“Now I ask you, look at him. Could a man that small move a stone the size of a cart?” The counselor turned to the crowd and smiled. “Only a troll could push those rocks around. Why would a troll want more pastureland?” He shook his head and strolled to the grey-haired man, fidgeting on a bench. “Richard has lived on Enda for just a few seasons, but his sheep are already prospering. He does not need to move boundary stones.”
True, Adorable nodded her horned head in agreement.
He paced over to the priests standing by the town bailiff’s chair. “It’s getting late; tell Richard he’s not guilty, and let’s be off to the Lazy Griffin to celebrate.” The counselor bowed to the frowning bailiff.
“No rushing justice. Someone moved them. Richard alone benefits.” Lord Elsmere scanned the evening sky. “It is late. Moon’s rising.” He turned to the tall man by his side. “What does your holiness say?”
The abbot shrugged. “Richard’s generous to the poor and the church. He’s proven he’s not greedy. He seems innocent of the charges.”
“I agree.” The bailiff nodded.
The townspeople and farmers gathered for the trade fair shouted. “Let him go then.” “He’s done nothing wrong.”
Adorabelle stood in the crowd watching the trial in fascination. The farmer next to her cupped his hands over his mouth. “Throw him in the well!”
A heavy-set woman thumped him on his head. “I get my drinking water from there.”
He covered his squashed cap and slunk away.
Adorabelle snickered. Silly humans. You wouldn’t catch loatrons fighting over land. She shook her horns in disgust. Trials were good entertainment, though. On her way to the singing, she stopped in the middle of the town square to watch the inquiry.
The accused man on the bench glared at the noisy crowd. The counselor defending him placed his hand on the shepherd’s shoulder and whispered in his ear. Richard pushed his hand away.
Why was he mad? He wouldn’t be punished; his case was over. She surveyed the crowd. This would be a good time to leave and find the best spot by the leather goods booths to watch the dancing.
“You see, the man’s innocent. He’s done nothing wrong.” The counselor shouted to the crowd gathered in the large field. Booths and tents replaced the picketed goats or cows that normally grazed there. The center well, where much of Clewside drew their drinking water, made an ideal spot for locals to bring their grievances before the town bailiff and church leaders. Adorabelle glanced back at the counselor. Was he finished?
“Isn’t he a clever boots?” A woman nudged the man next to her with her elbow. “He’ll free the shepherd, even if he did do it.”
“Aye, he could talk birds from the trees, that one. Paid well for it, too.”
Paid to argue? Adorabelle’s mind whirled. How could she convince her mother to apprentice her to the man? She was already an excellent arguer—she just needed to learn human laws—or mythical laws. She could be the first mythical lawyer on Enda. Elders decided cases for mythical creatures, but she could argue for the defendants—paid to fight. She shivered with delight.
Her eyes shifted to the group of priests and merchants gesturing as they discussed the case with the man seated on the chair. Lord Elsmere got paid for arguing, too. He told the town Richard should be flogged if he moved boundary stones. An offense humans took very seriously. If she were a bailiff, she could arrest people and have them flogged.
A grin spread across her scaly face. She’d arrest her brother Sargon first. All the damage he caused when he ran off suddenly and knocked people down. Adorabelle pictured herself arguing a case against her brother, her mother Bunny pleading with her to let her baby go.
“Here you are!” A long red tail wrapped around Adorabelle’s neck. “I told you not to sneak off. I found the perfect bells to tie around your hooves.” The pink loatron tweaked her daughter’s long ear. “Where are the ribbons I bought you to wear?”
“Hush, mam, they’re announcing their decision.” Adorabelle watched the abbot raise his arms for silence. The crowd held its breath.
“We find Richard of Clewside not guilty of moving the boundary stones of Farmer James. They are rather large.”
The crowd cheered. Farmer James stalked over to the abbot. “He moved them, I tell you. Maybe he used magic, or he’s a troll. I demand you test him.”
The abbot frowned. “There’s no need to test his innocence with boiling water. We must use wisdom here.”
“No, test if he’s Fey.”
Gasps and murmurs trickled through the square. Bunny frowned and stopped arguing with her daughter to stare at the man. “He’d better not. I won’t allow it,” she muttered, stomping her front hoof.
Adorabelle edged away from her distracted mother. Were they going to make the human walk over hot plowshares? She’d heard of such tests on the mainland but had never seen it on Enda. Slinking away from Bunny, she pushed her way closer to the front of the crowd.
One of the priests offered to bring the abbot a pot of boiling water from which the accused could pull a rock. There was a loud clatter as the shepherd bolted to his feet, overturning the bench. He balled up his hands into fists and scowled.
“You won’t burn me! I’ll not be tested,” he shrieked, his voice rising to a howl.
“Calm down. The council has already found you innocent. You’re free to leave.” Lord Elsmere raised his voice for the crowd to hear.
Richard did not look relieved. He tore at the neckline of his tunic.
Someone moved in front of Adorabelle, blocking her view. She lowered her horns. One good shove will teach him. Before she could move, the man whirled around. Thrusting her aside, he fled. Others followed. Where’s everyone going? The dancing wouldn’t start until the musicians arrived. Cheers and happy babble turned to screams as people pushed and jostled against Adorabelle’s goat-like body.
“Wait. Stop. What’s happening?” Adorabelle fought her way to the side of the panic-stricken humans. She looked back at the center of the square. A huge wolf covered in grey fur crouched before the bailiff. A shapeshifter! Quiet, little Shepherd Richard was a shapeshifter. Changing from a man into a wolf. This was better than a trial. She crept closer.
Come back next month for the thrilling conclusion of Fair Trial, a short story from the Tales of Enda series. Want to learn more about Adorabelle and her brother Sargon? Read Sargon The Not So Great book 1 in Tales of Enda. Or check out the short story The Loatron In The Woods for another adventure with Sargon.
