The Trial

[lemushstaff]

Who: Aida, Aivey, Ellaia, E'sere, Fenley (NPC), Kay, Kazimir (NPC), K'rom, J’cor, M’arik (NPC) Roa, Thalan, T’zen, Vanya, Ysidro (NPC)
When: Day 6, Month 9, Turn 2, 7th Pass
Where: Living Cavern, High Reaches Weyr
What: E’sere and Aivey’s trial



The Living Cavern has been transformed for the occasion. The tables have been moved aside and chairs have been set up in rows upon rows, all facing towards the back of the cavern. There is set up four tables. Two face out towards the chairs and behind the central one sits the Masterharper of Pern, Kazimir. He will be overseeing the proceedings. Another table is to his left and here sits a trio of harpers whose only task is to record all that happens within the room. Two more tables face towards Kazimir, one for E'sere, Aivey, and their respective harpers and one for Master Fenley, as the representative of the Weyr. To the right of Kazimir is a chair for whatever witness is currently being questioned. Off to the far right, facing it towards the proceedings, sits a final table behind which Weyrleader J'cor, Weyrleader M'arik of Benden, and the Caucus Instructor and Law Specialist Kay are seated. They serve as jury, and will decide, based on the evidence, what is to be done.

The trial has gone on for some three hours now, and it is K'rom who sits in that chair off to Kazimir's left. Fenley has just seated himself behind his table, is questioning complete. It is Ysidro's turn to cross-examine.

K'rom, then Kierom, was asked by E'sere to go and have a few words with Leyron with one of E'sere's friends since Leyron had been outspoken about those who flew Nabol and supported the Igen leadership. Kie agreed, not thinking too much of it. Kie met Donavon who was E'sere's friend, and Donavon did all of the speaking while Kie listened. Donavon blackmailed Leyron about him sleeping with his sister-in-law, so Leyron soon became quiet. Then after that, Kie and Donavon parted ways and Kie became nervous, especially when N'ka later mentioned E'sere was blackmailing him. Eventually Kie became more nervous when Leyron spoke up about the blackmail and ended up dead, although Kie has no knowledge of who killed him, just suspicions that it was Donavon under E'sere's orders.
     The only other things that Kie can really add is that E'sere wasn't happy with the Igen leadership, and he had said that. Plus Kie knew what N'ka had told him briefly of the blackmail (just the overview) that E'sere was doing to him.

E'sere and Ysidro sit side by side at their appointed table, the harper's shrewd eyes staring at K'rom, occasionally to the trio of judges or other personages in the makeshift courtroom. Slightly behind him and his client are the usual matched set of journeyman, taking notes and comparing them, passing papers to their master periodically. E'sere is still, stony-faced and unreadable, throughout the first part of the testimony as he watches K'rom. When Fenley finally steps aside, Ysidro rises, pushing back his chair and stepping forward to begin his part. A moment of silence; then: "How old are you, K'rom?" And so it begins.

K'rom is sitting nervously in the chair as he was waiting questions and shifts a little, chewing on his lower lip as he glances around. The young Weyrling is showing his youth right now, but as he hears a question asked him, he blinks and answers as calmly as he can and loud enough to be heard, "I-I'm fifteen turns, sir. Will be sixteen turns in a few months." Kie bites his lower lip again and almost winces then.

Other than the occasional shift in his chair that goes along with sitting too long in one position, Kay has been quiet and still for the proceedings thus far, just watching. His expression is a mild one, attentive; whatever the harper thinks is very well under wraps. Everybody is studied in turn.

Ysidro's brows arch. "Fifteen," he repeats, nearly marveling. "But weren't you /eighteen/, just a few months ago? When you arrived at the Weyr as part of Nabol's guard continent?"

K'rom lowers his head a little and pales just slightly. The question doesn't seem to be unexpected, but it's one he hoped wouldn't be asked, "Yes, sir. I had said I was Eighteen when I came with the guards. Under Lt. Tiemon's persuasion."

"Lieutenant Tiemon who is now missing," Ysidro says. It's not, apparently, his question, because he continues onward after a brief pause. "You lied about your age. And your guard experience, too, I presume, to be more convincing in your /lies/?"

Fenley lifts his head and looks sharply to Kazimir, "Objection, sir. Relevance and supposition."

"Goes to establishing credibility," Ysidro explains at once, glancing sharply around at Fenley, then the judges.

Kazimir frowns faintly, "Agreed," states Kazimir bluntly, "but fewer theatrics if you please, Master Ysidro. Proceed, and rephrase the question."

Ysidro dips his head once, acknowledgment of Kazimir's direction, and turns back to K'rom. "Did you lie about your experience as a guard, K'rom?" he asks blandly.

Nod quite looking up, but just glancing at the judges, K'rom nods again, "Yes, sir, I did. Under Lt. Tiemon's persuasion again. I had told Captain Jensen this after my Impression, sir."

"Convenient, their disappearances," Ysidro notes with a frown and then a faint lift of his shoulders. That seems to be enough of that line of questioning for him at the moment, as he turns to more relevant subjects. "How did E'sere allegedly broach the subject of blackmailing this Leyron with you?" he asks.

"Sir, objection," Master Fenley speaks up again, "He's goading the witness."

Kazimir sighs sharply, one brow lifting as he studies Ysidro. "Kindly keep to your questions and abstain from the side commentaries, Master."

K'rom blinks a little and looks up, "Well, ummm, he first approached me to do a favor as a friend for him, but wouldn't say what and I agreed and he said he'd tell me when he needed me. When he did approach me, I was in the stables one night and Morelenth was feeding and he told me to talk to this one carpenter and that I was to go and talk with this guy with one of E'sere's friends...." Kie pauses for a moment and tries to give as specific dates as he can, but seems slightly unsure of the first.

"Yes, sir," Ysidro says to Kazimir, nodding once again. Then, back to K'rom. "Did E'sere actually approach /you/ about a favor, or did you ask /him/ if you could do anything for him?"

K'rom blinks and blushes slightly as he thinks, "I believe I originally offered, sir. I asked if he needed anything because I was grateful to him. E'sere then said he might have a favor for me and told me later what is was."

"This favor was the blackmailing of Leyron?" Ysidro asks for confirmation. "Did E'sere ever tell you to blackmail him, or did he ask you to simply go speak to Leyron with another friend of his?"

"Objection," calls Fenley. "leading the witness."

Kazimir nods once. "Rephrase your question, Master."

Ysidro forces a tight smile--one can almost hear him counting to ten in his head. Then: "Did E'sere ever explicitly order you to blackmail Leyron?"

Ellaia steps into the room quietly and makes her way over to an empty seat to watch.

K'rom chews on his lower lip as he looks at the Harpers and then answers, "No, he didn't. He gave the information that could be used to blackmail Leyron, which Donavon used, but he never ordered the blackmail."

Ysidro nods once to K'rom at his answer. "Is it possible, then, that you could have been mistaken about what you were asked to do? Or could Donavon have mislead you on what E'sere wanted when you met him?"

K'rom blinks at the questions, very unsure, "Well, ummm, why would he give the information if he didn't want it used? I'm sure it's possible...."

Again, Ysidro nods curtly and continues onward. "Did you then understand, K'rom, that blackmail was wrong, immoral--a punishable offense?"

K'rom blinks and pales again, nodding slowly. "I-I know blackmail is wrong and stuff sir. Which is why Donavon did the talking. I wasn't sure he was going to do the blackmail until he came out and said it. I-I know it can be punished."

"Then why," Ysidro says evenly, his brows arching, "did you go speak with Leyron at all? If Donavon could have handled the situation on his own, you seem superfluous. Would you call differentiating between being the speaker and being his willing back-up splitting hairs, K'rom?"

"Objection!" Fenley's voice rings out, ripe with annoyance. "The witness is not on trial, and I don't see where this line of questioning is leading in regards to the accused."

"Again, credibility," Ysidro notes long-sufferingly. "And if you will let me finish, I might be able to tie these things together." This, to Fenley, with a look. To the judges: "I should be allowed to bring out all the facts of the incident in question, sir."

Kazimir has been watching in silence, and now he speaks. "Master, I do not see how proving whether K'rom philosophized about this Donavon's capabilities does anything to ascertain whether your client did or did not lead the witness to think he wished Leyron ill."

"I'll rephrase." Ysidro's lips purse, and he tries again: "Did E'sere force you to go speak to Leyron by threatening you, or give you any reason to suspect you might be in danger if you refused to do so?"

K'rom blinks as he listens to the exchange and chews on his lower lip before answering, "No, no he didn't." A slight pause then, "He knew I was grateful to him for leading the dragons over Nabol, which is why I offered to help him if I could."

A faint smile, not particularly pleasant, crosses Ysidro's features, and he nods again in acceptance. "This blackmailing happened in month 4, correct?" he asks after a moment. "And it is currently month 9. For five months now, K'rom, you've said nothing of this to anyone. Why did you /choose/ to come forward /now/?"

K'rom takes a couple of breathes and blinks before he answers, "Yes, it happened in month four. I didn't come forward at first because of fear of Donavon and what he'd do or that he'd make it look like it was all my idea. Then Leyron was murdered and I was even more scared thinking that the same would happen to me if I spoke out." A pause then and another breathe, "It wasn't until Tavaly asked why I blanched when E'sere was mentioned as a suspect in Yevide's murder that I said anything and then Roa overheard what I said that I really came forward."

"You were afraid of Donavon, not my client? And you only came forward after the Weyrwoman Roa overheard you speaking to someone else?" Ysidro asks for clarification. Then, he starts to turn back toward his chair as though finished, but abruptly he turns back to the weyrling on the stand. "A couple last questions," he notes, holding up a pair of fingers. "Did E'sere ever mention, in any fashion, hurting or killing Leyron if he refused to comply, or anyone else? And do you know who did kill Leyron, or anything else about his untimely demise?"

K'rom pauses than and chews on his lower lip some, "Actually, yes, I was afraid of Donavon, and a little scared of E'sere as well since I thought he was giving orders to Donavon. Also, yes, I only came forward at that point when Weyrwoman Roa overheard me speaking to Tavaly." K'rom sighs then and pauses, "E'sere did not mention hurting or killing Leyron or anyone else, nor do I have knowledge of who did." K'rom doesn't look happy about saying the last part and looks like he wants to add more, but doesn't.

"Nothing else, thank you," Ysidro says then, turning back to his chair to seat himself back beside E'sere.

As Ysidro seats himself, Fenley rises for his final chance to speak to the witness. He steps forward, hands behind his back, grey and bushy brows drawn over his eyes. "K'rom, you say that E'sere never mentioned blackmailing to you. Can you explain what he did, then, that led you to believe he wish to blackmail Leyron?"

K'rom blinks and looks at Fenley and nods, "Well, E'sere wanted Leyron to stop speaking badly of those that flew over Nabol and said that Leyron was sleeping with his sister-in-law. He never directly said blackmail, but I felt like it was being suggested, sir."

Fenley nods once. "Thank you, K'rom. No further questions." He returns to his seat.

Kazimir looks over and offers the weyrling a small smile. "You may step down now."

K'rom nods then, and slowly gets out of the witness chair, eyes cast towards the floor some as he walks towards the back and takes and empty seat.

Fade out and fade in again. Now it is Aida seated on the stand with Fenley lowering himself down after sharing her statement and questioning her. Her statement went thusly:

E'sere
     On the afternoon of the twenty-fourth day of the fourth month, I decided to go for a walk instead of eating lunch in the caverns, as I often tended to do. I was stopped on my path by two men: Donavon and Luskian. After a brief bit of chat, they attempted to grab me. There was a struggle, Donavon produced a knife and threatened me with it, and eventually Luskian hit me in the head. During the threatening, Donavon said 'the orders were 'unhurt', which I interpret as anything short of dead', clearly indicating that he was working for someone else. I was tied up and took up to a cave in the area, deposited with a group of three, and then Donavon and Luskian left. One of those I was left with was a former healer by the name of Katric. During my captivity, Katric and I spoke a great deal.
     Katric indicated to me that their intentions were to 'fix' the situation with the leadership, to the point of resorting to murder if they had to. He indicated that my being taken was for the purposes of getting Br'ce to step down from being a Wingleader, due to the support it meant he was lending the Weyrleader and Weyrwoman. He also indicated to me that Leyron was going to get his, and Peria, as well. He said that Peria's necklace brought him a 'nice mark' when he sold it, and that this was deserved because she was always going on about how much the Weyrwoman would love her knitting. He said that once it was all done, the weyrwoman Diya would come home, and everything would be fine.
     Eventually, Donavon came to release me. He and Katric walked me back to the road. Donavon indicated that not only had they spoken to Br'ce, but that they spoke with the Headmaster, as well. In that discussion, he indicated that he had bigger friends than the Headmaster, and it was done in a threatening fashion. Once I returned to the Weyr, I was looked over by the healers in the infirmary here afterwards. I had a mild concussion and a broken wrist, in addition to bruising and other minor injuries. I was kept for a total of six days. After Katric attacked the eggs and was caught, he asked to see me. I went and spoke with him. He said that if he had had to kill me, he would've used fellis like on Leyron, and again indicated that his friends were going to continue to attack the weyr in general until things were 'put to rights'.
     When Donavon was finally caught in the infirmary, he requested to make a deal with Captain Jensen. Exile, and he would tell the Captain who it was that was behind the attacks on himself and T'zen, several others. Once he was taken away and Captain Jensen had come back, the Captain and I spoke, and he told me that Donavon had named Peria as the one responsible, after Katric had named her as one of the ones they had been harassing. I made the Captain aware of this at that time.
     E'sere, in a show of 'good faith' and to help T'zen out, told T'zen that he would find out about who had attacked him. He brought back the tunic that matched the one that had been torn in terms of wounding and the like, told T'zen that he had taken care of it, and told T'zen that it was Peria that was the one behind it all.

Aivey
     On the third day of the sixth month, I spoke with a girl who introduced herself to me as Aivey. She told me that she had overheard a conversation between two individuals, that she was concerned for my safety, that she did not want something bad to happen to me again. I told her that I was careful, and she told me that 'it was going to happen'. The conversation she supposedly overheard was that something bad was going to happen to me, that the man involved was going to take care of 'him' and in return that an unnamed 'she' could take care of me. When I pressed her for details, she said that she did not want any trouble and fled. At the time, the situation seemed off, but I had previously assumed that the girl was only afraid for my safety and for her own, if anyone found out that she had spoken to me. I also saw the tunic and the piece that it came from, and they did indeed match, and they did look as if they could have easily fit the girl that passed along the threat to me.

Again, Ysidro stands forward, leaving E'sere to watch with his journeymen while he turns to the witness. "Did Donavon or Katric ever mention E'sere's name to you?" he asks Aida.

All calm, at least for the moment. She's had time to steel herself. Aida is silent as her statement is shared, watching Fenley until he sits again. Then the young woman shifts her attention over towards Ysidro. There is a look for E'sere, a moment spent in study, but it doesn't last long. When the question does come, she shakes her head. "No," she replies, quite promptly.

Ysidro nods and continues on to the next question at that simple question. "Do you think Donavon was telling the truth--as he knew it--when he gave you the name of Peria as the person behind recent bad happenings at the Weyr?"

In and out, in and out. The bluerider can't sit still this long for anything, short of life-threatening injury. But T'zen's back, in his seat, arms folded, watching Aida carefully, with frequent glances to E'sere.

"Objection," calls Fenley, "speculation."

"Overruled," replies Kazimir promptly, "The witness may state her opinion on the circumstances." More directly to Aida the Masterharper notes, "Please answer the question, miss."

She starts to open her mouth to answer, but Aida pauses as Fenley objects, glancing that way. Her eyes go next to Kazimir, waiting for his words before her eyes go back to Ysidro. "Donavon did not name Peria to me," she explains quietly. "He did so to Captain Jensen, and it is my opinion that he could not have felt he was telling the truth, as that fingering happened after her harassment at his group's hands had already been confessed to me by a member of said group."

"Is it possible," Ysidro persists, "that Donavon had initially believed Peria an innocent, and only later learned she was not?" He pauses, cocks his head slightly promptingly. "Certainly, many have been misled by the codefendant." A gesture points out Aivey. Then, to Aida: "E'sere knew Donavon; do you think E'sere could have been truly misled, intentionally or otherwise, as to the nature of Peria's involvement?"

When Ysidro tilts his head, Aida tilts hers and raises him an eyebrow, listening. "Anything is possible, sir," she replies quietly. "I am not in a position to be able to form an opinion on whether or not Donavon was misled; I have no way of knowing in either way. The same goes for E'sere. I have no way of knowing for certain one way or another, but it is within the realm of possibility."

Ysidro nods once. "Other than the coincidence of their giving the same name--it seems, does it not, a very foolish move on the part of my client to do so on purpose?--do you have any reason to believe E'sere is the person giving orders whom Donavon mentioned to you?" he queries next.

Aida gives a light shake of her head. "No, sir, I do not have any further personal experience that would lead me to believe such, only having heard the accusations and statements others have made that have been discussed in others' testimony."

"Then your entire testimony here today," Ysidro says, "consists only of what others--your kidnappers and your friends--have told you?" He doesn't wait for an answer, turning about to his chair. "Nothing further.

Fenley is writing and he just lifts his hand and flicks it as if shooing an errant vtol. In this way, he declines to cross-cross examine.

Kazimir nods and informs Aida, "Thank you, miss. You may step down."

Aida does open her mouth to speak, but closes it again when the 'nothing further' is spoken. Rather than speaking up, she looks over towards the Masterharper. His dismissal spoken, she nods, moving to slip from the chair with no further words to go back to her seat.

And now it is the bluerider T'zen in the witness stand. His statement was comprised of this information:

Quick list of T'zen's statement for E'sere:
     - E'sere has always been good to him and every member of his wing under him. T'zen has rarely seen him lose his temper. (Yes, he'd make sure to get that in.)
     - E'sere has mentioned frequently having connections in the Lower Caverns
     - After T'zen was attacked, E'sere said the culprit, who he called Peria, had been "taken care of", and would not elaborate just how.
     - At T'zen and Tavaly's request, E'sere was able to produce the torn tunic that matched the piece T'zen tore off his attacker, again, attributed to Peria.
     - T'zen thinks E'sere was tricked by Aivey, made to believe "Peria" was the culprit.
     - E'sere had "happened across Aivey" while she was carrying the torn tunic, who claimed she had happened to find it herself, and handed it over to E'sere. This comes from what E'sere himself told T'zen.
     - It was Aida that first indicated to T'zen that Peria was not the attacker.

Quick list of T'zen's statement for Aivey:
     - T'zen was attacked by a woman, cloaked and hooded in dark clothing. He could not see her face, but did hear her speak. Best he can remember is: "Wasn't supposed to be like this." Suggesting he'd messed up her plans.
     - T'zen was able to wound his attacker, and tear a piece of her tunic (the sleeve) off.
     - This piece was later matched to the tunic E'sere provided T'zen as evidence his attacker had been "taken care of" The tunic was given to E'sere by Aivey (as told by E'sere to T'zen).
     - T'zen learned from Jensen that it was a woman who attacked Roa in the baths, and so was on the lookout for the same.
     - T'zen assumes Aivey is responsible for starting the stampede that injured Tavaly. Since Tav is Jensen's sister, and the "mystery woman" seemed to have an agenda against the ex-Captain, it made the most sense.
     - Evidence that the stampede was not an accident are a feline pelt and whip found in the pens by T'zen and Br'ce the same night of the stampede.
     - T'zen saw Roa unconscious and tied up in the baths as Jensen was rescuing her.
     - T'zen was first to find Issa after his own encounter with their attacker. She was tied up and blindfolded, and unconscious. That's all he can remember of that night, having fainted from loss of blood shortly after.

During this entire trial, Vanya sits quietly in her seat, saying nothing to anyone near her. But she's watching intently, and nothing seems to escape her notice.

Scraping his chair back again, Ysidro breaks off from murmuring to E'sere and trading notes with the bronzerider to study T'zen. "Can you please characterize your relationship with my client, please," he requests.

T'zen shifts in his seat, looking back and forth between Ysidro and E'sere. And flung glances out to others watching. "Characterize? Ya mean, like, how I know 'im? E'sere's m'wingleader, sir. Been 'leader of 2C so long as I remember. When 3C was grounded under shar- ah, under Wingleader I'zul, E'sere let me volunteer in his wing, 'n later let me transfer. He's always been good t'me sir.. even if I've not always t'him." There's a bit of a smug grin, twitching nervously. "Right shocked I was.. learnin' of all this."

"He has never given you reason to believe he was capable of anything of which he stands accused?" prompts Ysidro.

"Objection," calls Fenley, "Leading the witness.

"Please rephrase your question, Master Ysidro," is Kazimir's response.

Ysidro sighs, reaching up to rub his eyes a moment. Then: "Did E'sere ever give you reason to suspect he was capable of these things."

T'zen was already shaking his head, and then peers at Fenley when he cries foul. But he's been here at the trial long enough to know what that means, and watches Ysidro for the rephrase. He grins. "Y'said the same thing, y'know. And, no, he didn't. Ever. I mean, he flew Nabol under J'cor's nose there-" nodding towards the Weyrleader- "But that was an act of helpin', rules be sharded. Saved lives. Ain't said nothin' 'bout hurtin nobody. Just the opposite."

Ysidro's thin mouth tilts up in a smirk at T'zen's answer. "Harper formality," he notes dryly. Then: "When E'sere told you he had 'taken care of' your attacker, what did you think that meant?"

T'zen raises his brows. "That she'd been caught. Killed or exiled. 'Least, that's what I was hopin' for." And narrowed eyes seek out a certain someone in the room at that. "Made it clear it wasn't his own hands what done it, though."

"What you hoped for," Ysidro repeats mildly, brows arching. He nods once then, glancing back at E'sere, then to T'zen again. "You testified also that E'sere told you Aivey tricked him and gave him the tunic of your attacker under false premises. You know E'sere well; do you believe that, whatever fate Peria met at the hands of my client or his associates, it was an honest mistake, made in good faith on misinformation?"

T'zen nods, hesitantly, "Aye, that I believe." He frowns a bit at this, the mention of the real Peria.

"Thank you, T'zen. That will be all," Ysidro says, reseating himself beside his client.

Fenley rises and hauls his bulk around the table. "Now, then, T'zen. You said that E'sere stated he'd 'taken care of Peria' and that you thought that meant she'd be 'caught, exiled, or killed'." He arches a brow. "It it the place of a Wingleader to make such judgment calls?"

T'zen peers at Fenley as he stands and begins his questioning. After a moment's silence, he says, "Not normally, sir." He adds, "Not hardly him alone in that judgment, though."

A small nod from Fenley as he paces slowly, "And when E'sere said that he had 'taken care of Peria', did it imply to you that he had taken some personal responsibility to see it done?"

A quick glance at E'sere again, and the back to Fenley. "Ah. Aye, 'twas implied well enough." He shifts uncomfortably.

"So, then, if you believe that to 'take care of' is, in your own words, 'to exile, catch, or kill' this girl, and that you agree, in your own words, that E'sere implied he had this done," Fenley lifts his head and squints, "...could you restate for the court whether E'sere has ever done anything to make you believe he could harm somebody?"

T'zen blinks at the harper, confounded. He scratches his head. "Well, shards, sir. That was different. We'd a murderer on our hands. Had to strike 'afore she killed or tried to kill again."

"A simple yes or now answer will suffice, wingrider," Fenley notes crisply.

By the time T'zen answers that question , Ysidro is at a slow simmer, his mouth set in a thin line to hold back further questions. But T'zen's reply brings a small smirk back to his lips, and he leans back in his chair, watching. E'sere, beside him, is still expressionless, only regarding the witness as they run through question after question.

Aivey's harper, silent as Aivey throughout the whole proceeding, looks ready to object at T'zen's statement. A look at Aivey, however, has him clearing his throat and resuming his note taking.

"Yes or no? Like shells of a bad egg. I said what I said," T'zen replies hotly. "E'sere ain't in the business of harmin' innocents. I knows it. You want me t'say him catching a shardin' criminal makes him guilty?"

"Now, then," Fenley continues with a nod, "You say that you had a murderer on your hands. You also say Peria was wrongly accused. In your opinion, which was it?"

E'sere's expression, for probably the first time in the proceedings, flickers, a bemused, fond smile at T'zen's reply lasting only a moment before he seals it inside again.

Vanya, too, seems a bit amused by T'zen's testimony. But she remains a silent observer, though her eyes do shift often to E'sere.

"We had a murderer," T'zen states defiantly. "When E'sere said she'd been taken care of. It was a murderer we was dealing with. Don't right know how Peria works into this. A mistake. A trick to E'sere. I didn't even know Aivey's name till she was caught."

Fenley again takes in the wingrider's words. "Is there a person in this room that you now consider responsible for the attacks upon yourself and others?"

Aida, over where she's sitting, brings a hand up to cover her face for a moment. It doesn't take long before it's being lowered again and she's back to watching, quiet and still.

Roa has been watching the proceeding in her usual silence. Throughout T'zen's questioning, however, it is only her own knees that have been examined.

T'zen nods. "Aye. The lil' lady over there, sittin' at that there accused table." He points towards Aivey, offering her a triumphantly smug smirk. "Aivey."

Another nod from Fenley. "Thank you. And this Peria. Could you point her out to the jurors, please?"

K'rom is sitting in the back, listening to the testimony, glancing up at T'zen ever now and then, but remaining quiet and looking curious.

T'zen does take a look around, but it's more a matter of motion, because he shakes his head. "Don't know Peria, sir. Is she here?"

Aivey and her harper /still/ remain silent. No objections from either of the pair. Strangely enough, Aivey seems to be enjoying the show for all that she's smiling at T'zen.

"No," says Fenley simply. "She not. She hasn't been seen for over six sevens, now." He turns away, returning to his desk. "No further questions."

"Oh." T'zen looks at E'sere curiously. And that's that.

Kazimir nods to T'zen, "You may step down now, wingrider."

Now is is Roa in the witness stand. Her statement included the following:

Roa's interview would cover the following things:
     A recounting of her attack in the baths (she was tripped, tied up, interrogated, drugged, dropped into baths. Her assailant was female and dressed up as a healer with a mask. Her eyes were visible.)
     K'rom and N'ka both sought her out to share concerns with Roa over E'sere's connection with Leyron.
     Later, K'rom told her and Tavaly that he'd been introduced to Donavon by E'sere. Aida confirmed that Donavon was one of her kidnappers.
     She was made aware that both E'sere and Donavon pegged Peria as the attacker, but Peria's eyes didn't match up with her assailant's.
     When Roa spoke with Penny and G'thon, she realized Aivey was around during both of their attacks as well as present when Sian was killed.
     The wound on Aivey's shoulder lines up with the gash on the tunic T'zen got from E'sere.
     Aivey's eyes match up with the eyes of her assailant.
     Aivey confessed to killing Sian and Luren, attacking Roa, T'zen, Issa, G'thon, Jensen, Ashwin, Luren, Riann, E'sere, Penny, and Ginella when Roa spoke with Aivey in Aivey's cell.
     Aivey had a wound to her belly that she said she got from Luren when she attacked him. (When Luren was found, his own blade was bloodied and there were some blood drops trailing away from the body.)

"Weyrwoman," Ysidro begins as once more his chair scrapes back. E'sere watches him a moment, then the goldrider on the stand steadily, as he has for every other interview. "Weyrwoman," Ysidro repeats. "You are a victim of the woman who stands accused beside my client, yes?" A gesture to point out Aivey.

Roa sits in the chair, ankles crossed, hands in her lap, back straight. Her own eyes remain more on Ysidro than E'sere or Aivey. "I believe so, yes," she answers simply and softly.

"And are you aware that my client E'sere is the son of High Reaches' former Weyrwoman Lexine?" Ysidro persists with the obvious questions for a moment, though he seems very intent on the answers.

"Yessir," Roa responds, "I am aware of that fact."

"Did you and the former Weyrwoman Lexine recently use your gold dragons to interrogate my client's Morelenth?" Ysidro asks next.

T'zen is among the audience again, arms folded, looking a bit smug, as he watches Roa. The testimonies connecting E'sere to the kidnappers and similar attackers have shifted his expression here and there, but he remains stubbornly smug.

"It was Vasyath who interrogated Morelenth, sir," clarifies the little weyrwoman. "Tialith and I were only there to verify that there was no misrepresentation on either Vasyath and Lexine or Morelenth's and E'sere's end. We listened. Tialith did not question."

"But if you, Weyrwoman, are a victim of my client's alleged cohort, and the former Weyrwoman Lexine is my client's own /mother/," Ysidro says, "do you truly believe either of you is far enough removed from the situation to interrogate my client's dragon in a legitimate and /unbiased/ fashion?"

"I believe, sir, that we were not at E'sere's ledge as victim and mother, but as weyrwomen of the Reaches. We are both capable of dividing those two aspects. It was necessary to do so, so we did so." Roa tips her head a bit to the side and seems about to say something else. But then her mouth closes and she simply waits.

Ysidro's brows arch in patently disbelieving fashion, but he bites back the first remark that springs to his lips. "Do you, weyrwoman." Not a question. Then: "Dragons, as I understand it, do not lie, weyrwoman, but what is to keep their riders from conspiring to lie about what passed--unheard by any harper advocate--between dragons' minds?"

The little weyrwoman's brows draw down. "I'm sorry sir, I wasn't aware...did Morelenth or E'sere claim that any such thing had happened?"

"Can you answer the question, please, weyrwoman," Ysidro requests briskly.

Kazimir clears his throat. "Weyrwoman, please, I'll have to ask you to only answer the question, rather than posing any of your own."

Berated from two sides, Roa dips her head in quiet acceptance. "The dragons themselves could do so, sir. They would not keep quiet about such an injustice and the word would quickly spread through the weyr. One would hope, also, that the integrity of the riders would keep such a thing from occurring."

"Have any dragons, weyrwoman," Ysidro queries, tilting his head slightly, "come forward, having been told by Morelenth that his rider were guilty of any of these deeds?"

"None that I am aware of, sir," Roa concedes, "But a dragon is motivated to protect his rider. In the same way he should decry if myself or Lexine had lied, I do not imagine he would freely share any misdeeds performed by his rider."

Ysidro asks, "Could the direct order of one or more gold dragons pressure another dragon into silence on a matter?"

"Yes," Roa begins with a slow nod, "but it would be incredibly hard, and not necessarily possible, i such silence would endanger his rider's life."

"I've no doubt, weyrwoman, it would be difficult," Ysidro notes. "What I would like to know if it is possible. Yes or no, if you please. Can a queen dragon force another dragon to do things he may not otherwise want to do."

"Yes," Roa says simply, "A queen can."

"Thank you, weyrwoman. Nothing further." Ysidro dips his head to Roa once, then returns to his chair.

Fenley rises and peers over at the weyrwoman. "Weyrwoman Roa, did you or, to the best of your knowledge, the weyrwoman Lexine, withhold any information when you interrogated Morelenth?"

"No, sir," a curt shake of Roa's head and a slight relaxing of her shoulders, "We did not."

"I see," says Fenley, "Did you, or to the best of your knowledge, the weyrwoman Lexine, lie during or after the interrogation with regards to what you learned?"

Another sharp shake of Roa's head. "No, sir."

T'zen frowns, watching Roa closely, and then the back of E'sere's head.

"Did you, or to the best of your knowledge, the weyrwoman Lexine, impart any commands onto Morelenth that would keep him from speaking, had there been any mistreatment or subversion?" Fenley has resumed his slow pacing.

Again, the shake of her head and Roa's soft and simple, "No, sir. We did not."

K'rom sits back in his chair, listening to Roa's testimony intently, and watching the harpers as well.

Fenley nods in return. "No further questions."

Kazimir peers over at Roa. "You may step down."

The little weyrwoman rises from her seat and steps down to settle back into the audience.

Vanya's eyes watch as Ysidro sits down, and seems almost pleased about something for a moment, but quickly schools her expression into passivity once more as Harper Fenley concludes his questioning of Roa.

Fenley stands again after taking a moment to read through his notes. He clears his throat, sniffs loudly through his nose, and rises. The tall and round man comes around from the desk and begins to pace back and forth, slowly, as he gives his closing argument. "Gentlemen," he says, addressing the three who will decide the outcome of this trial, "I have done my best to show you how the evidence incriminates both E'sere and Aivey in the crimes of which they have been accused. You have heard from Aivey's own mouth the many crimes she has committed. You have heard from witnesses the evidence, the very scars on her body, that corroborate these confessions. Aivey will not be a challenge, when it comes time to decide her fate." Fenley pauses to nod once to the three men, and then, again, to Aivey. "E'sere claims that he has done no wrong. That he is an innocent, waylaid by the misdeeds of others. But, I beg you to again reflect on the testimonies of the other witnesses. I beg you to reflect on the words of -E'sere's- -own- -dragon-, read for you tonight. I beg you to reflect on all of these things and to not be fooled by a winning smile and a clever tongue. Find him guilty. End the threat to this Weyr. Thank you."

Rarely is T'zen's face unreadable. But after sheer confidence in believing Aivey's fate is sealed, it falls into blankness, eyes focused towards E'sere. His arms folded, but otherwise.. blank. Dragon testimony has long since wiped the smugness from his face.

What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is a puzzle," Ysidro begins, pacing in front of his table. We've all the pieces to this mystery: kidnapping, blackmail, and murder. Now, we only need to assemble them together and see what image is formed." He pauses, glancing across the assembled crowd solemnly. "But, as all of us who have seen a toddler with a puzzle know, sometimes one can become so fixated on the idea that /this/ piece goes in /this/ slot--" gestures accompany those words, finger jabs to emphasize his point "--that one can no longer see the correct position for the piece. What we have heard today is a clear case of puzzle pieces being forced into places they do not belong, to form an at-best circumstantial assemblage of evidence against E'sere. E'sere has long been an upstanding citizen of this Weyr; you have heard many people throughout the course of this trial say as much. He is, admittedly, guilty of questionable friendships, but who here is not sometimes? He has, admittedly, played a part in the most unfortunate disappearance of Peria, but who, when faced with information that may save the lives of those they care about, would delay in handling the problem? Who here would trust justice to those who cannot protect their people--even the eggs of their /dragons/--from attack? The only "clear"--" the quotation marks are audible in Ysidro's scornful tone "--evidence against my client is his dragon's testimony--testimony which could easily have been fabricated to further a vendetta between the leadership of this Weyr and my client the wingleader E'sere. It is clear, then, that my client should be found innocent. There is no proof that he is anything but." And Ysidro turns then, brusquely, to close his argument.

Thalan, that harper of Aivey's, shifts in his seat and looks aside to Aivey at the close of Ysidro's statement. With a deep breath, he pushes his chair away from the table to stand and neaten his appearance. Then, in what is undoubtedly the longest and only thing the man has said since the start of the trial, Thalan addresses the all important three. "My client does not dispute any of the charges leveled against her but in the absence of her doing so, I ask that consideration for her helpfulness and honesty during this trial be taken when deciding her fate." A futile look falls onto his still smiling client, "Thank you." Thalan, looking rather defeated, seats himself.

Vanya watches E'sere closely, then looks to J'cor and other weyrleaders, male and female. Her face is a mask of solemnity as first one, then the other two Advocates speak. Then her eyes fall on others in the room -- T'zen, Aida, K'rom. And then she faces forward again, silent as she has been throughout the trial.

K'rom Stares plainly forwards, watching the closing arguments, not turning from them, nodding slightly on occasion.

One would imagine that she would look pleased. Instead, Aida is just blank. She's sunk down a little further in her chair now, her cheeks a bit more pale than usual. Her eyes flick from here to there; the judges, the accused, the harpers. At least she's still attentive.

As the arguments close, a faint murmur begins amid those watching. J'cor, M'arik, and Kalil (also called Kay) all rise and depart, likely to discuss everything they've heard and decide what's to be done. They will retire to the Weyrleader's own weyr to talk. Meanwhile, Ysidro and E'sere have moved off to one side of the room to speak intently. E'sere is contained, his mouth moving in quiet, clipped tones. Ysidro is more animated, head shaking, one hand or the other jerking up into the air. Finally, however, E'sere turns to go, returning to his seat and glaring. Ysidro moves to speak to Kazimir. The man raises his brows but signals two of the guards over. He speaks quietly and the pair walk over to E'sere, allowing the bronzerider to walk out of the living caverns and towards the direction of the departed M'arik, J'cor and Kay. The guards keep close to his heels. It is perhaps an hour and a half later before all four men (all six counting the guards) return. E'sere takes his seat, face neutral, jaw clenched. J'cor, M'arik, and Kalil all move to stand in the middle of the front of the space, before Kazimir's desk. They wait until it is silent, before anybody speaks.

In and out, in and out, but never far away. As people return, so does T'zen, taking his seat by himself, to wait and watch, mouth working in silence.

K'rom has disappeared during the break to check on Iusath and taking care of her needs before he returns again, sliding in and sitting in the back, quietly.

Aida is still sitting where she was before, having ended up sunk down more in her chair. At some point she fetched something to drink, as it's in her hands, but that's really the only change where she's concerned.

Aivey watched E'sere disappear. She likely disappeared herself until everyone was called back and now she sits beside Thalan - not smiling so much as before, but waiting all the same for the judgment to be spoken.

Vanya's sat quite still during the break. She fans herself with her handkerchief, but doesn't seek out any friends or anything. She does get a rather pensive expression on her face when E'sere leaves the room, but mostly just sits there. Waiting.

It is J'cor who speaks, his voice ringing out through the quieted hall. "Of the accused, the laundress Aivey: in the charge of ten counts of assault on the persons of: weyrwoman Roa, wingrider T'zen, wingrider Tavaly, wingrider Issa, the Headmaster's assistant Aida, the Journeyman Penny, the retired weyrleader Ganathon, the weyrwoman Ginella, and the former Guard Captain, Jensen, and the Weyrwoman Sinopa, we find her Guilty. In the charge of two counts of murder of the Lady Sian and the Lieutenant Luren, we find her Guilty. In the two counts of poisoning the Wingleader E'sere, we find her Guilty. In the charge of accessory to egg-smashing, we find her: Not Guilty. In the charge of the attempted murder of the infant Riann, we find her Guilty."

There is a pause as murmuring elevates and dies down before J'cor speaks again. "For these crimes, Aivey will be stakes out for thread on the High Reaches territory, when next thread falls over the Weyr."

"Of the accused, the Wingleader E'sere, in the charge of overseeing the murder of Leyron and Peria we find him, Guilty. In the charge of inciting unrest in the Weyr, we find him Guilty. In the charge of ordering the smashing of Ulyath's eggs, we find him, Not Guilty. In the charge of three counts of blackmail to the persons of Wingrider N'ka, the carpenter Leyron, and Wingleader Br'ce, we find E'sere Guilty. In the charge of accessory to Aivey's assaults, we find him guilty in encouraging the attacks on the former Guard Captain Jensen, the weyrleader J'cor and the former weyrleader G'thon, but innocent on all other counts of assault. In the crimes of accessory to the murder of the Lady Sian and the Lieutenant Luren, we find him not guilty. On the count of orchestrating the kidnapping of the Headmaster Assistant Aida, we find him guilty."

There is more of an uproar this time again again J'cor waits for it to quiet before he says, "In punishment for these crimes, E'sere will be stripped of rank and transferred to Telgar. Morelenth will be placed under permanent 'mind-lock' and supervision by the senior queens. E'sere will be forbidden to fly fall or regain rank, and will not be allowed to fly with Morelenth without supervision."

More murmuring before a final note is added, "Since Aivey's crimes have, in fact, covered those that the Captain Jensen and the Lieutenant Ashwin had been formerly accused of, we now declare these men innocent of such doings. While they are still guilty of fleeing while the Captain was under arrest, they are no longer to be deemed wanted and dangerous. Their posters will no longer be circulated and those men charged with finding and returning them will be recalled."

Telgar. E'sere mouths that word, and that one only, as he studies J'cor with an expression devoid of anything. After a moment, he glances down, accepting--perhaps resigning--to that verdict. Standing beside Ysidro, he turns to the harper to offer him a handshake, then pull the smaller man into a brief but grateful embrace. E'sere's smile is bitterly sad, and over the harper's shoulder, he studies Aivey.

Aivey, for her part, responds to her sentence with bland neutrality and a dead-ahead stare at J'cor. Thalan shows far more concern, his expression aghast before his lips set into a thin frown. He reaches a hand toward her shoulder, thinks better of it and simply smoothes out the last of the nonexistent wrinkles from his outfit.

Closing her eyes, Aida bows her head for a moment, jaw tightening. It only takes her that single moment; soon enough her head comes up and her eyes open, and she slides up to her feet. There's a glance cast towards E'sere, and that's the only one -- she's promptly turning and heading for one of the tunnels that leads out of the cavern. The closest one.

Vanya's face remains passive as the charges are read against Aivey, but pales as each one is read for E'sere. The sentence brings a different kind of expression to her face, one that's a mixture of several emotions. She doesn't say anything, but watches E'sere to the exclusion of anything or anyone else. She remains seated, just taking it all in. While others around her disperse, or gather in small groups, Vanya alone sits silent and still.

T'zen's on his feet, no doubt adding to the roar after the verdict. He had pumped his fist in quiet victory at Aivey's verdict, dark that it is. But E'sere? "Telgar!" He declares aloud. "Not exile, but Telgar!" Though he hears the extra bit on Jensen, that will be considered later. It's surprise. No indication of whether he's pleased or not. Just surprised.

The weyrwoman Roa has listened quietly throughout all of the sentencing, her features impassive, jaw tightening just a little. It is not until the end, until that final statement, that a flicker of something crosses her face. Her eyes close slowly and careful, shuddering breath is released.

K'rom blinks a few times as he listens, his eyes going to the floor and then back up. His expression shows surprise, but he gets up and doesn't really speak and turns towards the exit towards the Bowl and away.

Eventually, after everything settles, Ysidro hands E'sere over to the guards, and they return to his weyr to begin the long vigil. Ysidro lingers, even later than his journeymen, cleaning up papers.