Adahni spent the week before the trial in a fog, mechanically going about her tasks. The morning before, Sand sat her down and laid out the evidence in front of her. She listened, numbly, without really absorbing any of it. He patted her shoulder as he left, and she went to change into the gown she would be wearing, a simple woolen shift that the elf had said would make her look sympathetic, a simple girl from Westharbor at heart. She braided her hair into two black plaits and pinned them to the top of her head, giving her the look of a milkmaid.
Neeshka and Khelgar, who had now thrown their support entirely behind her, flanked her on the long winding route to the court. Cormick, who had been a regular patron of the inn since Casavir's wedding, followed them, in his blue watch cloak. She had seen, recently, how his eyes followed the greatest thief in Neverwinter's history, not like a watchman followed a criminal, but more like a plowboy might follow a farmer's daughter, and took comfort in the fact that the tiefling would be taken care of once she was gone. Shandra wore her blue watch cloak, Casavir his armor, which had been polished to gleam in the sunlight. The rest of the companions took up the rear, even Qara holding her tongue for once.
The throne room had never seemed so intimidating as she walked by the courtiers and citizens of Neverwinter, Sand's hand on her arm. He gave her a reassuring squeeze, but said nothing. He really didn't look anything like Daeghun, but something in his manner reminded her of her father, and she was comforted. She wondered briefly if Daeghun even knew that that trial was today, and if he did, if he would even think of attending. She hoped, at least, that he would attend the execution. She chuckled bitterly at the thought.
They waited for what seemed an eternity in an anteroom, until Adahni heard Lord Nasher's bellow.
"Bring in the accused!"
Adahni walked in, setting her jaw and looking coolly over the faces of the crowd. Nobody booed or hissed, but they watched her in judgmental silence.
"Reverend Judge," the lord intoned, "Let the trial commence."
Adahni's eyes snapped to Judge Oleff, who was standing at Nasher's feet, "We are gathered here to determine the truth of the crime committed in the small village of Ember... its people slaughtered to the last man, woman, and child. Under Tyr's guidance shall the truth of this matter be revealed - and justice delivered. Is the accuser here?"
"I speak for those the accused slaughtered at Ember," Torio's high-pitched whine echoed through the atrium, "And I am here to see that justice is carried out on this day." Adahni looked coldly at her, the high collar jutting out from her back like the mane of a hyena, her ample bosom laid out like a two cuts of meat on a plate. She looked more like a whore than the girls her husband had strayed to.
"As are we all," Adahni said, smirking inwardly.
"And is the accused here? And her defender?"
"We are present," Sand said, his voice high and imperious, "And eager to bring the truth of this matter into Tyr's sight, Reverend Judge."
"We now list the items presented by the accused in her defense, and they will be shown to the people of the court, Lord Nasher, and held aloft for the eye of Tyr to see. First off..."
Adahni sat down as Sand handed her evidence to the judge, who all but passed the articles around. Sand, however, observed the proceedings keenly. "Perfect," he purred, "Look at their faces. Torio's got quite a task ahead of her. That little harpy, let's see her fly out of this trap."
"The accuser, Ambassador Torio Claven of Luskan, may now call witnesses to the stand."
"These pieces of "evidence," if that is what they truly are, can easily be explained away. It may seem extensive, but our witnesses will tell a different story."
"Forgive me, amabassador," Adahni said, channeling everything she had into making her voice low and warm-sounding next to Torio's shriek, "But are you speculating on the truth of the evidence?"
"Speculate?" Torio squeaked, "The truth is what we are here to determine. Everything is in question."
"Is it," she said, "You seem quite certain of my guilt. Are you admitting that is also in question?"
"Of course not!" the ambassador insisted, "And I aim to prove it."
"Which is it, Ambassador?" Adahni taunted her, "Am I guilty or not in your eyes? I am finding it difficult to find the truth in your wordplay."
"I suggest you hold your tongue," Torio growled in response, "I think you will want to hear what my witnesses have to say."
"My," snickered Sand, "She has a temper. Well done, I am impressed."
"I understand that you wish to stall the witnesses about to speak, but there is really nothing more your wordplay can do to prevent it," the ambassador said, "Let me call my first witness to the stand. Elgun, resident of Port Llast, and a witness to the slaughter at Ember."
Elgun's beard walked in, followed by the man himself.
"Welcome, Elgun," Torio intoned, "You were brave to make the journey here, especially considering the danger in testifying."
Adahni snickered, "Now, now, Ambassador, I'm sure you wouldn't strike Elgun while he was testifying, so I doubt he's in any danger here."
Though it was a mediocre joke, the tense occupants of the upper balconies burst into laughter. Adahni looked up at them. In the very back, for only an instant, the crowd parted in such a way that she could have sworn she saw her father sitting there. But it moved again, and he disappeared. Heartened, she looked back at her accuser.
"Laugh now, if you will, but I'll wipe that smile from your face, I promise you. Let us here Elgun speak of what he saw "squire" - you will have your chance in time, I promise you. Now, Elgun, you said you saw the murder at Ember, did you not?"
"That I did!" Elgun exclaimed, affecting a voice that Grobnar sometimes used when telling a grandiose tale, "And a fierce, unfair battle against incredible odds it was. I tried to fight off the murderers, but one of them got a lucky blow against me, and down I went."
"So you can confirm the accused was at Ember? And you saw the murder of those villagers?"
"Oh, yes. Those poor helpless farmers, cut down by that one there! I tried to save them, you know, but I was only one man against many - and demons as well!"
"Demons? Are you serious?"
"Please speak freely, Elgun, you have nothing to fear from the accused here, she cannot harm you."
"No need to defend me, Lady Torio," Elgun said, "I can handle myself. If any bloodthirsty killer tries to come at me, they'll get more than they bargained for."
"The witness has identified the accused as the one who killed the villagers. I have no more questions, Reverend Judge."
"I'd like to question the witness," Adahni declared, "Just to clear a few things up, of course..."
"What did you want to know? I've given my testimony."
"So you fought of myself and... demons. I see... where are the scars?"
"What?" Elgun said, bewildered, "I heal quickly, is all - they must have hit me with a club or something. It was from behind, so I'm not certain."
"We had Elgun's wounds healed when he returned," Torio blurted out.
"So where was the wound?" Adahni asked slyly.
"Chest... down to the stomach," Elgun replied hastily.
"But you said you were hit from behind."
"I-"
"I think we've heard enough," Adahni said. She was just getting into things. It occurred to her suddenly, that Torio Claven was not nearly as dangerous as she'd thought. She had realized at some point during her childhood that the vast majority of people out there - human, elf, dwarf, gnome, halfling - were idiots. Adahni herself, of course, had her less proud moments, but counted herself as relatively intelligent for someone who had had no formal schooling.
Even four hundred years of living for an elf, Adahni realized after meeting a few of Daeghun's kin, could not make a moron into a wise man, and forty or so years of Torio Claven's life could not make an eloquent prosecutor of a woman more suited to a laundry than the court. Her case was like a silk balloon - large and imposing to look at, but filled with nothing but hot air. Adahni danced around the witnesses, playing with them like a cat plays with a mouse, throwing darts at the balloon until it sagged under its own weight, and then came crashing down as Nasher sat forward in his throne and pronounced her innocent.
At the time, Adahni was filled with a bursting elation and relief. Years later, she would look back and wonder how she ever could have doubted that she would be found innocent, but at the time she was joyous. She embraced her companions - even Qara - and looked around the room with regret to see that the ranger - still languishing behind bars - was not there. Her mind skipped briefly over the night that had gotten him in trouble. What Jem said... that did deserve a stabbing...although Bishop really was asking for it, and he did screw his wife, but still to say that in front of Tyr and the world... anyway, there really wasn't any harm done.
"Cormick?" she said, tugging gently on the marshall's cloak.
"What can I do for you, my innocent friend?" he asked, grinning broadly.
"Let Bishop out," she said, "For me?"
"He sank a four-inch blade into your arm," Cormick said, the smile remaining on his face but looking someone more... frozen, "Although if anyone had said that about me I probably would have done the same thing..."
"I've had worse," she said, "Let him go. I'll deal with him."
The courtroom had begun to clear, Torio Claven still standing at her post, dumbfounded that she had been foiled. She looked around, flustered, and then fired a parting salvo, "I invoke the right to Trial by Combat!" she declared.
Sand's mouth dropped open, but he shut it quickly, "I was hoping she wouldn't know about that."
Combat... combat I can do, combat I'm good at,Adahni thought. If anything the declaration was giving her hope. "So what does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like," Sand said. Behind him, Lord Nasher and Nevalle were discussing something, some sort of statements were being made, "The Luskans pick a champion, you pick a champion, everyone meditates before Tyr the night before and whoever doesn't have to get cleaned off the arena floor is declared to be in the right."
"That's downright barbaric," Adahni said, "But I like the idea. Tell me, what are the chances that I can battle Claven herself? That'd be fun."
She was stopped by a hand, heavy and gloved on her shoulder. She turned and looked up to be faced with a larger, balder, version of a man she had known since childhood. She had seen him several times, but always from across the room, and always tried to deny that it was him, Bevil's brother, whom she had swigged moonshine with for all of one hot summer, who had defended her from Cormick on more than one occasion. How things have changed,she thought, How we've all changed.She glanced behind her at the marshall, who had drawn closer to her at Starling's approach, the three harbormen forming an awkward triangle.
"It is too bad Neverwinter has turned a blind eye to the truth," he growled, glaring down at her.
Do you even recognize me, even know me?she thought, but when she looked into his eyes they were glassy, two blue marbles that saw nothing and reflected no light. She shook her head and looked at the floor.
"I will see that justice is done," he said.
"Good luck with that, Starling," she said softly, and turned away. "You're going to need it.
