The desk seemed like DD's main combat. He was training to be a Knight of the Forgotten Man. It was about protecting people and fighting the just fight. Reports and paperwork were the real battle. The excitement of writing that first report seems so foolish now. The nights reading these great journals of knights past, all made sense now. All those great knights were writers as much as fighters.
The door to the ballroom burst open. The entire room looked up as Marshal Vendri marched into the room. Her normal swagger replaced with a formalness, that she rarely had. All eyes followed her over to DD sitting at the desk. She looked down his stiff body at DD and yelled, “you don’t stand when your commanding officer comes into the room.” She stood so close that when DD stood, their noses almost touched, “Stand at ease SQUIRE.”
Marshal Vendi stepped back, examining every part of DD. This was like the training of a new recruit. Her tone dropped a little, “normally I would do this in some big ceremony, but we are at war, SQUIRE.” Almost like a salute she pulled a small box out of a pocket, “it is my great honor to promote you to a Mid-Knight of the Forgotten Man.” She opened the box. Inside was a sash, and a couple of patches marking DD’s new rank as a Mid-Knight. DD instinctively put his hand out to receive the box and its contents. “What was your squire Oath?”
DD had said almost every day while training. It came out of mouth from deep within him by instinct along, “Hope before Despair”.
Vendi’s head went up and down with the pattern of speech from DD. “Now what is your second and new Oath for your new rank of Mid-Knight of the Forgotten Man?” She stood firm waiting for DD’s response.
Surprise came across DD as this new oath came out of him in the same way as the first, even though he had never said it or thought about it before. “Development before Desolation.”
The Marshal finally broke a little with a slight smile, “now hopefully your reports will improve with your new rank. … Please find time to share a drink with me during dinner. I will not be able to make much of this, but we will share a drink.”
Vendi turned to march back out of the room. A vacuum pulled all attention with her as he left. This was a kindness for DD as it gave him that couple of moments to process what had just happened. He held the new rank in his hand with a risk of wrinkling it. Time stretched out in his mind. He had was here now, he was with Ispin years ago, and finally he was in some fantasy place telling Ispin about his new rank. This last place seemed real to him. It could not be, but it felt real. I tower could be seen in the distance.
“Hey, lets go to this dinner,” Lyric yelled as she came out of one of the private rooms. DD was pulled forcible back into the room. Lyric looked freshly dressed and clean. He loosened his grip. Walking over to a cabinet of supplies, he grabbed thread and needle. In a slightly annoyed voice, Lyric commanded, “I said let’s go.”
“Give me five minutes and I will be ready to go,” DD said as he worked the thread, sewing the badge on his tunic.