Eve of Enlightenment

Chapter 22

The worst thing imaginable has happened: An Incarnate has been murdered.

It happened in town. In the bustling busy hours. The event was witnessed by dozens, whispers spread like wildfire, yet no one seems to know anything for sure. The one thing that everyone agrees upon is that Mab's father, Dager, was at the center of it.

He has started a campaign to have the offending party removed from town. The narrative he is asserting is that the Incarnate attacked him, and his mongrel defended him. The only thing we know for sure is that the offending ocelot has passed, and its owner stands trial at the end of the week.

Elders from nearby villages have come to witness the trial, offer their guidance as is tradition, but they have been blocked at the gates. Dager claims that this is a dangerous time for our village. No one is safe, and we need to insulate ourselves from further threat. No travelers are permitted to enter, no villagers to leave. All business is conducted at the border, in the presence of the Elder's family and their wolves.

Elder Pashal has not recovered from The Eve. It has been nearly a fortnight. There are whispers that he may never convalesce, but a faithful few insist that this has happened before. He is old, and the work is exhausting. He will be back to his duties posthaste. It would be considered bad luck to appoint a new Elder with his health this precarious.

Mab's father has been so good as to visit his sick chambers and pass the word onto the rest of the tribe. Corsa, most pointedly, does not trust him. Our dinner table has become her soapbox.

Dager is lying. Elder Pashal would never close our borders. Commerce is vital to our community. And no one has ever seen that ocelot bother a single soul. Dager's mutt attacked the cat—killed it—and now he is trying to spin the event in his favor.

Enos clearly stands with this reasoning, but he is wary of being outspoken about it.

"All will be revealed at the trial."

"Really? Do you think that will be fair? There is no Elder! Pashal is abed, and Dager has stopped any others from joining. Half of the wolves owe him. He paid for the new town hall out of his own pocket."

"You're so paranoid," one of our guests mocked.

"Dager is an upstanding member of the community. When my daughter was sick, he paid for a healer from Abat."

"He bought my land when it stopped producing crops. No one else wanted the worthless plot. Gave me a generous sum, too."

"He gave my family groceries for free for months when my husband lost his job."

"We simply won't stand for this besmirching of his character."

But Corsa is undeterred. When one ear refuses to listen, she finds another. The owner of the ocelot is an old classmate of hers. An unpopular one, admittedly, but a mate nonetheless.

"Just because he is an easy target does not mean we should let that monster crucify him. He was attacked. Why is he the one on trial?"

"Because he doesn't own the general store," Enos answers grimly.

"This is insane. This can't really be happening. You can't be serious!" Her arms are gesturing wildly, and the twins inch away from their arc.

"You're scaring them," I chide.

"They should be scared. This could be anyone, Kal. This could be you. That man did nothing wrong, and everyone is just willing to let him take the blame, because they don't want to get on the wrong side of that villain."

"Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration..."

"It's not, Kal." I can see her pleading with me. Disappointed. It's the closest she's been to tears. Her mind is unchanged, but she is losing steam. Her voice falters. "There should be rioting. I can't believe we are letting this happen." We all watch her, afraid what will come next.

"I'm going to bed." Her voice is hoarse. "Please don't be like everyone else."