{poena - the infliction or imposition of a penalty as retribution for an offence.}
newt's pov:
When y/n headed to the infirmary to stitch up her injuries, I remained directly by her side. I stayed with her while Lincoln put stitches through her wound, and finally stopped the bleeding.
We both tried to remain calm and not display anger towards Lincoln. We had to wait until the council meeting.
Y/n called one as soon as she was finished in the infirmary.
"You all know why we're here, why we've gathered in this room when we should be getting ready for the hunt tomorrow instead."
Lincoln was sitting on a stool in the corner of the room at the back, behind the protection of y/n.
The room was filled with people who were angry, myself included.
Y/n stood from her seat, "When we rescued Lincoln from the people who hoped he would be their dinner for that night, I thought 'what the hell are we supposed to do now'?"
There were a few murmurs from around the room, but she continued to talk over them. "I thought 'should I just punch him really hard in the face to make it even'? But then I thought that you lot would have some more creative ideas about what to do about this. So, I decided I want some input before making a decision."
The others around the room nodded along. "I want to make it clear that the rules are there for a reason - there's a reason I didn't want Lincoln going out there, and if Newt and I hadn't gone after him, he would be the main course for a bunch of weirdos in the forest."
Gally chuckled at y/n's comment.
She looked over to Lincoln. "There needs to be a precedent of responsibility - we can't have this happen again. We were lucky this time, all of us made it out fine, but next time we might not be so lucky. So, let's open it up to the room."
Gally stood practically instantaneously. "We could learn from the Normans, and the Anglo-Saxons, and do what they did when someone committed a crime; force them to pay a wergild." He said, looking around the room expecting us to know what the hell he was on about.
Y/n looked bewildered at him. "What on earth are you talking about?"
Gally seemed confused as to why we didn't understand him. "Well, normally when a person is killed, the killer would have to pay a wergild to the victim's family as a sort of compensation. I know Lincoln didn't kill anyone, but he could still compensate those who became a victim because of his actions." He said, surprising us all with his vast knowledge on the subject. He thought for a moment longer, "Or we could brand him."
Y/n didn't appreciate the ending. "Alright, that's enough. Sit down, Gally. Thank you for your incredibly niche and ineffectual knowledge on the Anglo-Saxons."
Gally sat back down, a small frown frolicking across his lips.
Y/n cleared her throat, looking back around the room at the others. "While that was random and potentially disruptive, I wanted to focus on something that Gally said. Compensation for the work missed and the lives made harder while he was gone. But also, for Newt and myself, who had to go out there and rescue Lincoln from a group of frenzied sharks trying to eat him. That seems fair to me, if it does to everyone else."
There were a few murmurs around the room, a couple of nodding heads and agreeable whispers. Thomas slightly raised his hand, indicating he intended to speak. "So, what does that mean then? How would he compensate the people it affected when he ran away? How could he compensate you two?" He asked, staying in his seat as he kept hold of Brenda's hand.
