[quote=@Odin]
Ketill simply wandered, picking up some items and inspecting them before dropping them and walking on. Sometimes he'd find something he liked and he would buy it if he decided to, seemingly making a conscious effort to spend money. Once Saina had chosen a dress she liked, or maybe more, he would pay for them without questioning it twice. He did not really care how she looked, as long as she was satisfied, and did not look too extravagant. That'd attract more unwanted attention than not. She seemed to think the same way and had picked acceptable dresses. Ketill was about to return to the tent, before he noticed a pair of new leather binded boots, reaching up to the calves. He approached the stall an grabbed the boots, paying for them with the last of his money. It was almost as if he had spent it all on purpose. 

He then turned to Saina and put the boots with whatever else she had picked. [i]“You'll need these if we ever go through an area where the horse can't go as easily,”[/i] he simply said before walking past her and continuing back to the camp. When they had walked back Saina had asked him a question and he had looked at her with a look that did not say much. Frankly he had not known the answer and carefully deliberated. After a while, while they continued down the small hill leading back to the camp, trudging through the muddy slope, he would then answer her. 

[i]“You will come,”[/i] he said, though he would allow her to come for the sole reason that he wanted her to see what the price was for what he had done. Then, secondly, he added, [i]“And you will not speak. You will look down at the ground and not anger them any more than you have already. .. at least, your presence seems to have done that.”[/i] The last bit seemed more mumbled than anything, and he was not sure if she had understood, nor did he care if she had or had not. It was the truth after all - they cared little for the fact that she was doing things for him, or that she was a woman, no, the truth of the matter was that she was a Sawarim faithful and that was reason enough to not trust her, or even hate her. Ketill understood. He would do the same in their shoes. But he did not have much of a choice now that she was his property. Property must be defended, as the Monarch had said himself. 'Those whom enter a house uninvited forfeit their right to live, those who steal from others might be slain, those that harm others' property themselves might be harmed' and so it would be done. The question was whether the same went for property that happened to believe in the Sawarim god. 

It would seem not.

[i]“And you will address me properly. That is something even commoners do. You're less than them, so behave like it,”[/i] was the last thing he then added, before grabbing her arm on her sore spot and pushing her forward, forcing her to speed up. He did not want to be late for this trial. 

When Saina went to prepare for the trial, then, he did not stop her and waited outside the tent. He stood idly, pacing back and forth, waiting for her to finish... whatever she was doing in there. He did not know and did not want to know. While she was busying herself, Ketill started repeating a Monarchist prayer to himself, mentally first, though it quickly entered a quiet mumble as he walked back and forth through the mud in front of the tent. [i]“Send me into hell to clear the way for heaven, that my blade clears the path for the true Monarch, long may he reign over the territories we conquer in his name, blessed be the Monar-”[/i] He stopped mid-sentence when Saina appeared again. He looked her up and down, and then reared, turning away from her and walking to the commanders' tent. [i]“Come.”[/i] The words were an order, clearly.

Halfway to the tent, two of the militiamen arrived and stopped Ketill. They were not the same as before, though those two would probably be in a bed somewhere recovering from their wounds. Never the less they shot an angered glance at Saina, and then looked at Ketill shiftily. They knew what he could do and his reputation superseded him, as he was known for winning a few tournaments in his younger times. Never the less, they held him up and one of them held out his hand. [i]“The commander asked us to escort you, and also for you to submit your blade. I am sure you understand he wants to stop anything from happening. Eh, your dagger too.”[/i]

Ketill looked at them angrily, causing one of them to take a step back and awkwardly reach for the blade in its' sheath. Without asking anything, Ketill undid the leather straps that tied the sword to his belt, and handed the sheath over. [i]“Not the dagger. I am not walking into an ambush so blindly,”[/i] he then said, and continued walking, brushing past one of the two, bumping shoulders with him and forcing him out of the way. 

The two men dared not speak up and ask for the dagger anymore. 

Ketill entered the tent quickly, the tent flap flowing rather aggressively from his motion. Saina would no doubt soon follow, as would the two militiamen, who would take up spots near the entrance to 'keep guard' and ensure nothing happened. In front of them were the full council. Ser Oliver, then the bishop, then the militia commander, and then the two quartermasters. Surprisingly, one of the two was a woman. The Sawarim slavemaster was also present, dressed in somewhat traditional Sawarim garb and a curved sword at his side. He seemed less interested in the trial and more interested in the two before him, looking at Saina and Ketill both with curious eyes.

[hr][center][img]http://orig15.deviantart.net/5377/f/2013/239/3/b/may_24_2013_by_annie_jang-d6jyul3.png[/img]
[sub]The quartermaster dressed in expensive merchant clothes[/sub][/center][hr]

[i]“Ketill,”[/i] Ser Oliver said, leaning on the table and looking Ketill directly in the eyes. [i]“We have called you here on account of the assault on two militiamen. We've seen the injuries, and we've heard many people tell their witness accounts. So, what do you say in your defense?”[/i] Ser Olivers one was empathical, and seemingly he'd hoped that Ketill would come up with a decent answer. 

There was many he could say - that he was defending a woman. That he was beating down two criminals. Anything he could say, and they would have believed it save for the commander. But Ketill did not say any such things. [i]“I have nothing to say in my defense,”[/i] he answered. He stared at the figures in front of him, not afraid apparently. He knew what was coming. It was a common occurrence and he had done these kind of trials before, though not often, and not for serious offenses. He'd come off unscathed every time. But he knew, not this time. 

[i]“You.. have nothing to say?”[/i] Oliver inquired, audibly confused.

[i]“Yes, lord.”[/i]

[i]“Then.. I hereby.. order you to pay were-gild of two hundred silvers to each man.”[/i]

[i]“I can not.”[/i]

[i]“Good. Then that conclud- what? You can not?”[/i]

[i]“No.”[/i]

[i]“And why is that, ser Ketill?”[/i]

[i]“I have no money. I spent it all.”[/i]

[i]“That is.. most unfortuna-”[/i]

Suddenly, a loud bang cleared whatever conversation had been going on. The commanders fist was on the table, after having smashed it there, and he quickly opened his mouth to speak, or rather, yell. 

[i]“[b]Then we will take his whore of a servant! Guards! Get her, and escort her to the prison cells![/b]”[/i]

The two guards moved immediately, quickly grasping her two arms, and beginning to pull her back. Ketill reacted quickly too, and leaned in on the table, putting his fist down as well. [i]“Nonsense. You will not have her, you will take me. You know the laws as well as I do, I can pay you by cutting off my a piece of my finger. It's the law of the monarch, and so you will follow it, or die now for the charge of heresy!”[/i] Indeed, whatever the current ruling king of Broacien had declared as law was not deemed only legal, but also holy. The commander visibly did not like this, but he leaned back slightly and looked at his guards.

[i]“Fine. Release her. You had better do this, 'Servant'.. you would not wish to tarnish the name of your Monarch.”[/i]

[i]“I would not, rest easy commander. You will have your revenge.”[/i]

[i]“Yes, get on with it. Your right hand, on the table, now.”[/i]

[i]“You will have my left. The law makes no distinction. And I was brought on this expedition for two reasons. One, to advise you, and two, to fight Sawarim warriors. You would have me cut my right finger, so I could not do that?”[/i]

[i]“Bloody f-.. fine!”[/i]

Ketill would place his hand on the table then, and draw his dagger with his right hand. He would hang it over his left hand, aiming for the top part of his ring finger. Slowly he raised the dagger, before sending it down. 

[i]“S-stop this!”[/i] [i]CHOP.[/i]

The blade moved at the last moment and missed his finger by barely an inch. Ketill looked up through his brow, at the womanly voice that had spoken. It had been the quartermaster, who had a rather distraught look on her face. [i]“Look, he may have injured those men, and clearly without a good reason, but must we go this far? The men are not dead, and we need Ketill to fight the Sawarim once we get to their lands. I will not allow you to risk this expedition for something as vain as your pride, lord commander. Or did you wish to tell us about your experience fighting the Sawarim?”[/i]

[i]“I.. I wo- this.. this is not abou- f.. fine. But the weregild must be paid. [b]I demand it![/b]”[/i] the commander said, his voice trembling slightly before it returned to a yell.

[i]“Then I will pay it, for lord Ketill, that we may end this petty dispute. He was prepared to cut his finger for you, is that not enough? The men will have their money, you will have your pride, and lord Ketill will keep his finger. And I.. I will lose four hundred silvers, but maintain my belief that this expedition can succeed. But we [b]need[/b] to cooperate.”[/i]

[i]“F-fine!”[/i] the commander added.

It seemed the situation had been calmed for now. The people that had not spoken all looked shook, except for ser Oliver, who seemed rather serious, and the Sawarim slavemaster, who seemed intrigued and amused by the scenes before him. He was probably not familiar with Braocienien politics. Ketill sheathed his dagger without a word, and moved to the two guards. He grabbed his sword, not waiting for them to hand it back, and quickly hung it on his belt again. Without speaking, he then left the tent, leaving Saina behind lest she followed him - which naturally she should. He returned to his tent, before standing still in the center of the tent. 

[i]“Right.. what now. Oh. Dinner.”[/i] He seemed unfazed by what had happened. Could it be he had planned this? 

[/quote]