Sunder: Part 4

As a dark elf Trinius was used to having to endure certain discomforts when visiting a city like Denneg, but being dragged through the streets by armed guards wasn’t exactly one of them. Luckily once they felt he wasn't resisting they went easier on him. Denneg valued their reputation as a peaceful and quiet place, so Trinius figured the guards wanted to attract as little attention as possible. Even the townspeople seemed to have been conditioned against paying attention to anything unusual, for many of those they encountered on the streets quickly went inside or averted their eyes instead of stopping and staring at the guards and their prisoners.

Felana obviously didn’t care much about maintaining Denneg’s reputation as a peaceful place. She struggled against her captors, stomping the one behind him on the foot so hard the man lost his balance, and biting another guard's hand as he tried to grab her. The guard grunted and pulled away from her, clutching his wounded hand. Two more guards grabbed at Felana's arms, fighting hard to get her under control. The bitten guard regained his composure and eyed her vengefully, then moved to strike her. As his hand came down at Felana's face it was suddenly caught and stopped. Captain Keran had moved over just in time to stop him. He shook his head slowly at the man before turning to Felana.

“I’d rather not order my men to drag you all the way to the court house,” he told Felana. “I promise you’ll be given a chance to tell your side of the story in court, and that your words will be considered, but I need you to calm down first... and stop making my men look so incompetent. You'll undermine the confidence of the entire guard if you keep this up.”

Were it not for his current predicament, Trinius might have laughed.

Felana hesitated, but then sighed. “Alright, but only on one condition. Tell them to keep their filthy hands off me,” she said, scowling at the guards surrounding her.

Captain Keran nodded, and his men let go. Felana straightened up and calmly followed, though the storm was clearly still raging within her. Trinius was almost certain Felana was going to make a break for it or worse, try to steal a weapon and fight her way out, but to his surprise, she didn’t. Due to the sheer amount of guards surrounding her, that was probably for the best.

They took a left turn and went deeper into the city, the noise coming from the marketplace slowly fading behind them. After a while they came upon a large square plaza bordered by three story houses. Great care had been taken to make the plaza as symmetrical as possible. In each corner it had a fountain with a statue in the middle, and the fountains were surrounded by four benches and trees each. Richly garbed denizens were dangling their feet in the fountains idly. Some looked up with mild interest when they saw the guards approach. A large building made out of white marble stood alone in the middle of the plaza, surrounded by low walls and hedges. The guards led them right to it.

Thick pillars supported the high roof of the building, and a series of steps as broad as the building itself led up to the entrance. Despite its height, the building appeared to have only one floor. To Trinius, it looked like it was more suited to be a temple than a court house, and it looked remarkably different from the other buildings in Denneg, too. That somehow made it less ominous than he expected. The modern architecture of Denneg seemed cold and unwelcoming to him, while that of the court house seemed ancient, and oddly familiar. Though it may have been centuries old, it was well cared for and in good shape - like everything in Denneg... except maybe its workers. A small crowd of people who looked much too poor to be permanent residents of this rich district were gathered at the steps leading to the entrance, staring at the court house's doors with apparent doubt. Many of them turned towards the sound of the approaching guards, and some hurriedly started making way, but Captain Keran motioned for his men to stop. Once they saw he was in charge the people seemed to be more at ease.

“Why are you here? Is the case against Lord Falkner still ongoing?” Keran asked the group of people.

A haggard-looking man spoke up.

“Yes, sir captain. We still don’t know what the judge’s decided.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard to guess…” the captain muttered, looking at the closed doors. He frowned. “How come it’s taking so long though? This trial should’ve been over hours ago.”

“Don’t ask us, they wouldn’t let us in, said we’d be too rowdy!” a burly man shouted.

“I took me one day off to see this sham! That’s six coppers down the drain, that is!” a one-eyed woman complained.

"The judge is probably stalling, as they do when a big lord's in trouble," an elderly villager said. "No offense, cap'n," he quickly added when he saw Keran's frown.

Keran sighed. “Then we have no choice but to wait…”

Trinius was getting mighty uncomfortable with the way all the townspeople were staring at him, no doubt wondering what he’d done. He was actually grateful when the doors swung open. Out stepped a group of men and women dressed in various bright colours. At the head of them walked a relatively young man with short curly hair who looked more than a little bit pleased with himself. The woman holding him by the arm seemed bored above all else, while the rich folk following after him was cheering him on and patting each other on the back. The crowd gathered below quickly made way as the rich man and his partner - no doubt both members of Denneg's upper class merchants - descended the stairs. The merchant paid them no more heed than he did the dust under his boots, but when he saw Captain Keran he immediately approached him, spreading his arms in greeting.

“Look who we have here,” the man smiled. “The one and only Captain Keran. I didn’t see you at the trial. Have you come to congratulate me on my victory?”

“Actually, Lord Falkner, I'm at work," the captain said.

"Work?" Falkner laughed. "You should start a business, friend, those generate money on their own!"

"I thought you weren't a fan of rival businesses," Keran said dryly before changing the subject. "I thought the trial would be over quickly. You didn’t throw a party in there, did you?” he asked, looking at the man’s admirers, who seemed unsure what to do now that the lord had focused his attention elsewhere.

Lord Falkner laughed. “Oh, no, nothing quite so pleasant. It was a rather dull affair, to be honest.”

“I take it Master Irving handled your defense as well as could be expected from the city’s first judge, then?” Captain Keran asked.

“He didn’t even have to. The witness didn’t show... And to think I even postponed an important meeting for this ridiculous trial!” Falkner said irritably.

Trinius noticed a portly elderly man scuffling past the group of rich people crowding the entrance. Though he looked rather well-off as well, he seemed far less pleased with the outcome of the trial.

“No wonder the witness didn’t show, he’s dead!” the man wheezed, his face a fiery red.

“Well, that’s hardly my fault, is it?” Falkner shrugged.

“The case is over, Master Pudlum. You should head back home, or better yet, go live with the poor, considering you love them so much,” one of the rich men arrayed behind Falkner said, much to the amusement of the others.

Captain Keran frowned, ignoring the ongoing bickering between Pudlum and Falkner's cronies. “Another dead witness?”

“Yes, that was a very unfortunate matter. Such a waste of time. We waited for him for hours, and then it turned out he’d killed himself!” Falkner exclaimed.

"In a most unorthodox fashion, I might add. Few men commit suicide by stabbing themselves four times in the chest and throwing themselves off a bridge, Lord Falkner,” Master Pudlum said, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.

Falkner raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it obvious, Master Pudlum? Clearly, the so-called witness could no longer cope with the guilt of laying false charges against me,” he said.

Pudlum bristled. “I’ve heard enough from you. I need to repay these people for the service I wasn’t able to do them,” he said, grabbing a pouch from his belt and turning towards the people who’d been waiting outside the court house. He gave them back the money they had presumably put together to hire him before he left. As Pudlum passed by Captain Keran their eyes met and they nodded at each other briefly.

“Thanks for standing by me today, my friends. Your loyalty will not be forgotten,” Falkner meanwhile said, addressing the rich folk who had left the court house with him. They said their goodbyes and quickly dispersed, pressing handkerchiefs to their noses and mouths as they brushed past the gathered workers and farmers.

"I don't believe you've met my fiancée yet, Keran? This is Claire," Falkner said, gesturing at the woman at his side in much the same way Trinius had seen merchants presenting their wares.

"I don't think I have," Keran said as Claire extended her hand. He took her hand and briefly kissed it.

"A pleasure to meet you, captain," Claire said. "You should invite him to the wedding, dear," she then told Falkner.

Keran smiled apologetically. "While I appreciate the gesture, milady, that won't be necessary. The city guard has a way of inviting themselves to large events like these. I'll certainly be present, but it'll be to ensure everyone's safety, not to join in the festivities."

"That's excellent. For my wedding, I accept only the best," Falkner said, caressing Claire's face with his thumb. "Why don't you go home, love? The captain and I have something to discuss, and I can tell you're already tired from having to attend this most dull affair."

"Was it that obvious?" Claire asked, suppressing a yawn. Falkner kissed her briefly, and then she left, giving Trinius and the Keepers a curious look as she walked past.

Trinius meanwhile would have very much preferred going into the court house to be judged rather than spending another second in the presence of the slimy magnate, but it seemed fortune had truly turned its back on him. Lord Falkner didn’t look like he was about to leave yet. He waited until Claire was out of sight, and then suddenly moved over to Felana. The soldiers gathered around her quickly made way. Without hesitation, Falkner grabbed Felana’s face in his left hand, studying her carefully.

“Such interesting-looking suspects you’ve brought, Keran,” he told the captain, though his eyes were on Felana’s. “I wonder what this little elf has been up to. No matter. Should she turn out to be guilty, bring her to me. I’m sure I’ll be able to think of a fitting punishment,” he said.

Trinius clenched his fists, though he was afraid, rather than angry. It seemed inevitable Felana was going to punch Falkner and get them into even more trouble. She didn’t, though. However, her fists were clenched and shaking, and if looks could kill Falkner would have been flayed alive on the spot. Keran had already started heading up the stairs, but now he stopped, frowning at the scene.

“Lord Falkner, please, this is no way to treat suspects. They haven’t even been judged yet,” the captain said.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll find them guilty,” Falkner said, letting go of Felana and brushing past Wolf. He pointed up at the large man as he passed. “Bring me this one, too, I can always use some extra guards, especially big guys like that. Now, have fun with your case.”

Finally, Trinius thought as the magnate left and they were free to head up the stairs. He’d never expected he’d ever feel relief at being brought into a court house to stand trial.

An oddly serene atmosphere greeted Trinius as he walked into the court house. The court house was so richly decorated it might as well have been a throne room or a cathedral, and he had a feeling it might have served that purpose in the past. Denneg had no kings, though, and wasn't big on religion, either, unless they saw money as their god and getting it as a form of prayer. There were red carpets on the floors and red draperies on the walls. In between the draperies were paintings that depicted Denneg's past: accounts of glorious battles, but also of peaceful meetings and the construction of great buildings. It was certainly no place any man of modest means would feel welcome in, and it wasn’t just because of the look of the place. The chairs on the left side of the room had comfy-looking cushions on them, while those on the right looked like mere barstools. Whether this was a result of the trial that had just happened or whether this was always the case, Trinius didn’t know. To his surprise the guards put him and the Keepers on the left row, leaving Alana and the inn's customers to sit down on the right.

“Where am I?” one of the men who had been brought along from the bar asked. “What’s going on?”

“You know damn well what’s going on,” one of the guards bit at him.

Score one for us, Trinius thought, even though he realized they weren’t out of the water yet. Now that they were no longer surrounded by guards on all sides Trinius turned to Felana.

"Guys, where’s-“

Felana elbowed him in the side, shutting him up. She shook her head at him briefly. Captain Keran had placed himself at the judge’s spot, but he was still discussing something with his guards, which gave them a moment to converse.

“So, how are we going to get out of this?” Trinius asked.

“It’s hopeless,” Felana said, looking in Alana’s direction briefly. “You’ve seen how she can take control of people... If she manages to do that to the captain, and he’s the one who will pass judgement on us...”

“Come on now, Felana, don’t give up. We can’t let you fall into the hands of that creepy magnate, can we?” Trinius said, trying to sound positive.

Felana’s eyes narrowed. “You think that’s what I’m worried about? That ‘lord' is already dead, he just doesn’t know it yet. I think Alana has something more permanent in mind for us than imprisonment or slavery, however.”

“You make it sound inevitable,” Trinius said.

“We have a chance,” Wolf said. “Alana has already used a lot of magic today. She must be near exhausted. The people at the bar were probably easy to corrupt because they were already inclined to violence towards dark elves. The captain should be a different story, for he seems like an honourable man. The more he doubts our guilt, the more difficult it will be for Alana to sway him into seeing things her way.”

“Our words and good wit against her magic? Sounds good to me,” Trinius smiled, but in reality he had a hard time putting any confidence in this human court, no matter how ‘honourable’ Wolf thought the captain was.

“Everyone, please be seated,” Captain Keran said.

Felana leaned over to him as they sat down. “Here’s the plan: follow our lead, and try to say as little as possible.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Trinius retorted.

Keran had taken a scroll from the judge’s desk and started reading it. “Ahem. All the witnesses are gathered here. As captain of the guard and witness to the events that transpired I am taking charge of this case. By the laws of this fair city, you’ll all be given a fair chance to plead your case. Before we start, however, I will say this.” Trinius noticed how the captain’s words didn’t carry much conviction, and he wondered how much Keran really agreed with the words written on the scroll. “You have brought trouble to Denneg, and that we cannot abide. This fair city is built on business, and trouble is bad for business. We take a risk allowing people too poor to travel the imperial highways into our city, and you have shamed that trust. Keep in mind, as you attend this court, that justice for outsiders is not the prime concern of this city. Anything that happened outside of our borders are troubles we wish no part of. Though we will take these events into account when forming our judgement, we will not punish deeds committed beyond our borders. Above all else, we look for the outcome that is the most likely to sustain public order.”

So justice is less important than greed in this place. What a surprise, Trinius thought.

Keran cast aside the scroll and looked up from his desk.

“Now, these are the events as relayed to me by my fellow guardsmen: the Lady Alana came to Denneg by post road, alone and on foot, because she was on the run from you two,” he said, looking at Felana and Wolf. “She informed the guards at the gate of this fact, and when my guards stopped you from entering the city, you convinced them to let you in by leaving your weapons behind at the gate as a sign of your good intentions. You promised not to cause trouble, yet you did. Denying that now is pointless. Can you explain to me why you were after Alana in the first place?”

As hopeless as her words had been before the trial, Felana now looked up with a determination that matched her battle resolve, and spoke out: “Alana is not as innocent as she may seem to you, sir captain. She’s fallen nobility who resents the loss of her property and the rise of city states such as Denneg. She is bitter and cruel, but also cunning. Left to her own devices, it wouldn’t have been long before she set up a criminal network right in the center of your city. My companion and I are merely travelers on our way to Denneg. We heard of your fine wares and wanted to frequent your markets.” Felana said, jingling a heavy bag of coins. “We were unfortunate enough to become her first victims. We fought off her thugs, but she fled, so we pursued her here. There were three of us… Now there are two. We came to Denneg to avenge our friend, Hegan.”

Amazing performance, Trinius thought, noticing the emotion in Felana’s voice. He made a mental note to be very careful about believing anything she said in the future.

“Sir, our scouts did indeed report they found traces of a skirmish out on the post roads,” one of the guardsmen standing behind Keran said. Trinius recognized him, it was the youngest of the two gate guards he had met earlier. The older gate guard, the grumpy one, was present as well, but luckily he remained quiet for now. “A rather well-armed man appeared to have been taken out by men who we assume to be former members who deserted from the old city guard. This 'Hegan' killed three of them before perishing.”

“Thank you, Brandon. Now at least we know there’s some truth to their words,” Keran said. “Lady Alana, how do you respond to these charges?”

“Charges?" Alana said with a little laugh, as if Keran and she knew something the others didn't. "Let's not lose sight of who the real culprits in this case are, captain," she said, shooting the Keepers a look. "As far as I'm aware, running away from murderers isn't a crime. While I am indeed fallen nobility, my family fortune didn't just vanish in thin air. These thugs are the reason I had to flee the countryside in the first place. They're part of a gang that came after me and my family fortune. They slaughtered my vassals! I wanted to build up a new life here in Denneg, but as you can see, they just can't leave me alone. I hired mercenaries to protect myself, and those brave men gave their lives so I could get away. Barely, I might add. As to this elf's claims that I would set up a 'criminal network' here in Denneg, that's just preposterous! I see no need to defend myself against such baseless accusations."

Trinius wasn’t even surprised Alana managed to be as believable as Felana had been. He'd gotten a taste of what she was capable of in the tavern, and she was being just as persuasive now.

Captain Keran took a moment to consider. Alana’s eyes narrowed on him ever so slightly, and Trinius feared she was trying to use her magic on him.

“It’s your word against theirs,” Keran finally said. “We can’t verify these claims right now, and to do so would take too much time.” Then he looked at Trinius. “You, dark elf, how do you fit into all of this?”

Trinius glanced at Felana. ‘Say as little as possible’, eh? Watch me, he thought, putting on the best innocent expression he could muster. He had neither the long lashes nor the sweet lips the women present had to try and impress the captain with, but he figured he could – for once – play the racial prejudices humans had against dark elves to his benefit and pretend he was less shrewd than he actually was.

“I have no knowledge of any previous history between these people, captain. I’m just a hunter down on my luck. The noise of the skirmish between Alana's mercenaries and this 'Hegan' attracted my attention, but it was already over when I got there. Wolf and Felana here explained their situation to me and offered me some good pay if I helped them track down Alana. They suspected that the guards would already be on the lookout for them, that’s why I went in alone. I was to track down Alana and report back to Wolf and Felana once I’d found her. I admit I wasn’t completely honest with the guards, but I never meant any ill will to the city or its denizens. I wasn’t even entirely sure why they wanted to find her. I met Alana in the tavern and tried to find out what she was planning.”

"Is that what you call trying to stab someone?" Alana scoffed. "Because that's what he did, captain," she said, looking deeply into the captain's eyes.

“I have a hard time imagining how a fight broke out unless you attacked her,” Keran admitted.

“Please,” Trinius said, fearing the captain was beginning to fall under her influence. “My people might have a knack for murder, but we’re never that stupid about it. Attacking someone in broad daylight, with this many witnesses around? I’m not an assassin, but even I can see that’s not a good idea.”

Felana seemed to catch on to what he was doing. “I’m afraid your city has a reputation for being xenophobic, captain,” she said. “I would hate to suggest that the way Lord Falkner treated me is a prime example of that, but we both saw what happened. Racial intolerance is likely the cause for the fight. It would have been easy for Alana to claim Trinius had stolen something, and get people to attack him. My friend Trinius here may not be the brightest, but he’s smart enough not to pick a fight against a group of humans. When we arrived they were already beating him, trying to strangle him, even, that is why we interfered.”

Trinius' finger traced the painful red marks on his neck to underline Felana's statement. 

“It can’t be a coincidence that you all went to exactly the same tavern,” Keran said. “How did you end up there in the first place?”

Trinius wondered that too. Keepers could track each other’s movements, but he wasn’t a Keeper. Felana and Wolf didn’t seem to have answer ready, so Trinius decided to stall for them.

“Well, I managed to convince your guards I was working with Alana, so he told me which inn they'd recommended to her. I don’t know about the others though.”

“We asked some of the villagers if they’d seen a woman who fitted Alana’s description. She’d been noticed by a lot of people... particularly men. We are not unfamiliar with the city, so once we had a general idea of where she was going it wasn't too hard to figure out she'd gone to the Three Swords Inn,” Wolf said.

Can’t blame ‘em, Trinius thought, glancing at Alana. He wondered if Setaneism also gave people the power to morph their own bodies to make themselves look more attractive. He’d have to ask Felana about that.

The captain seemed convinced. Still, Trinius suspected the Keepers had found him in a different way. Another thing he’d have to ask them about. Now the only mystery that remained to him was the timely arrival of the guards.

Captain Keran turned to the younger of the two guards Trinius has met at the gate.

“Guardsman Brandon, you went to get the guards because you claimed you’d seen some suspicious individuals who were headed for the tavern. Did you mean them?” he asked, pointing at the Keepers.

“I did," Brandon said. "The description Lady Alana gave me was still fresh in my mind. Once I saw they were headed to the tavern, it seemed inevitable a fight would break out. I didn’t take time to explain the entire situation immediately because I feared we’d be too late to interfere otherwise.”

“That was probably a good call," Keran said, nodding approvingly. "So why were you fighting the dark elf?” he then asked the patrons, who had been eerily quiet the entire time. A couple of them were holding their heads as if in pain, while the others seemed barely conscious.

“These brave men came to my aid when that dark elf tried to murder me,” Alana said when none of the men answered.

“Witnesses, can you confirm that the dark elf drew a dagger?” Keran asked the tavern’s patrons.

“We… We don’t know,” one man finally uttered.

“Why am I here?” another asked.

Keran frowned at the men’s apparent confusion, disappointed at their inability to give a proper testimony. Trinius feared the captain was going to figure out there was something more going on here and that they’d have to explain the whole thing.

“It’s probably a good thing justice isn’t the prime thing we’re after here, or this case would drag on endlessly,” the captain finally said. “I have no way to determine which one of you is speaking the truth. Here’s what I propose, however. Alana, we want no more conflict here in Denneg, so I think it's best if you left. You’ll be given food, provisions and a horse as a gesture of our goodwill. The city will likely not want to make these expenses, so I’ll pay for this personally. Your… assailants will be forced to stay in the city for a week, and will not get their weapons back before that time. That should give you enough time to put enough distance in between you and them for you to be safe.”

He looked at the Keepers.

“The guards at the gates will have orders to stop you, but you will not be confined any more than that. Meanwhile, you’re welcome to conduct any business you see fit here in Denneg. What you do afterwards is not our concern, but suffice it to say we don’t want to see either of you again.”

"This is a very disappointing decision, captain," Alana said, narrowing her eyes and pouting slightly. “Must I keep running like I'm some sort of fugitive, then? If you don't execute these thugs, they're bound to come after me again."

“I have already decided. I won’t change my mind,” Keran said.

Alana’s eyes narrowed on Keran’s, and Trinius was sure she was using her magic now. Trinius himself had been able to resist it, barely, but Keran wasn’t carrying an Everdawn weapon to protect him. If the captain succumbed to her magic… Finally Alana sighed, exasperatedly, it seemed, and her eyes trailed off. 

“I thought this city had at least a shred of honour left,” she said.

“You thought wrong,” the captain muttered. He pointed at two of his guardsmen. “You two, escort the lady outside and see she gets everything she needs.”

Alana didn’t get up immediately when the guards approached her to take her outside, but in the end she complied. Her eyes crossed Trinius’ briefly as she left. She seemed disappointed, rather than angry, and the look she gave him left Trinius feeling as if he was being pitied. Keran got up and silently addressed some more of his guards, and they led the confused patrons outside. Some had to be supported just to remain on their feet.

“She gave up control of her minions and betted everything on getting the captain on her side, and she lost,” Wolf whispered. Trinius had figured as much, but he was still glad to see his observations confirmed.

“That went much better than some of us expected, didn’t it?” Trinius teased, smiling at Felana.

“You played your part well,” Felana admitted. "We're not out of the woods yet though."

Captain Keran approached them.

“I’m glad you’ve accepted my judgement. A guardsman’s life is busy enough without having to deal with complicated cases like this,” he told them.

Accepted your judgement? Yeah right, Trinius, who was certain Felana was already coming up with a plan to get their weapons back and escape the city, thought. There was no way the Keepers were going to allow her a week head's start. 

“I also wish to apologize on behalf of the city for Lord Falkner's behaviour towards you. Hopefully in the coming week you’ll be able to enjoy some of the more pleasant aspects of Denneg to wash away this bad first impression."

"Is that Falkner guy going to be a problem? I wouldn't want him coming after us," Trinius asked, glancing at Felana.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that," Keran said. "I expect him to be disappointed with me for not delivering you to him, but his interests are fickle at best, and he has plenty of easier ways to get what he wants. In a few days he may not even remember you. Just leave this to me, I know how to talk to him."

So he won't be coming after us? Good, the city could ill afford the death of such a man, just think of how disappointed all those people who were with him would be, they wouldn't know what to do with their time anymore, Trinius mused, remembering how the other merchants had flocked around him like cattle.

The captain then turned to Trinius. “I’ll require you to hand over your weapons as well.”

Oh no, the dagger! Trinius thought, very well aware of what would happen if someone other than him touched it. He gave both his regular knives to a guard, and then handed over his bow and arrows. His heart nearly stopped when another guard moved closer to check if he had any other weapons on him. Trinius tried to hide his surprise when the guard left without finding the eversteel dagger. He also didn’t feel it on him. Where was it? Had he dropped it? He didn't dare to check, fearing it'd attract the guards again if he did somehow find it.

“I intend to keep you here for no more than an hour. By that time, Lady Alana will be long gone. My guards will notify you when you can leave this room. I'll personally see to it that you get your weapons back at the end of the week,” Keran told them.

"Are we allowed to buy any new ones in the meantime?" Felana asked.

Keran stopped on his way out and smiled wryly. "The weapons merchants would be very upset with me if I denied you access to their shops, and I can't have my men watching everything you do every second of every day," he said.

"We'll take that as a yes," Trinius smirked. The reality was, they'd just get their weapons from the black market if they really wanted them, and the captain knew it just as well as they did. Trinius was becoming ever more amused by how every decision made in Denneg seemed to be based on whatever got them the most money.