“I don’t know . . .” She decided to take the chance. “Ebudae likes killing.” Frath raised an eyebrow. Pelya quickly explained. “Only if it’s a challenge. She killed a wizard in that first warehouse and she likes killing dangerous creatures . . . but it’s different.” The explanation wasn’t going well. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“It’s alright. Are you trying to say she likes pitting herself against an opponent to see if she’s better?” He let go of her hand and took another sip of his wine.
“Sort of . . . It’s like that, but . . . she actually likes watching death too . . .” Pelya regretted saying anything at all.
“I see.” He shrugged. “I’m glad you’re her friend. Other than that, I’m not going to judge her. Are you still fine with me considering her as a daughter?”
“Yes! Definitely. She’s my best friend and she looks up to you. I consider her my sister too.”
“She does?” Frath asked in surprise.
“Yeah. Ebudae tells me how much it means that you’re always nice to her. You’re the only adult in the world who has ever treated her with respect.”
“Well . . . She deserves it. As far as her fascination with death . . .” He shrugged again. “Some people are. I’ve seen it before.” He took another drink of his wine. “I love Ebudae as my daughter and accept the fact that she’s odd. I always have.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” Pelya smiled gratefully. His acceptance of Ebudae meant more to her than she had realized.
“Of course.” He returned the smile briefly before becoming serious again. “Now let’s get back to you not wanting to kill.”
It was as though ice replaced the blood in her veins. She shivered. “Alright.”
“I know this is hard, but it’s important,” he assured her. “The first thing I want to say is that if you are in the Dralin City Guard, there will almost certainly be another situation, probably many more, where you are in a kill or be killed situation.”
“I know, Daddy.” Pelya took a rather large gulp of her wine.
“Do you know that you don’t have to join the Guard?”
Pelya had never even considered doing anything else, but the question required real thought and consideration. That took all of three seconds. “I want to join the Guard. I am in the Guard, Daddy.” Tears of desperation welled in her eyes.
“I know.” Frath’s voice was very calm and supportive. “You can stay in the Guard, but the question had to be asked. There’s another thing to consider too.”
“Yes, Daddy?”
“If you do come into a situation where you have to kill someone, will you be able to?”
“Yes.” She had no hesitation in that, which surprised her father. “I’ve considered that already. I will not allow anyone to kill me, Daddy. I won’t allow anyone to kill you, or Ebudae, or anyone in the Guard. If it is necessary to kill them, then I will do so.”
“You sound very confident of that.”
“I am. The death of . . .” the memory stuck again, “. . . those men dying on my sword keeps going over and over in my head.” Pelya took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to keep her emotions calm. Her father gave her silent support. “But every time I see it in my head, it occurs to me that I’d do the same thing again. If someone attacked you or Ebudae, I’d kill them just like I did those men.” An involuntary sob broke from her throat. “It’s not that I can’t or won’t, it’s just that I don’t want to do it.” She took a sip of wine so he wouldn’t take her hand and squeeze it again. Pelya was done crying and that would make it hard not to.
Frath showed understanding for her need by keeping sympathy out of his voice. “I understand how you feel, because I feel much the same way. I don’t want to kill people. I do want to make the city safer and sometimes it’s necessary to do so in my job.”
A thought had been bothering Pelya. “Uncle Gilron killed all those men. He was showing off, even though he tells recruits not to do that. Then he killed that helpless man. You’ve told me over and over not to kill helpless people.”
“That’s true, although you have to make sure it’s not a bluff, because some people will use it as a dirty tactic.”
“I remember you telling me that, but he wasn’t bluffing. His knee was gone and he was in pain.” The more Pelya thought about it, the more she was angry with the weaponmaster. “It was like he took pride in killing those men.”
“He did,” Frath admitted. To Pelya’s surprise, he poured her a little more wine. “Gilron Coodmur is one of my best friends, but like all my friends, he’s a bit odd.”
“You do have odd friends,” Pelya replied. “I’ve been noticing that more and more.”
Frath chuckled. “Yeah, I do. I like them better than people who pretend to be normal.” He winked and Pelya chuckled too. “There you go. It’s nice to hear you laugh a little and see you smile.”
Pelya blushed, but left the smile where it was.
“Anyway, the weaponmaster comes from a different background. He’s only told me a little.” Frath stared at the fire. “His childhood was filled with training much like yours, but the emphasis was killing people, not about skill. He killed his first man when he was twelve. After that, he became a soldier and immediately went to war. I don’t know what happened to make him come to Dralin, but I know he never wants to be in a war again.”
“Then why did he kill those men that way? They might have surrendered.”
“Perhaps he needed to see if he still could.” Frath stretched in the chair. “People from other kingdoms have different customs. What’s right to us may be wrong to them. Unless you know a person’s past, it’s difficult to understand them fully. I try not to judge people.”
“I didn’t mean to judge him, Daddy.”
“No, no. I’m not accusing you.” He shook his head. “It’s just hard to understand people sometimes and honestly, I was also angry when he killed that man. It was cruel and while I understand that he was raised that way, it wasn’t acceptable.”
“Are you angry with me for killing those men, Daddy?” Pelya was afraid he would be.
“No! I’m not mad at you at all!” He stood and held his arms out and she rushed into their safety. “You stood in front of Ebudae and protected her against very dangerous swordsmen. I was so proud of the way you handled yourself. That officer especially.” He held her by the arms and looked her in the eyes. “He was the most dangerous of the group, but you were faster and better in every way. I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to take the fight from you.”
“I would have been mad if you had.” Pelya couldn’t help feeling that way. Even though she didn’t want to kill anyone, it had been her job. Had her father or anyone taken it from her, it would have instilled self-doubt. “I felt them die. My blades cut into them and it made me feel sick.”
“Yeah. I still feel that way. It’s a good thing to feel as long as it doesn’t stop you or endanger your life.” Frath tousled her hair; she hadn’t braided it yet.
“I made certain of that when I was fighting. No matter what happened, I kept my head.” It had been drilled into Pelya over and over again. The sticky fire on her hands was terrifying and she had wanted to run away. When she had been cut across the nose and then in the thigh, it had taken all her willpower to remain focused on using her hands to wield her swords rather than staunch the blood flow.
“You did excellent. A common reaction is to run away or curl up in a ball when hurt. It’s usually a fatal reaction too.” He kissed her forehead. “You’re a brave and wonderful woman, Daughter. Raising you is the best thing I’ve ever accomplished.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” They held each other tightly for a good long while.
“Get some sleep now. We have court tomorrow back in the Guard District. They have a magistrate who’ll ask us a lot of questions. Captain Zephan said they’ve gone through the key pieces of evidence and should be able to wrap up the case tomorrow.”
“That was fast. I didn’t expect it to be
done for weeks.” Pelya was genuinely surprised.
“By taking down Blavoci, we made a lot of other merchants nervous. The High Council wants to put this to rest as soon as possible.” He picked up his sword and downed the last of his wine. “Captain Pumosa has been investigating him for quite a while and this magistrate’s office has been going over the evidence the whole time. The coordinated attack will be presented as the culmination of the investigation.”
“What about Zaan?”
“Who? . . . Oh! The Rojuun.” Frath rubbed his stubbled chin, desperately in need of a shave. “That’s a good question. I don’t know. We’ll ask Captain Zephan tomorrow.” He gave her a shove towards Ebudae’s room. “Now get some sleep.”
“Alright, Daddy.” Pelya went into the bedroom and climbed back into the bed. It wasn’t long before she was sleeping a deep, nightmare-free sleep.
Chapter 30
“Get your braid out of your mouth,” Ebudae whispered at Pelya in exasperation. It had to be the twentieth time she had said that during the trial. Pelya stuck her tongue out and began biting on her nails. Frath, sitting on the other side of Pelya, knocked the fingers away. Pelya sighed in exasperation and crossed her arms stubbornly.
They were in a small courtroom within the Guard District. Ebudae was nibbling on food that was on the table even though she had eaten another full meal upon waking that morning and a moderate lunch when a break had been taken in the proceedings.
Bubbo was an even better cook than the previous one and the breakfast had tasted wonderful. She had no idea how anyone else was working out yet because she had either been sleeping, invading Thanzin’s manor or sitting in this courtroom all day.
“I hope they reach their decision soon. It’s almost time for dinner,” Pelya whispered in her ear from where she sat on Ebudae’s right. Sir Imbra and Appana sat next to Frath. On the other side of Ebudae were Commander Coodmur, Clutz, Grinkin and Florsy. A grey-haired magistrate sat at a large table on the far end, surrounded by assistants who were helping him to look over papers. There was a low murmur in the room from people bored of waiting.
“I agree.” Ebudae whispered back. “I want to go home and pet Shade.”
Pelya rolled her eyes. “You’re so weird. That’s what I like about you.”
“Do you think the magistrate will have problems with anything?” Ebudae was nervous. Shutting down Blavoci’s interests in Dralin had been a major undertaking that required attention from offices of the High Council of Dralin.
“No. The magistrate is a representative of the High Council, but a low ranking one.” Pelya moved her chair against Ebudae’s so they could put their heads together while whispering. “Everything was presented with a tidy little bow and there is no cleanup to be done, especially with Thanzin dead.”
“What happened to him? I missed that part.”
“I don’t know exactly. He died in jail. Nobody has any details.” Pelya didn’t seem overly remorseful about it.
“How are you doing, by the way? I keep meaning to talk to you about . . .” She didn’t know how to bring it up.
“I’m alright.” Pelya smiled reassuringly. “It’s still vivid in my mind and even the way it felt when my swords cut into . . .” She paled and rested her forehead on Ebudae’s shoulder.
“I want to talk to you about it, but it’s hard when I’m always asleep,” Ebudae said ruefully. She rested her cheek against Pelya’s head.
“It’s alright. We’ll get to talk soon.” She sat back up. “Daddy said I can come over any time and I don’t even need an escort if it’s during the day.”
“I can go out anytime I want because I’m the boss now.” Ebudae stuck her tongue out.
Pelya stuck out her tongue in return. “You’re not the boss of me though.”
“If I was, then I’d make you stay inside all day and night.”
“That’s because you’re mean and weird.” Pelya nudged her with an elbow and Ebudae nudged back. They both giggled.
“Sergeant, please tell your children to behave,” the weaponmaster said quietly over their heads.
Frath looked at them in amusement. “Behave.”
“Yes, Daddy,” both girls whispered in unison before bursting into more giggles they tried to cover with their hands.
The weaponmaster sighed.
A glance in their direction from the magistrate’s grey eyes chased the giggles away. A moment later, Ebudae whispered to Pelya again. “Thank you for protecting me. If it wasn’t for you, they would have killed me.”
“I’m never going to let that happen,” Pelya vowed in the fiercest whisper Ebudae had ever heard. They squeezed hands in support of each other.
The voice of the magistrate rang loud, causing the murmur in the room to fade. “I have reached a number of conclusions and shall present them now. My decisions in all matters are final as per . . .” He threw the scroll in his hands onto the table. “If you want to know, look it up. I promised my wife I’d take her and the little monsters to dinner at a nice restaurant, so let’s get to the details.”
There was a general chuckle through the room. Ebudae’s heart fluttered in nervousness.
“There is an avalanche of information here proving that Master Blavoci’s interests in Dralin were being run by Master Thanzin in violation of countless laws.” He gestured toward a stack of books on the floor behind him. “My clerks are going to write up all the laws broken along with my decision over the next few days. You can read the details when they’re done if you’re so inclined.” He rested his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers in front of him. “The basic sentence is that Master Blavoci is prevented from doing business in Dralin for a year.”
That drew unhappy mumbling from the officers who had worked so hard to bring the organization down. Ebudae didn’t think it was enough.
“All of Master Blavoci’s holdings within the city have been confiscated, which amounts to tens of thousands of gold pieces worth of property, possibly even hundreds of thousands.” He scanned the room from one end to the other, making certain there were no complaints. “If he decides to rebuild after a year, it’ll cost him just as much again.”
Ebudae knew that would be incredibly difficult, even for someone as rich as Blavoci. It didn’t mean she thought it was enough though. By the glance Pelya gave her, she didn’t either.
“All slaves rescued have been delivered to temples who aid in finding slaves homes. Donations of one hundred gold per individual have been made to those temples, confiscated from Master Blavoci’s holdings.”
That was substantial and pleased everyone in the room. Pelya grinned and happily squeezed Ebudae’s hand.
“Numerous holdings were taken from individuals through coercion or by outright theft. Where possible, they will be returned.” The magistrate glanced at a paper. “I won’t go into details. The clerks get paid to work all that out.”
Ebudae noticed one of the clerks sighing heavily. It seemed she wasn’t of the opinion that it was fair.
“Master Blavoci’s staff will be tried individually to determine what illegal activities each was engaged in, if any. This is standard in cases like this.” Most of the audience nodded. “A number of Master Blavoci’s personnel are deceased at the hands of the Dralin City Guard.”
Silence became heavy at that point. The magistrate sat back and folded hands over his robed belly. “There was more than sufficient evidence for the Dralin City Guard to infiltrate Master Blavoci’s holdings in the way it did. I’m satisfied that the resultant deaths were necessary to accomplish the mission. I’ve weighed the fact that every holding had numerous survivors. Every death was a wizard or swordsperson who attempted to prevent Guardmembers from performing their duties. I’ve found that the fate of servants is one of the best indicators of whether or not Guardmembers have abused their authority.”
“Daddy said only two Guardmembers lost their lives, which is exceptional,” Pelya whispered. She looked miserable though.
“Wh
at’s wrong?” Ebudae whispered back.
“I knew them. They were two uncles who always gave me coppers when they saw me.” Ebudae squeezed her hand and was about to say something comforting, but the magistrate continued speaking.
“I’m not happy that Master Thanzin died in jail.” The magistrate looked genuinely angry. “I do an excellent job of delivering justice and have earned the right to do so. If any member of the City Guard has anything to do with it, I’m very disappointed . . . and angry with you.” He glared at them all. Not one person looked guilty.
The magistrate sat back and sighed. Then he picked up another piece of paper. “Sir Imbra,” He looked up when the knight stood. “Thank you for assisting the Dralin City Guard in its duties. It is rare for a Knight of Reanna . . . or anyone to do so.”
“You are welcome, Lord Magistrate.” Sir Imbra bowed slightly and sat down.
The magistrate stared at him for a moment. “You also talk less than any knight I’ve ever met. Thank you for that too.” The magistrate looked at his paper again, ignoring the laughter that filled the room.
“Lady Ebudae Pallon.” He looked directly at Ebudae. She wanted to hide under the table but stood with her head high as a proper lady would. Her grandmother had taught her many useful things even if suffering had been included in each lesson. The magistrate managed a small smile. “Thank you for assisting the Dralin City Guard. You were instrumental in the success of the mission and that is appreciated.”
Ebudae decided to follow Sir Imbra’s lead. “You’re welcome, Lord Magistrate.” She curtsied and sat down. Talking was one of her least favorite activities anyway.
The magistrate shook his head. “A noble lady and a knight who speak efficiently and say thank you. Perhaps this is all a dream.” He grinned at the laughter caused by his jest and then stood. “Those are the important parts. If any of you have questions, please speak to my clerks, not me.” With that, he left to spend time with his wife and little monsters.
Ebudae Page 34
