[IC] Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

[Muttonhawk]

Despite now breathing more quickly and baring her teeth in anger, Harriet did not so much as take a step, let alone speak, until Meesei had finished and left the room. Meesei's lengthy final word only seemed to exacerbate her further.

The bodyguards sounded agreement with Meesei. They all knew the plan, but they gave sideways glances to Harriet. It could be read on their faces that they were more afraid of her than any intruder. Especially after her furious display.

Sabine was found still working away at setting up the test for the precious drop of poison that had been found in the vial with Carana. She had dark rings around her eyes that she had not displayed since the ritual with the Hist. The stress was even making her posture temporarily regress back to how it used to be. She greeted Meesei with eye contact, not words.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei did not especially relish the thought of leaving Harriet when she was in such an emotional state, but Lorag and the other guards were there to keep watch over her. Lorag had shown the capability to fight her on his own, so with the help of the guards, Meesei doubted she would try anything.

As soon as Meesei entered the room with Sabine and Carana, she could see the state that Sabine was in. This test was weighing heavily on Sabine's mind, and while Meesei did not fully understand all of the dangers herself, she knew Sabine well enough to know to take them seriously. She met Sabine's eye contact with a short hug, trying to, just for a moment, get her mind off of the task.

When Meesei finally began to speak, her tone was caring, but unmistakably serious. "Sabine, what I am about to ask is very important. This test, it will give results that I would like to know, but by no means is this vital to the investigation. Even without testing the contents, the vial is usable evidence. If, at any point during this test, you feel that you are in danger, I want you to do anything you can to ensure you an Carana remain safe, even if it means abandoning the test. I want no one else to be harmed by this vile toxin. My question is can you ensure your safety? Please, be entirely truthful. I do not want you to take any risks for this, no matter how much you think it will help. If you do not believe you will be able to get out of harm's way if something goes wrong, then we will not do the test."

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine was noticably tense when Meesei embraced her, but she exhaled and relaxed slightly in her arms. It was at least a prompt for her to slow down for the moment. Carana finished up her task and stood a few paces from the pair, listening in.

Once Meesei had finished speaking, Sabine nodded slowly, but her expression was mostly unchanged. After wiping one of her tired eyes with her arm, Sabine looked up to Meesei and affirmatively responded. "I can test the toxin safely. Carana and me both know what to do if something goes wrong, I promise." Sabine looked away for just a moment. Long enough to remember to feel comfortable confiding in Meesei. "I'm just...I don't want to get this wrong," Sabine's murmured quietly. "There's only a drop of it. The water skin was difficult. I was thinking about the people here, what might happen if the killer isn't found. I heard about the fight that you stopped."

Carana stayed where she was with her hands clasped together. Sabine had a certain fear in her eyes. "The clan will stay together, won't it?"

[EliteCommander]

"Okay Sabine, I trust you." Meesei said as she produced the vial from her satchel. "I will not lie, there is always the possibility of violence within the clan, but that is looking less likely now than it was before. I offered the explanation that Harriet could have been magically influenced by Clavicus Vile into becoming a traitor, as that is a definite possibility. It is something I intend to test for once the trial has concluded. Earlier, there was a fight that was about to break out between two groups, but they calmed once that possibility was brought to mind. It may be enough to prevent large-scale violence at the trial itself, even if Harriet, or anyone else, tries to instigate it."

Meesei looked at the small amount of poison in the vial. Circumstance pointed to it being the same poison used in the waterskin, but there was no way to know what Sabine and Carana might learn about it. If it was indeed more concentrated than what they had found in the waterskin, then it might provide even more insight into the substance. They could even get a better sense of what it was made from. However, she did not want Sabine to feel that success was vital. "Just...try not to worry yourself so greatly, Sabine. This test could yield useful information, but do not think that the murder will go unsolved if you fail. There is other evidence, so you do not need to stress yourself to such a degree. Actually, there is one more thing you could test that might be even more useful. The only people who have handled this vial are myself, the traitor, and another individual who has been helping me. The cork likely holds the scent of the traitor, but the scent of the poison overpowers it. If there is something you could do that would isolate those scents, then we could directly link the vial to the traitor."

[Muttonhawk]

After being told to tone down her worries, Sabine stopped to reflect for a moment. There were enough near misses while they were with the clan that some of her worries were justified, but they were still in a safe place. The tension over the trial was being contained well.

Sabine was brought out of her worries and thoughts when she looked up curiously at Meesei in reaction to her next request. She didn't outright refuse, but her still expression told of wheels turning in her mind. After a solid moment, Sabine took a breath and half-turned to Carana, who was still standing nearby and waiting. "Carana," Sabine's voice had a little more confidence in it, "how do we find a scent like that?"

"Well, Sabine, scents always come from something, no matter how tiny," Carana unclasped her hands and looked over at the equipment they had set up, "It would be a matter of isolating it. If it is the scent of a person, it would most likely be oil or dust from skin, or sweat, or something of that nature. Picking it out would be difficult, however. We might get it just before it evaporates away, or gets sunken into the mixture again...or even sucked up our noses as we test it. The nature of isolating it would likely destroy the sample as well. If the poison already has an overwhelming scent, well..." Carana trailed off and shrugged.

Sabine turned her head to Meesei apologetically. "I'm sorry."

[EliteCommander]

"The cork itself should be what holds most of the scent, not the interior of the vial. After all, the one would need to touch it directly to use the poison." Meesei responded. "You could try to isolate the scent from that instead, so you could do whatever tests you need on the poison separately. I even have something to which to compare it." She added, carefully pulling the rag from her satchel by the same corner from which the others had handled it.

"This rag carries Harriet's scent, along with mine and the same individual who found the vial. There were also some others who handled it, but I ensured they only touched this small corner. I understand that it may not be possible to find anything, but I would like to try. If you need any more supplies, I would be happy to gather them while you start on the tests for the poison." She offered. The ability to link the vial directly to Harriet through her scent, or alternatively, to show that it was planted, was information that could be of great use in the investigation. Even if it was not guaranteed to work, it was worth an attempt.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine carefully took the rag from Meesei and briefly held it close to her nose. It did certainly have traces of Harriet on it, that much was obvious. She turned to Carana, hoping that it might help. She hadn't shifted much.

"That may make things easier, thank you." Carana glanced at Sabine and Meesei in turn before continuing. "We'll do our best, but you must understand that this won't be easy. It will take some time. I can't guarantee having results before the trial starts."

"We can do it, then?" Sabine asked quietly.

Carana nodded. "I believe so. I haven't actually had to do anything specifically like this before, but there are some methods we may try." Carana gave an amused huff, "Actually there are many new things I've had to do lately. I've learned as much from you, Sabine, as you might have from me." She turned her head slightly, "While it's on my mind, where did you learn alchemy, Sabine?"

There were a few seconds of silence. Sabine wasn't ashamed or afraid so much as unsure. She looked to Meesei and spoke in a hushed tone, "This isn't really a city. Am I allowed to say?"

[EliteCommander]

"Thank you." Meesei said with an appreciative smile. "I will understand if the test does not produce an answer, but the attempt is worth the effort. Take as much time or as many resources as you need. I doubt you will be in any danger, but I will make sure there is someone here to guard you anyway. I will make sure to send Ahnasha here after I leave. I trust that you two will do all you can, and I thank you for your help."

When Sabine asked about revealing part of her past, Meesei nodded. "Of course. If there is anywhere we can find trust, it is among our own kind. In a clan like this, its members come from all places and backgrounds. If I were to guess, I would say that your past may not even be the strangest of those in the clan."

[Muttonhawk]

She thought as much. Sabine smiled to Meesei, then turned her head to Carana. "I learned from witches," she said without apprehension.

"Truly?" Carana raised her brow. She looked surprised, but less fearful or misunderstanding than Sabine thought she might. "That explains a few things. I've never met a witch before." She made an inquisitive hmph and resumed helping with the tests on the droplet of poison. "I dare say that we may have a lot to talk about while we work," Carana changed her tone to address Meesei again, "We will do what we can about the cork. Was there anything else that you needed, champion?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei shook her head. "Not at the moment; I will have Ahnasha join you shortly. Just be careful with the poison. Remember, your safety is far more important than this test. Now, I believe I am going to take my leave for the night. I wish you luck, and I will speak to both of you tomorrow."

After Meesei took her leave of the pair, she headed straight to their room to collect Ahnasha and sent her to protect Sabine and Carana. Unfortunately, Ahnasha would have to take Rhazii with her as well. It was not ideal, but someone had to take care of him, and everyone currently had their own assignment. With no more duties to tend to for the night, Meesei headed back to Harriet's room to join in keeping watch for the night. She had set up the watch schedules so that either herself or Lorag were awake at all times, though it was not likely to be a necessary precaution. The trial was still days away, but Meesei was not likely to be able to stop her constant work and vigilance until well-after it was over.

[Muttonhawk]

The remaining time leading up to the trial was marked with the same mix of fear and tension preceding the announcement of the trial. The lieutenants, now one less in number, had an even harder time keeping packs placated. Despite their best efforts, they could not be everywhere at once and scuffles did break out. Thankfully, alphas of the opposing packs were able to contain them to merely a few grazes and bruises. The most aggressive behaviour resulted in minor punishment. The fact that kept people from speaking out too much about the situation was the hope that the trial would form a resolution, but with the full moon so near, no felt entirely secure.

Carana and Sabine worked safely, but sacrificed sleep to get their work done. Even if Carana didn't outwardly express it, she was just as tense as Sabine was in the situation. For a while, talking amongst themselves gave some distraction, but even getting to the point of calling each other friends didn't change the greater situation around them. They shortly before the trial, they reported that the mote of substance left in the vial was indeed the same poison used to kill Jerrick. As for the cork, they had not yet determined any particular identity apart from Meesei's by the time the trial was convened.

The morning of the trial did not have any fights or scuffles, any vocal disagreements or threats. Everyone stayed to their own packs with murmurings amongst themselves. Some speculated on what Harriet might do to meet her accusations, others made plans in secret corners if any large scale fights were to break out. Any questions about such plans were flatly denied when asked about, but people seemed more fearful than angry at this point.

After breakfast, the entire clan gathered in the main chamber, not the dining chamber. The illuminated dais normally populated with scores of sparring partners was cleared off save for three tables and enough chairs to furnish the parties directly involved. The edges of the dais were cordoned off by a length of rope along the floor and a number of volunteer pack alphas that were there to instruct the meaning of the rope. No one was allowed beyond except those with express permission. Currently, only the alphas around the border and Meesei were within the rope.

The day before, Darahil had enchanted a staff to make loud and dominating claps when struck against a hard surface and offered it for the trial. Everyone was talking amongst themselves, waiting for the judge and parties to be summoned and for the proceedings to begin. Most did not know what to expect from the trial, having never seen one like this before.

[EliteCommander]

This was it. The crowd was standing outside the ropes, talking amongst themselves as they waited. The witnesses and others who would be testifying were gathered, all awaiting this trial that would, hopefully, provide an ending to this sordid affair. They had several tables and chairs set up, mostly for the benefit of Najirra, as he likely would not want or be able to stand for such an extended period. A few of the others, had already taken their seats, but Meesei remained standing for the moment, as she needed to calm the crowd to begin the trial.

Taking the staff Darahil had enchanted, Meesei stood in the center of the room, between the three tables. She needed only to strike it twice against the ground to grab the attention of the crowd, who had been waiting anxiously for this moment for days. "I regret that we all have to be here today, deciding the guilt of one who has been accused of a most terrible crime. The judge for this trial was selected before any accusation of guilt was made, and it is my hope that you will recognize him as one capable of fairly adjudicating this trial."

As she finished speaking, Meesei motioned to one of the entrances, which had been blocked off from most of the crowd. Najirra emerged from the door, with his daughters to help him move around, though they were dismissed once they had helped him into his chair. Meesei was not sure of what kind of reaction to expect from the crowd upon seeing him. From what she understood, this was likely the first time many of them had even seen him outside his room. But, she did not doubt that he was the best choice for this position. He had no aspirations for power, no special loyalty to any particular lieutenant, and no grudge against any of them as well. Out of everyone in the clan, he was the least likely to be influenced by any outside pressure. Given hid advanced age, even threatening him with death was not likely to be effective. Before taking her seat, Meesei gave the staff to Najirra, as he was now in charge of the trial.

[Muttonhawk]

Though both were standing by him for support, Najirra slowly walked across the clear dais with only one of his daughters supporting his arm. In his other hand was his cane, shivering with his elderly frame as he strained to support himself. He smiled and nodded politely to Meesei upon receiving the staff that would serve as a gavel might in other courts. As his small steps slowly lead him to the table presiding over both sides, the crowd murmured, but it was not a perturbed tone. Rather, most people were surprised that they could not guess Najirra to be the judge. It seemed so obvious that he would take the role on. If anything the atmosphere's tension was relaxed slightly. Najirra's wisdom was known to all.

Najirra lowered himself into his seat and quietly dismissed his daughters. They walked to the edge of the rope behind his chair, ready to assist if necessary. They didn't seem to keen on all the attention.

"Beloved cla-hm-" Najirra put a hand to his mouth and cleared his throat. His voice did not project well. He realised this and cast a nondescript green spell about his throat before silencing the crowd with the staff. "Beloved clan," his voice was still gentle, but boomed with magical amplification, "This one has been asked to hear of the tragic poisoning of Jerrick, our late clan leader. Normally, this one tries to stay clear of issues of leadership, but under such circumstances, I would sooner lend myself to see justice served than to let this event divide us. This one will hear the stories of the investigator and the accused and pass judgement. It would be appreciated if all present could remain with their words in their minds, that I might hear what is important easily." Najirra's eyes went directly to a particular direction into the crowd, "Harriet, if you please to come forward and be seated."

As if Najirra innately knew where Harriet was standing, his gaze is where she emerged. The sour looking Orc lieutenant emerged from the crowd amongst the guards that had been responsible for her for a while now, including Lorag. They left her side as she proceeded across the dais and took her seat. By the way she sat crossed-armed, she wasn't a fan of all the ceremony, even if it was less ritual than city courts.

"Harriet Gra-Kalgodo, you have been accused of murdering our leader, Jerrick Hasset Dechora. Are you guilty, or not guilty?" Najirra's normally default smile had faded to a wide eyed studying look that was more focussed than cross or judgemental.

Harriet moved her eyes up from the table in front of her to meet Najirra's, however piercing his gaze was. "I'm not guilty," she answered flatly.

"Very well, let us begin in good faith. Our lord Hircine is not a god of rhetoric. He is, however, a patron of the chase. May the fittest of mind be proven right in this hunt for justice." Najirra leaned back and exchanged glances with both Meesei and Harriet, "Neither one of you need be reminded that truth is an axiom of this process. Speak only when given permission, and stay your beast forms." Najirra's missing words were the method of telling the truth from lies, but all that knew him were aware of his eye for such things. No lie would get past the old Khajiit.

He turned his attention fully to Meesei. "Meesei, Champion of Hircine, you have been the one to investigate this matter and have laid your accusation upon Harriet. As fitting, you may now justify yourself." He waved his hand gently in her direction, "Speak."

As Najirra waved his hand, Meesei was given a sensation of relief, almost as if she would have had a hard time speaking even if she wanted to before, but only just noticed it. An effort to detect any magical effects would only reveal tiny threads of alteration in the air when concentrated upon. Whatever power Najirra held, he was incredibly subtle with it. He clearly intended for this trial to go without descent into a two-sided rant.

Harriet just stayed cross armed and cross legged, shooting an adversarial look at Meesei while she watched and listened.

[EliteCommander]

"Thank you." Meesei began as she flipped open her one of her journals to the page of notes. She had spent considerable time planning out her case for this trial, so she now had multiple books filled with her plans and evidence, so despite the sheer stress of this situation, for both sides, she did not hesitate in delivering her opening. "To begin, I would like to establish the circumstances surrounding Jerrick's murder. On the day myself and my pack arrived here, Jerrick had been expecting me, as he had received a vision from our lord Hircine. In this vision, he was warned that, on the day of my arrival, he would be killed by one of his lieutenants, though it did not show him which one. As those who were present may recall, Jerrick pulled me aside after I finished telling the story of my pack's fight against Vile's Orc in the dining hall on the day of our arrival. It was at that point that he informed me of his vision and requested my aid in bringing his murderer to justice."

Currently, Meesei was focusing on establishing her own credibility for the case, after which she would delve into proving Harriet's connection to the murder. Her case would take a while to present, but she had to make sure to be thorough. Other than deciding Harriet's guilt or innocence, the purpose of this trial was to prevent the clan from falling into violence, so Meesei could not leave any room for the clan to believe that she had committed the crime, instead of Harriet. "Of course, I did attempt to prevent his murder to begin with." Meesei continued. "We did not want to force the traitor into hiding, so we planned an ambush to catch the traitor before the murder could take place. Myself and one of my pack hid away in the meeting room to wait for a potential attack, and as a precaution against poison, Jerrick did not eat nor drink for the rest of the day. However, we did not anticipate that the poison was already within him, delivered through his waterskin before he pulled me aside to speak to me. I will give evidence for that point shortly; first, I would like to provide evidence for my statements thusfar. In the event that we failed to protect him, Jerrick wrote letters to individuals he deemed trustworthy, and neutral between the lieutenants. These letters described what I just explained, as well as containing a personal anecdote specific to each recipient to prove that the letter could have come from no one but Jerrick himself. Examples of those who received those letters are Gorlak, Caldris, and of course, Najirra. Could you verify that what I have said so far regarding the events leading up to Jerrick's murder are true?" Meesei asked, focusing more on Gorlak and Caldris. After considerable thought, Meesei had decided that it was necessary to involve Gorlak and Caldris in the trial, and had warned them of such beforehand. She had advised them to bring the letters with them, and though they did not necessarily have to share the details of the anecdote contained within the letters, they could if they chose to.

[Muttonhawk]

There was a rustling of parchment as Najirra reached into his tunic and pulled out his rolled up letter and laid it flat against the table. Caldris and Grolak exchanged glances and hesitated.

Najirra's eyes shot up from his letter and he gestured to them both. "Caldris, Grolak, please come forth and present to this table, your letters." Grolak strode forward with confidence, but Caldris was a little slower in her pace. Both arrived at Najirra's side and placed their letters on his table for consideration.

"Najirra," Caldris murmured discretely, catching the judge's attention halfway through reading Grolak's letter, "The way that Jerrick proved his authenticity is...sensitive. I would appreciate it if-"

"I will see for myself," Najirra interrupted Caldris with a wave of his hand. Caldris' eyes darted around. Normally she had a cold demeanour, but now she was nervous. She kept her eyes on the ground and her hands behind her back while Najirra read the letters.

Barely another minute passed before Najirra cleared his throat and addressed everyone again. "I will read out these letters for the satisfaction of the trial, beginning with my own." The Khajiit slid the bottommost letter from the table and held it partway up.

"'Najirra, dear friend.

I need you to cast your mind back years ago. When I was but a boy, indoctrinated into this clan after wandering the wilderness you were there, as you were for many others before and after. I remember your calming tea, your way of reading others, and your magic. Most of all, though, I remember the only time I was ever able to surprise you. It was in one of our cave hideouts, seeing through the winter. We were talking in private, I was lamenting the death of my friend, Caleb, to lycan hunters. He was a close friend, as befitting the namesake of my son. Up until then, I was a wilful child, I was quick to anger and blame. When I told you that day that the only thing I wanted was for those hunters to not hurt anyone any more. It was so against my nature that you laughed at me. I was confused until you explained that you hadn't felt surprise from one such as me in a long time. If you can remember this, you will know that it is me that is writing this and not a forgery.

If you are reading this, I am dead.

Not a few nights past I received a vision from our lord Hircine. I am destined to be murdered by my closest in rank, enabled by the machinations of our now adversary, Clavicus Vile. This will be to the end that I can only assume will resemble this clan's utter destruction. With the timing, you can see as well as I that this was planned. We have become overfull, unstable. One full moon without cohesive command could have us tear each other apart. All is not lost, however. Lord Hircine mentioned he would send assistance before it was too late. I could not have imagined that it would be our lord's champion, Meesei. With all else, there is no coincidence in her arrival. We have conversed, Meesei and myself, and I believe she can be trusted to keep this clan together. You, my friend, are receiving this letter as I believe you can be trusted to hold high the fate of this clan over any affiliation to my lieutenants. Additionally, all know you to be this way, neutral to squabbles of succession. Please assist Meesei in finding my killer and preserving this clan however you see fit.

I'll see you on the hunting grounds,
Jerrick Dechora.'"

Najirra readjusted himself on his seat and put the letter aside, bringing up Grolak's letter. "Each letter has similar words outlining the situation, but each has different proofs of identity. Harriet, you may read these as you wish. This one will now read out part of Grolak's letter to prove Jerrick's hand here.

"'Grolak, dear friend.

Six tumblers. The second requires a gentle touch, the fourth and fifth are like harlots. Any picks you break you have to replace yourself. You were the only one to teach me how to pick the lock on the livestock door, now you understand why I asked you to replace it last night.'"

"A brief story. Grolak, can you confirm this?" Najirra turned his head to the bearded Orc man.

Grolak sniffed, "Yeah, he was the only one I taught about that lock, but more importantly, the words he used there were the exact words I used while teachin' him." He raised his voice to the crowd, "Before any o' you get any ideas, I did replace that lock with somethin' more difficult."

Najirra gestured his palm down to settle Grolak. "Thank you, you may stand aside." Najirra put the letter aside, "Now, Caldris requested that her anecdote be kept in confidence, but I can confirm its validity and Harriet may wish to read it as well. Caldris, can you confirm its truth?"

Caldris nodded, betraying a passing glance at Vera who was at the front of the audience. She walked off the dais as soon as Najirra saw fit to say "You may be now stand aside."

The few whispers that ended the affairs with the letters were silenced by Najirra speaking further. "And as this one confirms the truth of his letter, Meesei may continue where she left off."

Even though the letters stayed in a neat pile beside Najirra, Harriet made no motion to inspect them.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei waited patiently as the letters were being read, watching the crowd to judge their reactions. For this aspect of her case, Meesei had rather conclusive evidence. Three letters penned by Jerrick's hand, which were confirmed to be true by some of the most trusted individuals in the clan, demonstrated rather directly that Meesei was not to blame for his death. Indeed, they also showed that both Jerrick and Hircine had trusted her with the responsibility of determining the identity of the traitor. Overall, they strongly reinforced her credibility, so if Harriet attempted personal attacks against Meesei herself, they could even reduce Harriet's own credibility.

Once Meesei had again been given the floor to speak, she moved on quickly to her next point. Now that she had established her own credibility, she planned to lay out directly of what she was accusing Harriet, then focus on proving it. "First, I would like to lay out exactly of what crime Harriet is being accused. My assertion is that Jerrick was slain through poison, administered through his waterskin. The poison was applied to his water during a meeting on the day of the murder, shortly after my pack's arrival. Harriet was the only one of the lieutenants with an opportunity to apply this poison, as she was left alone with his waterskin after he had forgotten it in the meeting room, and there is no evidence for any other opportunity later in the day for Jerrick's waterskin to have been poisoned without his knowledge. As for proving these accusations accusations, I will begin with the evidence that narrows the timeframe in which Jerrick could have been poisoned. One of my pack members, though young, has trained in alchemy for most of her life, and the clan's own head alchemist, Carana has taken part in most tests performed on the waterskin. They were able to confirm that there was indeed a poison present in the waterskin, and in two separate tests, showed how long it would have taken for the poison to kill. Since we know exactly when Jerrick died, we can use that information to tell when he must have ingested it. I would like for Carana and Sabine, as well as all of the witnesses to the second test on the poison, to step forward."

Meesei waited a moment as all of the people she had requested moved to the center of the room. Just as with all of the witnesses, she had informed them all beforehand that they would be speaking at the trial. "Carana, Sabine, please describe what you have learned about the poison, how your tests work, and what they have concluded."

[Muttonhawk]

The crowd seemed indifferent to the letters for the most part. There appeared to be an understanding among them all as to why they chosen few were trusted by Jerrick. Apart from that, there were scant whispers passed around with Meesei's description of the poisoning. It was nothing that induced particular surprise or fear, but it was a confirmation of some suspicions.

All those requested to stand as witnesses to the test of the poison walked onto the dais without hesitation. Sabine was last to move, but she was encouraged by a pat on the shoulder from Carana. There was a short pause after Meesei's first question where Carana and Sabine glanced at one another, waiting for one to talk. They both breathed in at the same time and stopped again. Sabine preferred that Carana do the talking and gave her a quick nod.

"We tested the mixture of the poison and water in Jerrick's water skin," Carana started slowly as the explanation formed in her mind, but she quickly gained confidence. "To normal tests for poison, it was resistant, going into some useless state of black muck that refused any reaction. Sabine and myself have not seen any property that could do such a thing, so we concluded that the origin of the poison had to be from some kind of complex magic, or otherworldly ingredients and methods." Carana was careful not to specify that it was Vile that made the poison, she had no proof of that and didn't want to make people jump to the wrong conclusions. "Failing any way to identify it further, we instead set up a test to see how long it took to take effect upon the body of a lycan. This was done by making a...sort of fake life with a human heart. A kind of weak necromancy, but not quite the same as the undead you might think of. Simply put, we would add the poison to the system and measure how long it took to die. This time - give or take about an hour or two - would be the same time taken for the poison to kill Jerrick after he drank it." Many in the crowd looked slightly lost, but Najirra was looking on with full interest. "With Jerrick's time of death given, our test concluded that he would have to have been poisoned some time between the start of the meeting of the lieutenants that day, and that mid afternoon, about half way between lunch and dinner. We repeated the test in the same way with everyone here with us patiently watching -" Carana gestured to the witnesses, "- and that yielded a result with no significant difference."

A moment passed where it was clear that Carana had finished. Without shifting much, Najirra peered to the witnesses. "You can all confirm this? None of you have heard a falsehood from Carana. Speak if you have."

All of the witnesses gave affirmative nods. None seemed dissatisfied with Carana's story.

[EliteCommander]

"Thank you Sabine, Carana." Meesei commented, indicating that they were finished for the moment. She had established her own credibility, and set up the time frame in which Jerrick could have potentially been poisoned. So far, none of her evidence had been contested, even by Harriet, though she doubted that would hold true forever. Now, she needed to show how she narrowed the opportunity at which Jerrick's waterskin could have been poisoned.

"My next set of evidence will involve testimony from the lieutenants. As I have said, the communication Jerrick received from Hircine said that it would be one of his lieutenants who would betray him, but not specifically who. As such, I did not trust any testimony from them in my investigation which could not be corroborated by at least one of the others, or another reputable source. Presently, Oswall is recovering, but for his health, I do not wish to take him away from the healers unless it is absolutely necessary. As such, both I and Harriet had the opportunity to ask him any questions we intended to ask during the trial, then had him write down his responses. I would like to present his testimony to you now, Najirra, so that you may review it when needed." Meesei explained before pausing to pass the papers containing Oswall's testimony across the tables to Najirra.

Once Najirra had Oswall's testimony, Meesei continued. "Now, we were able to narrow down the window in which Jerrick could have consumed the poison to the times which Sabine and Carana specified, but I also considered the possibility that the poison was applied to the waterskin before the meeting, but only drank it after it started. All of the lieutenants can confirm that, before the meeting, Jerrick was giving lessons with Oswall to some of the newer lycans in the main chamber. Indeed, many witnesses can likely attest to that. This was a potential point at which the waterskin could have been poisoned, since Jerrick was separated from his belongings while in werewolf form. However, if he drank from his waterskin after retrieving it once the lessons were over, then he would have ingested the poison. Since that would fall outside the timeframe established by our tests on the poison, the only way the waterskin could have been poisoned before the meeting would be if Jerrick did not drink from it after the lessons. I asked all of the lieutenants if, when they were in the main chamber, they witnessed Jerrick drinking from his waterskin. Both Oswall and Darahil stated that he did."

Meesei looked to Darahil. "Can you confirm that this is true, and recount what you saw?" She requested. For Oswall's answer, Najirra could read from written testimony Meesei had provided. Likely, he would read the answer aloud for the clan to hear.

[Muttonhawk]

Darahil spoke from the side of the Dais, stoic as ever. "What you have said is what I told you. It is correct." Now with everyone's attention, Darahil stepped into the light of the dais. If it weren't for the toes of his shoes poking out from the bottom of his robe, he would have looked as if he was gliding across the floor. He held his hands behind his straightened back, and continued his speech with attention only on Najirra. "The day of the meeting was the day one of my packs and myself returned from exploring the ruins beyond the gate. I did not spend much time outside of the scholar's loft, excepting heading to the meeting itself. I observed Jerrick and Oswall finishing their lesson as I walked through this chamber. Jerrick was drinking from his waterskin before he finished changing back into his clothes."

Even though he had his eyes on the paper Meesei had put forward with Oswall's words, Najirra seemed to be listening well enough to Darahil at the same time. There was a silence while he finished reading, making it look suspiciously like he wasn't listening at all. After a while, however, he put Oswall's testimony aside and looked up at Darahil. "Thank you, Darahil," he said with a small frown. His following words were directed to Meesei. "I understand that Oswall's wounds were dire, but I would rather have his testimony confirmed in person. We may send for him later." Najirra waved his palm forward, "For now, go on."

[EliteCommander]

"Of course, as you wish, Najirra." Meesei responded. With his wounds, Meesei did not like the idea of bringing Oswall out into public, but he was stable, so there was not likely much of a risk to him. As long as some of the healers stayed with him, Meesei could be comfortable with him giving his testimony in person. It was not as if it would harm her case in any way, since he was not going to change his answers for the trial itself.

Meesei continued from where she left off, which would be to talk about the meeting itself. "More than one source confirms that Jerrick did drink from his waterskin after the lessons were over. And indeed, one would expect that, after such intense physical activity as a werewolf transformation, one would be prone to looking for a drink of water. As such, the poison could not have been applied before that point, which leaves his next destination after the main hall: the meeting. Once all of the lieutenants had arrived, the meeting started as fairly mundane, since they discussed matters pertaining to the normal operation of the clan. Midway through the meeting is when myself and my pack arrived and were brought to them. After introductions, we explained our purpose in coming here, which was originally to investigate a group of Vile's agents who we knew to be making their way to this area. Then, my pack was taken on a tour of this ruin by Oswall's son, while Jerrick and the rest of the lieutenants remained in the meeting room for a while longer. All lieutenants, even Harriet, agree that Oswall was the first to leave, as he was eager to speak to myself and my pack in the dining hall. Afterwards, Darahil and Jerrick stepped out onto the mezzanine overlooking the dining hall to speak, and both Darahil and Vera agree that Jerrick forgot to bring his waterskin with him and instead left it on the table in the meeting room. This left Vera and Harriet in the room with his waterskin, with the one who left first being the one with an opportunity to poison Jerrick's waterskin. During my questioning, I encountered the first evidence of a directly lie regarding this point, as both Vera and Harriet claimed to have been the first to leave the room. However, Darahil, as well as members of my pack who had been observing the mezzanine at the time, say that Vera left the meeting room before Harriet. This means that Harriet was left alone with the waterskin, and during my questioning, attempted to deceive me of that fact." Meesei explained, pausing a moment as she cast her gaze to each of the lieutenants present. "Can the lieutenants confirm my statements?"