“I can’t!” Iridia tossed her spear down, backpedalled and slumped on the wet grass to bury her head in her hands. “I can’t do it.”

“Thank you, young lady, thank you for your mercy!” Langry cried with a mixture of relief and anguish.

Kaleb stepped before Langry and flicked the spear into his hand with his foot. “Mercy?”

“Please, sir Paladin, we didn’t know-”

“You didn’t know you were robbing someone who could fight back, I know this tale. I suppose I should thank you for exposing our little companion here.” He gestured to the gagged and bound Flencer.

Morgan sat beside Iridia, stroking her back as she watched Kaleb deal out “justice.”

“Mr Paladin, look, we only rob so we can help feed poor people and that, Torina’s lot have been buying iron from the Elves, feckin’ traitor!”

Kaleb smirked, Torina’s house had been making considerable purchases from the Elves, not because it was cheaper, but because they made singing steel. How interesting he was sent there to settle a dispute, Torina’s iron must be running low and old muggings Kaleb was being used to sort it out perhaps? No, too simple. He snapped back to the Dwarf and nodded solemnly. “Fine–you say your goal is pure, then let us put that to the test.”

“Test?”

“Indeed, the divine heart will look upon you with great mercy and shatter this spear tip against your rib cage, if the heart doesn’t beat for you, then it will pass by as if wind through a valley.” Kaleb spun the spear playfully while he waited for his poetic sentencing to settle.

Langry looked at the hog-tied Flencer. “See what happens when you mix with these types?” He looked back at Kaleb and puffed out his chest, sucking in hope. “Fine, my cage is like a ship's bulwark, that cheap spear will crumble.”

“Helper boy, untie him.”

Morgan hurried over and released Langry from the tree, he fell to his knees in front of Kaleb and looked up at him with a bloodied and burnt face. “Go on then you, shit.” He spat on Kaleb's boot. “Let’s see what you got.” He jostled as Morgan tied his hands behind his back.

“Right you are, Dwarf.” Kaleb gently poked at Langry’s chest with the spear and looked back at Iridia, she was still but looking on. “If the divine heart sees you’re pure, you are safe, if you lied and in fact, you steal and rob for your own gain you will perish by my hand.” He nodded at Morgan. “See that this is recorded, boy.”

Langry chuckled and spat blood again, he watched Kaleb with a cold stare and pushed his chest out. He wasn’t sure what to believe, would the divine heart save him? Or is it that his bony breastplate is simply too thick for a Paladin to pierce?

Kaleb entered a strong stance and took the spear in both hands, aiming it at the Dwarfs chest and pulling back. He watched Langry for a moment before thrusting, the spear pierced his skin and collided with the naturally thick breastplate of Langry.

Langry coughed, sputtered and laughed. “See.” Blood dribbled from his bottom lip. “No chance…breakin’...through.”

Kaleb stepped back and leaned to one side to inspect the work, the spear had in fact gone right through and was keeping Langry upright by the fact the spear tip had pushed into the earth behind him.

“Fuck your divine heart…” Langry went limp.

Kaleb jostled the spear and pulled it free making a sickening crack and a sloppy slap of viscera eke out from his chest. He raised the spear and inspected the bloody tip, turning it slowly against the light of the fire, he watched the drizzle catch the crimson and stream down the beautiful carvings in the steel, like gory deltas toward a river of death. “This is a good spear, Torina doesn’t disappoint.” He tossed it to Iridia who just managed to catch it before it struck her face.

Flencer struggled in fear now as Kaleb approached and removed the gag. He rolled his jaw and groaned. “Let me explain, please.”

“Explain? They knew your name, they knew we were here.”

“No, they didn’t know you were here, they knew I was ‘ere, they’ve been lookin’ fer me, that’s why I din want to stop!”

Kaleb looked back at Morgan and Iridia. “Really? Then why were they so surprised to see you?”

“Because I was wiv a Paladin! They wanted what am takin’ to the Elves.”

Kaleb shook his head and growled. “Lies, lies lies!” He dragged Flencer to his feet and pushed him to the tree. “Boy, fetch the hanging rope, I want to leave him here as an example to other bandits.”

“I ain’t no bandit! Let me explain!”

Kaleb didn’t listen to Flencer’s pleas as he begged and kicked. With hands tied behind his back, a rope around his neck and only a small food crate below his feet between him and the mortal coil he hung to, he shook his head and asked once more; “Let me explain!”

“Let him explain!” Iridia had broken free of her trance and surprised Kaleb, he hadn’t expected a peep from her by now. “Flencer said he has an explanation, let’s hear it.”

Kaleb pursed his lips and then nodded to Iridia, seemingly pleased with her decision to action even if it wasn’t on the same terms. “Very well, Paladin Iridia.”

Iridia approached the shaking Flencer. “Calm down, tell the truth, please.” Iridia’s face was kind and had compassion he wasn’t used to from a Human, he could sense she was a good person and had a good heart, she was his only chance at getting out of this alive.

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“Y-yes my lady, I will tell you the truth.” She used a rag to mop the sweat from his brow and clean his eyes as he spoke. “I am a thief.” He nodded.

“See.” Kaleb held out his hand. “Admittance.”

“Not the kind you think, I didn’t steal money or goods, I stole a heart.”

Kaleb rolled his eyes and sat down, ready for more nonsense, he was concerned that Iridia would be taken in by this silver-tongued midget but decided he’d stay quiet if only to watch how she handled the investigation.

“Explain.” Iridia glanced back at Kaleb, She knew she had to scrutinise and do so without bias, a part of her wanted to impress as that was her duty as a Paladin.

“The bandits you just killed…” Flencer was interrupted by a moan from Greta, the female dwarf badly injured. Kaleb quietly ordered Morgan to drag her away to the back of the wagon to tend to her needs. Morgan did so but had already poked his head back around to listen to Flencer. Flencer coughed. “I was one of them, and we followed some Elves back to their lands, we went fer loot and stealin’, we pretended to be surgeons, one of the Elves was injured so we, you know, kept ‘em going along the journey.”

“Admitted liar too then,” Kaleb interjected. Iridia frowned but knew it didn’t look good.

Flencer nodded. “Yeah, I lied. I got let through and they asked me to clear ‘em out best I can, except I was captivated by an Elf lady, she danced for me, sang to me, she was happy I helped keep her brother alive.”

“Elf and a Dwarf, what a disaster.” Kaleb shook his head.

“Continue, please.” Iridia nodded.

“Well, days turned ta weeks, weeks ta months, I’d all but forgotten about why I was there. We fell in love ya see.”

Morgan had given up on Greta and perched next to Kaleb.

“Are you getting all this, boy?” He looked at him. “Dwarf loves Elf, Elf loves Dwarf, they danced,” Kaleb spoke in hushed tones, Morgan smirked a little but kept his eyes on Iridia. Kaleb’s mockery was light-hearted, but Flencer knew that mockery meant he didn’t believe him, and if he didn’t believe him, he would swing.

“Our union was confirmed, ‘cept I didn’t realise what it meant.”

“What did it mean?” Iridia probed.

“Well, when you bond wiv an Elf, you do so, as a tree.”

“What?”

“Ha!” Kaleb slapped his knee. “Can we just not hang him now, please?” Kaleb shook his head, normally he might stand and kick the box away and be done with it, but he was finding this tale amusing.

“I know about this,” said Morgan.

Flencer nodded at Morgan as Iridia and Kaleb looked at him.

Morgan continued. “The lady, she becomes a seed, and the man he eats the seed, from his feet grows roots and out of his body, the tree is born. The two are locked in eternal love, the forest of the Elves is alive in more ways than one.” He smiled.

“Yeh, yeh that’s it!” Flencer nodded.

“I suppose there are more ways than one to become part of a tree.” Kaleb winked at Flencer.

Flencer huffed. “Look, you can kill me if you want, I was a bandit, I know, that’s not why I worry so much. If I do not get to the Elves, I cannot ask for forgiveness from her, and if I don’t swallow the seed she will fade away, I have to give her the chance at least.”

“Where is the seed?” Asked Iridia.

“In me pocket, inner one.”

Iridia pushed her hand into his woollen overcoat and freed a red transparent stone. “This?”

“That’s it! Please only the grand botanists can commune with life seeds, I need to take it to the Elves.”

“What if she doesn’t forgive you?” Kaleb leaned forward, now mightly interested.

“I won’t be able to accept the seed, she will die alone in fear, they’ll flay me.”

“Why didn’t you swallow the seed?” Iridia cocked her head, the questions coming in thick and fast now.

“Because I am a, I was a coward.” Flencer’s head hung. “I didn’t fancy becoming a tree, and I didn’t understand it. The seed haunts me, she enters my dreams every night, looking for me, crying, asking why she is alone.” Tears formed at the corners of his eyes. “I need to get to her, The road is dangerous and this seed is valuable, those bandits would have my hands for it.”

“The bandits you probably told about us? To rob us?” Kaleb pressed the interrogation.

“Ha!” Flencer gurgled. “What would they steal from you? A few coins and a hat?” Morgan placed his hands on his head instinctively. “Use your noggin’, why would I attempt a robbery on the poorest Paladin in town?”

Kaleb rose slowly, but Flencer continued his defence.

“Think about it, I even put a bolt through one of ‘em, and delivered another to your feet!”

Kaleb looked at Iridia and back to Flencer, he did make some sense and he had also noticed how poorly the Dwarf slept, he rubbed his chin and thought a moment. “Well, Iridia, what is your decision? What do we do with him? Do you believe this story of Elves and seeds? Or is that just a pretty stone he picked up on the way here?”

Iridia froze a moment and Kaleb took the opportunity to add weight to the situation. “Remember, if he betrays us, you are responsible for that decision.”

“I-”

“You wanted to give him a trial, you wanted to judge him, now is your chance, but you must own this.”

Iridia looked at Flencer, She didn’t trust the Dwarf, he was clever with words and she had noted how charismatic he was. Had this all been a ruse? A sob story to escape, would she find her throat slit in the middle of the night? Morgan dead, the goods done away with, the wagon wheels sabotaged? It would be all her fault if so.

Flencer’s feet slipped on the box and it knocked over, Iridia caught it with her foot and looked at Morgan. “Morgan, record this.” She said with her most confident voice.

“Yes, My lady!”

“Where’s your paper?”

“It’s wet My lady, I’ll remember it and write it in the wagon.”

“Right.” She looked at the fearful Flencer. “I have made my decision.” Her foot rested on the box as she tilted her head. “Flencer, you were not honest with us from the start, you tried to hide the danger. You were a bandit”

“I–”

“Silence!” Iridia held up a finger. Kaleb was beaming with a smile as he watched his Neophyte work. “But, I noticed you looked for something this morning in a panic, that was not lies or elaborate nonsense.”

“Yes, that was the seed I was lookin’ fer.” He nodded.

“Morgan confirms your story about the Elves and their…seeds.” She nodded to Morgan. “I trust him.” Morgan smiled brightly.

“Does anyone have any more evidence for or against, Flencer?”

“I do,” Kaleb grunted. Iridia inwardly sighed, this is where Kaleb undermines her, this is where she is put in her place. “Last night, the Dwarf slept fitfully, this aligns with what he mentioned about the haunting of his dreams,”

Iridia noted with a little surprise. “Then it is settled. Innocent. You may remain with the party, we’ll help you get to the Elves.” Iridia took her spear up and sliced the rope, freeing Flencer.

“Iridia! That was a perfectly good rope, next time, just untie them!”

“Sorry.”