Va'del
nodded, taking one of the low metal chairs once the other two were
seated.
"My
name is Javin, and this is my wife On'li. You are named Va'del are
you not?"
The
teenager nodded, but found that he was reluctant to say anything.
Almost as if sensing this reluctance, On'li smiled gently. "I
know that you've had a hard time of things, and I doubt that Pa'tric
and the others helped by doing anything as mundane as treating you
like a real person, but we need to hear your story from the time you
left your village."
Just
the thought of relating the painful series of events was nearly
enough to make Va'del refuse, but the tiny woman before him smiled
once again, and pulled the loose sleeves of her tunic up past her
elbows in an unconscious act that seemed to indicate she was willing
to get to work to fix whatever needed fixing.
Va'del
started haltingly recounting the days as he remembered them, and if
tears oftentimes came, even Javin didn't seem to think that they
were unwarranted. When the teenager finally told the story of the
ambush that had resulted in the death of his adoptive family, he
completely broke down.
"It
was all my fault; if I would have stayed next to Jasmin and Betreec,
I would have been able to save them."
The
Guadel let him cry for several minutes before On'li cleared her
throat and asked for clarification on one last point. "You say
I'rone told you to protect Jasmin and Betreec?"
Va'del
nodded, feeling a stab of pain at the fresh reminder of his failure.
"He didn't say specifically that you were to stay with them,
just that you were to protect them?"
After
the teenager had once again nodded, On'li sighed. "Va'del, I
hate to ask this of you. I know that it will feel like an invasion
of privacy, and I'm little more than a stranger to you, but I need
to look at your mind the same way that Jasmin and Betreec did."
Javin
cut in before the teenager could respond. "You should know
that you are no longer truly one of the villagers, and as an
apprentice to I'rone no one can do this without your consent."
Va'del
found himself inclined to like both of the Guadel before him, but
the thought of someone strange inside his mind again, filled the
young man with something closely related to terror. It had been bad enough
with Jasmin and Betreec, both of whom had believed the best about
him. How much worse would it be with someone who knew he'd killed
all three of his new family?
"What
happens if I refuse?"
On'li
was quiet for several seconds, but when she spoke she didn't seem
offended at the question. "There are a number of questions
currently that need answered. One is whether or not you need
punished for the events that led to the death of I'rone and his
family, and if so what the punishment should be."
How
can there be any question? I killed them.
"That
question must, for the most part, be answered by Javin and me. The
other matter before us is whether or not you are suitable for
continued instruction with an eye towards becoming one of the
Guadel. Ordinarily that is a matter left to the individual
Guadel family until training is complete, at which point the entire
Council must approve or reject the candidate."
Va'del's
mind was reeling with questions he wanted to ask about all of the
references to things he'd never heard about, but On'li continued
before he could open his mouth.
"Given
the unusual nature of all of this, there are those on the Council
who will argue that you should be rejected now rather than waiting
until a lengthy apprenticeship has been completed. For those
individuals, a refusal to allow me to examine your mind will serve
as evidence you're hiding something."
Javin
appeared on the verge of saying something, but his wife placed her
hand on his and shook her head.
Looking
back and forth between the two, Va'del felt his desire to be
punished war with the slim hope he might be able to continue the
work that I'rone and his wives had been doing.
That
would allow me to hunt down men like those bandits who deserve
death.
The
teen finally shrugged. "Do what you have to do and I'll try
not to fight you."
On'li
nodded and then scooted her chair forward carefully to avoid
catching her flowing pants. As the frail old woman placed gentle
hands on Va'del's forehead, he started to run through the exercises
Jasmin had taught him.
Just
as the teenager felt himself relax mentally, the barest hint of
alien presence at the edge of his mind caused him to tense and fight
the intrusion. Va'del immediately felt sick but he fought to relax,
to endure the intrusion.
Fighting her won't accomplish anything.
Time
seemed to stand still as Va'del fought to suppress the reflex to
mentally shoulder On'li aside, but it seemed it was somehow slightly
easier than it had been with Jasmin that first time. Even so, when
the Guadel finally sighed and sat back in her chair, Va'del was
almost completely exhausted.
Wiping
away a thin trace of blood that had made its way down her face,
On'li looked over to Jasmin's bags. "Are those their things?"
Va'del
nodded. "Most of what was found. I think Pa'tric has a few
other odds and ends, but that's everything else."
Suddenly
remembering the gemstones in the pouch hanging from his neck, Va'del
dropped his eyes for a moment. "There are also these."
Taking
the proffered bag, On'li looked inside and then looked up with a
smile. "What is it?"
"I
don't really have anything to remember them by. Betreec was working
on the yellow sapphire. She said it was still a long way from being
done, so I'd hoped I could keep it."
Va'del
wanted to curse himself for stupidity as soon as the words left his
mouth, but it was too late to take them back.
On'li
poured the gemstones out into Javin's massive hands, and then picked
through them until she'd found the yellow sapphire and a slightly
larger ruby. "The ruby is also unfinished—I assume it was
Jasmin's. I can't promise you'll be able to keep them indefinitely,
but for now I think your sponsors would have wanted you to have
them."
The
rest of the jewels went back into the tiny gurra-skin bag. Va'del
tried to scramble to his feet as the Guadel rose, but On'li waved
him back into his chair. "You need some sleep after all that's
happened.
Javin
reached down and easily shouldered the harness containing all of the
packs. After they disappeared, it took several lonely cycles before
Va'del finally managed to fall into a restless slumber.
On'li
followed Javin into the empty Council room and took her usual seat
at the round, stone table next to him. This early they were all but
guaranteed some privacy in which to fine-tune their approach to the
coming meeting.
"It's
days like this that make me wish we didn't head up the Stephens
bloodline. For all that sometimes I hated being out on circuit, it
was a walk in the park compared to dealing with the Council."
Javin
snorted. "We're too old for anything else."
"You're
right. Too old, and Mar'li would be miserable out there among all
of those strangers. She's never had the disposition to do field
work. We're like pack gurra that are too old to carry anything so
we've been retired back to just producing wool for the last few
years of our lives."
Javin
shrugged and turned back to business. "The boy isn't helping
his case."
"You're
right. He's all but begging to be the whipping boy for what
happened to I'rone and the others. We'll have to be very careful to
keep him away from the rest of the Council or we'll never have a
shot at getting him through to his final vows. Of course if
something like that hadn't left a mark he'd hardly be the kind of
lad we'd be interested in getting sponsored again. Still, we'll
have to manage him carefully. If he displays even a touch of
arrogance or callousness over the next few months, it's done for."
"At
least we can see to it he's not punished."
There
was steel behind her husband's tone, but she knew how much it would
cost him to lay out the arguments they'd spent the last day or so
perfecting. He'd made enormous strides in the last thirty years,
but at heart he was still the shy, retiring young man he'd been when
they'd first met.
They
sat in silence for several seconds as On'li absently leafed through
Jasmin's journal. The document made a compelling case for having
Va'del sponsored, but ultimately they couldn't use it to that end.
After seeing I'rone and his wives cut down, it was all too likely
that Va'del was going to experience some drastic personality shifts.
She'd already detected a mind that was much more driven than what
Jasmin described.
It
was almost scary to think of sponsoring someone who could change so
drastically over the next few years, but the boy held such
potential. Spending more time inside his mind would increase her
understanding of his character, but only at an increased risk of
ruining him later on.
No
person could endure the utter invasion of having someone they didn't
trust inside their mind on an ongoing basis without eventually
strengthening their reflexive defense to the point where it was
simply too strong to overcome.
Javin
rubbed slow circles on her back, sensing the serious bent of her
thoughts.
"Things
will work out."
"How
can you be so sure? We're down to just three families in the
bloodline now. That's got to affect my desire to sponsor the boy.
On the other hand, the repercussions of sponsoring someone with his
potential if he goes bad are almost unimaginable."
"It'll
work out."
They
passed the remaining half cycle before the others arrived in
companionable silence, and then all too soon the other members of
the Council began drifting in and taking their seats at the table.
They all tended towards more experienced, if not downright old, but
had very little physical similarities otherwise.
The
men ranged from the impressive physiques of true warriors to the
slender build of scholars or diplomats. The women were likewise
disparate in form. Some of On'li's counterparts were even more
fragile looking than she was while others were clearly eating far
more than their share of the People's limited resources.
A'vril,
currently serving as the Goddess' Heart, stood and took charge once
the last pair had taken their seats.
"In
my capacity as head of this Council, I call this session to order.
The Arm will please seal the chamber."
A'vril's
husband, Jas'on, nodded from the doorway and then swung a massive
stone door, the only real door in the entire Capital, closed.
The
Council ran through a number of minor items before A'vril opened the
floor for discussion about Va'del.
Javin
stood to be recognized, and then made his case. "With regard
to the discipline of young Va'del, we, as the head of his bloodline,
feel he was not directly responsible for the death of I'rone and his
family."
Ja'dir
jumped to his feet and pounded his well-manicured hands on the stone
table. "I object to your assuming responsibility for this
matter. This Va'del is clearly unsponsored, and consequently does
not fall under the oversight of a specific bloodline. The question
of whether or not his cowardice resulted in the death of three very
promising members of the Guadel should be a matter for the Council
as a whole to decide."
Javin
looked at his colleague calmly, but On'li had known her husband long
enough to know that he wanted nothing quite so much as to put Ja'dir
in his place. "At the time of the incident, Va'del
was
sponsored by I'rone and his family. The decision is ours."
A'vril
held up a hand for a second and then nodded. "Javin has the
right of this. Ja'dir, you will quit trying to contest this matter
and allow Javin to apprise the Council of his decision."
Nodding
respectfully, Javin continued. "There is no indication that
Va'del disobeyed a direct order. By his account, I'rone instructed
him to protect Jasmin and Betreec, but naught was specifically said
concerning his remaining with them. Additionally, there is nothing
to indicate Va'del's having remained with the two wives would
have saved them, and therefore there is no charge of negligence."
On'li
rose to stand by her husband, looking around the circular room at
each of the Councilors. "Before you ask, I've examined
Va'del's mind and deception is not part of his nature; there is
every reason to believe he's telling the truth regarding I'rone's
commands to him."
Ja'dir
shot On'li a venomous look and she wondered, not for the first time,
how so many people, most of whom she sincerely believed were trying
to do their best, could spend so much time arguing.
Of
course, he probably wouldn't be quite such a pompous fool if he
didn't listen to the even bigger fools in his bloodline. Like
Pa'tric.
"Additionally, Jasmin's journal was among the things Va'del
brought back and she has nothing but praise for the young man. She
indicated multiple times that he was earnest in his efforts to
please I'rone's family and do as they asked. There is no doubt but
that it is complete, and done in her handwriting. As for cowardice,
before being ambushed by the human bandits, Va'del assisted I'rone
in destroying a large group of bag'ligs. The boy dispatched two of
the beasts himself."
A'vril
nodded her appreciation for On'li's summary, and the older woman
resumed her seat as Javin continued. "Based on this, Va'del
will not be punished in any way."