Scales Of Justice

by C. R. Daems

  When Jola arrived at the city gate, Kontar was consulting with one of his captains on the wall. She dismounted and ran up the steps to join him on the parapet. The captain bowed and hurried away. Jola scanned the walls where Kontar's guards had already taken their places, and where the captain paced, conveying their orders.

  "My captains estimate Chaney's army at around six hundred," Kontar said. "They have wounded, and look tattered and tired like they are coming from a battle. I'd be surprised if more than five hundred were fit to fight."

  They watched as an officer rode toward them, ahead of the main force, followed by a bearer who carried a pennant with a large, silver wildcat on a black field.

  "Open the gates. It's Duke Chaney and his army," he shouted.

  "Chaney is no longer a duke. He has been judged a traitor and stripped of his title and lands. But thank him for coming to me for sentencing," Jola shouted down.

  The officer stared up at her for a moment, but didn't speak. After a minute, he turned his horse and galloped away. They waited, and watched the oncoming troops as they spread out across the plain in front of the gate. At last, Chaney rode toward the gate, surrounded by guards and trailed by a soldier bearing his pennant.

  He pulled up well out of bowshot. "Open that gate or I'll have you all caned to death."

  Jola stepped in front of Kontar. The breeze was at her back, but she wasn't sure how far her voice would carry. Still, she would try. "Soldiers of Essam, Sattah and Tasman, beware. You no longer serve nobles of Pyxus. Every noble with you has been stripped of his title. They'll be dead, or sentenced to life in the iron mines. Two thousand troops from Tyrol, Rador, Manito, Essam and Sattah are marching on Tarquay. Look, even the Duke of Sattah stands against you," Jola shouted, and pointed to the Sattah banner flying high over the gates. "The other five rulers come with the army. They'll roll over you like the desert winds over the sands. Leave now and I, Judicator Jola, will promise you immunity from judgment. Stay and you'll serve the same fate as your leaders."

  "You're wrong, bitch. We've defeated Prince Aquila's army, and we'll defeat your pathetic rabble."

  Chaney turned his horse and rode back a short way. Jola and Kontar watched as he sat with his captains, who then rode back to the lines of troops spread out in front of the city. More time passed as they waited. The sun rose higher, and sweat began to run down Jola's face.

  "What do you think they're waiting for?" she asked Kontar. Behind the front lines, soldiers could be seen scurrying back and forth with supplies.

  "Not building anything large-scaling ladders, I suspect. They'll try to get over the walls, since we can easily defend the gates." Kontar nodded toward the murder holes over the gate, where archers stood prepared to kill anyone who got close.

  After an hour, Chaney signaled the charge.

  The fighting was fierce as soldiers carried scaling ladders to the walls and scurried up them. A few threw grappling hooks and tried to climb. Atop the walls, the guards pushed back the ladders. Others hacked at the grappling hooks' ropes.

  Jola's stomach roiled. This was her first real battle and she prayed it would be her last. Screams and moans rose from outside the walls. She shuddered. It seemed as though the fighting would go on forever.

  One of the young guards assigned to carry bread to the fighters on the walls stopped and held out his basket. She picked up a slice. It dawned on her that she hadn't eaten yet that day. Kontar handed her a flask and she took a sip of wine.

  "How long can this go on?" Jola handed back the flask. They had been at the walls all day, and the setting sun had begun to tint the western sky red.

  "Hard to say. We've punished the rebels badly." Kontar took a long drink from the flask as he surveyed the enemy line below the wall. For the moment, they'd withdrawn, but more ladders were being carried up for another assault. "I'd say about a third of them are down, but with our losses, I'm not sure how long we'll hold out."

  Once more, Chaney's forces charged toward the walls, shouting. As night settled over the city, the fighting showed no sign of slowing.

  "He must be desperate," Jola said. "No matter how much they cut up Aquila's force, they have to know that Regina's army is somewhere near."

  Kontar nodded absently as he watched two guards push a ladder away from the wall, several of Chaney's soldiers going with it, screaming as it fell. "She can't be more than a few days away."

  Around midnight Chaney pulled his men back from the wall. Sagging with exhaustion, Jola sat on one of the steps and Kontar sat beside her.

  "I suspect they're getting set for an all-out attack." He motioned to one of his men. After a few minutes, he brought them a roasted bird that Kontar split with his dagger for the two of them.

  Kontar continued to speak with his mouth half full of the dripping bird. "They don't want to give us a chance to rest. And they can't take a chance that Regina will hit them from behind."

  They had barely finished the food when a guard ran up. "They're attacking the east and west walls, Your Grace."

  Kontar cursed. "They want to split our forces." Hand on his sword, he looked back and forth from one wall to the other. "I have to take my guards to support one wall."

  "Which is the weakest?"

  "The west wall, maybe. It has an easier slope to climb."

  "Take your guards there. My guards and I will join the east wall. If the west wall is breached, we'll join you to reinforce it; if the east is breached, you can come help us," Jola said.

  "Mistress, it will be hard to protect you if we must reinforce a breached wall. Why don't we retreat to the castle?" Captain Rankin said. "Princess Regina-"

  "Captain, I appreciate your concern. But we don't know where the princess's army is, or when they will get here. If we let them breach the walls, they will have the walls to protect them when the princess arrives. Yes, Regina will eventually defeat them, but at what cost?" Jola said. The cost of that night's battle was high enough. The thought of Regina and her troops having to force their way past the wall was one she couldn't consider. Chaney had already taken too many lives with his dream of grandeur.

  At four in the morning, the west wall was breached, and Chaney's soldiers poured over it. Fighting on the parapet was fierce. Many of the enemy soldiers chose to descend the stairs toward the gates rather than attack the defending soldiers.

  "Well, Captain Rankin. It's our turn," Jola said as she descended the steps to the ground. Mounting, she kicked her horse into motion, with her guards racing to beat her to the enemy. Her fifty mounted soldiers slammed into the attacking force who had managed to storm the gate in the confusion. Meanwhile, Kontar reformed a small group of guards at the top, and was now in control of the parapet.

  A soldier slashed at Jola's horse. She went down in a roll and came up facing two enemy soldiers. They smiled as they attacked. She sidestepped the man on the right and smashed him in the face with her sword hilt as his momentum carried him past her. He fell, clutching his face as blood gushed between his fingers. She met the other man's downward stroke and their swords locked. He gave her a savage punch to the ribs. Jola blanched and hoped he hadn't cracked one of them. She drove her knee into his groin. He screamed in pain and dropped his sword. Jola slashed him across the neck. As she looked around, she found Captain Rankin standing over two bodies, and the fight was over. All she saw standing were her own guards, and Kontar, who was rushing down the steps at the head of a group of soldiers.

  Rankin sheathed his sword and grabbed her arm so he could turn her. He prodded at her side and she sucked in a breath. "It's not broken or I'd be in worse pain." She turned to Kontar. "How does it look?"

  "Well, we've held the walls this time. We won't hold for another charge like that." He nodded to where several of her guards lay-a couple bleeding, and several dead.

  As morning dawned, it was clear that Chaney's army was down to fewer than two hundred. But Kontar's forces-those who were fit to fight-numbered less than a hundred. Jola watched as Chaney's men c
onstructed a battering ram. They could breach the city gates with it, but what then? The king's forces would retreat to the castle, which five hundred couldn't breach in a month. She didn't want to do that but their options were few.

  "Mistress, to the northwest!" her captain shouted. Even from this distance, Jola could see the banners of the king and the provinces. As she watched, shouts went up from Chaney's camp. A few minutes later, a group of the rebels galloped away. Two hours later Regina's army swept over the remnants of Chaney's grand army. Jola stood on the ramparts as a cloud of dust covered the battlefield. A few shouts and screams drifted her way on the wind. She clenched her fist as she watched, and then the haze cleared and the royal banner flew over the battlefield.

  * * *

  Jola sat in Chaney's throne room, in his chair. To her right sat Judicator Narette, Princess Regina and Prince Aquila, and to her left, the nobles of five provinces. She stared down at Chaney, in chains with a guard holding each arm, and wanted revenge. She shook her head violently to try to dislodge the thought, and then rose.

  "In the name of King Nicolas, we, Judicator Jola and Judicator Narette, do hereby call this judgment in session. The first order of duty before this judgment is the sentencing of the man called Chaney," Jola said in a loud, clear voice. The hall was packed with guards, nobles with the king's army, the commoners' delegation, and citizens of Tarquay.

  "You aren't even pretending to give me a trial. So much for your pretensions of justice. You're no better than me." Chaney sneered.

  "You've already been judged and found guilty. You imprisoned Judicator Narette. For that act, she found you guilty of treason. You appointed your own judicator, Shalea, who implicated you. Shalea was a very poor imitation, by the way. Like you, a cheap substitute for the leader of a province. You imprisoned, me, a judicator, for which I found you guilty of treason. Directly or indirectly, you convinced ten foolish young nobles that they were gods, and that they had the right to kill a kind woman to further your great scheme. For that, I judged you guilty of murder and treason. And in an act of treason and rebellion, you raised an army against the king. A trial? You have been tried repeatedly and found guilty of treason each time. All that remains is my decision as to your punishment."

  "You mean revenge," Chaney replied with a smile.

  "Revenge is very tempting. We could drag you around with us, and at each village, town and city have you publicly caned. We could send you to the iron mines where you could share your life with criminals just like you. Each sister could stop there on her way through and personally cane you. We could break your arms and legs and turn you out into the streets to beg for your food. Lovely thoughts." Jola paused. A deadly silence hung over the hall. Chaney paled at Jola's suggestions. "But that would make us no better than you. No, it's justice we seek-justice demanded by the very treaty you attempted to break." As Jola finished talking, Tenzen's viper slid off her lap and slowly undulated down the steps of the platform. Jola looked to Narette, who nodded. Chaney's eyes widened as he watched the viper advance on him.

  "You fancy yourself a god, Chaney. Now is your chance to prove it to the golden vipers of Astraea." The crowd remained silent as Chaney first tried to free himself from his guards, and then screamed, and finally pleaded to Princess Regina and the other rulers. Tenzen's viper twisted around his leg and slowly advanced up his torso to his neck, where it stopped.

  "See, I'm innocent!" Chaney screamed and laughed, just before the viper struck his neck.

  For the rest of the day, Jola sat in judgment of the nobles and soldiers who had stayed to fight with Chaney. All the nobles and about half of the soldiers were sentenced to the iron mines for life, and the rest for lesser terms. In addition, the nobles were stripped of their titles and lands.

  "Before I finish, Duke Serkan, please come before me." Jola waited until a tall, thin man stepped down from the dais and stood before her. Narette looked at Jola in surprise, but said nothing. "Duke Serkan, the sisters have determined that all the nobles in Tasman, Sattah, and Essam will be judged. I'll ask you the same question I asked Waller. Duke Serkan, was it your intention through your actions or lack of action to help others break the Seven Provinces' Treaty?"

  "No, Mistress. I've neglected my duties to the citizens of Essam from time to time. I've wished for more. But I haven't sought to break the treaty," Serkan said, and the truth of his statement washed over Jola. She rose.

  "I decree that Duke Serkan is innocent of treason. Further, I decree amnesty for all the soldiers who deserted Chaney and his fellows. So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

  "So say the Judicators of Pyxus," Narette repeated.

  Jola reached down and picked up Kit, who had fallen asleep at her feet. "Come, little one, I'll bet you're starved."

  "I'm hungry," Kit mumbled, still half asleep.

  * * *

  The dinner that night included Narette, the princess and prince, the dukes and duchesses, the commoners' delegation, and senior members of the army. The table was still covered with the remains of the pork braised in white wine and green oil, and the lobster in lovage, as they all leaned back and sipped their wine. Regina rose.

  "Each of you was asked to join this campaign to witness the king's response to a breach of the Seven Provinces' Treaty. I ask each of you now: Are you satisfied that justice has been served?" Regina asked. She then looked at each individual until he or she nodded. "Good, I'm also satisfied. We owe our thanks to the Sisters of Astraea for alerting us to the treason, for providing us with justice rather than vengeance, and to some, for willingly giving their lives in pursuit of the truth. I for one will never look at a judicator again with the same eyes. My thanks to you, Judicator Jola. If anyone has any questions, now would be a good time to get them answered, while we're all here."

  "Mistress, why did you forgive all the soldiers?" Besnik asked.

  "I didn't forgive all, only those who chose to leave Chaney rather than attack the city," Jola said. "I granted them amnesty for two reasons. The main reason was that it would be unfair to blame soldiers for following orders. They aren't expected to understand the issues underlying an order. Imagine what would happen on a battlefield when the commander ordered a charge, if every soldier then stopped to consider whether it was a just battle, whether the issues he was told about made sense, or whether the rumors he may have heard were right. However, when a judicator explains the issues, soldiers not only have an obligation to choose, but also are responsible for their choices."

  "Are all the judgments done?" someone asked.

  "No, the sisters have called for judgment of every noble in Tasman, Essam, and Sattah. I'll return with Princess Regina through Essam to ensure that every noble has been judged."

  "Will that end it?" another asked.

  "For a while, we'll have a limited peace. The princess and the prince, with support from the rulers of the provinces, have avoided total chaos-but they haven't changed the nature of people. There will always be dissatisfaction with the treaty. People with wealth want more wealth, people with power want more power, and people with strong beliefs want everyone to believe. In addition, there will always be people who are unkind and uncaring," Jola said, as she stroked her vipers with one hand and Kit with the other.

  * * *

  The army stayed in Tarquay for six eightdays. Princess Regina appointed a new Duke of Tasman, a list of the outlaw nobles was posted, and the army was used to install the new nobles. In most cases, it was an elevation in rank for a lesser noble, but Regina did elevate several commoners to noble status for their contributions to Pyxus. Prince Aquila planned to return with Duke Kontar to help him in Sattah, and then planned to continue on to Tyrol where he would deliver the prisoners to the iron mines. Aquila requested that Narette accompany him, since he might need a judicator. Princess Regina would take Jola back through Essam with Duke Serkan, to judge his nobles and root out the outlaws guilty of treason.

  Jola had found the eightdays after the judgments to be a welcome r
elief. They were also an opportunity to spend time with Kit, who Jola found to be delightful company; Kit kept her constantly entertained. Kit, in turn, had attached herself to Jola like a tail and wouldn't let her out of sight, even if it meant missing a meal.

  "Kit, empty your pockets, please," Jola said one morning when they had returned to their rooms after breakfast.

  "Do I have to?" Kit asked, looking at the floor.

  "Yes, you do," Jola said, trying to suppress a smile.

  Kit reluctantly did so. The contents included a silver knife and spoon, two pieces of fruit, two silvers, and a silk napkin.

  "The fruit you may keep. The rest is stealing. Do you know what they do with thieves?" Jola forced herself to remain serious.

  "They cane them?" Kit answered, now showing fear.

  "Yes. Is my ward a thief?"

  "I was a thief. I stole to stay alive. I won't do it again, Mistress," Kit said, with tears in her eyes.

  Jola pulled the now-sobbing girl to her and cried herself. "Good. I expect you to keep that promise, Kit. Let's start by returning these items to the rightful owners." Jola held Kit at arm's length.

  "Yes, Mistress, I promise." Kit placed her hand on her heart. Jola took her hand and they walked back down to the dining room, where Kit returned the knife, spoon, and napkin to the table. Then Kit took Jola up the stairs to Princess Regina's room and knocked on the door, to the amazement of her guards. Another soldier opened the door.

  "I need to return these to the princess." Kit held out the two silvers. Jola squeezed her mouth tight to contain her chuckle. However, a couple of the guards had to cough to avoid laughing. Regina wandered over to the door when she heard Kit's voice.

  "Hello, Kit, how can I help you?" Regina asked.

  "I stole these from you. I'm returning them so I won't be a thief anymore."

  "Thank you, Kit. Are you sorry you stole these silvers?" Regina asked. Her lip twitched as she said it.