Part 21
Pincini called several nobles to testify about various aspects. When they saw what, who was where, etc. Each of them slipped up upon Thrall's examination of them. Pincini's mood continued to sour, and San'Heed was nearly apoplectic by this point. Thrall's talents in the area of Silvermoon legal proceedings was clearly angering him more and more as the hours passed.
Thrall called three of the nobles who had accompanied Kel'Norat, and then called several guards. But it was when he called the first child to the stand that San'Heed lost his cool.
"You dare bring children in here, asking this court to take serious the supposed testimony of children who would say anything to anyone simply for the price of a piece of bread?" San'Heed shouted. "And children, no less, who have nothing except contempt for the nobility anyway, and would naturally lie about them any chance they got?" He was puffing by the time he was done, his ears vibrating in his rage.
"I would remind the Court," Thrall said in that deeply chilling voice, "that both of the main witnesses here are nobles. If these children would lie about any and every noble, then they must naturally lie about both of them. Because their claims are opposite, this is quite impossible.
"I would also remind the court that simply because a person is hungry doesn't mean that person is a liar," His voice, if it were possible, had grown even more cold and harsh.
San'Heed struggled to get himself under control. "I won't allow it! This is my court, mine!"
The Regent stepped forward and whispered in San'Heed's ear. San'Heed turned on him, then subsided. "Of course, Lord Regent, thank you for the reminder," he said, his voice vibrating still with his considerable rage.
"I am reminded that the law provides for it. Very well, you may call your riffraff to testify. I cannot make the Counsel accept their testimony, however," he said testily.
Thrall bowed as elegantly as any orc ever had, and called some of the street urchins, as well as several of the guards to testify.
The court took a recess then to allow people to eat. Thrall ate while he consulted with the contingent that had come with him, and the rest of the crowd simply seemed to expand, people sitting and eating right where they were. The lunch was late, the sun already crawling a good distance from its apex down towards the horizon.
Nerissa was ravenous, and when Nantu pulled cornbread out of her pack, ate as if to stave off death itself. The others seemed just as hungry (except Malovici, of course, who only ate for purposes of restoration, not sustenance)—the whole group seemed to have skipped breakfast, much to their discomfort throughout the morning and afternoon.
Ferruk noticed Nerissa's clear discomfort. She looked stressed and out of sorts, eating in silence beside him. "What's bothering you?" he asked her quietly.
She looked up at him and smiled wanly, "I didn't expect this. And I'm not certain that Thrall's antics are helping, I fear it may be the opposite. If it were a closed court, I suspect San'Heed would have refused to even allow him to be my ambassador at all. I almost think that might have been better." She looked at Ferruk guiltily.
Ferruk shook his head, "Baby, I'm sorry, but this is bigger than you, than us. This could determine the future of any such marriage, and it could determine the future of Groll and Shantille, as well as the entire alliance between the Horde and Silvermoon. Your people aren't particularly stringent about keeping the law, and they've made some poor moves since entering the alliance. This farce of a trial is one of them."
He gently kissed her on top of her head, "I'm sorry, I know you're scared. Everything is going to be okay. Thrall will make sure of it."
Nerissa nodded, but he saw tears in her eyes as she looked back down and continued eating. He suddenly realized that she didn't want to be the focus of so much public attention. And he also realized that it was usually the ones who least wanted to change the world that ended up doing so. She'd just wanted to marry the man she loved and get on with her life…
Sometimes, that was exactly what change was made of. Someone who simply wanted something that everyone else took for granted, but that was denied to him or her.
He wanted desperately to hold her, but knew that letting her get herself together would be the better course to take.
For now.
After the recess, the Court once more continued. Thrall called another child to witness, and Pincini walked up for his turn to question. He brought with him a succulent rhino dog, taking a single bite out of it before setting it in front of the elven boy sitting in The Seat on the opposite side of the Podium from The Book. No doubt the scent of the freshly cooked dog wafted straight to the child's nose.
"I say, you claim that you saw that woman riding through the Rogues Quarter with a group of six men?" he asked the boy.
"Tha's right," the boy replied. It was clear that he was hungry, his eyes focused entirely upon the rhino dog sitting in front of him.
"Well, what's in it for you, answering these questions?" Pincini asked, pulling the rhino dog slightly away from the boy.
"The man what asked me to speak 'ere tol' me dat it's very important to be hones' here, cuz this is important stuff what might effect the future of all of Silvermoon, maybe even Azeroth itself," the boy replied.
"Come now," Pincini said in a voice clearly meant to be kind, but which simply came out condescending instead, "surely you have important issues of your own to deal with?
"I tell you what, son. If you will simply tell the truth and say you never saw those people, I'll give you that rhino dog right there."
"But tha's a lie," the boy said. "I ain't gonna say dat."
"Did the man that came to you even offer you anything at all to come talk here? Was he simply going to let you starve? How cruel. I'm offering to help you, to feed you. All you have to do is tell the truth, admit that you never saw those people," Pincini said, his voice wheedling and soft.
"I says tha's a lie!" the boy shouted. "I ain't gonna lie, cuz I ain't no lyin' noble, I'm a real person, I'm a good person. We's don't lie none when it really matters, like you do. You shove dat right up your fancy ass, motherfucker!"
At the same time, Thrall had sprung to his feet, his voice cutting across the area as he roared, "What insanity is this?"
Pincini stood staring in shock and amazement. He'd never before realized just how much the lower classes hated the nobility. The crowd behind him murmured and gasped, obviously many were coming to the same realization themselves. Nor had he expected the visible outrage on all the orc's faces.
Pincini said, "I have no further questions for this… this… individual." His voice was angry, arrogant, and defensive. He picked up the rhino dog and walked back to his seat.
As the boy got down from the chair, Thrall stopped him. Walking over to Pincini, Thrall yanked the rhino dog right out of the man's hand—just as it was nearing his mouth for another bite. He walked back to the boy and handed him the food. "You're right, anyone who would do that to another person really is a motherfucker, isn't he?" he said to the boy, who grinned through the rhino dog that was now stuffed in his mouth.
"Damn straight!" he said with his full mouth as he ran off to the group of kids.
"And speaking of which," Thrall said, "somebody feed those kids. They've done their job, they were promised nothing, but they won't leave here without at least a meal, by my honor!" His voice was bellowing now, anger written in every line of his body. It was clear that Pincini had crossed a line with Thrall, and at the roaring voice, Pincini sunk into his stool, as if trying to disappear.
Thrall walked over to him, "Don't you try that shit again, you bastard, or on my honor, alliance or no alliance, I'll kill you where you stand!" He towered over Pincini for a moment before getting himself under control and returning to his seat. He glared daggers at San'Heed who had the uncommon courtesy to blush, his ears drooping in shame for a moment.
"Mr. Na'Vek, your behavior was totally out of line. If you commit any such infraction again, this Court will see to it that you are banned from ambassadorial work in the future!" he snapped pompously, regaining his composure and saving face for himself.
Shocked conversation arose behind them, the crowd alarmed by this turn of events. In Sin'Dorei society, it was of little importance to treat the street urchins poorly. Most believed that they were petty thieves and would grow up to be the same or worse. Thus while it was obvious that Thrall found it to be a terrible affront, the elves were shocked that San'Heed would speak so sharply about it. To ban an ambassador of Court was a very, very serious thing. But San'Heed had noticed more the Lord Regent's shocked and livid face, than Thrall's.
It was this which caused him to lay down such a sharp and searing condemnation.
While the children were being fed, the trial continued. To everyone's surprise, it was the Priest who had held the ceremony whom Thrall called next. He was venerated amongst the elves. "Pettere, I won't trouble you long. Can you tell us who asked you to officiate over the wedding of Nerissa and Vranesh?"
"It vas Queervis," said the Priest. "Nice feller, dun sees him he-uh."
"I'm afraid he died last night," Thrall told him.
"Pity, 'e vas in such a huwway fo' his bwothah ta mawwy dat gurl, but I didn't wanna watch dem consumvate, ya know," Pettere said.
"And who asked you to watch the consummation?" Thrall asked.
"Queervis," said Pettere. "Nice boy."
"Quardis asked you to watch the consummation?"
"Yes. Say, yew a orc?" asked Pettere.
"Indeed, I am, Sir," Thrall told him, with another flourishing bow. Then, "Where was the troll while this was taking place?"
"Twoll? What twoll?" Pettere asked.
"That troll right over there, where was she during the ceremony?" Thrall asked.
"Nevah seen dat twoll," Pettere replied.
"And the orc sitting there, where was he?" Pettere shook his head, "Twasn't there."
The same answer came for each of the other two as well.
Thrall thanked him and then motioned to Pincini that he was done.
Pincini stood up, and pointed at the Regent. "Can you tell us who that man is?" he asked Pettere.
"No, can't say as ah can," said Pettere.
"So, you don't recognize the leader of our people?" Pincini asked.
Pettere shrugged, "Dun pay 'tention ta who leadin no mower."
"Thank you, I'm done here," said Pincini.
Thrall chuckled. He was not impressed with the 'You don't know your leader? You must be senile!' defense.
The last witness was Pincini's. He called an elf up to the stand named Jeris De'Mar.
"Mr. De'Mar, what is your relationship to the petitioning witness?" Pincini asked him.
"I am the overseer of the House," the man replied.
"And what can you tell us about how Nerissa Mequa ended up in the house last night?" Pincini asked.
"I know only that she arrived in the evening, in the company of those four individuals," Jeris replied.
"Thank you," Pincini told him.
He ceded the floor to Thrall, who stood up and slowly approached the chair where Jeris sat beside The Book.
"You organize the household, is that how I understand it?" Thrall asked.
"Yes."
"So you could tell me who does what around the household and the rest of the estate?" Thrall continued.
"Yes."
"Who is the housekeeper for Quardis?"
"Thelissa Neriance."
"The name of the stablemaster?"
"Ardell Tho'Ras."
Thrall continued to grill the man about the names of various positions in the household for nearly three minutes.
"Who hires the guards?"
"I do."
"Who abducts women for Vranesh and Quardis' pleasures?"
"Tarisseil An'Rok."
"Thank you."
After an instant of unbelieving silence, absolute pandemonium broke out in the crowd behind Thrall. Tarisseil found himself in the center of an angry mob, the entire crowd bursting into a frenzy of absolute, sheer rage, with him at the center of the emotional inferno. Guards rushed down the steps around the assembled Court, other guards swarming up the streets from behind, and guards in the center of the melee trying to get to and possibly protect Tarisseil—or at least be able to say they tried.
A mass of flailing bodies surged around the trapped man, several people being thrown down in the process. The trumpeter blew a short note on his trumpet, but the crowd ignored it entirely.
San'Heed shrieked and yelled and screamed, demanding order. He was ignored also.
A woman shrieked as she was shoved down and stepped on, and suddenly even the orcs got into the fray, rushing forward to protect Thrall and the group he was serving.
Whitecrow, being a man of reason and also one practiced in managing crowds, pulled his shotgun out, aimed it into the sky, and fire a single explosive shot.
Quiet fell, punctuated by the sobbing, injured woman.
Thrall's voice cut across the crowd. "Look at yourselves! You're acting like a bunch of hyenas, fighting over a scrap of bone! Let the authorities have Tarisseil, and let him stand a proper trial!"
San'Heed, visibly shaken by the whole affair, looked to the Regent, "I think we'll adjourn for the day, and take this up at dawn tomorrow?" Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron nodded coolly at him, and the guards forcibly disbursed the crowd.
Also terribly shaken, Nerissa hid in Ferruk's arms the moment the Court was released.
Thrall turned to them with a sigh. "I didn't realize they would react quite like that," he said. "Elves always seem so reserved and stodgy."
Nerissa nodded against Ferruk, then said simply, "Not all the time."
"Mmm, yes," Thrall agreed, "so I see."
Ferruk told Thrall, "If I didn't say it before, I'm really grateful that you're here."
Thrall shrugged, but smiled, "I'd like to think you'd do the same for me," he told Ferruk.
Ferruk nodded, "Of course.
"I wonder if we could have a word," he asked Thrall. "The last few days have been very stressful and eventful."
"I can see that. I definitely think we need to talk, because you have some explaining to do as to why your eyes look demon-tainted," he said soberly. "The explanation I've had so far was not all that informative. If the Legion is starting this up again, then we need to take steps immediately."
"I don't think that's it," Ferruk told him, "though we know they're always trying to some degree. It seems this was a special case.
"Shall we go somewhere to talk about it, perhaps the inn?"
Thrall nodded, and they went to the Inn, with the orcs that had come with Thrall in tow. The group found a smaller, out-of-the-way table, and the other orcs took up rather protective positions at other tables all around them. This effectively cut off any chances for eavesdropping, had any of the patrons in the inn wanted to do so.
Shame-faced, Ferruk told the whole story. He held back little, and nothing of importance. Nor did he hold back those parts that implicated him. He admitted his behavior, the results, and the experience with Keleseth.
"I am ready," he told Thrall, "to accept the consequences of my dishonor. I know I must now be exiled."
Thrall sat back, the heavy wooden chair creaking in protest. "Have you considered the consequences of exile to your wife?" he asked after considering for a few moments.
Ferruk's heart sank, "I had, but that was before the trial happened."
"There are far-reaching consequences to all of what has happened here. To your choice to attack your friend, and then abandon them to the tender mercies of this madman. To the choice you've both made to get married. To the assault upon the household of a higher ranking noble." Thrall shook his head. "You bunch have wrought trouble everywhere you've gone, changing things, upsetting the status quo left and right.
"People don't like that," his eyebrows rose as he looked at them each in turn.
All of them looked away first, except Malovici, "Don't look at me, I was just in it to kill stuff." Then, "I lost part of my forearm."
Thrall chuckled, "You're still trouble, I think."
Malovici shrugged, "Only if I need to kill you."
Two orcs nearby bristled, and Thrall gestured to calm them. They turned away again, glaring at Malovici before they did so.
"So, Ferruk, what would you say to a young orc who came to you and told you that he'd gotten in a fight over a woman?" Thrall asked.
Ferruk considered for a while. "I'd make him do shit duties for a fortnight or so. By then, they've usually worked up the proper level of regret."
"But you think that, for the same infraction, I should exile you?" Thrall inquired.
"I'm hardly a young man," Ferruk countered. "I'm old enough to know better, by many years."
"I've never seen you in love before, Ferruk. Do you remember the last time you were in love?"
"No. But that's no excuse," Ferruk told him, almost belligerently.
"Of course it is. It's a good enough excuse for those that come to you, Ferruk, and it's a good enough excuse for me. I don't expect you to act in some super-orc fashion just because you're a leader within your clan. If I did, then I'd have to act in a super-orc manner myself, and really, I can't be bothered. Can you imagine how tedious that would get?" Thrall shook his head. "No, sorry, if you need to be extra special and think you're better than everybody else, you'll have to come live with the elves."
The whole group dissolved into laughter at that point, including the orcs around them, and Nerissa.
"I think that might be a fate worse than exile," Ferruk said when he'd regained his composure.
"I really shouldn't say things like that," Thrall said, but his face remained amused.
"So," he continued, "I'll meet you at court in the morning. Get some rest; you all need it, badly. It shows all over every one of you."