feat: added a new chapter

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D. Moonfire 2020-01-10 23:09:25 -06:00
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---
title: The Final Bill
title: Dessert
availability: private
access: private
---
> In rural civilization, justice is a more fluid concept that frequently becomes personal. --- *An Exhaustive Review of Justice Systems in the Known World*
Karin groaned and leaned against the rough stone bricks of the jail cell. The cold seeped into the bruises along the side of her face, giving her some relief from the morning's beating. As the stone warmed up, she rolled to a cooler section until the throbbing subsided.
One of Tristoh's men helped Karin through the bakery's front door with a shove.
With a sigh of relief, she sat back into her seat. Other parts of her hurt but it was nothing compared to being kicked in the chest by that howling horse with claws or when the leeches were burrowing in her gut.
With her wrists manacled behind her back, she couldn't stop her face from smacking on the wall inside. With a groan, she collapsed to her knees.
The men Tristoh had bribed to beat her weren't seriously injuring her. That meant that he probably dropped crowns to ensure the judge would convict her with something serious. She suspected she would be looking at a murder or a treason charge. Fortunately, San Graif wasn't large enough for dedicated justice so she had a few more days of beatings.
He kicked her ribs. "Get inside, cow!"
She thought about Lilian's voice and the memories that washed over her every time she sang a song. Leaning back against the wall, she smiled to herself. Her lips worked silently as she sang one of the song that Lilian had taught her to love and just let the pain ease away.
Karin pretended to scream in agony; she had been fighting monstrous creatures for a year, a kick was nothing. Not responding would just set off the bastard's pride and then he would put more effort into hurting her seriously.
Even with her fears, Karin didn't regret a single moment. She didn't find a lover but she saved a songbird. She rubbed her split lip and just leaned back to enjoy the glow.
"Get her up," Tristoh said coldly.
The door to the cells rattled loudly. She heard keys jingling on the other side.
She smiled to herself. Just like his laughter, she had heard the icy tone before. The last time, he had slipped out of town in the cover of darkness. If she was lucky, he would be considering the same thing.
Curious, she sat up.
Warriors yanked her into a kneeling position.
The door swung open and a guard came in. It was one of the ones that Tristoh had hired to beat her. She started to steel herself for another round of abuse but then she noticed he was covered in blood with thick bandages over one eye and a makeshift sling holding his arm. "She's in here, Mother," the guard said sullenly.
Karin blew a strand of her hair from her face as she looked up at Tristoh. He with his back to the bar next to the empty jar that used to have requests for Lilian. He looked annoyed, like she had stolen his toy.
Sindil followed after him, her knitting bag hoisted over her shoulder and a pair of needles in her hand. The yarn was stained and torn. The knife hung out of a scorched opening. She shuffled forward as she peered around until she spotted Karin and then came over.
There were others around her. She guessed it was the town elders, the ones who had opinions of monster hunters like herself. Among them were two uniformed men with the symbol of the city on their chests; probably the city guards.
Behind both of them, Roal came in with a grin on his face and his hands in his pockets. He had blood splattered across his chest and an equally gore-covered ax tucked underneath his arm. Both were dripping.
She looked around but didn't see anyone wearing justice robes. That meant this wasn't a trial, at least not yet.
Karin stood up, wincing a little from the discomfort.
Tristoh cleared his throat. "Where is she?"
Sindil peered at Karin for a moment. Then she turned to the guard. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let her out now."
She blinked at him, giving him her best innocent look. "Who?"
The guard looked nervously at Karin as he unlocked the door.
His face darkened. "You know what I want!"
Karin stared directly at him. She didn't think telling Sindil that he had been beating Karin for days would help anyone at the moment. Maybe later.
Karin smiled grimly. "Then what's her name, Tristoh?"
Roal came up to pull it open and handed Karin her sword. "Tristoh left the city a surprise gift when he stormed away. A herd of bulls with thick armored plates and able to set fires with their feet. I need my sharpener. You up to it?"
Jon stepped forward. "Where is my daughter, Lilian?"
Karin took a deep breath and took the weapon. Her thoughts slid away from Lilian with a rush as she started preparing for a fight. Energy danced along the blade as she sharpened it with a thought.
She ignored him and kept speaking to Tristoh. "What was your scheme? When were you planning on taking her to Tarsan?"
He gestured toward the door before heading toward it. "Come on, Rat Hunter. We have people to save."
Jon sputtered but Tristoh silence him with a gesture.
Karin gave the guard a long hard look before she followed after.
Tristoh's eyes narrowed. He looked around as his scowl deepened. "I had no plans of returning to that place."
The old woman caught her arm to walk with her. She was spry for her age but Karin suspected that she had fought off one of the creatures with knitting needles.
When she heard his tone, her smile widened. There was no longer a doubt that he would be gone by morning. She could see it in his eyes. "What about the rest of your business in the area? Any investments you plan on abandoning?"
Karin smiled at the image and rested her palm over the old woman's. "Thank you."
A muscle in his neck tightened.
"I'm sorry it took so long to get you free. Jon was being stubborn and the sheriff is still pissed at me for refusing to serve his wife when she was the tax collector. A lot of bad blood for this old lady. At least her granddaughter is safe."
Karin gave him a hard look. "The last time you left, I lost three good men when those damn leeches got loose into the forest."
"She was worth it."
Tristoh's lips tightened. She watched him forming a fist.
"She is," said the old woman. "Though, things were better when I was running the bakery. Twenty years ago, we didn't have my granddaughter's lovely voice but peach pies was always on the menu."
"Before then, it was in Risol. Do your remember that village?"
Karin made it two steps before the words registered. She inhaled sharply and looked over.
"Shut up," snapped Tristoh.
The old woman grinned and squeezed Karin's arm. "Maybe after you save our city, I could make you one? The recipe is on the old side, but I'd bet you'd like a slice."
Karin shook her head. "You leave nothing but death and broken lives behind you. Lilian was just---"
Karin stared in shock.
Tristoh punched her.
The old woman hefted her bloody knitting needles, gave a wink, and headed after Roal.
Karin looked back and smiled. "Tonight?"
Another punch.
"Lord Tristoh!" said Jon as he grabbed Tristoh's hand. "Stop that!"
Tristoh shoved him aside with a snarl. Squatting down, he grabbed Karin's throat and pulled her close, jamming his face near hers. His breath smelled of beer and cheese. "Listen, you diseased old goat. I'm going to find the most corrupt judge I can bribe and make sure you have a very short, painful life before you are executed for treason."
Karin had no doubt that he had the money and the anger to do that. It scared her, but there was nothing she could do to avoid it. She turned and smiled at him. "At least she got away, you miserable horse's ass."
She was still smiling when Tristoh and his men beat her into unconsciousness.

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---
title: The Final Bill
availability: private
access: private
---
> Never underestimate how quickly forgiveness can be given when the only man who can save you is behind bars. --- Sergan Mesar-Lavistol, *Three Drops of Blood at Evening*
Karin groaned and leaned against the rough stone bricks of the jail cell. The cold seeped into the bruises along the side of her face, giving her some relief from the morning's beating. As the stone warmed up, she rolled to a cooler section until the throbbing subsided.
With a sigh of relief, she sat back into her seat. It felt like every part of her hurt, but it was nothing compared to being kicked in the chest by that howling horse with claws or when the leeches were burrowed in her gut.
The men Tristoh had bribed to beat her weren't seriously injuring her. That meant that he still had plans for her. Fortunately, San Graif wasn't large enough for dedicated justice so she had a few more days until her fate arrived.
She thought about Lilian's voice and the memories that washed over her every time she sang a song. Leaning back against the wall, she smiled to herself. Her lips worked silently as she sang one of the song that Lilian had taught her to love and just let the pain ease away.
Even with her fears, Karin didn't regret a single moment. She didn't find a lover but she saved a songbird. She rubbed her split lip and just leaned back to enjoy the glow.
The door to the cells rattled loudly. She heard keys jingling on the other side.
Curious, she sat up.
The door swung open and a guard came in. It was one of Tristoh's hirelings. She started to steel herself for another round of abuse but then she noticed he was covered in blood with thick bandages over one eye and a makeshift sling holding his arm. "She's in here, Mother," the guard said sullenly.
Sindil followed after him, her knitting bag hoisted over her shoulder and a pair of needles in her hand. The yarn was stained and torn. The knife hilt hung out of a scorched opening. She shuffled forward as she peered around until she spotted Karin and then hurried over.
Behind both of them, Roal came in with a grin on his face and his hands in his pockets. He had blood splattered across his chest and an equally gore-covered ax tucked underneath his arm.
Karin stood up, wincing a little from the discomfort.
Sindil peered at Karin for a moment. Then she turned to the guard. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let her out now."
The guard looked nervously at Karin as he unlocked the gate.
Karin stared directly at him. She didn't think telling Sindil that he had been beating Karin for days would help anyone at the moment. Maybe later.
Roal shoved the guard aside and pulled the gate open. "Tristoh left the city a surprise gift when he stormed away. A herd of bulls with thick armored plates and able to set fires with their feet. I need my sharpener. You up to it, Old Lady?"
Karin's thoughts slid away from Lilian with a rush as she steeled herself for a fight. "Of course, Old Man."
He gestured toward the door before heading toward it. "Come on, Rat Hunter. You need a weapon and we have people to save."
Karin gave the guard a long hard look before she followed after.
The old woman caught her arm to walk with her. She was spry for her age but Karin suspected that she had fought off one of the creatures with knitting needles.
Karin smiled at the image and rested her palm over the old woman's. "Thank you. Mind if I have that dagger now?"
Sindil looked her over and grinned. "You look like you prefer a sword, right?"
"Yes? Short sword with a narrow hilt."
The old woman dug into her scorched knitting bag. She pulled out a coil of yarn and a pair of needles. "Hold on," she said as she handed the yarn to Karin.
Amused and confused, Karin took it.
Sindil reached into the bag, leaning into it as she delved deeper than the bag looked like it could handle. "Ah, there it is!"
She pulled out a short sword from her bag. As Karin stared in shock, Sindil deftly swapped the yarn for the weapon. "It's a bit dull, but I suspect you can do something about that."
Karin smiled. Energy danced along the blade as she sharpened it with a thought.
Sindil looked at her for a long moment and then sighed. "I'm sorry it took so long to get you free. Jon was being stubborn and the sheriff is still pissed at me for refusing to serve his wife when she was the worst tax collector we ever had. A lot of bad blood for this old lady. At least her granddaughter is safe. I got a letter yesterday."
Karin smiled. "She was worth it."
"She is," said the old woman. "Though, things were better when I was running the bakery. Twenty years ago, we didn't have my granddaughter's lovely voice but peach pies was always on the menu."
Karin made it two steps before the words registered. She inhaled sharply and looked over.
The old woman grinned and squeezed Karin's arm. "Maybe after you save our city, I could make you one? The recipe is on the old side, but I'd bet you'd like a slice. I heard it's got a bit of bite."
Karin stared in shock.
The old woman hefted her bloody knitting needles, gave a wink, and headed after Roal.