The Black Sword Trilogy: The Poacher

by VanMeter, Jeffery

  “I will remind you that you have taken an oath to tell the truth.” He said to her grandly.

  She nodded simply and then made herself as comfortable as possible as she could in the witness’ chair.

  “As I seem to recall,” the prosecutor continued. “You were entertaining us with a rather interesting story about a magical forest and a beautiful queen.”

  “For the record,” Terri answered, “She doesn’t like to be called ‘Queen’. She prefers ‘Lady of the Woods’.”

  “Ah yes…’Lady of the Woods’ as you call her.”

  At this, Kirallis stood up.

  “Your Majesty, for the record, it is a well-established fact that the known ruler of the nation known as The Blackwoods does prefer to be known as ‘The Lady of the Woods’.”

  “Accepted.” The King announced. The King then glared down at the prosecutor. “Move on.” He told him.

  “Very well then, Terri. Will you continue to tell us of your fanciful tale of the magic curtain…?”

  Kirallis interrupted him again.

  “Is this really necessary?” He objected.

  “It goes to the credibility of the witness, Your Majesty.”

  “When I said ‘Move On’,” The King said impatiently. “I meant ‘move on’! I heard this story yesterday and unless you have more for this witness, I suggest you ‘move on’ to the next.”

  The prosecutor looked frustrated for a moment, but still confident.

  “As a matter of fact, I do have one more thing I have for this witness.” He said

  “Make it fast and make it short.” The King commanded him. The prosecutor then produced a large piece of paper.

  “Do you recognize this?” He asked Terri.

  “It’s a piece of paper?” Terri joked. Most in the gallery laughed.

  “It is indeed a piece of paper,” The prosecutor fired back. “It is a very important piece of paper. It is, in fact the official judgment of the case of The Collective Farming Village of Listo verses Terri. Would you like me to read what this document says?”

  “If you like,” She answered dryly.

  “It says, and I’ll keep it short as per the King’s orders that you were convicted of transvestitism and the unlawful seduction of a family member of a higher station than your own. Does this sound familiar to you?”

  “Rings a bell.”

  “This document claims that you used deceptive means to gain carnal knowledge of a woman above your social station. Is this an accurate description of the reason you were convicted?”

  “Sounds accurate to me.”

  “Well?” The prosecutor prodded.

  “Well what?”

  “What do you say to this?”

  “What do I say to what?”

  “To this?” The prosecutor demanded, holding the document in his hands.

  “To that?” She asked back at him.

  “Yes! To this!” He said shaking the document.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m not in the habit of conversing with pieces of paper.”

  The gallery erupted in laughter and the prosecutor was furious.

  “Your majesty! I demand that last statement be stricken from the record!”

  “You asked the question, counselor.” The King reminded him.

  The prosecutor released Terri from the witness stand and proceeded on to other witnesses, mostly from the city of Calderon.

  He interviewed the Chief of Police, several members of the City Council and eventually the Mayor; all told basically the same story. Captain Krall came in the middle of the night, declared a military emergency, ordered the city evacuated and then he ordered the bridge over the Serpent River burned.

  “Did you ever see any of this army of Wolfen?” He asked the Mayor.

  “No I did not.”

  “Did you witness this battle that Captain Krall has claimed?”

  “I did not.”

  “Have you personally witnessed anything to verify any part of Captain Krall’s testimony?”

  “I most certainly did not.”

  “And what conclusion have you come to?”

  “That Captain Krall invented the military emergency so that he and his troops could loot the City of Calderon.”

  After the Mayor’s testimony was completed, a recess was called and Kenner then had an idea. Asking several officers and others, he found General Pol; whom he knew to be an old friend of Captain Krall’s. It wasn’t on Krall’s behalf that he looked for him, though.

  “General.” He said, standing at attention. Terri stepped up behind Kenner, curious as to what he was doing.

  “Yes, what is it?” He said impatiently.

  “I understand that it’s possible for a soldier to purchase a commission as an officer.”

  “It is; but you haven’t been in the army long enough to even consider…” He was interrupted by Kenner holding out several gold coins.

  “Where in the wild world of sports did you get those?” Terri asked.

  “The same place I found my sword.”

  He handed one of the coins to General Pol whose hand began to tremble.

  “Do you have any idea what these are?” He asked Kenner.

  “Are they valuable?” Kenner replied.

  “Son,” Pol said trying to sound calm. “One of these coins is worth more than you’re likely to earn as a soldier in an entire year.”

  “So how many would I need to purchase a commission?” Kenner asked innocently.

  General Pol looked at the coin, then to Kenner, then back to the coin.

  “One more should do it.”

  Kenner gave the general three more coins.

  “I’d also like to purchase a commission for Terri.” He said.

  General Pol closed his hands around the coins

  “Come with me.” He commanded.

  Terri and Kenner followed General Pol to a small door behind the marble staircase leading to the King’s throne in the courtroom.

  “Wait here.” He commanded them and then knocked on the door. He then went inside. Several minutes later he emerged.

  “You two,” he said motioning to them, “in here.”

  Inside was a room like an office with a desk and several chairs. The King stood in the center of the room examining the coins.

  “Where did you get these?” Philas said, looking almost afraid at the coins.

  “It’s a very long story.” Kenner said.

  The King looked at him seriously.

  “Not a single one of these coins has been seen in this land for three hundred years.” He told Kenner. “And now you give one of my generals four of them to purchase a commission for yourself and your friend?”

  “That’s pretty much it.” Kenner replied.

  The King looked at General Pol, as if looking for answers. Pol simply bowed his head, almost in shame.

  “Kneel.” The King said.

  Both Kenner and Terri knelt before him.

  “I don’t have my sword with me,” The King said to Pol. “May I borrow yours?”

  General Pol drew his sword and then presented it to him, kneeling. The way the King looked at the blade and then at him made Kenner think for a moment that the King was going to strike him with it. Instead, he touched the blade of the sword on the shoulders of both Kenner and Terri.

  “As King of this great land and as Supreme Commander of her forces on land and sea, I promote you both as officers of the Army of Walechia, I grant you the powers and privileges of said office and I command you to go forth in courage and honor and defend the people of my Kingdom. Do you understand?”

  Kenner wasn’t sure what the exact thing to say was. Fortunately, Terri was the first to say, “I do.” Kenner replied with the same. The King examined Kenner and Terri further.

  “I see you already have a sword.” He said to Kenner and then turned his attention to Terri. “I’ll have to get you one later.” He then took a grand step back.

  “Arise Captain Terri.” He said with e
qual grandeur. She stood to attention.

  “Arise Captain Kenner.” And Kenner did the same.

  The King then stood in front of Kenner.

  “Your career in my army is off to a fast start.” Said the King.

  “It looks that way, Your Majesty.”

  Chapter Forty

  Later that day, Kenner was standing and talking to General Pol about the Wolfen army and the battle. General Pol agreed with him that the trial was causing a delay and that the enemy would probably have reached Post One.

  “This is a waste of time.” General Pol told him. “I can’t believe the King is even entertaining the idea of this ridiculous trial.”

  Prince Melkur then approached Kenner and General Pol bowed.

  “I thought I told you that only officers were allowed to have swords.” He said smugly to Kenner.

  “Captain Kenner is now an officer, Your Highness.” General Pol informed the Prince.

  “Is he? How nice for him? From poacher to Captain in little more than a month. I’m sure your cousins would be very proud.”

  Kenner felt anger begin to boil up inside of him, but he kept his composure. The Prince smiled again and then walked away.

  “What was that all about?” Pol asked Kenner.

  Kenner felt like telling Pol about Melkur murdering his cousins; but remembered the King’s order to never tell anyone.

  “Nothing, sir.” He said.

  General Pol then put his hand on Kenner’s shoulder.

  “My officers can talk to me about anything.” He said in a friendly voice.

  “It’s really nothing.” Kenner said, swallowing his anger.

  Pol nodded and told him, “I’ve known Krall for over twenty years and he’s a good man. He speaks very highly of you. You probably didn’t know this, but I could have vetoed your promotion if I wanted to or felt it wrong; no matter how much money you gave me. I don’t know where you got those coins, but I do know that you’re a fine man and will make a great Captain.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “I look forward to serving with you in battle.”

  Kenner didn’t know exactly why he decided to purchase a commission; but he felt it was the right thing to do and would make his situation a little better. He acted on instinct, rather than careful consideration and as he thought of it more, becoming an officer seemed to be a better idea.

  The soldier in polished armor then approached Kenner.

  “Kenner?” He said.

  “Captain Kenner.” General Pol corrected him.

  The soldier then stood to attention.

  “Begging your pardon, sir; but you are to be called next.”

  Pol then patted Kenner on the back.

  “Good luck, Captain.” He told Kenner with a friendly smile.

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Kenner was led by the soldier through the gallery and to the witness’ chair.

  “The People of Walechia now call Captain Kenner to the stand!” The soldier called out.

  Kenner stood beside the chair and raised his right hand as the soldier did.

  “Do you swear before His Majesty and the court that you will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?”

  “I swear.” Kenner answered.

  “Be seated.”

  Kirallis stood from the marble table and approached the witness’ seat.

  “Captain Kenner,” He began. “First, I would like to congratulate you on your promotion.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Please refer to me as ‘Your Honor’.”

  “I’m sorry, Your Honor.”

  “If it please the court, I will begin by asking Captain Kenner some basic questions about his origin and how he came to be in Walechia’s army.”

  “Proceed.” The King stated.

  “Where were you born, Captain?”

  “A small village in the hills bordering Walechia and the Blackwoods.”

  “Does this village have a name?”

  “It does not.”

  “Are your mother and father still alive?”

  This question seemed to like a needle pricking Kenner in his chest.

  “No, they are not.” He answered simply. He remembered his advice about answering as simply and directly as possible.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. What was your vocation before joining the army?”

  “My ‘vocation’?”

  “What was your job, sir?”

  “I was a hunter.”

  “A hunter?”

  “Yes, Your Honor. It was my job to hunt food for my village.”

  “By hunting, do you mean animals?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did that include deer?”

  “It did.”

  “And did you sometimes hunt deer within the borders of Walechia?”

  The prosecutor then stood behind his table.

  “Your Majesty, what is the purpose of these tedious questions?”

  “Your Majesty,” Kirallis answered. “The purpose of these questions is to establish the credibility of the witness that my learned colleague will likely try to break down.”

  “And how do you intend to do that?” The King asked.

  “By asking him questions to which there may be uncomfortable answers.”

  “You mean answers to which he might otherwise lie?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  The King nodded.

  “Proceed.” The King ordered and the prosecutor sat down.

  “Approximately one month ago,” Kirallis continued, “you were captured by a company of Walechian soldiers, were you not?”

  “Yes, I was.”

  “And why were you captured?”

  “Poaching.” Kenner answered directly.

  “Poaching what?”

  “A stag.”

  “Do you deny killing the stag?”

  “No, I do not.”

  “So you freely admit that you did, indeed commit the crime of poaching?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “And what was your punishment?”

  Kenner thought for a moment about telling of Prince Melkur and the murder of his cousins. That was, after all he thought the immediate punishment he was given. At the same time, he remembered what the King had told him and decided against it.

  “I was given the choice of either joining the army or facing harsher punishment.”

  “And you chose the army?”

  “It seemed the best choice at the time.”

  There was a flicker of anger in Kirallis’ eyes and Kenner remembered his advice to answer the questions as simply and directly as possible.

  “How much training did you receive as a soldier?”

  “None.” Kenner

  Kirallis looked confused for a moment.

  “I thought Walechian soldiers typically received four weeks of training before their first assignments?”

  Kirallis looked to the King who appeared to be also confused.

  “May it please the court,” Captain Krall said standing from his chair.

  “Objection!” The prosecutor called out. “No question has been put to the defendant at this time.”

  “Overruled!” The King interjected. “The defendant may speak.”

  “As there was an immediate need,” Krall continued. “Captain Kenner, who was only an enlisted soldier at the time and other recruits were taken immediately to their station.”

  “Is this a common practice?” Kirallis asked.

  “Only in times of emergency.” Krall answered.

  For what seemed like a long time to Kenner, he was continually questioned by Kirallis and he told the story of his time at the fort and with the garrison. Even answering as simply as he could, he was still able to describe his days as an archer, the battle and of his escape to the hide. He described in as much detail as he could the Wolfen army and the General with the Silver Axe and with Kirallis asking somewhat detailed questions, he was able to mostly tell his story
of his time in the mountains. When Kirallis was finished, he thanked Kenner for his testimony.

  “Your witness.” Kirallis told the prosecutor.

  The prosecutor had a smug smile on his face much like the Prince’s and there was a look in his eyes almost like a hunter targeting prey.

  “Sounds like you had quite an experience.” He said confidently to Kenner.

  “It was rather unique.” Kenner answered and the gallery laughed a little.

  “There are a few details that seem to be missing, though.”

  “And what details would that be?” Kenner asked.

  “Where did you sleep?” Kenner was asked.

  “Where did I sleep?”

  “Yes, where did you sleep on this journey of yours?”

  Kenner was a little off set by the question and, at first didn’t quite know how to answer. His left hand found the hilt of the sword and he suddenly felt more confident.

  “Any particular night in question?” He asked the prosecutor.

  This time, the prosecutor seemed set back, but he soon recovered his confident demeanor.

  “How about the first night?”

  “On the ground next to the road?”

  “The second night?”

  “Under a collapsed roof of an abandoned house.”

  “Third night?”

  “A cave.”

  Kenner then saw a familiar face at the back of the courtroom looking at him. It was “Shadow” and she was smiling.

  “And what of the next night?” The prosecutor asked.

  “Excuse me, but is there a point to this?” Kenner asked, annoyed.

  “The point is, Captain,” The prosecutor said in a raised voice. “That you and your two colleagues have told incredible stories of these journeys of yours and you have no witnesses to support your claims other than each other. You expect this court and our King to believe that you made these journeys; when in fact, you’ve invented these adventures of yours in order to support the fraudulent claims of an ambitious officer whose primary goal is to bring glory to himself while hiding the truth of his own criminal enterprise.”