CHAPTER FOUR
by Qwi-Xux
Briar stared out at the crowd of people gathered to see his trial. He knew there were curious spectators outside of the court building, waiting to hear the verdict. They weren't allowed in the building, as this was a very serious court matter. The news about Briar Moss, famous plant-mage, being accused of murdering Duke Vedris, had spread through Summersea like a heat wave.
An official announcement of the Duke's death, and of Sandry's ascension to Duchess, had gone out the night before. The traditional protocols about becoming Duchess had gone out the window, everything had been rushed, and within in afternoon, everything had been made official. Sandry was the Duchess of Emelan, and no one could reprove that.
The thing that made people even more curious about it was that Briar had killed the great-uncle of one of the three other mages he was supposed to be closest to. Sandry, Briar, Tris, and Daja were hardly mentioned without being known as one of the quartet of mages. They were well-known even outside of Emelan.
Briar was trying to stay calm, and hoped he was doing a decent job of it. He didn't know what to think. He had spent the entire night in a small cell, that was specially designed so he couldn't use his magic. He couldn't contact Sandry, he didn't know anything that was going on outside. He wondered, over and over, how Vedris had been killed with his magic. He knew perfectly well where he had been all night, and it wasn't anywhere near the Citadel. And no, he had not used his magic from a long distance away. His magic had been inside of him all night--right where it was supposed to be.
Briar now glanced down at his vined hands, which were hiding the two X's in between his thumb and finger. The marks of a thief. He had been through this before. He had been arrested, but at least he had been guilty of the crime. He knew he wasn't guilty of this one.
He found some relief that there was a truthsayer. A truthsayer would be able to tell that he was innocent. Then he wouldn't have to worry being thought guilty, and Sandry wouldn't have to deal with the stress of wondering. Briar believed, in his heart, that she would stand by him, just as he knew Rosethorn and Lark would. He would still feel better if they all knew he hadn't done this.
Well, you just chose the perfect time to go traipsing around Winding Circle in the middle of the night, didn't you? he asked himself sardonically. Where's the irony in that?
Being free of prison would also give him one more advantage: he could help hunting down the real murderer. Not only had this kaq used his magic to kill Sandry's uncle, but he or she had hurt Sandry more than Briar could begin to fathom. Sandry had been through so much in her life--her parents' death, facing more deaths in earthquakes, diseases...she didn't need to deal with this on top of it.
Briar desperately wished he were on the other side of this court, sitting with Sandry and Rosethorn without being accused. He wished Lark were here, too, and Daja and Tris, but he knew that Lark would be watching Evvy, which he appreciated. That girl could be a handful, and Lark would be able to keep her in line. He wondered where Daja and Tris were now. Was Daja almost home? What would she be coming back to?
The audience consisted of several mages. Besides Rosethorn and Sandry, Briar caught sight of Dedicate Crane, another plant-mage, and Honored Moonstream herself, the head of Winding Circle. There were several others he did not know, and several harriers and people from the Duke's Citadel.
The spokesman in front stood up to read the charges. "We are gathered here to determine the innocence of the accused, Mage Briar Moss, in regards to the murder of his Excellency, Duke Vedris of Emelan."
Briar looked across the crowds at Sandry, and their eyes locked. Her eyes were red, and her face was pale, as if she had been crying. She was wearing a thin black veil, but he could clearly see her face through it. She was dressed in a long black gown. He would have contacted her, but the harrier-mages had donned him with cuffs that dampened his magic, much like the cell he had been kept in, and he had very little access to it. If he had tried anything, even contacting Sandry, they would have been on him before he could say 'tomato.' The lack of his magic made him feel like there was a giant hole in him, but he could deal with it for just a little longer.
"Presenting the honorable Truthsayer Haman," the spokesman said. Everyone, including Briar, turned their attention to the side door where Haman was entering. He was tall and stately, and Briar had an immediate impression that he was a noble of some sort. He had thinning gray hair and piercing gray eyes. His thin nose and cheekbones reminded Briar vaguely of a bird.
Briar narrowed his eyes at the truthsayer. He couldn't say why, but Haman gave him a bad feeling. There was something out-of-place with him. It wasn't something anyone would notice, but Briar, having lived for so long on the streets as a child, could recognize things about people without needing his magic for it.
Haman elegantly swept into the seat facing Briar's. Both of them were sideways to the audience. He and Briar stared at each other for a moment, and then Haman spoke in a calm voice. "Let the truthsaying begin."
The entire court was silent.
"Briar Moss, where were you on the night of Duke Vedris's death?" Haman began.
Briar answered just as calmly. "In the Earth Temple's grain fields outside of Winding Circle."
"What were you doing there?" Haman asked.
Briar had already thought up his answers. "I was out there thinking." It sounded stupid, but he had to tell the exact truth, or Haman would know he was lying.
"Thinking? How curious. About what?"
"I hadn't been to Winding Circle in a year and a half. I felt enclosed, and I needed to get out and clear my mind. As I am a plant mage, the grain fields were a good place to go," Briar replied easily. It was true that he had felt enclosed--he had felt stifled by the things he was feeling for Sandry, and had been trying to clear his mind.
"Did you go into Summersea at all that night? More specifically, did you enter the Duke's Citadel?"
"No," Briar stated firmly.
"Did you use your magic to kill Duke Vedris of Emelan?"
Briar caught sight of Sandry in his peripheral vision, clutching tightly at a handkerchief. "No, I did not."
"Then how do you explain your magic being at the scene of the crime?"
"I can't explain it, but I know that I didn't do it."
"You yourself identified it as your magic, did you not?" Haman wondered.
"I did."
Haman tilted his head slightly and kept staring at Briar. It was now that Briar realized what kind of bird Haman reminded him of--a vulture, or some other bird of prey. He was eyeing Briar as though he were the prey.
Another chill washed down Briar's back. He'll tell them I'm innocent, he maintained.
After several long moments, Haman spoke. "Mage Briar Moss of Emelan and Winding Circle is lying. He is guilty of the murder of Duke Vedris of Emelan."
Briar blinked at the man. Those were the last words he had expected to hear. For a long minute, he wondered if he had heard wrong. He was stunned. How could the truthsayer say he was guilty? It wasn't true! Unable to hold himself back, Briar jumped to his feet. "That's not true! I'm not guilty!"
Three harrier-mages moved as if to step forward, but Briar made sure to keep himself from jumping at the truthsayer. He turned to face the crowd, his eyes looking frantically at Rosethorn and Sandry. "I did not murder him!"
The harrier-mages were grabbing his arms now, trying to pull him out of the room. Frantic, Briar tried to shake them off, but they were wrapping their magic around him, tightening him with invisible bonds. "I didn't do it!" Briar yelled. He addressed himself to Sandry. "Sandry! I did not murder him!"
Someone in the audience--probably from the Duke's Citadel--stood up. "How dare you talk to her Eminence? How dare you!"
Sandry was stood, frozen, clutching Rosethorn's arm.
"SANDRILENE!" Briar yelled, using her full name. He had only ever used it when he was teasing her. "I did not murder your uncle!"
The harrier-mages finally forced Briar out of the room, and took him back to his cell.
:--:--:
Guilty. Briar was guilty. How could he be guilty? It didn't make sense. Yet...the truthsayer, Haman, had said he was. Sandry didn't remember a truthsayer ever being wrong, and never one as experienced and renowned as Haman.
And yet, there was a little voice screaming inside of Sandry. No! He's not guilty! I know he's not! She recalled Briar's shocked face as Haman announced he was guilty. Sandry knew him just as well as she knew herself...or she thought she did. She knew when he was acting and when he wasn't--and the look on his face said that the last thing he had been expecting was the verdict he got.
"Rosethorn," Sandry finally found her voice. She clutched Rosethorn's arm more tightly. "Is he--?"
Rosethorn's brown eyes met Sandry's levelly. "I highly doubt that Briar was plotting the murder of your uncle on the way back to Winding Circle," she said wryly. Her lips tightened, and she watched Haman leave the room. "Something is going on here, and we're going to find out what it is." Her voice softened as she looked at Sandry. "We'll work it out. Right now, you have other things to worry about, too."
Her responsibility as Duchess. Something that Sandry did not want to deal with at the moment. She sighed heavily. She was so empty inside. She didn't think she had any more tears to cry, even if she hadn't felt so hollow. "I know, Rosethorn." She carefully released Rosethorn's arm. "I need to go back to the Citadel, but I can't...I can't..." Her voice cracked. "I can't believe that Briar is guilty. I just...need to think about it. Will you go tell Lark what happened? I'll need to check on Pasco, too..." There were so many things to think about. It was as if her mind had suddenly been thrown down a hundred paths.
Rosethorn laid a calming hand on Sandry's shoulder. "I'll go speak with Lark. We'll get to the bottom of this, Sandry."
:--:--:
"Well, this puts the bread in the bag," Lark sighed.
Evvy stood frozen in shock. She had just heard the whole thing--Rosethorn had talked about how Briar had been named guilty this morning at the trial. Not only was this the last thing Evvy had expected to hear, but she didn't believe one word of it. There was no way Briar would kill the Duke. Briar was honorable, and kind, and...and he just wouldn't do it! He had taken Evvy in...he had always known what Evvy was feeling, because he had lived the same life on the streets that Evvy had. He had understood her nightmares about not getting enough to eat. He had protected her, and rescued her when power-hungry nobles were after her.
And she knew that he would not have killed Sandry's uncle. Briar liked Sandry. Evvy had seen that right away, and thought it very amusing.
"I know. I don't know what we're going to do about it. I spoke with Moonstream after the trial, and while I believe she thinks something strange is going on, I don't think she believes Briar did this anymore than I do," Rosethorn said stoutly. "Anyone who knows Briar would know that he would never do this. If he did do it, I'm convinced it was not of his own free will."
"You think he was coerced?" Lark wondered.
"I don't know, but I don't think for an instant that Briar did this willingly, if he did it at all."
Lark sighed. "I agree. Briar may have caused a lot of mischief during his time here, but he would never stoop to this."
Evvy let out a quiet breath of relief. At least Rosethorn and Lark knew it was a load of trash. She waited to hear what they were going to do about it, but before they said anything, there was a loud meow right by her feet. Evvy glanced down and saw Amethyst. She frantically waved the cat away, but Amethyst meowed louder and rubbed against Evvy's legs.
"Evumeimei, come out here right now," Rosethorn's sharp voice snapped.
Evvy sighed and pursed her lips at her cat, but the cat was happily purring. Climbing carefully over Amethyst, Evvy walked around the corner and into the kitchen.
Rosethorn stared piercingly at Evvy. "I don't need to ask how long you've been eavesdropping, do I?" Her tone was half-weary, half-wry.
Evvy scuffed her foot and stared at the floor.
"Evvy, I need to go into Summersea with Rosethorn to speak with Sandry," Lark said quietly. "You need to stay here. I'm going to speak with Ivren's teacher, Dedicate Spring, to see if she will keep an eye on him, and I will also find someone to keep an eye on you."
"But I want to go! I want to help Briar!" Evvy protested.
"I'll be back tonight, Evvy. You need to stay here," Lark said firmly.
"But--" Evvy stopped abruptly at the look Rosethorn was giving her. "Fine," she pouted.
"I'll be back in a few minutes, Rosie," Lark told Rosethorn. "I'm going to find someone that will stay with Evvy until I get back."
:--:--:
"What? How?" Sandry faced several of the harriers, disbelieving. "Explain!"
"Your Eminence, we're doing our best to control it, but the merchants don't want to listen to reason," one of the harriers told her.
Sandry resisted the urge to bang her head on something hard. "They've gone on strike? Against Emelan? Why?"
"They're saying they want more rights, and they want to talk to you personally."
"All of them are on strike?" Sandry asked.
"Yes. It had to have been planned, milady. It's an uproar. They're refusing to deliver the supplies that were due to come in today, so many of the markets are in upheaval, because they're not getting the food and supplies they needed to sell," another harrier explained.
Great. Just great. This was just what Sandry needed to deal with at this moment. She had been on the throne for a day, and already she was facing her best friend being thrown in jail because he supposedly killed her uncle, and now there were merchants on strike! She struggled to hold back the tears that wanted to spring into her eyes.
"Milady," a messenger boy had just run into the room.
Biting her cheek so she didn't snap at the boy, Sandry said, in her calmest voice, "What?"
"Dedicate Lark and Dedicate Rosethorn of Winding Temple are here to see you," the boy said.
Sandry could have burst into tears right then. Now this was something that she did need. To the harriers, she said, "Excuse me, but we can finish this later. I must speak with the Dedicates." She slid from her seat without waiting for a response, and followed the boy to a sitting room.
Lark was seated on a couch, while Rosethorn was standing, her arms folded across her chest, a cross look on her face. As soon as the boy was gone and the door was tightly shut, Sandry said, "I'm so glad you came."
"We--"
There was suddenly a knock on the door, and Sandry, irritated, went to answer it. "Yes?" she said to the same boy who had just left. "Forgive the interruption, milady, but your student is here to see you."
Pasco. Sandry sighed. Well, she needed to speak with him, too. He would already know what was going on, as his uncle had been at the murder investigation, and the rest of his family were harriers. "Send him in," she ordered.
"Yes, milady." The boy disappeared, and reappeared several moments later with Pasco in tow.
"Come in, Pasco." Sandry ushered him inside, then closed to door once more.
"Can you believe this?" Pasco burst out, barely waiting for the door to close before he was speaking. "That Briar Moss killed the Duke! I thought he was your friend, Sandry."
Three sharp faced turned his way. "Briar did not kill the Duke, boy," Rosethorn said coldly, her brown eyes fixed on Pasco's face. "If he did, I seriously doubt it was of his own free will."
Sandry took heart in that. Rosethorn would know, wouldn't she? She would know if Briar had done it. The more Sandry had thought about it, the more she was sure Briar couldn't have been lying. She would have known. She would have known, the night the Duke was killed, if Briar was guilty. His mind was part of hers. She would have known. Wouldn't she?
Pasco was so incensed, he seemed oblivious to Rosethorn's glare. Sandry had to remind herself that Pasco had never met the sharp-tongued woman before. He had no idea what forces he was messing with. "How can you say that? The truthsayer knew he was lying! Do you know when a truthsayer has ever been wrong? Especially one as well-versed and respected as Haman?"
Sandry cringed. "Pasco, sit down," she said tartly.
Pasco opened his mouth to speak again, but Sandry gave him her best glare and pointed at the couch. Pasco stormily plopped down beside Lark.
"This," Sandry said pointedly, as if Pasco should know who he was facing, "is Dedicate Rosethorn, plant-mage. Rosethorn, this is my student, Pasco Acalon."
"Briar would never have killed the Duke on his own. If he was coerced into doing it, we need to find out how," Rosethorn said icily, with another glare toward Pasco.
"I still think--" Pasco began, but was finally silenced by Rosethorn's look.
In the end, not much came of the discussion. No one could figure out how Briar would have been manipulated, or hypnotized, or whatever, into killing the Duke. "I think," Rosethorn finally said, "that I'm going to make a trip out to the Earth Temple grain fields. The plants will know if Briar was there, though I may not be able to get a time frame, it might help if we can retrace his steps on the night he went out."
"Oh, I wish Niko and Tris were here," Sandry said, an almost painful look on her face. "Niko could help sort it out. They could even do a past-seeing, and find out what happened." Sandry didn't know anyone else who was powerful enough to do a past-seeing. Niko's magic was to see things that were hidden, and it was hard enough for him to do it. "Meanwhile, I'm going to speak with Briar. I haven't had time to do it all morning, but I simply can't put it off. Pasco," she turned her attention to her student, "I want you to go and stay at the Dance Academy until this is over with. I'll send a message ahead to Yazmin."
Pasco gaped at her. "What? Why? I can help with this!"
Sandry remembered very clearly Pasco's episode with the murderers in Emelan a year ago. He had been scarred very badly by it, and it had taken a while to recover. The rest of his family might be harriers, but he just wasn't a harrier. She didn't want him in the middle of this again, especially since she was as close to it as she could possibly get. She didn't want Pasco in danger--and for some reason, he was entirely too forceful on believing that Briar had done this. The only reason she could think of for this was his dance teacher, Yazmin. Sandry knew that Yazmin and her Uncle Vedris had gotten very close over the last year, and perhaps Pasco was thinking about how much this would affect Yazmin. Whatever the reason, it was best that he wasn't around the situation right now.
"I'm sorry, Pasco, but as your teacher, I think this is best for you. I will have two of my guards escort you to Yazmin's this afternoon, is that understood? I will send a message to your parents as well, explaining the circumstances."
Pasco pursed his lips. "I don't want to go."
Must he always be so stubborn? "I don't care. You're going," Sandry said, steel in her voice.
"Fine," Pasco said, in a less-than-happy voice.
:--:--:
Briar sat in his cell, leaning against the wall. He still couldn't believe what had happened. He couldn't believe Haman had pronounced him guilty. He kept running the trial over and over in his mind. He still hadn't gotten to talk to Sandry or Rosethorn. What did they think? Did they believe he had killed Vedris? What did Sandry think?
On cue, he heard a voice outside of his cell. "I want admittance, now."
Sandry.
"Milady, it is not--"
"Now."
"Yes, milady. But be careful, you never know--"
"I'll be perfectly fine, thank you," Sandry's curt voice replied.
A moment later, the heavy door to his cell slid open, and Sandry slipped inside. She closed the door, not listening to the guard's protests as it sealed shut. She was still dressed in her black dress and veil, but she shoved the veil back from her face to stare at Briar. Her face was so pale, too pale. Her entire body was taut and tense. His heart broke at the expression on his face, and he thought fiercely for a moment about what he wanted to do to the real murderer.
"Briar," Sandry began tentatively. She sighed, and sank down on the stone bench across from his. She hesitated, then said, "I've been speaking with Lark and Rosethorn. They--we--don't believe you killed my uncle."
Briar stared into her eyes for a long moment. Did she really believe that? Or was she just saying it? He wished he had access to his magic, so he could tell for sure. "Do you really believe that, Sandry? Really?"
Sandry's forehead wrinkled, but she continued to stare into Briar's eyes. "I...I..." she broke off, then started again. "I think I would know if you had done it. I think I know you better than that. Rosethorn--she thinks someone might have used you to do it, and you might not remember."
Briar laughed dryly. "Tell her to think again. I know where I was all night. No one messed with my mind, or made me do anything."
"But...you might not be sure, if they were really good at--"
"Sandry, there has to be another explanation. Tell Rosethorn that. And someone might want to check up on that Haman guy."
"Haman?" Sandry asked. "But--why? He's a respected truthsayer; he's dealt with hundreds of cases--"
"And something was strange about him. I don't need magic to see when something's wrong, Sandry."
"Do you think...are you suggesting that he lied? That someone...paid him off or something?"
"I don't know," Briar said, suddenly more tired than he had thought possible. "I don't know, but something's not right, Sandry. And my sentencing is going to be tomorrow afternoon." He didn't want to admit that he was scared. He had thought that he was safe from being arrested for things like this. When Niko rescued him from a short future working on the docks, he had thought this sort of thing wouldn't happen. He had thought he had become 'respectable.' He was a mage, and he had come so far, only to be faced with this.
Sandry cringed. "Oh, Briar...they could...they could..." she broke off, unable to finish.
"Order me killed? Yes. And a lot of other things, too...none of them very promising," Briar said grimly. "And I'm stuck in here and can't do a thing about it."
Sandry's chin stiffened. "Something will happen, Briar. I'll do everything I can to help you."
:--:--:
Lark had gotten Dedicate Crane to keep an eye on Evvy, and Evvy wondered if she had upset Lark so much that the Dedicate felt she had to torture Evvy like this. Crane wasn't at all thrilled about having to watch a 'raucous, child of a girl, who was surely more trouble than she was worth.' Evvy tried to stay as far away from him as possible--she had learned that he was a noble, and his attitude didn't make her like him at all.
Evvy got more restless as the day went on, and kept wondering when Lark would get back. She was even more worried about Briar, and kept wishing that Rosethorn had taken her. She needed to visit him, at least see that he was unharmed.
Unharmed? You know what it's like to be stuck somewhere! Evvy reprimanded herself. She thought back to the time when she had been a prisoner in a noblewoman's house, held because the Lady wanted to use her magic. Briar hadn't sat back and waited. Briar had come for her, torn down the house to get to her. He didn't wait for permission.
Yeah, but Briar's a mage! He didn't have to get permission. Not that it matters! He's still in trouble, and I should be there for him, just like he always is for me! Evvy thought stoutly.
That settled a decision in Evvy's mind. She wasn't going to wait around here. She was going to go get Briar out of prison! Nevermind that she didn't know how to get to Summersea, or the Duke's Citadel. She'd catch a ride with somebody or something.
She hesitated for a moment--what about her cats? Well, Lark was supposed to be back soon, she would watch them. Only... Evvy searched quickly and found Moss, curled up on Sandry's bed. He was Sandry's cat, and Sandry was in Summersea. She probably needed a friend more than ever. Besides, Moss reminded Evvy of Briar--it was kind of comforting.
Checking to make sure Crane wasn't around, Evvy slipped out of the cottage, Moss tucked into the large pocket on her tunic, next to the pouch that Lark had made her--the one designed to keep her magic enclosed. She ran down the road that led out of Winding Circle.