Latham eyes grew wide and his face became a darker shade of red, "So you would accuse us of kidnapping and murder? How dare you?!"

Huan Li faced the angry Northman calmly, "I only accuse those of which I have proof. Your fellow clansmen carried back a man who murdered one of our own, and held four others against their will. Yrsa killed a man in open combat. It was fair, as your people will tell you. What are your intentions with us?"

Latham seemed to have calmed down a bit and spun on his heel to stalk back up the short set of stairs he had descended so rapidly only a moment ago. He sat down heavily on the throne and looked at the group in front of him, "You speak of our clansman, Paley. He has since recovered from the wounds that your people dealt him. He has requested his own rite of combat against you, to heal his wounded pride."

Keva stepped forward without hesitation, "I'll fight him."

"You'd like to, wouldn't you?" Latham answered with a smile. "Unfortunately, we have to wait for the council to speak on our own matters before the council will see to those of your petty grievances."

"Petty grievances?!" Keva almost yelled as she took a step up the stairs toward the throne. "I was kidnapped, locked up, starved, and the guy who did all this, also killed one of my friends, Erato!" Keva seethed as she was held back by two Berserkers who had come from either side of her to hold her as she struggled towards the throne.

"Huh?" Latham shrugged, "well, that does sound serious." He openly mocked Keva to his guards and those in the hall surrounding them. The sound of laughter rose, though not as loud as it had a moment before.

Keva felt hot rage fill her mind and her muscles flexed against those that held her in place.

"Oh, please," Latham scoffed. "Don't look at me like that. Even if I wanted to grant you the rite of combat that you obviously want, I can't. I told you before, I am not the chief, only the one sitting here. The rite can only be granted by the chief, and right now the council is discussing what shall happen to Yrsa and who shall be chief, or how the decision shall be made."

"So, we sit here, doing nothing," Soter replied darkly. "If that's so, then why the hell did you bring us here? To admire the building?"

"Ah, the wolf men can speak, that's interesting," Latham responded. "No, we brought you here to speak on behalf of Yrsa as her vitne, she requested your presence and we have granted her that right, to speak on her behalf." He nodded his head toward the far side of the hall at the massive entrance doors, "Bring her in!" He called out. The hall grew tense and there were mutterings throughout the building. Keva turned around to watch what was going on.

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The doors squealed open on metal hinges that scraped against themselves. Javier watched as Yrsa was brought into the hall. She wasn't wearing any shackles, or hand cuffs, but she may as well have been. She was surrounded by five people all armed. They had various rifles and carbines. He wasn't sure what he expected, but being here, it wouldn't have surprised him to see them carrying shields, swords, and spears.

They brought Yrsa forward down the middle of the Hall. Following behind her was seven older people. They wore headdresses of some sort. One wore what looked like antlers on his head, while one of the women wore some sort of head dress that wrapped around the back of her head, but left her face uncovered. Uncovered by cloth, but her make up was done so heavily all he could really see was the white of her face and the heavy stripe of black that ran across her eyes.

The group moved as one big unit forward into the hall. Yrsa's eyes met Javier's and Huan Li's for but a moment before she looked forward defiantly up at the throne, where Latham sat. She walked with a proud air, her shoulders were rolled back, her back was straight, and her head level, with her eyes focused ahead of her.

The group made their way to the base of the stairs and stood in front of the pack of Shape shifters. Yrsa was motioned to stop. She stood tall and proud, not taking her eyes away from Latham. The group of older people, who Javier could only assume was the council, moved around Yrsa and her escorts and took their places along the short stair case leading up the throne. They looked down on Yrsa and the pack of Shape shifters with absolute indifference. Javier took this as something of a good sign. If they were indifferent to her and them, they might get what these people considered a fair trial.

"Yrsa Magnusson, daughter of Sven, you stand before us, accused of murder. What say you?" It was the old woman with the black line over her eyes that spoke.

"A man is dead at my hands, but it wasn't murder," Yrsa replied evenly.

This caused a stir among the people who had gathered inside the hall. They were silenced with a raised hand by the man wearing the antlers on his head. "You've made this claim before us, now it is the will of the people that shall be heard."

"Kill the bitch!" a voice was heard in their own language. This was answered by a raucous affair of shouts and clambering and the pounding of items against the various tables. Yrsa said nothing, only accepting and listing to the insults that were hurled at her from all directions. Javier was more than impressed by her courage.

"ENOUGH!" Latham bellowed out through the hall. The man may be aged, but his voice carried with it all the command of one who was used to being obeyed. The hall took only a moment to silence itself completely.

"The will of the village has been heard," Latham stated. "What do your vitne say?"

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