More than a sword

Everyone fell silent in astonishment. Even the queen looked stunned. Caelumir regarded him thoughtfully; Selwen blinked in disbelief; Fayla sat up, looking confused, and Eldrin…

Eldrin was simply enjoying himself as though he were listening to the most captivating storyteller in the world.

“What?”

It was all Leyade could manage. Her angry expression fell away, shattering like a porcelain mask. Beneath it was the familiar face of the Leyade she had always been.

There was hope in it now.

The queen watched him for a few moments before speaking.

“Silas, could you give us more details?”

She placed both hands on the lectern and leaned forwards, letting her soft hair spill over her shoulders and the throne.

The half-elf stepped forwards and placed one hand over his heart. The purple dragon mirrored the gesture from his shoulder.

Together, they declared:

“I swear to answer under the Circle of Truth.”

Their voices were quiet and solemn. All trace of their earlier cheek had vanished.

As they spoke the oath, the queen raised a hand and made the circle shine, just as she had done for Leyade a few hours earlier.

“May the light shine upon you,” the queen said. “Very well, Silas. You may explain.”

The young man nodded.

“First of all, Your Majesty, Kiany, the spirit of small animals, wishes to apologise for being unable to appear before this Council in person.”

Elindra bowed in unison with Silas.

“Kiany contacted me and asked me to act as her intermediary and representative before you concerning the accusation of theft brought against Leyade Tíanladastra.”

“Then, Silas, do you agree to appear before this Council as the official representative of Kiany, the spirit of small animals, and to assume, in her name, the rights, obligations and consequences that such representation entails?”

The queen formally set out the terms of his decision.

“I, Silas Linarion, agree to act as the official representative of Kiany, the spirit of small animals, and to assume the rights, obligations and consequences that such representation entails,” the young half-elf declared firmly.

From one of the pockets of his satchel, he took a small wooden box and opened it to reveal a sparrow’s feather.

Leyade’s eyes widened. She had one just like it.

The young man handed it to Elindra, who flew over to present it to the queen.

“I present this as proof of his commission,” the dragon said, extending her forelegs and bowing her head respectfully.

The queen accepted the feather with great care. She whispered words Leyade could not hear, and a soft light traced its outline. After studying it for a few moments, she laid it on the lectern before her.

“I see. Very well. It is authentic. Your authority to act on Kiany’s behalf is recognised,” Queen Elira confirmed solemnly, giving Elindra permission to return to Silas.

Leyade could not help lamenting what she had just seen.

“I had one just like that…” she muttered to herself, perhaps more loudly than she had intended. “If only I had my backpack here…”

Silas watched her with amusement for a few moments before speaking.

“If it’s any consolation, yours probably wouldn’t have worked. It wouldn’t have given the same magical reading,” he replied with a mixture of gentleness and sarcasm.

Leyade glared at him, then felt her cheeks grow warm.

‘What is it about this forest? Why does everyone I meet seem to know more than I do?’

The queen settled back against her throne before continuing.

“Very well, Silas Linarion, representative of Kiany. Given these exceptional circumstances, we shall follow a slightly different procedure. In this case, we shall begin by asking you to explain why we should hear your testimony.”

She narrowed her eyes and brought her hands together on the lectern.

“That is a very good question, Your Majesty.”

Silas clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace slowly.

“The reason I believe you should hear my testimony is simple: if you refuse to let me speak, you will be punishing this young woman unjustly.”

“Why do you believe that?” the queen asked serenely.

“Because I can assure you that she is innocent,” Silas replied with conviction.

“If you are so certain, then proceed. Present your testimony before this Council.”

The queen extended a hand, inviting him to speak.

Silas nodded, took his place before the councillors and began.

“Esteemed councillors, this trial concerns Miss Tíanladastra’s possession of a magical weapon. The question is whether or not it was truly given to her by the spirit Kiany.”

He looked at each councillor in turn.

“Several lunar cycles ago, Kiany suffered an accident. During a storm, a hunter mistook her for another bird and nearly struck her with a shot. In evading it, she collided with a tree and fell through the branches into a puddle formed by the rain. She was left bruised, with a broken wing, and unable to move.”

The young half-elf explained the events clearly and precisely, taking care to ensure that everything he said was both understandable and relevant to the trial.

“The poor creature remained there, partly submerged, for hours, until Miss Leyade took pity on her and saved her.”

He paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle.

“For that reason, when Kiany learnt of Leyade’s plight, she was moved and, in accordance with the Code of the Spirits, chose to repay her in kind…”

The half-elf fell silent for a few moments, looking directly at the queen.

“By saving lives.”

Silence spread across the clearing. The silver and gold lines of the Circle of Truth flared, filling the twilight with brilliant metallic flashes. The glow lingered for a few moments before fading.

The queen nodded slowly, holding the young man’s gaze.

Leyade watched him with a slight frown, wondering who he was, how he knew everything that had happened and, more than that, why he had come to defend her.

Who he was and what he wanted were mysteries she had no intention of trying to solve until she was free.

“Very well, Silas. Thank you for your testimony.”

Queen Elira looked towards her councillors and extended a hand.

“One part of the procedure will remain unchanged: the councillors’ questions. Please ask whatever you consider relevant.”

“I shall begin,” Councillor Selwen said, rising from her seat.

Unlike when Leyade had been questioned, there was no uncertainty about who would go first. On the contrary, Selwen seemed to have been waiting for the opportunity for some time.

The abruptness with which she stood made Leyade start. She looked at the councillor anxiously, beginning to wonder whether the half-elf’s help would improve her situation after all.

“A very fine speech… A touching story, certainly.”

Selwen regarded him over her glasses for a few moments.

“But there is one matter that still concerns me, Silas. What do you gain from all this?”

Silas smiled as though he had expected the question.

“What do you mean, Councillor?” he asked, making no real effort to conceal his pretence of confusion. “Could you be more specific?”

“Of course.”

Selwen smiled.

“I understand that you, Mr Linarion, have a very close relationship with the spirits. But why would someone like you, who is constantly travelling, interrupt his journey to intervene in the trial of an ordinary young elf, with nothing to gain in return?”

Her courteous smile did little to conceal the suspicion in her eyes.

Then she turned to Leyade.

“No offence.”

Leyade briefly raised an eyebrow at that passing “no offence”, but eventually shook her head. She understood what Selwen meant. It had stung a little, yes, but under the circumstances, what did that matter any more?

“If a spirit asks for my assistance, I will give it. Besides, in this case, when Kiany explained what had happened and told me Leyade’s story…”

He paused.

“I was moved. You might say I felt sorry for her and wanted to help.”

The half-elf smiled at the councillor.

Selwen narrowed her eyes again, unconvinced.

“That is very kind of you, Silas,” she remarked with obvious irony. “And here I was thinking your interest lay in the dark spirits…”

She sighed and shook her head slightly, as though regretting her mistaken judgement of his intentions.

“The dark spirits… Of course. Kiany did mention them.”

The half-elf nodded thoughtfully.

“Yes, that is an important matter too. However, we are discussing the alleged theft, not the dark spirits. Are we not?”

Smiling, the young man turned towards the queen and Leyade with an innocent expression.

Leyade watched them as she had watched the elders of her village on the few occasions she had witnessed neighbours arguing over grain: with no idea what she could say without putting her foot in it.

The queen rested one hand against her cheek, observing them thoughtfully until she finally intervened.

“That is true.”

Queen Elira looked at Councillor Selwen.

“Does his answer have any bearing on the ruling concerning the theft?”

“No, Your Majesty. However, this matter is…”

Selwen tried to explain her reasons, but the queen interrupted.

“In that case, Selwen, your turn is over. You may discuss it with Silas later.”

The queen turned to the others.

“Who would like to ask the next question?”

The councillor looked as though she wanted to object, but ultimately said nothing. She nodded and sat down.

Caelumir was next to speak. He raised a hand to request permission before getting to his feet.

“With your permission, Your Majesty, I shall go next.”

“Of course, Caelumir. Proceed,” the queen replied with a gentle, graceful gesture.

“May the light shine upon you,” he greeted Silas with his customary calm courtesy.

“And upon you, Councillor Caelumir.”

“My question is different from Councillor Selwen’s,” he began. “I would like you to explain something. If Kiany, the spirit of small animals, can transform into a sparrow, unless I am mistaken, why did she not change her form to escape?”

The young man listened closely while Elindra turned to study Leyade with curiosity.

“I understand your concern, Councillor.”

Silas began to pace again as he answered.

“Normally, spirits capable of changing their form can do so at will. However, there is one condition: they must be in full possession of both their physical and magical faculties. Kiany was not. She had used some of her power to escape the hunter, and with a broken wing as well, she was unable to transform. Once she was with Leyade, she chose not to reveal herself until she knew what kind of heart Leyade had.”

“I see.”

Caelumir nodded thoughtfully.

“I understand. That makes things much clearer. Thank you, Silas.”

The half-elf shook his head.

As soon as Caelumir had sat down, Eldrin’s eyes lit up. The councillor had been enjoying the spectacle from the beginning and seemed particularly delighted at the chance to take part.

“May the light shine upon you, Silas,” Eldrin greeted him as he rose.

“And upon you,” the half-elf replied, extending an arm to help Elindra settle more comfortably on his shoulder.

“Very well. First of all, forgive us, Leyade, for leaving you standing there without any idea what is happening or who this young man is, and without so much as a root to sit on.”

Eldrin’s apology sounded sincere.

“We really ought to provide something for occasions like this…” he added to himself.

“It’s all right. Please don’t worry about me. Go ahead with your question.”

The elf shook her head and sighed. She could not work out what to make of him.

“Well, you’re right, Leyade. On to the question.”

Eldrin rested his hands on the lectern.

“I’ll be direct with you, Silas. Can you confirm that the sword in Leyade’s possession is the one Kiany gave her, and that it was given freely, without extortion or any other questionable means?”

The councillor delivered the question without the slightest hesitation.

“Remember that you are under oath. Your words will stand as Kiany’s own and carry the same consequences as though she had spoken them herself,” he added before Silas could reply.

“I am aware of that, Councillor,” the half-elf confirmed. “And the answer is yes. That is correct. The sword was given freely to Miss Tíanladastra.”

At such an unequivocal confirmation, the young elf could not help smiling with satisfaction and nodding vigorously.

Councillor Eldrin looked Silas in the eye for a moment, his expression utterly serious. Then he burst out laughing and turned to Leyade.

“Well, it seems I was wrong about everything.”

Leyade stared at him, open-mouthed. In that moment, she realised that if she had ever thought she understood even the smallest part of him, she had been completely mistaken.

She tried to speak, but not a word came out. All she could do was roll her eyes and let out a long sigh.

“That will be all from me,” Eldrin concluded before sitting down, watching the proceedings with the same amused expression as before.

Every gaze turned to Fayla, who looked as though she had uncovered a secret she could not begin to understand.

She stared at Silas for several seconds without speaking, caught between astonishment and disbelief, as though trying to decide whether he was serious or had completely lost his mind.

Eldrin touched her shoulder to get her attention. The first attempt had no effect, but at the second, Fayla blinked and simply said:

“I swear, none of this makes sense to me any more.”

Eldrin looked at her in puzzlement.

“What is it, Fayla?”

“This is madness.”

Fayla seemed to be slowly coming back to herself.

“Are you seriously telling me she gave it to her willingly?”

Silas nodded, watching Fayla’s reaction closely. Elindra pressed herself against the half-elf’s neck, observing the scene as though waiting for something to happen. Eldrin tilted his head, and Leyade…

Leyade no longer knew what to expect.

“It can’t be,” Fayla repeated. “She can’t have given it to her just like that.”

Fayla was like a kettle on the fire, beginning to whistle.

Silas took a few steps backwards, apparently counting down discreetly on his fingers. He glanced at Leyade and gestured for her to move aside. Seeing the dragon retreat behind his neck, she obeyed.

An expression of “oh, no” began to dawn on Eldrin’s face.

And at that very moment…

“HOW COULD SHE GIVE A BLOODY RAMAL TO THE FIRST ELF SHE HAPPENED TO MEET, JUST LIKE THAT?!”

The kettle that was Fayla finally boiled over.

Silas finished his countdown. Elindra peered out fearfully, Eldrin had snatched his hand away, looking just as startled as the dragon, and the rest of the Council stared at Fayla in bewilderment.

Still shouting, she sprang to her feet and pointed at Leyade while glaring at Silas.

“Do you know what that spirit has given her?!”