15. Found Honesty
Red wasn't sure how much time had passed before he was finally released from his cell for any length of time. He was given short, guarded sessions to eat and drink every evening however spending all his time in perpetual darkness made it difficult to remember when one day ended and another began. Scout had visited him regularly to check up on him and to ask questions relating to the upcoming trial, namely to figure out who would defend him, what his witness list would look like and how he wanted to plea. Red had no idea how to answer any of those questions and simply told Scout that it was his plan, and he should go figure it out.
Red estimated that it must have been over six weeks after his initial incarceration before the trial began, the winter weather had arrived and many of the visits out of his cell involved pushing his way through waist high snow. The day of the trial started with Red meeting the animal charged with his defence, an unexpected ally on a day he dearly needed them.
"Ahem!" came a loud voice from beyond the blinding light streaming through the gap above the boulder that sealed Red inside his cell. Red rolled over and yawned, squinting as he stared into the light.
"That's day light," said Red "if it's not food time yet then go away and leave me alone!" Red rolled over again and closed his eyes.
"Oh, you've got a far more interesting day ahead of you than that!" announced the voice as the owner hopped forwards to the edge of the boulder and looked down at the curled up black fox. Red opened his eyes and looked around in surprise, he knew that voice. "Boss? What are you doing here?"
"Apparently there's this trial today and I'm the defence council see," said the little Robin with a wink.
"You? Why not Scout?"
"He has…another role to play in the proceedings," replied Boss carefully avoiding giving details.
"Another role?" questioned Red "that's more important than getting me out of this mess he has got me into?"
The robin snorted. "It's your mess we are getting you out of son!"
Red shook his head. "I should have taken my chances and just ran."
"And how far do you think you would have got?" asked Boss.
"Further than this prison that's for sure!" answered Red as he paced up to the base of the boulder.
Boss hopped back a couple of steps. "No point getting angry about it now, things are what they are."
Red turned around and leaned his head against the rock that blocked the exit to the chamber. "So, what do I do instead?"
Boss hopped forwards to the edge of the boulder and looked down at Red. "Defend yourself as you always have done. Tell them how you couldn't remember who you were, how you lost your memories, how Chief used that, and you, to do the horrible things you are accused of."
"And they will all just believe that?" said Red dismissively.
"Macaw filled me in on your stay at the test lab back when you both lived at the barn, I think I can spin a good defence story out of that," Boss said with a wink "you'll see."
"They're going to execute me…" said Red in a whispered voice as he made his way back into the centre of the chamber and lay down.
"Scout said the proceedings will begin at nightfall, he also said to tell you that the truth will set you free."
"What exactly is that meant to mean?" asked Red.
Boss shrugged. "No idea son, now get some sleep, I'll see you later on." The little bird turned and hopped off the boulder, disappearing from view.
Red lay and pondered that as he drifted back off to sleep, he had no idea what Scout wanted him to do. He slept through what remained of the day and into the night, finally awakening to the sound of the boulder being pushed back out of the way.
"Not today fellas," said Red with a yawn.
"Get up!" replied a gritty sounding voice.
Red rested his head back down on the ground. "Just five more minutes."
"Get, up!" this time the voice was a unison of four different voices.
Red felt something hard slam into his side, knocking the wind out of his lungs. He stood up coughing. "Okay, okay, I'm moving." Red was pushed forwards by the four foxes that surrounded him, through the tunnels of the earth and out into the cold air outside. There was a thin covering of snow on the floor and a gentle but bitterly cold breeze in the air. The foxes ushered Red beyond his normal feeding location and towards the centre of the dump. At its heart was an arrangement of human machines and prefab buildings lit up by large white flood lights. Red was pushed to the centre of the circle of lights causing him to feel momentarily blinded as his eyes became accustomed to the light. Ahead of Red, sat high up on the roof of one of the prefab buildings were the four northern fox elders and Scout. To Red's left were a strange arrangement of animals, foxes, badgers, and numerous birds of all different types. To his right stood a lone male fox, his vision locked on the elders ahead, he made no gesture of acknowledgement towards Red as he arrived. The four fox jailers who had escorted Red from his cell arrayed themselves in a line behind Red. Away in the distance beyond the edge of the light cast by the flood lamps Red could just about make out the twinkling of hundreds of pairs of eyes. He couldn't see more detail than that however it was clear that the proceedings were being watched by a large crowd of animals. Red felt the weight of a small animal land on his head. "Here we go!" whispered Boss in his ear.
The vixen from the elders stepped forwards from the group and peered down at Red, "State your name."
Before Red could answer a voice called out from beyond the edge of the area lit up by the flood lights, "Beast!"
Scout took a step forward and motioned with a tilt of his head at one of the fox jailers. The fox nodded in response and made its way over to the edge of the lit-up area and disappeared into the darkness.
"Red," answered Red once the jailer had disappeared from view.
"You stand accused of war crimes committed against non-combatants of the northern fox population during the great fox war," continued the vixen "how do you plead?"
"Innocent your honour," jumped in Boss before Red could answer.
"Very well, then let us begin," said the vixen as she stepped back in line with the other elders. "Prosecution?"
"Thank you, your honour," the male fox to Red's left bowed and walked over to the arrangement of animals. "Animals of the jury, we've gathered you all here today to decide if the defendant committed heinous acts against the civilian population of the great northern fox alliance. You will hear lots of discussion about war, orders, and culpability, don't let it confuse you. Focus on those that lost their lives, those that have had to continue on after that loss, those that live with it every day! Justice must be given to those that suffered, together we will find it for them! Through actual eyewitness testimony I intend to present to you an undisputable chain of events that will lead you to make the only possible judgment in this case, guilty!" With that the fox stepped back from the animals of the jury and moved back to his original position to the right of Red.
"Defence?" said the vixen.
Boss sat for a moment before making his way over to the jury, he paced up and down the row of animals a couple of times before stopping in the middle and clearing his throat. "Females, males, of all species, thank you for giving up your precious time to come here and see justice done. We all appreciate your service," Boss began pacing again, he held his wings out in front of him and pressed them together. "Service, what does it mean to serve? What does it mean to serve during war time? Have any of you served during war time? No? I intend to show you what it is like, I intend to show you how the defendant served and was used by those around him. How he was converted from a desperate lost cub into a mindless weapon, exploited everyday by those very animals that pretended to look out for him. Remember, you are here to find the truth, to prove beyond reasonable doubt who is responsible for the tragic deaths of the northern foxes we mourn here today. I say to you all that I will prove to you that it is no animal present here tonight!"
Boss took one last look around each of the faces in the jury before turning and flying back to Red at the centre of the lit-up area. As he did so the elder vixen stepped forwards again. "Defence call your first witness."
Boss bowed, "The defence calls Chief, the leader of the Southern foxes to the stand!"
There was a collective gasp from the animals present. "Don't waste our time, council," called out the Vixen "Chief has been dead for over a year."
"Is that true your honour?" said Boss in a comically surprised voice "I had no idea, how did he die?"
"You know full well how he died," said the vixen shaking her head "he was tried and executed by this very court."
Boss held a wing to his beak and opened his eyes as wide as they would go in an exaggerated expression of surprise. "He was executed, here, by this court?"
The elder vixen held bosses gaze for a moment. "What is your point council?"
"My point, your honour, is that this court has executed the defendants best witness," Boss pointed a wing at the vixen "I think it's important that is acknowledged by the court!"
"We acknowledge the fact that the courts previous judgements have inadvertently caused problems for the defence in this case, however those judgements were made a long time ago, it was not possible to predict this outcome," answered one of the male elders.
"I disagree," replied Boss.
"Move on council," said the elder vixen as she waved one of her paws at the robin "prosecution, call your witness."
"The prosecution calls the vixen Fern to the stand," answered the prosecuting fox before Boss could continue the argument. Red watched aghast as the vixen that had attacked him during his journey to the northern fox earth appeared from the darkness at the edge of the flood lit circle. She slowly made her way over to the fox elders, her eyes fixed on Red the entire time.
"Raise your paw," said the elder vixen "do you swear on all those you hold dear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"
"I do," answered Fern, her vision still locked on Red.
"Fern, I'd like you to recount if you would, a story from a little over a year ago," asked the prosecuting fox "I realise this is going to be difficult but take your time, can you tell me about the night you last saw your family?"
Fern nodded and cocked her head slightly. "It was a cold clear night, I'd spent most of the day sleeping in our family earth at the far side of the dump. It was our family's turn to go foraging to find what we could to help feed our community. The dump provides much of what we need however it cannot support us all. We headed out as we normally would, north into the forest above the town to hunt for mice and voles. My little brother and me would always have a competition when we went hunting, whoever caught the most…" she trailed off for a moment as a brief smile grew on her face. "He was ahead of me that night by two, that had never happened before. I began to get a little reckless to try and catchup, so I ventured further into the forest leaving my family on the outskirts. I was so proud when I returned to them with six mice to add to my tally."
"What happened when you returned to your family?" said the prosecuting fox.
The smile on the vixen's face disappeared. "He was there," she gestured at Red with a paw. "He had my father pinned to the ground, all four of my father's legs were broken, I could see them dangling at his side." The vixen began to cry.
The prosecuting fox waited for a moment before pushing further. "Then what happened?"
"I…I couldn't move, I hid," Fern stammered "he killed my mother and brother in front of my father as he lay dying." She broke down into floods of tears.
Red felt his breath quicken, he remembered that night, it was one of the events that plagued his dreams. He'd found the family as he spied on the dump, it was just as the vixen described. Red wanted to throw up.
"Thank you my dear for sharing that, I'm sorry you had to relive the ordeal again," said the prosecuting fox as he turned to Boss who was still perched on top of Red's head "your witness."
Red began shaking his head, Boss hopped forwards onto Red's snout. "What?"
"No questions," answered Red in a hushed voice.
"But-" replied Boss.
"No!" repeated Red.
Boss shook his head and turned to the elder vixen. "We have no questions for this witness your honour."
"Thank you Fern, you may step down," said the elder vixen as she motioned for one of the fox jailers to escort Fern away from the proceedings. Once she was out of sight the elder vixen turned to Boss. "Defence, call your next witness."
Red felt himself begin to disconnect from the proceedings going on around him, he couldn't shake the memories Fern's testimony had brought up in his mind. As the trial continued on Red would find himself refocusing when another story was told about him by a prosecution witness. The stories were all real, things he had tried to bury and forget, horrible, despicable acts that he would relive alongside the animal that told the story. Boss had continued to argue that Red had been a pawn in a game played by the southern fox leadership. He also constantly called for witnesses he knew the court had already pronounced guilty and executed in a clear attempt to show the trial was biased from the start.
The witness list finally came to an end just as the sky began to lighten, indicating morning was rapidly approaching. The elder vixen looked between the defence and prosecution council. "One last witness, and one you both agreed on it would seem, would the defendant please step forward and take the stand?"
Red was still lost in his own thoughts and didn't answer straight away, Boss lent down and pecked the top of his head. "It's your turn, take the stand," Boss whispered in his ear. Red looked up at the vixen and then over at Scout. There was a look on his face that Red couldn't read at first, he heard the last words Scout had relayed to him through Boss repeat in the back of his mind, the truth will set you free.
Red took a few steps forwards and then stopped, his vision still focused on Scout. "I'd like to change my plea." Scout's face twitched, Red thought he could see a hint of a smile forming.
Boss hopped down onto Red's snout. "No, Red! What are you doing!"
Red gently batted the bird away with his paws, Boss took flight and dropped to the ground a few meters away from Red.
"You wish to enter a guilty plea?" asked the elder vixen.
"Yes," said Red "to all charges."
"Very well," said the vixen "then this court is adjourned until sentencing, jailers please escort the prisoner back to his cell."
Red felt the jailers shove him in the back and begin shepherding him back to his cell. Red offered no resistance, his eyes still locked on Scout. The younger fox watched back until Red disappeared from view, nodding very slightly as he did so.