Was it Him? (2/2)

Writers: Estelle, Paula
Date Posted: 30th May 2019

Characters: Corowal, Zandan, Alyena
Description: Alyena asks Corowal to help her bring Grevan home
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 10, day 4 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Grevan (NPC), J'ackt

Zandan led her to Corowal's office and introduced them.

Nothing in the Lord Holder's demeanor showed the anger simmering under
surface, he was as handsome and elegant as always, his tone polite
when he greeted them. But Zandan knew him better.

"What can I do for you, Alyena?" Corowal asked.

The woman kept her eyes lowered. For a moment, she was so scared she
could hardly speak, fearing both the Lord Holder himself and what he
might know about her boy.

"I've heard that there was trouble at the Weyr, my Lord, and that my son
Grevan was there. The Captain said that you'd had word about it." She
steeled herself. "I wondered if you knew if...if it's him. If he's all
right."

"Yes, your son has attacked a dragonrider. He has been arrested for
attempted murder," Corowal replied. "As far as I understand, he was
somewhat roughed up when arrested. Had he succeeded, he would probably
been staked out for Thread by now. Or whatever they do in Weyr to
execute people." Most Holds resorted to hanging when capital crimes were
involved.

Alyena could hardly make sense of his words past "arrested", "murder"
and "staked out for Thread". For a moment, the world blurred around her
and she thought she might faint. She had been told what had happened,
but she hadn't understood until now what it meant.

"But he's alive?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "He's at the
Weyr?"

"Yes, he's alive and at the Weyr, and stays there until he's tried,"
Corowal just sounded exhausted now. The whole family was giving him more
troubles headache that was reasonable.

"Tried?" she echoed. "Y-you mean...they're going to put him on trial?
He's only a boy!" She fought back the panic that rose inside her at the
thought of her son, alone in the Weyr, surrounded by hostile riders.
"They sent Cronfur back to me. Why can't they send him home?"

"Yes, they've putting him on trial. This time the difference is that
he just attacked a dragonrider, unprovoked. Your husband's case was
different, it was fight between two men, both equally blame," Corowal
explained. "And Grevan is old enough to face the consequences of his
actions."

Alyena felt the bitterness swelling inside her. As if watching his
father die, slowly and in pain, over months wasn't provocation enough!
But she couldn't speak like that to the Lord Holder. If she was going to
save Grevan, she couldn't give in to anger.

"Was it him?" she asked. "The dragonrider. Was it that holdless man?"

"J'ackt? Yes. That young man causes more trouble than he's worth,"
Corowal also sounded bit bitter.

She wondered if _he_ was hurt, and for a brief, fierce instant she hoped
that he would die. But if that happened, Grevan's life would be forfeit,
too. Her son's life was more important than revenge.

"Can I see Grevan?" she asked, her voice low. "Please, my Lord? I could
tend to his injuries."

"I don't think so," Corowal shook his head, "They keeping him in the
Weyr, and I was barely able to get a permission to interview him."

"But can you ask? Maybe they'll let me. I'm his mother." She wasn't sure
if that would mean anything to the dragonriders. She had heard that they
didn't care about family, that they handed their children off to foster
parents as soon as they were born. And the thought of actually going to
the Weyr filled her with fear. But she had to try.

"Yes, I can ask," Corowal promised. Then he leaned forward and looked
her into the eyes. "Did you know what he was planning to do? Did you
urge him to do it?"

"Of course not!" She recoiled at the very idea. What kind of mother did
he think she was, to send her own son into such danger, perhaps to end
up with blood on his hands? "I would never have let him go to that
place, where his father was..." She choked back a sob.

"I believe you," Corowal said with much kinder tone.

"Thank you, my Lord." The tears spilled over her lashes and she tried to
brush them away with the back of her hand. This wasn't helping. "I'm
sorry. It's just that no matter what he's done, he's still my son. I
have to try to help him." She thought of something, remembering the
bandit trial that she'd heard about at the Hold. "Will he have a harper,
to be on his side at the trial?"

"He has right to ask one to defend him. It doesn't have to be a
harper, although harper is best choice, considering their training and
knowledge. The Hold has a harper, Neliar, who's very good at these
kind of things. Or you can find one at the Hall. I wouldn't ask Weyr's
harper," Corowal replied.

"No." She certainly didn't want the Weyr's harper, but could she trust
the Hold's? She wasn't even sure she trusted the Lord Holder. He might
choose to sacrifice Grevan, in order to stay on good terms with the
dragonriders; he had a son who was one of them. On the other hand, she
didn't know any other harpers, nor could she afford their fees. "I'll
consider it, but I really should to speak to Grevan. It's his decision.
I need to see him," she repeated, pleading.

"I can only send your request to the Weyrleaders," Corowal replied.

"Yes, my Lord. But please, tell them it's important." She glanced at
Zandan, worried that she was taking up too much of the Lord Holder's
time. "Should I wait at the Hold for their reply?"

"It may take awhile," Corowal warned. "If you want to stay and wait,
the headwoman can assign you a guest room."

"Thank you, my Lord, but I need to return to the cot. My younger
children need me." She would need to think about them, too. They could
not go to the Weyr with her. "I can return tomorrow."

"Alright," Corowal replied.

Last updated on the June 15th 2019

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Was it Him? (2/2)