“I object to this defamation of the King’s centurion,” said the soldier who was acting prosecutor. “Unfortunately, Centurion Yorik is not here to defend himself against such slanderous accusations, and I ask that the officers of the court warn civilian Kelvich that, as a guest in these proceedings, such behavior is dishonorable and distasteful.”
“It may be dishonorable, but no more so than drugging a man so that he cannot defend himself,” Kelvich said angrily. “I am recounting the events just as the prosecution did, and if the details offend him so, perhaps he should withdraw his charges so Zollin Quinnson can continue to serve both his King and his country by healing the very soldiers who were wounded by the dragon they were fighting.”
“That’s enough,” Sir Hausey said. “This court will remain civil. Kelvich, do you have testimony that will corroborate your version of the events?”
“Sir, I do not. I was not here, as you were not here. I am relying on the story as told to me by Zollin’s companion, the Lady Brianna.”
“And was she here during that night’s events?” one of the other officers asked.
“No, she was not. But Miriam was. She was outside the fort, but she should be able to testify to the validity of the story.”
“Fine,” Hausey said. “You may continue.”
Kelvich was angry and scared. He didn’t know all the details and certainly didn’t have enough time to find witnesses, not that any of the soldiers would testify for Zollin. He didn’t know what Miriam was going to say. But Jax was the only other witness to the events of that evening that he knew of, and the boy still hadn’t arrived at the fort. For all Kelvich knew, he would never arrive, and he was only a child. There was simply no telling how much stock the officers of the court martial would put in his testimony. Miriam was their only hope, but Kelvich knew she was hiding something. It was not a comfortable position to be in, but the elder sorcerer saw no other way out of the situation.
“Zollin is a wizard,” Kelvich went on in a loud voice. “And he did assault the King’s soldiers, but only because they refused to allow him into the fort and he had been told that Centurion Yorik planned to make a public example of Mansel early the following morning. Zollin tried to pay for his friend’s release, but when the soldiers refused him, he felt he had no choice. No permanent damage was done to any of the soldiers, except for Centurion Yorik. Zollin made his way into the guardhouse and was healing his friend when the evocati confronted him and assaulted him.”
“Again, if I may?” interrupted the prosecutor. “Is it assault if the centurion was carrying out his duties? He was trying to detain a prisoner who was attempting to escape from his custody.”
“Really?” Kelvich asked. “And where did this confrontation take place?”
“In the guardhouse of this very fort.”
“Where, exactly, in the guardhouse?”
“In the holding cell.”
“So, Zollin and Mansel were in the holding cell, but they were trying to escape?”
“First, Zollin Quinnson had no business in the fort or in the guardhouse. Second, he somehow managed to cut a hole in the guardhouse wall in order to sneak his friend out of custody.”
“Did anyone see this confrontation?” Sir Hausey asked.
A soldier who was sitting along the wall on a bench with several others stood up at this point. He raised his hand and said, “I did, sir.”
“What did you see?”
“The boy,” he pointed at Zollin, who was still chained and held up by two soldiers, “was trying to break his friend out of the guardhouse. Centurion Yorik went in to stop them, and Zollin threw him against the wall so hard it killed him.”
“And what happened next?” Hausey asked.
“We withdrew in an attempt to contain the prisoners in the guardhouse. They came out with some type of weapon that knocked me unconscious. When I came to, they had escaped and fled the city.”
“I see,” said Hausey. “Kelvich, it seems to me that your defense hinges on the fact that Centurion Yorik assaulted Zollin. Is that correct?”
“He assaulted Zollin and either assaulted Mansel or had him beaten almost to death.”
“And you have a witness who can give some insight into what transpired that night?”
“Yes, Miriam is a resident of Felson. She left the city with Zollin and Mansel that same night,” Kelvich said.
“Alright, bring her forward so that we can question her.”
Miriam stood up on shaky legs. Earlier, she had found some wine and helped Brianna swallow the Lavintha Berries. Brianna was resting now, only semi-conscious, but Miriam felt comfortable leaving her to testify. Miriam wasn’t sure why she was afraid, but she was. She was led forward to where Kelvich was waiting. Then her fear became crystal clear: she was going to stand up before a group of men and give testimony that could either help save Zollin or condemn him.
“You are the Lady Miriam?” Hausey asked her.
“Yes, I’m an animal healer here in Felson.”
“And you were with the accused on the night in question?”
“Yes, he was looking for lodging, and we made arrangements for him and his friend to stay in my stable.”
“And you left town with him?” Hausey continued.
“Yes, I was hoping to learn more about my craft. I didn’t know Zollin was a wizard at first, but then he explained that he was a wizard. He said he was traveling to Orrock to help his friend Brianna. I could tell just being close to him that he had power and, like I said, I was hoping to learn more about healing from him.”
“So, when did he leave Felson?” Hausey asked.
“Early the next morning. He went to find his friend Mansel, who had been drinking at one of the inns, just before twilight. I decided I would ride out with them the next day since he had been so busy buying supplies for their journey and I hadn’t gotten to spend any time with him. He and Jax the orphan had been gone for quite some time, then finally Jax returned without Zollin. He told me that Mansel, Zollin’s companion, had been arrested and that Zollin was going to get him out of custody so they could continue on their journey to Orrock.”
“And did he say how Zollin planned to do this?” asked one of the other officers.
“No, but I assumed he was going to pay his friend’s fines. He had plenty of money to do so.”
“Alright, continue, Lady Miriam,” Hausey said.
“So Jax and I gathered their provisions, as well as some of our own, and went to meet Zollin where he had arranged to meet Jax to get their horses. When Zollin came out of the fort, it was almost dawn. He looked incredibly tired, and Mansel was favoring his right hand. It had been injured somehow. I told them I wanted to go with them, and Zollin said it wasn’t a good idea, that they needed to ride fast and make as much time as they could. I convinced them that Jax and I wouldn’t slow them down and they agreed to let us journey with them.”
“Did Zollin talk to you about what happened in the fort?” Hausey asked.
“He did. He told me the same story that Kelvich told you.”
“And did you see any signs that he was telling the truth?” Luca asked.
“Like I said, he was tired and Mansel’s hand was obviously broken. When we made camp later that day, Zollin healed Mansel’s hand using magic.”
“Do you have any other pertinent testimony as to what happened in the fort?” Hausey asked her.
“I don’t think so,” Miriam said. “I’m sorry.”
“Lady Miriam,” Luca said. “Did you travel with Zollin to Orrock?”
“No, sir,” she said.
“And why not? Was there a reason why you chose to part ways with Zollin and his friend?”
Miriam looked at Kelvich and he realized this was what she was hiding.
“We had a disagreement,” she said.
“About what?” Luca asked her.
“We were attacked by brigands on the road,” she said. “One was left by his companions. He was wounded. I thought
we should help him, but Zollin and Mansel insisted that he be...” She paused, not wanting to finish the thought.
“Yes, Lady Miriam?” Luca said, insisting that she finish.
“That he should be punished.”
“In what way?”
“They killed him,” she said.
There was a pause while everyone took in this information. It was certainly damning, Kelvich thought. He decided to speak up and see if he couldn’t salvage the situation.
“Lady Miriam, you used the word punished. What did Zollin think the outlaw should be punished for, attacking your group?” Kelvich asked.
“That’s right,” Miriam replied.
“Officers of the court, I believe the King’s law states that outlaws who attack travelers are to be hanged. Is that not correct?”
“It is,” Hausey said tersely.
“So, Lady Miriam,” Kelvich continued. “Zollin and Mansel carried out the King’s law. Why did that cause you to part ways?”
“I’m a healer,” she said. “I didn’t leave them right away, but knowing that the man had been killed bothered me greatly. After a time, I decided to return home.”
Kelvich was angry, but he knew better than to let his anger show. Of course Zollin had done nothing wrong in killing the outlaw, but Miriam’s testimony made him sound like a cruel killer. Kelvich knew that certainly wasn’t the truth, but what more could he do? He called two of the soldiers that Zollin had healed. One had burns that would have left him scarred and crippled, another had a broken back and had lost all the feeling in his legs. Zollin had healed them both so that there were no effects from the wounds at all.
“He gave me my life back,” said the man whose back had been broken. “I’d have died in that bed if he hadn’t saved me.”
“Yes, alright,” said Luca dismissively. “I think we’ve heard enough. We’ve the balance between what this man has cost us, versus what he’s given us. But that still doesn’t pardon the murder of Centurion Yorik.”
“Let us confer,” said Hausey.
He, Luca, and the other two officers whispered together for some time. It was tense in the courtroom. Miriam would not meet Kelvich’s gaze. Brianna was slumped in one corner, sleeping. Zollin still stood supported by two men, his head pitched forward and his knees sagging.
Kelvich knew that Zollin’s fate was in his hands. He had two choices. He could tap into Zollin’s power. As a sorcerer, he could control the magic in others. He’d been lending his strength to the army healers since he’d arrived. But with a wizard, he could take control of the person and work powerful magic. It was much the same way that Zollin used the power in his staff, except that when Kelvich exerted his power on a person, it overrode their will entirely. He had promised Zollin that he would never usurp his power, not since he’d done it to teach Zollin a lesson. But would Zollin really blame him for saving his life?
On the other hand, if he did take Zollin’s power, what would he do? What would be the point of saving Zollin’s life if it forced him to kill the King’s soldiers and alienate Zollin from the very help he would surely need to fight the dragon? Of course, Zollin could simply flee. He could hide in the mountains or sail away from the Five Kingdoms, but Kelvich knew from personal experience that living in hiding was a sad and lonely existence. He’d done it because he needed to, first living in the Rejee Desert and then as a hermit in the Northern Highlands. He’d learned self control, but he’d suffered in the process. He’d denied the world his gifts, and what he had to offer the world was nothing compared to Zollin’s magic. He had already started to awaken the magical world, but all that would be lost if he ran away. Of course, it would be lost if the trumped-up military tribunal ordered his death, as well.
“May I speak?” said a soldier who had only recently arrived in the courtroom and joined the crowd that had gathered to watch the proceedings. He was a lowly foot soldier that was obviously nervous. He was wringing his hands and shifting his weight from one foot to the next.
“Do not interrupt this court,” said one of the officers.
“But I was there in the guardhouse when Centurion Yorik was killed.”
“The time for testimony has passed,” Luca said.
“Wait,” said Sir Hausey. “I’ll hear him out. Tell us what happened that night.”
“I was on guard duty, sir. Centurion Yorik had the young man brought into the cell, then he beat him. It weren’t no fair fight, neither. He hit the man with a club across the face and after he pummeled him with his fists, he stomped on the man’s sword hand. I heard the bones break. Then Centurion Yorik ordered us to put him on the cot. He’d passed out when his hand broke. I was then assigned to stand guard just outside the door. A couple of hours later, Yorik came back with a squad and ordered them to surround the guardhouse. He led us back inside and we found Zollin Quinnson leaning over his friend. The young man’s face was a mess when we left him. His cheek had been spilt from the club. But somehow his face was fine, no cuts or bruises; he was right as rain.
“Centurion Yorik had us open the cell and then he punched Zollin there,” he pointed at Zollin, “in the face. Before anyone knew what was happening, the evocati was laying into him. You could hear the ribs snapping as he punched Zollin. I should have stepped in, but I was afraid to. Then suddenly the centurion went flying out of the cell. He crashed into the wall of the guardhouse and didn’t move again. We fell back and formed up outside the guardhouse. After a while, Zollin came out with his friend, and that’s the last thing I remember before waking up on the ground the next morning.”
Commander Hausey looked hard at the man. “Why haven’t you brought this testimony to us before now?”
“I was afraid,” said the man. “I was afraid of Centurion Yorik when he was here, and then I was afraid when he died.”
“Are we to take the word of this self-proclaimed coward?” asked one of the officers with Hausey. “How are we to know someone hasn’t paid you to spread these lies?”
“It’s no lies, sir,” said the man, who was so white from fear that he looked as though he might topple over.
“Even if his testimony is true,” said Luca slowly, “Zollin Quinnson was attempting to aid in the escape of a lawfully bound prisoner. Centurion Yorik had every right to deal with the matter in any way he saw fit.”
“Excuse me, sir,” Kelvich said, trying not to sound too disrespectful, “but isn’t it human nature to fight back when you’re threatened? Wouldn’t you do the same thing if someone were attacking you?”
“It is not the attack that is the key issue,” argued the officer. “When one breaks the law, one cannot claim the same rights as the innocent.”
Then it hit Kelvich. He had been hoping to find a way to argue that what Zollin did was acceptable, but he had been using the wrong tactic. It wasn’t about what Zollin did right or wrong, but what the centurion did.
“Sirs,” Kelvich said confidently. “I know that discipline and your standard operating procedures are held in the highest regard. We’ve been examining the actions of Zollin Quinnson in an attempt to gage whether they were right or wrong. I believe you were right when you said that if someone breaks the law, he cannot claim the same rights as the innocent. The point of this matter is not the action of Zollin, who is a civilian and unacquainted with military discipline and operating procedures. He simply saw his friend in trouble and did what was in his power to help him, as he has done here for the troops under your command.”
“Ignorance of military law does not excuse you from that law,” said the officer.
“Oh, I heartily agree,” Kelvich continued. “My point wasn’t to excuse Zollin’s behavior, but to point out that Centurion Yorik broke your own rules of discipline. Unless I am very much mistaken, physically assaulting a civilian is not standard operating procedure.”
“Again, sir,” the officer said angrily, “that point is not in dispute, since it was your friend who first broke the law by attempting to break his companion out of
the guardhouse.”
“But Centurion Yorik’s action of assaulting Mansel precipitated Zollin’s actions. You have heard two witness accounts that describe Mansel’s physical condition as less than whole. And Yorik was an evocati, a lifelong soldier. He knew better than anyone that his actions were outside of the army’s standard operating procedures. In that case, isn’t it right to judge that Centurion Yorik’s death was a result of his own lawlessness?”
Five Kingdoms: Books 01, 02 & 03 Page 88
