Ander - Part 3: Subchapter 16
16
There was a fair bit of catcalling at first, and many Wolves claiming that Ander was only slandering Banno's memory, putting words in his mouth in an attempt to save his own skin. Ander couldn't even go a single minute without somebody yelling that there was no way to prove any of this.
But once he reached the part about Vallah, things quieted down considerably. Everyone past their teens remembered that tragic incident clearly, and hearing it again now, in such a context, not as an accident but murder...
Most Wolves found it too hard to believe, and simply dismissed it with a shake of the head. But there was a minority, a quiet minority with frowns on their faces, listening intently to each word, shushing anyone who spoke out of turn.
It was difficult, going through the same story twice in one night. Ander's throat was burning by the time he reached the end, and the dry heat emanating from the fires wasn't making things any easier. But finally, after what felt like ages, with hundreds of eyes watching him, he finally reached the part of his story that would ultimately decide whether he lived or died.
"I knew there was no way Banno could get out of the water with that biter weighing him down. I tried to pull him back up, but then... he..."
His little brother wasn't staring down at the ground anymore. He was looking Ander in the eye, both sad and confused at the same time. Banno was always his hero, his God. To hear these things must be unbelievably painful for him, whether he believed it or not, and it would only get worse from here.
"He bit down on my arm. I was trying to save him, but he would rather the both of us die. I still have the wounds to prove it!"
Ander strained against the ropes, making them groan. He knew full well that his scars didn't really prove anything, since Banno could have inflicted them at any time, but dammit it was the truth!
"Banno wasn't trying to climb out of the river! His only goal was to drown the both of us! I had no choice! Can't you see that!? Don't you understand!? I had no damn choice!"
Stony gazes on stony faces, a sea of frozen stares.
"Maybe Hezzi was right. Maybe I really did hate Banno. But I never wanted to kill him! You know me! All of you do! And you knew Banno! I'm telling the truth! You have to believe me!"
Here and there, dotted among the indifferent faces like stars shining through storm clouds, were Wolves with thoughtful expressions, weighing Ander's words against their own memories and experiences. But not enough. Not nearly enough.
"He's lying!" someone shouted, and that was all it took to ignite a flurry of angry comments, so rapid and forceful there was no way Nilia and Garten could maintain order all by themselves.
"Why would Banno try to kill you at the cost of his own life!? That's just stupid!"
"Yeah! If he really wanted to kill you, he'd let you pull him back up and _then_kill you!"
"Graargh! I can't stand this anymore! He killed Banno! End of story! There's no justification for that!"
"Eye for an eye, I say! Eye for an eye!" It soon turned into a chant taken up by almost every Wolf of the tribe.
"EYE FOR AN EYE!! EYE FOR AN EYE!! EYE FOR AN EYE!!"
"SILENCE!!" Father bellowed, but this time it had no effect. Now accompanied by the stomping of hundreds of feet and the beating of drums, Ander realized he might be listening to his own dirge. The pain in his arms intensified together with the volume of their cries and what little hope he had left slipped away. He did everything he could. He told them the truth, and they still refused to believe. What else could he possibly do?
It must be an illusion, but even the fire seemed to be dancing along to the rhythm, flaring up and spouting embers into the sky in tune with the drums and the endless chanting, making their shadows pulse to the beat.
"EYE FOR AN EYE!! EYE FOR AN EYE!! EYE FOR AN EYE!!"
Father was at a loss, shouting for them to stop with no success, his voice completely powerless in the face of a tribe united by bloodlust.
Mother had that faraway look again, staring off at nothing. As Ander watched, she closed her eyes and perked her ears, listening to the commotion all around her. She did that sometimes, usually with a smile or a scowl, but this time her face was completely blank. She's always been so direct about her thoughts and opinions, giving voice to them without hesitation or fear of reprisal, for she was Shekka, the Empty One, witchdoctor of the Wolves and the knower of the Cora.
So why did Ander get the distinct feeling that she was keeping her face blank on purpose? Why would she be hiding her feelings like that? There was only one reason he could think of.
She must be ashamed, but not of Banno. No, she would never be ashamed of Banno, not even if he had killed every Wolf alive. It was much more likely she was ashamed of him, Ander, for what he had done to her favourite son.
"EYE FOR AN EYE!! EYE FOR AN EYE!! EYE FOR AN EYE!!"
Hezzi covered his ears and shook his head in complete and utter rejection of what was going on around him, his eyes shut tight and his face contorted into a grimace of outright pain. It looked like his head was about to explode.
"Hezzi..." Ander wished he could have had a chance to talk to him, just one last time, away from all this. Just to explain himself, and maybe to ask for forgiveness. If there really was such a thing, Hezzi would be the only one capable of giving it. Just one last time... to tell him that he loved him...
"Hey, Sorrin! You can't just -"
A new Wolf suddenly broke to the forefront, wrestling free of a number of hands trying to hold him back, rudely shoving away anyone in his path with vicious swings of his burly arms. Several Wolves, including Garten, got knocked to the ground trying to calm him down, and all the chanting suddenly cut off mid-sentence.
Before Ander even knew what was happening or why, the newcomer was standing right in front of him, his hands balled into fists, shaking in anger.
Ander's first instinct was to defend himself from this sudden approach, but with his arms all tied up that was impossible. He recognised this Wolf as Sorrin, an old hunter and a bit of a recluse, but more than that...
He was Vallah's father.
Sorrin suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder, his big fingers grinding painfully against the muscle that connected to his neck.
"Tell me, Ander," he said, breathing heavily through his nostrils, hard enough for him to feel each blast against his face. "Is it true? The things Banno said about my daughter?"
Sorrin was always a quiet Wolf, even before Vallah went missing all those years ago, but now it was as if his soul had been set on fire. He was looking at Ander as if he hoped to incinerate him with his gaze alone, filled with a seething fury that rivalled that of Banno in his final hour.
Ander peeked over Sorrin's shoulder and saw a number of Wolves creeping closer, although it looked like none of them quite dared to make a move. Sorrin was only medium-sized, but he was brawny, and certainly not to be trifled with, especially when considering the old adage: Beware the wrath of a patient Wolf.
"It's true," Ander said, not knowing what would come next, not knowing if anyone would come put a stop to this, only knowing that he could only tell the truth, and that, as Vallah's father, Sorrin deserved to hear only the truth.
His fingers tightened even more, and suddenly Ander found himself being pulled closer, until his arms started bending backwards like wings, and his muscles screamed in protest. With the ropes groaning under the increased strain, Sorrin leaned forward until their faces were only inches apart.
"You should have killed him slower," he whispered.
Sorrin's words were so heavy, so intense, Ander couldn't even comprehend them at first, like how a Wolf with a severed limb might not even realize it until someone pointed it out to him, and even then could only stare at the spouting stump, blinking stupidly, at least until the pain broke through the shock.
That's how Ander felt right now, staring into Sorrin's swimming eyes, as if he was looking at something that shouldn't exist. This burly Wolf, one blink away from spilling a tear for his murdered daughter.
"You should have killed him slower!" he said again, loud enough for everyone to hear.
That's what did it. The tear finally broke free, just one, and slipped down his cheek. He released his grip and the ropes yanked Ander back into his original position, mirroring the Cora above him, the only difference being that he wore a look of incredulity instead of viciousness.
Sorrin turned around and slowly made his way back into the crowd, moving like a Wolf that has worked far too hard for far too long, with his shoulders slumped and his feet dragging along the ground.
No one said anything, or tried to get in his way. They just watched him squeeze by, some with sympathy, some with silent awe.
Eventually, he reached a she-wolf in the center, weeping hysterically with her hands over her eyes.
Ander couldn't see her face from here, but he knew it must be Mellah. Sorrin took her in his arms and pressed her head to his chest, and they both cried for their daughter, not caring about the uncomfortable stares they were getting from the other Wolves, not caring about their hushed whispers. They might as well be all alone.
In a way, they were.
Father cleared his throat loudly. Then, in a strong, clear voice he said, "Does anyone have anything else to add?"
Ander thought it slightly insensitive at first, simply 'getting on with business,' so indifferent to the sorrow just witnessed, but then he realized what Father was doing.
Right now, everyone was still focussed on Sorrin and Mellah, their crazed bloodlust forgotten. But there was no telling how long that might last.
"No one? Then I shall give my sentencing."
All heads turned back to the action at the Cora's feet, creating a ripple through the crowd. Some cried out against this sudden hastening of events, but they were a vocal minority. Indeed, this was the part most Wolves were looking forward to. This was the part they've been licking their lips for. They've been waiting for hours, and they didn't want to miss a single word.
"Ander, you stand accused of the murder of Banno. This is a crime you do not deny. You did_kill your brother, but there are other factors that need to be taken into consideration. Our laws state that murder must be met by murder, but the killing of another Wolf in order to defend your life, or the life of a Wolf you love, _is not murder."
"Hang on!" someone shouted. "That only counts if he can prove that Banno really was trying to kill him!"
"And can you prove that he was not, Darrick?" Father said. "Who are you to say who speaks the truth and who does not? The purpose of this trial is to bring all facts to light, so that the Chieftain can make the right decision. I have listened to both my sons, and I believe that both of them are telling the truth."
"But Chieftain! If you believe that, then you must also believe that... that Banno, he..."
Ander noticed the way his father was shaking, how he was balling his hands into fists so tightly that the shadows formed by his tendons were clearly visible, even against his dark fur. "No matter the outcome, one of my sons is a murderer. I would rather it be the one who is already dead, if you don't mind."
Darrick looked like he wanted to sink into the ground and disappear.
"Ander," Father continued, "I cannot forgive you for killing Banno, nor can I allow you back into this tribe. However, because your story holds true in my eyes, and you were only trying to defend the lives of yourself and the Fox you sacrificed so much for..."
Every Wolf in the entire tribe leaned forward. There were no breaths, no sounds at all. Just the wind and the crackling embers.
"... I will not have you executed."
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