Trial

[Jezerai]

Jezerai's light doze was broken by the rattle of keys in the lock on her cell door.  She mentally checked the time and decided that, unless she had slept much harder than she thought, it was not close to dinner.  She opened her eyes to discover that the two guards had entered her cell, flanking the jailer.  "It is time for you to come for the reading of charges."  The guards carried heavy manacles and leg shackles connected by thick chains which they attached to Jezerai's wrists and ankles.

"But, but ... my friends?  Are they waiting there?"  Jezerai looked around wildly, panicking to see no one around but the grim faces of her captors.

"I know nothing of friends."  The jailer sneered, his yellowed teeth flashing in the dimly lit cell.  "Come, the council waits."

When Jezerai did not move quickly enough to suit the jailer, he gestured to the guards, who grabbed her by the arms and hustled her out of the cell.  The chain linking her feet together did not allow for more than a shuffling walk, tripping her several times, and once causing her to fall heavily to the ground.  The guards grunted with impatience, hauling her up and giving her a small shove to get her moving again. Jezerai welcomed the sharp edge of pain in her knees and wrist, which helped her to drive off the fuzzy edges of panic and sharpened her will and understanding.  Her heart still raced and her pulse fluttered at the unaccustomed exercise after so many days of illness, but at least her mind was cleared.

The guards led her into a small amphitheater, which appeared to have been designed originally for performances or perhaps political speeches, but which had been hastily converted into a courtroom.  On the edge of the circular floor furthest from the door, a dais had been built.  She was led to a spot lit by a small beam of light before this raised platform and, when the supporting strength of the guards was removed, she sank to her knees there.  Six men sat regularly spaced along the dais, gazing down at her from a great height.  The audience seats were filled, some with the curious, others with family members who had suffered at the hands of the Emporer, and numerous others.  Jezerai hoped her friends were there, but she could not see because of the light shining in her eyes.

A solitary man walked toward the center of the floor, below the dais, and turned to face her.  His expression was severe and he looked at her with no hint of warmth or compassion.

"Jezerai Silvermoon, late of the Imperial army, you are brought before this tribunal for crimes committed against the people of Kojan.  The charges against you are grievous and, if you are found guilty, could carry the penalty of death."  The man continued in a droning voice, listing the specific crimes Jezerai was accused of by day and person.  As he read through the names, charging her with murder, kidnapping, and treason against the Kojan people, the pale ghostly forms of her tormentors capered about, pressing close to her, weighing her down more grievously than the chains and manacles did.

Finally, mercifully, he drew his litany to a close.  Jezerai knelt, bowed with grief and illness, before him.  There was a small rustling from the crowd there.  The prosecutor cleared his throat, and took a small sip of water before continuing.  "Jezerai Silvermoon, to all these charges, how do you plead?" 

"Am I not entitled to have someone represent me?  To speak for me?"  Jezerai's voice was broken and cracked, but she managed to make herself heard.  "I choose Tsol Ylenasni to speak on my behalf and to counsel me in these proceedings."

"Very well then," the prosecutor went on, "bring this person forward then." 

"He is pursuing information at this time to assist me in my case."  Jezerai dared to look the prosecutor in the face.  Though his expression did not change, Jezerai sensed that she had managed to win this round.

"You may have five days.  At that time, the case against you will proceed, with or without this Tsol Ylenasni."

The guards stepped forward, hauling Jezerai up by the elbows and causing her to bite her lip to keep from crying out at the pain and turned to escort her back to her cell.

[Jezerai]

((From Palehorseman))





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: Re: Trial
Post by: Tsol on October 28, 2007, 07:30:09 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The half elf walked towards the stark building of where Jezerai was currently being held.  The kojani rain has once again started, pitter pattering down on to the current puddles leaving little ripples and eddies in them.    He should have been here sooner to visit Jezerai, but he knew that Kromb, Lotheriel and Khaeden were here.  He had made sure of that by asking some of his contacts within the guards.   

He walked into the building, amazed at its stark dinginess.  He didn't expect the jail to be in such a state.  He became even more worried on viewing the guards.  They looked to be the dregs of the army themselves, callous and mercenary.    He got a bad feeling.  They begrudgingly let him visit Jezerai in her dimly lit cell and was unprepared to what he saw.   There was no longer the vibrant disciple with the golden white hair, she looked worn and tired her skin looked ashen and it looked to him that she was crying recently.

"By the gods, Jezerai what have they done to you?"  Great concern vibrated thru his voice at his dear friend. 

Jezerai explained to him all things that have happened from Samaal kidnapping to the use of the Starspark Red drug.   At the mention of the drug, Tsol cringed for he recalled what the drug did to people,  and it explained a bit on how Jezerai looked.   After catching up on everything with her, he started asking more questions of her past, trying to get her to remember how she received her orders for the assassinations.    She told him as much as she could remember; the bard asked some pointed questions and nodded to himself at her answers.

[Jezerai]

Janhu Nahen, the prosecutor sent over from the Imperial forces, and Ebrin Tarhk, the head counselman were not happy.

"Your scheme is failing, you know that don't you?"  Ebrin sneered.  "I have put considerable effort into this and now you have overplayed your hand badly."

"How was I to know that she would garner sympathy among the people?"  Janhu shrugged, "Besides, all is not yet lost.  You concede defeat too quickly."

Ebrin sighed.  It had all seemed so simple.  He had thought to solidify his position on the counsel by being the first to succeed in bringing an enemy of the people to justice.  He had turned to his secret benefactor, the Emporer himself, who had approved the scheme.  The Emporer sought a diversion for the common masses.  The people had been unusually rebellious and their uprisings were distracting Imperial forces.  The Emporer wanted to provide the rabble with a new target, a scapegoat.  Feelers were sent out and the most promising nibble had been this one, Jezerai Silvermoon, formerly know as Jezerai Moon.  Negotiations were carried out between the Emporer and the councilman.  Once the plans were satisfactorily laid, the assassin would be brought it.  It has all seemed so simple.

And then the complications started.  The first whisper of problems were the rumors brought back to his ear by his spies that this Jezerai Silvermoon had been a mere child stolen from the street in order to be trained as an assassin against the people.  The people's murmurings were outraged that a child of their own would be treated in this way.  This had not seemed like much.  After all, the crimes that had been committed seemed more than sufficient to sway people away from favoring the killer.

It had been prudent to let the assassin linger in prison while these sympathies were dispelled.  They could hardly have brought her in for trial in any event, raving and suffering withdrawals from the Starspark Red that had been given to her.  She had to be at least minimally coherent.  But then her friends had arrived.  It was still unsure how they had learned of her predicament, but they seemed to have descended in hordes.  And a formidible group they were, Ebrin shuddered as he thought of the huge dreadknight.  Then their star witness, the Varanthari ranger, had turned against them and turned surprisingly sympathetic to one who had killed his wife.  "Perhaps the wife was a shrew," Ebrin thought and smiled a small, tight-lipped smile with little real humor behind it.

And then today.  Janhu had seriously overplayed his hand.  Ebrin was still unsure how the prosecutor had managed to separate the assassin from her friends, so protectively they hovered, but he had.  That was well done. And Ebrin realized that the purpose had been to demoralize their captive and perhaps bring matters to a speedy conclusion by prompting a plea of guilty to the charges read.  The people had been invited in, to see for themselves the dangerous person that their leaders had managed to bring to justice.  And she had been led in, but instead of appearing dangerous or hateful, the assassin was a small half-elf woman, bowed by illness and obviously drug from her sickbed in chains.  She was unable to bear the weight unaided and had sunk to her knees when released.  The rustling of the crowd watching the spectacle had not been reassuring to the practiced politician's ears.  And then she had neatly turned the tables on Janhu, asserting her right to representation.  All in all, a fiasco. 

Now Ebrin's spies were bringing in reports of new, even more alarming rumors that were circulating among the people.  These rumors, that this Jezerai Silvermoon, was in reality a hero fighting back the forces threatening to overwhelm Telon, were causing the councilman's ulcer to act up in force.  The growling of the crowd, that could possibly lead to his overthrow rather than retaining his control, was growing ever louder.  And so, sensing the winds of fate had shifted against him, Ebrin turned his mind to discovering a way out of this mess in which he found himself.

[Tsol]

Tsol wandered around the village talking to the locals and asking questions. He soon realized that generally the symphony was running towards Jezerai.  He even helped it along, telling some bardic tales of how she was helping out in the battle against the undead and other creatures of evil.    Granted there were still some hard feelings against her a few of the villagers had lost loved ones to the assassins of the emperor.  None could say that it was Jezerai that had killed them, except for one...  Samaal... 

Samaal, the half elf thought, he could understand why Jezerai had fallen for him.  He was a handsome and a darkly tanned varanthari ranger with a quick wit, but watching the man talk about Jezerai, he could read the sadness in his eyes as if he wished that he never had brought her here.  Still it took some will power of his own not throttle the man. 

Eventually Tsol asked about his dead wife. 

Samaal looked at Tsol with a pain looked in his face, "My wife, Brizze was one of the councillor's of the village," he began, "she was arguing with the people from the emperor about the taxes that were imposed on the village.  One evening, I was to meet her at the local eatery, I was bringing our daughter of only a year old, and we haven't been together much of late because of my fishing and her work with the village elders. " the ranger stopped briefly and looked at his hands,  then hesitantly, "She must have decided to meet us on the path that went to the eatery.  I saw her about 30 meters ahead of me,  walking towards us, with her radiant smile that I so dearly loved."  Samaal's amber eyes grew distant as he continued as if replaying that fateful day.  "Another figured joined her then, she was a blonde half elf,  I thought that Brizze was bringing a friend to dinner with us, and then I saw the startle look of surprised on her face.  The woman beside her showed no emotion as she watched my wife fall forward to the ground, then the woman disappeared into the forest.  I raced down the path to my wife's side, but she was already dead.  That day, I committed that woman's face to my memory.   It was Jezerai. " 

He looked at Tsol then, his amber eyes searching into his green, "That Jezerai and the Jezerai in that jail cell are not the same person."

Tsol nodded, "Are you willing to say that in court?" 

The ranger looked again to his hands before returning his gaze to the half elf and then nodded his assent, "I will."

"OK then, go see to your daughter.  I'll need to talk to the prosecutor, "  Tsol turned and left the varanthari. 


Later that day Tsol went to visit the prosecutor, the rain had finally stopped and the sun was coming out shining brightly,  he smiled thinking that this was a good omen. He approached the door of the room where the Janhu Nahen, the prosecutor was staying.   The bard had never met the man before but he had heard talk about him in Tanvu.  He wondered if a deal could be had.  As he was about to knock he heard, some mumble words,  he stood close to the door and his acute hearing caught the conversation between the two men on the other side.  He almost grinned; he could feel that a deal can be had.  It sounded like that whatever planned that the two had cooked up was slowly unravelling. 

He knocked on the door briskly and with command.  The door opened and he stepped into the room, introducing himself as Tsol Ylenasni, the defendant's representative.

[Jezerai]

Jezerai dozed in her cell, there seemed to be little else to do in these long days of enforced inactivity.  Her body continued to mend itself.  She had even been able to use the slightest sliver of jin to heal her wrist and knees, though the effort coupled with the exertions of going to the hearing, had left her exhausted.  The rustling and chittering of her ghostly companions a subdued murmur.  The clatter of the key in the cell door immediately brought her to fearful attention, which gave way almost as quickly to joy at the sight of Samaal's tired face.

Samaal, for his part, was equally joyful to see Jezerai since he had kept away, at her insistence, since the arrival of her friends.  The first glimpse he had had of her was when she had been drug in chains before the tribunal, where she had knelt alone and beset by her enemies.  He had known then, finally and irrevocably, that he loved her.  And now, with no separation between them but a few feet, he swept her into his arms and held her thin frame in a comforting embrace.

"My love," he murmured into her hair, "How do you fare?"  To his dismay, instead of accepting the embrace, Jezerai struggled to be free and he immediately released her.  She shook her head, her cheeks wet with tears. 

"I am not and cannot be your love," she said, "nor any others for that matter.  After all that I have done, I am damaged goods." 

"Do you push me away because you do not want me here?"  Samaal feared the answer, though he had to know now if there were any hope for him with her.

Jezerai shook her head miserably and Samaal's heart lifted.  Again, he took Jezerai in his arms relieved that this time she melted into the embrace, her head pillowed on his chest, his arms warding her from all that might offer her harm.  "What then, my love?" 

And Jezerai told him all her sordid past.  She told him of her life on the streets, her decision to sell herself for the price of a military uniform, her recruitment into the assassination squads and the types of assignments she had undertaken on their behalf.  She told him of the moment of revelation, when she stood before the jin monk master and had been showed a reflection of what she was becoming.  That revelation had shaken her to the depths of her being and she had accepted the monks' hand and her freedom from the Emperor's cause.  "So you see," she concluded, "I can never be worthy of love."  She spoke with great bitterness and a deep and abiding self-loathing that Samaal knew he had to try to address. 

For a moment, Samaal said nothing but continued to rock her while her sobs quieted to soft hiccups.  "My daughter," he said, "is twelve years old.  She is a charming minx and I'd like some day for you to meet her."  Jezerai could hear the love in his voice for this child.  "She has been quite spoiled all her life.  She has never known want in any form, except for perhaps a momentary frustration of purpose."  Samaal chuckled.  "She is just beginning to become a young woman, a frightening time for me, I can tell you!"  Jezerai listened to the timbre of Samaal's voice resonating in his chest and the steady beating of his heart and smiled, imagining the young girl he described. 

"In the past few days," he continued, "I have wondered what would have become of her if life had been different for her.  If she had grown up in the streets never knowing when or if she would eat.  I imagine what choices she might make for herself without the guiding hand of a parent.  I tremble to think what ruthless adults could make of such malleable clay as a child who has known nothing but want."  Samaal kissed the top of Jezerai's head, cherishing this moment together.

"I loved my wife, Brizze, very much.  I saw you kill her that morning, on the walk.  The sight of your face, expressionless as she fell, fueled my anger and allowed me to betray you and bring you to this horrible place."  Jezerai murmured a response and started to pull away, but this time he held her close.  "Jez, you are no longer the person you were that day.  Jez, love, you are not to blame yourself any longer for wrongs you committed when you were too young to decide for yourself.  Look instead, at the decisions you have made since you came of age.  You shook yourself free of those chains and made a new life.  You have followed the path of honor and worked to better the lot of all of us who share Telon.  I will be a very proud father indeed, if my child turns out half so well."  Samaal prayed fervently that Jezerai would hear his words and finally, finally forgive herself as he had forgiven her.

"I don't know where our lives will take us, together or apart.  But I want you to know these things and take them to heart.  You are infinitely deserving of love, my dear."

[Tsol]

The bard looked at the two men with a knowing smile. Janhu Nahen was a young kojani, his youthful appearance belayed his intelligence,  his dark eyes under a heavy brow, were lively as he looked at the half elf.  Ebrin Tarhk  was much older, already the worried lines were starting form around his eyes and mouth. Grey highlights in his hair was already starting appear. There was almost a look of resignation across his dark kojani face.

"It looks like you have a tricky situation brewing; the villagers aren't that thrilled with this trial you cooked up."  Tsol addressed the two.

Janhu grimaced slightly, "I wouldn't be so smug, we can still send her to jail and possibly have her executed. "

"Really? " Tsol raised an eyebrow, "You think that the villagers will sit idly by while you have her hanged? "

Ebrin listened to the two talk and then with an audible sigh, "No, they won't, "  he looked at Janhu, "And when that happens I'll be ousted as well as the emperor will now have a rebellion to bring down.  I know, Janhu, that people who are around the Emperor want to continue to stay in power.  But bringing this assassin to justice, that another faction of the empire had convinced the emperor to have trained, will be political suicide now. "   

"So what are we to do then, " Janhu replied.

Tsol walked to a chair and sat down, leaning back and crossing his leg, a playful smirk crossed his lips, "Blame something else that everyone hates."

Ebrin looked at the relaxed half elf bard, almost hating him, and then it dawned on him, "The ulvari's"

Tsol nodded,  "I know some things about the ulvari's and how they use dreams to manipulate the kojani people, even some of your superiors could have been influenced by them.  It seems thou that half elves are somehow immune to their manipulation.  Jezerai is a half elf, it could be that the ulvari's are trying to get rid of the half elves whenever possible. "

Ebrin took a chair himself and sat back thinking,  his fingers started drumming on the table in front of him,  "So your saying that we are being influenced by the ulvari's "

Tsol nodded again, "You can blame the ulvari's for influencing your superiors and they were the one that help create the group of assassins,  Jezerai was just following orders and cannot be blamed, and the fact is that Jezerai has been fighting the ulvari's as well as other's to keep Telon safe, after she left the army and their influence. "

"How much truth is in what you say?" asked Janhu.

"You can't prove that it isn't true, "  Tsol replied meaningful at Janhu.  "You also will have to worry about the original faction that set up the group of assassins for the Emperor.  They still want the control, and who knows that maybe they are the ones who want this execution of Jezerai to occur to create the chaos with the villagers, which surely the ulvari's would want."

[Jezerai]

((Last call!  I play to wrap this up with Jez being released on Saturday.  Any of the storylines that you are all pursuing that must be wrapped up before Jez's release should be done before Saturday!))

[Jezerai]

Jezerai's chin was set in a mulish line that Tsol knew well, and he sighed.  "Jez, it is what they require, to set you free."

"I don't like it.  It's a lie and I hate lies."

Tsol stood looking at his friend, his arms crossed across his chest.  The slightest hint of exasperation crept in his voice, a sure sign that Jezerai was recovering.   "Do you have any idea what I have gone through to get you this deal?  In this case, dear, it is not the truth that will set you free."

Samaal, less familiar with Jezerai's stubborn side than Tsol, tried a different approach.  "It's not a big lie, sweetling."

Jezerai's eyes turned stony and she shook her head, "No."  Samaal looked to Tsol helplessly.  "You do understand they intend to kill you?"

Tsol stroked his chin.  "It's not really a lie, you know."  He smiled, the charming lop-sided grin that had won the hearts of women all over Telon.  It was clear by Jezerai's expression that she was unmoved.  "Well it's not!  Do you know anything about the Imperial army as it exists today?"

Jezerai hesitated.  Tsol, sensing victory was at hand, pressed on.  "All the Emporer requires is a statement from you that you have no knowledge that assassination squads exist and that you are not a part of such a squad.  Do you have any knowledge to the contrary?"

Slowly Jezerai shook her head, "No," with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"It is certainly possible, is it not, that they have been disbanded."  Jezerai looked at Tsol doubtfully.

"Ok," she said slowly, "I suppose I could say that."  Samaal gave her a hug and Jezerai smiled at him ruefully.

Tsol sighed with relief.  It was a much more watered down statement than what the prosecutor had wanted, but Tsol felt sure that it would do.  They just wanted to move past this as quickly as they could and he didn't think they would quibble.  "And you will need to thank the Emporer and the counsel for realizing the plot against you in time and moving quickly to save you."

Jezerai's face once again took on its mulish cast, and Tsol sighed.  It was going to be a long night.