Er…You know what I meant,” Rob wormed his way out of the trap. “Anyway, it’s you who’ll be needing the sword here shortly. You ready, old chap?”

“Ready as ever,” replied Astron, gripping his sword hilt tightly.

“Be sure to put up a good show today,” added Rob. “You know the princess herself will be watching. She’d never admit it, but she gets a thrill out of these contests.”

“Why should I care?” asked Astron flatly. “Isn’t the king important enough?”

“Well, yes, but all the lads try to impress her with this stuff. I mean, you’ve seen her. She is very pretty, isn’t she?”

“Beauty isn’t everything,” said Astron bitterly. “And besides, members of the Guard are below one of her station to befriend.”

More contests soon followed. There were many different events arranged with members of both the Guard and the Force competing, as well as numerous other Saurahallers. Some were team events, though most were individual, and they ranged from more races for hatchlings to bow-shooting, and even a few contests of physical strength. It was all good fun for both bystanders and participants alike. It especially amused some of the older dinosaurs to see the younger males competing extra hard to catch the eye of the females for whom they had a soft spot. Thus, it was no surprise when two youths with an eye for the same one were both bested by her in a sprint. They let her win out of courtesy, of course. Or so their story went.

Amidst this festive and lively atmosphere, groups of dinosaurs could be heard singing traditional summer songs.

Softer rain’s here again

Warmer winds are blowing.

Hot are days; golden haze

Clear are rivers flowing.

For summer’s back; give a cheer

Come enjoy the scene.

Woods are verdant; flowers bloom

And the hills are green.

Birds of night soon take flight

Listen to them dally.

Sun shines high; streams run dry

Clover in the valley.

For summer’s back; give a cheer

Come enjoy the scene.

Woods are verdant; flowers bloom

And the hills are green.

Some songs were sincere, and others jovial, but all around the mood was one of supreme happiness for the return of warm weather. Some dinosaurs did like colder seasons, but most Saurahallers were Alvarosaurs, and thus more suited to the heat of summertime. It gave them energy and made even older dinos feel spry and vigorous.

“Well, you’re up next, friend,” said Rob after the archery contest had taken place. “Hope you’re as chipper as a couple hours ago.”

“Naturally,” said Astron coolly. “Why all the concern, Rob?”

“Nothing. It’s just, you’re going up against some of the finest here. And Alfred.”

“Alfred?” repeated Astron. “You mean that little tramp? What’s so bad about him?”

“All sorts of things,” said Robert bitterly. “He’s a liar, a snob, and an absolute bounder. Not to mention that lightning quick uppercut.” Here he rubbed his chin as though he had just received such a blow.

Astron glanced sideways at his friend for a moment, then said, “I take it you’ve had some unpleasant encounters with him before.”

“Oh yes. He and I go back a ways. Old rivals, you might say. We’ve had quite a few scraps in our time.” He paused. “Rather odd, really, when you think about it. He used to be a spiffing chap when he first showed up here. Pretty humble, and even shy. We were almost what you might call best mates. But he went all wrong somewhere, and now we’re as far apart as could be.”

“Showed up? You mean he’s not a Saurahaller?”

Rob shook his head. “Oh, no. He’s from Allington. Son of the great Cornelius Redding, don’t you know?”

“So I’ve been told,” replied Astron. “Who’s he?”

“Oh, a rich old chap who made his fortune on cart-making, or something like that. He’s been around for years. Used to be a good friend of King Henrik’s father as a young dino, or so they say. Very influential and all that.”

“That explains a lot.”

“Yes. Anyway, ole Cornelius sent his youngest son here to join the Guard. His brothers and sisters all did well in school and went into business, but not Alfred. Not very good with numbers, you see. And his grandfather was in the Guard too, so it makes sense, I suppose. He is right talented with a sword, no doubt, but he’s been known to cheat as well, so watch yourself out there, old lad.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve seen his type before. Beat them once or twice at their own game and they shape up quick enough.”

“If only that were so,” muttered Rob.

“All competitors for the sword display to the forefront!” called Lieutenant Rorke.

“I’m up,” said Astron as he rushed off to line up with the others. “Wish me luck!”