Edict pt 5: Ch. 35

     Despite it all and what I believe would come out of my being neth, Mama and Papa were supportive through those years. They didn’t treat me differently. Papa just went with it. He had the most grasp of it and I was his son with no conditions. As for Mama, well, it worried her. It wasn’t a surprise. Her concern was based on her feeling that I would have a limited life. So many experiences I would miss. And it took her a bit to realize that my experiences would be different. That I was missing nothing. I wasn’t lonely. That’s what she was afraid of most. I suppose she figured that feeling of mine would come back.

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 “Dias willing, we can get through this with minimal hassle,” Oeric declared as they approached the Arch Monk’s chamber the next morning.

     Mien let out a long, silent yawn and rubbed his face. He was tired despite finally being able to sleep the entire night. He did enjoy not being woken up to watch or because he thought he felt a drass beast in the distance. Tyrus and Doran looked just about the same. Soletus appeared alert. However, no amount of alertness could make those dark rings vanish from around his eyes.

     Brother Farley sat in his recess in the wall for once, not nose deep in a book. Instead, he was knitting a pair of gloves. When they all walked up, he pointed to the desk with a knitting needle for their slip without tearing his attention from his work.

     Oeric sighed. “Honestly Farley.”

     The priest jumped and did a double-take. “You’re back,” he said, wide-eyed and peering around him. “And you found them!”

     “Is my father free?”

     “He’s been in discussion since early this morning. First Warden Tyr came back with Brother Nimbus.”

     Oeric brow rose. “Tyr came back, this late?”

     The priest nodded his head slowly. Mien could hear it in this voice something was very wrong. “You’ve no idea what’s going on, do you?”

     Oeric crossed his arms. “What happened?”

     The priest placed his knitting down. “Tyr returned early this morning with the Seat,” he whispered. “They’re not happy about something that has occurred. I’ll see if he’ll take you, as he didn’t want to be disturbed.”

     He grabbed his cane off to the side and shuffled into the room for a moment, speaking in a low voice. And then come back out and motioned for Oeric. The first warden walked in and the door was shut. Mien couldn’t hear very clearly, but there was an unfamiliar voice in there. It was a female voice, and she sounded upset.

     The door opened again with Icus stepping out.

     “This is completely unexpected,” said the Enforcer. “Come with me.”

     Icus took them into the master’s hall and down the line of desk and into a meeting room. He shut the door, and they took their seats at a long table used for discussion. Soletus and Mien sat beside each other, while Doran and Tyrus sat with him. Icus went to the head of the table and leaned on it.

     “You’ve arrived home late, without your first warden and one man down. What happened? I want a quick explanation.”

     Soletus took a deep breath and explained everything, starting with their meeting in Crossroads. It was a lot. The entire time Icus listened patiently. His expression, unreadable. However, his eyebrow twitched at Cole attacking them and then finding the husk and killing it.

     When Soletus finished, Icus leveled out his opinion, stating, “This all sounds like an exaggerated child’s tale. You can’t provide a drop of proof this.”

     “But it’s true,” protested Tyrus. “We brought the Kanu woman with us!”

     Icus held his hand up. “I speak of the beginning. The meeting, the gorge, Cole pushing your further north, and the husk all sounds fabricated when comparted to what First Warden Kellas has stated.”

     Mien and all of them looked at each other. Soletus was ready to protests when Icus silenced them.

     “I’m willing to believe it. There are things I’ve already seen that are problematic with what has been told to me and furthermore, something come to our attention today that makes me want to believe you more. However, you lack proof counter it other than your word.”

     “So, what do we do,” asked Soletus.

     “Right now, I want you all to stay here.” With that, Icus then left the room, closing the door behind them. The four of them eyed each other with uncertainty. They didn’t know what was going on, but clearly something was.

     The door opened. This time, Oeric, Nimbus, and Tyr entered the room. Oeric was his usual stone-faced, but it was Nimbus’s concern that told Mien something was up. Master Tyr had something wrapped in a cloth in his hand. His gaze was fixed on Soletus.

     “I asked to speak with you first,” he said. “Give you a chance to tell the truth to us.” He handled the bundle to Oeric. “This is one of Redcrest’s hunting knives,” Tyr explained. “I know you and the Arch Monk commission him for knives than use the standard Brotherhood knives. Captain Mallard showed this to us when we ran into them out there.”

     Oeric unwrapped it, revealing a tao stone hunting knife. The blade was almost completely rusted color. Elven blood had touched it. He frowned and looked at the pommel. The light in his eyes turned grave.

     “Sol, let me see your hunting knife?”

     Soletus reached down and removed his current hunting knife from the sheath on his side. It was a curved blade and not the straight weapon that Oeric held. He handed it to Oeric, but Tyr took it and examined that pommel. He showed it to Oeric. The warden’s expression grew darker.

     Tyr laid both blades down side-by-side in front of Soletus. The end of the pommel was engraved with the same initialing. Soletus’ initials.

     All the blood drained from Soletus’s face. Mien knew that he knew what that meant.

     “We found in the center of what used to be a shanty town,” said Tyr. “It was burned, blown to pieces, and bodies were everywhere or buried under rocks and rubble. In the center were men lashed to poles. That hunting knife was stabbed in the middle of one their chests. Granted, I don’t know if that was done first. Each of them had their eyes stabbed out.”

     The young monk let out a short chuckle in disbelief. “And you think I did that?” And then he exclaimed. “Why would I do that? And I didn’t have that knife on this mission. I don’t carry that knife, period.”

     “But that is this is your knife?”

     Soletus’s gaze dropped down to it as if the object was unfamiliar. “Yes.”

     “Then how did it end up in the chest of an ex-peaceguard?”

     Soletus heaved his shoulders. “I don’t know! Again, I never carry that blade anymore.”

     “Why,” Tyr demanded.

     “Because it’s too small,” he said, and pointed to the length of the hilt. “This one doesn’t fit my hands comfortably anymore, and I wanted a curved blade. It cuts deeper and a made for a grappler than something given to me as a boy to learn off of.”

     “Then how did it get in a man’s chest miles from here,” pressed Tyr.

     “I don’t know,” Soletus held.

     Tyr crossed his arms. “Look, I was taken to the gorge. I saw the bodies, and there were bear tracks around the bodies of several mauled individuals.”

     Mien watched disbelief transform Soletus’ face.

     “You really full-heartedly believe that I killed— that we…” he said, gesturing to the table. “I’m not the only one who has a bear for a consort in my band. Pace does as well.”

     “But you’ve a terrible habit of allowing Khodi to attack people,” pressed Tyr.

     “And I’ve never used Khodi to maul a person. He may have sat, roared, and swiped a shirt sleeve off here and there, but I’ve never killed with him.”

     “I’m telling you what we saw,” said Tyr grimly. “If you weren’t there then why didn’t you come immediately home?”

     “We tried. We had to travel slowly because Mien was burned out, the bridge over the Lower Branch was washed out, and then Mien’s edict took priority.”

     “But you were in the gorge?”

     “Yes, because Kellas led us there,” cried Soletus, running his hand through his hair. He then took a deep breath and tried to state calmly. “Look, he was the one who wanted to go there to get those former peaceguards. I didn’t want to go. I forced him to put it to a vote. Those of us who didn’t want to were outnumbered. When we got there, the inhabitants where in the middle of a feud. I wanted no part of that. Kellas refused to listen. So, that evening all of us decided to leave. But, by the time we did, the other faction attacked. Lyndon was killed. Kellas went further in the gorge. He ordered us to stay behind. We left after Mien woke up after we thought he was dead.”

     Master Tyr’s attention fell on Mien. “He thought you were dead?”

     “Valhart struck me in the head. Soletus told me it was because I tried to stop them from fighting,” he said. “I don’t remember. The last thing I remember was the meeting. I woke up to Soletus digging out graves.”

     “So let me get this straight. Kellas decided to go after former peaceguard into a thieves den, gets Lyndon killed, Valhart tried to kill Mien, and he just continues on, ordering you all to stay behind. Then Mien wakes up with no memory of what happened?”

     “Exactly,” said Soletus, with Doran and Tyrus nodding in agreement.

     Mien had to admit, the more he heard it aloud, the more ridiculous it all sounded. But it happened.

     “Okay then, why did he order you three to stay behind after he led you there?”

     Tyrus then spoke up. “’Cause Sol was pissed about Lyndon and Mien. He refused orders. So, Kellas ordered us to stay. He took me aside and told me to talk sense into him. Most I did was calm him down. I didn’t want to follow Kellas anymore.”

     Tyr blinked and stated, “But none of that explains this knife. So, tell the truth to me. She’s not going to be easy on you.”

     “We are telling the truth,” Soletus shouted. His voice bounced off the walls and into everyone’s head. Mien clapped his hands over his ears in reflex. Soletus projected his earnestness to them sounding desperate to be heard. A feather could’ve dropped in the room, and everyone could hear it afterwards though. They all stared at him. Soletus looked at them all and said softly. “That’s the truth.”

     His father then spoke. “There, you have your answer. Now stop pushing this nonsense, Tyr.”

     “He only has his word Oeric, we have his hunting knife, bear prints, and he’s more connection to those peaceguards than Kellas,” said Master Tyr.

     Oeric blinked at him and then folded his arms behind his back. “Why not his lunge daggers?”

     “What?”

     “They are made of black steel. Blood doesn’t stain it. So why use a weapon that’s too small for his hands and stains? Why not something he’s used to killing with?”

     Master Tyr gestured to the door. “Out, you don’t even need to be here.”

     Oeric crossed his arms. “You’re the one who told me to come. You just want me gone because I’m poking holes in your logic. I’ll poke a few more,” he said. “Anyone could’ve gotten hold of that blade and took it from his footlocker. My son is predictably out of his room for most of the day.”

     Mien saw movement in the corner of his vision and Doran sank low in his chair.

     Nimbus then spoke, “I tried to tell him that.”

     Master Tyr shoulders. “Their story is outrageous. Look, Kellas might be quick to action, but he wouldn’t do anything like this.”

     “And a bunch of boys would?”

     “Well, he is your son,” said Master Tyr.

     The young man looked betrayed. Tyr trained him. He of all the people, he should’ve known that Soletus wasn’t savage. If Soletus had any respect left for Tyr it was gone now. The hurt expression on the young man’s face hardened. Tyr himself struggled a moment and then his expression hardened.

     “It’s not such a far-fetched idea given the evidence,” said Tyr doubling down on his statement no matter if it was callous.

     Oeric returned in a low voice that threatened to be a growl. “You of all people should know that Kellas doesn’t need a connection to decide who lives and dies.”

     Tyr eyed the weapons. However, before he could counter the door opened again.

     “I’ve given you enough time,” said the woman Mien heard earlier.

     Everyone’s attention shifted to her. She was dressed in a long red military jacket and white pants and knee-high black boots that clapped against the floor as she walked. She, like all soldiers, wore a topknot. Hers wasn’t pulled so tight that it stretched her narrow face. However, her jaw and chin were sharp and matched her no-nonsense gaze.

     She made a beeline for Soletus and settled at his side, looking down her nose at him. Icus entered the room, followed by the Arch Monk.

     “I’m Captain Mallard. I am a commander of a specialist unit. Our mission is simple, we monitor illegal trade within this country. What is your name?”

     “Soletus’Shieldmartin.”

     She looked towards the Arch Monk. “Is that so? Well, Soletus, you were unaware that I had three men stationed in the gorge. We worked to apprehend a trafficker who could’ve given us routes, hideouts, and names. However, you seem had a fit and killed my men and refuse just to flush out three former members of the Brotherhood. Not on that but tortured them, as well. What do you say to that?”

     Soletus tilted his head up and looked her square in the eyes. “I want to talk to the person who did it. They sullied a gift.”

     The captain sighed and held the knife in front of Soletus’s face. He didn’t even look at it. He looked past it at her. “So, let’s say someone stole your knife. Why would they take it to the gorge? There were no plans to go there, right? Yet someone had the forethought to blame you for it.”

     “There’s no reason for that knife to have been there,” he held.

     She patted his cheek. “Come on, try to think a little harder. There had to be a reason why it was there. Maybe you didn’t want to carry it back because you stained it.”

     “I wasn’t there.”

     She grabbed his chin and held his face up, placing her a fraction of an inch from his. “Then tell me what you do know?”

     “I don’t know what happened in the gorge. We witnessed an explosion as we were leaving. What I can tell is that knife was a gift. Papa gave it to me when I became a warder. It’s special because Redcrest, the towns’ blacksmith, wrote a quote under the braided leather. ‘Let the blade shows the heart of the wielder.’ It comes from my favorite story about the first monk. He came to a town where a murder had taken place. He found the killer who shoved his knife in its sheath uncleaned covered in blood.”

     “I didn’t come here to listen to stories,” said Mallard.

     “This blade shows the heart of its wielder,” continued Soletus. “Whoever did this was uncaring and cruel. They’ve no respect for life. And you don’t know me, Captain Mallard, but this isn’t how I wield a weapon.”

     Mallard didn’t let him go. “You can look a person in the eyes and lie.”

     “I’m not lying,” he held.

     “Then tell me how this knife got to the gorge?”

     “I don’t know.”

     She then ran a hand down the length of his ear. Soletus squirmed. “You know, I’m given special permission from the Seat to use certain techniques to get men and even little boys to tell me the truth. Not all of them are nice.”

     “Captain Mallard,” said Icus. “I ask you not to use torture. There are more effective ways to get answers and we need them just as much as you do.”

     She stood up and placed herself behind Mien. He squirmed in his seat a little. Her voice rubbed his mind like gravel. “Fine. Maybe I don’t want to arrest you four for trespassing.”

     “Then what do you want,” asked Soletus.

     “I want a reason for this knife you claim as yours, but didn’t use in the fashion I described.”

     “I don’t know.”

     Mien then felt her hand rest on his shoulder. He glared at it.

     “Maybe I should ask the other lads around this table,” she said. “What about you?”

     Mien rolled his shoulder. “Don’t ask me. I don’t know what happened.”

     She jerked her hand off him and wiped it on her jacket. “You never said one of them was a chanter.”

     “Brother Mientheodric isn’t going to bite you,” said Icus. “And what is this about you not remembering?”

     “I was hit in the skull with a rock,” said Mien.

     “By whom,” the enforcer asked.

     “Second Warden Valhart.”

     “Do you know why?”

     Mien looked at his bandmates. “They told me I stood in his way.”

     Mallard then pointed to Soletus, Doran, and Tyrus. “I want these three to step outside,” she said.

     “Go take them out, Oeric,” said the Arch Monk.

     The man threw his father an glance then pointed to the door for Soletus, Tyrus, and Doran to follow him. Soletus turned around when he was at the door, glanced at Mien, then shut it behind him.

     Mallard then pulled out a chair and sat beside him where Soletus had sat. “So, you don’t remember a thing that happened and you just followed them blindly, believing everything they told you?”

     Mien nodded.

     “Where were you hit in the head,” she asked.

     “He’s probably healed it, so you can’t see it,” said Tyr.

     “I never did,” said Mien. “Well, it healed internally on its own, but the scar is still there,” he said, pointed to the scar that remained. Mallard examined his temple.

     “Nice scar you have there. How do you know someone like Braidy there didn’t do it?”

     “Braidy is my friend,” he said told her. “I trust him with my life.”

     Icus then asked. “Did he tell you everything that happened?”

     “He told me eventually.”

     Mallard then asked him, “So, he withheld information from you? That sound suspicious.”

     “He didn’t want to talk about it in detail, is all.”

     “And why is that,” asked Icus.

     “Because he’s taken Lyndon’s death hard,” Mien answered.

     “He could be lying,” said Tyr. “Everyone assumes he’s honest. I know for a fact that boy can lie just as well as anyone else can.”

     “He isn’t. I would know if he’s lying,” held Mien.

     Icus then became intrigued. “You can tell when others are lying?”

     “Yes, but not reliably. But, I can tell when he’s lying the best,” said Mien softly. He never wanted to explain this quirk in his abilities. “Since I met him, I sense things from the sound of his voice easily. Him lying catches my attention because he has a very…” Mien looked down.

     “A very what,” pressed Icus.

     “A very pleasing voice. When he’s lying, it sounds like he’s off-key consistently. He’s very honest majority of the time.”

     Icus studied him for a moment. “It must be an interesting world to you live in with everything associated with sound. How about other people,” asked Icus.

     “Depends on the person. Some people I can’t get much out of. Some sound muddy, some in the middle, and others are clear. And you sound clear,” said Mien. Then his abilities noted something in Icus’ timbre. He never heard before. It was very familiar and something he heard off Soletus and Hickory’s voice.

     “So, you could tell if I’m lying?”

     “Maybe. but I wouldn’t know what exactly the lie was and just you are lying.”

     It was then Mien heard someone laughing from the outside of the room. The hairs on his neck rose. It sounded a lot like Valhart. Icus glanced at the door as well.

     “This is all very enlightening, but how is this going to find who killed my men,” said Captain Mallard.

     “Let me conduct the investigation,” said Icus. “And the Arch Monk decides what is done from there. Just give me a couple of days to unravel this all.”

     She then looked at him sharply. “Also, I don’t want the usual, keep someone from justice to reform them nonsense as usual. It’s a high crime to kill a soldier during peacetime.”

     The Arch Monk then spoke. “We are well within our right to do so. Whether they killed soldiers or not. However, I, for one, am very willing to release them to your custody for the amount of death and destruction they caused.”

     Mien was surprised, but then the voices outside kept his attention divided. An argument rose.

     Captain Mallard became stunned. “Really, even though your grandson in involved?”

     “Yes,” answered the Arch Monk. “What was done is beyond actions unbecoming of our members. I don’t want such vileness in my orders.”

     Mien heard shouting turn into a thump like someone fell and more shouting. Then there was a fist pounding on the door.

     “Arch Monk,” shouted Tyrus.

     “Come in,” he said.

     Tyrus stepped in looking disheaveled. “You’re needed out. There’s been a fight.”

     “Let me guess, Valhart and the Senior Junior,” asked Icus.

     Tyrus bobbed his head.

     Icus sighed. “I should lock them both under the gatehouse.”

     Everyone left the room. Mien followed. He wasn’t told to sit and wait. On exiting, he saw some of the masters there. Most of them were standing to the side, keeping Valhart back. Oeric had pushed Soletus back to the wall with a hand to his chest. There was wild fury on Soletus’ face, paired with the sharp cold threat in Oeric’s gaze.

     “Apple don’t fall far from the tree, men,” said Valhart, spitting and wiping the blood from his nose.

     “They tend not to,” spoke Icus, getting everyone’s attention. “However, it makes it much easier to spot a parasite because both are affected by the same one.”

     Valhart greeted Icus with a sneer, then he caught sight of Mien. There eyes locked for a moment. Mien wanted to demand questions from him. However, he was satisfied by watching him start sweating.

     Icus looked between them both, intrigued. “What’s the matter, Second Warden? You seem unwell suddenly. Please explain to me why you are instigating fights.”

     His eyes kept shifting to Mien. “I didn’t instigate anything. I’m just stating a fact about how we’ve the deviant over here has a deviant neth son.”

     “Dias made it clear that neth are to be among us despite them as being unusual. And as for Oeric, whatever do you mean?”

     Oeric then stated with an impatient growl. “You know exactly what he means.”

     Icus clasped his hands behind his back. “Well, if he’s willing to point it out, then he should have no problem explaining. Also, Valhart, why does you gaze keep twitching to the acolyte?”

     Valhart became rigid. “I’m not twitching.”

     “Really, the moment you caught sight of him, you’ve been sweating.”

     Valhart’s hand shot up and wiped his brow. “This is just form fighting that boy off.”

     Icus stepped up to Valhart, an arm’s length away. “And what of Oeric?”

     Valhart shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

     “Good, you and your gang can go play elsewhere.”

     “We’re looking for Kellas,” he stated.

     “He’s obviously not here. So leave. That goes for everyone else unless you have business here,” said Icus.

     The room cleared out. Oeric released Soletus.

     “Honestly, Junior Warden, you aren’t acting very worthy of your rank,” said Icus. “I hate to have to take it away because you let some spineless worm get under your skin.”

     Soletus’s eyes went dark. His voice rolled out like thunder. “Then do something about him.”

     “If you act like this to a single man, then you’re going to find the world very difficult to live in as a neth male. There are thousands of Valharts out there.”

     “And in this order, there shouldn’t be a single one,” he growled. Mien clamped down on his own emotions, and blocked Soletus’ boiling frustration. “I shouldn’t have to worry about my life while attempting to kill a beastie because of the second’s stupidity and spite. And on these grounds, I shouldn’t be harassed by him! And if I speak out against it, I get punished or nothing happens. Do you see how one-sided that is?”

     “You’re the only one who has trouble out of Valhart. That’s a personal problem,” stated Icus.

     Soletus’ looked as if he was about to scream. Then Tyrus spoke up.

     “About everyone who transferred out of Kellas’s band had problems out of him,” said Tyrus.

     Icus sat his gaze on him. “No one else has ever stated this.”

     “Titfire, of course not! We junior wardens say one bad thing about a first or second warden we get treated like we’ve lice. And with Kellas, you don’t ever tell him you’re leaving. He’ll make it impossible to even try. Ask Fenris’Redcrest about that.”

     Icus’s mouth down turned. “Look, all I’m saying is that his actions have aggravated this situation at this moment.”

     “So you’re just going to dismiss everything that Tyrus just said to you,” said Soletus with disbelieve. “This isn’t a personal problem, this is a Valhart problem!”

     “That doesn’t excuse the way you’ve acted,” said Icus sternly.

     Oeric then clapped out Icus’s name and the enforcer regarded him. “We have a situation here where we need to listen.”

     “I’m well aware of what we need to do, and your son is making the situation worse. He needs to learn to control himself, or is he just as inept as you are with controlling yourself?”

     Oeric pulled his lips back from his teeth. “The only ineptitude I see is your hard hearing. Not listening to what these boys have to say will not get you to the truth.”

     “I already know what the truth is,” said Icus. “I can’t prove it if your son is going to lose his temper at every mindless dolt who calls him a name. He needs to think before he acts because it reflects badly on him. Kellas has acted unruffled this entire time. They expect the same maturity out of him.”

     Oeric crossed his arms. “So, at his age, you possessed the composure of a warden who has had decades of experience at lying.”

     “I expect for him not to hit people even if they deserve it,” returned Icus.

     “I’ll give you that, but Valhart doesn’t need to have free rein to walk where he pleases and stirring up trouble,” said Oeric. “You need to do something about him. He saw Mien. I wanted to avoid that.”

     “You were told to stay out of this,” reminded Icus.

     Oeric nostrils flared and he let out frustrated snort. Mien then watched one emotion replace the other. That wry wolf’s smile formed on his face.

     “I’ve let you run you investigation this entire time. But it’s unfair to the lads who have no experience in dealing with things of this nature and leave them undefended. And since no is acting as counsel to help them, I will.”

     That got sharp looks from Tyr and the Arch Monk.

     Icus, however, nodded in agreement. “Very well. If that gets you out of my way. Get them to write their statement. Captain Mallard and I need to speak alone.”

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Author Commentary

And now we come to the bit of the story that I had the more trouble writing when I first did all of it. All of it coming together. Sorry this post took so long. I was wondering if Weebly was going to allow me to post this.  It did.
Also, despite my best effort doing a full year experiment to make the transition to daylight saving time easier, it didn't. I still feel off. And I'm not sleepy per se, but I feel off. Basically what I did was, I woke up at the same time I did with standard time. When my dogs wake me. They get fed at 7am. Or 8am currently. I started this last March and it worked when transitioning to fall, but not Spring so much. Moving the clock back seems easier on the body. Issues come with moving it forward for me. Can't we just have standard time? The days naturally get longer anyway. No need for me to constantly second guessing myself over the time.