After the Legion's individual skills tournament concluded, the rangers were given their own coat of arms, for the sake of distinction.
Its base was the green of grasslands, upon which was painted a sharp blade, the standard steel sword issued to rangers and soldiers alike.
Once the emblem was decided, banners were produced as well, and each ranger company now had a "standard-bearer," tasked with defending the honor of Wayfort's blade.
At the same time, they would prove to the world that this force, developed over more than a decade, was no longer the so-called "sapling of Wayfort."
It was, "The Blade of Wayfort."
But when it came to the emblem...
Garrett felt a bit of a headache when he saw the plain flag the caravans were still using, the one that simply bore his name, as well as the same design still in use at the school.
That flag, which carried only his name, had become both his personal coat of arms and the emblem representing Wayfort, Dale, and indeed the entire alliance of Free Cities.
"It's about time I designed a new one."
After gathering opinions from many sides, he settled on a design:
At its center, the flawless nether star, surrounding it, a sky full of stars, symbolizing the other territories and allied forces.
This became the coat of arms and banner of the Free Cities from then on.
The emblem of Wayfort was derived from it, with flowers and vines added along the border.
The flowers were the little red blooms the iron golems would occasionally give out, and the vines were the ones decorating Garrett's castle, which he often used to climb in and out of windows.
Next came the shipyard and city at the harbor, whose symbol was a river, a flagship, and a beacon shining above it.
From that point on, the plain flag bearing only Garrett's name was retired. That once-widely used emblem became Garrett's personal crest in truth, to be used only by himself and those he authorized.
Or else, by those who never knew, and would never again know, the story behind it.
In the final page of Taber's notes, there was a boxed entry: Garrett's name, or rather, the emblem that had once stood for Wayfort.
On this day, Garrett took up his pen, sketched Wayfort's new emblem on the last page, and beneath it he wrote his name.
"In memory of those who are gone."
News of the change quickly spread to other territories.
In fact, apart from the lands Garrett himself had built, the other territories already had their own flags.
Dale and Lake-town went without saying, they were old settlements that predated the founding of the Free Cities.
What needed new designs were the newer settlements, like Crossroads Town. Its emblem had already been chosen: a parked wagon, plain and unadorned, perfectly suited to its role and character.
Dale, Lake-town, and Crossroads Town all had their own crests. The entire Dale District had its collective emblem too: a sword and bow crossed over flames, with deep commemorative meaning.
The sword was the elven blade wielded by Garrett, and the bow was Bard's great yew bow.
Lastly, there was Carrock, home of the Beorning clan. Its emblem was a fat honeybee and a great bear.
Though there seemed to be many coats of arms across the territories, in truth they were only used privately, when it was necessary to distinguish between regions.
In any case, the emblem representing supreme authority had now appeared, or rather, had been replaced.
Garrett's name had been exchanged for something more official: the "Starry Emblem," the colloquial name that emerged after the redesign.
"I thought you planned on using that plain personal crest with just your name for your whole life."
In Dale, Bard poured Garrett another cup of tea, for who knows how many times.
The taste was the same as always.
"All right, that's why I redesigned it."
Garrett sipped his tea and let out a long breath.
At last, a small concern was put to rest.
"This is something that should've been done long ago."
Bard was still bustling about.
After serving the tea, he brought out some pastries, biscuits, cakes, and milk candies mixed with almonds.
"Quite a spread."
Garrett picked up a few and tasted them. The flavors were all pure and genuine.
"These were Bain's childhood favorites. But now that he's a grown warrior, not only does he come home less often, he hardly touches these things he once loved."
Bard took a piece of almond candy, chewed thoughtfully, and couldn't help raising his eyebrows twice.
"Mm. Fragrant."
Garrett also picked up a piece and popped it into his mouth.
"Indeed, not bad."
He gave his praise, then continued sampling the other pastries.
By chance, his glance fell upon a single strand of white hair on Bard's head.
"Hey, that one strand, it really stands out."
Bard followed Garrett's pointing finger, lifted his hair, and sure enough, there was one bright white hair mixed among the rest.
Snap.
He plucked it out directly.
"Now it's gone."
With a flick of his hand, Bard let the white hair fall to the ground, where it disappeared into the dust.
Garrett chuckled.
"True, it's gone."
Yet even as he smiled, he found himself losing his appetite for the pastry in his hand.
Bard... he wasn't young anymore.
His son Bain was already over thirty.
"Bain's a fine lad," Garrett remarked casually. "Last year, in the Battle of East Bight, he distinguished himself and was awarded the Ranger's Medal of Merit."
East Bight, an expanse of land at the edge of Mirkwood, lying near Dol Guldur.
According to the reports, during a scouting mission among the ruins of East Bight, Bain was the first to spot a nearby orc band and gave the warning. He then led the defense against their sudden assault, and afterward counterattacked with his men, driving the orcs from the area.
"I know. He did well in that matter."
A note of pride softened Bard's voice.
"He's truly grown up."
After reflecting on his son's growth, Bard's thoughts shifted to another matter:
"By the way, about East Bight, I wanted to discuss something with you."
"The ruins of the old settlements nearby could be put to use. At the very least, we could establish an outpost there. It would be very helpful for our continued expansion southward."
"And, if things go smoothly in the coming years, we could even create a new trade route. One that safely links Dale, Carrock, Rohan, and Gondor."
In other words, once completed, travelers would be able to journey directly from Dale to Gondor.
"Tell me more," Garrett said, his interest piqued.
Bard took out a map and pointed to a location.
"The Wold and the Brown Lands, on the eastern side of Rohan's northern plateau. Historically, Gondor and Rohan often used these places as staging points for their armies."
"They can serve as transit hubs for trade as well."
If these two regions could be secured, not only would a new land route allow Dale folk to travel safely to Rohan and then Gondor, but Carrock could also send ships down the Anduin straight to Rohan.
And in addition, the area would give them a vantage point to keep watch over the Brown Lands, and even the Black Gate itself.
Garrett agreed at once: "Good. Let's do it."
But Bard raised a small concern. "The Wold is right on Rohan's borders. Won't they have objections?"
"Well, their old king is dead now."
"The new king, Thengel, I know fairly well. He's a decent man. At worst, I'll pay him a visit and explain the matter."
"You just see it done. Leave the rest to me."
"So long as it's reasonable, I can guarantee, there won't be any obstacles."
Those words left Bard thoroughly reassured.