No. Of all the things he doubted, his decision to remain in Ethrysta was not one of them. It wouldn’t do him any good to run away from a problem that he caused. This was his own doing and only he was responsible for the repercussions.
When Moinie led them into the spacious meeting room Edric thought he felt the temperature drop, a shiver coursing through his spine at the sight of Onuric and Okivra standing there, eyes steady, watching him and Callum like hunters stalking their prey. Ewei was positioned a few feet away, his head turning, sneering in disapproval at their arrival. “Why do you bring the foreigners?” he scoffed. “This business has nothing to do with them. They should not be involved in our affairs.”
“I have my reasons for bringing them forward,” Okivra frowned, clearly unhappy with Ewei’s behavior. “Do not question my judgment. I will not tolerate insolence.” Okivra’s eyes shifted sharply to settle on Callum, flicking his wrist in a commanding motion, beckoning him and Edric to come forward. “Ewei has explained the incidents which occurred in Isavo. Now that I have his report, I want to hear from you, Captain, as to what exactly your men were doing while they were supposed to be assisting my daughter.”
Edric was taken aback by the question. Okivra sounded displeased. Although his exterior countenance was composed, his voice reflected a deep anger. The same emotion that was less successfully concealed on Onuric’s features where he stood at Okivra’s side. Edric’s first reaction was to argue. They must have been misinformed. If Moinie had been with Ewei when he gave his statement, she would have set any inconsistencies straight. It came as a surprise that Okivra had chosen to question Ewei before bringing Callum in. Inhaling a deep breath he tried to control his frustration. Such an obvious display of disregard, and by the Chief, of all people. The one Ovatai of whom they thought they could count on to respect them.
At his obvious desire to speak, Edric caught a glance from Moinie out of the corner of his eye, her chin lifting as if to gain his attention, intent, focused. Her gaze was settled on him, almost hopeful in their icy glow. Unsure of what the expression might mean, he refrained from speaking, letting the breath escape that he had taken in, relaxing once again into silence to allow Callum the floor.
“I have no way of knowing what Ewei has told you in regards to our business in Isavo, but I assure that my men and I offered every assistance we could grant your daughter. Our numbers were few, however, and we were limited where combat was concerned, but we certainly did our best to help defend when the Avaern passed through.”
Stepping forward Onuric positioned himself directly in front of Callum, eyes narrowed, jaw set. His anger was intensifying with every passing moment, nostrils flaring as he struggled to control his temper. “I’m not going to play political games, Father,” he stated heatedly, pushing forward, attempting to make Callum flinch, surprised by Callum’s steady resolve. Snorting in disgust, Onuric reminded Edric of a bull preparing to charge. “Ewei has told me that you imposed upon my wife. Explain yourself, Vor’shai, or I will take your silence to assume your guilt.”
“What?” Edric gasped, unable to hold back his exclamation. Imposed upon? An accusation against Callum was the last thing he was expecting. Ewei would accomplish nothing by throwing about such inane claims. He had no reason to do so other than his wounded pride at losing to Callum in front of his men. But to bring Moinie into it? Neomi might not be capable of defending false allegations against her while in her state of health, but Moinie was more than able to reprove Ewei’s words. Why would she not have set Onuric straight immediately upon hearing the accusation rather than waiting for it to be brought before Okivra?
Curious, he let his eyes shift to where Moinie stood, her mouth hanging agape, sharing in Edric’s disbelief. Could it be that she was unaware? Had Ewei been smart enough to plant the seeds of his lies so well?
Callum’s face revealed a flicker of shock before managing to regain his composure. “I am unaware that I imposed upon anyone; most certainly not your wife.”
“Onuric, you cannot possibly expect him to admit the truth –”
“Silence!” Onuric shouted, raising his hand in a commanding gesture toward Ewei. His eyes never left Callum, peering deep as if trying to pull the answer from his very soul. “I am told you were alone in the company of my wife at the time of the Avaern attack. I demand that you tell me the truth. Did you lay a hand on my wife?”
“Calm yourself,” Callum replied, the levelness of his tone almost frightening. Edric was beginning to think the man was unshakable. Here he stood, tried for a crime he didn’t commit, nor was he aware of a prior accusation, and yet he remained solid and unmoving. “I am beginning to suspect a few details did not reach your ears accurately.”
“Are you accusing my men of lying?”
“No, I am accusing Ewei of being less than attentive to detail,” Callum stole a glance at Ewei before returning his gaze to Onuric. “An important oversight in this would be the fact that I was not alone with Moinie. My commander was with us as well at the time of the attack. His injuries alone should be proof of that fact. Perhaps Ewei was unaware, but I assumed him to have noticed the unconscious body of the man he assisted in carrying back up the crevasse once the threat was gone.”
“I am not looking for drawn out explanations, Vor’shai. I want a direct answer. Did you or did you not touch my wife?”
“I most certainly did not,” he said simply. “I have a beautiful wife waiting for me back in Tanispa, and while I mean no offense to you, she is far superior in my eyes than any of the women you boast here in Ethrysta.”
Onuric’s lips pressed tighter together, pausing, his confidence faltering somewhat at Callum’s lack of fear. “How do I know your man was with you while in the company of my wife and not simply guarding the door for intruders? I know the way your kind think. You consider all the ways you might get caught for your infidelity. What was your business with my wife that my sister could not also be present for?”
Moving forward, Ewei’s chest pushed out, arrogant in his every motion. Edric wanted to slap the smirk off his face but decided against it before the urge had a chance to grow beyond mere temptation. “Your sister was probably fraternizing with…”
“I can explain the entire situation,” Edric interjected. He wasn’t going to give Ewei the chance to complete what he already knew was coming. The last thing they needed was to have both of them on trial when only one of them was guilty. If Edric’s mistakes became known, it would be impossible for them to continue denying Callum’s innocence. Onuric would never believe them. As if only just taking note of Edric there, Onuric took a moment for his eyes to focus, squinting at him curiously.
“I was unaware there was a situation to be explained beyond your Captain’s adulterous behavior with my wife.”
“Oh, there was definitely a situation,” Edric nodded, ignoring Callum’s wide-eyed stare. The shake of his friend’s head told him to be quiet yet something about the way Moinie’s body leaned forward, anxious to hear what Edric had to say, which gave him the confidence he needed to continue. “Commander Gadiel Taeth and Captain Levadis went to visit Moinie due to an unfortunate order which was brought to us upon Ewei’s arrival to Isavo. He advised Neomi that it was the wish of yourself and the Chief that she embark on a track of the Avaern with a small group of your people in order to determine the hiding place of the beast.”
“Lies!” Ewei shouted, stepping forward to push forcefully at Edric, knocking him backward several steps. Onuric’s hand shot out with incredible speed, pressed against Ewei’s chest, blocking him from recovering the ground between him and Edric.
At Edric’s statement it was Okivra who spoke, commanding the attention of everyone in the room with his booming voice. “I endorsed no such command. When the idea was posed, I made it very clear that I was against it. Ewei is not the most intelligent man to serve throughout the years, but he is not foolish enough to disobey me.”
“We thought the same at first,” Edric nodde
d, straightening the folds of his doublet where Ewei’s hands had wrinkled it. “It was the only reason we did not fight harder against the idea when it was first mentioned. But the more we thought about it, the more the Captain and I realized it was a suicide mission. We did not want to believe that you would order your own daughter on such a ridiculous task. I attempted to convince Neomi to stay with us and return to Nahedu so we could verify the orders while the Captain and Commander Gadiel went to Moinie about the concern. Regrettably, our attempts were foiled by the arrival of the Avaern and by the time we were back on our feet, it was too late. Neomi had already left, assuming the command to be yours and Onuric’s, and there was nothing we could do to stop her.”
“Do not listen to his nonsense,” Ewei scowled. “He is attempting to fool you so you will overlook the facts. Perhaps you should ask him what he was doing with your daughter while he was alone with her. He has already admitted that he was with her without supervision.”
Edric paused, thrown by the remark. It had been a trap. Ewei baited him with the false accusations, knowing he would step forward in defense of Callum and incriminate himself for the sake of sparing his friend. Stay calm. If he gave any indication of his guilt, it would be noticeable instantly. All eyes were on him. Onuric’s steady gaze completely shifted from Callum, matching the stern stare which was focused on him from the Chief.
“I already told you what I went to Neomi with the intent of discussing. I have nothing to hide.” They had done nothing wrong during the meeting that morning. A kiss. That alone was enough to render a severe punishment at the hands of Okivra, but no one had to know about it. In his eyes it was harmless and that was all he needed to justify denying any wrongdoing. “What you might want to explain is how you ended up with our Lieutenant, if you are going to point fingers. You made no attempt to deny your activities when we saw you leaving her tent in the middle of the night.”
Callum’s head tilted backward, rolling his eyes heavenward at Edric’s continued argument. It was a mistake to push the matter, but Edric didn’t care. He wasn’t going to stand there and allow Ewei to think he was getting the upper hand. If there was going to be a trial, Ewei had every reason to be part of the accused.
Distracted by the mention of Ewei and Sahra, Okivra’s eyes opened wide for a moment, taking in the accusation, carefully considering how to respond. “This is a twist I did not anticipate,” he frowned. “Ewei, you have placed yourself in my consideration as a possible husband for my daughter. To fraternize with foreign women is frowned upon by our people. You know this. You lived in the border lands long enough to understand.”
“I have not touched their women,” Ewei scoffed, folding his arms irritably across his chest.
Quickly Callum’s eyes lowered from their upturned gaze, shooting a bemused glance toward Ewei. “Well, that is a blatant lie if I ever heard one. I was prepared to leave the matter be, but I did not expect you to be so dishonest with your Chief.”
“You call me a liar, Vor’shai?”
“I take no pleasure in doing so, but yes. Your own men would validate Prince Edric’s claims of your misconduct with my Lieutenant.”
“My men? You mean the ones you turned against me? Their word is about as trustworthy as yours. Mutinous whelps.” Ewei’s expression remained steady. He was overconfident in his ability to sway the Chief. Edric could read it in the way he held his posture, the evenness of his tone. But Edric found it hard to believe that his heritage would spare him from it all.
Edric was uncomfortably aware of the silence which had settled over the room. The men stood, quiet, perfectly still, looking between one another in agitation and discontent. Okivra appeared ready to draw his sword, muscles tensed. Angry. “Ewei,” Okivra said through gritted teeth, eyes narrowed. “Find your way to the door. I wish to speak with the Vor’shai Captain for a moment without your constant interruptions.”
“Chief, that would be unwise,” Ewei argued, the confidence quickly dissipating from his face. “He will attempt to fill your head with lies against me. His people cannot be trusted.”
“I said leave!”
Edric cringed at the power of Okivra’s voice. Even Ewei looked startled, taking a step backward toward the door, reflexive. His mouth opened to speak out in protest again, thinking better of it as he turned on his heel to move swiftly from the room. They stared after him, waiting until the sound of his footsteps could no longer be heard down the hall. With long graceful strides Moinie made her way to the door, untying a heavy piece of fabric which hung from the frame, peering outside to verify they were alone before letting the material fall into place, closing them off from the rest of the home.
At the command of his father, Onuric moved to stand at Okivra’s side. He presented himself with a warrior’s calm though Edric could sense something in his demeanor which indicated uncertainty. Almost sadness. His eyes occasionally drifted to where Moinie came to stand a few feet from Callum and Edric, their icy glow flickering from some internal torment. Yet he said nothing. The floor was his father’s and he knew better than to cross him.
“Captain,” Okivra set his gaze on Callum sternly. “I was prepared to assume your guilt given the reports I received of your conduct while with my daughter and my son’s wife, however, something in your eyes tells me there is more to the story than has been told. I hold a deep respect for your father, after all he has done to save Neomi, so I am willing to grant you this opportunity to tell me your report. Leave no detail unspoken. It seems the determination of guilt will not be so easily concluded without hearing the discrepancies.”
Stoic, Callum bowed his head out of respect, silently displaying his gratitude for Okivra’s generosity. He was aware that Okivra was under no obligation to allow him to explain anything. It was unusual for him to display such mercy. “There was much chaos after Ewei and his men arrived to Isavo. Neomi was already prepared to begin the journey to Nahedu when Ewei told her of Onuric’s orders to conduct a track on the Avaern. He informed us that Onuric sent him with the intention of summoning the Avaern to the village so that a group led by Neomi and Moinie could track the beast to its place of slumber. When I inquired as to whether the command was endorsed by his Chief, he could not give a direct answer, implying that his presence in Isavo should be all I needed to confirm your approval. Our disagreement became physical. The Prince and I chose to take our leave and discuss our own plan to keep Neomi from accepting the task. I directed the Prince to find Neomi and convince her to return to Nahedu to verify the orders and my commander and I sought Moinie to do the same. We did not have time to discuss the matter in full due to an unexpected attack by the Avaern that left us all injured and trapped at the bottom of the chasm which covers much of the land there. Ewei and my lieutenant managed to locate us and assist us back to the surface at which time Neomi made her decision to depart on the orders she believed to be given by her brother, against our counsel.”
Okivra’s eyes remained locked on Callum. Questioning. “This is a far different report than the one I received from Ewei. Moinie, can you confirm the details presented by the Captain?”
“I can confirm them all. His recollection of events is far superior to that of Ewei’s.”
“Why did you not speak out against Ewei when he provided his report?”
“Because I knew you would not be inclined to accept my argument,” Moinie pursed her lips, frustrated. “You and Onuric are well aware of my dislike for Ewei. For me to argue his information would have sounded petty. It was my hope that in bringing the Vor’shai before you, one of them might let the right detail slip to allow further investigation. My only question is when he provided the story to my husband. I do not recall hearing an accusation against me when he gave his report. Had I been present for the claims regarding the Captain, I would not have hesitated to clear the misinformation.”
Hearing Moinie’s admission made everything clear. So that was what the look in her eyes had been when he spoke. She was willing him to say t
he things she knew he would. She was counting on him to bring forth the truth that she couldn’t. Had he known that to be the case, he might have let more slip than he had in order to place further guilt upon Ewei. “I have reason to believe Neomi was coerced into taking the orders,” he said firmly, lifting his head to meet Okivra’s gaze. It wasn’t too late to bring forward the rest of his questions. “Perhaps Moinie can shed some light on the matter, but I have been curious to know why he struck Neomi. When I arrived for the meeting that morning, she was attempting to conceal the mark on her face, but it was made clear that Ewei was responsible for it.”
“That was not in relation to the orders Ewei came with,” Moinie replied sharply, the flash in her eyes warning Edric not to push the matter. He didn’t require an explanation to know not to inquire further. “Neomi’s decision to go after the Avaern was based solely on her belief that the command was from her brother. I think we all know Neomi well enough to recognize she is too stubborn to be bullied into anything.”
“But you do not deny him striking her?” Onuric asked loudly, looking to his father in disbelief.
Moinie shook her head, heaving a soft sigh of defeat. “I do not deny it. I witnessed him do so with my own eyes, but I assure you it was during an argument in which she struck at him as well. It was not an act of coercion, as it may have appeared to those who were not present.”
Holding up his hand Callum beckoned everyone to be quiet, settling his gaze on Okivra once again. “Before we let our conversation become distracted, I must ask you the truth on the orders which were presented in Isavo. Did you, or did you not, direct Ewei to Isavo with commands of tracking the Avaern?”
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Three: Crown of Ice Page 68