The Girl of Many Floods- Linh Song

XII-Tam

There was silence for a moment- then Tam's cry pierced it.

"NO! You can't do that? Linh's only eleven. And here you are, banishing an eleven-year-old girl to the neutral territories to survive on her own?! Is this what we, elves, should be doing? Is this-"

"Silence!" Councillor Emery's voice echoed throughout the room. "Mr Tam Song, you have spoken out of turn. We understand your distress over your sister's banishment, but to answer your question, yes. This is the way we do things in the lost cities. Your sister broke a law, and now she must suffer the consequences."

Tam took a deep breath. He had not even noticed he was standing. "She may have broken the law, but it was an accident. And you're just going to banish her because of something she never meant to do?"

"Tam, stop," Quan and Linh said together, but Quan sternly and Linh pleadingly.

Emery spoke, "Mr Song, the Council has thought through this matter and our decision is final. Please respect this or we may have to take action on you."

Tam opened his mouth to retort, but he heard Linh's soft voice, " please don't do this. It's my fault. I lost control. Don't make it worse. Please."

Tam tugged on his bangs, "you know it isn't your fault Linh. Please, let me do this, for you."

Emery looked around the room. "Well, if there isn't anything else,"

Tam could not leave Linh alone. No, she would never be able to make it through the harsh environment of the neutral territories. The Council was not seeing reason, and his parents would never care. They would be all too happy being able to pass him off as an only child. Tam's mind ran through the possibilities. He could only think of one feasible one.

Emery continued, "then I declare-"

"Wait!" Tam's voice rang through Tribunal hall.

Emery raised an eyebrow, looking irritated.
"What is it, Mr Song?"

"I want to go with her."

The room was stunned for a moment as everyone processed what Tam had just said.

Emery recovered first, then clearing his throat, he asked, "are you sure? You will not be able to change your mind after this is decided."

"Tam, don't do it," Linh whispered furiously.

"What are you doing?" Quan asked fiercely.

But Tam ignored them both. "Yes, I'm sure," he said as confidently as he could.

Emery closed his eyes as he meditated this with the rest of the Councillors.

"Very well then, Tam Dai Song, as you wish, you shall accompany Miss Linh Song to the neutral territories."

Tam knew what was coming, but yet, he could feel the enormity of his decision, for the rest of this life, he would be spending it  in the neutral territories, and who knew what awaited him there. But he had to do this. For Linh.

Emery cleared his throat. "And now, if no one has anything else to say," he eyed Tam, "I declare this Tribunal concluded. You are all dismissed." With that, the Councillors held their pathfinders to the light and disappeared.

As the crowds started trailing out, Quan dragged Tam out of Tribunal hall.

"What do you think you're doing?! You just got yourself banished from the Lost Cities! It's enough that your sister got herself banished, but you had to get yourself banished on purpose?!"

Tam himself was seething with anger. "Look, you could have done something so Linh wouldn't have been banished. You could have said something-"

"Said what? This is the Council's decision and we have no say in this. Since you clearly don't understand..."