by C. R. Daems
"Yes, Princess, I promised Mistress Jola I won't steal anything again," Kit said. "I'm giving up being a thief." That induced a lot of coughing.
"Mistress Jola must be very proud of you, Kit," Regina said. "I'll tell you what. In celebration of you giving up a life of stealing, let's go into the city markets and find a gift to mark your new life."
The rest of the day was spent shopping. Kit got new clothes, which she needed, several sweets to eat, and a chance to tell everyone who would listen that she was no longer a thief. It was a fabulous day for Jola and the princess.
Two days later, Princess Regina's army began its march toward Warring.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Tasman Province
The threat was over and only cleanup in Essam remained, so they had no reason to rush. Duke Greer said that Warring would take him several eightdays out of his way, and that he had business at home that required his presence. He said his goodbyes a day out of Tarquay, and he and his soldiers rode east toward Manito.
Kit was a changed girl who was interested in everything and everyone. By the time they reached Warring, she had charmed everyone in Regina's party, including Duchess Olinda, Duke Serkan, and all of their guards. Although Kit didn't stray from Jola's side, Jola's guards were still as watchful of her as they were of Jola.
Warring was in a state of chaos when Regina's army arrived. The majority of Warring's nobles from both the Tasman and Essam sides of the city had joined Chaney to overthrow the treaty. Consequently, most of the estates were now without nobles or soldiers. A delegation of merchants met their party, complaining that thieves and gangs ran rampant throughout the area. Besnik took a Horse troop to secure the estates in support of Duke Serkan. He also sent six Horse units ahead to Gotter, which Jola said would also be affected.
The real tragedy was the wives, sons, and daughters of those outlaw nobles. They were being thrown out of their homes with little except the clothes on their backs. Jola negotiated with Regina to give them one hundred silvers for each family member, and to allow them to take a few household items to begin their new lives as commoners. Many were innocent family members who had nothing to do with the decision to support Chaney. Jola visited each estate, and acted as the arbitrator in deciding what could be taken and what had to be left. Regina spent time with Duke Serkan to decide which nobles would receive the estates. Those who hadn't supported Chaney benefited by acquiring new lands or being elevated in rank.
Jola conducted judgments for the nobles in the area, and sentenced as outlaws those who didn't show. She judged twenty-five, found five guilty, and stripped them of their titles and lands. She stipulated that they not be confined, since they hadn't participated in the fighting. Jola thought the loss of titles and lands would be far worse to men who had known privilege all their lives.
It took Regina's captains four eightdays to restore order and prepare to move on.
* * *
By the time Regina's group reached Gotter, Besnik's soldiers had restored general order, secured the estates without nobles, and collected the nobles for judgment. Jola looked forward to seeing Gotter again. She had made good friends during her time there, friends who'd helped save her life. But first came the judgments.
Jola approached the platform in the center of the town square-the same platform on which she had exposed Shalea as a fake. She ascended the steps with Kit, Princess Regina, Duchess Olinda, Duke Kontar, and the guards, and then stopped at the top and turned around.
"Good morning, citizens of Gotter. A few of you may remember me as the heckler who exposed Tasman's fake judicator," Jola said, to a rumble of laughter. "I hope whomever I gave her rat snake to is pleased with it."
"Aye, it has wiped out half the rats in my neighborhood!" a woman shouted from the crowd, and the crowd roared with laughter.
"I owe you my thanks for helping me expose Shalea as a fake. You kept the nobles that supported Chaney from stopping me. Captain Marek kept Shalea's soldiers from killing me, and helped me escape the city. Toma, a street rat like me, helped keep me hidden, and Trader Sava gave me a beautiful horse to help me escape. I'm much indebted to all of you for your support and courage." Jola finished to boisterous cheering.
"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. Captain, would you read the first noble's name to be judged," Jola said, loud and clear.
"Marquess Stassio," the captain shouted, and Stassio was shoved to the front of the platform, a guard gripping each arm.
"Princess Regina, I appeal to you. This judicator had a bad experience in this city and probably blames me for not helping her more. She's not suited to judge me. She can say I lie when I tell the truth, and no one will know."
"Lord Stassio, if you don't trust me, I'd be glad to let the golden vipers judge you." Jola unwrapped her viper from her hair and held it out toward him. Stassio looked as if he couldn't speak, and merely shook his head as he stared at the viper.
"Lord Stassio, did you participate in the search for me after I exposed the fake judicator?" Jola asked.
"Yes... Mistress, I had a right, because you had killed a man," Stassio said with a small smile. Jola sensed truth shaded with evasiveness.
"Did you know I was a judicator?"
"I knew you claimed to be a judicator," Stassio replied, even more relaxed. Jola sensed the same truth and evasiveness.
"Did you know Shalea was a fake judicator?"
"I knew Chaney sent her to judge the trial of our three nobles accused of rape."
"Very clever, Lord Stassio. When is the truth not the truth? When it's a lie." Jola laughed. "Lord Stassio, did you knowingly take actions in support of the Tasman leader's treasonous efforts to break the Seven Provinces' Treaty?"
Stassio stood still and said nothing. His mouth worked several times but nothing came out.
"Lord Stassio, the people of Gotter are waiting for your answer. Surely, it isn't a difficult question." Jola waved toward the crowd.
Stassio still didn't answer. "All right, I'll ask an easier question. You ordered the search for me. Were your instructions to the groups that searched for me to have me killed?
"No," Stassio said. The falseness of his answer washed over her. Back in her hair, her viper rose from the top of her head, jaws open with fangs exposed. The viper in her lap also rose up, fangs showing.
"Enough, Lord Stassio. For the benefit of the citizens of Gotter, I'll summarize your answers. You knew Shalea wasn't a judicator, and that she would brand the women as whores and free the three nobles who raped them. You knew I was a judicator, and yet ordered my death. You supported Chaney's efforts to break the Seven Provinces' Treaty. Oh, and you stayed away from the fight so you wouldn't get hurt and could pretend you didn't support Chaney, if he lost."
"You see, Princess, Duke Serkan, she's prejudiced against me. I'm innocent," Stassio said as Jola stood.
"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving Lord Stassio's involvement with Chaney's effort to dissolve the Seven Provinces' Treaty," Jola chanted, as Stassio continued to plead to the princess and Duke Serkan. "I decree the following:
"First, Lord Stassio is guilty of treason.
"Second, Stassio forfeits his title and lands.
"Third, Stassio spends the rest of his life confined to the iron mines.
"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."
Jola looked back at the princess and Duke Serkan, who nodded agreement.
Jola heard fifteen more judgments; she found three guilty and they forfeited their titles and lands. At last, she reached down and picked up Kit, who had been too fascinated by the crowd to sleep. "Well, Kit, are you hungry yet?" Jola knew Kit had probably been hungry for the past hour.
"Yes, Mistress." Kit gave Jola a big hug, ignoring the vipers that seemed to ignore her.
"How do we know you're a real judicator?" a well-dressed woman shouted. Jola guessed
she was probably the wife or daughter of a nobleman who had lost his title and lands.
"Actually, there is only one way. Judicators are immune to a viper's poison," Jola said. She understood the resentment of wives and children of nobles who had by their actions displaced them. As she reached up her own arm, her viper coiled around it with its head at her wrist. Its fangs struck the artery. "Now the only way we can prove whether or not it's poisonous is for you to allow it to strike you."
The crowd shouted for the woman to go see, but the woman ran off.
"That was quite a demonstration, Mistress Jola," Serkan said with a laugh.
"But it proves nothing unless someone tests the snake," Jola said, grinning.
"Even if it wasn't poisonous, I doubt anyone would call your bluff."
"In reality," Jola said, as the second viper struck the artery in her other arm, "it was having supper, and not injecting me with poison. I suspect she was the wife of a former noble. In that case, she's just distraught and angry at having lost the only life she has ever known."
"We nobles have much to learn, and much to lose," Serkan said, almost to himself.
* * *
The trip to Etzel was slow, as they stopped in Egon for judgments. Jola found no nobles guilty of anything except one, and he only of bad behavior, which cost him one hundred silvers. The judgments in Etzel also found no nobles guilty of treason. Their offenses were merely an intellectual agreement with Chaney against the restrictions on them.
She had become fond of Duke Serkan over the past ten eightdays together. He had changed a great deal from the leader she had met two seasons before, when she and Tenzen had passed through on the way to Gotter. She hoped that the judgments in Essam, Tasman, and Sattah had likewise helped to enlighten most of the remaining nobles as to what they had to lose.
* * *
Finally, they left for Rador and the town of Lucien, which Jola had only briefly visited with Tenzen on their way to Kasava. She remembered it as a small town built on a low hill surrounded by rolling plains-the separation of green from yellow, from cool and hot.
On entering the town, Princess Regina decided to visit the inn, The Easy Traveler-to arrange for rooms, to visit the local lord, and in general to be visible to the people. As Jola dismounted, a blond girl came streaking across the street toward her. Jola just had time to shout, "Captain, she's a friend!" before Rosa enveloped her in her arms.
"You're alive! Where is Sister Tenzen? Who is this girl? Where are you going?"
"Stop, Sister Rosa; I can answer only one question at a time. Let's find a place to sit, and I'll answer all your questions. I've a few of my own," Jola said, noting Rosa's eyes on the two vipers.
"Sister Tenzen is dead, isn't she?" Rosa asked, her face pale.
"Yes. We've lost much in the past two seasons," Jola said. "And gained much-meet Kit, my ward."
Rosa looked down at the frail little girl and saw a kindred child. "Kit, I'm Mistress Jola's friend, and I'd like to be yours." Rosa was shocked when the little girl put her arms around her neck and gave her a hug.
"Sure," Kit said.
Rosa was horrified, and then instantly relieved when she realized that the vipers didn't bite the little girl.
"The vipers ignore her," Jola said with a shrug. "Let's go into the inn and get something to eat. Kit is always hungry."
The inn had tables outside under a tree, where the maid brought them pastries and greenberry juice. They spent the next two hours bringing each other up to date on what had happened over the last several seasons. Rosa and Kassandra had spent their time touring Manito, Kasava, and Rador. They had returned to the monastery, where the sisters had decided that Rosa was qualified to ride a circuit on her own. Her current assignment was Rador and Kasava. Rosa finished her update by sharing several of the cases she had heard since she had finished her apprenticeship.
"How do you like being on your own?" Jola asked. Her face felt tired from smiling so much; she felt proud of her sister.
"It's strange and lonely on one hand, and yet it's a very satisfying feeling," Rosa said.
Jola detailed everything that had happened on the campaign. She told Rosa about how Tenzen had died, about her own narrow escape, about the judgments in Sattah, the capture of Corvus and Tarquay, the judgments in Essam, and finally, about her experience with Naga.
"Was it real, Sister Jola?" Rosa glanced around to be sure no one was near.
"I think so, but you've to remember that at the time I was close to death. It did sound a lot like I imagined the God Naga to be, based on the reality that none of the sisters admit to having seen him," Jola said. "But that may be the problem. Maybe I was hallucinating. I can't prove it, but I think I talked to Naga."
"What he said makes sense to me. It also seems consistent with the kind of women the golden vipers select. Are you going to tell our sisters?"
"I don't know... would you?" She had been too busy to think about it before.
"I don't know either. Somehow, I don't think you should. It sounds like he would rather it remained a mystery." Rosa grinned. "I promise to keep it a secret, until you decide."
"Thank you."
"I'll keep it a secret, too," Kit said, shocking Jola and Rosa, who had forgotten about their young companion.
"Thank you, Kit," Jola said, silently telling herself she needed to be more careful around her ever-present ward.
* * *
Jola left the next day with Princess Regina and the army, on their way to Northgate and Lappin. It took twelve days to get to Northgate, where Regina planned to rest her army for an eightday before pressing on to Lappin.
"Mistress Jola, do you plan to go to Lappin with us? Or do you've other plans?" Regina asked, a few days before the army planned to leave Northgate.
"There's no reason for me to go to Lappin. I think it's time that I get my ward to the monastery, before she exhausts your army's rations completely," Jola said, and laughed. "In fact, I probably should take extra supplies with me."
"I'd like to send at least half of your guards with you to the monastery, although it's probably unnecessary. We upset a lot of people during our campaign," Regina said. "In fact, I think you and your sisters should consider whether guards would be appropriate in the future, based upon the trouble you've encountered in the past three seasons. Don't give me an answer right now. Give the sisterhood a chance to consider the pros and cons before you decide."
"Thank you, Princess Regina. You're right that it isn't something I can decide on my own. And there is the fact that our taking foreign troops across provincial lines on circuit would be in violation of the treaty. Perhaps with the king's permission, a way could be worked out. I thank you for your offer of security to Astraea, but it won't be necessary. Kit and I shouldn't encounter any trouble in Tyrol. It'll be hard, leaving my guards, since I've become quite fond of them. I'm going to miss them," Jola said.
Regina laughed. "Captain Rankin told me much the same thing. In fact, he suggested you needed a security guard to Astraea. They see you more as one of themselves. You haven't only been a good traveling companion and an excellent judicator, but also a teacher. I hope we'll see much of you over the years."
* * *
Kit and Jola made good time to Iron Hills, arriving in four days. The trip alone with Kit had been wonderful. She had an unending supply of questions about every animal, plant and person they passed. She kept Jola entertained and amused. Kit was starting to feel like her daughter. Jola wasn't sure whether that was good or bad; however, she found she enjoyed the experience.
They were warmly greeted at Iron Hills by Marquess Thomas, who had come to terms with Jola's last visit.
"Your advice about the prisoners was correct, Mistress Jola. I've improved their food and provided a rest time, and they've been less trouble and more productive," Thomas said as he walked her and Kit to their quarters. "The new prisoners arrived only three eightdays ago, and are still adjusting. I'm afraid they won't appreciate our improved
conditions."
"No, Lord Thomas. The tragedy is, they had so much and they threw it away," Jola said. "I hope you don't mind if I eat with the prisoners tonight."
"Normally, I'd be insulted, but you had such a positive effect on them last time that I'd have suggested it if you didn't." Thomas laughed. "But I'll be hurt if you don't breakfast with me tomorrow."
"Kit and I would be delighted." Jola smiled. Lord Thomas signaled a guard, who escorted her and her ward to the prisoners' mess hall.
She waited until everyone had been seated to enter, to avoid any trouble.
"Good evening, Mistress. I hope your companion isn't a new prisoner," the guard at the entrance said, trying to keep a straight face.
"She's dangerous, Corporal, but so far she hasn't been charged with a crime," Jola said. "Although she has stolen a few hearts."
That caused the guard, and another who was close by, to have a hearty laugh.
"I haven't stolen anything since I promised," Kit said indignantly, which caused even more laughter. Jola and Kit entered the hall, looked around and headed for a table where she recognized several individuals.
"You bitch," someone screamed, as several ex-nobles jumped up and headed toward Jola, who pushed Kit behind her. This proved unnecessary, since guards leaped into a circle around her and Kit, the old-time prisoners met the former nobles before they could get close to her, and a huge fight broke out.
"Should we break it up, Mistress?" the sergeant asked, obviously not in a hurry to do anything since the ex-nobles were getting the worst of it.
"It looks like a friendly argument that will probably break up soon. Besides, I wouldn't want any of your men to get hurt accidentally," Jola said. Kit peeked out from under her arm and the heads of her two vipers remained turned in the direction of the fight, one viper with its head on her shoulder, and one with its head on hers. Eventually, the fighting slowed.
"Gentlemen, my dinner is going to get cold if you continue!" Jola shouted, and the room became suddenly quiet. The old timers turned and went back to their tables. Several of the guards started helping up the beaten and bloody nobles, and prodding them out the door. "We'll get you lot bandaged up," one of the guards said.