The party went on for only a few hours or so. While everyone was very happy to see their recently rescued relatives, those relatives were practically dead on their feet from their long ordeal. After no more than an hour or two, Nearly the entirety of the Maegar scavenging party had eaten, said hello to their friends and kin, and gone home to get some long-needed rest. Some, especially some of the teens, had tried to stay and party for longer. That just meant that they had passed out asleep wherever they were sitting, sometimes mid-conversation. After they were carried home by amused relatives, the party continued for only another hour or so before everyone dispersed. We would have a proper welcome home bash when the rescued were feeling up to it.
For my part, I was practically humming with energy after the good food, so I stayed awake with the rest of the humans until everyone dispersed. As the welcome party broke up, we began walking home. But before we got far, we ran into Goran who beckoned us toward him, saying:
“Come. The Elders wish to speak to you.”
He turned around and we followed him through the black and grey side streets of the Maegar city. We walked for a while, to the point that I began to feel a little nervous. Were the Elders planning on throwing us out? Even after our help? The Maegar people had seemed to be nothing but totally grateful, but sometimes leaders weren’t as generous or welcoming as their citizens. I didn’t let any of my misgivings show, though, and I whispered in Hope’s ear:
“Don’t worry, little lady. We’re going to be just fine. The Elders probably just want to make sure we’re nice people. After our little rescue mission, they should be able to know that.”
She turned around and looked up at me, blue eyes shining with enthusiasm and optimism:
“Yep! Goran can tell them that we’re all friends. I’m sure the Elders aren’t so different from him.”
My smile back at her was a little strained as we continued onward. Eventually, we came to one of the few buildings in all of Mahria that wasn’t either square or rectangular. Near the heart of the city, a short cylindrical structure stood at the corner of a major crossroads. While the building itself was rather small, it was generously lit by rings of those little orange lightbulbs on its exterior. When we came to the double pinewood doors, we saw some strange writing engraved into the stone above them. Goran, who had been walking ahead of us, stopped at the doors, pointed to the writing, and looked back at us:
“That isn’t script. It’s the traditional writing system of our people. It reads, “May all who dwell within these halls love justice, exercise prudence, and remember humility.” It’s something of a motto common to the governing and judicial bodies in the northern realms. Easy to say, hard to put into practice. Even we, remote as we are, still revere and respect those ideals.”
And with that, Goran turned around, opened the doors, and strode in with the rest of us in tow. The inside was mostly hollow, with a barren pathway forward and an open rectangular space in the center of the room. Some of the only filled space on the inside was taken up by a few lines of stone pews, completely empty, that we passed on our way in. The only other seating arrangements consisted of seven raised stone thrones, cut into a tall stone platform, on the other end of the hall. Six of these seven seats were filled by ancient looking Maegar examining us with sober and careful gazes. I was shocked to realize that I recognized one of these figures. One of the Elders was old man who had been conducting the evacuation back at the shelter, the one who I fought so hard to hang on to during the avalanche. He was looking down at us with a severity that seemed to mimic his colleagues, but when I caught his eye, he gave me a quick little wink before going back to a serious face. At least that was promising.
The final thing that caught my eye caused me to look up in awe. On the ceiling was an ornate carving of a strange looking lizard. It was very long, with four unusually small arms and nine jagged horns coming out of its head. The carving had the dragon in a circular formation, with its head moving towards its tail, and the dragon’s eye was an ochre light shimmered like a gemstone. I caught myself before I was gawking for too long and turned my attention back on the Elders. I needed to elbow Al before he did the same, but I let Hope continue to stare in wonder.
I saw that there were stairs which the Elders could use to ascend to their stone thrones, but I watched Goran eschew them. He left our side, walked up the vacant stone seat, and literally jumped up and into it. It was an effortless display of athleticism, one that earned him some irritated side eye from some of the crotchetier looking Elders, before they went back to considering us. The central throne was taken up by an old man even more wizened than the others. His figured was so shrunken and his face so covered in bushy white hair that it would have been hard to tell that he was a Maegar from a distance. This Elder was the first to speak, and he coughed out his words in a strained and weary voice:
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“Now that everyone is present, let us begin. Goran, you know more about what’s happening here than anyone. Why don’t you explain things?”
With that, Goran launched into a long explanation of who we were and how we got here. He gave them our whole backstory, from the flight from Brynn to the journey through the Mist. He explained how he found us at the outskirts of the mountain range and how he had decided to make the emergency decision to invite us to stay in Mahria for the season. He indicated why he had chosen to do that and referred to our recent heroics in the Battle of the Falling Skies, which was apparently what they were calling the rescue mission. He didn’t detail the role that Julia, Ann and I played in detail, since he wasn’t there, but he did talk up Al’s outstanding efforts to save his life. He concluded:
“The pivotal role these four warriors played in ensuring the safety of our citizens proves that I was wise to offer them succor. It would run contrary to both justice and prudence to turn them away now.”
And with that, Goran finally fell silent. Some of the other elders fidgeted noticeably in their seats after his speech, and the first to respond was an older lady sitting on the opposite end of the seats. Her voice squawked out a bit as she chastised the old warrior:
“While it was technically within your authority to make this type of decision, to do so when our people under such a threat shows a rather high degree of recklessness. You of all people should know better than to take these kinds of risks. What if they were in the thrall of the King of the Badlands? His ambitions grow by the day, and we have reason to believe he is seeking an alliance with the Harai.”
“Nonsense Gwenora!” Boomed out the old man who had winked at me before, his voice a powerful thing coming from such a small frame, “It is precisely in these kinds of times that these sorts of emergency risks ought to be taken! And this risk has been vindicated as clearly as can be. Hundreds of our tribesmen now live thanks to them, including myself. You have already heard my report of the battle, have you not?”
Now another man, sitting on the wizened head Elder’s right, slammed his fist into the arm of his chair. He was one of the few old men without bushy facial hair, instead preferring a shorter beard with trimmed angular eyebrows, similar to Goran. The man’s voice was as tough as his appearance, and he grated out:
“I have read your report, Margon. It showed me that these outsiders were reckless with the lives, safety, and property of our citizens, just as it was reckless to bring them into our home in the first place. Perhaps we owe them a debt, but we should pay that debt off and send these havoc raisers on their way. Keeping them here is dangerous.”
“That’s easy for you to say, you old fool!” Margon shot back, “Remember that I gave that plan approval as well. I did that because, while it was dangerous, it was the best way to ensure we got out of there alive. They took those risks with their own lives as well and worked for the betterment of our people. They deserve a handsome reward and the ability to stay.”
The old men continued to bicker like that for some time. Some of the others also chimed in for or against our cause. I was grateful that none of them seemed to be planning on just making us leave without giving us anything, so at least we wouldn’t be punished or unjustly discarded, but I was still disturbed at the prospect of being forced to leave and travel through the mountains while things were still inhospitable. The Elders seemed evenly split, with Margon and another person, a woman, taking our side against the strict looking man, the slightly shrill woman on the edge, and a short and fat looking old fellow who mostly just squinted at us the whole time. Goran himself was entirely silent after he finished his report, but it went without saying that he supported allowing us to stay. Eventually, he broke his silence and interrupted the argument, calling out:
“We are at a deadlock. We should allow the Chief Elder to break the tie. He has heard all sides of the discussion and knows the relevant facts.”
This earned some conciliatory harrumphs from the antagonistic Elders, but none objected. Silently, they watched the tiny, ancient figure in the central chair, but he only had eyes for us. He studied us with aged eyes, and I noticed that his irises were unusually condensed and central, to the point that he seemed to have no pupils at all. Tiny red beams of light, set on a Stygian background, bored holes into us as the silence stretched onward. We sat there with bated breath; ears perked up for when he finally delivered his verdict. Finally, his hoarse and labored voice echoed throughout the chamber:
“Even though you have proven yourselves our friends without question, I will not cast aside my fellow Elders concerns about your judgement. Though your actions were heroic, you are young, powerful, and inexperienced. A dangerous combination.”
Then, his mouth stretched open in a grandfatherly smile:
“Which is why I will assign you a chaperone. On all missions beyond these walls, you will be accompanied and watched over by Goran. I have little doubt that you can help him with his work, as well as learn from his many years of experience and skill. He will be ultimately responsible for any problems you may cause. Is this acceptable, Goran?”
When the warriors nodded, the head Elder continued:
“Excellent. With Goran responsible for you, there shouldn’t be problems with letting you stay for a season or two.”
With that, all of us let out the air that we had been holding in. Our temporary home was now secure. The relief we shared was infectious and I felt almost all the muscles in my body relaxing. I was suddenly very sleepy. I fought back a yawn, fearful of insulting the Elders.
“As for your reward, I will also leave that in the hands of Goran and Hagor. Any expense they incur will be reimbursed by the city. Don’t listen to any whining from our Treasurer. I want this to be a good reward. Understood, Goran? They used Lurva berries to save both your life and Margon’s, so factor that expense into their reward. No being stingy with our young guests.”
When the old warrior nodded in response, the wizened head Elder banged his walking stick on his throne.
“Very good. Meeting adjourned.”