Principle and Provocation

Like thin ice over black water, the unsettling silence inside Stonegate Keep remained fragile. The everyday conflict between humans and goblins persisted while Kaelan awaited word from the scouts dispatched to the Shadow Peaks, with a low-level static of mistrust periodically erupting into conflict. The following crisis was sparked by one of these sparks, which was fueled by lingering animosity.

In the lower bailey, close to the practice yards, trouble broke out. One of Grakka's younger, more impetuous fighters, Zog, who had more muscle than common judgment, got caught up in a fight with three human soldiers over space or possibly an insult. Brutal comments about goblin stink were met with guttural warnings about human fragility as voices were raised and insults were exchanged. The shoving quickly turned into blows. Zog put up a valiant fight, but he was outnumbered. Accounts of who drew first varied greatly, but by the time the watch arrived, Zog was standing panting over a wounded soldier who was tending to a bleeding arm. He was also wearing scrapes and bruises and was being held back by two powerful guards.

Kaelan received the news quickly. When Captain Vorlag reached his quarters, his expression was serious. "Sir Kaelan, it's horrible. Corporal Mathis was injured when little Zog attacked three soldiers. In particular, military law requires hanging for drawing steel on a fellow soldier inside the keep walls, thus the men are seeking justice. There was a pause before Vorlag said, "...especially given the... circumstances." He didn't have to explain. The garrison saw it as evidence of the goblins' innate violence—an attack on a human. To appease his own men, Kaelan was under increasing pressure to set a quick, harsh example.

Without any pretense of decorum, Grakka rushed into the sitting room before Kaelan had had time to digest Vorlag's report. Just behind her, Borg stood like a thundercloud. "They hold Zog," she said, her fingers white-knuckled on the hilt of her cleaver, her voice low and menacing. "Your men say they were assaulted. They tell lies. Zog stands up for himself.

"Three men against one?" In response, Kaelan raised a hand to deter future attacks. "With one human injured?"

"If provocation is severe, numbers mean nothing," Grakka retorted. or if they had it planned. According to Zog, they cornered him and made fun of me. Regarding the deal. spat on him. Her eyes blinked. "Such an offense is punishable by goblin law with blood. He was restrained.

Kaelan firmly said, "This is not goblin territory, Grakka," as he met her enraged eyes. He is under the King's law and in a human keep. It is impossible to overlook drawing steel on my soldiers. Even so, her prodding and comments about the treaty struck a chord with the horror he had seen during the muster. And her strong, steadfast protection of her warrior... It resonated with him, an act of unadulterated loyalty that was both startling and alluring.

"Then your King's law is weak if it protects cowards who provoke and then cry foul," Grakka yelled. "Give him up. Or I will. The danger was obvious and grave.

Kaelan felt torn between his goblin wife's rebellion threats and the rage of his own garrison, which demanded punishment. In order to appease Vorlag, Zog may have been executed unfairly, the peace deal would have been broken, and violence might have started right here. He risked weakening his own authority and infuriating his men by caving in to Grakka. He said, "I will investigate the circumstances myself," in a tone that made it impossible for Vorlag or Grakka to argue. "Judgment will wait until I have the facts." He turned to walk out towards the guardhouse where Zog was being detained, ignoring Grakka's suspicious stare and Vorlag's stuttering protest.

He conducted a quick and astute investigation. Defiant but morose, Zog kept to his account of being humiliated and cornered. He acknowledged that he lost his anger, but he said that the soldiers pulled out swords first when he pushed back. The wounded soldier, Corporal Mathis, stated that Zog's attack was unprovoked. His two friends told almost the same stories, maybe too similar. Kaelan spoke with a few other witnesses, including a tired blacksmith and a worried stablehand, whose testimonies were vague but suggested that the human soldiers had been luring the goblin in before the battle started. In the ensuing confusion, no one could be certain who had drawn steel first. Zog's actions were not clearly justified by human law due to provocation, but they were also not the straightforward, unprovoked attack that the troops alleged.

In the little council chamber of the keep, Kaelan called a meeting. Among them were Captain Vorlag, a number of senior officers, and Grakka and Borg at Kaelan's request. Anger was pervasive in the air. In order to preserve discipline, Vorlag outlined the case: attack on a king's soldier inside a royal keep is a capital offense that requires the death penalty. The other cops muttered their agreement.

Then Kaelan said something. A solemn "Corporal Mathis was injured," he admitted. "And discipline is crucial. Nevertheless, there are differing reports of the incident. There is proof that Sergeant Marius and his friends violated the letter, if not the spirit, of the King's peace by starting the altercation with extreme provocation.

"Provocation is no excuse for drawing steel, sir!" Vorlag got into an argument. "The law is clear!"

"The truth is also valued by the law," Kaelan shot back, his voice becoming more stern. And upholding the King's peace treaty and preserving order are the goals of the law here. The opposite would occur if Warrior Zog were put to death on the basis of dubious testimony, particularly when provocation appears imminent. Chief Grok'nar would view it as unfair, which might destroy the alliance and send us back into the conflict we are trying to avoid. Captain, is that discipline? Or is it foolishness?

His officers stared at him with hostility. "Zog refuses to hang. Due to his lack of self-control, he will be placed in confinement for a while before being returned to Lady Grakka's jurisdiction for tribal discipline. In addition," Kaelan continued, his eyes piercing, "Corporal Mathis and his associates will be investigated for their conduct and any violation of the King's peace by willful provocation."

The room fell silent in shock and rage. Vorlag had an apoplectic appearance. The other officers gaped in astonishment. Just now, Kaelan had protected a goblin against his own warriors, arguing that the treaty's larger goals and fairness outweighed immediate vengeance and garrison morale.

Grakka had remained still during the conversation, exuding barely controlled rage, probably anticipating that Kaelan would yield to his men's pressure and force her hand. Now she watched him, truly observed him, as he resisted the torrent of military convention and human prejudice. He wasn't saying Zog wasn't guilty; rather, he was advocating for a procedure, proportionality that took into account the complexity, and a concept that went beyond straightforward retribution. He was provoking his own kind's resentment and jeopardizing his reputation in order to uphold—what? Fairness? The brittle tranquility? A peculiar code of honor of his own?

She could feel the weight of their collective rage at Kaelan as she saw the disdain written on the features of those facing him. And her perspective changed forever in that instant. The'softness' she had always detested in people was not this. The unshakeable resolve to stand alone against one's own tribe for a philosophy, even if it is unpopular, that benefits a "enemy" was a different sort of strength. The notion itself (human 'justice') was complicated, but she recognized the kind of harsh, unyielding fundamental core. His honor had a spine of steel, not merely courtesies.

Grakka found herself viewing Kaelan as more than just a political pawn or a skilled but predictable opponent when he ended the discussion and dismissed the shocked officers and guards. Something surprisingly interesting. Something hot and weird ignited a flash of unwelcome appreciation inside her. She had not expected the might of this human knight, with his inconvenient convictions and calm determination. And for the first time, she was genuinely drawn to that strength rather than his fragility.