Storm Born Book One

Chapter Six.

The guards brought in Elder Arion, his face defiant, his stance upright, to look at the man you would not think he was being brought before the tribunal thought, Meriol as she took in his demeanor ''Arion Olafson, you are brought before this tribunal to hear our judgment on you for your crimes, do you have anything to say in your defense''. His silence rang loudly in the chamber as his eyes bore into her.

"Very well it will be recorded that you have chosen not to comment, which leaves us only to read out the judgment of this chamber"

"For more than a thousand years our people have trusted the elders to protect and guide them. In the history of Elsinore never has an Elder abused that sacred trust of the people as you have. An Elder has never before been brought before the chamber, and it is with a sorrowful heart that I have had to preside over these proceedings. The evidence that has been brought before us...the depravity, corruption, and zealousness with which you have sought to maintain your grip on power has shocked us deeply and shames the chamber where you have sat for so many years". Glancing up at Arion she noticed his posture had shifted almost imperceptibly his eyes so defiant mere moments before were darting nervously about the room. ''Had the fool truly expected the chamber to support him'' she mused, she had not missed the look that the man had sent to Elder Sachiel, who was squirming visibly in his seat. Another fool that will need watching she thought herself.

''I think I can speak for all of us that it is to our shame that we were not aware of your wrongdoings and we will all have soul searching of our own to do, The corruption and brutality with which you kept your mother-in-law, high priestess Eadgyth and your wife high priestess Ethelyn and even your daughter high priestess Rowena, under your control to cement your grip on power'' she paused glancing up again at Arion, But if she had hoped to see any remorse in his face she was to be disappointed.

She continued summing up her eyes boring into the man standing at the end of the great table between two guards. ''The lengths that you would no doubt have continued to have gone to impose your will on your granddaughter Rosalind, our current high priestess elect..." She looked around the table at the solemn nodding of the other elders."However what has shocked us almost as much is the bigotry and utter contempt you held for Alpha Edward's father, and indeed all wolves, that led you to commit such a heinous crime against your granddaughter. ''The lengths you were prepared to go to the efforts to keep Alpha Edward and her apart, to prevent them from ever coming together as true mates, frankly, they are shocking to us all''. murmurs of agreement traveled around the table.

''You cared nothing for the years of suffering that your grandchild your flesh and blood would suffer, and this tribunal believes that she did indeed suffer horrifically because of your actions. Even when she was reunited with you when you realized that your plan had failed...that you would have even murdered your great-grandchild in the womb.....".

She paused taking in the man before her, there were days when she indeed felt that she had lived too long, and seeing the man before her stone-faced and defiant to the end, today she felt was indeed one of those days. Her fingers stroked the manuscript before her on the table. The waxed stamps and signatures of the ten Elders, beneath the judgment even Sachiel, knew the way the wind was blowing and abandoned his master at the last.

"It fills me with no pleasure to pass this judgment Arion, only sorrow.'' her mouth felt suddenly prompting her to pick up the glass of water on the table in front of her. When she had set Bran and the task of gathering evidence against Arion all those years ago she had thought that the day of his downfall would never come so well had he hidden his tracks well. She took a long sip of the cool liquid before placing it back on the table.

'' This tribunal judges that you are found guilty of all charges brought before this Chamber and it is with heavy hearts that we sentence you to be stripped of your titles and privileges and that you be condemned to death, the sentence will be carried out publicly three days hence in the market square, guards please take the prisoner away.