Catelyn was out and about, and that meant her resident bodyguard was with her. Neither one had been into a Sorting in ages, and once Silas had read the application he asked, very quietly, "How do you know if someone deserves to be killed?"
Hey. Coming from Silas, it was a very valid question.
Misa opened her mouth, then shut it again, and thought for a moment. "If they're a criminal and like to hurt people, then they deserve to die. Wicked people should be punished!"
...That was a sentiment that, at one time, both Catelyn and Silas had subscribed to. They were, to use the modern phrasing, in remission now, for a very good reason.
"I once thought I knew who deserved to die, and who did not," Silas said, thoughtful. "Now I have no surety." It was part of why he had Ned, and Catelyn, and Camilla--they could tell him, and he trusted them to be truthful about it, and not lie as his superiors had done in his former life.
Catelyn stood behind him, silent, watchful. Silas sometimes had Issues with new people, but thus far everything seemed all right.
"Sometimes it is easy to tell!" Vehemence made Misa's tone strident. "There are people who cause pain and suffering and get away with it. Evil people! They should all die so they can never hurt anyone again!"
It was very difficult for Silas to know what to say to that, because deep down he agreed with her. He was trying to get away from all that, but in this case he couldn't help but agree.
He wasn't the only one. Catelyn had, after all, spent much of her undead life in Westeros hunting down everyone who had harmed her family. She looked at Silas, still silent, letting him do the discussing by himself for now.
"They should," he said, softly, as always. "There are those who should not be allowed to live." Once upon a time, he had been one of them, after all.
Only now did Catelyn speak, her gravel-rough voice almost as quiet as Silas's own. "Indeed," she said. "There are things no one should be allowed to committ without justice."
Silas looked at her, at her face and hands that were more scarred even than his own. She had even more cause to say such than he did, and that, as the phrase went, was saying something.
"Justice," she whispered, and tilted her head as if hearing a faint, far-off sound. Then she shook herself slightly. "Justice. Yes. There needs to be more justice in the world!"
Silas had to wince a little at the idea of justice--after all, if he were to get what he actually deserved, he would not be here. Justice had granted him a reprieve.
Catelyn, sensing his thoughts--as she so often did, since she'd known Silas for months, and his face was a book that was easily read once you knew how--tilted her head, giving him a look that only he would recognize as reassuring. "In many worlds," she said. "Too often those who commit atrocities receive no punishment. Once upon a time, I thought I was the one to mete out vengeance." If Cersei hadn't been popcorn, she might still think so.
Silas knew all about avenging one's parents (even if he'd had to avenge one against the other). "Sometimes, revenge is necessary," he said. Not always, but sometimes. "Especially if it is avenging someone you loved."
Catelyn, who had killed her fair share of those who had killed herself and her son, understood this quite well. "There is a certain symmetry to it," she said, "that anything else lacks."
"And yet it isn't fully satisfying," Silas put in, even more softly than usual. "Because you can only do it once. Believe me, it is not enough."
Hey. Coming from Silas, it was a very valid question.
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"I once thought I knew who deserved to die, and who did not," Silas said, thoughtful. "Now I have no surety." It was part of why he had Ned, and Catelyn, and Camilla--they could tell him, and he trusted them to be truthful about it, and not lie as his superiors had done in his former life.
Catelyn stood behind him, silent, watchful. Silas sometimes had Issues with new people, but thus far everything seemed all right.
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He wasn't the only one. Catelyn had, after all, spent much of her undead life in Westeros hunting down everyone who had harmed her family. She looked at Silas, still silent, letting him do the discussing by himself for now.
"They should," he said, softly, as always. "There are those who should not be allowed to live." Once upon a time, he had been one of them, after all.
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"I am glad you agree! So many people seem to think it is wrong to think that way. But everyone who has suffered knows better!"
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Silas looked at her, at her face and hands that were more scarred even than his own. She had even more cause to say such than he did, and that, as the phrase went, was saying something.
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Catelyn, sensing his thoughts--as she so often did, since she'd known Silas for months, and his face was a book that was easily read once you knew how--tilted her head, giving him a look that only he would recognize as reassuring. "In many worlds," she said. "Too often those who commit atrocities receive no punishment. Once upon a time, I thought I was the one to mete out vengeance." If Cersei hadn't been popcorn, she might still think so.
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Oh, if only she remembered.
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"And yet it isn't fully satisfying," Silas put in, even more softly than usual. "Because you can only do it once. Believe me, it is not enough."
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