The Trial

Writers: Aaron, Devin, Eimi, Estelle, Miriah, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 3rd October 2019

Characters: N'vanik, Vestian, Corowal, Cyradis, J'ackt, Alyena, Trennemar, Jerinne, Afalna, Grevan
Description: The trial of Grevan begins
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 25 of Turn 9

N'vanik

Vestian

Cyradis

J'ackt

Grevan looked downcast and tired as he was shuffled into chambers,
hands bound. He was clean and looked well fed, but there was an air of
hopelessness about him. He didn't look up as he was seated at a table;
but he heard the murmur from the small select audience that was
allowed in to view the proceedings.

From the back, J'ackt watched, arms crossed over his chest and lips
thinned. His fingers tightened over his biceps as the memory of the
struggle between he and the other man resurfaced in his mind.
Recalling his own fear and desperation, it was difficult to resist the
urge to spring over the divide and throttle the man.

Corowal watched them bring him in with sombre expression. He was
wearing same clothes as during the Emerald Falls Hold's trial. There
really wasn't any doubts about his guilt, it was just matter of what
his punishment was.

The Hallmaster sat back in his chair, schooling his expression to hide
his disgust with the whole process. If he had wanted to sit in
judgement over someone he would have studied arbitration. He was an
artist for Faranth sake. Though the sight of the man did make him
narrow his eyes a bit as he absorbed the haggard look, the disheveled
appearance. So different from the people he usually had been asked to
paint. Oh how he longed for a piece of parchment and a pencil to
sketch the man.

Simmering anger tightened N'vanik's stomach. He wished he could just
handle this himself, but Grevan being a holder complicated things. So
N'vanik was determined to use the trial to his advantage as much as
possible. There was an artist on hand to take sketches, and two
scribes to record the proceedings. All the evidence would be
presented, the physical as well as eye witness testimonies, and the
news would be spread everywhere, especially every hold and cothold in
Emerald Falls territory. Beyond his personal feelings, this was an
attempted murder of a dragonrider and could not be tolerated.

In this case, Cyradis was not a judge but she firmly supported the
process about to play out and determined to stand as witness to the
trial and it's outcome. There was no question of the young man's guilt
but he'd shown great remorse once he'd known the truth of his father's
actions. She could feel sympathy for him at the same time as outrage
on behalf of her riders at this attack. It could not be allowed to
stand unpunished. She waited patiently for the trial to begin.

Alyena had taken a seat near the front, as close as she dared to the
seat where her son would be placed. From the moment he was brought in
she gazed at him, willing him to look at her and take heart from knowing
that she was there. But he didn't. Helplessly, she glanced over the
faces of the judges, trying to detect any sign of sympathy, and found
nothing to reassure her. Had anything she'd done to help him done any
good? She clasped her hands tightly in her lap, the nails digging into
her palms, both wanting it to be over and dreading the outcome.

Grevan remained at his seat, shoulder's slumped. He didn't even spare
the Harper at his side a glance. His eyes remained locked on the table
in front of him. He'd told the Harper what he wanted. He knew what was
likely to happen. He'd given up all hope of returning home and deep
pit of despair in his middle had only grown.

The Harper rose to address the panel of judges and bowed to each. "My
Lord, Weyrleader, Master Harper. Hold Resident Grevan has requested
that a plea of guilty to all charges be entered into the record. He
will not contest your judgement."

Well that was disappointing. Where had the raving man they'd caught
that night gone? N'vanik stood and put on his best Weyrleader voice.
"I want all evidence presented and recorded as proof of his crime. Let
no one accuse the Weyr of coercing him into this plea. This crime is
so shocking Pern deserves a full accounting."

Corowal's face showed nothing, but he was starting to feel sorry for
the boy. He had to be the most miserable. unlucky and inept
would-be-murderer in Pern's history. There never was any doupt about
Grevan's guilt. it was just a matter what his punishment would be.

Jerinne was brought it first, clad in a clean gown but looking pale
and frightened. Her eyes flicked to Grevan, then found J'ackt. Her
expression hardened only for a moment before her gaze found the three
men on the panel. She immediately burst into tears and fell to her
knees, startling the guard before he could pick her back up. "Mercy,
please!" The pretty face upturned to stare at the men, her hands
lifting with her plea. "I swear I'll be good! I helped, I know it was
wrong! I gave him the map and sent the note, but it was...it was
because I was scared! I was scared of Grevan!"

At that Grevan's head swung up and there was finally an expression
other than utter dejection on his face. Disbelief and anger filled his
voice "You lying bitch! You're the one who offered to help! I wouldn't
have been able to find him if you hadn't!"

J'ackt stiffened and looked at N'vanik, his lips thinning. This was
not going as he had hoped.

Corowal's eye brow's arched when he watched the girl's performance.

Vestian was rather appalled at the woman's lack of understanding of
her rights. "Girl, this is a sentencing hearing, not a trial, and
certainly not _your_ trial. I _strongly_ advise you to speak only
when spoken to. Holders have rights, even in Weyrs."

The Weyrleader stared straight at Jerinne. "I warned you to tell the truth."

"Pern has no fury like woman scorned," Corowal muttered quietly.

Cyradis' eyes slid to the Lord Holder and she suppressed a smile with
difficulty as she pretended not to hear what he'd said. She imagined
he'd been chased by women for so many turns and knew whereof he spoke.
Her eyes regarded the drudge. She didn't believe the performance for a
moment but then this particular drudge had been in trouble before, so
perhaps her opinion was colored by that fact.

Jerinne shrank, stunned at finding no sympathy in the panel.
Sniffling, she glanced around, chewing her lower lip as she tried to
not shake with fear. If she didn't tell what she had told N'vanik,
he'd be well within his rights to let J'ackt do exactly what he'd
threatened to. She lifted her eyes to the panel and her shoulders
slumped as she heard Grevan being forced back into his seat. It was
though she could hear J'ackt's sword sliding out of its sheath behind
her. "I helped him. I got a message from my cousin, Enali, and she
asked me to help him when he got here. I think she thought that he
just wanted to talk to J'ackt. I told Grevan lies about J'ackt and
gave him a map. Then I sent a letter to J'ackt and signed Cyradis'
name to it. I knew what he was going to do."

Alyena's nails dug into the palms of her hands as she stared at Jerinne
with a sudden fierce hatred burning in her heart. So it was her lies
that had brought Grevan to do what he'd done. And Enali... She could
have been her daughter-in-law. How could she have done this? If she ever
saw the girl again, she felt she could scratch her pretty eyes out. The
violence of that thought shocked her, and she shuddered, took a deep
breath. Surely the judges would listen. They'd know he'd been deceived.

"Do either of the harpers have questions for Jerinne?" The Weyrleader asked.

Trennemar stood and asked, "Jerinne. Is there anyone else besides
Grevan who can corroborate your statement?"

Jerinne licked her lips, thinking furiously, and trying to think of
anyone. Her eyes lifted quickly. "The drudge Afalna. She carried the
note. And Enali of Emerald Falls Hold." She flicked a gaze at Grevan.
"And Enali said there was a guard on the tithe train that would help
Grevan get in to the Weyr. He had a map."

Grevan visibly winced at the mention of the guard, but kept his head
down, hands clenching into fists.

"Do you know the name of that guard?" Corowal asked, his voice
deceptively kind and soft.

Jerinne shook her head. "No. Just that he was on the tithe train."

"Are any of these witnesses available to testify?" asked Trennemar.

"Afalna can testify," N'vanik said. "We have her waiting." He had some
concerns about her being put in this situation, but she could
certainly corroborate Jerinne's story about forging a note from
Cyradis. The poor drudge had believed it was genuinely from the
Weyrwoman.

"Thank you. I have no further questions for this witness," Trennemar
said and then retook his seat.

As Jerinne was led away, she began to weep from both fear of her own
fate. There was no one to comfort her, and the hard glares she felt
from the crowd made her quail. Her life at the Weyr was ruined and she
knew it.

Afalna was led out, trembling as she faced the panel of men but looked
at Cyradis for support as she'd been directed by her sister. In simple
words, she described Jerinne's instructions, but the thumb she kept
trying to thrust into her mouth often garbled her words and made them
unclear. Another glance at the Weyrwoman made her remember herself and
she removed the digit, though she kept it near her lips. "Then she
said it was from the Weyrwoman and to give it to J'ackt." She looked
behind her and her eyes watered. "I'm really sorry. I didn't know.
Please don't be mad."

J'ackt shook his head at her, his eyes surprisingly gentle before he
spoke. "I'm not. I promise." He nodded back towards the panel and she
turned back to the men.

"I'm really sorry." Her thumb was thrust back into her mouth, her
teeth gnawing gently.

Corowal felt sorry for the drudge, she was obviously a dimglowed one.
"No one's accusing you of anything. Thank you for testifying, it must
have been hard for you."

Cyradis rose from her seat and put her arm around Afalna. "You did
very well," she smiled as she led her gently from the room.

As Afalna was led away, Grevan felt further guilt. He'd not imagined
that Jerinne would involve such an innocent simpleton in this. That
girl had clearly been upset; Faranth, he'd not realized how many
people his actions had effected. He'd been such a fool. His head
bowed, shoulders hunched, as he waited for the final sentencing.

Last updated on the October 14th 2019

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The Trial