“You have endured much, Carl. Your wound is deep, deeper than any of the others know. And yet, with time, you may heal, for you are strong. Strong.” She pulled her hand away, and the world snapped back into focus, bringing with it the hollow feeling that had haunted him since the Ka-lar’s bite. He tried to keep her eyes on his, but she turned toward Karul and spoke to him for some time. Karul nodded and spoke, and Fabaris translated to Finn, who relayed the information to the group.
“He says he is glad we have brought back their companions, but he says he can’t, or won’t, I’m not quite sure, but at any rate, the Maer that we killed, something has to happen, I don’t know what the word means.” Finn spoke to Fabaris again, who then replied at some length, with Finn interrupting him a couple of times before finally nodding and repeating a word. “Karul cannot decide for himself what to do. They have something called a Parzek, I think it’s a kind of trial maybe, and a number of Maer have to be present, to decide what to do with us, I guess.”
“And when is this Parzek?” Carl asked, troubled by the idea of their fate being decided by a group of Maer, but glad at least it was not to be a snap decision. The more he saw of the Maer, the more impressed he was by how civilized they were, despite their primitive lifestyle.
Finn spoke to Fabaris, who answered at some length, smiling all the while.
“It begins tomorrow at dawn,” Finn explained, “and he says that until then, we are their guests, and we will enjoy their best food, drink, and song. I think he said song, but it might have been...”
Carl lost the train of what Finn was saying as Ujenn’s eyes fell on him again, deep, bright, knowing. She blinked, turned, and disappeared through a doorway behind the chair where Karul had been sitting. Carl stood searching for his breath for a moment, realizing suddenly that Sinnie had taken his elbow and was turning him around, and he slowly came back to his senses as they walked out of the keep, back through the barricade, which four Maer swung aside for them, and out into the bailey, where the sun was harsh and blinding. They were led to a spot near the east wall of the bailey, where a large reed screen had been stretched across two bits of crumbled wall, and three neat piles of rushes had been laid out for them. Carl turned and stared at the keep, his thoughts swinging between the uncertain judgment of the Parzek and the hope of seeing Ujenn again, of her touching his face and speaking to him in words only he could understand. As strange as it was to feel this way about a woman covered in hair from head to foot, he would have gladly endured a hundred Parzeks if it meant spending another minute with her hand on his face.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Sinnie took a sip from the wooden bowl and passed it to Carl. Ujenn’s concoction was thick with crushed herbs, with a bitter, almost medicinal taste, not unlike what Elder Gummache had given them to fend off the terror of the Ka-lar, only without the heavy dose of alcohol. Once Finn and Carl had had their sip, Ujenn said a few words and touched each of their foreheads, bringing a lightness, a clarity unlike anything Sinnie had ever known. Suddenly she could understand everything that was being said around her; it was if all the Maer were speaking perfect Islish. The bowl was shared with Fabaris, Karul, Luez, and Melka, as well as the five Maer seated on tree stumps facing them, which included the two Maer females they had brought back, Grisol, Dunil’s mother, and Pulua, the mother of baby Margola, as well as another Maer female and two males. Sinnie, Carl, and Finn stood front and center, with the five Maer seated before them, about fifteen feet away. The four Maer leaders sat to their left: Karul, the leader, Melka, the lieutenant, Luez, the female with the sword and vest, and Ujenn, the enchantress, or whatever she was. Fabaris stood to the side nearest Sinnie, where a number of scrolls had been laid out on a rock. Ceramic bowls filled with dried reeds and some kind of animal fat burned on tall stumps on either side of them, giving off a harsh, faintly herbal smoke.
Fabaris stepped forward, facing the Maer leaders but equally in view of all present, held his arms wide, and smiled.
“Greetings to all who have been convened here for the first Parzek of Castle Maer,” he said, his voice rich and full, perhaps amplified by the effect of Ujenn’s potion. “Three stand to be judged, the humans named Carl, Sinnie, and Finn, of Brocland, for the deaths of eleven Maer, including five males, four females, and two children. Nine sit in judgment, including two who lost family in the events, Grisol and Pulua, as well as three who have no direct connection to the events, and the council of leaders, excluding myself, who stand as an impartial arbiter. If any here present feel they should not be part of this Parzek for any reason, let them step forward and say so.” Sinnie looked to Carl, whose face was oddly calm, and Finn, who looked like he was ready to throw up, though he did smile weakly as she caught his eye. No one spoke for a long moment, after which Fabaris stepped over to Grisol, gesturing for her to stand.
“Grisol, you were present at the killings of the three women and two children, were you not?”
Grisol nodded, her eyes bright and wet. “I was.”
“Can you please name the deceased, so that they may be remembered, and so that they may have justice through the Parzek?”
Grisol closed her eyes, tears soaking the hair on her cheeks. When she opened them again, she spoke, her voice quavering at first, but growing steadier as she went. “First was Dasta, the son of Pulua, a boy of twelve, who we now know was shot and killed by the human called Sinnie as he stood guard outside the cave. My cousin Seree was the first to fall under the sword of the human they call Nicolas, who burst into the cave swinging his sword at anything that moved. Next came Muray, a girl of just ten—ten!” her voice rose to a shout, then grew quiet again. “She was cut down in an instant, then her mother, Farann, who had no time to react before she was run through. It was then that Rhea bravely charged the human called Nicolas and tumbled with him out of the cave and down onto the rocks, where she died.” Grisol closed her eyes, and Fabaris put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“We thank you for naming those who have moved on beyond the abyss, to the place of peace that awaits us all.”
The Maer all closed their eyes, and Sinnie saw Finn follow suit, while Carl’s eyes were fixed on Ujenn. Sinnie kneed Carl and closed her eyes, hoping he did the same. The room was silent for a minute or more, until at last Fabaris spoke, and everyone opened their eyes.
“Grisol, were any of the three humans before us present at the time of the killings?”
Grisol turned her eyes to Carl, who looked down for a moment before meeting her gaze. “The human called Carl came into the cave just after Rhea tumbled down with Nicolas. Carl harmed none of us. I did not witness the arrow that killed Dasta, but it could only have come from the bow of the human named Sinnie. The human named Finn was injured near the place where Rhea died, so he may have played a part in her death, but I do not know for sure.”
Fabaris nodded, fiddling with the tiny braids hanging from his chin. “Carl of Brocland, do you have anything to add to this account?”
Carl looked to Finn, then Sinnie, and stepped forward. “It is as she says. We had been ambushed by six Maer warriors, who had blocked off the road and killed at least three humans that we know of, including two children named Samuel and August. We were fortunate enough to defeat them, and fearing they were part of a larger group that threatened Brocland, we set out to find the rest of the group, to neutralize the threat. When we found the cave, we did not know how many Maer there were, so we planned for Sinnie to shoot the lookout, who was hiding behind a rock, then Nicolas and I would storm the cave while Finn backed up Sinnie. Nicolas arrived before I did, and by the time I had entered the cave...” he paused, looking at Grisol, then Pulua, then quickly over at Ujenn before turning back to Fabaris. “I saw what he had done, and my heart was sickened.” He paused, looking down at his hands, then looked up again, scanning the audience. “And yet, I understood.”
The Maer seated before him gasped, and Fabaris calmed them with a gesture. Sinnie glared at Carl, but he ignored her.
“Please tell the Parzek what you understood,” Fabaris said, his voice calm and clear.
“Ever since our childhood, we heard stories of the Maer, half-man, half-beast, we were told, savage beyond all reckoning, murderous, cunning and vicious.” Sinnie swallowed the lump in her throat as Carl spoke, watching the inscrutable faces of the Maer. She wanted him to stop, but she didn’t know if she could do a better job of explaining it than Carl, whose voice remained calm in the face of this strange ritual, a feat she was not sure could equal.
“I know of no one besides those present, and now the residents of Brocland, who has ever met a Maer,” he continued. “They, you, have always been creatures of legend, stories to scare the children on dark nights. And our first encounter with the Maer did little to change this impression. We were ambushed, shot at with arrows, attacked with swords and spears, for the simple crime of walking down the road toward our home. And when we learned soon afterward that two of the village boys, August and Samuel, had been killed by those same Maer, our decision to pursue the remaining members of the group was inevitable.” Carl paused, looked to Sinnie and Finn for support. Finn nodded, and Sinnie closed her eyes and nodded as well. There was no point in hiding the truth; if the Maer were determined to find them guilty regardless, what they said would not matter. And if they were inclined to listen impartially, only the truth would serve.
“At the same time,” Carl continued, turning slowly from Fabaris to the five Maer seated before them, “We quickly realized the Maer were not in fact the monsters we had been led to believe. Their bodies were no different than ours, save for a bit more hair. They had language, they had culture. They decorated their clothing. They cremated and buried their dead. Other than the fact that they seemed to lack the knowledge to work metal, they were, you are, no different than we. I have thought long and hard about this, and there can be only one conclusion. There are no Maer, no humans. They are, we are, one people.” He said this last line directly to Ujenn, whose expression remained mysterious, but there seemed to be the hint of a smile on her lips.
Several of the Maer nodded their heads, while others looked skeptical. Fabaris nodded, putting out his hand again to regain the group’s attention.
“These...larger philosophical questions, however fascinating and important they may be, are not exactly germane to the question before the Parzek today.” Fabaris rotated his gaze through the two groups of Maer before turning back to Carl. “Is it true that Sinnie killed Dasta, the boy who was on lookout?” Carl looked toward Sinnie, then back at Fabaris, who nodded, gesturing for Sinnie to step forward. Carl stepped back as she did.
“It is.” Sinnie forced herself to make eye contact with Grisol, and Pulua, the boy’s mother. “I shot him while he was on lookout, hiding behind a rock at the foot of the hill beneath the cave, though I had no idea he was a child. I couldn’t see him that well. I did not want to do it, but I had little choice. The Maer had threatened our village, killed Samuel and August, as well as the livery boy from Kelsey, and, we thought, an old woman from the village, though we later determined that was the work of the Ka-lar.” At the mention of the creature, the audience stirred, and the leaders conferred among themselves for a moment, out of earshot. Fabaris quickly brought everyone back to attention.
“So in essence, you believe your killing of Dasta was in self-defense, or in defense of your village, your friends and family?” Fabaris asked, sounding sincere.
“I do. And maybe that’s what Nicolas thought, but I cannot speak for him. I can only say that we were all horrified—” she paused and made eye contact with each of the Maer before her. “Horrified at what Nicolas had done. When I looked into that cave, what I saw...” Sinnie held her hand in front of her face for a moment, holding back tears. “And when I think that the children had to see that, that mothers and sisters and...” She paused again, swallowing and forcing herself to stand up straight. “We are truly sorry for what happened. And I’m sure if Nicolas were here—” Fabaris stopped her by holding up his index finger.
“The case of Nicolas will be set aside until a future date, when we can speak with him directly. You need not speak for him, unless he has asked that you do so.” Sinnie shook her head, and Fabaris nodded, then turned toward Finn.
“Have you anything to add to this account, Finn of Brocland?”
Finn took a tentative step forward, and Sinnie stepped back, letting out a long and painful sigh. “I do,” he said, and Fabaris gestured for him to continue. Finn took another step forward. “I was at the base of the hill when I saw Nicolas tumble out of the cave mouth, grappled by the one you call Rhea. They both lay stunned for a moment, but then I saw Rhea get to her feet and draw a large knife, and I...” Finn looked at Sinnie, who blinked her assent. The Maer already knew what he was, and they had their own mage, so there was no point trying to hide it. “I made a great leap, as far as my powers would take me, and knocked Rhea back into a rock, where she hit her head. I tumbled down into a crevice, breaking my elbow in the process. I later learned that Nicolas killed her shortly thereafter.”
Fabaris raised his eyebrows, pointing his gaze at Ujenn, who nodded. “So you used your...powers, to jump more than fifty feet up a hill, striking Rhea as she was about to stab your friend?”
Finn nodded, biting his lip. “It was a split-second decision, and I had no idea what had happened in that cave. I saw my companion about to be killed, and I defended him. I, too, am sorry, and not just for Rhea. For my part in all of it, I am sorry.”
Fabaris gestured Finn back, then turned toward Grisol. “The humans here present have expressed that their actions were taken in self-defense, and that they are sorry for the consequences. And yet it seems to me that the origins of these actions, the root cause, if you will, lies with the actions of your group, led by your deceased husband, Roubay, who has gone beyond.” He paused, putting his hand over his heart, then continued. “As he is not here to represent himself, and as you were present during the time when Roubay and the other men allegedly blocked the road and killed several humans, we would all be best served if you could give some account of how this all came to be. If—” Fabaris paused, looking to Karul, who was conferring with Luez. Karul motioned him over. Fabaris showed an index finger to the humans and the five Maer before them, then strode over to Karul, who spoke with him in an animated whisper for a few moments, looking to Luez, who nodded and added a few words.
Fabaris turned, smiled broadly, and crossed between the two groups, taking his position again with his table of scrolls behind him.
“Due to some...procedural questions, we are going to take a recess, and we will reconvene after lunch. Carl, Sinnie, Finn, you will be escorted back to the bailey, where food will be brought to you. Thank you all,” he said with finality, then turned, picked up the basket of scrolls, and joined the other Maer leaders, while Grisol and the other four Maer made their way out, avoiding eye contact with the humans. The six warriors, who had apparently been waiting right outside the curtain, entered and gestured toward the door. Two led the way, and four came in behind them as they passed through the warren of poorly separated rooms inside the crumbling walls of the keep. Once in the bailey, Sinnie’s group was free to roam, as the six Maer split up, three joining the forces at the gatehouse and the other three standing guard outside the keep.
Sinnie walked up to Carl, who stood staring at the sky. She wanted to touch his shoulder; in the past, she would have, but ever since the Ka-lar, his body language made it clear he did not want to be close to anyone. Except, apparently, Ujenn, whose charm seemed to have taken hold of him more deeply than it had her or Finn, perhaps for the obvious reasons. Sinnie felt a little jealous, not because she wanted anything from Carl, but because whatever strange mind-space he was in, the only one who got through to him at all was a Maer sorceress he had literally just met the day before.
“How do you like our chances?” she asked.
Carl nodded, turning halfway to make eye contact. “We’ll be fine,�
�� he said, “as long as that damned Luez doesn’t poison the well.”
“Yeah, what’s her deal anyway?” Sinnie wondered aloud. “And where’d she get that leather vest? It looks a damned sight comfier than this haunted chainmail.”
Carl gave a silent chuckle. “She’s clearly the brains of the operation. And a vest like that, which looks like it was fitted just for her, requires close contact with someone who knows how to make such things, which as far as I can see, wouldn’t be the Maer. So, I figure she has a powerful human friend somewhere, or at least a rich one.”
“Which is basically the same thing, if you think about it,” Sinnie added.
Carl grunted. “At any rate, Fabaris seems to be a fair arbiter, and it doesn’t feel like the cards are stacked against us,” he said. “At least not any worse than in a human court.”
Sinnie nodded. Would she have been convicted in the killing of the lookout if he were human? The Maer who had ambushed them would surely count as self-defense, but she wasn’t so sure about the lookout. She guessed it would depend on who he was looking out for, but she would have a solid case to make. In a human court, there should be no problem for her, or for Carl, or Finn. Nicolas, on the other hand, was another matter. Though she doubted a human court would convict him, the Maer, if they ever got hold of him, would likely not take long to deliver their verdict.
“Luu-uunch,” Finn called. Carl followed her to their little camp, where a board with three bowls of some kind of stew had been laid atop a flat rock. Carl picked up his bowl, blew on it and took a bite, chewing and staring off into the sky like before.
“And?” Finn asked, his expression dubious.
“Mushrooms,” Carl said, shoveling in another spoonful. “With a touch of fish. Not bad, but needs salt.”
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