[Mkguild] Life As We Know It XIII

[Jack Moore]

Life As We Know It - XIII

Chamomile hadn’t moved since I placed her in the cell.  In fact she looked
at absolute peace.  It’s a good thing she hadn’t just been arrested for
something that could get her executed.
'Why is she so blasted calm?' I studied her body, her muscle movements,
even how she crossed her legs. 'Criminals are cowards by nature, but she’s
calm.'
“Hello Ms. Chamomile.” Triche said, sitting down on a stool provided for
him.  I stood behind him, never taking my eyes off of her.  “I’m Lieutenant
Triche of the Metamor Keep Watch.  May I speak to you?”
“Sure.” Chamomile mumbled.  “What do you want to know?”  Her voice wobbled
and cracked with each word.
“I just want to get to know you.” Triche said with a smile.  “Will you
humor me?”  Chamomile nodded, as if in a dream.
“Well, I’ll start at the beginning. I’m a mage, I used to live in
Blackhorne Keep, I served in the Guards there but I betrayed my commander
by bashing his fucking head in with a rock.”  Whatever Triche expected it
wasn’t this.  Before he could say anything Chamomile kept talking.
“I was at the Yule assault.  I’ve been with Nasoj for years.  And I’m not
sorry of the things I’ve done.  I’m just sorry we got kicked out.  We were
going to bring order to the world.”  Chamomile turned away.  “That’s all
you need to know about me.  Do what you want with that.”  Triche blinked.
“Corporal, can I see you outside for a minute?” He asked.  I swallowed.
“Yes sir.”  He stood and started to walk away, but I took a minute to look
at Chamomile. All of this information seemed false to me. No one volunteers
that unless they have a deathwish. Tapping her mind confirmed my suspicions.
'…Please believe me.  Please just let me die…'
I stumbled into Triche and smacked him into the door.  Rubbing his muzzle,
he glared at me. I nervously laughed.
“S-something surprised me.” I mumbled.  “I apologize sir.  Triche nodded
slowly but kept his eyes on me as if I was crazy.  Tibble pushed us both
out of the way once we were through and locked the door again. Only Tibble
is allowed to push the Lieutenant.
“How did it go?”  Tibble asked.

“Eh hem.” Our eyes turned to Sebastian, the fuzzball still with us and
still smiling. No way to get away from his kind is there?
“Sergeant, can you keep Mr. Sebastian company while I have a private
conversation with the Corporal?”  Tibble nodded.  “Corporal, please follow
me.”
We made our way to one of the storage rooms, this one holding files and
books for the Watch.  Triche turned to me and raised his hands.
“She’s only a danger to herself?  That woman is quite clearly insane, I
agree.”  His arms dropped, fists clenching. “Is she a danger to the Keep?
That’s the problem Corporal. By your own admission she is insane.”
“Lieutenant you can’t believe she just confessed everything because she’s
here to harm the Keep.” I said.
“You’re right, I don’t.  I think she’s here for some other reason, but she
wants to be arrested.  The best thing we can do right now is give her over
to Andwyn’s minion and let Intelligence to do what they want with her.”  I
turned away from Triche.  “Corporal?”
'That woman is lying about something and she wants to die.  How do I tell
him that?' I glanced back at Triche.  I don't want to giver her to Keep
intelligence.  I want this. What if Keep Intelligence discovers she is
telling the truth or…oh Eli what do I do?'
I turned to the lantern on my chest. 'The Watch is supposed to be a light.
We burn through the darkness created by lies and deceit.  My fingers ran
over the frayed blue and white fabric.  We’re supposed to bring justice.
But what’s justice here.'
I sighed.  'Justice is blind.  Justice is discovering just what someone did
and responding accordingly.  And if she did what she said, she should be
handed over to Andwyn.  But if she didn’t…'
“If she didn’t…” I whispered.
“Corporal Janelle answer me!”  I turned back to Triche.
“Sir not only am I convinced she didn’t do any of the things she said, I am
convinced Chamomile wants to be punished for them.”  Triche’s expression
didn’t change at all.  If I could have sweat, I would have.  “That woman
may not be innocent, but we shouldn’t take everything she told us at face
value.”
“I would agree.” Triche said.
“And for us to do that we need to investigate her.” I said.  “See if we can
find what she’s hiding.”  Triche laughed.
“And you expect to do that?”
“She’s been living in Metamor Keep.” I said.  “Not long enough to be cursed
but still.  She didn’t just arrive here.  Why is she here?  I think there
is something she’s hiding from all of us and I think I can prove it.”
“And if it’s some plan against the Keep?” Triche asked.  I clenched my
tabard.
“Then I will turn her over to Sebastian myself.  But you can’t hand her
over yet.  She’ll just keep squawking her story.  Eventually people might
believe it and that’ll end only one way…”  We both suspected how.  “If she
is innocent, if she isn’t the murderer she claims, I can’t knowingly hand
her over to Keep intelligence.”
“Corporal—
“I just need her long enough to investigate her lies, to see if I can find
out the truth.  I know she’s lying about killing people Lieutenant.  I
think—“ I gave a small laugh, “Oh Eli, you’ll think I’m crazy but I think
she came here to die.”  Triche didn’t say a word.  His gaze never wavered
from my eyes.
“How certain are you?”
“As much as I’ve ever been.” I said.
“Would you risk your reputation?  Your career?” Triche narrowed his gaze.
 “If she is working for Nasoj right now, she could put the Keep at risk.
Would you risk your son?”
“Nasoj is not nearly as powerful as he was, we know that.”
“But he’s still our enemy.  And every enemy has a second plan, never forget
that.”  I nodded.  “So are you certain.”
“I am.” My voice never wavered.  Triche nodded.
“When the Watch was granted its charter, we were granted a special
privilege, called the Investigators Right.”  I frowned.
“I don’t know about that.”  Triche laughed.  He rubbed his eyes.
“That’s fine.  I’d only heard about it when going through the records of
the Watch.  It’s a special right, for someone of Lieutenants rank or
higher, that they can invoke for any reason on a case.  What it allows for
is the halting of all transfers of prisoners, for twenty-four hours.”  My
heart skipped a beat.
“So that means?”
“That means you have twenty-four hours.” Triche said.  “Make them count.
Dismissed.”

AN: That rule Triche quoted was based on one I found in two English
Charters. I thought it would fit here.
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