Warin
System-lord Isabel Wild was one of the more powerful members of the powerful Wild Clan. There were lord’s throughout every sector of the Commonwealth of Drala wit the name wild. Once kings in their own right before they were forced to submit to the Kingdom of Warwick, they were on the verge of dying out when the Furse invaded but Roslyn Wild had married Osgar ‘The Great’ Gisking.
That marriage had brought the clan renewed strength and power as the Kingdom of Daxholm defeated the Furse and reclaimed the Dragon’s Head Nebula. Warin knew that at one time not long ago there had been four great lords from that clan. The Lords of Furia, Daxholm, Warwick, and Kingsgate were the most powerful lords. One had even been known as the half king before he retired to become a monk.
Isabel Wild was the granddaughter of Edwyn ‘Half-king’ Wild. Lord of Furia. Although the title of Lord of Furia had been abandoned by the King’s of the Commonwealth, several members were still powerful lords. There was the System-lord of Mead, Dagport, Fort Alder, Kingsholm, and of course Seahold. There were other lords of Clan Wild. Highlords, and minor lords spread throughout the Commonwealth.
The Wild’s had opposed the Great Savage Host and the Furse who arrived after them, and yet the System-lords of Seahold and Dagport formed part of the powerful faction known as the eight systems. Those worlds held large Furse Populations, but they were Old Blood Furse, and so it was not something that Warin would think likely, but knew otherwise.
System-lord Isabel Wild welcomed Warin like all lords had so far, with feasting and drinking. He couldn’t say that he was getting tired of such welcomes either, and knew the crews of his five starships likewise were not getting tired of it.
“Four weeks, a far cry from the 11 days it normally takes to travel the gateways,” System-lord Isabel Wild said courteous. “Oh to be young again, and enjoy the travels of space, the thrill of new worlds, and to be able to drink all night and not feel it in the morning,” she said with a smile and raised her cup to Warin.
“It has taken longer than I would have wished,” Warin agreed and raised his own cup to the System-lord’s. “Still, a fleet of ships is ever in need of supplies. Trade with the southern worlds are also hard to pass up.”
The System-lord smirked. “Southern worlds?” she asked. The Anchorage was anything but in the south of the Commonwealth, it was however close to the middle of the Dragon’s Head Nebula. It had though once been part of the southern worlds of the old Kingdom of Umbria, and often fought over between them and the Kingdom of Warrick and Kingdom of Winta.
“I had hoped to see your father, hoped he might make his way down through the southern gateways,” System-lord wild said. “Not that we do not enjoy your company Lord Warin,” she added with a smile.
“My father is getting old,” Warin replied, but did not add that such a trip would likely frighten him to death. He would see death in every shadow, every starship they passed. He felt safe in only one spot.
“As are we all,” The system-lord replied and took a sip of her cup. “Present company excluded of course,” she said after wards as she looked at Warin and his wife Beth. They were all young in fact. Ozma was most likely the oldest, at least oldest of the original crews. Warin was sure that the hundreds of new addions from his father had more than one or two greybeards.
“How long will you be enjoying our fine world of Seahold?” The system-lord asked.
“A day or two. Enough for us to refill our cargo holds of any trade the quarter masters have made,” Warin told her. “Would stay longer, but I doubt the wedding will wit for us and I doubt my father would forgive me if we missed it.”
The System-lord laughed. “I would think not. Besides, there is nothing like a royal wedding. Bastion will be drunk for weeks.”
