RP:Treason! A Trial
Part of the Defection Arc
Wildlands Outside Chartsend
Synopsis: Only Alicia and Eliason command the authority to call a trial in Chartsend, but in their absence, Anann decides to call a trial to deal with the prisoner Josleen, who has been arrested for espionage. During the trial, Eliason returns from his mission in Vailkrin barely clinging to life, but the sight of his beloved Josleen battered and on trial against charges he knows to be false, lends him enough energy to command the trial be brought to an end. Insulted and outraged that Eliason would command her in front of her men, Anann defects from the army and takes half the ranger sub-regiment with her.
This rp took place on November 19th, 2013.
The training camp of the newly formed Chartsend Ranger Regiment is a beehive of activity. A prisoner has been held in the camp for a few days now, awaiting trial. The Tactical Advisor of the regiment apprehended a woman riffling through the military administration of Chartsend. And most of the troops knew the woman. They knew she was the lover of the Commander. And they knew of the issues they had had. They knew of what had transpired between those two. And they harboured an immense dislike for the prisoner because of it. Josleen had been kept tied up between two poles that held one of the tarps that made up their light weight camp. Her wounds, incurred at arrest, had been tended too, she had been kept on hunger rations, but strangely enough, they had not treated her badly. Perhaps the troops settled for seeing her in discomfort and distress, with the possibility of seeing her hung as a spy.... Today, one by one the officers gathered for a court martial. Several of the Majors and Captains of the 2 regiments of the Garrison and a few in the uniforms of the Desert Legion. A total of 9 officers settled down at a table, under a large white tarp, their most senior member, a Major of the Legion, in the middle to act as chairman. Anann herself sat down on the turf, off to one side, and several details of all regiments had gathered in parade, forming an open square around the place where this court gathered, the table making up the 4th side of the square. At a command from the senior Sergeant Major, one of the Guards, a fifer began playing the tune known as the Rogue's March and the prisoner was led into the square. She had been held tied for nearly her whole captivity, but now she was unshackled. Three men guarded and guided her to a chair in front of the table and a young lieutenant who was fidgetting nervously. The officers of the court stood up and acknowledged the woman, the troops snapped to attention and the chairman stood them at ease before addressing the prisoner "Miss Josleen, you stand before us now accused of espionage after you were caught riffling through the military administration of Chartsend. This has lead to your arrest and the current court martial. If you are found guilty, you will be taken to a place of execution to be hung by the neck until dead. How do you plea?"
Josleen doesn’t seem grateful for the basic medical attention received. Indeed, why should she be grateful to those who broke her in the first place? Her chin sports a deep purple bruise and scrape. Her shoulder was dislocated and now sits in a sling. Her wrist was sprained and pinky broken. Her wrists also sustained deep bruising from the tight bindings. Also bruised are parts of her torso and her hip which were banged badly when she was kicked down a flight of stairs while her hands and feet were already bound. Her knee has swollen considerably and is stiff. She walks with a slight limp, unwilling to put her weight on the injured knee. Her ankles which are visible perhaps bear the most grotesque injury having sustained deep lacerations from the bow string which was wound tightly around them to bind her - and unnecessarily so given her compliance to arrest. She sits in the offered chair, her chin held high and spirit still not broken. Although she has been a silent captive, wisely avoiding further brutality, she has never internalized her captivity. The trial does not intimidate her because she doesn’t believe she will be found guilty. She doesn’t believe she will be hung. From her seat, the prisoner scans the crowd for faces, taking stock of heads she would like to see roll once proper authority is resumed. In response to the question, she hesitates. Does she play along? Is the audience her safety blanket, or does she risk further abuse by resisting to submit? Her gaze scans the crowd once more and finds a few sympathetic faces - soldiers from other regiments who came to witness as her ally. Men who work more closely with Eliason and question the validity of the trial, the charges, and the new restructuring of authority in the absence of Commanders Eliason and Alicia. They keep the questions to themselves as they sit anxiously, unsure of how to act, afraid for Josleen, and afraid for themselves. Are they meant to intervene or not? Their worried faces give Josleen confidence and she murmurs ruefully to the chairman, “This court is a farce and I’ll not entertain it.”
The turns back to Josleen, speaking to her gently and politely enough, but with some force none the less. "From what I heard Miss Josleen, you were caught by Anann going through the papers of the Chartsend Garrison, the Rangers and the Desert Legion and did not, or could not explain yourself." He looks at the faces of the other officers. He spoke to them before these proceedings, and though quite a few of them thought Josleen was probably innocent, they all agreed with this trial. Some had said there should be a court of enquiry instead, but in the end they had all agreed they should bring this to a full court in order to get to the bottom of this quickly... Meanwhile the Lieutenant by Josleen's side is fidgetting still, trying to tell her she should just tell the truth of what she was doing, but he was nervous, not just because of the commanders, but also because of his role of legal counsellor here... The chairman decides to proceed and calls on Anann to explain what lead to the arrest. She stands up and moves to the front of the table. Her clothes have been brushed off, and the arrow hole in the byrnie has been patched. She explains in a calm, matter of fact voice what happened. She describes how she entered HQ, finding no guard posted to announce her. There she found Josleen going through the administration of Chartsend and the Legion. She was hiding a ledger and refused to explain herself and Anann nocked an arrow and threatened her. Josleen then showed the ledger as a book containing lists of supplies and military equipment, including orders. When she refused to explain herself again, Anann proceeded to call Sergeant Glyn and the archer with him to make the arrest. Another few attempts were made to make the woman tell what she was actually doing, but at no point did she give a clear and coherent explanation.... one of the officers leans forward and asks about the injuries. Anann explains most of them were caused when Sergeant Glyn shoved the woman down the stairs. She did not address it at the time, but issued punishment later, why he was not present at this hearing. She also placed him on a warning, meaning he would be dismissed if there was any more to say about his behaviour.... The officers of the court look uneasy. They feel like they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. None of them reckon Josleen is a spy, though they know it is always possible. But they can also see why the arrest had to be made and why this trial is needed. With Venturil constantly looking to gain an edge on Chartsend, anyone, even the Commanders lover looking through the papers without authorisation should be considered suspect. They look at each other, not knowing what exactly to do now, they look at Josleen, hoping she will explain herself. The chairman bites his lip and asks Josleen again to explain what she was doing. He mentions too why she faces this court with the charges of espionage, given the circumstances. He hopes she will answer, or that the Commander will come to resolve the matter for them. If only he would tell them he authorised her to do what she did, there would be no problem. But the Commander was away, and none of them knew where he was.
Josleen purses her chapped lips at the chairman’s comment and Anann’s follow-up retelling of the event. “I did explain myself. Anann was not satisfied with my explanation. I would venture so far as to say she know I am innocent, as do you and everyone gathered here. This trial is meant to bully me, as evidenced by the fact I’ve been brutality injured despite the fact I did not resist arrest. This entire debacle is personal, not judicial.” She tries to brush her hair out of her face but tangles resist her fingers. Captivity is terrible for grooming and personal vanity. “As I told Anann then and there, as she threatened my life with an arrow and my womanly dignity with violation of a sexual nature, I was looking for clues to help me further aid Commander Eliason for whom I feared. She had met with the Commander prior to encountering me and was aware of his personal mission.”
In the silence following Josleen's pronouncement, the sound of approaching hooves can be heard. As the approaching horse draws near, the figure of the Commander comes into view between the trees. Gasps from many of the gathered officers can be heard at the sight of the man. In fact, if it wasn't for his size and stature, he would hardly be recognizable at all. His normally immaculate armor has been torn and rent from his body in various places. His body has obviously been ravaged with cuts and bruises from head to toe. Even without such afflictions upon his body, it is really the wild look in his eyes that draws the gasps from the crowd. Gone is the slow, calculating look generally apparent in the Commander's visage, replaced by a wildness that only those in Frostmaw would have seen. Casting aside the reins of the beast, the heavy man flips a leg over the pommel of his saddle and lowers himself to the ground. His eyes settle upon those gathered, sapphire hues quickly settling upon Josleen. The sight of her bruised and cut body elicits a snarl of anger from the man. Turning to the chairman, Eli steps up to the man and lowers his voice. "Here's what's going to happen. First, you're going to release her..." He waves toward Josleen without taking his eyes from the other man's. "Second, you are going to tell me what's going on here and who's responsible." The Chairman opens his mouth to speak which earns hims a dagger pointed to his chest. "First..." The Chairman's eyes go wide at the threat and he nods to Josleen's guards to let her go.
Anann stands up and walks forward, but the Chairman speaks before she steps up to the Commander. Even with wide eyes and a dagger at his heart, he maintains the calm of a soldier, the sort of calm that would be expected of him. "Miss Josleen was placed under arrest by Miss Anann when she was caught going through the administration of our forces. Given the situation, the threat we are constantly under, we agreed to a trial." He nods quickly to the other officers and then looks at the wild Eliason "Sir, none of us are convinced Miss Josleen is a spy, though we agree there is a possibility. Her explanation of wanting to help you in your personal mission would find our agreement if she was going through your personal papers, but she was going through papers that contain nothing other than information pertaining to our forces. I believe this is also the reason Miss Anann was not convinced by her in the first place." He holds his tongue then, just looking forward. He gives no command to let Josleen go, knowing they are fully within their right to ask for a valid explanation... Meanwhile Anann has approached and stands across the table, looking at the Commanders bruised form and wild expression. "I am responsible fer de arrest an' captivity of Miss Josleen Commander." She states calmly, without a trace of intimidation, though her hand does rest on the pommel of her short sword. "She said she was goin' t-hrough de papers te find clues te help ye in yer mission. De Major is righ', I arrested her an' organised dis trial te get an answer. Her explanation is quite valid if she were goin' t-hrough yer private papers, but any unaut-horised person goin' t-hrough de ledgers o' de forces o' Chartsend can be construed as espionage. If she were a soldier, an' not yer lover, she would be hung regardless o' her explanation, simply fer de act o' it." She too, makes no movement to let her go, and the guards merely stand there, it is in fact her appointed legal counsellor , the nervous Lieutenant who now hold her in the chair, urging Josleen to diffuse the situation by giving a proper explanation of what she was looking for, and why she was looking through those books.
Eliason’s approach floods Josleen with relief so overpowering that she visibly deflates, releasing tension sourced from dual concerns: concern for her own well being and imprisonment, and concern for his safety and return. His presence singlehandedly erases both of them. He is safe. She is saved. Although his condition and demeanor conjure new concerns for his state of mind, but those can’t be dealt with now. They need to finalize her release, mend both their physical wounds, and celebrate his return. She yearns to do the latter - to embrace him, ask questions, soothe wounds both physical and mental in nature. She doesn’t want to be here anymore. So sick is she of this camp that she’d even postpone the revenge she will seek through him. She tosses a smug gaze at Anann, underscored by a knowing smirk. Having set her mark on the ranger, her attention flits back to the man who, as always, has come for her. When Anann goes on to explain that she was not satisfied with Josleen’s answer, the woman simply rolls her eyes. She doesn’t feel the need to explain herself again. Before Eliason, she feels no need to defend herself and trusts that he knows her. She refuses to react as if she is on trial here.
Eliason turns that wild eyed look upon Anann as she steps forward. The explanation that is offered by both the Chairman and the Ranger is met with a clenched jaw and an angry look. "In Chartsend, citizens are afforded dignity and respect and given the benefit of the doubt unless proven otherwise." His eyes turn to take in the sight of Josleen, the sight of her injuries further fueling the man's rage. "It's obvious that she's been mistreated and that NEVER happens under my command." Those intense blue eyes swing back to settle upon the archer. "Jos has full access to all levels of security in Chartsend. A fact that you would know had you bothered to check! She is a trusted member of this community and has proven herself trustworthy time and again. Lady Alicia would not condone this, and neither WILL I! I am still in command of Chartsend. I am taking her with me now and everyone is to return to their regular duty. I will sort out the rest later. But be certain, anyone responsible for mistreating any prisoner will be held responsible."
Anann said, "she is bein' given de benefit o' de doubt. She is on trial te explain it. Ye too know Commander, if she were a soldier, she would be strung up fer lookin' at dose ledgers." She steps in closer and lowers her voice, her eyes slightly narrowed "I can see ye've been under some stress, but I would remind ye o' de situation now. Shoutin' at dese men I did not do me job is an insult, especially as ye are now not checkin' whedder I did or not." She keeps glaring at him, there is no effort made to calm the commander down, there is just the hope that the Commander will remember his own position and the men and officers gathered here now and how they will perceive him. "I did ask her, an' after I made de arrest, I checked wi'h de Colonels. All t-hree assured me she has security clearance, but de administration is off limits te anyone wi'hout a particular order from yerself or Lady Alicia." It is then the Chairman speaks, softly, to try to diffuse the situation as well. "Sir, we cannot let her go without an explanation of why she was going through those documents. Those particulars require a written authorisation from you or Lady Alicia at all times. Maybe you can talk to her now and ask her for an explanation, because she knows this as well. If we can all just find out why she did this, we are all done here."
Josleen grins impishly as Eliason puts the chairman and Anann in their place. Eliason’s follow-up remedy, however, swipes that grin right off her face and puts a frown in its place. Before the guards can even officially release her, she’s up on her feet, daring them to defy her - and by extension, Eliason. Unless restrained, she’ll walk and there’s a limp to her gait. Whether restrained or free to go, she doesn’t get far, stunned still by Anann’s insubordination. If restrained, she’ll not resist. It hurts too much, and with Eliason here, she shouldn’t need to - should she? Who the heck does Anann think she is? And is she right to think so?
Eliason shakes his head, his eyes never leaving Anann's. He lowers his voice so that only those within a few feet can hear what he's saying. "Your JOB? Your job is to train men to defend the borders of Chartsend. No one has given you the authority to arrest and try prisoners. You have overstepped the boundaries of what you were asked to do. And none of this explains the injuries that she's sustained. Was that your job, too?" Turning his eyes upon the Chairman, Eliason glares at him through his proclamation. "You will do what I tell you to do or you will be dismissed. Chartsend is not a democracy! The only person that can overstep my command is Lady Alicia herself. You want to question me, take it up with her. Until then, this conversation and this trial are over." Not waiting for an answer, the man turns and strides toward Josleen. "Let's go..."
Anann glowers at the Commander, wondering whether he remembers she is training men as part of a deal. She is not a mercenary, and as such would have expected to be treated with respect, regardless of any situation. Now, she is simply being insulted in front of the men she is asked to train, and it would seem from the attitude of the officers that they are quite taken aback with this as well, and not quite sure what to do now. They can't go against their Commander, but as it stands, they themselves feel insulted and disrespected as well. None of them salutes or jumps to order, but they let the Commander proceed. There is talking in the ranks, and the sergeants are not bothering to keep the men quiet or in order.... Anann speaks up eventually, as the Commander turns his back on her "If dis is de way Chartsend deals wi'h its allies, it will have precious few allies. Instead o' recognising I am here as a favour, ye insult me... I made de arrest an' turned her over te de officers fer trial because I could no' let her go eidder." She shrugs and turns on her heel, "I'll be goin' back te me Forest now, anyone wants te come wi'h is welcome." As she marches off, there is a stirring in the ranks. One side of the square simply disintegrates. It is the Rangers who march off behind her, all except for a few. It's the darkskinned Sergeant Ri'Galn who remains standing with a few men-at-arms and archers, but the large majority of soldiers in these ranks move off towards the camp to gather gear and move on.... As this happens, it is the nervous Lieutenant who makes a last attempt to get through to the Commander and Miss Josleen. He stutters and tries to suggest maybe the trial can be rescheduled, with all due respect, and maybe in a more private setting, keeping Miss Josleen under house arrest. He stutters he does not mean to disrespect the Commander or disobey, but implores him to think of his position before the men and the officers. But he is all the more nervous because he expects to be smacked down any second for his interference.
Josleen walks to Eliason to meet him, her bruised hand extended for him to take. She studies his wounds as she gets closer to him, the frown on her face intensifying as the distance between them closes. He really doesn’t need all this insubordination. It’s bizarre and atypical of his men. Has Anann bewitched them? When the lieutenant stutters his advice, Josleen finally does speak up, loud enough for all the men to hear should they stop and listen. Without shouting, the bard is able to project her voice. It’s steady and commanding, not from a place of authority, but one of passion and resolve. It’s earnest and captivating, such is the skill of the bard. “What exactly are you advising me to do? You heard the chairman and Anann herself - everyone knows I am innocent. So what is the point of the trial? To humiliate me? I believe Anann and Glyn have already succeeded in doing that.” A hand sweeps over her body to indicate the brutality committed against her. “Just what exactly are you standing behind, young man? A woman who beats on unarmed, untrained civilian women and stubbornly insists on a trial despite knowing the innocence of the same prisoner? That sounds like a bully to me. She masks it with talk of law and order - she employs this farce of justice to absolve her of punishment for what she knows she is guilty of. If you stand with her, you stand with someone who is ruthless, sadistic, and inhumane. There is no other way to describe how she and Glyn arrested me. Glyn bound my ankles with the intention to bite my skin, then -kicked me- down two flights of steps. Anann sought to extort information from me by threatening me with rape. She threatened my life despite the fact I was unarmed and cornered in a room. And you balk at your commander’s justifiably raised voice? Commander Eliason has shown her much more mercy than she has shown me.”
Eliason turns with Josleen as she addresses the crowd. Had he been in better shape physically, the Commander would make a more impressive figure standing beside her. But as it is, the man is just short of collapsing from exhaustion. As Josleen grows quiet, there is a new stirring among the men as they mutter amongst themselves. From the side of the crowd, a lone figure rises and addresses those gathered. "I am Kadeilin, you all know me, that I have only just returned from Frostmaw. Is there a man here that has not set his life into Commander Eliason's hands at some point? Has he not put his own life on the line for each and every one of us?" Kadeilin waves a hand toward Eli and lifts his voice even higher. "How has the Commander insulted you today? By confronting an injustice that was about to happen? Some of you don't approve of his relationship with this one, but does that make her any less of a citizen of Chartsend to be treated so poorly? And you would abandon Chartsend over this?" The crowd once again wavers and mutters, but in the end, the majority of the soldiers are sufficiently ashamed of their actions to turn and begin heading back for the gates of Chartsend. A handful of the Rangers still move with Anann. Eli is too weakened and emotional over the display to do anymore. He simply turns, still holding Josleen's hand in his own and follows HIS troops back into the city.
Anann mounts the stallion she has been riding for a few weeks now and surveys the troops. It's still a large part of the Rangers that have moved off to join her, another part is wavering, not quite sure. They are stuck between their loyalty to the Commander and their loyalty to the archer who has been training them, has promoted them, has given them action. They know the Commander is a good soldier, but obviously not in a right mind right now. Yet they also know the archer is not a cruel woman. In the end about a quarter of the Rangers simply stays put. They move to neither side. About half of the Rangers move for their horses and join Anann, among them all the new recruits, the other quarter instantly joins the Commander. Perhaps it is a good thing for Chartsend the regiment was not bigger, but it is surely a bad thing for the city that this takes place. Even within the ranks of the other regiments, which follow the Commander, there is talking, they are disturbed at the display of today. The Commander has shown a huge disrespect to their officers, who are obviously displeased, even if they remain loyal to their commander. It makes for two strange processions now. The large body of the Rangers mounting and riding away, into the plains, shocked by what happened, but firmly determined about who they will follow, and the large body of soldiers moving with Eliason, loyal to him, but shaken, lead by disgruntled officers....Anann whoops as she kicks her mount into a gallop, turns him, making him rear as she faces the Commander from that distance. She issues a shrill war cry and thrusts her fist into the air, before twisting the horse around again and following the body of mounted men into the distance.
Josleen is bewildered by the defection of so many men. Is Josleen truly so polarizing a figure that so many would leave because she didn’t get her comeuppance by being hung? That seems incongruent with the temperament, conscience, and justice appetite of the typical human, yet that is what it looks like. She watches the procession leave behind Anann, then witnesses Anann’s war cry. Was that threat? Did they become a rival warring faction? All because she was rooting through her lover’s desk? Is this real life? What is even happening right now. Her lips set thinly at the fact Anann walks as a free woman, but she makes no comment to that disappointment yet. Instead, she slows her advance, bringing Eliason to pause beside her. She waits until the men are some distance away before embracing Eliason as tightly as her injuries permit and whispering, “I am so sorry all of this has happened, love.”
Eliason is completely dumbfounded by the mass defection of his troops over all of this. Sure, his mind is not in the right place with all that has happened, but he cannot think of any way that his actions would have insulted his leaders. What had been done to Josleen was not justice, nor was it warranted. It was cruelty, plain and simple. Anann's warcry is met with a mere shaking of the paladin's head. Just another enemy to deal with for no reason other than the fact that he had righted a wrong that was about to be committed. Once he has the chance to rest, he will meet with the men and set things straight. As soon as everyone else is out of sight, the man meets Josleen's gaze and shakes his head. "It's okay. I should have been here..." The enormity of the last few weeks begins to sink in on his mind and the weight of his wounds pull at him until he finds himself on his knees, shaking in exhaustion. "I'm sorry I didn't do more back there. I just don't have much more in me right now."
Anann whistles shrilly and two drop back out of the ranks to ride beside the archer. It's the Sergeant Azarah and Sergeant Major Uí Ború who are being given their orders now. Azarah still seems shocked and receives a comforting pat on the shoulder from the archer. Before now, she had never even thought about leaving Commander Eliason, but she had found herself moving for her horse nonetheless. The archer chatted to her happily, almost ignoring what had just happened.... Just as those men were moving up the first crest, Sergeant Glyn came back to the camp. He was riding, almost falling off his horse as one of the remaining Rangers caught the reigns of his mount. He had been on continuous patrol since he had escorted Josleen back to this camp. He had stopped riding to rest for a moment yesterday afternoon and within moments Anann had come charging down at him, bullied him back into the saddle and sent him on his way again. As he heard a quick relay of what had just happened, he snaps awake though, shakes his head and looks once in either direction. He speaks to them men remaining there and then rides off, as fast as he can, to join the large body of Rangers moving away from Chartsend. Those archers and scouts remaining now make for their horses as well. They know the sergeant who was with them in Frostmaw as a soldier, and has recently been given that promotion, and in their eyes proven himself worthy of their loyalty. They know he was punished for what he did, and punished severely, but given the display earlier, they doubt Commander Eliason will accept that. So most of those doubting Rangers ride off too, only leaving half a dozen men-at-arms to ride towards Chartsend.... As more hooves approach, Anann turns, coldly welcoming Sergeant Glyn and those men who followed him. She coldly tells him to fall in, which the sergeant gleefully accepts, knowing he is forgiven for his actions. He has been punished and now his slate is clean. Anann looks past the Rangers who now join their ranks, giving Eliason a foul look, which he cannot see at this distance. She holds nothing against the bard, apart from thinking her a silly woman really, but the Commander has lost her respect and has lost authority by his actions. Unless Lady Alicia can put this right, they are enemies now, as far as she is concerned.
Josleen wraps her arms around Eliason’s massive bicep and tries to lift him up, refusing to kneel beside him. She hisses sharply in his ear, almost panicked. “Get up.” Her gaze is fixed on the soldiers who walk away from them, hoping none look back at this display. Her mind races to repackage this story. How does she sell this to further Eliason’s cause? In a softer tone she insists, “Darling, you need to get up.” She drops to her bottom and changes the position of their hands so it looks as if he is helping her up and only kneeling for her sake, rather than the other way around. Her timing is immaculate for just as she reframes this narrative, Glyn and others ride past them to join Anann for… reasons? At least Eliason doesn’t look defeated. That’s all Josleen can do at this point. There’s little else in her skillset to aid him. She isn’t a warrior. She isn’t a mage. She isn’t even a healer. But she is a storyteller and this new story has her fallen and Eliason aiding her - nothing unusual or weak on his part. She whispers to her exhausted paladin, “There’s too many sharks in the water for you to bleed right now. We’ll be home soon. We’ll rest. I’ll fix you, but you -need- to get up right now.”
Eliason allows his eyes to close for just a moment before Josleen's words reach him. He doesn't have the strength. Physically and mentally he is an empty shell, but there is something that carries this man beyond his physical form. Shutting out the world for the briefest of seconds, he reaches for that divine light that resides deep in the recesses of his mind. Touching that light, he calls out silently in prayer. With a strength only given by Arkhen himself, the man is able to push himself to his feet and stand tall. To any onlookers, he would appear as the strong, commanding paladin that they know. Only the faint white glow to his eyes, probably seen only by Josleen would give away that it is not his own strength that carries him. His eyes turn to catch the receding form of Glyn and a handful more men as they retreat toward Anann. Probably good for the man, considering what he had done to Josleen under Anann's approving eye. Had Eli found out the entire truth of the matter, he and Glyn would be dueling man-to-man, a fight that the soldier had no hope of winning. As he moves toward the remaining men, he nods approvingly to them. Slowly, the men turn and salute the paladin as he walks with Josleen at his side. Let the weak of resolve run off with the archer. In the end, justice and mercy reign. What Eliason had done was right and the remaining troops approve.