by Shannah Jay
Perrissa scowled. ‘That’d stop traders coming into town.’ People behind her in the crowd began to mutter to one another.
Rojan shrugged, the smile still twisting his lips into a sneer. ‘We managed without traders during the wars and nerids can pull wagons from one settlement to another, if we build the wagons smaller. I don’t know why we’ve continued to use these dangerous beasts for so long.’
Sarann strode forward to stand eye-to-eye with him. ‘Deleff wouldn’t hurt anyone, not even a coward like you.’
Scorn was thick in her voice. ‘They’re peaceful creatures and they hate violence. They’d just nudge you aside if you got in their way, that’s all they’d do. They’re not dangerous!’
‘Well, those deleff of yours are stealing my wagon at this very moment,’ he yelled at her, ‘and if they’re controllable, you should be doing something about it.’
When she turned to move away from him, he grasped her arm. ‘As Elder of this town, I have summoned you to answer for this theft, young woman, and you’re not leaving till we’ve sorted the matter out.’ Still holding Sarann, he swung round to face Evril and Perrissa. ‘I call upon you two Elders to assist me and bear witness to what’s happened.’
Perrissa nodded her head. ‘I’ll be happy to bear witness. I’ve seen everything, right from the start. I’ll look after her for you, shall I?’ She took Sarann’s arm from him, winking at the bewildered young woman when he couldn’t see.
A hint of puzzlement crept into his face at this co-operation from a woman who made no secret of her dislike for him. ‘I’ll hold you to that, then. Take her to the meeting house. I’ll summon the Town Elders. And then afterwards, as owner of that wagon, I’ll cry Sarann in the streets for theft. People should be warned against her. We won’t trade with a thief.’
‘She’s not been found guilty yet!’ cried a voice from the crowd.
‘She will be.’
There was a muttering sound as people whispered to one another.
‘I’ll follow the deleff and see what they’re doing with the wagon,’ said Evril. ‘I’ll rejoin you before the meeting starts, Rojan. Wait for me. I’ll have important information to lay before the Elders when I find out where they’re going.’ He laid his hand on Heth’s shoulder. ‘Come with me, lad, in case I need a messenger.’ As he passed a knot of bystanders, he hissed to them, ‘Go and observe the meeting.’
‘Will Sarann be in trouble?’ Heth whispered as they walked away.
Evril checked to see that no one was close enough to overhear. ‘I doubt it. Let’s just make sure that those deleff get the wagon safely home. We don’t want anyone else upsetting them, do we?’
Half an hour later Sarann stood facing a half circle of seated Elders in the meeting house. Where the congregation usually sat, a group of Tenebrani had gathered, since town meetings were always open to anyone. They’d pulled the benches closer to the circle and a couple of them had had words with Fresler about this.
At one end of the semi-circle of Elders sat Rojan, expression triumphant. Next to him Fresler was whispering earnestly, and another couple of their cronies were seated on either side of them. The central chair was empty.
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***
Chiralin moved forward to take the chair of leadership. She didn’t know what had made her do this, because she didn’t usually care who led the group. ‘Let the meeting start!’
‘Hoy! You have no right to start this meeting.’ Fresler hurried forward. ‘I’m the one who takes the chair.’
‘Not always.’
‘Well, either me or Rojan.’
‘Well, I’m in the chair now and I intend to stay here. Besides, every Elder has the right to run a meeting. Just because we’ve let one or two of you play at being leaders more often than the rest of us doesn’t mean we’ve changed the rules.
In fact, I propose we take it strictly in turns to run the meetings from now on, as was meant when the rules were first laid down.’
There was a chorus of agreement from most of the Elders.
One of the spectators shouted, ‘Get on with it, will you! We haven’t got all day.’
‘Well, then!’ snapped Rojan. ‘Do your duty, Chiralin. It was a clear crime, fully witnessed.’ He didn’t wait for her orders, but stood up and raised his voice. ‘I cry theft and mayhem against this woman, Sarann. Her deleff came and knocked down the porch of this meeting house, then after that they stole a wagon from my warehouse, destroying the wall in the process. There is no question that this happened. It was witnessed by many people.’
‘It wouldn’t take much to knock the porch down,’ shouted a younger man in a carpenter’s leather apron. ‘I’ve been telling you for a while that it was unsafe and someone might get hurt if there was a strong wind, but you were too mean to pay for a new one. And anyway, you were there yourself today. Why didn’t you stop them?’
There was a mutter of approval from some of the other spectators, but those Elders nearest Rojan called for silence.
This town’s becoming divided into two camps, Chiralin worried as she wondered what to do. And it’s all Rojan’s fault. ‘Well?’ she asked aloud. ‘Why didn’t you stop them, Rojan?’
‘No normal person can stop a creature that size. Only the traders know how to handle them. And since they’re only animals, deleff wouldn’t understand what they were doing. So she must have set them on to damage things connected with me, out of sheer spite.’ Rojan pointed to Sarann. ‘The One Circle demands justice and recompense for the damage, through me, its First Elect.’
‘The Elders will listen to your story,’ Chiralin said politely. ‘But we represent all citizens, not just your little group, Rojan.’
‘Little group. Little! It’s the only meeting house in Tenebrak now and the biggest one in the whole land.’
Chiralin shrugged. ‘We only have your word for that.’ She saw quite a few people trying to hide their grins.
There was a noise at the rear and more spectators crowded into the room, whispering to those already there to find out what had happened. She tapped the meeting gong with a little silver hammer hanging attached to it by a plaited leather cord and waited for silence. ‘Did the two deleff knock down the porch, Sarann?’ she asked.
‘Yes.’
‘And did you set them on to do that?’
‘No. Why should I?’
‘And did you set them on to steal the wagon?’
‘No, of course not. I didn’t even know what they were doing when they left the market square. I only followed them.’
‘She’s lying!’ Rojan shouted. ‘Oh, woman, cleanse yourself of these evil lies - ’
Chiralin called loudly, ‘Quiet there! I’m in the Chair.’
The shock on his face brought a few titters from the onlookers.
Evril stepped forward. ‘I can bear witness that she isn’t lying. I was near her the whole time. She was as surprised as the rest of us.’
‘She was acting! Traders are known to be good actors,’ snapped Rojan. ‘She must return my property and recompense me for the loss of my warehouse.’
‘We haven’t voted on this matter yet, let alone given a judgement’ said Chiralin keeping her voice calm and her expression too. ‘We need more information before we can make a decision. Benneth, your uncle was a trader. Can you tell us something about deleff? Do they belong to the families they draw wagons for?’
The young man who’d spoken up earlier about the porch stepped forward, his expression amused. ‘No, of course they don’t. Deleff are free beings. Everyone knows that.’
‘And can the traders control them in any way?’
Benneth laughed. ‘Of course not. How could anyone control a creature that size? Why, Rojan just said the same thing himself.’
Sarann smiled across at him and he smiled back at her.
‘I said that only traders can control them!’ Rojan’s face was red with anger.
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hiralin looked round the room, ignoring the interruption. ‘Anyone else have any questions about the deleff?’
‘Of course not,’ said another Elder, one of the town’s butchers. ‘This whole accusation is ridiculous. You’re wasting my time, Rojan. I’ve got customers waiting to buy meat. Get this farce over with, Chiralin.’
She nodded and looked round again. ‘Who believes the theft and mayhem cried against this woman?’
The small group of Elders around Rojan raised their hands.
‘Who denies the theft and mayhem cried against this woman?’
Most of the Elders raised their hands and the spectators applauded, Benneth loudest of all.
Sarann was smiling openly now, feeling suddenly light-hearted.
‘I declare the accusations not found.’ Chiralin had to bang the gong again to get silence as a hubbub of noise broke out. ‘We still have to consider the question of the wagon. Rojan found it abandoned and claimed it, paying tithes to the town in the proper manner - however much we might disagree with that law.’
Sarann suddenly felt a dart of anxiety. Surely, Chiralin wasn’t going to give the wagon back to that man?
‘It’s only right that Rojan be recompensed for the wagon tithes,’ Chiralin went on, ‘so I suggest the Council of Elders takes over ownership of the wagon from him on behalf of the town. If the deleff approve, that is. What have they done with the wagon, Evril?’
‘They’ve taken it to the new Healers’ Court. They left it outside at the front and they’re trampling up and down the street. They look like they want to leave on a journey. Somehow, I don’t think they intend to give the wagon back to Rojan, whatever we decide.’ ’ He couldn’t hold back a smile.
Chiralin nodded. ‘As I thought. So it makes sense for the Council of Elders to take it over and use some of the profits from the journeys for the benefit of all in Tenebrak. We have some funds we can use to pay Rojan. We might even make that our contribution towards that temple Karialla and Deverith want to build.’ She didn’t attempt to hide her glee as she said that.
‘No!’ roared Rojan. ‘It’s my wagon. You have no right to take it!’
‘But what do you want with it?’ yelled Benneth. ‘No nerid would pull it for you.’
‘It’s mine,’ insisted Rojan. ‘I don’t have to do anything with it. And you’re not an Elder, so keep quiet!’
Evril stepped forward. ‘Well, I’m an Elder and I say if you can retrieve it a second time, you can keep it. Go and do so now.’
‘I’ll find a way to get it back from those filthy creatures.’
‘If you try to hurt those deleff . . . ’ Sarann began, but Perrissa shushed her.
‘Once the town owns the wagon, we can lease it out to Sarann for a reasonable share of her profits,’ continued Chiralin. ‘That would be the fairest thing to do, I think. She might not be able to stop the deleff, but she can go with them if they set off on a trading trip. They’re clearly attached to her. And she can take some of our goods with her. I know several of us have things in store that we could send out for selling. Let’s vote on that.’
Only Fresler voted with Rojan this time. The rest, many of them crafters and shopkeepers, had realised there was a real prospect of getting involved in long-distance trade again and were starting to get enthusiastic about the idea.
‘Just a minute!’ Fresler raised his hand to get their attention. ‘Look, we can’t deny that Rojan has looked after the wagon all this time, at some expense to himself. I think he ought to receive a tithe of the profits it makes for the town on the first journey, as recompense, and be able to send some of his own trading goods, too, if he so chooses. That’d be only fair.’
There was a buzz of discussion and to Sarann’s disgust, the idea was approved.
When the meeting was declared over, she rushed back to the Healers’ Court to tell her friends what had happened and to take a good look at her new wagon.
Benneth followed her more slowly. He was tired of living quietly in the town. Maybe there was a chance for him here.
When he got to the Healers’ house, the deleff had returned to the garden and Sarann was walking round the wagon, testing its leather straps, touching it here and there from sheer pleasure. She turned to beam at him. ‘It’s a good one.’
‘Yes. Um - are you leaving soon?’
‘I hope so. The deleff are ready.’
‘You - wouldn’t like a helper, would you? I come from trading stock on my grandmother’s side and I’m a bit tired of just - you know, staying in one place.’
She stopped dead and looked at him, studying him for so long he flushed and began to fidget. ‘Come and meet the deleff,’ she said abruptly.
He followed her round to the rear garden, hesitating as the deleff turned to stare at him.
‘Go right up to them,’ Sarann said softly.
He did so.
Risslin stretched out her head to nudge Benneth’s hand.
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‘Lay your hands on either side of her head,’ Sarann ordered, still in that same quiet voice.
He did so and gasped.
She watched in satisfaction as he stood there for several long minutes, his eyes closed, his breathing slower. Then his hands slipped from the deleff’s head and staggered backwards.
Sarann moved to support him. ‘What happened?’
‘I saw pictures - a huge stone building on the ridge. And,’ he blinked at her in shock, ‘us two, riding this wagon through the wildwoods.’
She grinned. ‘Well, looks like you’re going to get your wish and see a bit of the world, then.’
‘Do you really mean that?’
‘Oh, yes. The deleff always know such things.’
He beamed at her, then tried to move and staggered, so he had to grab her again. He let his breath out in a whoosh.
‘I feel dizzy.’
‘Yeah. It’s hard talking to deleff - especially the first time. Come and sit down in the house. I’ll make you some honeybrew.’
When she helped the young man into the house, Deverith’s glance was so warmly knowing she felt her cheeks grow hot and went to fuss over the kettle. This was all happening a bit too quickly for her. She stole a glance sideways. Mind you, Benneth was a well set up young man. Looked strong and she did like the way his smile was sort of crooked.
Deverith took pity on her embarrassment and asked about the outcomes of the meeting, nodding approvingly. ‘All very right and proper. Chiralin did well - though I’m not happy with Rojan getting a tithe of the profits.’
She scowled. ‘And he can send some trade goods along! I’d feel they were tainted.’
He seemed to understand instinctively. ‘We’ll have to make sure it’s nothing you would hesitate to carry, then.’
She nodded and another wave of pink washed over her face. ‘Um - Benneth is coming with me and Niam when we leave. He - er - wants to travel. And - and it’ll be safer with a few of us, you know.’
‘You knew this would happen, didn’t you?’ Karialla asked her husband later.
‘I didn’t know anything specific. I just trusted in our Brother the God and had a feeling that all would turn out well.’
‘You know, sometimes you sound as if you believe in him as a true god.’
‘Sometimes I think I do.’ He looked into a distance no one else could see and murmured, ‘Perhaps we create our own gods with our beliefs. Or perhaps our gods just represent our strivings for goodness.’
***
After the meal Karialla went off to pound some herbs for an ointment for grazes, but deep down she was worried.
She knew Rojan would add this grievance to the others he bore towards her and her friends. She knew that one day there would be another serious confrontation between them. Rojan had been defeated for the time being, but he wouldn’t accept that, she was sure. He was not only a strong man, but cunning, clever, and overweeningly ambitious.
‘Stop worrying, lass.’ Deverith’s arms came rou
nd her from behind.
She leaned back against his chest. ‘I can’t help it. I don’t trust Rojan.’
‘Then trust me.’
She turned to stare at him. ‘What do you mean by that?’
‘What do I mean?’ He pretended to think about it, head on one side. ‘Oh, I mean that we have the land for our temple. We have the people of Tenebrak on our side - well, quite a lot of them, anyway. We have the means of getting enough coin to purchase the help we need for the first part of the temple. And we even have a stoneworker available in young Balas. I think we’ve made rather a good start on our task, don’t you?’
‘I suppose so. But it just rankles that Rojan - ’
He put one finger across her lips. ‘Set your worries aside, my love. Discord has ended in Tenebrak and is dying out everywhere. This is a time for building temples and having babies, a time for healing our whole community.’ He patted her belly as he spoke, relishing its increasing roundness, the safe nest where his first daughter slept.
As they stood there, breathing in the soft evening air, smelling the perfume of a night-flowering berry-vine, Karialla’s anger slowly evaporated. After Pavlin’s death, she’d never expected to be happy again. Yet she was. Not only happy, but satisfied that she had a purpose in the world, that she could make a real difference to people’s lives. And was expecting a child. Her eyes filled with tears of joy at the thought of that, as they did every now and then when she stopped to think about her condition.
‘Deverith, you could persuade a silverbird to perch in Tenebrak market and sing,’ she grumbled, hoping he hadn’t seen the brimming tears. Silverbirds were shy creatures who hid in the deepest wildwoods and were heard more than seen.
‘All I want to do is persuade my wife to take a few years for herself,’ he said mildly. ‘Don’t worry about the future, my love. It’ll be upon us soon enough.’ He wiped away the tears with one fingertip. ‘I’m happy about the child, too,’ he said softly.
