She was one of the few not contributing to the chaos. She was observing. Her eyes flitted between the council members and the Urak’s head, unblinking. But it was clear to Calen that behind those icy eyes, she was deep in thought.
“Well… are you lot done?” Erdhardt asked after the shouting had persisted for a touch too long.
“What is the meaning of this, Erdhardt?” demanded a slightly plump lady with oily skin and thinning blonde hair. A deep scowl was set on her face.
“The honesty of these young men was questioned,” Erdhardt said. He did not attempt to hide the glare he directed at the thin man from Pirn. “Here is your proof that there were Uraks in Ölm Forest.”
It was Jorvill who spoke next. “What are we to do, then? How are we to know how many more, if there are any—”
“There are more.” Kara’s voice was soft, but there was a firm undertone. The council members paused to listen, as they did when Erdhardt spoke. She exchanged glances with the two other members of the Erith Council, as if seeking their blessing before continuing. “Until now, we were not sure if the reports were true. They mostly came in from the likes of hunters and trappers, or the occasional peddler. However, over the past few weeks, the reports have increased in number, and now this.” Kara wrapped her fingers around the rotting skull, holding it up in the air. “This is the first shred of solid proof we’ve seen.” The council members exchanged a few murmurs. Kara raised her voice a little, enough to quieten the chatter. “It could be nothing. There were only two, Calen?”
Calen nodded.
“Well,” Kara continued, “we know there are Urak clans that call Wolfpine Ridge their home, this is not news to us. We haven’t spotted any since the attacks a few years ago, but that could simply be luck. We always knew that they would raid again, eventually.”
“But you said the sightings have been increasing in number,” said a man with a chest as thick as oak barrels. His arms were the width of Calen’s head. His head was bald from front to back, and he had a number of brass rings in his ears and his nose, as was common among the seafaring folk of Salme.
“Yes, I did, Baren. And that is something we should keep an eye on. For now, in Erith, we will put the village guard on alert and perhaps look to erect a long-overdue palisade wall. To all those here who counsel villages along the base of Wolfpine Ridge, I would recommend you do the same.”
“Aye, I believe this to be a sound course of action.” Erdhardt folded his arms across his chest and nodded.
“Aye,” the council elders of Milltown and Talin said.
“Although we lay not along the edge of Wolfpine Ridge, the villages are one. Our unity is our strength, and should you need it, the village of Ölm will come to your aid.”
“As will Salme,” said the barrel-chested sailor, Baren.
“And Pirn,” said a small raven-haired woman with streaks of grey.
“Many thanks to you, friends. Your words warm my heart,” Erdhardt said. “Now that is settled, we have the matter of the altercation between these two groups of young men.”
“With all due respect, Hammersmith, both of these groups are of your village. It is an issue for The Glade, not an issue for this council,” said the thin man from Pirn.
Erdhardt cocked an amused eyebrow. “Not an issue for this council? This happened in The Proving, a rite of passage for all in the villages.” There was a rumble of agreement throughout the group. The thin man from Pirn folded his arms across his chest with an irritated grunt, but he did not argue. Erdhardt nodded. “Okay. Kurtis, Fritz, Dennet. Tell us what happened.”
“It was an accident,” Fritz said, not waiting for the other two to speak. “I was aiming for the kat, but it was so dark.”
Dann barely attempted to suppress a snort.
Ignoring Dann, Erdhardt raised a questioning eyebrow. “And can you explain why, instead of correcting your mistake and tending to the injury you caused, you instead pushed them farther into the forest? And stole the bear pelt?”
“They scared away the kat. That was our kill. We only took what was due to us! And we couldn’t trust them to not try and take it back, sir. I did what I thought was smart.” The silence that followed Fritz’s words was only broken by the sound of Erdhardt’s fingers drumming on the table.
“This is The Proving,” Erdhardt said, lifting his gaze from the table. “It is meant to throw young boys into the harshest of environments on their own and show them what the world can be like, to forge them into men. To test their skill and their character. Sometimes, the honourable path is not easy, and the easy path is not honourable. This is a lesson that must be learned – and I think it has been. From the point of view of this council, I do not feel any further action needs to be taken. If you will all agree, I believe this to be settled.”
There was a quick haze of chatter before a chorus of “Aye” was heard from all members of the council. Calen felt a flare of anger when he saw the smirk spreading across Fritz’s face.
“We are settled, then,” said the barrel-chested man from Salme, as he rose from his seat.
“No,” Erdhardt said. “In the view of this council, the matter is settled, but from the view of The Glade—” Erdhardt looked between Jorvill and Verna, who both nodded. “This is not over. For tonight, we will celebrate The Proving.” Erdhardt’s eyes locked on Fritz, Kurtis, and
