“What about the rest, then?” Mordeleg burst out. “If she saw so much, then she also saw what happened after!”
“If you keep interrupting, I will see you removed with no further—”
“Witchery! He led me to that place, then used its witchery upon me!”
The midLands word—witchery—fell into the Council den like stones in a still, deep pool, echoing into sudden silence. Inhya’s heart lurched in her breast. Visceral, immediate—perhaps wrong, perhaps accurate—but always, always there.
It didn’t mean she watched her wards any less carefully. Anahli stiffened, eyes narrowing. Tokela’s shoulders quivered, hunched; his eyes remained straight ahead, fixed on the floor.
Palatan broke the silence, leaning forwards. “That,” he spun the word out with a small click of tongue, “is a highly serious accusation, oških.”
“And why bring up such a thing now? Why not before?” The wyrhling spoke to Palatan—well, and he would—but also just loud enough to be noticed. “Desperation, I should think.” He’d moved closer to Tokela, touched his hair in open comfort. Tokela jerked as if surprised, yet didn’t pull away. His fingers twitched against the floor.
Inhya could only hope he wasn’t foolish enough to start sketching.
“Who are you, outlier, to question me?” Mordeleg demanded.
“Yet the outlier has a point,” Sarinak allowed. “Such an accusation shouldn’t be attached to a dog’s wagging tail.”
“I mentioned it before!” Mordeleg turned to Galenu. “Tell them. I said I’d more!”
Galenu started, resigned, to agree. He refrained, lips thinning as Mordeleg continued:
“Everyone knows Tokela’s dam was a witch who consorted with Chepiś! Is it so hard to believe—” Mordeleg winced and broke off with a yip. Galenu’s hand had once again slid to his neck tendons.
“That has nothing to do with thisNow,” Inhya stated, flat. “You’ve no rights to invoke the dead so.”
The elders were murmuring agreement to this. Tokela still gave no defence, body or voice, head bowed and forelock fallen to cover his eyes.
But then, Inhya told herself, her eldest preferred the protections of turtleKin: sinking inwards, lashing out only when cornered.
“Even outliers can speak from their heart,” Palatan ventured, soft. “If you claim the Elementals were used, Mordeleg a’Hassun, then what face did the possession display?”
“What… face?” This clearly had Mordeleg confused.
Palatan leaned forwards, hands propped on thighs. “What Elemental answered? And if ša was no Elemental, but Šilombiš’okpulo that responded, then surely you saw…” As he trailed away, Mordeleg opened his mouth—eagerly it would seem—but Palatan held up a hand and continued, “I charge you, oških, to think before you make such talk, because it would merely prove that you tried to force Tokela. Why else would Tokela be desperate enough to openly call upon an Elemental? Not to mention”—Palatan’s lip curled—“that were you in duskLands, the penalty for such violation is harsh. And appropriate.”
“We aren’t in duskLands!” Mordeleg’s voice went a little squeaky, all the same. “I saw what I saw. His eyes… changed! They began to gleam! The Riverling overflowed Her bank! And there were sparks upon the stone!”
“River has surges,” the wyrhling snorted with a roll of eyes, “even this far upwards, rolling in from the estuaries. I saw no sparks.”
“You will be silent, outlier, or be excused!” Sarinak growled.
“Wyrhlings know River.” Palatan slid a glance the wyrhling’s way. Inhya saw the frown quirking there, puzzled. “They understand Her more than most.”
The elders murmured amongst themselves, shock and consternation; the suggestion played at affront even if true—and proper, as Inhya’s frown reminded them. It remained Alekšu’s right—his duty, in fact—to suggest such things.
Even as Inhya’s own thoughts circled: It can’t be true. Can’t be…
“The Riverling started to flood!” Mordeleg’s tone crawled into desperation. “And I saw what I saw, blue-white, almost like Thunder’s arrows! She had to see, if she saw so much!”
“Anahli?” Sarinak prompted.
At this Tokela’s head did shift, albeit slight, sending some sort of quick appeal to Anahli. Unlike him, she was aware of Inhya’s notice. Lowering her chin, she raised her gaze to Inhya’s, her voice ringing through the den clear as a thin-stretched drumhide. “Everything coming from that one’s mouth is made of venom. Lies.”
“You’re the liar!” Mordeleg shot back.
Anahli didn’t bother to so much as turn. Instead she slid her eyes sideways, giving Mordeleg the same interest she might give a nit she’d picked from Kuli’s scalp.
“Tokela?” Sarinak said, and ai, but her spouse could be as gentle as fierce. “I understand that this is a fearsome accusation, but you must speak.”
Tokela started to raise his head, at the last minute seemed to change his mind. Instead he extended his hands, palms up. “I have wandered closer than was wise to the forbidden place, that is true. I often wonder why my mother went there. But this is also true; wherever I was, I didn’t want Mordeleg. He tried to force me, and he threatened my brother Madoc. I do not answer his accusations, because I do not have to answer lies. I only tried to defend myself against him. If Anahli hadn’t interfered, I would be the one who’d asked for arbitration. Now, I merely ask my elders for justice.”
The wyrhling tugged at Tokela’s hair. A smile appeared beneath the forelock, slight but genuine.
Inhya wanted to warm to it. All she could think was that Tokela hadn’t truly answered. And when she slid her gaze towards Palatan, she found him peering at Tokela, a slight frown twisting his brow.
“Alekšu?” prompted Sarinak.
The frown wiped away, as if it had never been. “The matter is plain. There is no true evidence of possession at present, Mound-chieftain.”
Sarinak conferred with the other elders, quiet and rapid, then nodded. “It is quite plain to me as well. Such things can get tangled up and mistaken on either side, but there’s no doubt Mordeleg tried to force Tokela. It’s particularly craven when you, Mordeleg, well know Tokela is new to his indigo and unskilled at such play. You have rendered not only insult, but injury, to a member of our Clan and tribe.”
Satisfied murmurs from the elders. Mordeleg leaned forwards, as if to speak. Galenu
