UNSHEATHED

Chapter Twenty Seven

After dinner, Lord Odvar sent servants to gather the town council. He and Dahlia led Elena and Joran over to the Town Hall. As they stepped through the grand entrance of the hall, Elena heard shouting and a general commotion. Lord Odvar quickened his pace. He stepped into the meeting chamber ahead of the others, his hands on his hips.

"What is all the noise about, councillors?" He couldn't get an answer from all of the noise and chatter that filled the room. From the bits that Elena could pick out, it sounded like something big had happened and they were disagreeing about what to do about it.

"One at a time please, gentlemen, ladies!" Odvar shouted over the noise. The discussion subsided. "Let me bring this council to order and we can have our discussion in an orderly fashion."

Everyone had been standing, clustered in groups. The groups began to break up and people took places around a huge oblong table set in the centre of the room, but they all remained standing. Discussions broke out once more but a sharp rap on the table by Odvar settled them down again.

"First, I'd like to welcome our guests, Prince Joran and Commander Valeria." The twenty five people in the room remained quiet, although Elena could feel their concerns making it difficult. Every one of the councillors bowed to Joran, then waited until he took his seat before sitting in their own. Odvar remained standing.

"Commander Valeria has asked to speak with you tonight, which is why I've called this meeting, but Commander, I hope you can wait a little until we sort out what is trouble everyone. I think you will find they will be better able to listen then." Elena nodded. "Very well then, I call this meeting of the municipal council of Perramo to order." He rapped on the table with his fist. "Who will speak to the issue that appears to be uppermost in everyone's concerns?"

A hand rose. Elena saw an elderly man rise. For the Hilliri, elderly could mean a thousand years or more.

"Prince Joran, Commander Valeria, Lord Odvar, members of the council, I must begin at the beginning, for it seems too many have joined the discussion in the middle." The man's clear eyes were framed with delicate lines, a sign of extreme age. The folds deepened as he spoke. "This morning I sent my grandson to Madrezza to see the Sibyl there."

Elena snapped to attention at the news. A second story of visiting this mystical Sibyl in one day was much too big a coincidence.

The man continued. "He had been troubled with dreams, unable to sleep for fear of hearing the voice of a man telling him to do destructive things. I know it isn't our tradition, but the Sibyl has shown herself to be remarkably wise for a Trillas."

Elena was used to hearing the occasional slight of this sort. She doubted the man even realized that what he had said could be viewed as offensive, but in a way, he might be right. What Trillas could ever hope to be as wise as a man who has lived over a thousand years?

"The advice was cryptic, so it is difficult to say how helpful it will be, but what concerns me more was what happened on the ride back." Councillors leaned in to hear him, even those who had likely already heard the full tale. "He was attacked by two Parachas on the border road." A collective gasp filled the room and after that, arguing broke out once more. From what Elena could tell, there were some who believed the attackers must have been impostors. Others thought the Paracha could have been from Kalad, an invasion of sorts, and so forth.

Lord Odvar shook his head He rapped the table once more and waited until people settled. "Order, please!"

When order was restored, he turned to the elderly man. "Is your grandson alright? Was he able to defend himself?"

"I am grateful I insisted he take up the forms in our circle here, or he would not have been. He took to the training rather well, and I suspect the Paracha were thankfully only novices."