Author: C.R. Daems
Date: 2010-09-10 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy; Magic
Description: A hundred years ago, a treaty joined the seven provinces under a king and created a system of equal justice for nobles and commoners. The Sisters of Astraea were proclaimed the Judicators of the land, because they could tell truth from lie. Each Judicator has been selected by one of the god Naga’s golden vipers that can sense truth and falsehoods. Now many nobles want to go back to being above the law. DUKE CHANEY is using this discontent to raise an army against the king and the judicators. JOLA survived a childhood on the streets and as a bonded slave. When she has the chance to join the Sis

Scales Of Justice

C. R. Daems and J. R. Tomlin

Scales Of Justice

Copyright © 2010 C. R. Daems and J. R. Tomlin

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in Canada by Double Dragon eBooks, a division of Double Dragon Publishing Inc. of Markham Ontario, Canada.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from Double Dragon Publishing Inc.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Double Dragon eBooks
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Cover art by Deron Douglas
www.derondouglas.com
ISBN-10: 1-55404-778-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-55404-778-9
First Edition September 10, 2010

Also Available as a Large Type Paperback

Dedication

To my wife, Verina

For her love
and for all we've had
through the years.

-Clem

Thanks to my family for their constant support.

-Jeanne

CHAPTER ONE

Jola crouched behind the pile of trash, clutching a fig. She'd grabbed it off the ground when it tumbled out of a woman's shopping basket. She stuffed half into her mouth and gobbled it down. If the big ones in the gang saw, they'd take it for sure.

She peeked out from her hiding place, pushing her black hair out of her eyes. They'd know she'd eaten something, and hit her. But her belly had been so empty it cramped. She closed her eyes to savor the sweetness, and the juice running down her throat.

Behind her, a rat screeched as someone dumped a chamber pot into the alley. She dodged in time to miss the splash.

Zarl whirled around. He ran over and smacked her with the back of his hand. "What ya been eating?" She backed against the wall and crouched. He kicked her, and then left. Life was simple-you helped the gang or you starved. Even when you helped, the older kids took what they wanted. When the take was good, they grabbed only part of Jola's share. When the take was sparse, they took everything, and beat her too. Zarl hadn't seen that she had more, so she stuck the rest in her mouth. It was the only way to stay alive.

Zarl swaggered too much. She thought he wouldn't last long.

It happened while she hid in an alley. A guard saw him snatch a loaf of bread from a stand, and dragged him away.

By the cold season, only she and one boy, Sama, remained of the eight kids in the gang. Two had died of fever, other gangs had beaten two to death, and Zarl and another had been caught stealing and never seen again.

Five new kids joined during the following year, forming a tight clique that included Sama. They ignored Jola, except on days they needed her as a decoy or lookout. They hardly ever gave her any of the food. She knew she should leave, but where would she go?

Wandering the city alone with no one to hit her was nice. No one paid much attention when she ducked around corners, going farther and farther from the little alley the gang called home.

She found a walled part of town and crawled through a drain to get in. Inside, beautiful open areas spread between big houses. Trees, shrubs, and flowers dotted the grassy stretches, and birds twittered in the branches overhead. She spent hours hiding among the lush shrubbery, breathing the fragrance of the flowers, enjoying the peace of the shrubs and trees, and luxuriating in the soft clean feel of the grasses and mosses. Concealed, she watched the people come and go. Some cut the grass and worked on the houses. Others just walked around. One lady came out to throw crumbs to the birds. Jola sighed at the waste.

They fascinated her with their beautiful clothes. Sometimes they even threw away perfectly good food, and if she was careful, she could snatch a little of it. Each night, her feet dragged as she returned to the alley. But it was her home, and the gang, even when they were mean, was her only protection.

"Where ya been, Jola?" Ned said.

"Wandering the alleys." She hugged her arms around herself. Ned liked to hit.

"Find anything good?"

"Old scraps."

"Since ya didn't share with us, we won't share with ya." Ned bit into an apple and juice dripped down his chin. The others munched on a variety of vegetables and fruits. Today the gang had done well, and Ned grinned when her stomach rumbled. She shrugged. She wasn't about to let them know it stung when they were mean. That would make them taunt her even more.

Two days later, the gang ambushed her when she returned. She hit, bit and clawed. Ned twisted her arms behind her back while the others beat her. When she was huddled on the ground, he pulled two copper bits out of the little bag at her waist. Then he kicked her in the side. "What you mean holding out on us?" He kicked her ribs again.

The others joined with feet, fists and sticks. Curled into a ball on the ground, she bit back a whimper. A blow to her head brought wave after wave of darkness.

She woke up in the alley with her shabby dress nothing but a torn rag. Why had she come back? She whimpered as she crawled toward trash piled in a corner. She had to hide. Finally, she wedged herself out of sight and drifted into a pain-filled sleep.

Night had fallen when she woke again. She managed to crawl, shivering, into the corner, out of the wind. The next morning, she staggered up. Her belly cramped. When had she eaten last? She leaned against a wall. If she didn't eat soon she'd die. Tears ran down her face. She wiped them angrily away. Somehow, she'd find some way to stay alive. She was too weak to steal from anyone who wasn't lying dead in the street. The smell of roasting meats, fresh baked bread, and simmering fruit pies pulled her out of the alley toward the market stalls. Her mouth watered as she approached the brocade of smells. She wobbled as she walked and had to keep a hand on the wall for support. There must be something she could grab. Something! She spotted a little stall with a canvas canopy next to the wall. Glistening there in stacks were berries, green vegetables, and one beautiful yellow melon. She could taste that melon. She could feel the juice running down her chin as she sank her teeth into its ripe, rich flesh. She had to have it.

When the vendor turned his back to hand a woman some berries, Jola hobbled up, grabbed it, and ran. But her legs didn't work right. They wobbled. Her knees buckled. No! She had to get up. She crawled onto her knees, arms around her prize, protecting it. A second later, a kick to her sore ribs sent her sprawling into a vendor's cart. She gasped and pain shot through her body.

She moaned as the guard dragged her away, like Zarl and the others. Kids told terrifying tales of life as a bond slave, but she didn't know what to believe. She would soon know-the next day, she was sold into bondage.

Her bond owner, Freeman Owenin, had her carried in a cart to his fish processing plant. The foreman dragged her into a room with seven other bonded servants, all older than she was. One girl fourteen summers old claimed she had been in bondage for five years. Short and skinny, the girl was only a little bigger than she was. Jola trembled. She would be here for ten years. Right now, she was the smallest and weakest. She curled into a corner and tried to doze. If she was going to survive, she'd have to get her strength back.

The next morning, the foreman rousted her out of the rags of her sleeping mat and prodded them all into the processing plant's main room. She worked sixteen hours chopping off fish heads, tails, and fins, scraping off scales, and gutting fish. Whenever the foreman wasn't looking, she crammed the guts into her mouth. They tasted only a little worse than the lunch of a fish cake and a piece of stale bread that was her only real meal.

* * *

She marked the days on the wall with the handle of a broken spoon. Since they were all the same, she wondered why she bothered-days of stinking food, insect-infested sleeping mats, eight bonded servants packed in a locked, windowless room, and countless beatings. The foreman said that bonded servants deserved their beatings for not working hard enough, for eating fish guts to stay alive and for sometimes being too sick to work a full day. She watched the way his eyes gleamed when he beat them to make them beg.

At night, Jola huddled in her corner, listening as the foreman came to get one of the other girls to go to his room. She wrapped her arms around her body, glad she looked so much like a boy. He paid her no mind.

One night, one of the bond servants came scooting across the floor and groped at her. He pinched her breast and clamped his mouth down on hers. He stopped when she bit him. He yelled and ran his tongue over his bleeding lip. After that, the others left her alone.

Three years into her slavery, a morning came that at first mirrored every other morning. She and the others were rousted out of bed hours before sunrise and went shivering into the unheated warehouse to clean the past night's catch. Freeman Wilkins, the morning-shift boss, staggered in with wine stains down his tunic. One of the men didn't move fast enough to get out of his way. Wilkins slashed at him with his whip.

Jola just kept gutting the fish with her eyes down. He stomped across the room. Her eyes flew wide in surprise when he grabbed her from behind, squeezing against her while he ground his whisker-rough face into her neck.

She spun, her curved fish-gutting knife in her hand. She slashed his arm open from shoulder to elbow. Blood splashed. He cursed as he backhanded her, and then grabbed at his arm. She would pay dearly. As he stumbled away from her, screaming and dripping blood, she was sorry she had missed his throat.

She stood there, knife in hand, glaring. The other bond slaves backed away and pressed against the wall. Then, no one moved. She eyed the doors and sighed. The heavy padlock held them closed. There was no way out.

Before long, someone opened the door for two city guards. They stared at her from across the room until three more guards arrived. The five of them encircled her, clubs drawn.

Her heart pounded. Her ears vibrated with the sound.

"Put down the knife now, and you won't get hurt," a broad-shouldered man said. His lips twisted in a sneer and she knew he was lying. She gripped her knife harder in her sweat-slick hand and raised it a little.

"You're in big trouble, gutter scum. If we have to take that knife away, you're going to owe each of us." Another guard laughed and made a rude gesture. Jola pressed her back to the gutting table, and one guard made a grab for her arm. She spun, slashing his shirt. Two others rushed her from the side. She kicked, swung her fist and knife, and bit. They grabbed both her arms and twisted. The knife clattered to the floor and they bound her hands together behind her back. Her head bounced off the floor when one of the guards threw her down. She sucked in a breath. She wouldn't beg. Never.

"That's enough," one of them said when another guard drew back a foot to kick her in the head. "The judicator don't like 'em to come in too beat up. We'll get our turn later."

"You're going to the iron mine for this, gutter scum. But we'll get you first. You'll pay," the guard said, nursing the arm Jola had bitten.

* * *

"Your name is Jola?" Judicator Kassandra said as she stared down from a raised platform. She sat in an intricately carved chair beside a small, matching table. She wore a red robe and carried a dagger at her waist. A gold-scaled mask covered most of her face, except for her pale, rose-colored lips and sharp chin. Silver-white hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a long, slender golden-scaled viper coiled around her neck. Its head rested on her shoulder, facing Jola with its flicking-black tongue.

"Yes, Mistress," Jola said. She was tired. The penalty for a bonded servant who attempted to kill a freeman was years working in Pyxus's iron mines. Of those condemned to the mines, she had never heard of one returning to tell what went on there.

She tried not to care, but that was hard to pretend. Otherwise, why had she fought for every scrap of food, for better shelter, and for warm covering, insufficient as they were? She had survived by fighting, not by pleading. She wouldn't beg or plead now, even to avoid the mines. They'd taken everything else, but at least she wouldn't give them that satisfaction.

"Did you attack Freeman Wilkins with a fish-gutting knife?" the judicator said. Her golden viper raised its head from her shoulder as if interested in Jola's answer.

"She tried to kill me!" Wilkins's face twisted in rage and spittle flew from his mouth. He shook his fist in Jola's direction.

"One-silver fine, Freeman Wilkins." Judicator Kassandra looked in his direction. "For interrupting me and disrupting the proceeding."

"I'm just telling you what she did, Mistress. She... " Wilkins stopped when Kassandra raised her hand.

"Another one-silver fine. You'll speak only when spoken to. Now, Jola, did you attack Freeman Wilkins with a fish-gutting knife?"

"Yes, Mistress." She might as well tell the truth. They'd do whatever they wanted with street kids, and with bonded servants like her. She expected nothing different from the judicator.

"Why?"

"Why? I'm a bonded servant. I'm like a worthless, dumb animal barely worth feeding. Fine, but I'm not his. He grabbed me and touched me like he does all the other girls. I'm not for sale!" Jola stopped and blinked, surprised to hear all her thoughts and anger tumble out. Then she smiled. It wouldn't change anything, but it made her feel better to shout it to the world.

Judicator Kassandra turned her head and looked Wilkins up and down. "Did you do that, Freeman Wilkins?"

"No. That's a lie." Wilkins's voice was choked with rage. Jola's mouth dropped open. It took a desperate or foolish man to lie to a judicator. Even she knew they could sense truth and lies.

"A two-silver fine, Freeman Wilkins, for lying to me. Would you like to try for five silvers?" Kassandra said, with a small smile dancing at the corners of her lips. Wilkins opened his mouth and then closed it. He shook his head.

"Do you force girls to your bed?"

"No, Mistress," Wilkins said, glaring at Jola.

Kassandra turned her gaze toward Jola and nodded for her to speak.

"He's telling the truth. He gives them extra food, makes me take extra shifts for them. He makes their lives easier." Jola shrugged. It could have been worse. He could have forced her into his bed.

"Jola, what did you do to be bonded for ten years?" Kassandra said.

Standing there in her torn rags, Jola squirmed under her gaze. She rubbed at a bruise on her arm. The judicator's clean, calm face made her feel even dirtier. She must seem filthy, she thought, to the woman judging her. But it wasn't her fault. She made herself stand up straight and look into the judicator's eyes.

"I was caught stealing a melon, Mistress." She would just once like someone to admit that what had happened wasn't right, even if it did her no good.

"Freeman Wilkins, who owns Jola's bond?" Kassandra said.

"The plant owner, Merchant Owenin."

Kassandra sent the city guard after Owenin and waited until he arrived. Jola rubbed her arms and listened to her belly grumbling.

The plant owner, a tall thin man, scowled as the guards escorted him in.

"Merchant Owenin, how did you get Jola's bond?"

"She was caught stealing. Administrator Bellogan sentenced her to ten years' bondage. I bought the bond."

Again, Kassandra waited while the guards found Bellogan and brought him before her.

"What did Jola do to be sold into bondage for ten years?" Kassandra said.

"She was caught stealing."

"What did she steal?"

"I don't remember," Bellogan said.

"Ten silvers for lying, Administrator Bellogan."

Jola stared at him, her eyes widening. He had paled and sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Why did you sell the bond to Merchant Owenin?"

"He's my... married to my daughter." Bellogan dropped his eyes.

"Thank you, Administrator Bellogan, for not dragging this out." Kassandra rose from her chair.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Kassandra has resolved, beyond any man's right to question, the issue before her involving Freeman Wilkins and the bonded servant Jola," Kassandra chanted in a low rich voice. "I decree the following:

"First, Jola is freed from her fraudulent bondage.

"Second, Merchant Owenin shall pay the sum of twenty silvers to Jola for the work she performed for him. He is sentenced to ten strokes of the cane and one year's confinement.

"Third, Administrator Bellogan is removed from his position and is sentenced to ten strokes of the cane and one year's confinement.

"Fourth, Freeman Wilkins will pay the king the four-silvers' fine imposed by me.

"Finally, Jola, for her attack on Freeman Wilkins, will serve a two-year bondage to the Sisters of Astraea.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

* * *

The Monastery at Astraea

Two years' bondage to the Sisters of Astraea couldn't be any worse than gutting fish all day, and she wouldn't have men pawing at her. She tried to picture it. Maybe they'd make her scrub floors, sweep out rooms, and wash pots and pans. Even emptying slop pots wouldn't be so bad. It could be much worse.

The first night at the monastery, she gaped at the meal they gave her. "Are you sure that's for me?" she said. A whole bowl of hot stew and slices of rich brown bread! Then Judicator Kassandra showed her to a room and said it was hers. It had a bed and even a blanket.

"When do I start work, Mistress?" For all this, she couldn't even imagine what they would want her to do.

"First, there are things we want you to learn. You need to know how to read, and write and do sums. And there will be work in the gardens." Kassandra smiled at her before she closed the door.

Jola plopped on the edge of the bed. She sat alone in a room they said was hers. She tried to remember being alone. She had found that place in the city where she'd hidden to watch. But that wasn't alone.

The next morning she met eleven other first-year students. Eight came from families with money: merchants and tradesmen. Two were bonded servants like her. The girls from money tended to avoid or ignore the other girls, although Jessica, their unofficial leader, seemed to enjoy taunting them. She made remarks to her friends that were loud enough to be heard by the person she taunted, talked to them as if they were stupid, and ordered them around like servants. The other two girls just did what she told them. Jola kept on with what she was doing when Jessica made a snide remark to her. Jessica tried several times, but then left her alone.

Jola's respite ended one morning while they were digging up potatoes in the field. They had worked for several hours and were hot, sweaty, and dirty.

"Jola, be a good servant and get me and my friends something to drink. We are very thirsty," Jessica said. Her friends giggled.

Jola kept digging. Everyone else stopped to stare. If she paid attention, it would just encourage Jessica. Were all bullies just stupid and trying to make themselves feel important?

"Bonded servant Jola! If you do not go immediately, I will have you whipped." Jessica strutted up to Jola and grabbed her arm. Jola jerked her arm away. You fight for your rights or you learn to grovel. Whatever had happened, she had never groveled. They had beaten her into submission, but were never able to make her beg. Jessica grabbed for Jola's hair. Jola swung. Her fist sank into Jessica's belly. Jessica raked Jola's arm with her nails, so Jola hit her again and then again. Jessica fell, curling into a ball, screaming and sobbing. Jola ran toward the monastery.

At the monastery, she marched to Mistress Kassandra's office. She looked at the door, chewing on her lip and forcing back the tears that stung her eyes. What if they sent her away? Sold her bond to someone else? A tear crept down her grubby cheek.

"Can I help you, Jola?" Kassandra said, as she came up behind Jola, started to open her office door, and then stopped. She pulled a handkerchief from a pocket and handed it to Jola. "Are you sick?"

"I'm here for my beating," Jola said, hoping this would direct the punishment away from being banished. She was used to beatings.

"And why do you deserve a beating?"

"Jess ordered me to get her and her friends drinks, and I ignored her-"

"As you should have. You are bonded to the Sisters of Astraea, not to the other students," Kassandra said.

"Mistress, I hit her when she grabbed me."

"You know we do not condone fighting." Her hand was smooth and cool as she held Jola's chin. "But you have a right to defend yourself. I will talk to Jessica. What she did was wrong, and if it continues, she will be told to leave."

Jola opened her mouth but nothing came out. She'd not been punished, and Jess was in trouble. She would have to think of some way she could get her bondage extended-forever.

* * *

At the end of her second year, Jola got up enough nerve to knock on Kassandra's door and ask to talk.

"Mistress Kassandra, what crime can I do to get my bondage extended? I don't want to cause too much trouble." Her heart was thumping, but she had to take a chance that Kassandra would be willing to help her.

Kassandra gave a laugh that sounded a little choked. "My dear child, in case you haven't noticed, you are a student at the monastery of Astraea. You are free to stay as long as you don't violate our rules, or you can leave anytime you wish. It will not be necessary for you to commit any crime."

Jola had found a home, and planned to stay for the rest of her life.

* * *

The next three years were wonderful and exciting. The library had stacks of books about the people of the seven provinces, the customs of merchants, business owners, traders, and the nobility, and the rudiments of each profession. When she could, she spent all day tucked in a corner with a book, reading about the wonders of the world. Doing math wasn't so much fun. At night, she bent over sums, scratching them out time after time. But she was determined not to let Kassandra down. She owed Kassandra and the Sisters of Astraea everything.

On the last day of her fifth year, Kassandra asked her, along with the other students, whether she would like to be tested for judicator. She hugged herself and tried to sound calm when she agreed. She hardly slept that night as her thoughts flew between becoming a judicator and failing and being sent away. By morning, she was exhausted.

At sunrise, Jola and four others waited on the broad steps of the monastery for Mistress Kassandra. Three who had been bonded and two of the wealthy girls had accepted the offer. Kassandra led them on a long, twisting trek up the narrow trail that led to the temple of Naga. Seen from the monastery, the temple glistened in the sun. Its four spiral towers soared into the clouds.

Up close, the temple looked like the gods must have made it. White marble streaked with gold veins formed the entire structure. One spiral was at least three stories higher than its three sisters, and had a golden viper wrapped around its length. The shimmering sunlight on its golden scales made it seem to move. The sound of the wind through the trees and bushes could have been the rustling of its movements. Jola shivered.

With the others, she followed Kassandra through two massive ironwood doors inlaid with interlocking gold vipers. The white, gold-veined marble formed the interior as well. The benches, chairs, and furniture were black ironwood. Colors danced across the walls from the stained glass windows. At the end of a long hallway, Kassandra stopped them at silver doors with inlaid gold runes. Jola puzzled over the runes, disappointed she couldn't decipher them. They looked like nothing she had seen in her studies.

She clasped her hands in front of her and tried not to look scared as the first girl was stripped. Kassandra gave the girl a syrupy green liquid in a crystal goblet to drink, and ushered her through the doors into the chamber beyond. After a time, the girl exited, and one by one, Jola's companions took her place.

The first three who exited the chamber didn't speak, and looked a bit dazed. Jola grasped her hands together even harder. What was the test? Had they passed or failed? Then the doors opened and the fourth girl, Rosa, had to be carried out. A chill went through Jola. Her turn had come. She was the last.

What lay behind those beautiful silver doors? Naked now, she shivered, although the air was warm. The green drink tasted sweet, but afterward she felt as though she were floating, her feet not touching the floor. A touch on her arm directed her through a door, but it seemed strangely remote. The doors closed behind her.

A dome soared above her. A rainbow of lights streamed in from the stained glass windows at its top and danced along carvings covering the walls. The kaleidoscope of shifting lights seemed to give them life. She watched, her mouth dropping open, as people worked, fought, and died along the walls. She recognized the long and bitter history of the founding Sisters of Astraea: their escape from oppressive clans, years of nomadic wandering, encounters with the warlords who ravaged the land at that time, and the founding of the Monastery of Astraea.

Something didn't seem right. At the room's center, dirt was mounded. She frowned. A golden blanket covered part of the mound. It vibrated, shifting and changing its intricate design.

She stepped toward it. How strange.

Standing there, she felt innocent and naked like a newborn baby. She tried to remember where she was and how she got there. There must be a reason. Her mind buzzed fuzzily and the reason kept slipping away. A dizzying white fog drifted through her memory. She shivered with the chill and felt goose bumps on her legs, arms and chest. The scent of musk and earth enveloped her. She shook her head to try to clear it. Her heart hammered. What was happening to her?

Then the golden mantle covering the mound began to unravel. Golden-scaled snakes slithered apart.

Her heart pounded as several slid toward her. As they moved closer, she could make out the triangular heads of asps. Curiously, the death that steadily advanced toward her looked incredibly beautiful, with golden scales, eyelash-like enlarged scales above the eyes, and the gliding motion over the marble floor. She tried to make her legs work, to run. They wouldn't move. She felt sweat trickle down her sides from her armpits. She gasped for breath, and opened her mouth to scream. Nothing came out. The sound reverberated only in her mind. She was going to die unless she moved, but she could only watch as the vipers' flicking tongues sought the heat of her body.

A viper slid over her naked foot and coiled around her ankle. An icy sensation crept up her leg as it struck with needle-like fangs. She wanted to scream. If only she could. A second viper coiled around her other leg. Its fangs sank deep. She lost her balance and crashed onto the cold, marble floor. She breathed in the earthy scent of the golden serpents.

* * *

Jola woke but refused to open her eyes, afraid of seeing the golden vipers. Her joints throbbed, and a river of hot lava burned through her body. Her whole body trembled with terror. Then she realized she could feel the softness of a bed under her. She forced herself to move her fingers. A blanket covered her. Sometimes she thought she remembered a bed with warm covers and her mother singing softly as she stroked Jola's head. She wondered what had happened to make her a homeless street child. If she were dead, perhaps she would find her mother.

"I didn't think the dead felt pain," she said, keeping her eyes squeezed tightly shut. She wasn't sure she wanted to see where she was.

"Good, you're awake," a soft, quiet voice said.

Jola opened her eyes. Mistress Kassandra's voice brought it all back in a rush. Kassandra had not only saved her from the iron mines, but also from years of bad food, slave labor, beatings, and abuse. Silently thanking Kassandra for the thousandth time, Jola drank the glass of water Kassandra held to her mouth and then drifted into a restful sleep.

* * *

"Good morning, Acolyte Jola," Kassandra said as Jola opened her eyes to the early morning light filtering through the narrow slit in the wall.

"Acolyte? Where am I, Mistress?" Her few possessions were here. Her robe hung on the door. Her books were on a small table, and her coverlet was the same. But the old stone-gray walls of her room were now a gold-veined marble, the ceiling was higher, and the window slit was wider.

"Now that you are an acolyte, we've moved you to the temple of Naga for the next phase of your training." A smile danced on Kassandra's gentle mouth.

Jola smiled back at Kassandra. She felt like a different person from that stubborn, frightened girl she had been years ago. She owed her life to the Sisterhood, and she would spend it happily repaying the debt.

Movement around Jola's neck snapped her back to the present. For an instant, she froze. The feel of the vipers in the temple's chamber, and of their needle-like fangs, made her shudder. A feeling of warmth flooded through her, then, and she relaxed. The golden viper, coiled around her neck with its tail swishing between her breasts, would be her companion for life. It proclaimed her a Judicator of Pyxus.

She reached up to stroke the exquisite golden viper. It wrapped itself around her hand.

"Tomorrow, you and Rosa begin your training to be judicators," Kassandra said.

Kassandra's words sent a wave of warmth through her, starting with her fingers that touched the viper. So this was how the sisters told truth from lie. Her heart raced. She would treasure this gift for the rest of her life.

* * *

"Mistress Tenzen, I have two sets of clothes. Why do I need more?" Jola said. She had more than enough clothes to last for many years to come. Why was Tenzen insisting that she needed more?

The light from the midday sun bounced off the white marble walls and lit her chamber. It had changed little in the three years she had lived there. Her two white robes, with the gold sashes that identified her as an acolyte, hung from a hook on the door. A small desk contained her writing tools, and her most prized possession, a pile of notebooks with years of class notes, stood against the wall. On her bed lay her coat, a cotton shirt and pants, underclothes, socks, slippers, boots, and her new symbols of office-her golden mask, dagger, and red ceremonial robe and cape.

Rosa stood by the door watching. Rosa loved clothes and had spent the previous night showing Jola her new garments, trying each on and dancing around the room, her cheeks pink with excitement. She had cooed over the silk shirts, the leather pants, and the red robe. Jola had listened because Rosa was her friend-a friendship that had grown over their years as acolytes. But Jola didn't care about clothes, or their material, or their color, so long as they were comfortable and warm. And her old acolyte clothes were that.

"You and Rosa are now judicators and must look the part. Although you and I know clothes don't make the person, a woman in tattered clothing will not get much respect from the citizens of Pyxus." Tenzen motioned toward Jola's faded, threadbare clothes, stacked neatly on her bed.

"But Mistress, they're clean. I took care in repairing them. They'd be practical for when we are not in public. I wouldn't need so many new clothes, and they'd last longer." Jola ran her hand over the clothes she had lovingly cared for through her three years of acolyte training. Life on the streets had taught her not to abandon anything that was or could be useful. And these clothes were perfectly good. She had, during her early life, been grateful for rags.

"I know it's hard for you to give up anything usable, and your clothes are perfectly adequate for here at the monastery." Tenzen sighed quietly. "However, a judicator is always on display. You can no longer be the old Jola: street child, bonded servant, student, or acolyte. You are and must be Judicator Jola every hour of every day, and I am your sister, no longer your mistress."

"Yes, Mistress...Sister Tenzen. I'll do my best not to embarrass you or the other sisters." Jola knew it would be hard to change the instincts she had developed during her years of poverty. The fancy clothes wouldn't change who she was inside.

"My dear Jola, I am not asking you or Rosa to forget your years on the streets or in bondage. Those experiences shaped you, and the golden vipers have judged you worthy. I have no worry that you will embarrass us. However, you must realize the citizens of Pyxus have an image of judicators that makes them feel safe and protected. As judicators, our responsibility is to interpret the laws fairly and to maintain that image." Tenzen frowned slightly. "Image is important. Do you understand, Judicator Jola?"

"Yes, Sister Tenzen." Jola knew her friend Rosa would understand the importance of image, but she hadn't realized there was more to being a judicator than knowing the laws.

"Good. Then run down to the seamstress and let her finish your new wardrobe." Tenzen waved her hand toward the door. Jola let Rosa grab her hand and pull her out.

* * *

Jola turned in the saddle when they reached the top of the hill. Her heart raced when she looked back at the sanctuary of the monastery. The walls enclosing the living quarters and gardens gleamed in the morning light. Behind it, the temple of Naga towered high, its gold serpent shimmering in the morning light. She suppressed a sigh as she tightened her hold on her reins, and on the pack horse she led.

Beside her, Tenzen looked so handsome in her brown leather riding pants, red silk shirt, and short leather jacket. Her red sash supported a long dagger. The streaks of white at Tenzen's temples, against the black of her long, straight hair, made her look even more distinguished.

Jola straightened in the saddle, determined not to look like she was wearing a disguise. She touched her ten-finger-long dagger with its red leather-wrapped handle-a viper etched into one side of its blade, and her name etched into the other side. It was the kind of dagger a nobleman would own. She didn't feel noble; more like an actress on display. She doubted Tenzen felt like that. She tilted her chin at the same angle as Tenzen's, determined not to put her mentor to shame.

"I worry about you traveling with only me to protect you," she said with a frown.

Tenzen laughed. "Usually on a circuit, I travel alone. Few people care to bother a judicator. If nothing else, it's treason. And the people value us for our protection."

"Oh." Thinking back all those years ago when she had arrived with Mistress Kassandra, she remembered they had traveled alone. That was a lifetime ago-not a lifetime, but a different life.

Jola's thigh muscle cramped, and she shifted in the saddle. They'd studied riding during training, but classes weren't the same as a whole day in the saddle. The horses clopped down the narrow trail over the stones and loose gravel. It made the going slow.

She gasped at the view that you couldn't really see from their valley, tucked between hills. At certain crests, jagged cliff faces, waterfalls, small lakes, and valleys with trees stretched before them to the horizon. She gave a small shake of her head. Perhaps the long ride would do her good. Maybe afterward, she would stop feeling like a child dressed up in adult clothes, learning how to walk in them for the first time.

"Sister Tenzen, how long do you think it will take us to finish our tour of Pyxus?" She followed Tenzen as they started down a long slope that descended into the gentle, rolling hills below. For the last day, hurt muscles had cramped a little less, and she could finally concentrate on something beside her chafed legs. The distance of their planned circuit was little more than a thousand leagues. They should be able to ride that distance in three seasons.

"At least twelve seasons, probably more," Tenzen said.

"But it's only a thousand leagues. At ten leagues per day that would only be about thirteen eightdays, or three seasons and one eightday." She was proud of her ability to do sums in her head, although this one had been easy. It had taken months and months of slaving over sums to master them.

"True, if we rode ten leagues every day and never stayed anywhere more than one night. However, that would be hard on your sister, who has not seen her thirties for many years. Besides, we'll be hearing cases as we travel, which will mean further delay. And I plan to spend four to five eightdays in Ironwood and another two or three in Lappin."

"What's in Ironwood?" Jola narrowed her eyes as she tried to think of anything she'd heard about the remote town.

"You may call me 'Tenzen' or just 'sister' when we're alone." Tenzen paused until Jola nodded. "My family lives in Ironwood. They run a school for the king's elite soldiers-the king's personal guards, officers, and warrants. You'll receive additional training there before we begin your novice circuit. Your training at Astraea gave you a solid foundation, but you have much to learn before you can defend yourself against an experienced fighter."

Jola jerked in surprise and her horse snorted and stamped. "But I thought you said no one would attack a judicator."

Tenzen pulled up and raised her hand for Jola to stop. "I've had reports that the hostility among the nobility over the Seven Provinces' Treaty has increased. We've heard hints that judicators are targets. We didn't make the laws. The nobles negotiated them with the leaders of the rebellion some hundred years ago to save their privileged lives." She shook her head. "However, some hold us responsible because we enforce the laws. Unfortunately, the Seven Provinces' Treaty they negotiated prohibits the king from providing us with an armed escort. In the early days, it wasn't necessary. The nobles supported us since we were the buffer between them and the commoners rebelling again. Now, many nobles forget why the treaty was negotiated and see it as usurping their god-given rights. There could be trouble. If it should come to that, I want you able to defend yourself."

Jola met Tenzen's eyes, surprised by the woman's look of frowning concern.

She felt sweat start to trickle down her sides. "But...Tenzen, I could defend myself, but I'd just hinder you, more than help, in an attack. You wouldn't be able to concentrate for worrying about me. I'd probably just get in your way." Why have they sent me on a circuit that may endanger Tenzen?

Jola felt her face flood with heat at even the thought of allowing her sister and mentor to be harmed. Her chest knotted and her heart beat faster. She had worried a little about traveling alone. The thought that anyone would attack judicators was horrible, and even worse was the thought of being a fatal liability to Tenzen.

"I'd agree if we were going straight on circuit. The senior sisters agreed that you need more training. My family will do that. You need work on your hand-to-hand and longsword skills. Proficiency with the longsword is vital. It's the traditional weapon of the nobles."

Jola followed as Tenzen kneed her horse into a walk, resuming her progress down the trail. They rode in silence for several minutes.

Tenzen sighed. "Truthfully, Jola, I'm using your novice circuit to hide my intentions. That doesn't mean that I'd force you to risk your life. You must decide for yourself. You could join another sister whose circuit covers friendly provinces such as Rador or Tyrol."

Tenzen pulled up again and turned her horse so they were face to face. Jola gripped her reins, her hands sweaty with nerves.

"I'm not sure what will happen. It will depend on whether the provinces' leaders support the king and the treaty. Their attitudes influence their nobles. If their attitudes encourage discontent with the treaty, it could turn into defiance. I intend to poke around in each of the seven provinces. If any overt rebellion exists, we'll be in some danger."

Jola tilted her head and considered what Tenzen had said, and what she had not said-Tenzen trusted her even with her limited skill and experience. She had a home, sisters, and a golden gift from the God Naga whom she loved. She wanted to live, but not if it meant abandoning Tenzen.

"It's an honor to accompany you, Sister."

CHAPTER TWO

Tasman Province

Duke Chaney breathed in the scent of the wildcat's musk and the leather hunting gear the cat-masters wore-the glorious aromas of the hunt. He sighed with satisfaction.

The light from the midday sun accentuated the contrast between the black-veined granite floor and the tapestries that depicted the history of Tasman's warlords. The largest-with a silver-coated wildcat splotched with black, on a black field-hung behind his throne. It stood with front paws raised and spread, prepared to fight, its fangs bared.

He smoothed his silk shirt and smiled. Months of planning had gone into this, and he intended to enjoy every moment of it. It was time to teach them their place, time to dispel their delusions of having a right to judge nobles like they did commoners. Today it ended. His heart beat faster, his skin tingling. This moment would lead to the king's throne, and to the return of the nobility to their rightful place.

Alfred, his chamberlain, and Lord Dunsam waited at the foot of the dais. On the bottom step stood two cat-masters, each with a leopard-like wildcat of the kind found only in Tasman. They stood erect and alert, dressed in cat-skin tabards. The cats' yellow eyes tracked every movement. Twelve soldiers in battle dress flanked the dais, six on each side.

Chaney motioned, and the doors swung open. Judicator Narette strolled toward his throne and stopped several hands in front of the platform. She nodded, and he frowned. They bowed to no one except the king. Her olive skin, slender frame and long, curly-brown hair were attractive enough. His eyes narrowed as he considered investigating what lay under that ceremonial red robe. He caught a faint whiff of her perfume.

"Good morning, Your Grace. I was sorry to hear of Lord Gossard's death. No doubt you and your people will miss him," Narette said.

"I guess it was my time to rule, and his time to die." He allowed a slight smirk to touch his lips at the memory of the hunting accident. No one had questioned him when he said his father had stepped in front of him as he thrust at a boar, though no one else had spotted a boar that whole day. Well, everyone knew that he was always lucky in the hunt.

Narette raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have any issues you would like to discuss with me, Lord Chaney, before I begin my circuit in your province?"

"Now that you ask, I do. From now on, all nobles will be tried here in my presence and the verdict will be discussed and approved by me prior to being announced." Narette's eyes widened. Chaney smiled as he relished the look on her face.

"I'm willing to hold trials involving Tasman nobles in your presence, if they are open to the public. However, the verdict is my decision. It's not subject to review by anyone except the king." Narette tilted her head to the side as she stared up at him.

Chaney laughed, raising his hand to his guard captain, who signaled the guard at the side entrance. The guard opened the door. Ten soldiers with swords drawn came in at a run. At the same time, the guards surrounding the platform drew their swords and stepped forward.

"I'm afraid it's not negotiable. Nobles aren't commoners and shouldn't be treated as such. Nor should commoners-like you-judge them. I'm the ruler here. If you can accept these truths, I can make your life comfortable, with jewels, servants, fine clothes, and much more. If not, I can make your life uncomfortable." He waved in the direction of his soldiers.

Narette shook her head. "Unlike you, Lord Chaney, I have no choice. My oath is to the King of Pyxus and the God Naga."

Chaney glared, but the stubborn woman continued.

"I can be killed only once, either by you for refusing your generous offer or by the king for breaking my oath. I'll die happier by your hand."

"Die? That would be too easy. Perhaps after you have had a taste of my displeasure, you will reconsider." Chaney leaned back in his throne with a smile. The game was going well. For too many years, he'd had to defer to the king's fancy women. No more.

"Lord Dunsam, please collect our retiring judicator's viper. It will add legitimacy to my new judicator, Shalea."

Dunsam stepped back, his jaw sagging. Chaney leaned his chin on a hand. His smile widened with amusement. His young aide didn't appear anxious to retrieve the viper.

"Don't be a coward, Dunsam. Do you think the judicators could keep poisonous snakes without being bitten? Either they're not poisonous or they have defanged them."

Sweat ran down the nobleman's pale face, but he sidled up to Narette. He made a quick grab at the viper's exposed tail. The viper's head whipped around and struck him in the hand. Dunsam jerked away, stumbling backward. "It bit me, my Lord." Dunsam turned toward him and held out his bleeding hand.

"I guess we are about to find out whether the rumors about the golden vipers are true or not." Chaney leaned forward with a frown. He certainly wouldn't have grabbed one of those vipers. Thankfully, he had others to do his bidding. Dunsam's face twisted in pain, and he collapsed to the floor.

"I guess the rumors were right. Young Dunsam should have been more careful." Chaney shrugged. "Alfred, have the guards escort our retired judicator to the dungeon. There you will collect all of her artifacts of office, including that viper. Have it defanged before you give it to my new judicator. It wouldn't look good to have Tasman's new judicator killed by her own snake-besides the inconvenience." The search for an actress to play the part had been troublesome, especially since she'd had to learn a few of the laws to be convincing.

As Alfred motioned to the guards, Narette flung the viper in Chaney's direction. Time seemed to stop as the creature arced through the air. He froze. Then time started again. He leaped out of his throne. The carved cat on the arm caught on his pants leg and he tripped. His heart raced as he fell to his knees and scrambled his way down the steps of the dais.

He jumped to his feet and whirled around. The viper lay on the seat of his throne. "Get it." He pointed to the creature. Why were the guards just standing there? It slid off, and disappeared behind the platform.

"Find it and kill it, you fools." Chaney backed away until his back pressed against the wall. The damned woman would pay for this.

The guards inched toward the throne, swords drawn. They searched the entire room but could not locate the viper.

"Your Grace, the viper is nowhere in the room," the captain of the guard said with a slight quiver in his voice.

Narette smiled. "I hope you enjoy the God Naga's envoy as your castle's guest. You will find him sociable. He loves warm bodies." Alfred grabbed her by the arm and yanked her in the direction of the doors.

"I hope you enjoy the years of abuse I am going to heap on you," Chaney said. He clenched his hands into fists to stop their shaking.

* * *

That night, Chaney sat in his private office, a flagon of wine at his elbow. He held up a hand. It was finally steady as the fifth glass of wine began to settle his nerves. Her viper had come close to killing him, but worse, she'd embarrassed him in front of his soldiers and minister. He had been terrified and they knew it. Perhaps he should have them all executed before the story got out. He stroked his chin. No, killing the soldiers and his minister would be worse than the retelling of the incident. After all, who wouldn't have scrambled away from the viper after what had happened to Lord Dunsam. And the story probably had already gotten out. He took another sip of the wine and waited for his new judicator to arrive.

A few minutes later, Alfred opened the door to announce that Shalea awaited his convenience. She entered and knelt.

"Well, my dear, you look stunning in your official robes of office. Moreover, your viper looks authentic. What kind of snake is it, Mistress Shalea?" Chaney snickered as he raised her to her feet. He flinched as he reached toward the snake. He forced himself to touch it before caressing her neck.

"Thank you, Your Grace. It's some kind of rat snake. It was a reddish-brown, but your painter came up with this dye. I think it looks very realistic."

Chaney nodded with satisfaction at the color of the snake and the feel of her racing pulse as he stroked her neck. "Yes, you have done well, and will be appropriately rewarded." He savored the quiver that went through her. His little mouse was terrified, as she should be.

"We found that if we drug the snake, it moves just enough to show it's alive, but makes no attempt to get away. Besides, I think it likes me." Shalea smiled.

"Yes, you will do as long as you understand that your life depends upon your loyalty, and on a convincing performance. The commoners must believe you are a real judicator, even if they don't like your decisions." Chaney tightened his grip on her neck. "You do not want to disappoint me."

* * *

Chaney screamed with rage when he discovered that the viper had struck one of the young nobles while he slept. How dare they fail him in finding the creature?

Two nights later, a guard closed the door behind Chaney as he entered his mistress's bedchamber. "Get up and pour me some wine. I need to relax. These fools... "

She lay unmoving on her bed. He touched her cold hand. Two trickles of blood had leaked from the fang marks on her arm. He jerked back. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his heart pounded. He backed toward the door and then stopped. The thing might be between him and the door. Where was it? In her bed? Under the bed by his feet? Under a table or chair by the door? In his wardrobe? It could be anywhere. He fought for control as the sweat rolled down his face.

He frantically scanned the floor as he inched toward the door. When he was within reach of it, he grabbed the handle and yanked it open. "Guard!" He slammed it closed behind him.

Several hours and several flagons of wine later, Chaney demanded that the captain of the castle guard report to him in his office.

The captain arrived within minutes, still panting from running through the castle. He went straight to his knees.

"Captain, that cursed viper is still slithering about my castle. Why have you stopped searching?" He was terrified to walk anywhere in the castle, never mind going to bed. He kept imagining the viper behind every door and piece of furniture. "Are you too busy to protect your Lord?"

"No, Your Grace. We searched the entire castle. We couldn't find any sign of it. We assumed it had escaped outside the castle walls."

"Two days from now, you or that viper will be dead. Get out and tell my minister to attend me." Chaney pointed to the door for the captain to leave. He tapped his fingers on the desk as he waited, until Alfred entered and bowed.

"You wished to see me, Your Grace?"

"Alfred, we will travel to my castle in Corvus. Make me two lists, those loyal and dedicated to me and my rule and those who are loyal to our good king. I will review them with you as soon as you have finished. Those who are loyal will accompany us. The rest will stay to entertain the viper." Chaney laughed at the message it would send to both groups. The move would give him an opportunity to build additional support in Sattah Province for his plans. If he could build an alliance with Essam and Sattah provinces, he would have an army big enough to secede from the Seven Provinces' Treaty and declare himself king of the independent provinces.

Commoners needed harsh rules to keep them obedient. It would not take long to convince the other province rulers to revolt against the weakling who ruled them. He'd end the pusillanimous catering to commoners, who just needed to be beaten into line. King Chaney. It had a nice ring to it.

"Let the nobles of Sattah know that I'm temporarily moving to Corvus, and I wish to speak with their leaders. We leave tomorrow. Have Captain Fedor report to me immediately." Chaney settled back in his overstuffed chair. He ran his fingers over the smooth leather binding of the book he had laid aside earlier. He had general support in the southern Essam and western Sattah towns close to the border with his province. That support would grow if he could show the advantages of having a noble-friendly judicator. Shalea would be instrumental in achieving that. However, real judicators had to be discouraged from interfering.

"Your Grace, Captain Fedor is here," Alfred announced.

"Send him in, Alfred," Chaney said.

A very dangerous man,Chaney reflected as he scrutinized the captain, as Alfred closed the door behind him. Fedor was a thin, wiry man with a narrow, clean-shaven and scarred face, his eyes a penetrating black.

"Your Grace," Fedor said as he went down on one knee.

"Rise, Captain. I'm leaving tonight for Corvus and giving you responsibility for guarding my new judicator. She is your superior so long as she is serving my best interest. If not, use your judgment. You are to take twenty-five soldiers with you. I would not want anything to happen to her." He had gone to too much trouble with this judicator to take chances with her safety. Chaney waited until the captain nodded. "Alfred has prepared a proclamation, signed by me, declaring that Tasman has a permanent judicator assigned-Judicator Shalea. Send out troopers to post this proclamation in every town in Tasman and the border towns of Warring in Essam and Southport in Sattah. And as you visit each town with Shalea, let the nobles know they can support me by keeping other judicators from entering their towns."

"I will see to it, Your Grace."

Chaney tossed two bags of gold. Fedor snatched them out of the air like a hawk snagging a bird on the wing.

Chaney had instructed Shalea to begin her grand tour in the town of Warring, which was on the border of Essam and Tasman. The nobles in southern Essam were friendly to him and supported his plan of eliminating the king's judicators. He watched from his office window the next morning as she left Tarquay castle with Captain Fedor and an escort of twenty-five mounted soldiers.

* * *

Everywhere Shalea stopped during the two eightdays' trip to Warring, the crowds greeted her with smiles and the respect due a judicator. Unlike a normal judicator, Shalea always took the best accommodations and ate at the best inns. Warring was no exception. Shalea took three days to rest before agreeing to hear her first case.

She reveled in the attention, in the way people deferred to her, and in the personal guard who did her fetching and carrying. The first time she walked onto the judicator's raised platform and took her place in the high-backed, carved chair, she could barely contain her excitement. The crowd was large, and Shalea intended this to be her greatest performance.

"I, Judicator Shalea, do call this judgment into session. Captain, read the charges," Shalea said in her best stage voice.

"Merchant Gilford is charged with the murder of Merchant Tilman," the captain read.

Shalea learned that the two merchants had decided to settle their disagreement with swords. The survivor, Gilford, was on trial for murder. A real judicator, having the ability to sense truth from fiction, would have settled the case quickly. Shalea took much longer, questioning everyone, even those only slightly involved. She came to the same conclusion the crowd had. Merchant Gilford had provoked Merchant Tilman into the fight and had killed him.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Shalea has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving the killing of Merchant Tilman by Merchant Gilford," she chanted, as she had practiced a hundred times. "I decree the following:

"First, Merchant Gilford is to pay to Merchant Tilman's widow the sum of five hundred silvers.

"Second, Merchant Gilford shall receive twenty lashes in the town square and be confined by the city guard for one year.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

Shalea thought her verdict was just and fair based on what she had been taught of Pyxus's law. The citizens of Warring agreed. She left the platform with a cat-like smile, more confident in her new role.

Over the next two days, Shalea heard three more cases in Warring involving commoners, and asked to preside over another involving a young Essam nobleman. The young nobleman, Kirill, was accused of beating a commoner who happened to be slow in moving out of his way. From the evidence, the nobleman had been drunk, belligerent, and aggressive. Shalea frowned over how to follow Chaney's order to demonstrate the benefits of supporting him. After a long pause, she announced a much higher than normal fine but no whipping, since money meant little to most nobles but a whipping would have been humiliating. She sent a glance of understanding to the beaming nobleman. The commoners left, whispering among themselves.

* * *

In his private office, Chaney sat relaxed in his dark-leather-covered chair. Animal hides hung on the walls along with two boar heads, trophies with fifteen-centimeter tusks. Although it was smaller than his private office in Tarquay, he loved this room. The shelves bulged with books. His favorite book lay on his desk, a tale of a noble who had ruled undisputed some three centuries ago after defeating a commoner rebellion, before the nonsense of combining the provinces under a weakling king.

He took a deep breath, sucking in the scent of leather. The captain stood at attention in front of his desk with the door shut behind him. The man had been head of his personal security detail for seven years prior to being given the responsibility to guard and watch his new judicator. He was a no-nonsense man, a master with sword and dagger.

"Well, Captain, how did she do? I've heard Mistress Shalea's version. What was your impression?" Answer carefully, Captain. Even you are watched. Chaney sat back, sipping his wine.

"Very well, Your Grace. The cases involving merchants and freemen were well received. The case involving the young Essam noble upset the commoners, of course. But the nobles were pleased. I talked to young Kirill after his trial. He and his friends were delighted. He said her verdict would help build general support for you across Essam. He rode out with friends to block other judicators from entering Warring," the captain said. He continued to stand straight with his eyes respectfully lowered.

"Excellent."

"One more piece of news, Your Grace."

Chaney motioned for the captain to continue.

"As we were leaving, I heard that he and his friends had killed one judicator and wounded another, as they attempted to enter Warring."

Chaney leaned back and nodded. "That is good news. You must continue to see that our judicator is well cared for." Chaney took two bags of gold coins out of a chest, which he handed to the captain. "I'm pleased, Fedor. You have done well."

Chaney nodded in dismissal. After the captain left, Chaney poured himself more wine and toasted his success. Most men were dwarfs who thought they were giants. They needed someone to form them into an effective force. Otherwise, they were just troublemakers. He was born to lead, to unite the unorganized masses, to provide the vision. He deserved to be recognized and honored as a great leader. In the end, they would kneel to him in gratitude. He smiled as he rose.

CHAPTER THREE

Tyrol Province

After a stay in Ironwood, where Jola practiced her swordplay until every muscle ached, they rode toward the capital. They passed wagons and riders almost continually on the heavily traveled route. Most nights they camped along the side of the road, since many of the villages they passed were too small to have inns. She enjoyed sitting next to a small fire eating, and talking with Tenzen was more fun than staying in a room alone, anyway. On two nights, merchants' caravans shared meals with them, happy for their company. They seemed pleased to see and eat with the judicators. Jola hid a smile as she ate. They called her "mistress" and deferred to her as they talked. Tenzen received most of the attention, although she as a new judicator got some stares. She sat quiet, letting Tenzen do most of the talking unless someone spoke to her. Talking to strangers made her palms sweat.

The well-traveled road skirted the bank of a stream, since the hills were steep and well wooded. They made good progress and came to the small village of Woodlay midmorning on the eighth day. A dozen wooden cottages huddled around a stone-built forge and an inn, which was large enough for most of the town to gather in the evening.

Jola followed Tenzen into the market square in front of the inn. No one seemed to be selling anything. A handful of men and women going about their business stopped long enough to give them curious stares. Tenzen sat tall in her saddle and looked around with a smile.

"Where might I find Baron Srecko?" she asked a man working at the forge.

"I'll send my apprentice to get him, Mistress." The smith stepped away, wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

Jola gripped her reins hard as she waited, uncomfortable to be the center of attention of the small crowd. People around them shuffled and muttered. The crowd had grown large by the time the baron strode toward them. In his sturdy green broadcloth, he was only a little better dressed than the commoners around him. He beamed when he saw Tenzen.

"Mistress," the baron said. "You honor us by stopping."

Tenzen stepped from her horse. "You rarely need our services, but I do like to check before moving on."

"I regret to say that we have a case for you to hear this year." The baron frowned. "Would you like to stay at my manor until you're ready to hear it?"

"One case? We can hear it today if the parties are at hand."

They tied their horses to a rail in front of the inn and Jola followed Tenzen inside. The innkeeper hurried everyone out so they would have the place to themselves to relax. He set a flagon of white wine and a plate of cheese and bread before them. They heard pounding and shouting coming from outside in the square.

Within the hour, the baron came to escort them to the simple platform in front of the inn where an elaborate chair sat.

"Judicator Jola will hear the case," Tenzen said to the baron, and then motioned Jola forward.

She gasped. Did Tenzen really think she was ready? Tenzen gave her a slight smile, so she stepped onto the platform and faced the crowd. The whole town stood around the square. Jola felt waves of heat and cold washing over her. She had never been so excited or scared. Her viper, however, seemed relaxed as it wound itself around her neck, with its head on her shoulder looking at the gathered crowd.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. Captain, please read the charges," Jola said. She tried her best to look calm. She mustn't embarrass Tenzen.

"Merchant Aeson accuses Commoner Hugo of attacking and beating him," the captain read from his parchment. Aeson did have a purpling bruise on his face and his arm was in a sling.

Well, start with the obvious. "Commoner Hugo, did you beat Merchant Aeson?"

"Mistress, he attacked me. I have a right to defend myself." His words brought a warm flush to her body. He spoke the truth. But she also saw something else in his face: amusement. She reached up and stroked her viper, which gently curled around her hand.

"Merchant Aeson, did you attack him?"

"Yes, Mistress. He called me a son of a pig." Again, she felt the warmth of truth. Anger simmered in his voice. She paused for a moment, puzzled.

"Commoner Hugo, why did you hit Merchant Aeson so many times that you caused him injuries?"

"When he attacked me, I had a right to defend myself. I may have hit him a few times too many." Jola sensed truth and amusement again. She pressed her viper's head to her cheek.

"Commoner Hugo, had you done business with Merchant Aeson before the fight?"

"No...yes. He...he sold me some merchandise," Hugo said.

"And were you happy with the merchandise?"

"He cheated me." His face flushed a bright red. "He told me the tack was good leather, only a little used and in good condition. It broke the third time I used it. I busted a rib when it broke." She saw his anger in his reddened face.

"So, you incited Merchant Aeson into a fight so you would be justified in beating him?" Her lips twitched as her viper slid off her hand and disappeared into a pocket. Obviously, it considered the interesting part over.

"No...yes, Mistress. But he deserved it." Cords stood out in his neck as his face reddened further.

"And you broke a rib." Jola rose and walked down the platform to Tenzen. "What do you suggest?"

"It's your judgment." Tenzen shrugged.

"They are both wrong." Jola returned to the platform, since Tenzen didn't seem willing to help.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving the assault of Commoner Hugo on Merchant Aeson," Jola chanted. "I decree the following:

"First, Commoner Hugo is guilty of provoking a fight with Merchant Aeson and beating him when he responded. For that, Commoner Hugo is sentenced to five strokes of the cane.

"Second, Merchant Aeson is guilty of selling Commoner Hugo faulty merchandise under false pretensions. For that, Merchant Aeson is sentenced to five strokes of the cane.

"Third, Commoner Hugo's injuries resulting from the faulty merchandise are considered equal to five strokes of the cane, and Merchant Aeson's beating is considered equal to five strokes of the cane.

"Fourth, the transaction is void. Commoner Hugo will return the merchandise to Merchant Aeson, who will refund the purchase price.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

Taking care to walk with great dignity, and keeping her back very straight, Jola left the platform. She couldn't help beaming when she met Tenzen's eyes. "It was wonderful. And my viper seemed interested in what I was doing. Did you see it when Hugo admitted he had been cheated? It disappeared into my clothes as if to say 'the fun's over.' I nearly laughed."

Tenzen chuckled.

That night, they stayed at the village's small, rustic inn. It had no name, just "the Inn." The rooms were small and plain, but the roast chicken was tasty and filling.

* * *

Around noon on the sixth day, they emerged from the forest, and Jola had her first look at city of Lappin. It filled the entire landscape as far as the sea. To the north of the city, on a peninsula, rose a huge castle surrounded by high stone walls. Jola stared, open-mouthed.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Tenzen said. "That's the royal castle that houses the king's substantial army. It's a city within a city."

Upon entering through the city gates, Jola followed Tenzen through a maze of cobblestone streets. The myriad scents of the city that she hadn't smelled in so long-sweat, horses' droppings, meat cooking on a vendor's brazier-swept over her like a tide. She shook her head. It was as though her city life had happened only a few days ago instead of many years.

Eventually, they reached the streets that opened onto the peninsula and the towering gates to King Nicolas's castle. Jola was sweating with nerves. She knew the streets and the markets, but not nobility. A baron wouldn't invite her into his home, much less the ruler of Pyxus. She gasped when a guard ushered them through marble hallways, adorned with statues and colorful rugs and hangings. They came to a door guarded by two men with naked swords at their sides.

Their escort knocked at the door. Another guard opened it only enough to admit him. A minute later, the doors swung open wide. Heart pounding, she followed Tenzen into a warm, comfortable room. Shelves loaded with books covered the walls between beautiful paneling, paintings framed in gold, and a wall of long, narrow windows. In the center of the room, a tall woman sat behind a large wooden desk. She had long brown hair pulled back and tied with black and yellow ribbons-Tyrol's colors-and she wore a yellow silk shirt. As she stood to greet them, a smile lit her narrow, hawk-like face.

"Judicator Tenzen, what an unexpected pleasure. It's been a long time since you visited. I had thought your years on the circuit were over." The woman hugged Tenzen.

Jola felt nervous sweat begin to trickle down her ribs. This was obviously a very important woman.

"Thank you, Princess Regina, you are more the monarch each time I see you. With your permission, let me introduce our newest judicator, Jola. I have her letter of authorization to be inscribed into the official records." Tenzen nodded toward Jola.

"I am pleased to meet you, Judicator Jola. You are welcome here anytime."

Jola flushed with embarrassment as the princess scrutinized her. She was glad for the training the sisters had provided her. Otherwise, she would have been groveling on the floor before Regina-the heir to the king and the current Duchess of Tyrol. However, she was required to kneel before the king and no one else. She bowed her head slightly. "It's my honor to meet you, Your Highness."

"I am glad you are here. We have several cases that require a judicator. It would be an excellent opportunity for our newest judicator to gain experience," Regina said. "We'll hold the trial in the castle courtyard, since I plan to attend." Her face brightened again with a smile. "If you would both join me for lunch, I would like to get to know Judicator Jola."

They ate lunch in a room that could have easily accommodated fifteen people. The eating utensils and plates were heavy silver embossed with scrollwork, and the glasses were crystal. A lace cloth covered the table.

When she wasn't eating, Jola kept her trembling hands folded firmly in her lap. Her life in bondage was less stressful than talking about herself with a princess. After a feast that Regina called "lunch," Tenzen took Jola down to the army training yard looking for her older brother, Besnik, the senior weapons master.

The area looked like a small city. Row upon row of barracks, each with an adjoining stable and workout corral, surrounded the huge field used to exercise the horses and conduct drills. Hundreds of men and women strode about. At the edge of the field stood an enclosed ring with seating for hundreds.

A man with long dark hair tied back in a tail stood in the middle of the ring, demonstrating a curved blade technique to a group of soldiers.

"My brother, Besnik," Tenzen said with a smile.

Besnik was several fingers taller than Tenzen, and thinner. Otherwise, the family resemblance was strong: black hair, black piercing eyes, and a tanned complexion.

"That isn't a longsword he's using," Jola said with a frown.

"The military mostly use sabers."

"Tenzen!" Besnik walked across the ring to join them at the rail. He grabbed Tenzen into a tight embrace. "It is wonderful to see you. You've been hiding at the monastery for too many years."

Another man had followed her brother. "I agree with your brother, Judicator Tenzen. It's been too many years between visits," the other man said, grinning at her. "I don't believe I've met your sister."

"Excuse me, Prince Aquila. This is our newest judicator, Jola. Judicator Jola, this is Prince Aquila, the king's son and the commander of Tyrol's army," Tenzen said, by way of introduction. Jola could hardly miss the similarity between Princess Regina and Prince Aquila. He stood a few fingers taller, but his face was narrow and hawkish like his sister's.

"I'm honored to meet you, Prince Aquila. I read about your distinguished army career while studying at the monastery." Jola made a slight bow.

"How would you like to begin your career on a distinguished note, Judicator Jola?" Aquila grinned.

"I'm at your service." She felt weak in the knees and anything but confident. Somehow, this didn't sound like a normal judgment. Well, what choice did she have?

"During our last inventory, we discovered that three swords had been stolen. We conducted an investigation, but we have been unable to discover the thief or thieves. We do not know when the swords were stolen; it was probably sometime between the last inventory and the current one. And there are more than one thousand soldiers who had access to the weapons during that period." Aquila gave an apologetic shrug.

Jola stood quiet for several minutes while everyone awaited her response. This wasn't exactly a judicator's case, but the prince had requested her help. It would take several eightdays to interview one thousand men and women. Tenzen's calm expression conveyed no hint to what she should do. Even if she could somehow quickly eliminate several hundred or so, that would still leave hundreds to interview. As she stood there, her mind in turmoil, her viper wove itself into her hair and rested its head on hers. Its tongue flicked her ear, and she felt the tension in her shoulders fade away. She straightened her back and smiled at the prince. She would do the best she could.

"Prince Aquila, I would like to meet the person who is responsible for the weapons." She had to start somewhere, so why not start where the problem was discovered? Maybe she could find a way of eliminating some soldiers.

She followed the prince to a large stone building where the weapons were stored. There, they met with Sergeant Tolek, a gray-haired man missing an arm, who acted as quartermaster. He bowed deeply and gave her his place at his desk. He explained the entire process to Jola, including how he accounted for the weapons he issued and how he conducted an inventory each eightday. Beaming with pride, he explained how he had reorganized the storage racks to make it easier to take his eightday inventory and keep track of the weapons. His inventories had always come out right except for the last one. It had revealed the three missing swords.

Jola sensed the truth of everything he said. The orderly arrangement of the weapons impressed her. Each type had its own area, where the weapons were displayed to be easily seen for inspection, accessible for issue, and counted for inventories. The swords hung in rows of twelve along a long wall. The windowless building had one ironwood door reinforced with steel bands and secured with three locks. The swords must have been stolen while the building was open, with Sergeant Tolek inside. That meant that he and his personnel were the obvious suspects.

She walked down the line of wooden racks that held the weapons, running a finger along the bars that locked them in place and trying to decide how any could have gone missing.

"How do you count each set of weapons?" Jola said. Thousands of stored weapons had to be difficult to keep track of.

"I count the rows then multiply them by the number in each row." Tolek's smile grew even wider.

"How much is twenty rows of twelve?" Jola didn't know how many rows of swords there actually were, but she was interested in knowing how Tolek went about calculating the sums. She knew the average soldier performed multiplication by tedious addition.

"Wait one moment, Mistress," Tolek said, as he went to his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Two hundred thirty-seven."

"Can I see that paper, Sergeant?" Being called "mistress" made her want to wait for Tenzen to answer. She had been comfortable with "street rat" and had gotten used to "worthless scum" and even "acolyte" while in bondage, but "mistress?" She was half this man's age.

"Yes, Mistress." Tolek handed her the paper, which she scanned. While she ran her finger along the rows of numbers, her viper slid down her arm to rest on her hand. She giggled. Tolek stood watching with his mouth open.

She found only the one error; however, it had had a ripple effect. She spent ten minutes correcting it before handing the paper back to him. "Sergeant, please take the sword inventory again."

Twenty minutes later, Tolek announced "twenty-eight" and looked at the sheet Jola had corrected. "Three hundred thirty-six! That is the number I am supposed to have, Mistress."

"Yes, Sergeant, whoever prepared your multiplication tables made an error when he multiplied twelve by fifteen. Any count over fourteen would have been off by three. Anything less would have been correct."

Jola smiled at the sergeant and then left, while he stuttered out his gratitude and praise. She returned to the practice ring looking for Tenzen. Jola found her with Prince Aquila. They were circling each other in the middle of the ring, wooden longswords in hand. Tenzen's brother acted as referee and ringmaster. Aquila swung, with a practiced stroke. Tenzen deftly sidestepped. Soon they were trading blows. He had reach on Tenzen but was still hard-pressed to defend himself. She parried and dodged his every blow. Twice, she nearly slipped inside his defense. Eventually, Besnik stepped in and stopped the contest. Both Tenzen and Aquila were breathing hard and dripping with sweat.

Aquila walked toward Jola as he used a cloth to wipe his face. "Well, Judicator Jola, when are you going to start your interviews?"

"That won't be necessary, Your Highness. Whoever prepared the multiplication tables for Sergeant Tolek made a mistake. When he used them, he was off. I fixed the error. Sergeant Tolek's new count verified that all weapons are accounted for." Jola blushed with nerves. This business of talking to royalty would take some getting used to.

"Something I could have found, if I had not been in a hurry to assume they were stolen," Aquila said, and smiled. Jola decided it was best not to comment, and was relieved when Tenzen joined them. Jola felt like a child playing an adult. Aquila didn't see the street urchin still hiding inside her, but that didn't make her comfortable talking with him as an equal.

"Judicator Tenzen, I compliment you on your newest judicator. She has solved in hours what we have been investigating for an eightday."

"Thank you, Prince Aquila. She has been everything we could ask for as a student. I expect her to be everything we could ask for as a judicator." Tenzen smiled at her. Then she turned to her brother. "Can I impose on you to work Jola on the longsword while we are in Lappin? I believe she may need the skill before we've finished our tour."

"Of course," Besnik said as he waved to Jola. "Judicator Jola, I mean no disrespect, but in the ring, I am the master and you the student. There you will be Jola, not Judicator Jola. Will that be a problem?"

"No, Master Besnik, I'm used to being called far worse." Jola laughed, and after a surprised look, Besnik joined in.

* * *

The castle courtyard, where the trial was to be held, was paved with gray stones. Jola thought that they would have seemed unpretentious if it weren't for the carved stone platform and the castle, which served as a magnificent backdrop. An exquisite tapestry of eagles in flight covered the platform, and flags and pendants flew from multiple poles alongside. She recognized the king's flag, with a double-edged sword on a red field, and Tyrol's flag, with a golden eagle on a black field. She frowned up at the other flags and pendants. Perhaps they had military significance. A beautiful, cream-colored silk canopy sheltered the platform's three chairs from the bright sunlight. She didn't think she could have brought herself to climb onto the platform if Tenzen hadn't been with her. It seemed appropriate for Princess Regina and Tenzen, but not for her. She started to sweat and a drop ran down her ribs.

On the platform, Tenzen sat in the center with Regina to her right. Jola took her place to the left. People filed in and a mutter of voices filled the air. The press of the crowd crammed people against the edges of the platform. She thought there must have been hundreds there. "In the name of King Nicolas, we, Judicator Tenzen and Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. Captain, read the charges, please," Tenzen said to the city guard captain, who was standing in front of two men being watched by four guards.

"Freeman Conway is accused of stealing a carved statue from Freeman Fallon," the captain read aloud from a scroll, which crackled as he rolled it. He placed a statue in front of them.

"Judicator Jola, you may question the accused." Tenzen nodded to Jola, and then sat down and folded her hands in her lap. Jola was sure she saw Tenzen's lips twitch below her golden mask.

The robe, the dagger, and the viper were part of a beautiful dream; the raised platform, the crowd, and the accused were part of reality. She felt her viper wind its way around her neck and lay its head on her shoulder, staring where she stared. Her tense muscles began to uncoil. She reached up and stroked her viper. She felt as though in some long-past day she had dreamed of this-yet knew that she couldn't have.

"Freeman Conway, did you steal Freeman Fallon's statue, the one on the stand before me?" Jola said, thinking that this should be an easy judgment.

"No, Mistress," Conway said.

She felt the warmth of truth, but also sensed apprehension from Conway. "Captain, where was the statue found?"

"In Freeman Conway's house, Mistress."

Again, she felt the truth of the statement. He had obtained the statue somehow. "Freeman Conway, did you have someone else steal it from Freeman Fallon?"

"Yes, Mistress. I..."

"I knew it. He has admitted he's guilty!" Fallon stepped forward, but a guard put a hand on his shoulder.

She couldn't help the tiny smile that twitched her lips as she remembered her own trial by Sister Kassandra.

"One-silver fine, Freeman Fallon, for interrupting the proceedings."

"Please continue, Freeman Conway. You were going to say something else?" He was guilty of theft. But why? Money? Greed? Revenge? Kassandra had always sought the why, since you had to know the why to understand the real story.

"I had to have someone steal it back from Fallon. I couldn't prove it was really mine. I bought it from a traveling merchant several years ago, but I had no proof. Who knows where a merchant like that might be? I have no way of finding him."

Conway tells the truth. An interesting problem. Without the judicator's ability to sense truth, Conway would have no way of proving he was the rightful owner. Of course, Freeman Fallon probably couldn't have proved Conway stole it from him. "Then how did Freeman Fallon get your statue?"

"I don't know, Mistress. I only know that it was stolen from my house several eightdays ago. I only learned recently that he had the statue." Conway shrugged his thin shoulders. Conway believed what he said, but what if Fallon had come by it legally?

"Freeman Fallon, did you steal this statue from Freeman Conway?" she said, still looking for the loose thread that would unravel the story.

"No, Mistress. It's mine." Fallon's face was flushed and beaded with sweat.

Jola felt the falseness of the words grate over her skin like sandpaper, and felt her viper change position. It turned in Fallon's direction.

"Another one-silver fine for lying to me. Would you like to try for three silvers?" Jola's lips twitched again, and Princess Regina gave an almost silent laugh. Jola suddenly realized that although the fine was punitive, the real intent was to maintain control over the proceeding. Reprimanding the man could result in a duel of words. Calling the guards to quiet him could disrupt the hearing. The fine provided a simple and effective method of maintaining order.

Fallon shook his head, so Jola said, "Freeman Fallon, did you steal the statue from Freeman Conway?"

"I...yes, Mistress." Fallon looked at his feet.

"Freeman Conway, how much did you pay to have it stolen back?" Jola said. The irony was that Fallon had brought the charge of theft against Conway. Otherwise, there would never have been a case.

"Four silvers, Mistress."

"I have concluded my interrogation, Judicator Tenzen," Jola said.

"You may announce your verdict."

Jola hesitated, but she couldn't argue with everyone watching. Sister Kassandra had reviewed countless cases and their verdicts with her and Rosa, but none seemed to fit this case precisely. She sighed in resignation, and chanted the hundred-year-old ritual words leading to her decision.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving Freeman Conway and Freeman Fallon. I decree the following:

"First, the statue is the property of Freeman Conway.

"Second, Freeman Conway is absolved of the charge of theft.

"Third, Freeman Fallon is to pay Freeman Conway four silvers for his cost to retrieve his property.

"Fourth, Freeman Fallon is to pay the king the two-silvers fine imposed for interrupting the proceeding, and a ten-silvers fine for stealing.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

The crowd erupted into hundreds of noisy discussions and chuckles.

* * *

Regina, Aquila, and the two judicators sat in one of the castle's smaller dining rooms sipping a smooth red wine. Jola smiled. Her idea of "small" was three meters by three. This room was at least twenty meters by ten and had seating for more than thirty people. Dinner, even at the monastery, consisted of vegetables, bread, and sometimes meat. Before them lay a lavish feast that Jola could never have imagined in her wildest dreams. In platters was food that twice their number could not have eaten in three sittings, including a whole roast suckling pig and other food Jola did not recognize by sight or taste. Some had been colored and shaped into flowers and animals to nourish the eyes more than the stomach. The plates, glasses, and silverware lying in front of her, if sold, could have sustained her on the streets for a lifetime.

She had always known that the nobles lived in a different world from the common folks, but never before had she known quite how different. Princess Regina's voice jerked her out of her musings.

"I was quite impressed, Judicator Jola, by your handling of the judgment today. You did well and put on a performance I would have paid to see. It was the first laugh I have had in many an eightday. Even the crowds loved it."

"Thank you. I'm still learning, and didn't mean to trivialize the judgment," Jola said. Was it wrong if the crowds laughed? It had seemed so easy at the monastery-determine who was lying and render a verdict.

Tenzen shook her head. "You did well. Your method of maintaining control of the proceeding, while humorous, was effective. And although we are not here to please the crowds, pleasing them isn't a bad thing."

"And your resolution of our stolen swords case was certainly worth a laugh, after we got over our embarrassment of having given Sergeant Tolek a multiplication table that was off by three-the exact number of swords we were missing, Regina," Aquila said, turning to his sister.

Regina frowned into her wine glass. "I'm afraid the case tomorrow will not be as humorous, since a young noble is accused of beating a man and causing him serious injury. Tomorrow I must be present as the king's representative, since it involves a nobleman."

"If you have no objection, Princess Regina, I would like Judicator Jola to hear the case," Tenzen said. "The ruling will, of course, be subject to my approval."

"Subject to your approval, I have no objections."

Jola felt herself color as Regina scrutinized her. At the monastery, her instructors had taught that judging nobles was always a sensitive proposition, subject to a backlash from the noble's family and from the common folks. The commoners wanted equal justice. The nobles did not. While the judicators had the protection of the king, sometimes such judgments led to unpleasantness.

* * *

Jola spent the morning training with Master Besnik. Although she would have thought it impossible, he was even better than Tenzen with the longsword. He seemed to anticipate her every move, and had to wait for her to make the move so he could counter it.

After an hour, Besnik stopped. "This is the last match for today. For this, I'm going to attack you as if I were really trying to kill you. Are you ready?" Besnik stepped back and took a ready stance. Her heart began to race. They'd had many matches during the training, but they tended to be controlled and somewhat choreographed. Numb, she stepped back and took her ready stance. As she did, all motion in the yard, including Besnik's, seemed to stop. A mist slowly engulfed Besnik, his body turning into golden scales and growing until it towered over her. In the swirling mist, a viper's head replaced Besnik's.

"Well, little one, your viper is concerned about you." The huge viper's tongue flickered but no sound emerged. The sound vibrated in her head.

"Yes," Jola thought as her mouth froze. She mentally shouted, "But Besnik is a master!"

"So you are only going to fight drunks and amateurs?"

As the irony sunk in, she took a deep breath.

"You are focused on Besnik's sword, or hand, or face or... " The viper words reverberated in her mind.

"Look through him, not at him, and see everything: his sword, his body movement, his breathing, his eyes, and the pulse in his neck. Look through me!"

She did, and saw Besnik's body making subtle movements that forewarned a pending attack. Fortunately, he seemed to be in slow motion.

"Now relax. There is no reason to move until action is required. You only telegraph your intention. You move faster when your muscles are relaxed than when they are tense. Relaxed, you will be able to feel the movements of your opponent."

A peace settled over her, and the viper faded back into mist and drifted away.

Besnik attacked. His sword swung straight at her face. Her sword met his, and she twisted to force his past her. But instantly, she felt the beginning of a thrust to her stomach. He lunged. Parrying and dodging, she forced his sword past her by a finger's width. Her sword slashed up as his arm went past her, and she used his momentum to drive her sword into his stomach. He grunted, and she winced. The swords were wooden, and blunted, but a thrust to the stomach still hurt.

"Damn, Jola, I hope I taught you that. I thought you weren't moving because you were tired or in shock. I now see you were waiting for me to move. Excellent." Smiling for the first time that day, he gave her a small salute, touching his sword to his forehead.

She left the practice area not knowing whether to be excited or terrified. Had she seen and talked to Naga? Or had she hallucinated? If she had hallucinated, had she really scored against Besnik?

* * *

The crowd was larger than the previous day's as Princess Regina, Tenzen and Jola stepped up onto the raised platform and took their seats. Men and women dressed in finery and jewels lined the front of the platform. When the crowd quieted, Tenzen stood to begin the proceeding.

"In the name of King Nicolas, we, Judicator Tenzen and Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. Captain, read the charges, please."

A young nobleman in his early twenties stood next to a city guard as the captain unrolled a document and read, "Lord Kedge, son of Count Lazare, is accused of beating Freeman Jessup without justification, causing him serious injury."

Tenzen turned to Jola and said, "Judicator Jola, do you have questions for the accused?"

Jola would have liked to ask Tenzen how she, a young woman and a commoner, would question a noble. Her viper rose up and brushed its head along her cheek.

She nodded to Tenzen. "I have several questions."

Tenzen motioned for Jola to begin.

"Lord Kedge, did you beat Freeman Jessup with the intention of causing him serious injury?" She needed to determine the basic facts of the case before she moved on to the why of the story. She had to be more sensitive to the issues, as the case involved a noble who was the son of a count. No. She frowned. Lord Kedge was just a man accused of a crime, for which he was either guilty or not. He was not above or beneath the law. Her viper wound its way into her long hair and poked its head out beside her right ear as if to remind her of its presence and support.

"Yes, Judicator Jola. He is a thief." Kedge smiled.

Jola felt the truth of his statement. "A one-silver fine, Lord Kedge. You will confine your remarks to the question asked."

"He is a thief and deserved the beating, Mistress," Kedge said, this time without the smile. Again, Jola felt the truth of the statement.

"An additional five-silvers fine, Lord Kedge, for ignoring my warning." Jola held his stare for a moment, and then turned to Jessup.

"Freeman Jessup, did you steal anything from Lord Kedge?"

"No, Mistress, I swear I did not," Jessup said, with his hand over his heart.

"Liar!" Kedge shouted. Jola felt the grate of falseness from Kedge's outburst, and felt her viper wind its way to the top of her head. For a better look at the fool?
You would think an educated man would be smarter than to lie to a judicator.

"Another five-silvers fine for interrupting the proceeding, and an additional ten silvers for lying. Lord Kedge, it will be far less expensive if you stick to the truth." Jola kept her tone calm and smooth. How many silvers was it going to take to subdue Kedge? She would have worked all month for one silver when she was on the streets.

"Captain, was there anything found on Freeman Jessup that belonged to Lord Kedge?" Jola said.

"Mistress, he had three silvers, which Lord Kedge claimed were stolen from him," the captain said. Jola was beginning to believe the thief was more honest than the nobleman was.

"Did you steal those silvers, or anything from Lord Kedge?"

"No, Mistress, I swear I did not," Jessup again touched his heart.

"Swearing is a nice touch, Freeman Jessup, but unnecessary. If you lie, I will know it. Now, did you intend to steal from Lord Kedge?"

"Yes, Mistress, but I changed my mind. He seemed too sober and mean." She nodded. He was telling the truth.

"I told you he was a thief," Kedge said.

"You must be a rich man, Lord Kedge. An additional ten silvers for continuing to interrupt me. That is thirty-one silvers, in case you are not counting. Would you like to double it?" As she paused to let that sink in, her viper decided to make its grand entrance. It slithered down her neck and over her breasts into her lap, where it rested its head on her knee, pointing toward Kedge.

"No...Mistress." Kedge watched the viper's progress, his eyes widening.

"Freeman Jessup, if you did not attempt to rob Lord Kedge, how did you anger him?" Something must have started this whole chain of events. Surely, Lord Kedge didn't go about the city looking for thieves to beat.

"I turned away to survey the room. When I decided to leave, I accidentally stepped in front of Lord Kedge. He shoved me, and I wound up on my ass-pardon, Mistress. I shouted 'who do you think you are' before I realized he was a noble. He came over and kicked me until I blacked out," Jessup said in a low but steady voice.

It was the truth, but Jola wanted to understand everything that had happened. Perhaps he had provoked the nobleman somehow. "Did you attempt to defend yourself?"

"No, Mistress, I was on my back on the floor. And I thought defending myself would make matters worse." Jessup kept his eyes downcast.

Again, she sensed truth. "Lord Kedge, do you deny Freeman Jessup's account of the events that led to you beating him? Before you answer, think carefully," Jola said in a normal, conversational voice. However, it was spoiled when her golden viper's head rose up a hand's length, weaving back and forth as if in warning.

"No...Mistress. He got in my way, so I pushed him. When he shouted at me, I kicked him several times," Kedge said, straining to keep his voice under control. He opened his mouth to continue, but he restrained the impulse with obvious effort.

"Captain, what were Freeman Jessup's injuries?" Jola said. She had established Kedge's guilt, and the why of the incident. It only remained to determine the punishment.

"Besides many bruises, he had two broken ribs and three teeth knocked out."

"Thank you. I have enough for a decision now," Jola said as she looked to Sister Tenzen, hoping she would be the one to sentence Kedge. Am I a coward, or afraid of being biased against the nobility? Tenzen, however, without hesitation nodded for her to continue. Jola stood, her knees shaking, as she prepared to administer her first judgment against a noble. But he's just a man accused of a crime.

"Let me preface my decision with a few remarks. My ruling is not final until confirmed by senior Judicator Tenzen. Also, Lord Kedge has the right to appeal to the king's representative, Princess Regina. As a judicator, I can only judge the case before me on the merits of the events as they relate to the charges. Therefore, although I and others may suspect that Freeman Jessup is a thief, he is not on trial. This case is about one man beating another." She paused, meeting the eyes of people in the crowd before glancing toward Kedge, Jessup, and finally Regina and Tenzen.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved, subject to Judicator Tenzen's review, beyond any man's right to question the issue before me involving Lord Kedge and Freeman Jessup," Jola chanted. "I decree the following:

"First, Lord Kedge is to pay the king the thirty-one silvers he was fined during the judgment.

"Second, Lord Kedge is to pay Freeman Jessup fifty silvers for injuries suffered.

"Third, Lord Kedge is to receive five strokes of the cane for his unprovoked and brutal attack on Freeman Jessup.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

Tenzen rose from her seat as her viper's head emerged from beneath her robe. "I confirm the ruling by Judicator Jola."

Kedge darted forward and threw himself to his knees. "Princess Regina, I appeal to you. This ruling is unfair. The man I beat is a common thief."

Princess Regina rose. "I agree Freeman Jessup is a thief, and if we catch him stealing, he will be punished. However, you were charged and have been found guilty of injuring a man for no other reason than that he stepped into your path and had the nerve to be upset at having been knocked down. I believe the ruling is fair, Lord Kedge."

The princess's voice carried across the courtyard.

"Neither the king nor I want to return to the days when nobles were above the law."

This time the crowd remained quiet.

* * *

"Well, you did well on your first major judgment. I admit that you have a unique style. Do you do it on purpose?" Tenzen said as they walked toward the training ring an hour later.

"No. Each case is a fascinating story. I become so immersed in trying to recreate the events that I forget where I am. The fines, I learned from Sister Kassandra when she tried my case for attacking a freeman. It seems an effective way to maintain control of the trial." Jola smiled as she thought back to the incident.

"It is effective. I believe Lord Kedge would have been far more vocal and disruptive if the fines hadn't begun to get expensive. It could have taken violence to control him. I'm glad it didn't come to that. I'm looking forward to our trip. It should be interesting." Tenzen paused. "How are you doing with my brother?"

"Poorly, but I don't think he will give up easily," Jola said, and laughed as she watched Tenzen's facial expression change from relaxed, to shocked, to concerned.

"You're not that bad, Jola. You just need more practice," Tenzen said, in obvious defense of her student.

"Sister, have you come to supervise our session?" Besnik said with his usual relaxed smile, as he met them at the side of the practice ring.

"Jola claims she is doing poorly, brother," Tenzen said, in a way that sounded more like a question than a statement.

"It depends upon the amount of time she has to prepare. If she has more than a minute, she would be competition for a skilled swordsman. With less time, she would be a fair match for most. We're working on shortening that," Besnik said, and laughed. "Leave her here for two seasons and she will be competition even for you."

One of Regina's guards approached as Jola began getting dressed for practice with Besnik.

"Judicator Tenzen, Princess Regina would like to see you and Judicator Jola at your convenience."

"Tell the princess we will be there directly," Tenzen said, raising her eyebrows. To Jola, she said, "We need to go to the castle now."

Tenzen was silent and tense as Jola followed her into the castle and into the princess's office.

"These are troubled times, Judicator Tenzen," Regina began when the door closed behind them. "One of your sisters, Arcelia, arrived here this morn in distressing condition. The healer is examining her as we speak. I've been assured she will recover fully, given time and rest. I want you with me to hear her story." Regina paused before continuing. "Because of the seriousness of the situation, my father will join us."

* * *

The two judicators went down on one knee after entering the king's private meeting room.

"Rise," King Nicolas said. Regina, Aquila, and Arcelia were already in the room, sitting at the round table. Tenzen immediately went over to Arcelia and carefully hugged her. Arcelia had bandages on her arms and her face was white, lips tight as though she were in pain.

"Excuse us, Your Majesty. We forget our manners," Tenzen said.

"I understand, Judicator Tenzen. Please, everyone be seated. I would like Judicator Arcelia to repeat what happened to her before we discuss what must be done."

Arcelia nodded to the king and began to speak from where she sat.

"Your Highness, Princess, Prince, my sisters, Sister Lubica and I were on the road from Gotter to Warring when we were blocked by six riders who appeared to be nobles. They were young, well dressed, and riding warhorses. They told us judicators were not welcome in Essam. I killed one when I tossed my viper at him, hoping that Lubica could escape. Instead she tried to come to my aid and they cut her down." Arcelia's voice broke with a sob and she closed her eyes for a moment, until she was able to go on. "I killed another trying to reach her. When I saw it was too late, I kicked my horse to a gallop and managed to escape."

Tenzen pressed her fingers to her mouth, distress clear on her face. "I am thankful that you were able to do so, sister. On warhorses, they might well have ridden you down."

"I don't know why they let me flee. They seemed more interested in stopping us from entering Essam than killing me."

A grim silence fell over the room.

Eventually, King Nicolas spoke, his voice low and tense. "I will not tolerate Pyxus reverting to the old days, when the nobility was above the law. What the fools don't realize is that the Seven Provinces' Treaty saved them. The commoners could tolerate no more abuse. Without the Sisters of Astraea, we would have been annihilated." His voice rose, and he slammed his fist down on the table. "I would crush these people. But I don't know whether it is merely a few young discontents or a plot to overthrow the kingdom. I hate to ask the judicators to get involved, but I can see no other way of discovering whether this is a widespread plot."

"You are right, Your Majesty. The people responsible would only hide from your troops," Tenzen said. "If Jola is willing, we will continue pretending to be on a normal training circuit for a new judicator. Using that as an excuse, we could tour the provinces, collect information, and report back to you with our findings."

Jola reached up to touch her viper. It curled lovingly around her hand, which she then touched to her face. It was a gift that made life worth living; a gift that made her a Sister of Astraea.

Her heart beat hard and she wasn't quite sure if it was from excitement or fear. "I'm willing." She nodded.

"Would you like an escort?" Regina said.

"No, thank you. I think it would be more informative if we were traveling alone. Besides, an escort would appear to be a violation of the treaty, and may invoke dissention where there was none before," Tenzen said.

As they left the chamber, Tenzen said to Jola, "Pack tonight and we'll leave at first light."

CHAPTER FOUR

Tyrol Province

Jola couldn't help her grin as they rode away from the capital. Their stay in Lappin had been beyond her wildest dreams. She could have floated to the next town.

"Sister Tenzen, where are we going now?" Jola asked, trying to sound calm, instead of giddy and excited to be moving on to a new adventure.

"You're enjoying yourself, aren't you? You haven't stop smiling or talking since we left Lappin." Tenzen chuckled.

"Oh, yes. I never imagined that it could be so wonderful to be alive or that life could be so good." This was a life with wonders she had never imagined, and she had her own personal tour guide.

"I find it interesting that many people who have always lived a privileged life believe that they are ill-treated and their lives are wretchedly inadequate. Conversely, you who have been ill-treated and have known real misery believe your life's good. I wonder if their depression comes not only from expecting good things to happen to them every day but also from their preconception of good and bad-while your happiness comes not only from finding good things that happen to you but from your preconception of good and bad. It's a great reminder of how much our preconceived notions influence our thinking and our lives."

"But Sister Tenzen, good and bad can't just be our preconception of things. Aren't we supposed to see and punish objectively bad behavior?"

"Actually, no. Our responsibility is to punish people who break the law, are caught, and brought to trial. You didn't punish Freeman Jessup, yet he's certainly a thief. Your previous bosses in the fish processing plant were cruel, and they weren't punished for that. Religions define actions as evil that aren't crimes by Pyxus's law. No, Jola. Good and bad are very relative," Tenzen said. "Speaking of Freeman Jessup, did the fact that you were once a thief influence your verdict?"

Jola rode silently for several minutes, trying to untangle her feelings from that trial and answer Tenzen's question. She did feel prejudiced against the nobility. Was she favorably disposed toward thieves and commoners? Would she favor harsh sentences for nobles and lenient sentences for commoners? She hoped not. She reached up to stroke her viper, which coiled around her hand. I want-no-we wantequal justice for nobles and commoners alike. She brought the viper lovingly to her lips. It flicked its tongue against her lips before winding itself around her neck.

"No. To me, each judgment is a wonderful, new story that I get to explore. I think of the people in the story as actors. Some of those actors are what they appear to be. Others are just pretending. I don't know who's who until I've come to the end of the story. Jessup the thief would be a different story. Besides, Jessup's a professional thief, not a small child trying to steal enough to stay alive." Jola remembered her meager thefts-scraps of food or rags to cover her body. "Do you think I did wrong?"

"No. I found your verdicts fair. But if I'm going to guide you during your apprenticeship, I need to understand your reasoning. To be fair, your logic must support the facts and your verdict." Tenzen paused for a bit. "You have an unorthodox approach, but your results have been balanced and fair. And to answer your earlier question, we're headed for the Iron Hills settlement, which should take us nine days."

* * *

During the first four days, they passed only a couple of coaches and a horseman. Those they did see were traveling to Lappin. Tenzen continued to stop early each night for sword practice. Jola was enjoying their sojourn. They were welcomed in the villages they passed, and spent some time in each talking with farmers and shop owners. Where the villages had inns, they stayed to eat and sleep. If village inns weren't available, they ate by a small fire and slept in the tent that Jola had become proficient at helping Tenzen set up. When Jola thought about what might happen when they arrived at the next town, she just shrugged. Street rats seldom worried about yesterday or tomorrow. Yesterday was gone and couldn't be changed, and tomorrow might never come.

The longsword practice was, however, welcome; if trouble arose, Jola wanted to be sure she didn't let Tenzen down or cause her to get hurt. Besides, she enjoyed the time with Tenzen, a beloved older sister, and the beauty of their deadly dance.

Jola concentrated on mastering the viper's, or Naga's, advice-don't focus on your opponent, don't move until action is required, and don't tense up. That took a clear mind, empty of distractions. She could achieve that state, but she required too much time-time she might not have in a real fight. When Tenzen gave her time, at least a half minute, she could parry her sister stroke for stroke. When Tenzen attacked quickly, she usually lost badly. Jola giggled as she imagined the scene. Sir, please wait while I prepare myself to fight you. I'll just be a minute or so.

Jola was determined to reduce that time to seconds, and devised a way to practice as she rode. Whenever an animal, bird, or stranger appeared, she strove to clear her mind.

Sunset had just tinted the western sky rose and gold on the fifth day when they crested a ridge and saw a clearing in the forest where the rutted road passed by an inn. A couple of shops and a handful of houses surrounded the place. Two log-laden wagons pulled into the yard and their drivers shouted for the stableboy. Several roughly clothed men jumped off and tramped through the doors.

Tenzen dismounted and tied her horse at the rail, nodding for Jola to do the same. Inside, the clamor shrank to a low roar and the innkeeper greeted them with a smile.

"The mill workers from north of town come in about this time, Mistresses. Let me show you to a table where you can hear yourselves think."

"Thank you, and would you have your stableboy see to our mounts and packhorse? We'll stay the night if you have room," Tenzen said.

"Yes, I'll see to it."

The taproom where he led them was reserved for gentlefolk, which included anyone not a laborer at the mill, from what Jola could see. The tables were long, with settles instead of chairs, and the rushes were none too fresh-but at least the noise was less.

The innkeeper had just set bowls of steaming mutton stew and a basket of dark bread in front of them when a small group of guards came in.

"I have your prisoners locked up safe in the storeroom. I'll be along with your dinner in a heartbeat," the innkeeper said to them.

The guards gave Tenzen and Jola respectful nods, and smiled. After a few words of introduction, the guards asked if they had news from the capital. Tenzen did most of the talking, mainly answering questions.

Jola and Tenzen relaxed at the table after the meal. Tenzen turned to the guards and said, "Sergeant Adrin, could I interest you and your soldiers in sword practice with my young sister? She is new and can use the practice."

"Yes, Mistress. We can always use the practice as well. But we only use the traditional army saber. It wouldn't be a fair weapon against a judicator's dagger."

"No need for concern. Jola will use a longsword. The difference in weapons should be good for you and for her, since the longsword is the normal weapon of the nobles."

The sergeant suggested they use the corral to the rear of the inn, since the horses, having been feed and groomed, were in the stables.

The corral's even dirt surface provided excellent footing and plenty of room to maneuver. The sergeant hesitated, giving Jola the time she needed to calm herself. After their first exchange, she slid past his parry and scored a winning touch to his chest.

Jola scored a winning hit on the next guard with little trouble. Then, a woman veteran bounded up, rattled her with a quick attack, and scored the kill. Tenzen requested a rematch, which Jola, upset with herself, also lost. Another veteran walked up and took his place for the last match. Jola quelled her anger, laughing at the stupidity of getting upset, and reclaimed her calm. The veteran lost as Jola went in close so he couldn't use his reach, and got a quick touch to his leg.

The sergeant apologized, obviously embarrassed. Tenzen just laughed and told them that she was Besnik's sister, and that Jola was their student. Returning to the taproom, they shared a flagon of wine. Tenzen spent the next hour analyzing each of their moves and explaining where they could improve. It had been a good night, and Jola went to sleep content in spite of aching muscles.

For the next three days, the guards and prisoners accompanied them as they camped beside the road. Each night, the contests continued after their evening meal. The guards found that they had a slight advantage on Jola if they attacked aggressively with complex combinations. However, as Jola began to identify the new patterns, she improved. She loved watching when they went up against Tenzen, but tried hard not to grin in delight. They found it impossible even to get a touch on her.

On the third night, Tenzen decided to match Jola against two guards simultaneously. Jola struggled for the first several matches, both terrified at the reality of two attacking at the same time and unsure of the best tactics. Mentally, she thanked Tenzen; she could only imagine what would happen if she had to fight two attackers and she'd had no practice. With Tenzen's coaching, Jola began to understand the dynamics of fighting several opponents at once. Forcing one of her opponents to move in certain ways hindered the effectiveness of the other's attack. She no longer would be a hindrance to Tenzen if it came to a real fight.

After the bouts, she spent time relaxing over a glass of wine at the campfire. She laughed and joked with the guards over their blunders and hers, as they listened to Tenzen discuss their moves and countermoves. Sometimes she learned more from her losses than from her wins.

As they finished that evening, one of the prisoners motioned to Jola. She walked toward him, curious about what he might want; the four chained prisoners usually kept their eyes down except when they looked at the guards from the corners of their eyes.

"Mistress, they are in chains, but you shouldn't get too close." The guard motioned to Sergeant Adrin, who joined her.

"Rezar here killed a merchant who he thought cheated him. He used to be a noble," Adrin said as they approached the man.

"Yes, Rezar?" Jola stopped close enough to talk, but still out of reach.

"We nobles will soon make an end of you and your old sister; I'll enjoy it when we do," Rezar said. His disheveled hair and unshaven face, distorted with anger, seemed to match his mood.

"The nobles agreed to the Seven Provinces' Treaty, which created the kingdom and the judicators." She shrugged. The man didn't know his history of Pyxus.

"Nobles were meant to rule. We've had enough of being judged by commoners like you. A new king will replace you with judicators who answer to us."

"Then what will be the point of having judicators, if they're ruled by nobles?"

"To make the commoners feel good." Rezar sneered, his face twisting.

"You're right. The nobles have a reason to fear the commoners."

"We don't fear commoners." He spat at her feet, and the woman guard shoved him back so hard his feet tangled in his chains and he went down on his ass.

"If the nobles don't fear the commoners, why worry about how they feel? Besides, the nobles agreed to the judicators because they feared the commoners." Jola turned and walked away in frustration.

"Did you hear that nonsense, Sister?" Jola said as she approached Tenzen. "Before the treaty, the nobles' cruelty resulted in riots in every province. The treaty was all that stopped an all out revolt, which would have ended the nobility. And this fool wants to return to those days."

"Yes, they are fools. But some of the nobility have always resented having to be subject to the same laws as commoners. Some believe they can go back to the old ways without any consequences."

"But the king will stop them," Jola said.

"Only if he knows who they are. We have to find out whether it's just a few troublemakers, or whether someone is organizing the troublemakers into a movement large enough to be a real threat. I suspect they're attacking judicators to keep the king from finding out."

"That's why we train every night."

"Yes. Let's hope I'm worrying over an isolated incident," Tenzen said as they walked back to the fire and their tent.

Jola chewed her lip, thinking of Judicator Lubica's death. She wouldn't be able to stand it if anything happened to Tenzen. Sometimes she tried to remember details about her real family, her mother in particular. But nothing came. The thought of losing Tenzen, too, made her sweat with panic.

* * *

They arrived at Iron Hills just before sunset. The town loomed gray and dingy against the glow of the setting sun, a dramatic change from the heavily treed road they had been traveling. As they neared the town, the trees became widely spaced and the ground became bare, gray rock. At the end of the town, massive cliffs dominated, looming over the entrance to the mines. Jola shuddered as she imagined being a prisoner in this stark land of rock, and sludge from old tailings, where nothing was green or alive.

Over the previous two hundred years, various warlords had controlled the mines, working them for as long as they could defend their claims. Only in the last sixty years had the mines been aggressively worked.

Mine conditions were dangerous, and the work grueling. Few prisoners survived more than a few years, and those who did were physically broken. The settlement of Iron Hills flourished because there were three active mines, and only one used prisoners. The settlement included the prison guards, free miners, ore-processing personnel, a variety of merchants and business owners, and their collective families.

Jola and Tenzen found the inn, the Iron Mug, on the main street into town. A coach had just arrived and passengers shouted at the coachman to hand down their baggage. Inside, the innkeeper led them upstairs to a small room with two clean beds; a maid bustled in with a steaming pitcher of water. After a wash, they returned to the dining room, where a pug nosed, rotund man dressed in a lavender silk shirt, dark blue pants and a purple, short-sleeved jacket stood waiting for them.

"Welcome to Iron Hills, Mistresses. I'm Marquess Thomas, administrator of Iron Hills and the mines. I'd appreciate it if you'd join me and my guests for dinner." He gestured them to a large round table laden with food and drink. A group of well-dressed men and women sauntered in to join them.

"We'd be honored," Tenzen said.

"Your arrival is very timely. We have a case pending that requires a judicator. If you have time, I'd like to enlist your services."

"We have the time and would be happy to sit in judgment. Judicator Jola's new, and the experience would be beneficial." Tenzen sipped her wine. "This is excellent. Do you make it locally?"

"No, Mistress, we import it from Manito Province."

As the honored guest, Tenzen was the focus of everyone's attention. Freed from notice, Jola's mind wandered to the mines, where she might be today if not for Sister Kassandra's ability to get to the truth.

Jola wondered whether it was due to fate, luck, or destiny that she ate stuffed roasted squab while the prisoners ate gruel, a mashed up mixture of scraps and leftovers. She couldn't help but reach up and stroke her golden viper, thank Sister Kassandra for saving her and thank Naga for her precious gift.

* * *

Jola and Tenzen ate a leisurely breakfast before walking to the Iron Hills prison compound for the trial. A plain wooden chair and table sat on a crudely built platform. A small crowd stood in the square, which shimmered as waves of heat rose from the ground. It could have been the desert, except the ground was composed of dirty gray rock chips rather than yellow sand.

Jola hesitated as she noted the single chair and realized she'd be up there alone. She didn't know what she'd have done if her viper hadn't emerged from her blouse between her breasts and coiled around her neck, reminding her that she wasn't alone. A few snickers were mixed in with the gasps at the sight of the viper.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. Captain, please read the charges," Jola said as she took her seat.

"The prisoners, known by their prison names of Dun, Art, and Pet, are accused of killing Corporal Valdrin, their guard, and attempting to escape," the captain of the prison guard read from a parchment in a loud bass voice.

The three accused prisoners stood in front of the platform, chained hand and foot, a guard behind each. The emaciated men had faces splotched with dark bruises. Pet's eyes were swollen to slits.

Tenzen had elected to sit beside the platform to the right with Marquess Thomas. She nodded for Jola to begin.

Jola suspected Tenzen wanted her to experience what it would be like when she had her own circuit. She stared out at the crowd, overwhelmed with the crushing weight of her responsibilities. People's fates depended on her seeing the full truth; the fate of Pyxus depended upon its citizens' confidence in the decisions of their judicators, which she represented. She hadn't felt the weight in Lappin, probably because Tenzen had sat on the platform with her. She reached up and stroked her viper. It wound around her hand, and its tongue caressed her cheek. With that feather touch, calmness enveloped her. Her heart sped up at the thought of exploring a new story and the challenge of giving a fair judgment.

"Captain, what was the condition of the guard's body when you found it?" Jola didn't skip pages when reading a book. She needed all the details if she was going to understand the story.

"The guard's skull was apparently crushed by a large bloody rock we found nearby, Mistress."

"And the condition of the prisoners before you had to restrain them?" The three prisoners didn't look like they had the strength to overcome a two-year-old child, much less a healthy guard. They looked like they had been on the receiving end of a beating.

"We used very little force in recapturing them, Mistress."

Jola felt the truth of the captain's statements like a warm tide. "Captain, have the prisoners been able to talk with each other since they've been captured?"

"They've been confined in separate cells since their capture."

"Captain, please have two of the prisoners taken out of hearing range." Jola waited until she knew the two couldn't hear her. Maybe this will be easy. "What's your name?"

"Dun, Mistress."

"Dun, did you kill the guard Valdrin?"

"No, Mistress. I didn't kill Valdrin. He was-" Dun stopped in mid-sentence when Jola raised her hand.

And maybe it won't be so easy. Although she sensed the truth of his statement, she had to control his responses to ensure that true statements and the truth were the same.

"Only answer my questions. Now, tell me what happened that morning in the mine with the guard Valdrin."

"Yes, Mistress," Dun said in a rush, his words almost tripping over each other in his haste to get them out. "It was late in the morning, and Valdrin was shouting and smacking everyone around with his club. He was in an ugly mood. He beat Pet for no reason and wouldn't stop. I just wanted to stop him, so I grabbed his arm. Art tried to help me. Then Valdrin tripped and fell, so we ran. We knew he'd kill us if he caught us. He'd done it to others."

Dun's story felt true; the warmth of it washed over her. Of course, truth only meant he believed what he said was true. Possibly, the fall had killed Valdrin.

"Captain, you said you found the bloody rock nearby. Can you show me, please?"

"Yes, Mistress." He took out his sword, marked an "x" on the ground, and then walked three paces and marked another "x." "About this distance from the body."

"Bring me Pet, and take Dun to another place out of hearing and away from Art."

Jola waited for Pet to be brought to her. The guards supported the prisoner between them as he stumbled in.

"Pet, did you kill the guard Valdrin?"

"No, Mistress. He was too-"

Jola's hand stopped Pet from saying any more. "Just answer my questions. Now, tell me what happened that morning in the mine."

Pet told the same story as Dun. He described how the guard had beaten him, and how the other prisoners had intervened. Jola knew Pet, too, was telling the truth. The guards led Pet away and brought Art forward, with similar results. The men believed they hadn't killed the guard, with Art and Dun asserting they had merely tried to stop Valdrin from killing Pet. According to the prisoners, Valdrin had killed several prisoners under similar circumstances.

Jola stroked her viper's head with a finger. How might the discrepancy between the prisoners' story and what had happened to Corporal Valdrin have come about? "Captain, how many guards do you have in the mines?"

"We usually have one or more guards for each group of prisoners, depending upon the size of the prisoners' work party. There are many tunnels in the iron mine, and it isn't unusual to have four or five groups working at one time in different tunnels."

"How many guards were in the mine on the day Valdrin was killed?" Jola frowned. She needed to know where everyone was in the mine that day-because it was part of the story.

"Seven, Mistress," the captain said.

"Were any other groups working in Corporal Valdrin's tunnel at the same time?"

"No, Mistress."

"And who found the body, Captain?" Jola nodded to herself. There were only two possible alternatives-one more likely than the other.

"My second-in-command, Subcaptain Earleek, Mistress. After the prisoners were recaptured, I sent him back into the mine to see what had happened to Valdrin."

Jola turned to the subcaptain. "Subcaptain Earleek, did you kill Corporal Valdrin?" She looked directly into his eyes.

Her viper curled into her hair and emerged with its head on the top of her head, staring in the same direction. The crowd, including Thomas, gasped in surprise, while Tenzen smiled. It looked as if the viper were saying "Yes, Subcaptain, tell us."

The subcaptain stood there, staring at her, his eyes wide.

"This is ridiculous," Thomas said. He turned to Tenzen. "Stop this farce. She's not just new. She's incompetent!"

"Twenty-silvers fine, Lord Thomas. Another hundred if you interrupt again," Jola said as she looked back to Earleek. Jola's viper raised itself off her head another hand and turned toward Thomas. Tenzen put a finger to her lips, indicating silence.

"Why, Subcaptain Earleek?" Jola continued, as if nothing had happened.

"He was an evil man. He caused trouble with the other guards, besides killing some of the prisoners. When I saw him lying there, I decided it would be so easy to solve both problems," the subcaptain replied, his voice barely a whisper.

"I have reached my decision, but I'll wait to announce it until tomorrow morning. For now, please place Subcaptain Earleek in confinement." Jola rose and exited the platform. As she walked toward the inn, she wondered why they hadn't charged Valdrin with a crime or discharged him for his cruelty.

* * *

"Sister Jola, I'm not sure whether Lord Thomas is madder at you for the fine or for embarrassing him," Tenzen said as she closed the door to their room. "He turned red when he was fined and purple when the subcaptain confessed. By the way, how did you come up with the twenty-silvers fine?"

"Five for interrupting the proceeding at a critical point, five for insulting a presiding judicator, and ten for indirectly insulting you."

Tenzen laughed. "So insulting me indirectly is more important than insulting you directly?"

"Most definitely, my sister, mentor, and senior judicator." Jola's viper poked its head out of her hair as though supervising the conversation.

"Thank you, Sister. I've noticed that your viper's getting to be as unorthodox as you are. I've never seen one that seemed to take such a personal interest in events or that loved hair so much. By the way, I doubt Lord Thomas will be joining us for dinner tonight."

"I doubt he'd like to join me for dinner, since I intend to eat with the prisoners." Jola's mouth twitched into a grin. She couldn't help being curious about the prisoners' conditions.

"You didn't like roasted squab?" Tenzen laughed again. "Well, I guess I can't let my apprentice eat alone. I'll join you."

Jola hung up her ceremonial clothes on a hook and pulled on loose fitting trousers and a tunic. When they walked into the tent where the prisoners were served their two daily meals, the sergeant at the entrance started to raise his hand to stop them. At Tenzen's slight nod, he changed his mind, signaling two guards to accompany them as they got their share of gruel and water and approached one of the long tables. The prisoners strained to look at them from under lowered eyelids, a murmur going through their lines. Jola pointed to a place at the end of the table with an inward smile. The prisoners shuffled down to give them room to sit.

"Good evening, men. I'm Jola and this is Mistress Tenzen," Jola said in a firm voice. "I have already sampled the food at the inn, and I thought I'd like to compare it to your menu."

That raised a weak but spontaneous laugh from everyone. One guard started to say something, but Tenzen raised her hand, which silenced him. Most of the other guards seemed content to watch. Jola had noticed most of them among the crowd at the judgment when she fined the marquess. Her mouth twitched in amusement when Tenzen caught her eye.

Jola ate a few spoonfuls of gruel before looking at the thin, middle-aged man across from her. "And what did a gutter rat like you do to get such fine accommodations? No lies please, it will put me off my food."

After the laughing stopped, the man answered. "I was a professional thief. One day I was robbing a house I thought was empty. The owner caught me." He frowned into his bowl. "I only pushed him to get away, but he died."

Jola felt the truth of his statement. "You're no gutter rat, so what did you do?" Jola asked the older man with thinning hair that sat next to him.

"I killed my wife. She had nagged me every minute of every day for twenty years. I just couldn't take it any longer," the man said, the muscles of his neck knotting as he spoke.

Jola sensed truth. "Was it worth it?"

"No, the guards are worse nags than my wife was!"

That brought more laughter from the room. Jola spent an entertaining hour with the prisoners. The guards watched in silence, but several had to struggle to keep straight faces. Jola thought that the guards enjoyed the diversion as much as the prisoners.

At last, Jola rose, raising her hands for silence. "This former street rat and her friend thank you for the fine food and stimulating conversation." As she rose and strolled from the room, followed by Tenzen, applause echoed.

"Was that for my education, Sister Jola?" Tenzen asked as they strolled back to their quarters. "If it was, it was certainly effective. I don't think I've ever eaten anything that disgusting."

"I have, and at the time was happy to have it," Jola said absently, deep in thought.

"You are a good addition to the Sisterhood of Astraea and the Judicators of Pyxus. It's difficult to understand people unless you have lived among them. Those prisoners recognized you and were comfortable with you. They appreciated the laughter you brought into their hard lives and respected you for it. And to pay for my education, I'll save you the trouble of confronting Lord Thomas. I'll talk to him tomorrow."

* * *

As Jola climbed the steps of the platform the next morning, a sergeant approached her, while another guard several paces behind him kept a hand clamped on a prisoner's shoulder.

"Mistress, the prisoner Dun said he had something important to tell you. I can return him to his work detail if you don't want to talk to him."

"Let him approach, Sergeant." Jola wondered what Dun had done to be sentenced to the mine. He didn't seem to fit in.

"Mistress, you were kind to us yesterday... "

"No, Dun. I merely sought justice."

"Mistress, I just wanted to warn you. I'm from Gotter, in Essam. The nobles there are taking over the province. Be careful. They're dangerous and they hate the judicators," Dun said in a whisper, glancing nervously over his shoulder.

Jola could feel Dun's worry and concern for her. Her viper seemed to agree; it emerged from her hair with its head draped over her ear, as if listening.

"Dun, what did you do to be sentenced to the mines?"

"I fought with a noble. He kidnapped and molested my wife."

"How badly did you hurt him?" Jola found herself getting immersed in Dun's story. She wanted to understand exactly what had happened.

"I broke his nose, Mistress."

"Which judicator judged your case?"

"There was no judicator. Some noble made up the order."

Jola knew Dun believed what he said. Even though she didn't know all of the circumstances, something seemed to have gone disastrously awry in Dun's case.

"Thank you, Dun."

Jola strode onto the platform, determined to resolve the mystery. Her red robe caught the breeze, fluttering around her; she saw flashes of the morning sun as her golden-scaled mask reflected its rays. Her viper coiled around her raised arm.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving the murder of Corporal Valdrin," Jola chanted. "I decree the following:

"First, Dun, Art, and Pet are innocent of all charges, including that of trying to escape.

"Second, Subcaptain Earleek's guilty of murder, and sentenced to ten years in the iron mines.

"Third, Lord Thomas is to pay the king the twenty-silvers fine imposed by me as the presiding judicator.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

Jola held up her hand, with her viper coiled around her arm like a vine. She had asked that all guards attend the sentencing.

"As a judicator, I'd remind the guards and prisoners that former Subcaptain Earleek's entitled to no special treatment, good or bad, and that I'll be passing here again and again. What he did was wrong, although he did it with the intention of helping both prisoners and guards." Jola paused for a moment, looking at each guard.

"My next comments I say as a Sister of Astraea. The prisoners here have earned their sentences and deserve their punishment. Some should never be freed. However, men who are healthy work better, live longer, and because they have something to live for are less trouble. Keeping them healthy requires decent food, a good night's sleep, and reasonable breaks for water and rest. Healthy men will eventually increase the productivity of the mine, which will benefit Pyxus." Jola paused for several moments, waiting for comments. Hearing none, she left the platform.

* * *

"I checked with Lord Thomas. Dun's order was signed by a non-existent judicator," Tenzen said as she pushed back her plate from breaking fast.

Jola leaned back in her chair, her eyes wide at the thought of someone committing such a crime. Something had to be done for Dun. She couldn't undo what had happen, but she could see that the injustice went no further.

"Can you free Dun? He doesn't deserve to be here."

"You're a judicator. You have the authority to free Dun and to reimburse him." Tenzen smiled.

"Me?"

"Yes, Judicator Jola. Your word is the word of the king."

Jola sat dumbfounded. She knew the judicators conducted judgments and imposed punishments, which were law. But she had never really grasped the words "In the name of King Nicolas" she repeated each time she began a judgment. She, street rat Jola, spoke for the king of Pyxus.

* * *

They rode away from Iron Hills the next day. Jola had signed a letter of pardon for Dun and authorized a payment of fifty silvers, and Tenzen had secured a promise from Thomas to improve the prisoners' food and to consider implementing Jola's suggestions.

Tenzen was at first quiet as they rode off toward the town of Northgate, located in the North Pass, an opening in the Pyxus Spine where the borders of Tyrol, Manito, Rador, and Kasava met. It would be a four-day journey over gently rolling hills.

"Sister Jola, I think this has been the easiest and most entertaining circuit I've ever undertaken. I'm impressed with how personally interested in each case you are and how you manage to engage the crowds. Even your viper seems to be involved. I don't think I've ever seen a viper that seemed to complement so well the personality of its judicator. When you're focused on questioning a person, your viper has its head on your head, or shoulder, or arm, staring at the person. When you challenge a person, your viper takes a challenging posture. When Lord Thomas shouted at you, it rose off your head as if say, 'my judicator rules here.' It appears as involved in the proceedings as you are," Tenzen said.

"My viper's more than my companion. It's a close friend, a friend I've come to trust and rely on. Besides, it would be boring for it to just hang around my neck like a scarf," Jola said. Her viper's head appeared out of the neck of her bodice and slid up onto her shoulder to look at Tenzen, who couldn't help but laugh.

"Some of the sisters believe that each golden viper has part of the God Naga in it, and some believe that the God Naga has given the vipers intelligence. I've always thought that my viper was intelligent. Watching you two interact, I'd say it's enjoying itself as much as you are. Maybe it does have a part of the God."

* * *

The next two days, they traveled steadily from daybreak until near dark. Tenzen kept to their previous schedule, stopping early each night for practice. Jola could now calm herself within seconds. Consequently, although she wasn't Tenzen's equal, she was becoming a formidable opponent.

Around noon on the third day, as they crested a hill, they saw five men on horses spread out to block the road. Tenzen drew up ten meters in front of them and signaled for Jola to stop. The man in the center nudged his horse a meter ahead of the others. Only his lips showed through the cloth mask he wore, along with the others. He was dressed all in black leather, while the other men wore an assortment of dark-colored clothes. Their horses were good, but not warhorses.

"Well, ladies, I'm afraid everyone who uses this road has to pay a fee, to keep it safe from robbers," the man said, to a chorus of chuckles from his companions.

"What's the fee you and your friends wish to collect?" Tenzen asked.

Jola sat quietly, assessing the group. They seemed to her like a typical street gang. The only dangerous one was the leader. The rest were followers.

"Well, those daggers, any silvers you are carrying, and a kiss for each of us," the man replied with a snicker.

"A kiss for each of you sounds like fun to me." Jola jumped down from her horse and sauntered toward them, untying her hair so that it hung loose. She dropped her cape and sword, and then removed her blouse to expose her breasts, nipples tensing in the chilly air. "Well, what are you waiting for? Are you all talk and no action?"

The man sat there, mouth open for several seconds, and then flung himself off his horse and walked toward her. Her viper coiled under her hair at the back of her neck. The other four men sat on their horses, transfixed by the sight of a semi-naked woman.

As the man in black reached her, he grinned and grabbed the back of her arms, jerking her against him. Just as suddenly, he jerked his hands away and stumbled backward, blood dripping down his hand from puncture marks. His face flickered through shock, anger, pain, and fear as Jola's viper dangled over her shoulder, its tail still in her hair. Then he collapsed, his body shaking with convulsions. She shook her head as she stared at the man. She wondered why he had chosen a life of violence. When she looked up, two other men had dismounted. One headed for her, and the other toward Tenzen. Jola stooped to retrieve her sword as the man approached. He smiled, his attention on her naked chest, ignoring her sword. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Tenzen had dismounted in the confusion and was advancing on the other man. Jola's assailant lunged at her stomach. She turned sidewise, changing her profile and letting his sword slide by only a few fingers' length from her stomach. With his sword arm stretched past her, she drew her sword up, severing his hand at the wrist. He stepped back, looked at the blood pumping out, and collapsed. She felt sad, looking at the men. She had not joined the Sisters to kill. Yet, two men lay dead at her feet.

A man also lay at Tenzen's feet. Jola's viper coiled around her neck, hissing, with fangs exposed. The remaining two men turned their horses and galloped away.

"I don't think they liked my kisses, Sister," Jola said, with a humor she didn't feel. What mattered, she realized, was that she and Tenzen had survived. She moved her viper to her face and kissed it. "I don't think they liked your kisses either, my golden friend. Don't fret, I like them."

"They were so mesmerized by your breasts, I could have left without being noticed. You don't believe in fighting fair, do you, Jola?" Tenzen said with a wry laugh.

"Fair? On the streets, a fair fight is when you win. We won, so it must have been a fair fight." Jola retrieved her shirt and began dressing.

"That was a clever move, although I'm surprised you could overcome your embarrassment enough to expose yourself."

"Embarrassed over exposing my body? Being seen naked embarrasses no one who's been a bonded servant. Bonded servants have no privacy, nor can they expect any. Only the wealthy have that luxury," Jola said, as she finished dressing.

"I may be learning more from you than you are from me. I come from a well-off family and have had a comfortable life. I'd never have gone to visit the prisoners, or sat with them and eaten that gruel, or undressed in front of five robbers. My instinct was to fight, even with the bad odds. Yet you found it as natural as breathing. You're teaching me to look at people differently, and I thank you, my sister."

"You're teaching me to look at wealthy people differently, and to defend myself. For that, I thank you, my sister."

They flung the three bodies across the men's saddles and strung the horses together before they left. Rather than stopping to camp with three dead bodies, they decided to ride through the night. Jola shuddered. It felt eerie traveling in the shadows of massive oak trees, trailed by three dead men.

Later, as Jola and Tenzen rode across a rocky slope, Northgate came into view through a small valley between the peaks. Jola shifted in her saddle. A judicator's arrival created talk, and a few spectators. Two judicators leading three horses with dead men over the saddles would create countless rumors and draw a crowd.

By the time they reached the gates, the captain of the guard and two of his soldiers awaited them. After a brief explanation, the captain decided to guide them to their inn, the Four Corners, while Tenzen told him the details of the encounter. When she finished, the captain stared back at Jola with wide eyes and open mouth.

Jola wasn't sure whether he was shocked or fantasizing. It didn't help that her viper chose that time to poke its head out from between her breasts. Maybe it's developing a sense of humor. Jola giggled inwardly.

"It's all right, Captain. Judicator Tenzen will make sure I behave myself in public," Jola said in a subservient tone, as she dismounted and walked into the inn.

* * *

When Tenzen and Jola entered the dining room later that evening, a tall, thin nobleman was waiting for them.

"Senior Judicator Tenzen, I'm Marquess Romano. I'd be honored to have you and your assistant join me for dinner at my home." He fiddled with the jeweled pommel on his longsword as he spoke.

"We would be honored, Marquess Romano," Tenzen said.

They rode in Romano's carriage to his estate, a huge, fort-like mansion located on a hill and partly surrounded by mountains. The house, a combination of stone and wood, looked like it could withstand a siege. The compound included several other buildings for his armed retainers and servants, which looked to be numerous. An eight-foot stone wall with a parapet enclosed the estate.

Once inside, Jola counted forty-eight guests. Had he invited every one of his family, relatives, and friends to the dinner? Tenzen was escorted to the head of the table. Apparently not realizing that Jola was also a judicator, a servant led her to the other end where the less influential guests sat. Jola had to giggle at the situation, and at the tickling sensation her viper caused as it made itself comfortable inside her clothing.

After introducing himself to her, a rather good-looking, middle-aged noble, Baron Carlino, introduced Jola to the people around them.

"I'm pleased to meet you, and I hope you will forgive me if I don't remember all of your names. I'm Jola." She sat down and prepared to enjoy herself without the stress of having to act a part. She felt a little wicked, and hoped Tenzen wouldn't be too upset with her. It was worth it, she decided.

Most of her fellow diners pumped her for information about Judicator Tenzen, which Jola was happy to provide. She told them the story about the missing three swords, embellished it, and implied it was Tenzen who solved it. In turn, they told her stories about recent incidents in Northgate, and much about Marquess Romano.

Finally, Baron Carlino said, "Jola, do you think you could get Judicator Tenzen to hear a case here in Northgate? The son of someone my wife's friendly with is in trouble for stealing. Everyone who knows him believes he's innocent, but the evidence seems strong against him. Judicator Tenzen sounds like a person who could get to the truth of it, if she could be persuaded to hear the case." He flushed and looked down at his plate, but continued. "My uncle doesn't seem interested in having a trial."

"I'll guarantee that the case will be heard, Baron Carlino," Jola said with an impish smile. She probably shouldn't have done it, but she couldn't resist. It was like stealing a piece of candy when she was a child. My viper made me do it. She suppressed a giggle.

"No disrespect, Jola, but how can you guarantee Judicator Tenzen will agree?"

"I can't, but I'll hear the case," Jola said. Everyone started to laugh at the joke until Jola's viper peeked out of her shirt. The silence slowly crept from guest to guest until it reached the head of the table.

"Mistress, I meant no disrespect. I didn't know. I've been calling you... " Carlino leaned back, trying to put some distance between himself and her viper.

"There was no disrespect, Lord Carlino. I didn't mention it. I guess it slipped my mind," Jola said, dismissing the incident, to chuckles and giggles, with a wave of her hand. "It has been a very enjoyable evening, thanks to you."

As the evening ended, the marquess sent for his coach to take them back to the inn. Jola had assured Romano that she was quite unconcerned about the mistake, and that Senior Judicator Tenzen was the rightful guest of honor. Strangely, he seemed more concerned over the upcoming trial. Several of his statements concerning the case grated over her skin like lies.

As they rode, she glanced at Tenzen from the corner of her eye. Her mentor hadn't yet mentioned that Jola had committed herself to a trial.

"Well, did you enjoy yourself? Someday, you are going to have to learn how to deal with influential nobles. Although I have to admit, Romano did invite the deception."

"I had a wonderful time. Good food and good company. What about you, my sister?" Jola asked.

"The food was good, but the company was boring. What trial did you commit to?"

"I know I acted on my own without consulting you, and I'm sorry. I hope I didn't do anything to embarrass you or the other sisters. You could hear the case. In truth, they wanted you, not me." Jola rambled on, feeling like a little girl caught doing something... Jola realized she didn't know what normal little girls got caught doing that made them feel guilty. But she felt guilty anyway.

"You did nothing wrong. I'm the senior judicator, here to guide you for your first year or two. Although the sisters consider you an apprentice, you're officially a judicator and have the legal right to hear any case you see fit. I find it interesting that Marquess Romano didn't mention it to me, and that the group at your end of the table seemed to think he didn't want us hearing the case. Very interesting."

* * *

As Jola walked toward the judicator's platform in the middle of the town square, Romano intercepted her. "Good morn, Judicator Jola. I'm sorry about the misunderstanding last night."

"Good morn, Marquess Romano. There was no harm done. Your guests were very congenial, the food excellent, and the evening enjoyable," Jola said with a smile.

"I hear you are determined to sit in judgment on the case involving the theft of some vases. I believe it's a waste of your time. The city guard caught the thief, who had motive, opportunity, and was found with part of the stolen property. The guard has a merchant's statement that the thief sold one of the stolen vases to him." He paused, and then added in a burst, "You're new, and I wouldn't want people to perceive that you're too inexperienced to try more complex cases."

"It's all right, Lord Romano. I'm inexperienced, and there's no reason to pretend otherwise. I'm sure Judicator Tenzen would prefer that I start with easy cases. But thank you for your concern." Jola continued up onto the platform. Very interesting that a noble's concerned about my time and image. She sat down, arranging her robe, and waited for the prisoner to be brought forward.

The crowd, with a few more plainly dressed commoners than nobles, looked a little larger than she'd have expected, considering the lack of notice-and people continued to trickle in. The platform appeared to be a permanent structure, unlike the makeshift one at Iron Hills. Two steps led up to the chair and table, which put the floor at least six hands above ground level. It wasn't covered with a rug, like in Lappin, but was painted a nice wood-like brown. Carved with a vine pattern, the table and canopied chair looked expensive.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. Captain, would you please read the charges?" Jola said, after it appeared that everyone was in place. And let the story begin, she murmured to herself and her friend, who was currently wound into her hair like a golden headpiece.

"Sergeant Alviss is accused of having stolen eight gold-inlaid vases from the Merchant Kgosi while at the East Gate checkpoint," the captain read from the parchment he held.

The accused stood at the foot of the platform with a guard on each side. He was dressed in clean clothing and had recently washed, but he looked haggard.

"Captain, did Sergeant Alviss resist arrest?"

"No, Mistress."

"Has he caused trouble since his arrest?" Jola asked as she continued to assess the sergeant's appearance. The answers she heard didn't match how he looked.

"No, not that I'm aware of."

Knowing the captain spoke the truth, Jola rose from her chair, stepped down from the platform, and walked to within a meter of Alviss.

"Please remove Sergeant Alviss's jacket and shirt." She nodded to the two guards holding Alviss and waited while they followed her instructions. When his clothing had been removed, Jola walked slowly around Alviss. When she returned and stood in front of him again, she stretched out her hand to touch one of the purple bruises on his chest. However, the guards and the prisoner jerked back. The people in the crowd murmured as they pressed away from her. Surprised, she realized that her golden viper had wound itself around her arm and had its head lying on the back of her hand. She sometimes forgot how much it frightened people, the viper was so much a part of her.

"Come forward. My friend will not hurt you. It's just curious, as am I." She reached forward and touched one of the bruises gently. Alviss grimaced with pain but said nothing.

"I see prison life doesn't agree with you, Sergeant Alviss." Jola looked over to the captain, who had raised his eyebrows and frowned at her discovery.

"Thank you for your concern, Mistress," Alviss said. His face was beaded with sweat.

Jola strolled to her seat and settled down before asking, "Sergeant, did you steal the vase on display to my left?"

"No, Mistress."

"Did you steal any objects from the Merchant Kgosi?"

"No."

"Did you conspire with anyone else to steal the Merchant Kgosi's property?"

"No."

All three answers felt true, and were therefore intriguing. Not such a simple case as Romano indicated, but an interesting story, no doubt.

"Sergeant Alviss, would you tell me how you came to have this vase, and to sell it to the Merchant Swiff?" Jola pointed to the vase sitting on the table.

"Mistress, an eightday ago, I had watch duty at the East Gate, issuing merchant licenses and collecting tolls. It was almost noon before I finished. I returned to the gatehouse and found a vase on the floor near my desk. I asked the other guard if he knew who it belonged to. He didn't know. We decided to sell it, if no one claimed it by the end of the day. No one claimed it, so I sold it to Merchant Swiff. Before I could split the money with the other guard, I was arrested."

Jola knew Alviss told the truth. She turned toward Merchant Swiff, a short, stocky man with a beard that covered most of his round, pudgy face. As she did, her viper disappeared between her breasts into her blouse and exited her sleeve onto her lap, where it coiled itself facing the Merchant Swiff.

"Merchant Swiff, you purchased this vase from Sergeant Alviss?" Jola asked, pointing to the vase.

"Yes, Mistress."

"And how did you determine that it was stolen?"

"I knew the Merchant Kgosi specialized in such vases, so I attempted to sell it to him. He told me it had been stolen." Jola sensed the truth of his statement. Interesting that Kgosi didn't know it was missing, she mused. She and her viper fixed their attention on the Merchant Kgosi. He was another short, stocky man with a bushy beard. She wondered if Swiff and Kgosi were related somehow. The crowd snickered as her viper uncoiled and recoiled so that its head faced Kgosi.

Jola stroked the viper. "Merchant Kgosi, when did you discover that the vase was missing?"

"When I unloaded the horses, about an hour before Merchant Swiff appeared, Mistress. I-" Kgosi stammered to silence when Jola raised her hand.

"Answer my questions only." She wouldn't allow him to sidetrack her while she tried to follow the story. "When was the last time you saw that vase, prior to unpacking your horses?"

"When I packed them in Manito for the trip to Northgate. They were guarded night and day," Kgosi said in a slow and thoughtful manner.

But maybe not guarded so well after all. Jola chuckled silently. "Captain, we'll be in recess until you can find Merchant Kgosi's guards and have them brought before me. I think one of them may be running up the street right now." Jola pointed in the direction of the fleeing man.

A chuckle emerged from the crowd as they turned to watch the man.

"And when we reconvene, please return Sergeant Alviss in better condition than he is in now." Jola cocked her head to watch as the captain motioned to his men and they sprinted in pursuit of the fleeing man. Tenzen climbed the steps to join her.

"Well, Jola, that was an interesting session. Judging from the comments I overheard, you and your golden viper are very popular. I suspect the crowds will be bigger tomorrow. I also suspect you have made several people very nervous. Have you formed an opinion as to how this will end?" Tenzen grinned.

"I try not to form opinions on how the story will end. It tends to ruin the story," Jola said. "But you have to admit, my sister, it has all the elements of an exciting ending."

* * *

"Congratulations, Captain, the prisoner looks much better," Jola said as she sat down.

"Thank you, Mistress. I was unaware of his condition. I apologize, since I should have known."

"We shall have an accounting today. Captain, who are our new witnesses?" Jola studied the four men standing with the captain. They looked tough and in good condition for their ages, which Jola judged to be in the early to middle thirties.

"They are the four guards you asked to be present today." The captain smiled.

"Well, did you steal the merchant's vases?" Jola asked, as her viper slid out of her sleeve and coiled in her lap, its tongue flickering in their direction.

One of the men stepped forward. "Yes, Mistress."

Jola suppressed a smile as a few gasps of surprise went up from the large crowd. The man knew he couldn't lie to her successfully, which her viper had emphasized with its little display. Besides, lying would make it worse for him.

Jola pointed to the other three and cocked her head in obvious question.

"Yes, Mistress," each said in turn.

"Thank you for not drawing it out. Captain, please hold these men in custody until sentencing. They will tell you where the Merchant Kgosi's property is hidden, as I doubt they intended to sell it in this town. They cleverly planted the vase Alviss found to cast suspicion away from themselves. Have you identified the men that beat Sergeant Alviss?" Jola asked, pulling at the next thread in this tangled story.

"Yes. They are in custody, awaiting your judgment." The captain waved the two guards forward.

"Corporal, why did you beat Sergeant Alviss?" Jola asked as she leaned forward, giving him her full attention. Before he could answer, the golden viper rose up a full hand in Jola's lap, and hissed. That caused the crowd to gasp, and seemed to cause the corporal to reconsider his response.

"We were paid to find out where Sergeant Alviss had hidden the other vases. That isn't uncommon, Mistress," he said, as his eyes followed the slowly weaving viper and a bead of sweat trickled down his face.

She and her viper turned to the second guard. "Were you also paid to extract information from Sergeant Alviss?" Jola asked.

"Yes, Mistress. We are-" He snapped his mouth shut mid-sentence as Jola raised a hand.

"Who paid you, Corporal?" Jola rapped out. In the meantime, her viper disappeared, and reappeared wrapped around her ankle looking at the corporal, a mere three meters away.

"Marquess Romano, Mistress. He paid us five silvers each," he said, licking his lips as he stared at the viper. He gasped with relief when it disappeared back into Jola's robe.

Jola stopped to consider why Romano would pay someone to beat the prisoner, and why he didn't want a trial. He must have something to gain, but what?

"Merchant Kgosi, come forward," Jola said. He had the most to lose. She bit the inside of her lip as she thought the events over. When Kgosi stood in front of her, staring up, she continued. "Did you pay Marquess Romano to have the prisoner tortured?"

"Yes, Mistress, fifty silvers," Kgosi said. "My property is worth over five hundred silvers."

Jola turned to Romano. "Marquess Romano, did you accept fifty silvers from Merchant Kgosi and pay the guards to beat Sergeant Alviss?" Jola asked. She shook her head in amazement at the stupidity of the situation. Why? She wondered. Because he could? To prove something? Certainly not for the money; fifty silvers means nothing to a marquess.

"Yes, Judicator Jola, as is my right," Romano said, as Jola's viper poked its head out of her hair. If a viper could have an expression, her viper looked to be questioning the man's sanity. She heard a low mutter go through the crowd.

Then, a hand pressed on her shoulder. A quick glance over her shoulder, and she saw that Tenzen stood behind her, a hand lightly resting near the viper. Even Romano paled at the gesture. Well, that certainly completes a story about abuse of power, and greed's triumph over justice. But she had done her job, and today justice would triumph. She rose to give her verdict.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving the theft of the Merchant Kgosi's eight vases," Jola chanted. "I decree the following:

"First, Sergeant Alviss is innocent of the charges of stealing the Merchant Kgosi's eight vases. He is, however, guilty of selling one vase that wasn't his property. For that crime, he's to receive five strokes of the cane."

With that announcement, the crowd gasped and Alviss paled.

"Second, the beating Sergeant Alviss received while imprisoned is to be considered the equivalent of five strokes of the cane. He has therefore paid his debt.

"Third, the actual thieves will reimburse Merchant Kgosi for any property that isn't recovered. They will also receive five strokes of the cane and be held in custody until Merchant Kgosi has been paid in full, but for not less than one year.

"Fourth, the Merchant Kgosi is fined fifty silvers for bribing an official, and will receive five strokes of the cane."

"I was only trying to get my-" Kgosi shouted, but stopped with Jola's raised hand, which her viper had coiled around. She narrowed her eyes and he paled.

"Fifth, Merchant Kgosi's fined an additional ten silvers for interrupting the proceedings."

This brought a collective laugh from the crowd, until Jola raised her hand.

"Sixth, the guards who beat Sergeant Alviss are fined five silvers each, and are to receive five strokes of the cane. Marquess Romano will repay fifty silvers to the Merchant Kgosi, and is fined an additional fifty silvers for accepting a bribe to subvert the law. In addition, Marquess Romano is sentenced to twenty strokes of the cane for bribing the city guard to commit a crime, and for accepting a bribe." Jola felt Sister Tenzen's hand tighten on her shoulder.

"I decree the shame and humiliation Lord Romano will suffer because of this trial and the subsequent caning is equivalent to fifteen strokes. Therefore, the city guard will deliver only five strokes of the cane." With that pronouncement, Tenzen's hand relaxed.

"Lord Romano has the right to appeal my decree to the king, as he was not represented by the Duchess of Rador, his liege.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus." Jola rose to her feet.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus." Tenzen repeated.

CHAPTER FIVE

Rador Province

Jola and Tenzen rode away from Northgate the next day, for Rador's capital, Stag Bluff, by way of Redwood.

"Did I make a lifetime enemy of Marquess Romano? Will I no longer be welcome in Northgate?" Jola said as they were exiting the city gates. Not that she doubted that Romano deserved the punishment she had ordered, but the idea of making enemies, especially influential nobles, worried her.

Tenzen shrugged. "It's unfortunately one of the consequences of being a judicator. You'll hurt some and help others. Subcaptain Earleek will suffer by your verdict, while the prisoners will benefit. Some of those you punish will feel you owe them. Some of those you benefit will feel they're in your debt. Sergeant Alviss feels he owes you for saving his life, while Marquess Romano feels you owe him for embarrassing him and causing him to forfeit his position."

"But... I didn't make any judgment concerning his position. I only punished him for what he did." Judgments were so complicated. She shook her head. Would she ever get used to having so much power? "I didn't even realize I could."

"But you can. As you know, anytime a judicator sentences a noble, she's required to report the circumstances to the king. He'll have Romano replaced because of the seriousness of your findings. And Romano will probably blame you for his misfortune, and want revenge. Few are foolish enough to try, though, since they would suffer a far worse punishment."

Oh, great. I'm less than two seasons out of the monastery, still in training, and I've upset three nobles already. Jola sighed.

"I'm beginning to understand now how important it is to be mentored, my first few years. And I'm grateful it's you. There's so much more to being a judicator than just knowing the law. In the classroom, I thought all I had to do to please everyone was to find the truth and provide a fair verdict." Jola laughed at her naivete. "I never realized that my idea of what is 'fair' and that of the person being sentenced may not agree. At the rate I'm going, it won't be safe for you to travel with me."

"Things aren't quite that bad, Jola. You're learning that there are things we can't teach you. They must be experienced. The thirst for revenge is the reason every student learns how to defend herself. We aren't attacked often, but you must expect that it'll happen several times during your life. Some, like Lord Kedge, think they've done nothing wrong and blame the judicator for their punishment. Even when they don't, they have spouses, parents, relatives, and friends who may. Fortunately, most realize that revenge would cost them more than it would gain them. After all, we are in the service of the king and the God."

* * *

After they had set up camp and tended their horses that night, Tenzen continued weapons training, indirectly reinforcing her warning about the need to be prepared. It fascinated Jola that Tenzen, who was thirty years her senior, could practice without seeming to tire, while she felt exhausted by the end of each session. She had never asked why, afraid that she would offend Tenzen.

That night she collapsed panting by the campfire, fanning her face with her hand. She could contain her curiosity no longer.

"Why don't you get as tired as I do? I'm still in my teens, and I end up exhausted." Jola wiped the sweat from her forehead. They had been working out for an hour and the weather was warm.

"I'm tired, too. But I've had years of conditioning; besides, I've learned to stay relaxed. You still get tense. It's causing you to tire faster than you would otherwise," Tenzen said.

"The water snake exercise," Jola said with a laugh. "You called it moving meditation-slow and graceful, with an empty mind, and tension free. I seem to have forgotten that lesson. I hope I'm finally ready to learn what you tried to teach me years ago."

"A valuable lesson, Jola. You'll find that people often hear the words but don't understand the concept behind the words. Sometimes a person's background precludes understanding, sometimes a person doesn't want to understand, and sometimes it requires maturation to understand. You're learning that with the nobility. It's one thing to be taught their titles and social customs, but until you socialize with them, it's impossible to see life from their perspective. You'll hear their words, but you won't really understand their context." Tenzen paused. When Jola said nothing, she continued. "Tomorrow, we'll revisit the water snake exercise. I think you're ready to make practical use of it."

* * *

Three mornings out of Northgate, they heard the clatter of hoofbeats behind them on the rocky road. Jola twisted in her saddle, and watched twelve riders on warhorses cantering down the slope toward them.

"Stop in the name of Count Lazare," a middle-aged captain shouted as he pulled up alongside Tenzen and Jola. They reined their horses to a stop and waited. A silver-haired man rode in front of them and pointed at Jola.

"Are you the Judicator Jola?"

"Yes, I am," Jola said as she surveyed the riders and calmed herself to prepare for whatever trouble was coming. She knew it was trouble when she recognized Kedge among the riders. He was obviously enjoying himself, because he was giving her his best sneer, making him look drunk and childish.

"My son demands satisfaction, Judicator Jola. And I intend to see that he gets it." Lazare's face twisted in anger, red with rage.

"Well, Count Lazare, would you like me to lie on the ground so your son can kick me to death?" Jola couldn't help her outburst. She remembered Kedge's vicious attack on a defenseless man.

"You insult my son, Judicator." The rage turned the veins in his face a shade of purple.

"Count Lazare, Princess Regina and I, Senior Judicator Tenzen, agreed that your son was treated fairly," Tenzen said.

"Caning my son wasn't fair. The man he beat was a thief!" Lazare panted with rage. "He'll have his justice."

"Let's call it what it is, Count Lazare-revenge," Tenzen said.

"Judicator Jola, you'll get down off your horse and fight my son, or I'll have you cut down like the coward you are."

"What if Judicator Jola kills your son, Count Lazare?"

"Kills my son? Nonsense! Judicators are high and mighty, sitting on their raised platforms judging their betters. My son's an expert swordsman. She'll die screaming as he cuts her to pieces."

"You've not answered my question, Count Lazare. Or do you have no honor, sending ten men on warhorses to murder two judicators?"

"My honor is above reproach. If Judicator Jola agrees to a duel to the death and wins, and you agree there will be no judgment for the duel, we'll leave afterward with honor satisfied. I, Count Lazare, swear it."

Tenzen's hand was on her sword and her viper as she looked to Jola. "What do you say, Sister?"

Jola looked around the group. She and Tenzen couldn't hope to win against ten soldiers on warhorses. She doubted that Lazare and his son knew that judicators were trained to fight with longswords. Kedge must assume that he would have the advantage and that she would be an easy kill. Obviously, Kedge thought a fair fight was one that he won. She nodded to herself. She could relate to that. However, saving Sister Tenzen was the most important consideration, even if it increased her own risk.

"I'd change the rules of the duel-" Jola said.

"Coward!" Kedge yelled, his face still twisted in a sneer.

Jola wondered whether Kedge practiced sneering, or whether he'd inherited it. "I'd change the rules to allow Count Lazare the right to spare the loser's life, if the loser hasn't been killed."

Tenzen nodded agreement. A slight smile touched her lips.

"Do you think I'm going to save you, woman?" Count Lazare laughed.

"Do you agree that you've the power to end the match without a death occurring?"

"I agree. Now get on with it." Lazare flapped his hand at Jola.

Jola removed her golden viper from her hair, brushing it against her cheek and then handing it to Tenzen. Removing her dagger and hat, she reinforced the calm she would need for this fight as she dismounted. She felt confident she could kill Kedge, but killing him outright would probably incite Lazare to have both her and Tenzen killed. Disabling Kedge, a good swordsman, would be more difficult.

The captain approached her with what was obviously a spare sword brought specifically for her. She took the sword and tested its weight and flexibility. She almost laughed. They weren't taking any chances. The sword metal was poorly tempered, and might well shatter in a fight. Jola handed it back to the captain.

"I hope Count Lazare supplies you and your troops with better quality weapons, Captain." She drew her own sword and dropped her cape. She strolled to the spot in the road where Kedge awaited her. Lazare and the captain followed.

"My captain will referee the duel," Lazare said.

Tenzen held up a hand. "If you want no judgment from this duel, I, Judicator Tenzen, will referee the duel. You, your son, and your troops have already attempted to fix it by offering a defective weapon. You've given me no reason to trust you. If that isn't acceptable, we are better off fighting you to our death and yours." Tenzen grasped one viper in each hand and prepared to throw them.

Lazare paled and backed up a step from the threat of the vipers. "All right, you can referee, but we will cut you down if you do anything to interfere."

"No, Count, I have the right to kill either contestant if they violate the rules of the duel." Tenzen stepped closer to Lazare. "And I seriously doubt your soldiers are foolish enough to risk the punishment for laying hands on a judicator."

"All right, you may judge the duel. Why would my son need any advantage?" Lazare said as he backed away another step.

Tenzen walked to where Kedge and Jola stood and raised her sword between them. "When I lower my sword you'll begin. This is a match to the death unless Count Lazare intervenes. You may use only your sword or body to fight. If I see another weapon drawn or used, I'll kill the offender. If I call 'stop,' you'll cease or I'll stop you, even if it's necessary to kill you. Do you understand?" When they both nodded, Tenzen dropped her sword and stepped back.

Jola stood poised, her vision narrowed to Kedge, her breathing slowed by the time Tenzen lowered her sword. Kedge stood with his sword pointing awkwardly downward-or stood like someone pretending to be awkward. The deception became obvious when Kedge shifted his weight and gave his sword a twist. She had seen this when practicing it with the soldiers-an old trick. He would slice upward across her body, and then twist and drive down through her neck. He would be open for the kill, but she wouldn't be able to do that without risking her life and Tenzen's. She would have to wound him sufficiently to stop the fight.

She parried, knocking his sword outward. Off balance and unable to strike at her neck, he swung hard at her waist. She blocked it, but the shock radiated up her arm. If she hadn't had her sword angled up, dissipating some of the force, it could have knocked the sword from her hand.

He pulled his sword back and lunged for her stomach. She turned a second late, and his sword ripped her shirt; she felt a burning sensation as the sword slid along her stomach, tearing the skin. He smiled and lunged again. This time she cut his arm, but not enough for him to drop his sword. He stepped back, eyes wide, fear showing in his face. Yes. Real sharp steel; you could die and so could I. If so, will Lazare let Tenzen live? No. Determination flared. Kedge struck again at her waist, and then stepped back and lunged at her chest. Jola twisted, letting the sword slide by, and dragged her sword across the inside of his elbow. He dropped his sword.

She stood there, with her sword pointed at his chest. The urge to run him through overwhelmed her. He and his father planned to kill her and Tenzen. They were worse than gutter rats. She lunged downward, driving it into his knee.

He screamed and fell forward onto his hands. Jola pressed the point of her sword to his neck. His eyes widened, and sweat beaded his forehead and lips. She could smell the fear radiating from him.

Exhilaration flooded through her. She had won her first match against a real opponent, thanks to Sister Tenzen's many hours of training and her bouts with the soldiers. Kedge, on the other hand, probably spent his time training against his father's retainers-who would be afraid of embarrassing him-and his friends, who were likely afraid of his temper. Kedge couldn't win against an old lady with a butcher knife. She snickered, and then immediately sobered. Don't get too cocky, girl. Fighting is no joke. Even an amateur can kill you.

"Count Lazare, it's your decision. Does he live or die?" Tenzen said.

Lazare's mouth moved but no sound came.

"Your decision is needed to end the duel. Live or die."

"Live!" he finally shouted. Jola removed the sword from Kedge's throat and stepped back, as Tenzen tossed her viper to her.

"Your son kicked a man into unconsciousness who was lying on the ground defenseless. You've broken Pyxus's law by threatening judicators and planning murder. You would do well to examine the honor of your house," Tenzen said, loudly enough to be heard by all.

One of the soldiers had dismounted and was examining Kedge, who lay moaning on the ground. "He's all right, my Lord. He's bleeding, but he'll live."

Lazare only nodded, his face pasty.

His captain picked up Jola's things, grabbed the judicators' horses, and led them to where Tenzen and Jola were standing. "You're free to go, Mistresses. No one will stop you. You have my word."

Jola put on her hat, dagger and cape as they rode away without looking back. Neither spoke for a while, but a spot between her shoulder blades twitched.

"That was a very clever and very dangerous deception you pulled off back there. If you had killed Kedge, his father would certainly have ordered his troops to attack us. I don't think they would have followed such an order. But it was a danger. Neatly handled," Tenzen said.

Jola frowned. What's the right thing to do in this situation? "Are we precluded from reporting this incident because of our promise?"

"No. It's our duty to see that the law is enforced. If we allowed judicators to be attacked, then soon we would all be dead and there would be no law. But we do have a dilemma. Although the promise we made was under duress, we did make a promise. Therefore, I will not myself bring them to justice."

"It doesn't seem fair. Even street rats have more honor than they do."

"This monastery rat says we'll document the incident and send it to the king. Let the king decide the appropriate punishment. Thus, I will not directly break my word, but a noble will not be allowed to attack a judicator with impunity." Tenzen laughed.

* * *

The narrow road wound through looming redwood giants. Jola kept craning her neck as she stared up at them. She'd never seen anything so big in her life. Several times each day, a wagon passed, groaning under the weight of huge redwood logs on their way to the town to be milled. The eightday journey had left Jola tired, and yet she was fascinated with the amazing forest.

At last, she saw the town at the bottom of a long slope. Mills and lumber yards surrounded the town, and the sound of sawing and hammering echoed. The smell of pitch and fresh cut wood permeated the air.

They entered the town near evening and rode to the local inn, the Red Horse. For a rustic, small town inn, the Red Horse was beautiful. Instead of the typical sign giving the name of the inn, a full-size horse carved out of redwood stood in the courtyard with a welcome sign hanging from its mouth. Inside the tavern, the chairs and tables were made of solid redwood, and each had a unique design of vines, faces, or flowers carved into it.

The innkeeper led them up to a pleasant room. All the furniture was made from redwood, and the room had a pleasant, newly cut wood smell.

When they came downstairs for dinner, a short, stocky man with gray hair and a weathered face, wearing a captain's uniform, awaited them.

"Good evening, Mistresses. I'm Captain Davin of Redwood's town guard. At your convenience, I'd like to talk to you about a case that needs a judicator," he said in a deep bass voice.

"Captain, please join us for dinner-or a drink, if you've already eaten-and we can discuss your case. I'm Judicator Tenzen and this is Judicator Jola."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mistress Tenzen, Mistress Jola. I thank you for the offer," Davin said as he sat and waved to the server to bring some wine. "We have two cases of theft pending. What makes them somewhat unusual is that a man's wife is claiming that he stole her property, and he's claiming she stole his property. I admit this case would be too complicated for me even if either or both admitted they were guilty-which they don't."

"Your problem is solved, Captain. Judicator Jola will be glad to hear the case," Tenzen said, followed by a broad smile, before she resumed eating.

Jola sighed. Great. I understand theft, but what do I know about marriage? I don't remember Sister Kassandra ever discussing laws governing marital disputes.

* * *

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session," Jola said from her seat on the raised platform, which, with the chair she sat on and its companion table, had been built from local redwood. She had hesitated before sitting on the chair. It had looked too beautiful to use, with its intricately carved animal and floral designs. When she did sit, it was rock solid and fit as if it had been made for her. She hoped it helped her look the part.

Maybe she could fake her way through the judgment between husband and wife. Her viper brushed her cheek as it made its way into her hair to lay its head on hers, as if getting ready to listen. You're right, my friend. I'm here to hear the story and follow it to its end. Let the tale begin.

"Captain Davin, please read the charges."

"Merchant Lamont is accused by his wife, Astrid, of having stolen her clothes and burned them. Merchant Lamont accuses his wife of stealing five handwoven rugs and selling them for twenty silvers, which she kept," the captain read from the paper that contained the formal complaint.

Jola smiled at the captain's obvious relief at handing over responsibility for the case. He stepped back. The man and woman stood some six meters apart, glaring at each other.

"Merchant Lamont, did you take your wife's clothes and burn them?"

"Mistress, I was justified-" Lamont started, but stopped when Jola raised a hand with a very much alive, golden viper attached.

"Merchant Lamont, please answer the question. Now, did you take your wife's clothes and burn them?"

"Mistress, she had-" Lamont started again, but stopped when Jola raised her finger-viper still attached-to her lips, indicating silence.

"A five-silvers fine for failing to answer my question. If you continue, I'll stop this case, pronounce you guilty of theft, sentence you to the maximum punishment, and dismiss your charge against your wife," Jola said. Her viper disappeared up her sleeve, out of her blouse neckline, and into her hair, appearing again to peek out from behind her ear. She could just imagine it saying, I want to hear this.

Lamont's mouth worked up and down but no sound escaped. Eventually, he managed to choke out a strangled "I apologize, Mistress."

"Good. We're making progress. Now, did you burn your wife's clothes?" Jola tried again, hoping she wouldn't have to follow up on her threat.

"Yes, Mistress." Lamont opened his mouth to say something more, but he reconsidered when he looked at Jola and then at her viper, now resting on the top of her head looking in his direction.

"Now, Merchant Lamont, why did you burn Freewoman Astrid's clothing?" Her lips twitched below her golden-scaled mask, and she controlled the incipient smile.

"Because I heard from several people that she was seeing another man," Lamont half-shouted, before adding, "Sorry, Mistress." Jola sensed the unequivocal truth of the statement. Now the story gets interesting. She loved the "why" part; it made cases fun because of the twists it produced-twists that led to true justice, not blind compliance to a law.

"Freewoman Astrid, did you take five handwoven rugs from your husband's merchandise and sell them for twenty silvers?" Jola leaned forward with her viper's head resting now on her shoulder.

"No, Mistress, he's lying," Astrid said.

The feel of the lie on Jola's skin made her shiver. She took a minute to consider Astrid. She wore expensive clothes, had a voluptuous figure, and appeared to be in her early twenties. However, she wasn't too smart, attempting to lie to a judicator. Jola reached up and her viper flowed willingly into her hand. She moved her hand to her face and slowly rubbed the viper against her cheek as she continued to consider Astrid. Silly woman. She's probably lied her way through life's little problems.

Astrid's eyes went big and her mouth hung open as she watched Jola rub the viper across her cheek and lips. "Yes, Mistress," Astrid said in a wavering voice.

"Thank you, Astrid. Now that you've seen the wisdom of not lying to a judicator, were you seeing another man?" Jola asked, noting that the story wasn't finished yet.

"No." Astrid stared at the golden viper, which stared back, its tongue flickering in and out. "Well sort of, Mistress."

"You unfaithful doxy-" Lamont shouted.

"Another five silvers, Merchant Lamont, and you're lucky I don't stop the judgment and sentence you."

"She... yes, Mistress." Lamont gritted his teeth, continuing to stare at his wife.

Jola smiled to herself as she considered the situation.

"Freewoman Astrid, what do you mean by 'sort of?'" Jola asked.

"Lamont has been flirting with other women, so I decided I would flirt with men. That's fair, isn't it?"

"Merchant Lamont, is that true?" Jola nearly snorted a laugh. Marriage is far more complicated than I thought.

"Yes, Mistress."

"There, I told you!" Astrid shouted.

The two whirled toward each other, shouting obscenities.

"Enough." Jola rose from her seat and motioned to two guards, who came running. The guards quickly separated the pair. The couple glared at each other. Once she felt the two wouldn't go for each other's throats, Jola waved the guards back.

"Freewoman Astrid, what did you do with the twenty silvers?"

"Bought new clothes." She pointed to her dress and blouse and turned in a circle.

"Both of you, approach the platform." Jola pointed to the front of the steps leading to the platform.

They edged forward as the viper coiled around Jola's ankle, head weaving back and forth in the direction of Lamont, and then Astrid. When they were within a few hands of the bottom stairs, Jola spoke softly, so only Lamont and his wife could hear. "You have two choices, and only two. The penalty for theft in this case will be five strokes of the cane. For choice one, therefore, Merchant Lamont, you can receive five strokes of the cane for burning Astrid's clothes."

"Good," Astrid said in a whisper.

"For you, Astrid, you can also receive five strokes for selling Lamont's rugs. For choice two, you can, Merchant Lamont and Freewoman Astrid, ignore the thefts and go free." Jola raised a hand, with her viper attached and one finger extended. "Either choice one," Jola said, and then extended a second finger, which the viper appraised from her wrist. "Or choice two. Now return to your places."

After they had returned to their places some three meters from the platform, Jola continued. "Astrid, did your husband steal your clothes?"

"Mistress... no."

"Merchant Lamont, did your wife steal your rugs?"

"No, Mistress." He stared glumly at his feet.

"I've reached my decision," Jola said, as she stood. These two deserve each other. Jola grinned to herself.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving the theft of Freewoman Astrid's clothes and Merchant Lamont's rugs," Jola chanted. "I decree the following:

"First, that Merchant Lamont pays to the king the ten-silvers fine imposed by me.

"Second, that Merchant Lamont is judged innocent of the charge of theft.

"Third, that Freewoman Astrid is judged innocent of the charge of theft.

"Fourth, that Merchant Lamont pays to the king, for him and his wife, an additional twenty silvers for wasting this judicator's time.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

Well, I now know more about marriage than I did yesterday, and I understand why Sister Kassandra didn't discuss it-it isn't logical. Jola shook her head as she walked from the platform.

* * *

The next morning, Jola and Tenzen sat down at one of the redwood tables and were served a breakfast of fruit and fragrant, fresh-baked bread.

Captain Davin walked to their table and bowed. "Mistresses, could I further impose on you?"

"If you join us, Captain, we can discuss it," Tenzen said, as she pointed to a chair.

"Thank you, Mistress," he said, sitting down. "As you know, Rador law allows dueling so long as both parties agree. First blood determines the winner and terminates the duel. I have two duels pending. Each individual has acknowledged his willingness to duel. But, my concern is over the complications that can arise, if the spirit of the dueling law isn't observed. I'd prefer not to have to make those decisions. It would be better if a judicator judged the duels."

"Sister Jola, would you like to judge the duels?" Tenzen said.

"With your guidance." Jola understood the Rador law and its intention, but with steel swords, the reality was that the difference between first blood and death was measured in seconds and centimeters.

"Where will the duels be held, Captain?" she asked, wondering what the participants expected to gain from dueling. Pride? Bragging rights? Glory? It certainly doesn't produce anything concrete. You can't eat it or sell it or wear it.

"Usually, we use the Red Horse Inn's outside stable, Mistress."

"Where spectators can watch?" Jola nodded. As she thought, duelists wanted an audience.

"Yes, Mistress."

"Is there a place where we can hold the duels where there will be no spectators?" Jola bit her lip while considering her choices.

"No spectators? Well, there is a clearing in the forest about a league from here." Davin frowned in obvious confusion.

"Tell them the duels will be at noon today, but they're required to be here two hours early to talk to the judicator." She smiled inwardly.

"An interesting ruse, Jola," Tenzen said with a laugh and a shake of her head. "I've always wondered what would happen if no one showed up to watch a duel. I guess I'm about to find out."

* * *

"Judicator Tenzen, Judicator Jola, these are the four men who have bespoken permission to duel under Rador law. The two nobles are Lord Invar and Lord Valerik; the two freemen are Garrson and Royd.

"Mistress Tenzen, Mistress Jola" was echoed by each of the men.

"Please mount up and follow me," Jola said as she mounted. She kneed her horse to a quick walk down the road, with Captain Davin and Tenzen following.

"Captain, where are we going?" Invar asked when he caught up. The captain didn't reply; he continued to follow the two judicators, who rode in silence.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at a clearing where four city guards stood next to a marked off dueling area.

Jola dismounted. "Who would like to go first?" She was glad she wore her judicator's mask to monitor the duels; otherwise, her whole face would have radiated the amusement she felt. She did manage to keep from smiling, but couldn't stop a minor twitch.

"We can't fight here!" Invar said, echoed by Valerik.

"Why is that, Lord Invar?" Jola struggled hard not to smile or laugh.

"Lady Agotha isn't here to watch." Valerik scowled.

"If this duel is your method of settling an argument, then this site is as good as any. If this duel is to show off for some woman, I won't allow it," Jola said.

"We'll just wait until you're gone." A sneer twisted Invar's face.

"It is my decision that you've wasted the time of two judicators. I, therefore, fine each of you one hundred silvers," Jola said, before they could recover their voices. "However, I'll defer those fines so long as you defer your duel, and I'll declare the duel a tie."

"She can't do that... can she, Invar?" Valerik asked.

"Yes, she can, young lords," Captain Davin said.

"You'll declare the match a draw?" Invar said with some relief in his voice.

"Yes. Captain Davin will post it under my name. Now, Freemen Garrson and Royd, I'll offer you the same arrangement."

"No, thank you, Mistress," the men replied simultaneously.

"Then let me officially remind you of the Rador laws for dueling. The winner is the man who draws blood first. When that happens, I'll call for you to stop, and will declare a winner. If you fail to stop immediately, I'll stop you even if it means killing you. If you live, you'll be subject to judgment, which can result in a fine, caning, imprisonment, or the iron mines." Jola paused for questions. She hoped the nobles who had stood aside to watch were beginning to understand that a duel was serious and dangerous. "Furthermore, if I determine that your blows were meant to kill, you'll be subject to judgment. Do you have any questions?"

"You're pretty strict, Mistress," Royd said.

"No, I'm explaining the Rador laws of dueling. I will enforce them. Would you mind telling me what happened that you feel is necessary to settle by dueling?"

"He cheated me when he sold me a ring for my new wife," Royd said, his chin jutting forward. Pride. Jola felt the truth of Royd's statement.

"Did you cheat Freeman Royd, Freeman Garrson?" Jola asked. If he'd cheated Royd, she could call for a judgment and avoid the duel. Certainly, that would satisfy Royd.

"He paid more than most would. He bargained poorly," Garrson replied with a grin.

Shrewd bargaining isn't a crime. Jola looked over to Tenzen, who shrugged. Jola had no choice but to judge the match.

She led the men to the marked-off ring. "You may draw your swords, but you will not start until I give the command. If any man steps outside the ring, he forfeits the match. First blood will be assumed to have occurred." Jola drew her sword and held it between the men.

They drew their swords and took a fighting stance.

"Begin," Jola said as she lowered her sword and stepped back.

She watched every stroke, evaluating the men and their techniques. Neither man would last long against a veteran fighter. Their moves were too cautious and measured. It appeared, however, that Royd was the slightly better swordsman. No! Jola shook her head as Royd stepped back from a chance to draw blood. He was much better than Garrson, she realized.

"Stop!" Jola stepped forward, stopping the fight by thrusting her sword between the two men. "I declare that Freeman Royd has drawn first blood."

From behind her, she heard the captain's gasp of surprise.

"He never touched me," Garrson said, looking down at himself.

"I never touched him, Mistress." Royd glared at Garrson.

"Freeman Royd, I just saved you ten years in the iron mines. You had several opportunities to draw blood, but ignored them. You were waiting for an opportunity to deliver a killing blow." She gave Royd a long stare before continuing. "I wouldn't have hesitated to sentence you for it."

She waited until Royd nodded before she turned to Garrson. "Freeman Garrson, you're an extremely poor swordsman, and should stay away from duels. I've just saved your life."

Royd changed his stance. Jola tightened her grip on her sword at the narrowing of his eyes. He raised his sword to lunge at Garrson's chest. Jola drove her sword under his, lifting it up and away from Garrson and slicing Royd's exposed arm.

His sword clattered to the ground and he gripped his arm with a groan. The guards, meanwhile, were still in the process of drawing their swords.

The ride back to Redwood was quiet. When they entered the stables, a crowd there milled in anticipation of watching the duels. Jola dismounted and walked to the center of the ring.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the duels between Lord Invar and Lord Valerik and between Freeman Royd and Freeman Garrson," Jola chanted. "I decree the following:

"First, that the duel between Lord Invar and Lord Valerik was a draw. If they duel again, they'll pay the king one hundred silvers each.

"Second, that in the duel between Freeman Royd and Freeman Garrson, Freeman Royd drew first blood.

"Third, that Freeman Royd attempted to murder Freeman Garrson after I had stopped the match. Freeman Royd will receive ten strokes of the cane, to be administered by the town guard, and is sentenced to one year of confinement.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

Jola strolled out of the ring amidst stunned silence.

"I didn't know you could stop a duel when no blood had been drawn," Captain Davin said as they walked back to the inn.

"Judicator Jola is an excellent sword fighter, as you observed. It was obvious that Royd was a far better swordsman, and had several opportunities to draw blood. He intentionally passed them up. Why? The only explanation: he was waiting for a killing blow. Freeman Garrson may not be a nice person, but he doesn't deserve to die over the price of a ring," Tenzen said. "All in all, both duels were nicely handled, Sister Jola."

"I thank you for your help, Mistresses. If I had attempted to handle them, I'm afraid to think what might have happened," Davin said with a grateful smile.

* * *

At breakfast the next day, Jola had just taken her first bite of warm bread topped with a greenberry jam when two well-dressed women walked up to their table. Tenzen nodded to them.

"We wanted to thank you for whatever you did to avoid the duel between her Invar and my Valerik," one of them said. "They're good friends, but are in competition for a certain young woman."

"I'm glad that we could." Tenzen frowned. "I hope they learned something from what happened."

The other twisted her hands together in distress. "Because they train with wooden swords, they fail to realize what can happen with steel. And their foolish fathers are no better. If my son is to be killed or maimed, let it be for a valid cause."

"The fine was an excellent idea, Mistress Jola; not even our husbands want to pay one hundred silvers for our sons to show off. Thank you," Valerik's mother said with a small bow.

The two women bowed again and walked away, chatting softly as they went. Jola frowned down at the food in her hand.

"Why so quiet?" Tenzen asked.

"I wonder if I handled the duels right. Should a judicator interfere the way I did?" Jola knew she had a tendency to act first and think later. On the streets and as a virtual slave, acting on instinct had kept her alive. Now, she couldn't be sure it would serve her as well.

"We're judicators administering the law, but we're also thinking women. You didn't stop the young nobles from dueling. You did force them to realize why they wanted to duel-to impress their woman friend." Tenzen leaned her chin on her clasped hands. "You stopped the other duel to prevent a premeditated murder. Each of us is a unique individual. No two of us will act the same all the time. I believe you handled them well, and no one could have achieved better outcomes."

"Thank you, Sister. I'm thankful you're here to guide and counsel me. My first years will form the foundation for my years as a judicator. I want it to be a good foundation." Could she someday be a wise judicator, delivering justice across Pyxus? She hoped with all her heart that Tenzen could help her achieve that lofty goal. She had to shake her head at a goal like that for herself.

"I'll do my best," Tenzen said.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Stag Bluff. We leave tomorrow?"

Tenzen nodded as she took a sip of her juice.

"How long do you think it'll take us to get there?" Jola asked, eager for the next adventure. Seeing new lands was exciting. Until recently, she had been confined to a city and a monastery. She felt like a bird freed from a cage.

"About an eightday. The road is well traveled and not difficult, but we'll continue to stop early and practice when we make camp. I believe you're prepared for most encounters, but your sister can use the practice. And we still have the question of a rebellion to settle."

Jola had to laugh at the thought of Tenzen needing to improve. Then she sobered at the thought of a rebellion.

CHAPTER SIX

Rador Province

The city of Stag Bluff rested on the side of a mountain, cut off from the valley below by a wide, swift-moving river. The castle perched midway up the mountain, with the town spreading out below it like a white and green filigree fan.

"It's beautiful." Jola stared at the city, hoping to commit every detail to memory.

"It's also as close to impregnable as a city can be. The river not only provides the water the city needs, but also disposes of waste. The green areas were created to grow produce. In the event of an attack, the city could sustain itself for years. The river prevents a frontal attack, while the mountain prevents an attack from the rear," Tenzen said as she pointed to each area.

"Will we be able to visit the castle? The view from there must be breathtaking."

"I'm sure Duchess Olinda will invite us to stay at the castle while we're here. She's supportive of the judicators. She received her early training at the Monastery of Astraea."

Tenzen nudged her horse into a walk and they started toward the only access to Stag Bluff-the wooden drawbridge spanning the river. Four guards in green and white uniforms stood at attention at the entrance to the bridge.

"Those emblems on the soldiers' uniforms look like white horses." Jola strained to make out the design.

"Those are single-horned warhorses on a green field, Rador's crest."

Of course. She had been so enthralled with the magnificent spectacle the city presented that she had forgotten her provincial heraldry. Each province had an animal on its crest.

The guards smiled and waved them through. At the other end of the bridge, Tenzen refused an offer of escort, assuring the guards that she knew her way to the castle.

They wound their way through streets crowded with carts and shoppers, alternately passing areas of houses, markets, and cultivated fields. The buildings were of good gray stone and the streets well cobbled, with water running through gutters down the sides. As they rose higher into the city, the houses were bigger, the markets more colorful, and the fields fewer. It took nearly two hours to reach the castle's barbican, where the guards waved them through.

A uniformed captain, her graying hair in a braid wrapped around her head, bowed to them as they entered the bailey. "Judicator Tenzen, Her Grace sends greeting and invites you to stay at Stag Castle while you're here." She motioned forward a sergeant behind her. "The sergeant will see to your horses, Mistresses. I'm Captain Agnese. I've been assigned to you while you're here."

"Thank you, Captain. This is Judicator Jola. Do I know you?"

"I was a sergeant when you last visited. You inspired me when I saw how you could win match after match against experienced male fighters that were younger and stronger. I'd love to work with your protege, if Mistress Jola is willing." Agnese bowed to Jola.

"I'd like that, Captain," Jola said as they walked toward the castle, while the sergeant led their horses away.

Captain Agnese gave them a brief tour of the castle, guiding them under stone vaults supported by massive stonework and faceted columns. Then, she led them to three attached rooms-two bedrooms and a sitting area-with snowy bed linens, polished marble floors and satiny curtains embroidered with Rador's horned warhorses. Jola still had trouble reconciling the way the nobles lived compared to the common folks, and this defied comparison.

She knew she couldn't change the disparity, but as a judicator perhaps she could provide a check and balance on some of the excesses. She had reached into her hair to stroke her viper, content with her place in life, when she realized Agnese was talking.

"Lady Olinda would like to visit with you after you've rested and refreshed yourselves. I'll return in two hours if that would be convenient. That will allow you an hour with Her Grace before dinner is served."

"That would be acceptable, Captain. Thank you," Tenzen said. She smiled after the captain until the door closed behind the woman. "Well, Jola, what do you think of Stag Bluff castle?"

"The street rat in me is overwhelmed, but the judicator in me is content."

"That's my wish for you, my sister-that you'll always be overwhelmed by excesses and content with who you are." Tenzen hugged her.

Jola went about the business of a much-needed wash at the marble washstand, and then donned fresh clothes, ignoring the luxuries of the room. She had just made herself presentable when the captain opened the door to the sitting room and asked them to follow her.

"Judicator Tenzen, it's been a long time between visits," Olinda said as she rose from her chair with a welcoming smile.

Jola thought Duchess Olinda a plain-looking woman, until she noticed the woman's piercing gray-green eyes that radiated authority and intelligence. Her brown hair was long and held loose with several jeweled combs. Her figure and face were somewhat rounded with age.

The duchess's private parlor was furnished with simple elegance. Behind her, a broad window led out to a balcony. A darkening blue sky was streaked with clouds, tinted gold by the setting sun.

"Yes, it's been a long time, Your Grace. However, you look as young and vibrant as when I saw you last," Tenzen said. "Your Grace, I'd like to introduce you to Judicator Jola."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace." Jola made a small bow.

"Well, Judicator Jola, tell me, are judicators allowed to tell lies?" A small grin formed on Olinda's lips, and she nodded toward Tenzen.

Jola had felt the affection and admiration between Olinda and Tenzen through her viper, whose head lay on her shoulder and whose tail remained in her hair.

"Can honest admiration ever be a lie?"

Olinda studied Jola for what seemed like a long time before replying. "No, Mistress Jola, it can't. I'm afraid I'm not used to honest admiration. Please sit. We can swap stories until dinner."

Tenzen and Jola each took one of the chairs upholstered in rich damask. Tenzen told Olinda the reason for their visit.

"Nobles in general have always been resentful of the Seven Provinces' Treaty because it restricts their conduct. Most accept it as the way things are. Now and then, there are those who believe they are above the commoners' law. In most provinces, they are punished, and although subdued, their resentment festers." Olinda paused, remaining silent for a while.

Jola wasn't sure whether she was finished talking, whether she was thinking, or whether she was waiting for comments. Then, the duchess continued.

"From what I hear from my nobles and those traveling in Essam, someone is forming a cabal. For what purpose, I can only guess. In those cities, I've heard rumors of abuse of justice."

She held up her hand and they waited while servants laid out on the nearby table a dinner of peas with fennel and onions, flatfish in an onion sauce and mutton with thyme and mushrooms in wine. The scents had Jola's mouth watering. Olinda's three children, two girls and a boy, joined them. She seemed to use dinner as an opportunity to catch up on the family's activities.

"Mistress Tenzen and Mistress Jola, may I introduce my children."

The three made their courtesies. Jola was impressed with their well-mannered behavior. The oldest girl looked to be about ten, and each appeared to be separated in age by a couple of years, with the boy the youngest at about six years.

"Mistress Tenzen, would you authorize the admission of my oldest daughter, Freira, to the monastery?" Olinda said. "I'd like to send her this year if possible."

"Well, Lady Freira, what do you think of the idea?" Tenzen turned toward the slender little girl.

"I don't want to leave home, but your training will help me be a good ruler like my mother," Freira said as she glanced at her mother out of the corner of her eye. "And, I'd like to go to the same school she did."

Tenzen studied the girl for a while before speaking. "I'll write a letter of authorization to the monastery, as well as authorization for your guards to escort her through Tyrol to Astraea."

Jola wasn't surprised. Freira's answer had been honest. While she wanted to please her mother, she seemed to understand, as well as a child could, the responsibilities that lay ahead of her.

"Thank you. I'd like both of my daughters to be trained at the monastery. I only wish my son could be," Olinda said.

"Perhaps you could send him to my family in Ironwood for training-that's if you plan for him to take service in the Rador army."

"Oh yes, Mommy," the little boy said as he bounced up and down in his chair.

"Thank you again, Mistress Tenzen. I'll consider it. But before I dispose of my entire family, could I impose on you to hear a dispute between two of my nobles? Their quarrel has gone on too long." Olinda shook her head with a frown.

"If you've no objections, I'd like Mistress Jola to hear the case. I'll still be responsible for the outcome. I assume you'll be present as the noble's advocate. If so, I'd suggest that you may want to allow your daughter to attend with you."

"Oh, Mother, may I?" Freira said.

"Very well. Judicator Jola will preside over the dispute, and Freira may attend with me," Olinda said with a smile at her daughter, who straightened in her chair and beamed her delight.

* * *

The next morning, Jola and Tenzen entered the castle's great hall through vast double doors. The floor was set in an intricate pattern of circles and arcs. The walls had fronds and blossoms molded into the plaster. Plaster panels in the ceiling high over their heads echoed the pattern of the walls. The room was already crowded.

Based upon the crowd's finery and the number of swords showing, Jola judged that nobles were in the majority. She could see that the remaining attendees, while not nobles, were wealthy citizens, from the fineness of their dress. She strolled to stand in front of a silver-leafed chair, with a matching table bearing paper, pen and ink, and water. Tenzen took a chair to her right, while Olinda and Freira sat to her left. Jola stood to address the assembly. The crowd, the decorations, and the clothes brought out the child of the streets that she knew she was. I love being a judicator, but I'll never get used to the nobility.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session." Jola hoped her voice sounded steady. Let the story begin. What a circuitous route had led to her life as a judicator.

"First Minister, please read the charges in this dispute."

"Count Edmundo claims that all the land north of the Horse River belongs to him, in accordance with the original land grant nearly one hundred years ago. Count Kemen claims that the recent river change doesn't constitute a change in his land," Olinda's first minister read in a normal voice, which somehow seemed to carry across the entire hall.

"First Minster, would you please unroll the map you've had prepared." She stood waiting as the minister rolled out the map, inscribed on a two-meter-square parchment. The map was a beautiful work of art, with pictures of land animals, water dwellers, and strange mythical creatures, and the name of each town written in an elaborate script. She descended to the bottom step as her viper twisted its way into her hair and rested its head on hers. An undercurrent of muttering went around the room.

He placed it on the floor and weighted the corners so she could examine it.

"Count Edmundo, please use the pointer to state your case."

"Yes, Mistress. The original land grant specified that the Horse River defined the north-south border. Over the years, the Horse River has shifted its boundaries many times. I claim the river still defines the land grant." Edmundo waved his hand toward the map with a smile and bowed in Jola's direction.

Jola felt truth, and a strong sense of satisfaction, humor and triumph. What a strange combination of emotions.

"Count Kemen, please step up and state your claim." Jola gestured to the map.

Kemen stepped up, taking the pointer from Edmundo, and stared at the oversized map. "Mistress, it's true that the Horse River has, over the generations, made minor changes. The land around those shifts in the river usually turns into marshes that are unsuitable for either of us to use. This time, however, the change was significant, involving land my people have inhabited for generations. I claim that it remains my land, since it's been in my family for almost a hundred years," Kemen said, without smiling or bowing.

Jola detected truth and anger. So it comes down to an arbitrary decision about an unreliable river.

"First Minister, how far is this land from here?" Jola said. The minister looked surprised, although Jola had to admit, he recovered gracefully.

"Less than a day's ride, Mistress."

"I hereby adjourn this judgment until four days from now." Jola turned back to Tenzen and Olinda. "I need to see the land under discussion."

Freira watched with a wide-eyed excitement that made Jola smile.

"Duchess Olinda, may I take Lady Freira along with me, since she's observing the judgment?"

"Please, Mother." Freira reached out to grasp her mother's hand.

"I think we'll all go. I don't get out enough," Olinda said.

* * *

Jola rode in the middle of a caravan. She understood that a Duchess or Duke never went anywhere alone, but this seemed excessive. Accompanying Olinda were twenty-five soldiers, four of her ministers, six women serving as attendants, three kitchen staff, a wagon with who-knew-what, and her three children.

Jola had planned to ride out with Tenzen, a guard or two, and Freira. That had seemed a crowd. The Duchess, on the other hand, thought the current group small. Obviously, learning to understand nobility was going to take time. While Stag Bluff rested on the side of a mountain, Counts Edmundo's and Kemen's disputed property lay in a green valley of rolling hills, and gentle streams that originated in the nearby mountains that bordered Stag Bluff. Those small rivers fed into the Horse River, which separated the two holdings. Everywhere Jola looked, she saw a lush green landscape of grasses and trees.

They reached the village in contention around mid-afternoon. The local inn had received notice of their approach. Its owner had made rooms available for Olinda, her children, ministers, and the judicators.

The next morning, Olinda and Tenzen decided to remain in the village rather than ride all over who-knew-where; Olinda allowed Freira to go with Jola, after much pleading and wheedling from her daughter. In the end, Jola, Freira, Captain Agnese, and six soldiers left to investigate.

Jola directed them to follow the dry riverbed back toward the point where it had changed course.

"Mistress, what are we looking for?" Freira said as they rode. The child beamed with excitement.

"You may call me Jola when we're alone, Lady Freira."

"We're not alone, Mistress." Freira waved toward the captain and the guards.

"You won't tell, will you, Captain?"

"No, Mistress," the captain said with a grin, as she put a finger to her lips.

"Mis... Jola, what are we looking for?" Freira asked again.

"We're going to see if we can get the river to tell us why it changed course, so that we can decide what is fair for both Count Kemen and Count Edmundo." Jola wondered what it would be like to have a child to care for. None of the sisters had children, although she had heard that Sister Theodora was the daughter of a sister who had reared her at the monastery.

"Rivers can't talk," Freira said with certainty, and then she frowned. "Can you hear rivers talk?"

Jola reached into her blouse and pulled out her viper, which coiled around her hand and arm.

"Everything can communicate, if you listen, but you've to listen with more than your ears. My viper says you think I'm making fun of you." Jola couldn't contain her laugh.

"It told you?" Freira's face lit up as she watched the viper in fascination.

"Yes, it did. The river will also talk to us if we use our eyes, noses, ears and minds."

They followed the dry riverbed. The trees and shrubs along the bank were brown and withered, some dead.

"Halt, you're on Count Edmundo's land. You must turn around and go back!" a soldier with sergeant's rank shouted. He sat on a beige warhorse, and was accompanied by five other soldiers.

"You're addressing Judicator Jola. Stand aside and let us pass," Captain Agnese said, as her troops tightened around Freira and Jola. Jola winced at the metallic snicks as their guards drew their swords.

"I'm sorry, Judicator Jola, but those are my orders," the sergeant said, although his brow was beaded with sweat.

"I'm Captain Agnese of Duchess Olinda's guard. Her daughter, Lady Freira, is in our company. Would you refuse her entry onto your count's lands?"

"I have my orders, Captain."

"Corporal, return to the village and tell Duchess Olinda that Lord Edmundo has refused us entry onto his land," Agnese said to one of her soldiers in a voice of steel, while never taking her eyes off the sergeant.

"Wait," the sergeant said. He looked from Jola to the captain, and the sweat ran down his face. "That won't be necessary, Captain. You may enter." He raised his hand and signaled his troops to the side.

"Corporal, return to the village and bring back half the troops to join me." She waved him off and waited until the additional troops arrived before proceeding.

Jola couldn't blame her for being cautious. After all, she had the Duchess's daughter along. She thought the captain would gladly give her life to protect the child, and would never take chances with the child's safety.

About a league up the road, Jola stopped and dismounted. Freira hopped off her horse and followed as Jola strode to the riverbank and proceeded down into the riverbed. This section of the bed had damp spots in it.

"Lady Freira, what do you see?" Jola said.

"A dry riverbed?"

"Is it dry?"

"Well, no." Freira poked at a damp spot with the toe of her boot. "It's damp."

"Why? Do you think that maybe the river wants to come this way and can't?"

Freira looked blank, and began walking up the riverbed, where it was even wetter. Jola followed closely behind, along with Captain Agnese and six troopers. A hundred meters further, they reached a huge mound of rocks and dirt that blocked the riverbed. Jola took Freira's hand and scrambled up the slope to the top, followed by Captain Agnese and her troops.

"Well, Lady Freira, do you think the river made this mound?" Jola smiled at the little girl.

"No, Jola. It's too neat. And there are no trees or bushes until way over there. This is all new dirt." Freira's voice rose with excitement.

"See, the river is talking to you. It's saying, 'I'm being forced to go that way when I want to go this way.'" Jola motioned toward where the river was blocked. Freira stared, fascinated by the viper that coiled around the arm Jola was gesturing with. Seeing Freira's nervousness, Jola transferred the viper back to her neck.

"It won't hurt you. You're my friend."

"But it's poisonous?"

"Yes, if it bites you, but it won't." She looked over her shoulder at the captain. "Would you have a couple of your men remove some of the stones damming the river here, please?"

"Yes, Mistress Jola," the captain said as she pointed to several of the men. Over the next several hours, the men dug, and moved rocks and debris. Eventually a trickle of water flowed through the opening. Soon it became a small river, as the water opened the channel and the mound began to dissolve.

"Look, Jola, the river has found its way back. Now it's laughing." Freira chuckled.

By the time Jola and Freira returned to the village, the river was flowing steadily past the village on the north side. Jola informed the captain that she planned to return to Stag Bluff alone because she wanted to think. The captain didn't argue, but sent two troopers to accompany her. Some nobles will forever confound me. They have so much and yet they are never satisfied.

* * *

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment back in session. After my review of the land and river in question, I've reached a decision." Jola turned to Olinda. "Your Grace, I've been asked to judge the merits of a land dispute caused by a change in the Horse River. I've not been asked to rule on charges that may be related to the change. Is this correct?"

"That's correct, Judicator Jola. My daughter, Lady Freira, has assured me the river is happy where it is and would be unhappy flowing anywhere else," Olinda said with a small laugh.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving the land dispute between Count Edmundo and Count Kemen," Jola chanted. "I decree that the river continues to define the north/south border of the land grant as originally specified.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

* * *

The next morning, Jola, Tenzen, Olinda, and Freira sat in the Duchess's private sitting room sipping goblets of wine, Freira's heavily watered.

"My daughter informs me she wants to be a judicator," Olinda said, looking directly at Jola.

Jola smiled. "Lady Freira, judicators are important for bringing justice to the people of Pyxus because our vipers can detect truth and lies, and judicators can hear the vipers. But good rulers, like your mother, are the stability of Pyxus. Without them, there would be no judicators and chaos would reign. You have a good heart and will make a good Duchess when your time comes." Jola reached over to squeeze Freira's hand. While she talked, her viper twisted around her arm and slid down until it almost touched Freira. Jola heard Olinda's sharp inhale. Freira's eyes were wide, staring at the viper's progress, but she didn't try to pull away.

"How do you know I have a good heart?" Freira's eyes remained glued to the viper.

"My golden viper said so, and it never lies," Jola said as the viper's tongue touched Freira's hand. "See, that's its promise."

"Freira, it's time for your lessons," Olinda said, and then waited until Freira excused herself and left. "Mistress Jola, I'm speechless. Thank you for the experience, advice, and insights you've given my daughter. However, you almost scared her mother to death. If I had any doubts about sending my daughters to the monastery, you've relieved me of them. I'd be delighted if they turned out like you."

Jola's face burned. She was sure she was as bright as a red fruit.

"And thank you for leaving Edmundo to me. You can believe he'll pay for that subterfuge."

"I'm sure you are very capable of handling him," Jola said with a smile, as she and Tenzen rose to go.

As they entered the bailey where their mounts and packhorse were waiting, Captain Agnese approached.

"Mistresses, good morning. Her Grace has authorized me and my Horse unit to accompany you to Essam Province."

"That wouldn't be wise and might be a violation of the rules of the treaty," Tenzen said. "We are not to bring foreign troops with us except in cases of imminent danger to our lives. Besides, we'd like to enter Essam quietly, as we would on a normal circuit. Riding in with a unit of Rador's Horse would hardly be like a normal circuit. But thank the Duchess for the thought."

As they rode through the castle gate into the city, Jola waved to Freira, who stood on the castle steps.

"She's very fond of you," Tenzen said as she watched Jola.

"I like her very much." Jola frowned as she considered her pleasure in being with the girl. "Do judicators ever have children?"

"Some do. Nothing prevents us from marrying or having children. Actually, having children is easier than having a husband." Tenzen paused and Jola tilted her head as she assimilated what Tenzen was telling her. "Of course, by our rules, men can't reside at the monastery. If you want to marry, you must live somewhere else. If you continue on circuit, you seldom see your husband and child. If you give up the circuit, you must give up your viper and can no longer be a judicator."

"Well, I understand now why few judicators have children or get married. And, sex?" Jola asked with a wicked smile. She hadn't thought much about men while she was at the monastery. She had been happy to get away from the constant pressure to have sex while on the streets and in bondage. Now, however, she was free to choose who and when.

"You're a grown woman. Your viper will keep you infertile. You would need to stop him from feeding for at least three to six months before you could conceive," Tenzen said. Jola giggled-that had been left out of her education.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kasava Province

After three days, Jola and Tenzen neared the Rador-Kasava border. They rounded the crook in the road and saw the town of Lucien, a melange of structures-stone, wood, mud and tent cloth.

Jola shook her head in astonishment.

Tenzen shrugged. "It's a good place to rest before entering the desert of Kasava, or afterward, to recover from it."

They rode past stables with corrals filled with the desert horses, called Sangola, and stores piled with supplies and camping equipment. They passed guides hawking their services to escort travelers though the desert.

The inn was a cool adobe structure-a material strange to Jola. She spent time running her fingers over the walls, trying to figure out how you made a building of mud.

The next day she presided over a case involving the theft of some clothing and supplies. Otherwise, it was a restful two days of wandering the markets and talking with people. On the third day, Tenzen took her to tents occupied by the Kasava guides. A middle-aged man with dark brown skin and a lean sinewy build met them with deep bows. He wore all white-baggy pants, shirt, and a head wrap, which covered his neck as well.

"Good morn, Mistresses. How may this warrior help you?"

"We are traveling to Kusor, and wish to hire a Kasava guide," Tenzen said.

He bowed again. "Payment will not be necessary; another guide and I will lead when you are ready to leave."

"Can we leave tomorrow?"

"Yes, Mistress. It would be best to leave in the afternoon. We will travel most of the night, so it would be wise to rest well tonight. My name is Chima," the warrior said, and bowed slightly before returning to the Kasava tents.

"Why won't he take any money from you? Don't they get paid for guiding people through the desert?" Jola frowned after him. The whole exchange seemed strange.

"The Kasava people revere judicators. They treat us like elders of the Kasava people. It's a little unclear, even to the Kasavans, but apparently many generations ago judicators intervened to save the Kasavan people."

* * *

They rode out the next afternoon and reached the Kasava border just as the sun hovered over the horizon. Jola looked desperately around, seeking any sign of a road to speed their progress. The transition from lush prairie and cool breezes to endless sand and searing heat seemed immediate. The sky was clear under the scorching sun. The hot wind scoured the flat, open land, hurling burning yellow sand in her face.

Shortly afterward, the sun went down and the temperature plunged to freezing. True to his word, Chima, with his companion guide, pushed on through the night, stopping just before sunrise. They quickly set up two tents, and then prepared dinner-a tasty mixture of grains, fruit, flat bread, and strips of dried meat.

This routine went on for four days: sleep during the day, eat a light meal, travel at night, and then eat a heavier meal upon stopping at daybreak.

On the fourth morning, they reached the foothills of the Western Peaks, which provided their first shade, and cool stream runoff from the mountains. Jola had never been so glad to splash her face-sand-blasted after the desert travel-with cool water. They rested a day before continuing their journey south. For the next three days, they traveled in late afternoon, as the mountains provided them with shade.

After the exhausting eightday, Jola was thankful when Chima turned into the foothills and followed a wandering dirt road to the small village of Kusor. As in Lucien, they rode past stables of desert horses and supply shacks with piles of camping gear, as well as guides waiting for work. However, here there were also wagons piled high with glistening salt from the nearby mines, awaiting shipment to the rest of Pyxus.

Jola's mouth dropped open at the shouts of "Judicator! Judicator!" that went up from the people on the street. Soon, a welcoming crowd gathered around them. Jola found the exuberance hard to believe.

Their first night turned into a huge celebration. Two kids roasted on a spit in the center of the town. Children took turns rotating it, with serious attention to the job.

Later, as one of the guests of honor, Jola was seated under one of the awnings at the front of a hut. She picked up strips of the kid, wrapping them in pieces of flat bread from baskets.

Jola hid a jaw-cracking yawn behind her hand. She didn't want to insult their hosts, but she was exhausted. She forced her eyes to remain open as the men danced in huge circles, clapping and leaping, accompanied by strange stringed instruments and small drums. It went on and on. She leaned back and closed her eyes.

The nights of desert travel had exhausted her, and she felt herself drifting off despite her every intention of staying awake to watch the dancing. The people and the dances were fascinating. Yet her eyes closed, in spite of the heat, flies and the noise of the festivities.

Jola awoke to high-pitched, atonal chanting and a muffled drum beat. Her eyes flew wide open with shock at the vision of a huge, swaying snake. Then it twisted and evolved into a village woman in a mask, leading a line of dancers with their arms entwined.

The fog of sleep and firelight broken, Jola blinked up at Tenzen and blushed in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to go to sleep."

Tenzen smiled. "A nap is perfectly acceptable at these festivals."

She nodded at Chima as he handed her a goblet of golden desert wine.

"The chiefs would like an introduction, Mistresses," he said.

He brought the five clan chiefs forward, and they in turn brought their clan members forward to meet the judicators. Even their Sangolas, the desert horses, were present; they were ugly, but Jola couldn't help liking the easygoing beasts.

The next morning, after the end of the festivities, a delegation asked that one of the judicators sit in judgment of a dispute between two of the clan chiefs.

Tenzen agreed that Jola would hear the case. She used the delay to negotiate dagger training for Jola, who learned that the tribesmen of Kasava were the best dagger fighters in all of Pyxus.

* * *

Jola had to smile as she walked up several levels and sat on a large stone, which substituted for her judicator's chair. These seem like such practical people.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session." Jola spoke the ritual words, and then the words Tenzen had altered. "Clan Elders, speak the dispute."

"Clan Ryuu claims that Clan Apsu hasn't paid the agreed-upon total dowry price," an elder named Akello said in a quiet but carrying voice. Akello had to be very old. His brown skin was dry and wrinkled, though his movements still seemed lithe. From her discussions with him at the party, Jola knew he had a sharp mind.

"Clan Apsu claims they offered to pay the agreed upon-price, and wants the marriage to continue," an elder named Imamu said in a soft voice, which also carried to everyone. Imamu wasn't quite as old as Akello, and although he walked slowly, he looked slender and dangerous. Jola knew Imamu to be no one's fool. These were two canny traders, she realized, getting ready to do battle. Worse yet, she detected that both chiefs spoke the truth. Now what, she wondered. Tenzen had disappeared into the crowd-probably on purpose.

"Chief Akello, what was the agreed dowry price?" How could there be a disagreement over the amount offered and agreed to, and what was the price of a bride for a chief's son?

"Mistress Jola, we agreed upon three standard Sangolas," Akello said.

Jola now understood how there could be a disagreement-they were dealing in desert horses.

"Chief Imamu, what did you offer to pay Chief Akello?" She wasn't sure where she was going, but she had to determine the area of conflict.

"Mistress Jola, we offered one thousand silvers," Imamu said.

Now she knew the price of their desert horses and the price of a bride for a chief's son. The father and mother of Rosa, her friend at the monastery, had been sold into bondage for less than the price of one desert horse. She shook herself free of that thought. The past couldn't be changed and had no relevance here. They were arguing over the price of a Sangola. So, she needed to find a standard price they could agree on.

"Chief Akello, how much would you charge a Sattah trader for one of your Sangolas?" Jola knew the Kasavans considered everyone else unworthy; consequently, that should be the high end.

"Mistress Jola, five hundred silvers, maybe five hundred and fifty silvers," Akello said.

Now for the low end. She stifled a giggle.

"How much would you charge one of your clan relatives?" Jola held her mouth firm to avoid a twitch of her lips. Her viper spoiled it by poking its head out of the sleeve of her bodice, causing the crowd to break out in laughs and snickers.

"Mistress, three hundred, maybe three hundred and fifty silvers," Akello said with a frown, after a long pause.

"So, a standard Sangola would cost an unworthy foreigner as much as five hundred and fifty silvers, and a clan member as little as three hundred silvers." Jola looked at Akello, who nodded in agreement. Very interesting-almost double. She suddenly realized how to resolve the dispute. Their natural prejudice would help. "Would you marry your daughter to a Sattah noble for three times five hundred and fifty silvers?"

Akello's eyes widened. "No, Mistress." His voice rose in distress. "Sattah men are unworthy. I would not insult my daughter with an unworthy man for any price." The crowd laughed and cheered.

Got you, you crafty old man.

"Yet, don't you insult your daughter by valuing your Sangolas, for Chief Imamu, higher than you would for your own clan?"

"My daughter is a fine woman, and will make good wife."

"Is Chief Imamu's son unworthy of your daughter, that you insist on more?" Jola asked as she pressed her argument.

"No, Chief Imamu's son is a good man," Akello replied slowly. His mouth twitched a little, but he didn't seem quite ready to admit defeat.

"Won't her marriage strengthen the ties between Clan Ryuu and Clan Apsu?" Jola continued the line of questions designed to appeal to clan loyalty.

"Yes, Mistress," Akello muttered, barely loud enough to be discernible.

"Do you want Chief Imamu to look elsewhere for a wife for his son?" Jola knew that the clans, while competitive, had strong ties to each other. She noticed that the prospective bride and groom were vigorously shaking their heads in the negative. Akello glanced their way from the corner of his eye.

"The Apsu clan has offered you clan price, three hundred and thirty-three silvers per Sangola-somewhere between the price you would offer your most loved and your least loved relatives," Jola said, hoping she had made her argument, since she had run out of ideas.

"Mistress Jola, you are a difficult trader. You would have me selling my Sangola to you for one hundred silvers. I would go out of business," Akello said to general laughter. "I agree that the dowry price is acceptable."

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving the marriage dowry between Chief Akello's daughter and Chief Imamu's son," Jola chanted. "I decree the sum of one thousand silvers is a just equivalent for three standard Sangolas.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

Jola clambered down off the rock that had served as her seat of honor. She couldn't help her grin.

"That was well done," Tenzen said as they walked back to their tent. "The clansmen are natural traders, and it's bad form to appear to have been out-traded. You not only gave Akello a face-saving reason to give in, but one that was clever enough to be accepted as reasonable."

"Thank you. It certainly helped that we studied the people of each province at the monastery. It gave me enough insight to know that I merely had to find a reasonable excuse for Akello to capitulate," Jola said with a chuckle. "They're an interesting people."

"I'm glad you find them interesting, since tomorrow at first light, your dagger training starts. You'll find their fighters deadly," Tenzen said, followed by a jokingly evil laugh.

"I can't get over these folks. On the road, they're so reserved, and they barely speak. Yet in the village, they're a fun-loving people."

"They're isolated and little understood. I've always enjoyed their company, and my trips to Kasava-maybe because there's so little crime," Tenzen replied. "I suspect most of the cases we hear will involve trades."

They spent an eightday in the Kusor village. Jola heard several more cases, and tried to learn the Kasavans' favorite game, Stones-but barely managed to learn the basics. A few times, she managed to win against the nine- and ten-year-olds.

She trained for several hours in the morning and several in the early evening with various Kusor warriors. Each town in Kasava maintained a portion of the Kasavan army. Frequently the warriors were used as guards for caravans and for emergency search and rescue patrols, searching for lost or stranded groups that tried unsuccessfully to cross the desert without Kasava guides. Jola had thought she was a reasonably good fighter with a dagger after working with Tenzen's brother-until her first match with a Kasavan warrior. He'd flipped the dagger from her hand with contemptuous ease. By the end of the eightday, she could at least manage to hang onto her dagger and get an occasional hit.

Several things had become obvious to Jola. The monastery's defensive-arts training was inadequate against a twenty stone sergeant, an experienced swordsman or a Kasava warrior. Sister Tenzen understood its limitations and had planned for her additional instruction.

Jola looked over her shoulder as she reluctantly rode away from the village. The people were pleasant and easy to get along with, they loved to laugh and play games, and they sure knew how to throw a good party.

* * *

Essam Province

On the narrow road to Etzel, the capital of Essam, they met few other travelers. The villages they passed through were tiny and isolated. None had an inn, so Jola and Tenzen slept in their tents each night. This country past the desert was lush, with heavy trees and flowering bushes. At night after they finished their short sword practice, Jola relished the stories Tenzen told about her days as a judicator and the people she had met.

Seabirds winged over the trees as they neared the peak of the hill. Jola felt almost sad when the city came into view as they topped the rise. As they neared the city, the sound of human activity-the creak and splash of boats, hammering, and the sound of voices-carried to them on the strengthening sea breeze. When they entered the city gates, they discovered that there had been no advance warning of their arrival.

"Mistresses, welcome to Etzel," a young sergeant said in a cheerful voice. "If you wouldn't mind waiting, I'll get you an escort."

"Thank you, Sergeant," Tenzen said.

Jola followed Tenzen off to the side, so as not to block the stream of people waiting to enter the city. A few minutes later, a captain and two troopers appeared.

"Mistresses, I'm Captain Hasadi. I'll escort you to a good inn, The Whaler, or to the castle, whichever you'd prefer. I'm sure that Duke Serkan would welcome you at the castle."

"Thank you, Captain. We would like to see His Grace, if he's not busy," Tenzen said as they started into the city.

The city of Etzel appeared to be more of a fishing center and seaport than did Stag Bluff, although they were both on the coast. Stag Bluff's steep foothills and treacherous currents precluded a fishing port, whereas most of Etzel was at sea level. Fishing boats and seagoing vessels were tied to jetties of gray stone. Only the castle perched on higher ground. As they approached the castle's wall, Jola picked out the Essam flags, each with a red, fanged hound on a black background, flapping in the afternoon breeze on the castle's turrets and over the entrance. The castle was a spectacular structure, with hundred-foot towers, arched doors, gold domes, and thousands of runes that adorned every wall. The captain turned them over to the castle's steward, who led them past hundreds of pillars lining the arched hallways. Beautiful rugs and vases were everywhere. Even the floors they walked on were exquisite, with complex patterns of arches and scrolls, and scenes fashioned from small, colorful glass chips. The steward bowed them into their suite, saying that the duke would see them at dinner.

"Why so quiet?" Tenzen asked when the door closed behind them.

"I find this wealth oppressive," Jola said, trying to find the right words to describe what she felt as she scanned the room. The bed had two mattresses that were each two hands thick, the covers wool with silk-embroidered hound designs. There were handwoven rugs, two tables, four chairs, and wall hangings. Everywhere she looked, there were things worth many hundreds of silvers. And these rooms were for guests. Who knew what the duke's rooms were like? Jola shivered.

"Why? Please think before you answer," Tenzen said in her best teaching voice.

Jola wandered around the room, running her finger over a finely carved table and a gorgeous wall hanging before she sat down. Her first reaction was that she wasn't used to it. She had lived in rat-infested alleys for years. In bondage, she had been packed ten or more in a small, bare, and poorly ventilated room. Even at the monastery, her room was small and simple. But that wasn't all of it.

"I'm ashamed because of all the poor people who had to suffer and go without, to pay for this." She felt better having explained the real reason. "I'd feel better sleeping with the servants."

"You have a very disturbing way of going directly to the heart of the matter. I first thought that you just weren't used to the luxury. I'm sure that's part of it. But you know who really paid for it. It's a thought that a noble would never understand, and one even I sometimes forget, although my family worked for its wealth." Tenzen looked around the room. "However, we have to stay-otherwise we would insult His Grace, which wouldn't be good."

"You're right. I understand that sleeping with the servants won't return any riches to the common folks. And, although I don't personally care if I insult the nobles, I'm a judicator, and it would reflect poorly on my sisters. That, I do care about." Jola gave a small nod.

She had to admit that she enjoyed the luxury of steaming hot water to bathe away the road dirt before she changed into clean, fresh clothes. Then, she heard someone yelling out strange cries-but the sound seemed to come from all around. She jumped up and turned in a circle, trying to determine what direction it came from.

Tenzen smiled. "Twice a day, there are calls to prayer from the towers." Jola's mouth dropped open. "How strange... " She blinked, trying to figure out what to make of such a strange custom. Just then a servant knocked on the door to take them to see the duke prior to dinner.

He greeted Tenzen by name when they entered, and she introduced Jola. When the introductions were over, the duke led them down a long corridor to the dining hall, where the master-of-the-hall announced His Grace and Mistresses Tenzen and Jola to the twenty or so guests. Pillars of polished golden stone were set in the white plaster of the walls. Above, leaves and flowers in a frieze circled the room, and ran into the ornate sunken panels of the ceiling.

As they seated themselves, a lackey brought crystal goblets of a sparkling golden wine. Jola sipped it carefully. She'd never seen the like, and it tickled as it went down her throat. More servants brought in trays of food. She thought she recognized the slices of beef wrapped around cheese, so she took a little of that. It tasted more seasoned than she was used to, but she nibbled at it through dinner as she listened to the conversations around her.

"Mistress Jola, is this going to be your circuit when you've finished your indoctrination tour?" Serkan said.

"I don't really know, Your Grace. From what I've seen of Essam and Rador, they're certainly beautiful provinces, and the people are friendly and pleasant." Her viper poked its head out of her hair as it changed positions.

"I'd like you to try a case we've pending, if you feel ready." Serkan smiled.

"I'm at your service, Your Grace." She wondered what kind of case he wanted a new judicator to try. Normally, Tenzen would be asked to preside.

"Excellent, I've two nobles who have been harassing me to settle a dispute over profits from their mining operations. We need someone who is neutral. My minister will set it up for tomorrow afternoon in the great hall."

She sensed satisfaction and a strong sense of relief. It seemed to her like a long-standing problem he had been avoiding. Why?

"Will the public be invited, Your Grace?"

"The public has little interest in mining disputes between nobles."

"A public hearing provides your people the continuing reassurance that their rulers care about justice." Jola kept her tone casual as her viper, its tongue flicking lightly at her ear, soothed her tension.

"Yes, they do need pampering." Serkan nodded.

"Have you been having troubles lately, Your Grace?" Tenzen said with a frown.

"There is always unrest. Either it's the nobles or it's the merchants or it's someone else. Mistress Jola is right. Everyone wants justice, but no one can agree on what is just." Serkan's face twisted in anger for a moment. "Maybe the seven provinces need to renegotiate the treaty. After all, it's over a hundred years old."

Serkan said little for the rest of the dinner, and as soon as the table had been cleared Tenzen said they could find their way back to their suite, waving away the lackey standing by to guide them.

"We're walking on dangerous ground, Sister." Tenzen kept her voice low as they strolled through the quiet corridor. "Serkan clearly would like the laws changed to favor the nobles. The question is whether he's the reason some or all of his nobles are unhappy with the laws, or whether his nobles are causing Serkan to be unhappy."

"Their logic confuses me. Without the common folks-maids, cooks, farmers, merchants, soldiers, and store owners-what would the nobles be?" Jola shrugged her shoulders, which caused her viper to peek out of her blouse as if it too waited for Tenzen's answer.

Tenzen laughed. "I'm never going to look at a maid the same way again. I can just imagining a scenario where all the common folks moved out of a province, leaving only nobles. It would be their worst nightmare." She started laughing again.

* * *

From under her golden mask, Jola glanced around as she climbed the steps of the dais to the seat of honor. The great hall loomed, ten times larger and more ornate than the dining hall the night before. The glassy marble floor was inlaid with tawny lines. The ceiling soared to a dizzying height-a masterpiece of swags and garlands, and mythical beasts and birds. Double doors sheathed in bronze had been thrown open to admit those who came to hear the judgment. A crowd of people lined the hall, both nobles and commoners from their dress.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session," Jola said as Tenzen and Serkan took their places on each side of her.

After a moment's hesitation, she sat in the magnificently carved seat.

"Minister, please read the specifics of the dispute."

"Baron Gavrel claims he's not getting his fair share of the silver mining operation he shares with Baron Moriz," the minister read from a scroll. "Baron Moriz claims the silver is weighted, witnessed, and divided equally."

Jola cocked her head as she examined the two men before her. Both were well dressed in beautifully tailored silk clothes. Obviously both had wealth, and yet one was cheating the other, or conversely, one felt entitled to more. Nobles seem never to have enough power or silver.

"Baron Gavrel, why do you believe you're not getting your fair share of the mining operation profits?"

"Mistress, the mine operation continues to produce slightly more ore each year, and yet my share continues to decrease." Gavrel's hands twitched restlessly.

Jola sensed the truthfulness of his statement. Yet, he was clearly uncomfortable and nervous. Why? The outcome of the judgment, or his peers' reactions?

"Is it possible that the ore is yielding less silver each year?" Jola said as her viper disappeared into her blouse and exited at her wrist, which she had rested on the arm of the chair.

"No, Mistress. I've had a sample of the ore analyzed each year, and the yield has either been the same or higher."

She could tell he was still nervous and agitated, although he believed what he said to be the truth.

"Liar," Moriz said, his face turning a dark red.

"Ten-silvers fine, Baron Moriz, for interrupting the proceeding. I'm quite capable of determining the truth and falseness of every statement." Jola pointed at Moriz with the hand that had the viper coiled around it. She had added the last remark because she had detected the falseness of Moriz's outburst. Interesting. If his outburst was a lie, then he must believe that Gavrel had spoken the truth.

"You can fine me, but you can't collect," Moriz said, with his face twisted in a sneer.

"I don't intent to collect the fine, Baron Moriz. You owe the silver to the king. If he has to send troops to collect it, I'd imagine he would also collect your lands and titles at the same time. And you now owe another ten silvers for continuing to disrupt the proceedings. Would you like to try for fifty?" Jola's viper left her hand to coil in her lap, with its mouth expanded and its fangs showing.

"Are you threatening me?" Moriz said, gripping his hands into fists.

"An additional thirty-silvers fine, Baron Moriz. I've merely informed you that fines go to the king, not to me," Jola said, as a hush descended on the hall.

"You bitch." Moriz shouted, and a collective gasp escaped the crowd. As Jola looked around the hall, many of the nobles were smiling.

"One hundred silvers fine, making the total one hundred and fifty silvers, Baron Moriz. Would you like to try for a thousand, and your lands and titles?"

In front of the stunned crowd, Moriz drew his sword and began advancing upon the platform. The guards drew their swords and closed ranks around Duke Serkan. Jola stood, her sword in hand almost before he took his first step, as the emotions of hate radiating from Moriz had alerted her to imminent violence. Her golden viper had somehow reappeared and wrapped itself around her left arm as she stood and walked down from the platform.

Serkan stood up, his mouth agape, and looked to Tenzen, who shook her head.

"I hereby inform you, Moriz, that you've forfeited your lands and titles by my order, in the name of King Nicolas." She waited for Moriz's attack. He lunged at her chest. She turned, her sword guiding his sword by her. He recovered nicely, circling his sword around to attack her head. She met his sword over her head, letting it slide harmlessly to the left of her. He spun completely around, his sword whistling as he whirled. But she had stepped to the inside, and only his arm hit her. The impact dislodged his sword, and it clattered to the floor.

They stood face to face, with her hand on his neck. Her viper rose off her arm, fangs exposed and only a few fingers' length from his face.

"Your Grace, do you wish Moriz, previously a baron, to live? Or die?" Jola said. Her heart was pounding now that the fight was over, but she kept her voice level.

Moriz's eyes traveled from Jola's sword to the viper that now coiled around her sword arm watching him, and then to Serkan.

Serkan stood with his mouth open, not speaking.

"Your Grace, Judicator Jola has been attacked by Moriz. She could have killed him, but didn't. She wishes to know if you wish him dead," Tenzen said in a cool voice that everyone in the hall heard.

"Live. Guards, take Baron... take Moriz away and have him treated and held until I decide what to do with him."

Jola ignored the fact that it was her right, not his, to decide Moriz's fate. She was relieved. She didn't like killing.

The issue of the silver mine still had not been resolved. "Baron Gavrel, how far is it to your mine?" Jola said. She took a deep breath to steady herself and her viper wove itself back into her hair like a golden headdress.

"Mistress, about a two hour ride." Gavrel paled and looked like he was considering whether he should be groveling at her feet.

"Good-this judgment is adjourned until tomorrow at noon. Anyone who would like to accompany me for my inspection of Baron Gavrel's and the former Baron Moriz's silver mine may come," Jola said.

* * *

Jola had never been to a silver mine before. She had read about them at the monastery so in theory, she knew the essentials, but now she would actually get to see, touch, and smell one.

For two hours, she watched the miners dig up the ore, haul it out, crush it, refine it and finally, weigh it. Silver was placed on one pan and then on the other until the scale indicated the pieces were of equal weight. Both nobles had a man watching the silver being weighed. It seemed odd to Jola that one scale was colored red for Moriz and one black for Gavrel. Why designate special sides?

"Please take the silver on the red tray and exchange it with the silver on the black tray," Jola said.

"Why, Mistress?" the miner who had been placing the silver on the trays asked.

"Because I said to." Jola smiled, and received chuckles from the small crowd of people who had chosen to accompany her.

He started to remove the tray, planning to switch trays.

"No, the silver only." She shook her hand, viper attached, at him.

Once it was done, the red scale rose, indicating that it had less silver than the black.

"They're not equal," Gavrel shouted when the scales no longer balanced. "Sorry for my outburst, Mistress."

The crowd laughed.

She had them test until she was sure that the scales were off by ten percent. When she asked, Gavrel told her he had received two thousand last year and one thousand, eight hundred this year.

* * *

At breakfast the next morning, Duke Serkan was quiet. He kept glancing at Jola and then down at his plate.

"Mistress Jola, you've caused me a great deal of trouble," Serkan said.

"How so, Your Grace?" Her viper peeked its head out of her hair, apparently interested.

"Many of the nobles are mad at you for the way you treated Baron Moriz and want me to do something."

"Your Grace, Moriz is no longer a baron. And what do they think you can do? My judgment is given."

He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times.

Jola raised her hand to stop him. "I don't pretend to know what is in the minds of those nobles, but it was Moriz who caused the trouble. He's cheated a fellow nobleman and he attacked the king's representative with a sword. You were gracious enough to save his life, which he had forfeited to me." Jola put something in her mouth that looked like eggs, but had unknown spices in it.

"Mistress Tenzen, can you restore his lands and titles?"

Tenzen gave him a cold stare. "No, I can't. I wouldn't. He attacked the king's personal representative, which is treason, as you should well know. The king won't tolerate that from anyone in Pyxus. Judicator Jola is correct. You had best keep that in mind. Ask yourself whether you or they want to follow in Moriz's footsteps."

He paled and said nothing further while they finished eating.

As soon as they rose from the table, he led the way through the maze of corridors to the great hall. Jola again mounted the platform.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving Baron Gavrel and the former Baron Moriz over the share of silver from their previously shared silver mine," Jola chanted. "I decree the following:

"First, Moriz and his partner at the mine fixed the scales, which cheated Baron Gavrel by ten percent over the past two years. Moriz will pay four hundred, twenty-two silvers to Baron Gavrel for the ten percent he was cheated.

"Second, Moriz will pay the king the one hundred and fifty silvers fine imposed by me.

"Third, Moriz is guilty of treason for his attack on a judicator. He is stripped of his title of baron, and his lands, which revert to Duke Serkan to do with as he wishes. Moriz is sentenced to twenty strokes of the cane and ten years in the iron mines at Iron Hills.

"Fourth, the mine manager is sentenced to ten strokes of the cane and one year in custody for his part in helping to cheat Baron Gavrel.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus." Jola finished and paused. During the sentencing, she had heard several objections and noted angry looks on several of the nobles' faces, but most looked thoughtful.

Tenzen gave a shrug as Jola stepped down from the dais.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Essam Province

The next day, when Tenzen told Duke Serkan that they intended to travel south to Warring, he urged an escort. She refused, indicating that it would only serve to mask what could be potential problems. She asked that he be vocal in his support of the judicators so that his nobles would understand that he didn't endorse a rebellion.

"Do you believe Duke Serkan supports us?" Jola asked as they rode away from Etzel. The events of the last few days indicated that Duke Serkan had been strongly influenced by his nobles.

"No, I believe he'll be more cautious about what he says, but I don't believe he'll openly support the judicators. He would need pressure directly from the king. I talked to several of the young nobles after you left. They commented that they hadn't considered what could happen to those who acted against the judicators." Tenzen paused to take a sip from her water bag. "I pointed out that the laws the judicators enforce were negotiated by their fathers' fathers for their benefit and that of their heirs. They were skeptical that the Seven Provinces' Treaty was intended to help them. They thought the army would have put down the revolution, until I brought to their attention that the army was made up of commoners who had fathers, brothers, and friends participating in the revolt."

"Did I do right, Sister? I'm supposed to maintain the dignity of the judicators, but I get so mad at their arrogance and superiority that I forget and revert back to Jola the street rat."

"If you do anything that reflects poorly on the judicators, I'll be the first to let you know. We don't give up who we are when we become judicators, nor should we try. Your actions were appropriate considering the circumstances, and demonstrated the consequences of rebellion."

"Where are we going now?" She knew they eventually were headed for Warring, at the southern tip of Essam, but was unsure which route they would take.

"I thought we would stop at Egon and Gotter. That gives us a chance to assess the mood in a variety of Essam cities and towns. Etzel clearly had discontent, although it wasn't anywhere near open revolt. I believe someone is instigating the current resentment. For now, the situation in Etzel is manageable," Tenzen said. "In addition, it'll give us more time to practice. I've a feeling that we'll encounter more open hostility as we travel further south."

* * *

Egon was a midsize town located in a valley, with towering mountains to its east and west. They rode through groves of fruit trees and past small, fertile looking farms as they neared the town. Tenzen continued to insist they make camp early each night to practice with dagger and sword. After dinner when they sat at the campfire in front of their tent, Tenzen told Jola stories of her childhood growing up in Ironwood, adventures on her early circuits, and life as a self-defense teacher at the monastery. For all Tenzen's deadliness, her warm, loving personality made Jola feel as if she were a part of her family. Jola tried not to think ahead to the day she would no longer travel with her sister, who had become almost the mother Jola had never known. Their trek to Egon took six days, but Jola wished it would never end.

Once in Egon, they rode through busy streets filled with farmers' carts on their way to market. The buildings were mostly wattle and daub, but seemed well cared for and solid. Tenzen's coin got them clean, airy rooms at the Happy Valley Inn. The local governor, Marquess Oergo, joined them for a goblet of wine and requested a judgment, which Tenzen accepted, beginning two days hence.

The next day, Tenzen and Jola wandered around the town talking with everyone they met, eating at two vendors' stalls, and shopping. Jola purchased a few ribbons for her hair, which her viper seemed to like. Tenzen went through stacks of leather at a stall until she found a piece to repair her sword belt. The mood in the town was sober. People in the market seemed tense, and Jola heard muttering when nobles passed.

* * *

Jola sat in an old chair with arms, which hadn't been elevated as custom dictated. The room was small and the seating limited. As she looked around, she saw that the people attending the judgment appeared to be limited to nobles and guards. Jola didn't like the feel of the mood in the room, so she motioned to the captain.

"Captain, the trial will be postponed for three hours while you move my chair outside, elevate it, and give notice in the town of the pending judgment," Jola said, and smiled at the captain.

"Mistress, I was told-" The captain stopped speaking when Jola raised a hand, and her viper raised its head off her shoulder. The captain turned pale and nodded.

"Three hours," she repeated. Tenzen nodded to her, and she followed her mentor out to stroll through the streets for a while.

When Jola and Tenzen returned, the chair had been moved and elevated as she had instructed. She also noticed that a fair-size crowd had gathered in their absence. As they approached the chair, Marquess Oergo stepped in front of them.

"Mistress Jola, I had asked the captain to set up that room for the judgment," Oergo said with a crack of authority.

"That's all right, Marquess Oergo. I'm sure you couldn't have known that cramped and crowded rooms make me nervous," Jola said, and continued to walk toward the makeshift platform. As do arrogant nobles. She heard Tenzen choke back a laugh that she converted to a cough. At the same time, Jola's viper decided to stretch itself out on her left shoulder, which just happened to be on the side where Oergo walked. He stepped aside reflexively, stopped, turned, and walked away. She reached the elevated chair and stood surveying the crowd before seating herself. There was still a fair number of guards and nobles; however, the number of merchants and other commoners present outnumbered them three to one.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. Captain, read the dispute please."

"Mistress, Merchant Apsel, a metalsmith, created a pendant for Lord Vache's wife. He contends he wasn't paid the agreed upon price," the captain read.

"Apsel's a liar," someone shouted. Jola scanned the crowd but couldn't pick out where the shout had come from.

Jola stood, her viper coiled around her extended arm. "Let's get the rules straight. I'm Judicator Jola, and this judgment is now in session. I will, therefore, fine any person who speaks without my permission. Fines go to the king, not to me. He'll collect them, not me. Verbal or physical attacks on me will result in an appropriate punishment. Any such punishments will be enforced by your local governor; if not by him, then by Duke Serkan, who offered a troop of soldiers to escort us here, and if not by him, then by the king." Jola looked around the gathering, smiled, and reseated herself. The nobles seem to have forgotten that judicators are the law and have power over them as well as the commoners.

"Captain, call forth the parties." She waited, unmoving, while the two men came forward.

"Merchant Apsel, please tell me what you were contracted to make for Lord Vache."

"Yes, Mistress. I have a drawing of the pendant I made for Lord Vache," Apsel said, and handed it to the captain, who handed it to Jola.

"Did Lord Vache agree to this drawing, Merchant Apsel?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"He's a liar," Vache said.

Jola sensed truth from Apsel and falseness from Vache. "Twenty-silvers fine, Lord Vache-ten for interrupting the proceeding and ten for lying to me. Now, unless you'd like additional fines, would you please show me the pendant Merchant Apsel made for you?"

Lord Vache reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold pendant, which he handed to the captain.

"Captain, please give the pendant to Merchant Apsel." She waited until Apsel had the pendant. "Merchant Apsel, is that the pendant you made?"

"Yes, Mistress," Apsel said. He handed it back to the captain, who handed it to Jola. Sensing truth, Jola examined the pendant. It was a green gem in a gold cage on a gold chain-a beautiful piece. When she had finished examining it, she handed it to Tenzen, who examined it and handed it back to her without comment. Now that she had determined what the agreement had been, she moved on to the second objective, getting them to acknowledge it.

"Merchant Apsel, what was the agreed upon price?" Jola asked, as her viper popped out of her sleeve, appearing to examine the pendant with its tongue.

"Forty silvers, Mistress."

Vache's mouth opened and then closed, and his face turned red. Jola sensed truth from Apsel. "Lord Vache, it's now your turn. What was the agreed upon price?"

"Forty silvers if I liked the finished product, Mistress. I... " Vache started, but stopped when Jola raised her hand, which held the pendant and a viper. Jola sensed truth.

"Merchant Apsel, was that your understanding?" Jola asked with a mental sigh. This was a boring story that she hoped fervently would end soon.

Apsel hesitated a moment.

"Mistress... yes."

Jola sensed truth. Now she needed to find an equitable solution.

"Merchant Apsel, have you received an advance from Lord Vache?"

"No, Mistress."

"Could you resell the pendant for close to that price?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Lord Vache, am I correct in assuming that you don't like the finished product?" Jola asked and then waited patiently. If he says 'no,' I think I'll send him to the iron mines.

"Yes, Mistress. No. My wife doesn't like it," Vache said to several snickers from the nobles in the crowd.

"I've reached a decision." At last, Jola mused, wondering how this disagreement had ever gone to a judgment. Worse, how did the town's nobles and commoners get involved?

She stood and waited for silence.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving the Lord Vache and Merchant Apsel." Jola chanted the ritual words preceding a verdict. "I decree the following:

"First, their agreement is void.

"Second, the pendant is Merchant Apsel's property and shall be returned to him.

"Third, Lord Vache is to pay to the king the twenty-silvers fine imposed by me during the proceeding.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

* * *

The next day, Jola and Tenzen strolled down to the merchants' street. Merchants, freemen, and a few nobles stopped Jola continuously. It appeared that the disagreement between Apsel and Vache had caused a great deal of tension between the nobles and commoners. The nobles felt Apsel had cheated Vache and couldn't be trusted; the merchants felt Vache had cheated Apsel and could not be trusted. Of course, Apsel and Vache had fueled the dispute with their biases and half-truths. Jola's decision was greeted as fair and provided relief from the tension. The nobles reluctantly agreed that Jola had warned everyone and that Vache had been stupid to ignore her. Besides, twenty silvers meant little to a noble.

She did hear a few rumors about the nobles down south. Mostly, they dealt with the nobles getting favorable treatment-or appropriate treatment, depending on the speaker. When Tenzen decided to return to the inn, Jola intentionally meandered into the poorer part of Egon. There, the houses were one-story and mostly dilapidated. The people for the most part worked hard, but were unable to rise out of their poverty. They were cautious at first, equating judicators with nobles. But Jola's friendliness and affinity with them soon dispelled their fears, and a crowd developed. Jola learned first-hand about life in Egon from the perspective of the poor. The good citizens of Egon, including commoners, guards and nobles, looked down upon them and used them. However, Jola believed it was no worse than in other cities.

"Mistress," a thin man said hesitantly. He was dressed in moderately good used clothes.

"Yes, Freeman... ?" Jola thought that the man didn't look like he belonged in this part of town-something about his bearing.

"Freeman Gemeth, Mistress. My family and I were forced to leave Gotter. The nobles have become the law."

"What do you mean, Freeman Gemeth?" Jola had finally found someone who'd lived in Gotter, not someone who'd heard from someone who'd heard from someone...

"They kept coming into my shop, taking things, and leaving only a few coppers for items worth several silvers. When I complained to the Marquess, the nobles claimed I'd cheated them. A few days later, the same young nobles set fire to my shop. The guard implied that I had set the fire to blame the nobles. I heard talk that they might lock me up. I had no option but to take my family and leave."

"Thank you, Freeman Gemeth. I'm going to Gotter, and I appreciate the information. I hope to be able to resolve your grievance while I'm there."

Jola continued to wander and talk with the residents, and found several more individuals from Gotter. The stories varied, but all described an atmosphere of unchecked abuse similar to Pet's story at the iron mines.

The following morning, Jola and Tenzen rode out for Gotter, the last stop before Warring. After Tenzen heard what Jola had learned in Egon, she told her they would take a few extra days traveling to Gotter. She wanted to continue stopping early each day to practice. Jola knew her sister expected trouble and wanted her mentally and physically prepared.

They encountered few travelers on the road between Egon and Gotter. Those they saw appeared subdued. As evening approached on the fifth night, they were only a few leagues short of Gotter when Tenzen decided to stop for the night. They practiced, ate and retired early.

Jola awoke feeling agitated. It took a moment to realize the cause. Her viper had detected emotions of anger and hate, and woken her. At the same moment, Tenzen arose with her sword drawn. Jola drew her sword and followed Tenzen out of the tent. Within seconds, six men came crashing through the underbrush into the clearing. Two nobles led four soldiers in Tasman uniforms.

"There they are," a soldier shouted.

"These are the rogue judicators we're seeking. Kill them." A noble pointed his sword at Tenzen and smiled.

Tenzen raised her sword toward the advancing soldiers and flipped her viper into the noble's smiling face. His scream distracted the soldiers enough for Tenzen to kill the closest one. Jola cut off two of the advancing soldiers before they could attack Tenzen. She ducked under the first man's swing at her head, while bringing her sword up into his armpit for the kill. The second soldier hesitated, backing up a couple of steps.

The remaining noble turned and ran toward his horse. Taking advantage of the soldier's hesitation, Jola flung her viper with all her strength in the retreating nobleman's direction. The viper landed short but slithered after the running noble. He managed to make it to his horse and mount. As he turned his horse, the viper struck the horse's leg. The horse bucked, throwing the man over his head. The animal staggered a few steps before it collapsed. The fallen noble didn't move, so Jola dismissed him.

Jola and Tenzen now had only one opponent each. The men rushed them, but the fight only lasted a few seconds. Jola quickly killed her opponent. As she looked down at him, she wondered who would care that he had died-friends, wife, children. When she finally looked up, she noted that Tenzen's opponent had only been wounded. Jola walked slowly over to him and watched him unsuccessfully struggle to rise. His injured leg wouldn't support him. Jola could smell the fear that radiated from him.

"You could live, if you were willing to answer a few questions." She returned her sword to her belt and reached down to pick up her viper, which had returned.

"What questions... Mistress?"

"Your name." Jola gently and slowly brushed the dirt off her viper. She could see the terror in the man's face as he tried to push himself backward.

"Ilario... Corporal Ilario, Mistress."

"Corporal Ilario, why did the nobles want us dead?" Ilario stared as Jola's viper wound its way up her arm.

"There is a trial tomorrow in Gotter. Several nobles are accused of raping two women. The judicator we're accompanying favors the nobles." Ilario stuttered, his eyes glued to her viper as it twisted into her hair.

Tenzen attended to the soldier's wounds while he continued to talk. The presence of two vipers so close had beads of sweat dripping down his face. He claimed that only his captain knew all the details about the Judicator Shalea. The Duke of Tasman had assigned a captain and twenty-five soldiers to protect her. During their trip to Gotter, Judicator Shalea had judged the freemen and merchant cases fairly. But nobles had always been given favorable treatment.

Tenzen prepared breakfast as Jola collected the horses, gear, and weapons. The soldiers had standard-issue gear. The noblemen's gear looked well made and expensive. They found nothing that related to the person pretending to be a judicator. After breakfast, they tied the dead men to their horses, and the horses to a tether that included Corporal Ilario. With Tenzen in the lead and Jola at the rear, they proceeded on the road to Gotter.

Tenzen and Jola had dressed casually for the trip into Gotter. After what Jola had learned from recent Gotter residents, they wanted to appear less conspicuous. They hadn't anticipated leading a procession of dead men into the city. As they approached the city gate, a captain and several soldiers intercepted them.

"Halt!" the captain shouted as they approached. "What happened here?"

"Good afternoon, Captain," Tenzen said. "If your men would look after the horses and the wounded man, we would like to talk to you alone."

"Why?" The captain frowned at Tenzen while his eyes scrutinized them.

"It concerns judgments and judicators," Tenzen replied, and moved her horse away, forcing the captain to make a decision.

"Sergeant, you and the men watch those horses and the wounded man." He followed Tenzen. When she had gone forty meters, she stopped and waited for the captain and Jola.

"Captain... ?" Tenzen asked. He was a tall man, with rust-colored hair and a handsome, clean-shaven face. His uniform was well kept and clean. For now, he seemed patient. Jola doubted that would last for long. He appeared to be a no-nonsense individual.

"I'm Captain Marek of the Gotter city guard. Who are you?"

"I'm Judicator Tenzen and this young woman, Judicator Jola. We've come from a meeting with Duke Serkan, who indicated that there is unrest here in the south." Tenzen implied that they had the duke's support. "He was right. We were attacked this morning by two nobles and four Tasman soldiers. I doubt His Grace authorized their travel in Essam."

"Mistress, Marquess Stassio authorized the entry of a large group of Tasman soldiers into Essam. The nobles are from Essam," Marek said. His eyes shifted back and forth between the two women. "Since members of their party attacked you, I've reason to have them removed. And I can provide you an escort until they're gone."

"Captain Marek, are you interested in justice?" Tenzen asked. "Judicator justice, equal for commoners and nobles?"

"Justice hasn't been equal lately, Mistress. Rumor has it that the nobles who raped two local women will be set free, by the judicator accompanying the Tasman soldiers. I've talked to the women. They were indeed raped. Unfortunately, my authority is limited in this matter. If these nobles are set free, there will be riots in the streets." Marek's voice rose, and his face tensed in stony anger.

"If you'll have your guards restrain the Tasman soldiers, I'll do the rest, Captain." Jola spoke for the first time. "And you can forget that you know I'm a judicator."

"Sister Jola, I'll take care of the Tasman judicator. I want you to ride to the Kasavan border. The Kasavans will assist you in getting to Northgate so you can return to Tyrol," Tenzen said in her best senior-to-junior voice. Her lips pursed in a stern, no-nonsense look.

"Sister Tenzen, you're far more capable of finding your way to Kasava and back to Tyrol. Besides, you'll know how to get the support of the Kasavans and the king. I'll take care of our Tasman judicator." Jola desperately wanted to make sure her sister stayed out of harm's way. She knew how to survive on the streets; Tenzen didn't.

They stayed and argued for thirty minutes. Tenzen relented when they began drawing unwanted attention from travelers going into the city. "I hate to admit it, Sister Jola, but you'll know how to work the crowds better than I would, whereas I'll know how to influence the Kasavans. When I reach Kasava, I'll authorize soldiers to enter Essam to search for you. If it becomes necessary, Jola, abandon all your judicator trappings and revert to the old, street-wise Jola. We should both leave Gotter. I'd insist, except for the inevitable riots that will result from a bad judgment. May the God Naga protect you, Sister." Tears glistened in her eyes. She hugged Jola long and hard before she mounted her horse and kicked it into a canter, heading east towards Kasava. Marek moved closer to Jola as Tenzen rode away.

"What do you want me to do, Mistress?" Marek nodded toward the horses and his guards.

"Start by calling me 'Jola,'" she said with a smile. "Do you've any idea how we can delay identification of the dead nobles and soldiers?"

"I may... Jola." Marek rode back to his men, dismounted and carefully examined each body. "Sergeant, take these bodies to our practice area in the foothills. I want a healer to inspect them before I permit them into the city. The soldiers look to have been killed in a fight, but this noble has a strange skin tone and no wounds. It could be some sort of plague. I won't take the chance. I'll have someone out there as soon as I can."

"Yes, sir," the sergeant said, turning to collect the horses and soldiers.

"Corporal Ilario, I'll see that you're rewarded for your silence. No one has to know you said anything. After all, you were wounded doing your duty," Jola said quietly, as her viper poked its head from her sleeve.

"Yes, Mistress," Ilario said with a weak smile.

With that, the sergeant and his detail rode off toward the foothills. Jola waited until Captain Marek returned with his horse. They mounted and rode toward the Gotter city gates.

* * *

Jola found a room at the Hillside Inn, but chose not to eat there. Instead, she ventured down to the markets to hear the local gossip. She found plenty. The markets buzzed with talk about the upcoming trial. She noticed only one woman on the streets. She was on the arm of an older man, and an armed man followed them.

At a stand, Jola purchased a meat pie and listened to two men nearby saying it was time that the nobles were taught a lesson. Another man joined them, and raved that no one was safe. The market steamed with a festering anger. It seemed that the nobles had gotten more aggressive over the previous few seasons, and the rapes were galvanizing the masses to retaliate. They planned to get justice one way or the other.

As she continued to wander through the market, she heard several comments about Judicator Shalea being escorted by Tasman soldiers. They sounded suspicious and angry. Few nobles were in the market, and those few Jola saw were nervous, and soon departed.

Knowing how the streets worked, Jola circulated, adding a comment here and a remark there.

"New judicators usually have senior judicators with them, not guards," she said to several merchants while eating next to a small stall bearing a variety of fruits.

"She must work for Tasman nobles, since they sent guards with her," she said to a bunch of commoners in a tavern.

"Duke Chaney must really like something Shalea did for him," she commented to a man with a vegetable cart.

"If this isn't settled soon, I'll go broke," the man complained.

"Since when do nobles like real judicators?" she said whenever she had several people within hearing range.

That should put the crowd in the right mood, Jola mused. She knew those comments would resonate with the angry merchants, and spread like an out-of-control fire. She smiled. Just like old times. Tenzen had made the right decision; Jola knew the streets.

* * *

The next morning, Jola made her way toward the town square where the judgment would be conducted. She had purchased an old cape to cover her clothes and sword, and had bought an old travel bag in which to hide her mask, red cape, and dagger. When she arrived, the crowd swarmed with both nobles and commoners, jostling each other. The commoners outnumbered the nobles by twenty to one. As the crowd jostled her toward the front, she saw the animosity grow. A workman in rough cotton breeches and tunic bumped a nobleman so hard he almost fell. The nobleman barely caught himself, and shouted an oath at the man who had knocked into him.

Before matters deteriorated further, Judicator Shalea arrived with her Tasman guard, and mounted the stairs with a Tasman captain. She certainly looked the part, with a judicator's red cape, mask, and dagger, and a snake around her neck. Jola was too far back to get a good look at the snake. It looked the right color, but it wasn't moving. It's now or never, Jola decided, as Shalea settled herself into the judicator's chair.

"You have Tasman guards. How do we know you don't represent Tasman's nobles and not the Essam people?" Jola yelled, and was greeted with a small rumble of agreement.

"I was appointed by the king himself to represent Tasman, Essam, and Sattah!" Shalea shouted back. Jola had to concede that the woman had imagination, even if she wasn't well informed.

"The king doesn't appoint judicators!" Jola shouted back. "Only the Sisters of Astraea can, according to the Seven Provinces' Treaty. You're obviously a fake."

"Silence that woman; she doesn't know what she's talking about," the Tasman captain said. Two guards pushed their way through the crowd toward her. Shouts came from the crowd. "Let her talk." "She's a right to ask questions." "I think she's right."

Jola saw Captain Marek wave his troops into action to restrain the Tasman soldiers.

"I was a special case, because some judicators weren't doing a good job!" Shalea shouted back, although it wasn't necessary, as the crowd had become quiet. Everyone was interested in hearing the exchange. Jola considered Shalea for a moment. She was confident, and she looked the part. But...

"Easy to prove, Shalea. Show us your dagger. Every judicator has her name engraved on her dagger." Jola pointed toward Shalea. This was risky, but she had a feeling that Shalea had stolen the dagger, hat, and cape from a real judicator.

"Show us, Shalea," a man shouted.

"Show us... show us," the crowd chanted with real glee. They had come ready for a fight. All they needed was a little encouragement, which Jola was doing her best to provide. She hoped she had guessed right and found a tangible point of vulnerability. The snake would be another, if she could get to the platform.

"Arrest her!" one of the older nobles shouted from his horse. When none of the guards responded, he tried to use his horse to approach Jola, but the crowd would have no part of it. They had found a rallying banner for their hostility. He quickly retreated when several men drew knives and swords.

Shalea stood there in shock, not drawing her dagger or answering. Jola saw her opportunity and began weaving her way through the crowd toward the platform. The crowd parted to let their gladiator approach the arena.

"That thing around your neck looks pitiful. In what alley did you find it?" Jola approached the platform. The crowd roared with laughter and started chanting, "Pitiful. Pitiful."

"Come up here, girl, and my golden viper will teach you manners." Shalea sneered and gave a weak laugh.

"Thank you, I will. The people of Essam deserve real justice, not a phony like you." After a moment of shock, the crowd went wild with cheering.

As Jola started up the platform's steps, the Tasman captain drew his sword. Jola responded by throwing off her newly purchased cape and drawing her own. With that, the crowd became deathly silent. It seemed like the entire city of Gotter stopped breathing. Jola stood on the steps, one step below the platform, as the captain began his attack. From the step above, he made a downward slash. She countered, but couldn't find an opening. Steel rang in the silence. Then she remembered the advice the God Naga had given her: "There is no need to move until action is required." She waited for the captain's next move. A subtle shift in weight and a reverse turn of the hand showed his next swing. She barely dodged it and received a long cut to her arm. When she saw his next move coming, she waited until he was committed. She parried the blow and riposted with a slash to his lower legs. He collapsed. She followed with a sideward slice across his sword arm.

The captain lay in a spreading puddle of blood from both cuts as Jola stepped onto the platform. She turned to Shalea as her viper made its unexpected appearance and wrapped itself around her wrist.

"This, Shalea the Fake, is a real viper." She raised her hand for the crowd to see. "You claim to be a judicator. Any judicator is immune to a viper's bite. Let's see if you pass the test." The crowd collectively gasped as the viper raised itself up another six finger lengths for all to see.

"No, please, I'm a fake like you said." Shalea sobbed as she stepped back, away from Jola.

"Who paid you to impersonate a judicator?" Jola took a single step toward Shalea.

"Duke Chaney." Shalea screamed as the viper opened its jaw to expose its bone-white fangs.

"Captain Marek, you'll hold Shalea and the Tasman guards in custody for judgment." Jola reached out, removed Shalea's dagger, and raised it over her head. "It's inscribed 'Narette,' not 'Shalea.'"

Jola retrieved her bag and removed her red cape and judicator's mask. She quickly tied a scarf around the dripping gash on her arm before donning the marks of her office.

"Captain Marek, I believe the people of Gotter have assembled here to hear a judgment and find justice."

The crowd roared and began to chant, "Justice!"

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session." Jola gazed down at the three nobles who were accused, and at the two woman accusers. The women had their heads covered with shawls, and stared at the ground. Their faces-what Jola could see of them-were swollen and bruised. "Captain Marek, would you read the charges, please?"

"Yes, Mistress. Lord Damek, Lord Karel, and Lord Rurik are accused of having held captive, raped, and beaten the Freewomen Linah and Marta," Marek read from the parchment document. As he read, a low rumble of anger erupted from the crowd.

"Freewoman Linah, would you please tell me what happened for you to charge these three nobles with raping you and Marta?"

"Yes, Mistress. Marta and I were at a wedding celebration for my cousin. There were drinks, food, and dancing. Sometime after the wedding ceremony, three nobles joined the party uninvited. My uncle asked them to leave, but they ignored him. They began to select and accost ladies-forcing them to dance. My uncle didn't want to start a fight, as Marquess Stassio hasn't enforced the merchants' rights against nobles... "

"That's a damn lie, you whore."

Jola rose, dagger pointed at the nobleman who had spoken.

"Who is that man, Captain Marek?"

"Count Standa, Mistress."

"Lord Standa, I fine you fifty silvers for disrupting this proceeding and for subjecting these gentle folk to your foul language," Jola said, and the crowd erupted into laughter.

Standa stood, fists clenched and face purple with rage. "You're sympathizing with those whores. You're the fake."

"An additional fifty silvers for continuing to disrupt the proceeding and for the use of foul language. You're attacking the integrity of the king, through his personal representative. You're one outburst away from losing your title and lands. And no, Lord Standa, I won't enforce my judgment." Jola waited for the stunned silence. "The king will."

She stared into Standa's face, and then looked around the crowd to meet as many eyes as she could. "These are serious charges, and the people of Gotter have a right to have them resolved with dignity." Jola sat back down as her viper wove itself through her hair.

"Freewoman Linah, please continue."

In a low but steady voice, Linah told how they had been held in the nobleman's house while they were repeatedly beaten and raped.

"Freewoman Marta, do you swear to the truth of Freewoman Linah's description of your abduction, rapes, and beatings?"

"Yes, Mistress," Marta said as she looked up at her. Jola detected truth from both women. As she listened to them, she could imagine what life would have been like before the Seven Provinces' Treaty, when nobles had absolute power and could do whatever they chose. The Gotter nobility planned to go back to those times.

"Do you wish to add anything?" Jola asked. She wanted to ensure she had the complete story.

"Yes, Mistress; they were very cruel, hitting us and laughing," Marta said with a sob.

"Freewomen Marta and Linah, please come up on the platform so that I can have a better look at you." Jola waved for the women to join her. They cautiously mounted the stairs, with their eyes on her viper. When they arrived, Jola carefully inspected each woman's arms, neck, and face. She then asked several women in the crowd to join her, and used them to shield Marta and Linah as she inspected their bodies.

"This happened one eightday ago?" Jola asked in disbelief, as the bruises and cuts still looked ugly. It wouldn't surprise her if under the purple and red bruises there was a cracked bone or two.

"Yes, Mistress," Marta and Linah said in unison. The truth of their response was clear. Jola waited for the women to descend from the platform, after which each was surrounded by family and friends.

"Lord Rurik, would you like to tell me your side of the story?" Jola asked the youngest member of the trio. Jola the street rat wanted to stop the judgment and sentence the three youths. Judicator Jola won out-at the last second. She would hear both sides before she reached a decision.

"Yes, Mistress. We did go to the party and were asked to leave, but Lord Damek said that what they said didn't matter. He told us they couldn't force us to leave. He said if we persisted, we would find willing women. So we stayed and danced with most of the young women. Later, we went outside, and Lord Damek told us that women had agreed to come with us for money. We waited until Marta and Linah came out, and stopped them. We offered them silvers. They refused. Lord Damek told them they couldn't renege on their agreement. He told us to tie them up. He said that they were just pretending, to make it more fun." Rurik paused to consider his next remarks. Jola detected that Rurik told the truth.

"We took them to Lord Damek's home-his father's, that is. We had sex with each of them." Rurik again radiated truth.

"You claim you thought they were pretending and wanted to have sex with you?" Jola asked.

"Yes-" Jola's hand, with a viper attached, shot up to stop him from saying any more.

"You're lying to a judicator, Lord Rurik. That isn't only stupid, but it erodes your credibility. Choose your words carefully before you speak again."

"No, Mistress, I knew they didn't, but Lord Damek is my friend. They were just commoners," Rurik said with a wave of his hand, bringing a rumble of anger from the crowd.

"Lord Karel, it's your turn. Do you agree with Lord Rurik's account of what happened up to the time you arrived at Lord Damek's residence?"

"Yes, Mistress. I thought they were putting on an act. Lord Damek told me he'd agreed to pay them more if they put on a convincing act of being raped," Karel said, pleased with himself. Jola detected truthfulness mixed with falseness in his statement.

"Lord Damek, it's now your turn." Jola leaned forward. The crowd was silent.

"That's the truth. They agreed to come for money, and I agreed to pay more if they put on a good act of being raped," Damek said, smirking with satisfaction. The falseness was overpowering.

"I've reached a decision." Jola stood. "These men who stand charged with rape clearly believe that they're better than you are, and that you aren't entitled to any rights," Jola said, to an angry rumble of mumbled words. "I'm sure there are others all over Pyxus who agree with them. Tasman wants its own puppet judicators so that nobles will be above the common man's law. My tendency is to try to reason with them, to explain that every man is equal to every other man, to explain that those with privilege have a special obligation to be fair-and have the most to lose. Unfortunately, I can see that to reason with these men would be useless. I can only hope that my actions here today speak more loudly than my words."

As Jola surveyed the crowd, she sensed the division between nobles and commoners. The nobles looked defensive, angry, and defiant. The commoners looked anxious, hopeful, and nervous.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving the rapes of freewomen Marta and Linah by the Lords Damek, Rurik, and Karel." Jola recited the ritual words. "I decree the following:

"First, Lord Damek, Lord Rurik, and Lord Karel are guilty of rape, kidnapping, and violence." Jola paused for the cheering to stop, and noted the angry looks from many of the nobles.

"Second, Lord Standa will pay to the king the one hundred silvers fine imposed by me.

"Third, Lord Damek will pay to the king the one hundred silvers fine imposed by me.

"Fourth, Lord Damek, Lord Karel, and Lord Rurik are each to pay freewomen Marta and Linah one thousand silvers each." Jola paused as the crowd muttered loudly over them being just fined for their crimes.

"Fifth, Lord Damek, Lord Karel, and Lord Rurik are stripped of their titles and are each to receive twenty-five strokes of the cane, to be administered by the city guard. Karel and Rurik are sentenced to five years in the iron mines at Iron Hills.

"Fifth, Damek is sentenced to ten years in the iron mines at Iron Hills."

With that, the crowd went wild. Screams and shouts deafened her, until she raised her hands.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

Again, the crowd went wild. Jola saw three of the nobles huddle together, talking. Again, Jola held up her hands for silence.

"I order the city guard to take custody of Shalea and the Tasman guards. They're to be held here until the judgment of treason against the former Duke Chaney can be heard." Jola finished to total silence.

* * *

When Jola came down the stairs at the Hillside Inn that evening, Captain Marek was waiting for her. The innkeeper bowed them into a small private parlor. The heavy old furniture was comfortable, and she sat back, trying to relax in the padded chair. The captain radiated tension, but she was sure he wasn't ready to talk yet.

The maid brought their dinner of mutton stew and a basket of warm bread, and the captain rose. He opened the door a crack, and then closed it with a nod.

"Mistress, you're in real danger. I've heard rumors that several of the nobles have plans to kill you. I believe it's more than just talk. I've seen several fathers, brothers, and relatives of those nobles you sentenced leaving the city with their retainers. You haven't only punished sons of powerful men, but you've also threatened their great plan to gain more power. I believe they've blockaded the roads out of the city. If they can kill you, Marquess Stassio won't enforce your sentences, or report them to the king. They'll be ignored. I believe he supported the effort to bring in Shalea for this trial. I'll do whatever I can to protect you, but I'm limited, since the city guard is under Marquess Stassio," Marek said in a whisper. "They'll have the roads to Warring, Egon, Etzel, and Cybele in Kasava covered."

"If you would, you can do me a favor." She took another bite of her stew.

"I'd be glad to, Mistress, if it's in my power."

"Find me old, tattered clothes. Bring them in any bag that isn't too conspicuous for you to carry. Bring them to my room tonight."

"Yes, Mistress, I can do that," Marek said. He rose and excused himself. Jola finished her meal before returning to her room. She sat quietly and meditated while she awaited Marek.

When several hours had passed and the moon had risen, Jola began to wonder if the captain was coming. At last, there was a soft knock on the door. When she opened it, she saw Marek standing in the hallway with an army blanket rolled and tied as if for traveling. She motioned him inside and softly closed the door behind him. He unrolled the blanket to reveal a blouse, skirt, pants, shawl, and jacket.

"I wasn't sure what exactly you wanted, Mistress." Marek frowned at the clothes he had produced.

"You've been very innovative." Jola smiled as she picked up each article and held it up to her body. She rolled them back into the blanket. "I thank you for your warning and your help."

He nodded and slipped out of the room. After a minute, she followed. At the bottom of the stairs, she strolled through the inn and nodded to the innkeeper. "I'm going for a ride, but I'll be back later." Outside in the darkness barely lit with moonlight, she went to the stables, saddled her horse and tied on the rolled-up blanket. She left the stables and rode into the market area, where she was warmly greeted by everyone she met. She wandered through the market in an attempt to appear to have no particular destination. It took half an hour to find her way to the house Marta's parents owned.

When they answered the door, Marta rushed up to greet her, and would have given her a hug but stopped, blushing. Marta's mother, father and brothers gathered around and welcomed her like family.

"Can I ask a favor, Merchant Rares?" Jola asked Marta's father.

"Anything, Mistress," Rares and his wife replied together.

"Take my horse and saddle to the horse trader. I'd like him to mix my horse in with his other horses, until I need him. I'll pay whatever he thinks fair," Jola said, while she thought over her next move.

"None of us will accept your money, Mistress. You've brought us the first justice we've had in several seasons."

"May I sleep here tonight?"

"Sleep here as long as you want," Rares said, although Jola knew he would be nervous at the thought of having her in his house with so many of the nobles mad at her.

After much discussion, Jola finally convinced the family she wanted to sleep in a very small room off the kitchen. That night, after everyone was asleep, she changed into the street clothes Marek had brought her, wrapped her judicator's clothes in the army blanket, and slipped out of the house, carrying the pack with her.

She wandered through streets and alleys for several hours, looking for a new home. She left behind the fine part of town and wandered through crooked streets that smelled of offal. The only figure she passed was a muttering rag picker. Just before dawn, she found a row of odd, makeshift structures that leaned drunkenly against one another. At the first one, a man cursed her as she opened the creaking, half-rotted door. She backed out. In the second, the reek was overpowering. It seemed empty until she heard a moan from a far corner. She knelt beside a pile of rags and pulled them back to uncover an old woman. She touched the woman's stick-like arm and felt a feeble pulse. Jola sighed and held her forehead in her hand for a moment. Who knows which came first? The illness? Perhaps she was just left to starve because she was old and feeble. Sick and unable to move, she lay in her own filth. Hearing no objection, Jola moved in.

For the next five days, she looked after the woman. Jola crept out after dark to buy food for the two of them. She cleaned the old woman, and fed her the first food she had eaten in an eightday. On the sixth day, when she stepped out the door of her temporary home, three boys in their late teens, ragged and gaunt, stood in a group to block her way.

"What are you doing here, girl?" the older boy said, pointing a finger at her.

"Looking after the old woman."

"Why?"

"Because."

"You're a smart-ass, aren't you, girl?"

"Yea." Jola awaited the attack to come.

"I'm Toma. This is my street. You owe me something whenever I say. Right now," the boy said with a sneer. He looked Jola up and down and then reached to grab her. Before his hand reached her, Jola grabbed his wrist with one hand, his elbow with the other, and twisted. The shoulder joint popped, and she released him. He swallowed a scream.

"Make you a deal, Toma. You leave me alone, and I won't be any trouble." Jola's smile didn't reach her eyes. The two younger boys had been too slow to react, and now stood frozen.

"You broke my arm, bitch!"

"That's rat-bitch to you. And don't whine. It'll ruin your image. Besides, it's only your shoulder and-" Jola grabbed his arm and shoulder and pushed until she felt it snap into place. "It'll be fine in a day or two. Would you rather I broke your neck?"

"No, rat-bitch," the boy said through gritted teeth, sweat beaded on his forehead.

"I pull my own weight, but I won't be pushed around. Plenty of wealthy people to hassle without hassling each other."

"My brother is sick. Will you look after him like you did for the old woman?"

"Sure, I'll do that. Bring him over here with the old woman," Jola said.

* * *

Later that night, after she returned with food, Toma carried over his brother. The boy moaned with fever. She spent the next several days nursing her two patients. She had money to buy food and herbs, which improved the boy's health quickly. By the sixth day, he was well on the road to recovery, and itched to go back to his older brother.

She had been hiding for twelve days. Jola figured that Tenzen would need at least two to three eightdays to reach Cybele, arrange for troops, and get back to Gotter. If she was right, Tenzen should be somewhere on her way back to Gotter soon. Jola decided she would wait a few more days, and then head for Kasava.

* * *

Dawn had just broken the next day when Toma slipped into her shack. "Hey, rat-bitch. I hear the nobles are searching the city for a judicator. I think it may be time for rats to make themselves scarce," Toma said with a wink. "I pull my weight too."

"Yes, you do, Toma," Jola said. She handed the old woman a coin and wondered how long the woman would be strong enough to care for herself. Jola shook her head and decided she would have to try to think of something. Then she changed into better clothes, gathered her things and wandered in the direction of the horse trader's pens. Once there, she found Sava, the horse trader, looking over a horse in the stable.

"Trader Sava, do you've a horse that can outrun a warhorse?" Jola asked, as she looked around the pens that contained his horses. She liked her horse, but he wasn't fast. She knew he couldn't outrun the average horse, much less a warhorse.

"Sure Mistress, I've three desert horses. A warhorse can outrun them for a mile or two. But a desert horse can gallop, rest and be ready to out-gallop any heavier horse. You'll get better speed if you keep to a trot at first. Then one of my desert horses will out-distance any warhorse in the country. Get a two-hour headstart and a warhorse will never catch you." Sava walked with her toward the three smallest horses.

"How much?" Jola asked.

"For you, Mistress? Nothing."

"How about for someone you don't like?" Jola grinned.

"Three hundred silvers."

"How much for my horse?" Jola asked.

"Fifty silvers. You'll need a lighter saddle on the desert horse. I'll trade you even. Total would be two hundred and fifty silvers, and I'm in no rush for the money."

"Will you accept my marker?" Jola knew judicators' markers were like silvers, because the king honored them.

"Of course. Even if it weren't backed by the king."

"Thank you. I need one more favor. Do you think you can give Captain Marek a reason to come here today?" Jola asked, as her plan of escape began to take shape. She obviously couldn't just ride out through the gate, even if she didn't need a two-hour lead.

"Easy, Mistress."

While Sava went to find Marek, Jola spent time behind one of his feed sheds, grooming and getting acquainted with the bay gelding she had chosen. The horse skittered back every time her viper stuck its head out, so she wanted to give it plenty of time. She couldn't afford to be thrown by a spooked horse. After a number of carrots and apples, the horse seemed to decide that her friend wasn't going to bite. Several hours later, Captain Marek arrived.

"Mistress, the nobles are going mad trying to find you. Several days ago, they decided that either you got past them, or that you were still in the city. They've called off the roadblock to concentrate on searching the city. You have them frustrated and very worried," Marek said with a laugh. "Nevertheless, you're in danger."

"Can you do me a favor, Captain Marek?"

"Of course."

"I need you to take my new horse outside the city a couple of leagues and provide me with a couple of hours' headstart."

"I can do that, Mistress. I'll ride the horse out to our practice area, and then around to the road to Kasava, where we can meet. They'll never know you're gone." Marek grinned.

"Actually, I want them to know I've gone, after I've a two to three hours' headstart."

Marek raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Mistress, are you sure?"

"Yes, Sister Tenzen should be on her way back from Manito with troops. It would be nice to capture those nobles who are conspiring with Chaney."

The plan Marek outlined was simple. He would ride out to the training camp with two troopers he trusted. They would circle around to the road to Kasava, where they would meet Jola. The two soldiers would then ride back to the practice area before they returned to town to announce that Jola had been hiding at the camp and had stolen a horse. They would claim that Captain Marek was pursuing her on the road to Kasava.

* * *

That night, Jola followed Toma through the dark and stinking back streets and alleys for over an hour. When they arrived at the city wall, Toma pulled back a bush to reveal a broken drain that a lean person like her could squeeze through.

"Take care, rat-bitch," Toma said. "I think I'm going to miss you."

"Toma, would you look after the old woman for me?"

He shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Jola handed him a small purse with twenty silvers in it. "You may want to have these silvers changed into smaller coins. Merchant Rares will do it for you if you tell him you helped me escape. He would also help you get apprenticed if you're interested in working." Jola knew not all street rats wanted a regular job. "If so, tell him that Judicator Jola would consider it a favor."

"Thank you, Mistress. You made a good street rat. Good luck." Toma disappeared into the dark.

Jola squeezed through the hole. She peered in both directions to be sure she hadn't been spotted, and then began her trek to where she hoped Captain Marek would be waiting.

CHAPTER NINE

Essam Province

Jola could hear the murmur of waves from the open water to her right. She circled the city for two hours before she reached the road to Kasava and the town of Cybele. She stayed out of sight of the road and scanned for travelers and Captain Marek. She saw the horses first.

"Mistress, I see you made it," Marek said quietly from behind a tree.

Jola jumped and grabbed the hilt of her sword before it registered that it was him. "Am I glad to see you, Captain. I wasn't sure I was headed in the right direction, or whether you would make it out of the city with my horse."

"A few troopers leaving the city with me is routine. No one questioned it." Marek smiled. "You need to get going, Mistress. The corporal will ride back to our practice area and then into town. He'll report that you stole a horse from the practice area, that you seemed to be headed toward Cybele, and that I and another soldier are in pursuit of you. By the time he reports, you should have a few hours' headstart. Will that be enough?"

"More than enough. Trader Sava assured me that a desert horse can outlast any warhorse, so long as it has a two-hour lead. Thank you for everything you've done. I'll make sure the king hears of it."

"You just make sure you get safely away. Those girls' reputations are payment enough. Damek and his friends would have branded them as whores with Shalea's help," Marek said. "Don't push that horse too hard. He can maintain a steady trot for eight hours or so, and then he'll need rest."

Jola thanked the two troopers for their help, and then looked over her new horse. After checking that the girth was tight and shortening the stirrups, she mounted and kicked the horse into a steady trot, east toward Cybele. He was a beautiful animal with an easy gait-a pleasure to ride. Even at a trot, the land seemed to fly by as he kept a smooth, ground-eating stride that produced a steady breeze on her face. By mid-morning, after she knew she'd ridden a good eight hours, she found a quiet wooded vale a little way off the road.

She unsaddled her horse, fed him with grain that Marek had the foresight to pack for her, and rubbed him down. With him staked where he could munch at a few blades of grass, she sat with her back to a tree and ate bread from her pack. Yes, the horse is a keeper. Jola was sure that Trader Sava had sold her one worth far more than three hundred silvers. She hoped someday she would be able to return to Gotter. She had made good friends there.

Jola dozed where she was until the sun was at its peak, and then relieved herself, and was off again.

* * *

Jola shivered as she squatted next to her horse and patted the strips of cloth she had torn from a shirt to make into a bandage for his leg. The grass was damp with dew and the morning breeze cut through her shirt.

She ignored the thump of hooves on the dirt road behind her.

"Well, bitch, thought you could get away from us," a loud voice shouted from behind her.

She stood and turned to face a gray-haired nobleman, surrounded by other nobles, and guards in mail armor.

"Judicator Jola, I'm Count Stoyan," he said with a grin. "You're no different from us. You love the power of representing the king. You love to push nobles around and act like you're better than we are. How did it feel to take Lord Moriz's title and lands? Power is intoxicating, isn't it? But you're just a gutter rat who thinks she's become a royal cat. Would you like to make one last judgment, before you die?"

"Yes, thank you, Count Stoyan. I formally charge you and the other nobles here with treason. You've forfeited your titles and lands." Jola frowned. "Was it worth it?"

"You dumb bitch. You're going to die," Stoyan said through gritted teeth.

Jola smiled as sixty Kasavan mounted warriors emerged almost silently from the trees to surround the group from Gotter. There was a rasp of metal as the Kasavans drew their swords.

"I think Judicator Jola has an excellent question. It's one I'd put to the soldiers here who have no quarrel with judicator justice. Your lords will lose their titles and lands. If you stay and survive this encounter, you'll be guilty of having supported treason. Your reward will be death or the iron mines," Tenzen said from a horse in the center of the warriors. "Those who support the king should leave now."

A silence grew in length as the noblemen's guards exchanged looks.

One raised his empty hand. "We're no traitors to the king." He jerked his reins to turn his mount.

"Wait... cowards," Stoyan screamed as he watched the soldiers ride away. He looked at the four guards that remained, his face pale. "You'll be rewarded for your loyalty."

"I think you should step aside, Sister Jola. You've done enough," Tenzen said. Jola bowed her head and walked her horse through the ring of warriors.

She heard Stoyan's shout as he charged. Her horse sidestepped and whinnied at the scream when Stoyan went down. She patted his neck and whispered to him as she watched the nine nobles and their retainers attack. For a few minutes, the air was filled with the clash of steel on steel, and death screams as the nobles tried to break through. She shook her head at what was little more than suicide. But they would have lost their lands and titles, and spent the rest of their lives in the iron mines-a fate worse than death for a noble.

"Is it over?" Jola asked once things quieted, as she looked around at the carnage. Her ears still rang from the sound of battle.

"For now." Tenzen had dismounted; she turned in a circle and surveyed the dead. "We have two choices. We can take these bodies back to Gotter and announce our judgment, or we can take the bodies to Cybele and continue on to Mitra. I want to visit Sattah and Tasman before we return to the king."

"Do you know a Sister Narette?" Jola remembered the dagger that Shalea'd had.

"Yes, she rides the Essam and Tasman circuit. She's been out for over a year now." Tenzen's eyes widened. "So that's where Shalea got her judicator's cape, mask, and dagger. This is bad news indeed."

"Captain Marek has her things until one of us returns for them. Shalea's snake was a rat snake that she had stained golden and kept sedated. I gave it to someone who had a rat problem." Jola mounted her horse. "What have you decided to do with the bodies, Sister Tenzen?"

"We've cleaned out the traitors in Gotter, but I don't believe we've identified them all. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that Tasman's duke has contaminated all the border towns in Essam and Sattah."

Tenzen caught the reins to her horse where they trailed on the ground, and mounted. "We'll take them to Cybele and send word back to Gotter that the bodies are there. The returning soldiers will inform everyone of what happened. It won't be much of a surprise when the messenger arrives from Cybele. Besides, a little suspense may start the nobles thinking about all they have to lose."

"That makes sense, Sister, but I'm not looking forward to riding with dead bodies for five days." Jola wrinkled her nose for effect.

"Good, I'd like to make Cybele in three days, so we had better get started."

They waited while the guards slung the bodies over the horses. Tenzen swung her horse around and led the way at a fast walk down the road.

* * *

The ride to Cybele proved grueling but uneventful. Neither the soldiers nor Tenzen appeared to need sleep, as they rode silently hour after hour. Jola, on the other hand, felt in constant danger of falling off her horse as she drifted off into a doze. She realized that the stress of the past two eightdays had caught up to her. While she had been in real danger, the adrenaline had kept her awake and alert. Now that the danger had passed, she was engulfed in waves of fatigue. Her mind and body demanded payment for the days of abuse. Jola knew she would feel much better if only someone would chase them. The pace the soldiers set, at Tenzen's order, was geared to the horses. It seemed an unending cycle: ride eight hours and rest four. The countryside blurred into misty browns, greens, and yellows. Late on the night of the third day, they arrived in Cybele. Tenzen paid for rooms at the local inn, the Last Chance, and dragged Jola to her room.

"I'm going to have a wash," Jola thought she heard Tenzen say.

"Good idea, Sister... take one for me," Jola mumbled as she landed on the bed asleep.

* * *

When Jola finally staggered downstairs the next afternoon, she found Tenzen with a Kasavan elder.

"Good afternoon, Sister Jola," Tenzen said as Jola approached. "I'd like you to meet Elder Somner."

"Good afternoon, Elder. I'm pleased to meet you." Jola couldn't help yawning.

"I've told him what little I know of your time in Gotter. Since you weren't very talkative on the way here, perhaps you could tell us what happened before you got chased out of Gotter city by an army." Tenzen gave a wry laugh.

"Only if I can eat and talk at the same time. I'm starved. Did I eat on the way here?" Jola asked, only half in jest. She tried to remember the trip but could only recall a fog and a bone-numbing weariness.

"Very little. Mostly you preferred to sleep."

"Please eat, Mistress. I understand you've been under considerable stress, and close to two hundred leagues in three days would be hard on a Kasavan warrior," the elder said.

The innkeeper told her he had a bowl of stew, a basket of fresh bread and a mug of light ale ready for her. Between waiting for the food to arrive and eating, she described her days in Gotter.

"You're a very dangerous person, Mistress," Somner said, and shook his head. He then turned to Tenzen. "I've already sent a messenger to Mitra telling Clan Chief Kengi to expect you and Mistress Jola. I've also sent messengers to Kusor, Three Springs, and Inara, telling them that you've placed Kasava on alert in support of the king. And I've arranged a warrior detail to guide you to Mitra. Will ten warriors be sufficient? I can assign more if you feel you need more."

"No, Elder Somner, ten will be more than sufficient. And I thank you for your support against the king's enemies. I don't believe there will be any further pursuit from Essam. And there is no reason for them to assume we are headed for Sattah," Tenzen said. Jola motioned to the innkeeper for another helping of food as her stomach rumbled.

* * *

The trip to Mitra took ten days, as they had to cross the entire width of Kasava. Without the Kasavan escort, Jola doubted they could have found Mitra or survived the desert. They traveled at night under a bright moon that reflected off the desert sands with a mystical glow. The Kasavans found water and shelter each day. The scorching days, freezing nights, and endless hours in the saddle had Jola bone weary.

In Mitra, again they were greeted like royalty. Several lambs were put on to roast and Jola sat back to enjoy the Kasavans' leaping and whirling dances. She and Tenzen enjoyed night after night of parties in their honor. Tenzen planned to stay for an eightday, to rest from the trip before they attempted to cross over into Sattah. Therefore, Tenzen arranged to continue Jola's training. Jola trained every morning. To her dismay, the warriors seemed bright-eyed and alert, even though they had attended the same late night parties. She could now consistently win one of four contests, which she considered something of a miracle. Her success was a combination of the foundation she had received at the monastery from Sister Tenzen, and the efforts of the Kasava warriors at Kusor. She knew that Sister Tenzen was worried they would find serious trouble in Sattah, and that she wanted Jola as competent as possible in the time they had available to them.

* * *

On the third day, after the elders were satisfied they had honored the judicators enough, they approached Tenzen to request a judgment.

At mid-morning the next day, Jola sat on the top of a flat, gray boulder. She felt sure that everyone in the village was crowded into the space below her.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session," Jola announced from her perch. "Clan Chiefs, speak the dispute."

"Clan Juba purchased a stud Sangola from Clan Anan for five hundred silvers, but the stud hasn't produced any foals in over a year. Clan Juba claims they were cheated and want double their money back for the fraud," the Clan Chief Kengi said in a slightly elevated voice. Chief Kengi was one of the younger chiefs Jola had seen so far. He still looked the warrior, if somewhat wrinkled, but he walked with a slight limp. She had been told that he had been wounded many years ago in a battle, when a large gang attempted to steal Sangolas from the clan.

"Clan Anan claims that Clan Juba received a stud, and did something during the year to make him infertile," Clan Chief Obax replied. Chief Obax was the oldest chief Jola had seen so far. He walked slowly and slightly bent over, but gave her a sharp-eyed glance from under his bushy gray brows.

Jola sat there dumbfounded. She couldn't see how she could resolve this dispute unless Chief Obax was lying, which she didn't detect. Her viper didn't help. It lay with its head on her breast, asleep. She considered waking it up, although she wasn't sure what it could do. At least it could pay attention, Jola thought.

"Chief Obax, when was the last time the stud produced a foal?" Jola asked.

"Mistress Jola, a foal was born two months before we sold him." Jola could tell this was a true statement, but it felt somewhat evasive.

"How do you know it was from the stud you sold to Clan Juba?"

"The stud was in the pasture with the mares at the time they were in heat," Obax replied. Truth again, and simple logic-the stud was in the field with the mare that produced a foal; therefore, the stud is fertile unless...

"Was he the only stud in the pasture at the time the mares were in heat?"

"No, Mistress Jola. There was one other."

You crafty old fox. Jola hid a snicker. You weren't sure, were you? "Clan Chief Kengi, did you do anything to cause the stud to become infertile?"

"No, Mistress."

Again, truth. "I've reached a decision." Jola looked at Tenzen, who nodded.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving the charge of fraud against the Clan Anan for the sale of a stud Sangola," Jola chanted. "I decree the following:

"First, there was no fraud by Clan Anan.

"Second, the stud Sangola is to be returned to Clan Anan.

"Third, Clan Anan has the option either to send Clan Juba a new stud or to return the purchase price of the stud Sangola received from Clan Juba.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

Chief Obax scratched at his chin and then shrugged, while Chief Kengi nodded. Both seemed ready to accept her judgment.

Tenzen walked up to Jola where she sat on her elevated rock, as the crowd dispersed. "I think it's time that we leave. The clans always accept a judicator's decision without question, but you've proved to be fair, which will spread all around the province."

* * *

Six days later, they rode through a pass in Pyxus's Spine, a narrow trail through the snow-covered mountains. The quiet serenity of the mountains was broken only by the clop of their horses' hooves and an eagle's shriek near a peak overhead. As they proceeded through the mountain passes, Jola couldn't help being impressed by the sight of a filmy waterfall plunging off a high cliff into a small blue lake below, its edges dotted with trees and bushes.

The Kasavan escort reluctantly stopped at the Sattah border, at Tenzen's insistence. Jola and Tenzen entered Sattah thirty leagues west of their destination. It took three additional days to reach Candia.

It was late afternoon when they reached the small valley that led into the town. Most of the clustered houses were wooden, separated by a dirt road that was little more than a cow track. Only the small castle was stone; it looked sufficient to hold off gangs of bandits, but insufficient to withstand even a small army. The inn was tiny, only slightly larger than a cottage, and Jola suspected they were given its only real room. It was clean, so she had no complaint.

Marquess Kontar had sent a guard with a message to join him at the castle for dinner. When they arrived, he introduced them to the town's merchants. He was the only noble. Most of the guests were quiet, even standoffish. Jola didn't mind eating her dinner of roasted fowl with onion sauce in peace, but she did wonder why everyone seemed so subdued.

At last, she leaned close to Tenzen. "Is there anything wrong?"

Tenzen frowned and replied in a whisper. "Yes, there is. Marquess Kontar has asked me to sit in judgment on an abuse case of a small girl. I had planned to give you all of the judgments, since you need the experience. In this case, though, I considered trying it myself." Tenzen held up her hand before Jola could respond. "But that would be wrong. We must all learn to rise above our personal feelings, and we can't do that if we're sheltered from difficult cases. Therefore, I've decided to let you try the case. However, this time, I want to discuss your decision before you announce it."

"Thank you for trusting me." Jola made eye contact with Tenzen. But the news made a knot in her stomach. She spent the rest of the dinner pushing her food around on her plate.

* * *

Two days later, Jola sat with Sister Tenzen on a small wooden platform in the middle of the town square in front of the inn. The crowd was so large, it filled the square. She suspected that everyone from the town was there. "In the name of King Nicolas, we, Judicator Tenzen and Judicator Jola, call this judgment into session. Captain, please read the charges."

"Freeman Karmel is charged with using the girl child, Leela, a bonded servant, for prostitution," the captain read, in between scowls at Karmel.

Tenzen turned to Jola. "Judicator Jola, do you've any questions?"

Jola was glad the golden judicator's mask covered her face. She was sure she couldn't have hidden her pain. The girl, Leela, was so thin and undernourished that Jola was hard-pressed to guess her age, but she thought eight at the most. Karmel was a thin weasel of a man. His hair was slicked down, he reeked of perfume, and he was dressed in an assortment of colorful garments made of expensive silk. Everything looked new. Jola felt repulsed just looking at him. She knew his kind. She also remembered her friend Rosa's abuse as a child.

"Freeman Karmel, is Leela in bondage to you?" Jola asked, after a long silence during which the only sound was a few people shifting among the observers.

"Yes, Mistress, I didn't-" Karmel stopped in mid-sentence as Jola held her hand up, with her viper suddenly leaving her neck to coil around her arm.

"Freeman Karmel. You'll speak only when asked a question. Your answers will be confined to the question. In this case, a simple 'yes, Mistress' or 'no Mistress' is required-nothing else. Is Leela in bondage to you?" She felt her face flame with anger.

"Yes, Mistress." Karmel shifted from foot to foot.

"What did she do to be sold into bondage?" She would know why before this judgment was finished.

"I don't know, Mistress." Karmel started to say something else, but stopped.

"Explain how you got her without her parents, Freeman Karmel," Jola said. She wondered what an eight-year-old girl could do to be sold into bondage, when she remembered her experience. She had been about eight when she became a bonded slave.

"Mistress, I bought her from the owner of the cloth factory, Freeman Abbott. He told me her parents had died, and he had no use for a girl that young."

"Judicator Tenzen, I would like a recess while Freeman Abbott is summoned for questioning."

"Yes, Judicator Jola. This judgment is in recess until Freeman Abbott is made available," Tenzen announced.

While she waited, Jola sat breathing deeply and meditating. Somehow, she would manage to control her anger. Two hours later, a grossly overweight man dressed in sturdy brown trousers and tunic appeared beside two city guards. She once more called the trial to order.

"Freeman Abbott, did you sell Leela's bondage contract to Freeman Karmel?" Jola asked when Abbott had been steered to the front of the platform.

"Yes, Mistress."

"Why did you sell her?" Justice, not revenge, Jola reminded herself.

"Her mother died and she was useless. I had to have another woman look after her, and it affected production," Abbott said.

"Captain, how did Leela's mother get sold into bondage?" Jola knew he would have looked up the records, since she and Tenzen had expressed an interest.

"Mistress, from what I can remember and from our records, her husband died and left a lot of debt. She began to cheat her customers in an attempt to repay it. She got caught. Her punishment was five years' bondage. Freeman Abbott bought the contract."

"Freeman Abbott, how long was Leela's mother in bondage before she died?" Jola doggedly chased the chain of events.

"Four and one-half years." Abbott's answer was curt. Jola sat up straighter and her viper popped out of her blouse. Abbott had lied-and not a little lie.

"Freeman Abbott, you're fined ten silvers for lying to me. Answer truthfully this time." Jola reached up to stroke her viper, which rose up to caress her cheek, eyes pointed toward Abbott. Well, Abbott, you have our attention.

"Five and one-half years, Mistress," Abbott answered, as his eyes flickered from side to side.

"And how many years did you sell Leela for?" Jola and her viper leaned forward, as if to hear the answer better.

"No time was specified, Mistress," Abbott croaked, as sweat beaded on his pudgy face and dripped into his sunken eye sockets.

"Captain, please take Freeman Abbott into custody until judgment is passed on this case." Jola sat back and her viper slid into her lap.

"Freeman Karmel, did you know Leela's term of bondage had expired?" Her viper's head weaved in Karmel's direction in agitation. She knew it was responding to her anger.

"No... yes, Mistress." Karmel clasped his hands, sweating profusely.

"Freeman Karmel, did you sell time with Leela to men?"

"No, Mistress, I was good to-"

"Stop!" Jola rose, with her viper in her hand. Her breath came in gasps. "Captain, you'll take Freeman Karmel into custody. Have his place of business searched, and bring whoever you find there to me. We're adjourned until tomorrow." Then, remembering her junior position, she looked to Tenzen apologetically. Tenzen nodded.

There was a flood of muttering as the crowd dispersed. Jola watched until the square had cleared, before she stepped down from the platform toward the inn.

"You scared me, my sister," Tenzen said as they walked back toward the door.

"I scared myself. It was as if my viper was telling me to throw it at Karmel. I don't know how I managed not to. All my memories of street children being abducted and abused came flooding back. I could feel that little girl's pain, confusion, and helplessness." Jola shook from the encounter and frantically stroked her viper.

* * *

When Tenzen and Jola ascended the platform the next day, a silence seemed to descend upon the town. The crowds had grown as the rumors had spread. Marquess Kontar stood at the edge of the crowd.

The city guard escorted two women, several guards, and two additional young girls they had found at Karmel's home and place of business. The sergeant identified them to Jola and Tenzen one by one. The two girls were Dace, Karmel's daughter, and Cara, an undocumented servant; the two women were Ni and Tu, also bonded.

It took Jola only a couple of questions to confirm that the three servants were being used as prostitutes. Then she motioned to Tenzen and conferred with her before giving a verdict.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicators Tenzen and Jola have resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before them involving Freeman Karmel, who's charged with the selling of the girl child Leela, a bonded servant, for sex." Tenzen nodded to Jola, who stood. "We decree the following:

"First, Freeman Karmel is guilty as charged.

"Second, Freeman Karmel is also guilty of the charge of slavery, in that he imprisoned the girl Leela, who is a freewoman. Freeman Karmel is further guilty of forcing bonded servants to be prostitutes. The women, Ni and Tu, are freed from bondage. Freeman Karmel forfeits one hundred silvers to each of the bonded servants, Ni and Tu; and one hundred silvers each to Leela, Cara, and Dace. Any additional monies and property belong to Dace, Karmel's daughter.

"Third, Freeman Karmel is to receive twenty strokes of the cane and be sent to the iron mines at Iron Hills for ten years.

"Fourth, Freeman Abbott is guilty of selling the girl Leela into slavery, and of not honoring the bondage agreement, which may have resulted in the death of a woman. Freeman Abbott is to pay the ten-silvers fine imposed by me, to receive twenty strokes of the cane, and be sent to the iron mines at Iron Hills for five years.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

The next day, Jola and Tenzen walked through the little market, looking over the merchandise as they listened to the gossip around them. They heard a few rumors about nobles talking big about new laws, but nothing specific. Jola noticed that Hygorge, in the middle of Sattah, and Southgate, located in the southern pass, seemed to be mentioned most often. Since Hygorge was the closest, Tenzen decided they should go there first.

CHAPTER TEN

Sattah Province

Six days later when they arrived in Hygorge, they rode straight through the bustling streets to the local inn, the Laughing Man. It stood perched on a hill overlooking the Swiftwater Gorge. The innkeeper was strangely silent as he showed them to their room. At dinner that night, they ate alone. Jola tried to remember another town where the local governor hadn't greeted them, even if he had no judicator-type cases pending. The noblemen sitting at two tables in the private parlor whispered. One even glared and pointed. Tenzen said nothing as they ate, but Jola watched her out of the corner of her eye, ready to follow her lead.

When Tenzen and Jola pushed back their chairs and rose to leave, one of the young noblemen at the next table jumped up to block Jola's path.

"I think I found my entertainment for the night," the young noble said, as he snatched at Jola's breast.

Jola grabbed his arm, twisting his wrist hard enough to double him over. She drove his head into the table. He twisted his face to her, blood running from his nose. She let the viper dangle from her neck in front of his eyes.

"You fool. If you had managed to grab your prize, you would be dead," Jola said, careful to control the tremor in her voice. "I'm a judicator, you idiot."

The other three threw back their chairs as they rose. Tenzen already had her sword in one hand and her viper in the other.

"I assume you've risen to help your drunken friend home to bed, where he belongs?" Tenzen said.

"We're nobles and you'll address us properly," one of the three said.

"When you learn to act like nobles, you'll be treated like nobles. You're acting like thugs, so I'll treat you like thugs." Tenzen was greeted with a rumble of laughter from around the room.

"Your days are numbered, bitches," one man mumbled as he handed his friend a cloth to hold to his nose and half-carried him out of the room.

"Mistresses, you need to be careful. The nobles have been getting more aggressive over the past several seasons. They claim Sattah and Essam are going to have their own judicators just like Tasman, and their judicators will know their place," a small, gray-haired man said in a whisper. Just then, four city guards entered the room.

"Mistress, we've instructions to arrest the young judicator for attacking a noble," the captain said to Tenzen.

"I didn't know the king was in town, Captain." Tenzen said.

"He's not. Marquess Gustel ordered it."

"Captain, you may tell Marquess Gustel that he's on the verge of losing his lands and title, and being sent to the iron mines," Tenzen said in the same sweet voice, as the captain paled. "Your Marquess knows that only the king can issue an arrest warrant for a judicator. For anyone else to do so, or to obey such an order, would be treason, and an act against the king himself. If the young nobles want to press charges against Judicator Jola, I'd be delighted to judge the case."

"Yes, Mistress," the captain said, and then hurried out, his escort following.

They spent three more days in Hygorge. Walking around town and through the market, they heard multiple complaints of nobles committing acts of violence and theft without being charged. On the fourth day, they departed, taking the road to Southgate, which was the southern gap in the Pyxus Spine and the intersection of the Manito, Kasava, Sattah, and Tasman borders. About a mile out of town, they were met by five men dressed in finely made silk clothing, wearing masks and riding warhorses.

"You're not welcome in Sattah," one of the men said, in a voice that sounded older and more mature than those of the youths they had confronted in the inn.

"By whose authority?" Tenzen said.

"By ours!"

"You obviously have no authority, or you wouldn't be hiding behind masks like thieves." Jola knew thieves wouldn't be riding warhorses. Only nobles, their guards, and the Horse units could possibly afford them.

"Either turn around and leave Sattah, or we won't be able to protect you. Rogue judicators are subject to the death penalty."

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Tenzen, formally charge each of you with treason for violating the Seven Provinces' Treaty." Tenzen drew her sword and moved her viper to her free hand. Jola did the same. Four of the nobles drew their swords, but the older man waved them off. "If they continue, they'll die." He turned, and the five rode off.

Tenzen sat quietly for several minutes. "If we go on, they'll ambush us with greater numbers-or pay to have us ambushed. We should return to the capital and report this to the king. But I believe they assume we'll do just that, and are prepared to stop us. We'll do the unexpected and ride to Cape Storm, where we can talk to Sattah's ruler, Duke Waller. I'm interested in his position on this matter. There we can also find a king's message carrier to take a letter back to the capital," Tenzen said. "I won't lie to you, Jola. We're in mortal danger. They don't dare to let us report this to the king."

Tenzen and Jola pushed their horses hard and made no stops in the small villages they passed. They arrived in Cape Storm late on the fifth day. True to its name, dark clouds hung over the city, pendants flapped with the wind gusts, and a light rain soaked through their cloaks and ran down their faces. Because of the clouds, they couldn't see the ocean, but the crashing waves spewed water ten meters in the air. The castle loomed alone on a rock that resembled a finger pointing out to sea. It looked ominous, set against the black clouds. The town extended down a slope in steps that ended at the harbor.

Two guards blocked their way while a messenger rode to the castle. Eventually, word came back that they were invited to stay, and that His Grace would meet with them the next morning. By the time they arrived at the castle and were shown to their rooms, it was late. They fell into bed, exhausted.

* * *

They were shown into a small parlor filled with old-fashioned, heavy furniture. "Thank you for seeing us, Your Grace. I'd like to introduce one of our newest members, Judicator Jola," Tenzen said by way of introduction.

"It's my pleasure to meet you, Judicator Jola. How are you enjoying your first circuit?" Waller gestured toward the ornate wooden chairs.

"The pleasure is mine, Your Grace. It's been a very interesting experience." Jola assessed the man before her. He was a small, stocky man with a full beard and mustache. Something in his smile and manner chilled her. The way he looked at Tenzen and her, the way he smiled, the way his eyes moved, a feeling of falseness in his greeting, and his cool demeanor all seemed wrong. She would have recognized the signs even without her viper's help.

"I understand you had a few minor problems in Hygorge, Judicator Tenzen," Waller said as he turned back to her.

"Yes, I've charged five men, who I believe are nobles, with violating the Seven Provinces' Treaty. I'm here to request your assistance in bringing them to trial."

"What! You expect me to send soldiers to arrest nobles on your word?"

"My word is the word of the king. Is that not good enough in Sattah?" Tenzen asked, her voice cool and even.

Waller stood silent for a while, his face red. "I'll think about it."

"Think also about your lands, titles, and the iron mines, Duke Waller."

"Are you threatening me, Judicator Tenzen?" Waller growled in an ominous tone.

"I'm reminding you of your duties under the Seven Provinces' Treaty, and the consequences for not performing them."

Waller glared at Tenzen, and then nodded. "Tomorrow morning there will be twenty-five troopers ready to accompany you back to Hygorge to arrest those five individuals. They're to be brought back to Cape Storm for trial." Waller stalked from the room.

Two guards accompanied them back to their rooms. For all of Waller's cool reception yesterday and his obvious hostility today, the rooms they had been given were luxurious and spacious. On the way, Jola tried to sort through Waller's contradictory actions. He had been hostile, but in the end, cooperative. When the door to their sitting room closed, Jola couldn't wait to get Tenzen's counsel.

"Sister, do you believe that Lord Waller is a traitor?"

"Waller plays a dangerous game with both parties. I believe he sides with the nobles in Hygorge, but doesn't want to admit it. So he sends troops with us back to Hygorge to see what will happen there. He believes he wins regardless of the outcome. If the nobles win, he can claim he knew they would win. If we win, he can claim he supported the judicators, and therefore the king. In either case, he remains the Duke of Sattah." Tenzen was quiet for several minutes. "I'll write a summary of our findings to date. Tomorrow, we will find a king's messenger to deliver it to Nicolas."

* * *

By the next morning, the rain had stopped and sunshine poured between broken clouds. When Tenzen and Jola strode into the courtyard, twenty-five soldiers were waiting for them, all in mail over black leather, with sabers at their belts.

"Good morning, Mistress, I'm Captain Bazar. His Grace has assigned me to lead your escort to Hygorge."

"Good morning, Captain Bazar, I'm Judicator Tenzen, and this young woman is Judicator Jola. Before we begin, I'd like to understand exactly what your orders are," Tenzen asked in her best motherly tone. Jola covered her mouth with her hand to hide a smile.

"I'm to take my orders from you, Mistress Tenzen."

"And Mistress Jola," Tenzen said, stating it as a fact rather than as a question.

"As you wish, Mistress."

"Excellent. I see you already have our horses ready. You're very efficient, Captain. However, if you've no objections, I'd like to be introduced to your soldiers."

Jola was surprised at first, until she thought through the request. Tenzen wanted the soldiers to feel like she and Jola were real people, not just authority figures. It also gave her a chance to test their emotions. Tenzen could be very devious when she chose. She was the perfect mother figure whom everyone trusted immediately-and rightly so. She was, however, no fool. She somehow knew what Jola thought even before Jola did, and Jola would have sworn Tenzen had eyes in the back of her head.

The introductions over, they rode out of the castle, and Tenzen invited the captain to ride with them at the head of the column.

"Captain Bazar, is this considered good duty or bad?" Jola asked, curious as to what soldiers, particularly those so close to Duke Waller, thought of taking orders from judicators and having to arrest nobles.

"Regular soldiers are raised as commoners. We like judicators because you maintained the balance between commoners and nobles. So helping judicators is a welcome treat. Arresting nobles is dangerous, but that's a soldier's lot. Besides, it's rewarding when it helps keep the nobles from grabbing power. I think Mistress Tenzen has established that we all wish to help." Bazar grinned.

"Very perceptive, Captain. Yes, you and your men are most satisfactory," Tenzen said, with a mother's approval.

The trip back to Hygorge was even longer than the trip to Cape Storm, since they stopped early each evening to leave time for Jola to participate in hand-to-hand and sword matches with the soldiers. Jola's technique had improved since Kasava. She no longer feared fighting men who were bigger or stronger, and managed to win half the time. She thought the soldiers looked forward to the evening stops, and she heard that they bet on whether they could best her. During the day as they rode, the soldiers talked and sang behind the judicators, although their captain kept it subdued.

At the inn in Hygorge, the innkeeper rented them the stable to house the men, and sent out a cauldron of stew and pitchers of ale. Once that was done, Jola followed Tenzen and the captain toward the private parlor. Marquess Gustel stood, hands on his hips, in the doorway, his red face twisted in anger.

"Captain, I'm Marquess Gustel. I demand to know the reason you and your soldiers are here in Hygorge, and why you didn't report directly to me when you entered the city." The veins in Gustel's plump face stood out, and seemed about to burst. He was a tall man who might once have been athletic, but now was soft with age. His clothes were a combination of purple and cream silks, trimmed in fur.

"You can't be the lord who ordered the arrest of a judicator in violation of the Seven Provinces' Treaty, can you?" Tenzen asked as she stepped in front of the captain. Gustel stood silent, in shock, and stared at the two judicators.

"That was a misunderstanding, Mistress," Gustel finally stammered.

"No, that was arrogance, Marquess Gustel, which I hope you aren't going to repeat. The captain is under Duke Waller's orders to accompany me to Hygorge, to arrest the nobles who accosted Mistress Jola and me on the road to Southgate. Do you have a problem with your liege lord's instructions?" Tenzen said in her best mother-to-child voice.

Gustel's face turned from red to purple, but he said nothing for a time. "No, Mistress. Do you know who they are?"

"No, but it's an easy matter to determine. Two days from now, every titled noble with lands under your jurisdiction will report here for questioning. Those who don't will be banished, by my authority as the king's representative," Tenzen said. "In that case, the captain and his men will be authorized to kill them on sight."

"You... can't... you wouldn't," Gustel stuttered.

"The nobles who threatened me and Judicator Jola are about to learn the consequences of treason. Two days from now at noon," Tenzen responded, as she stepped around him and proceeded to their table.

"I wondered how you intended to determine which nobles accosted you. I forgot you can tell truth from a lie. I look forward to seeing you in action," Captain Bazar said, sitting down across from them.

"I plan to let Mistress Jola do the questioning. I'll just watch. Tomorrow, would you or one of your men check in with the local city guard captain and get a list of all the nobles who have lands and titles in Hygorge? We'll need it to determine who doesn't show."

"You anticipate that the five won't show for questioning?" Bazar asked.

"One of three scenarios is possible. First, one or more will show, thinking they can get away with a lie. Second, one or more won't show, deciding to call our bluff. Third, they'll attack us." Tenzen ticked off the numbers on her fingers.

"You think they may attack us?" His head jerked up and his chair slid back a few finger lengths.

"That's the most probable scenario," Tenzen said, and Jola nodded agreement.

"They're caught in a dilemma," Jola said, pausing to look at Tenzen for permission to continue. When Tenzen nodded, she took a moment to organize her thoughts. It had become obvious that this was more than a few discontented nobles. "If they show up for questioning, the chances are they'll get sentenced to the iron mines and lose their titles. The same result occurs if they don't show for questioning. In addition, that would end any support from the other nobles, and they would lose the chance to eliminate us. If they attack and kill us, they'll build additional support, delay the king's learning of the revolt, and gain more time to prepare for whatever they're planning."

"But the king will eventually hear, and send an army to kill the traitors," Bazar said.

"We know there is also trouble in Essam and Tasman. It's possible that the three provinces plan to combine forces in a rebellion. If that's the case, they'll need the extra time to get organized," Tenzen said.

Bazar sat back, his face paling at Tenzen's explanation of what was at stake.

* * *

The next day, Jola decided to stroll through the town to hear what the common folks were saying. She dressed in simple broadcloth trousers and tunic, not to hide that she was a judicator, but to keep her presence inconspicuous. The town was subdued, with few on the streets. As the sun dipped toward the horizon, she stopped at a small outdoor cafe for a glass of wine.

As she sat listening, the group at the next table, tongues perhaps loosened by the flagon they shared, talked loudly enough for her to overhear. The youngest man, dressed in sturdy clothes that looked like a merchant's son's, loudly complained. He said that the nobles had been aggressive for the past three seasons, and were supported by Gustel. An older man tried to hush him, saying that if they waited things would calm down, but another of their companions stopped him in mid-sentence. He said he had no trust that things would return to normal. The waitress put another flagon of wine in front of him and said she thought she should move out of the province. Then the older man noticed Jola and hushed everyone.

As Jola wandered through the town, she found others who were, as yet, unaffected and didn't care. All hoped the judicators could make a difference, but most doubted it. Everyone knew that trouble was coming and that they, the common folks, would pay as usual.

That night at dinner, Jola passed on what she had learned from the town folk.

"Everyone, us included, agrees that there is trouble coming. I suggest we assume that men of power won't relinquish it without a fight. If we're wrong, we lose nothing. If we're right, we'll have control over the outcome." When Jola was a child, she had no control over what others could do to her. She was determined not to let that happen again.

"I agree," Tenzen said. "Captain, we need you and your men to arrest these nobles. I don't, however, wish you and your soldiers to die trying to fight an army that outnumbers you. It'll prove nothing. Worse yet, it may further the plans of these traitors. I want you to put together several alternative escape plans, in the event they show up with overwhelming force."

"Thank you, Mistress. I'll talk with my men and have those plans for you later this evening. That gives me time to brief them tomorrow before the judgment," Bazar said, as he bowed and left the table.

"Sister Tenzen, your sister respectfully hopes you'll position yourself where you can easily leave if there is trouble. It might be good if you also dress casually so as not to be conspicuous." Jola smiled. "Besides, the king will listen to you far better than to me."

"Funny, that's exactly what I planned to suggest you do. If there is trouble, you're younger and more likely to get away," Tenzen said with her own robust laugh, which showed on her face and extended to her eyes. Got ya, Jola rejoiced silently.

"True, I've a better chance to escape than you do. All the more reason for you to have a headstart." Jola beamed with satisfaction.

"Sister Jola, you're young and have your life before you. I couldn't sacrifice you for my safety."

Jola shook her head. "Thanks to you, I don't lack confidence, nor am I helpless. I'm strong, quick, and know the town well after my walk yesterday, and I believe the town's citizens would help me if necessary. You know that I'm not comfortable with nobles. I also don't have the experience to manipulate them into action. We must each play to our strengths." Jola wasn't about to give up so easily. Tenzen was very dear to her.

"You're doing very well at manipulating me-too well. Let's wait to see what plans Captain Bazar develops, and where we best fit into them," Tenzen said, relenting.

A few minutes later, Bazar returned with his senior sergeant. They sat in a corner where they could talk quietly, and discussed several plans until one was finally settled on.

Only a faint rim of gold showed at the edge of the early morning sky as Jola and her escort disappeared into the merchants' side of Hygorge. When the sun rose, only a stray dog wandered down the otherwise empty street.

A half-hour before noon, Jola and her escort rode a circuitous route toward the central square, where a sizeable crowd had gathered. Jola took her seat and waited. Exactly at noon, she began.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. Captain Bazar, please read the first name on the list of nobles to be examined." Jola looked around. Many nobles were among the crowd, but they appeared to be outnumbered by commoners two to one.

"Baron Aralt."

"I'm Baron Aralt. I don't appreciate being summoned like a commoner, Judicator Jola," Aralt said loudly.

Jola ignored Aralt's remark. "Were you among the nobles who stopped and threatened two judicators on the road to Southgate?"

"No."

"Thank you, Baron Aralt, for your time and cooperation." Jola sensed truth.

"Lord Alroy," Bazar read next.

"I'm Lord Alroy."

"Were you among the nobles who stopped and threatened two judicators on the road to Southgate?" Jola repeated.

"No."

"Thank you, Lord Alroy, for your time and cooperation." Jola again sensed truth.

This went on for thirty minutes. Everyone called was there, and each truthfully answered "no." Then, as Bazar read the name "Lord Ernan," fifty soldiers entered the square, and one man dismounted. He had his sword drawn as he strode toward Jola.

"I'm Lord Ernan. And yes, I was with the nobles who stopped you bitches on the road to Southgate. What do you propose to do about it?" Ernan's sneer, Jola recognized from her years in bondage.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has declared that Lord Ernan is relieved of his title and his right to inheritance, and is sentenced to life in the Tyrol iron mines. So say the Judicators of Pyxus," Jola chanted.

"How do you think you're going to enforce your judgment?" Ernan laughed.

"You're confused, Ernan. I don't enforce judgments. The king does," Jola said, loudly enough for all to hear.

"You'll address me correctly, bitch!" Ernan shouted.

"I did. You no longer have a title. You're a commoner who will spend the rest of your days in the iron mines." Jola shrugged. The crowd and the soldiers were deathly silent.

Ernan advanced on Jola with his sword readied to strike. Jola stood and nodded to the captain to keep their agreement not to interfere unless it became necessary to escape.

Jola waited, hoping Ernan thought she was too scared to draw her dagger. She intentionally wrinkled her face in what she hoped imitated fear. He pulled back his sword for a cut to the neck as he continued forward. Jola stepped into him, her arms wrapped around his body. The sword whished behind her back and struck nothing but air. Jola's viper struck his neck, paralyzing him instantly. He convulsed for a few seconds before he died. "Power and privilege, but they still die," Jola mumbled as he lay crumpled at her feet.

With a rasp of steel, several of the nobles in the front row of mounted men drew their swords. At her nod, Captain Bazar waved his saber high over his head. Ten soldiers charged out of the trees into the backs of the soldiers who faced Jola. They screamed and shouted war cries. As everyone turned toward the attack, Jola and her guards ran to their waiting horses, jumped into the saddles, and galloped off. At that signal, Bazar's seven surviving soldiers retreated.

"Forget those soldiers. After the judicator!" Jola heard one of the older nobles shout as she galloped around a corner.

* * *

Jola, the captain and the two guards rode through the city on a route they had planned the previous night. It came out on the road to Cape Storm. As they raced along, she heard their pursuers not far behind. They soon passed two of their soldiers, who hurriedly strung up the rope trap between two buildings. A minute later, she heard the screams as men and horses crashed to the ground. She could imagine the chaos it had caused.

Five of their men waited, one dressed in a red cape, each with an extra horse. When the captain, Jola and the guards reached them, they walked their horses onto a path that eventually wound its way to the road to Manito's border. Tenzen walked her horse out of a small copse of trees. Jola took a deep breath, and smiled at Tenzen and Bazar in relief. Ten of the guards immediately hastened off, with their extra horses, down the road to Cape Storm with the two who had sprung the trap close behind them-twelve men total, one in a judicator's cape. Several minutes later, a large party of pursuers followed, and five minutes later, another group. The trap had worked well.

* * *

Captain Bazar pushed them to the limit of their horses' endurance. They were on the road at dawn, stopped to rest the horses for an hour every four hours, and rode until the sun went down. They reached Southgate on the fourth day and took rooms at The Four Brothers' Inn. Tenzen ordered lavish meals and accommodations for everyone.

Jola woke late the next morning. She lay there enjoying the soft bed, and the peace and quiet.

Tenzen, already up, stood by the window looking out. "I'm concerned, Jola. The governor knows we have arrived, but he hasn't sent a message or come to greet us. That's not normal."

"As if they didn't want us here," Jola said with a wry laugh. "How would you like to venture into the market after we eat? I can't believe the merchants are hostile."

They walked around town, bought a few trinkets, ate at small stalls, and talked with everyone they met. They met at least a dozen people who complained of being beaten or robbed by nobles who weren't brought to account. In most cases, these were crimes that should have been tried by judicators. They also heard a rumor that Tasman had a "permanent judicator."

"Sister Tenzen, do you think they are talking about Shalea?" Jola asked. She wasn't sure whether she would like that arrangement. She liked to travel and see new places.

"I think you are right, but there may be others. I think we should see if we can find any more."

"I look forward to seeing their vipers." Jola giggled. "Speaking of vipers, Sister, what do the sisters believe about the origin of our vipers?"

"Most believe the God Naga imbues them with intelligence and the ability to sense human emotions. Others believe that the God Naga puts a little of himself in each one." Tenzen stroked her viper.

"Do you believe that's possible?" Jola held her viper to her cheek.

"Yes, that's been a topic of debate for over a hundred years. Is the intelligence put there by Naga? Or is the intelligence a part of the God Naga? We'll probably never know. I think we'll be debating it for another hundred years without resolution. The God Naga doesn't seem inclined to enlighten us. I've seen vipers that were indolent, nervous, and excitable. The question is whether that's the viper's personality, or whether the viper takes on the personality of its companion. What do you think?"

Jola smiled at having her own question turned back on her. "I'm not sure what to think. I know its presence makes me feel warm and comfortable. Maybe that's what the vipers do. They give us whatever we need."

* * *

The next day, Tenzen, Jola, and Bazar met downstairs in the inn. They took a small corner table well away from anyone else for a private talk.

"Captain Bazar, something isn't right here in Southgate. Sister Jola and I've been to the market, and there is definite tension in the city. They expect trouble. We need to investigate inside Tasman, but we can't do that with soldiers accompanying us. We also need to update the king on what happened in Hygorge. I've decided to send you and your men to Tyrol with our report. You'll be there in person, so you can answer any questions the king may have. I also have to take into account the possibility that we could be delayed or killed," Tenzen said. "I'll give you a letter authorizing you and your troops to cross all borders, and declaring you in the service of the king."

"We're at your service, Mistress. In fact, it may not be safe for us to return to Sattah right now." Bazar grinned. "When do you want us to leave?"

"I'd like you to leave today. Go through Kasava. The clansmen will see you quickly and safely to Tyrol. Thank you for your help, Captain Bazar. We'll not forget you, and you'll be well compensated for your loyalty."

* * *

After Bazar and his men left, Tenzen and Jola rode out of Southgate on the road to Corvus without ever having seen Marquess Pirmin, the ruling noble.

The woods were dense, and little light filtered though the branches, which formed a dense canopy overhead. Huge trees pressed close on both sides of the narrow road. Jola dropped the reins of the packhorse when a rattle of tack came from the side. A white haired nobleman rode into the middle of the path.

"You're under arrest. Surrender your weapons and dismount," the noble said.

Jola jerked her head around. A triple hand of guards had them surrounded, swords in their hands as two more nobles came out from the dense cover.

Jola watched in horror as Tenzen drew her sword and charged the man who had just spoken, plunging it into his chest. She then spun around to counter a soldier who swung his saber at her, albeit late. He died quickly, along with another noble who was slow to draw his weapon. Jola followed, a few seconds too late. On her way to Tenzen, she cut down two soldiers who had turned toward her sister, and tossed her viper at another.

She screamed into the group of soldiers hacking at Tenzen. Jola fought with no thought of death, just of killing, and kill she did.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Tasman Province

The scene Jola awoke to would have been almost funny, if it hadn't hurt so much to laugh-or even smile. Several soldiers tried unsuccessfully to catch the two golden vipers that twisted in and out of her clothing. One soldier lying close by appeared to have no wounds. She assumed he had been bitten in an early attempt.

She thought her head would split as she moved, but she forced herself to look around. Her heart heaved when she saw no sign of Tenzen.

"The other judicator?" she managed to mutter.

One of the men shrugged. "She managed to break free when you joined the fight. We didn't bother to chase her. From the way she looked, she won't live to see sunset."

"Mistress," another soldier said to her when he noticed she was conscious. "We can't treat your many wounds while those vipers are on you. Help us capture them so we can help you."

"Thank you, Corporal, for the concern you and your friends have shown me and my mistress," Jola barely managed to whisper. She summoned both vipers into her hands. Tears blurred her eyes as she recalled those concerned soldiers hacking at her sister, friend, mentor, and adopted mother.

She lifted the vipers up and with all her remaining strength flung them backward toward the two nobles that stood less than two meters away watching and laughing. By luck or the help of Naga, one viper landed on each noble, struck, and slithered silently into the brush. By the time the soldiers reacted, the nobles were dead, the vipers had disappeared, and no one appeared anxious to go after them. Several soldiers poked carefully at the bushes, but they soon gave up their half-hearted search and returned to the safety of the path.

When she looked down at herself, she saw that her clothes were soaked with blood. One of the veteran soldiers bandaged the slashes, and afterward boosted her onto her horse. When they determined she couldn't ride on her own, a soldier mounted behind her to hold her. Dark gray mists clouded her vision, and she didn't remember anything for a long time. The ride to Corvus was a nightmare of pain, hallucinations, and torture dreams. When she was awake, each of the horse's strides jolted Jola, and her head exploded, pain radiating through every fiber in her body. At night, she slept tied up on the cold ground. The nightmare went on for four days.

* * *

When Jola awoke again, she lay on a cold marble floor in front of a raised platform. A large man stood over her.

"My, the judicators are getting younger and younger-pretty too," the man said. "I'm Duke Chaney, ruler of Tasman, my dear. It happens I'm in need of my own judicators." Chaney flashed a friendly smile. "I could make your life a dream come true, if you cooperated."

"And what would cooperation require?" Jola asked, as she assessed Chaney. He had a rugged face and square, clean-shaven jaw, a wide, long nose, and long black hair pulled back in a tail. It was hard to tell, lying on the floor, but she thought he was tall. He had a solid build with a bit of a belly that protruded from under his black silk clothing, with its wildcats embroidered on the sleeves.

"You'll do what you've been trained to do, but you'll be accountable to me, not the king. All decisions that involve nobles, I'll approve," Chaney said. "It's a reasonable request when you consider the compensation I will provide."

"Why don't you just tell the king you plan to commit treason? I'd be happy to work for you then, since you obviously pay well." Jola winced when she tried to shift her weight. She forced a smile she didn't feel. From the number of bandages she could see, she was lucky to be alive. Right now, she was too tired to spar with this idiot.

"I can punish also, my dear." Chaney's voice emphasized the alternative to cooperating with him. He smiled, but it didn't extend to his eyes. They were the eyes of a crazy man.

"But how can I trust you, or you me?" Jola said with a crooked smile. She smiled because she knew no one could ever trust Chaney.

"My guards will kill you if you betray me," Chaney answered with a laugh. "Not before they have a little entertainment, though."

"That's fair, because I'd kill you if you betrayed me," Jola countered with a giggle, which turned to a grimace as pain racked her body.

"How would you manage that?" Chaney said with a sneer.

"Killing is easy, Lord Chaney. Even dukes can die." Jola was exhausted, feverish, and no longer interested in Lord Chaney's grand schemes. He was the reason her sister and friend Tenzen was dead. One way or the other, she would see Chaney pay.

Chaney turned red. "Maybe time in my dungeon will help you decide." He turned toward his minister. "Take her to her new room. She needs to learn the price of insolence."

"Maybe time will make you into a kind man," Jola whispered with her last strength. She closed her eyes, prayed, and hoped the God Naga was listening. Naga, protect your vipers, and if it's safe, please return my companion to me. I miss it and could use its comfort.

* * *

Life in Chaney's Corvus dungeon was uncomfortable but bearable. The food was slop and there was too little of it, the bedding was little more than a collection of rags, and the damp stone floor served as a bed. In spite of the conditions, though, her wounds began to heal. She suspected that Chaney had ordered the guards to keep her uncomfortable, but to do nothing that would jeopardize her recovery. Her days in the cell brought back memories of her time in bondage. She had survived that, and she would survive this. Several of the guards wanted to trade sex for favors, and others enjoyed causing pain; she accommodated neither. She didn't seek extra favors, nor did she let the pain show. Bondage had been a good teacher, and she had been a good student.

The guards so far had kept their advances verbal, with an occasional feel here and there when the opportunity presented itself. A few, she surmised, wouldn't know what to do if she'd accepted their advances. However, eventually someone would try force. When she turned up half beaten to death, he would claim that she had invited him to have sex, and then tried to escape.

* * *

Jola had made scratches on the wall marking four eightdays when it happened. In the middle of the night, as she lay shivering on the stone floor half awake and half asleep, she felt something brush against her leg. She kicked, and jumped back into a sitting position. Her first thoughts were of rats. But in the darkness of the cell, she couldn't determine whether it was an animal-rat or a human-rat.

She felt something rub against her hip, and then against her hand on the floor that supported her as she sat. She scrambled up the wall to a standing position and hopelessly strained to see into the pitch-black darkness. The cell had no windows to provide light. There was a small hole in the door that the guards used to check on the cell, and a three finger gap at the bottom of the door that they used for sliding food; these provided a dim light during the day, but none at night. However, the gap under the door was just big enough for rats. She wouldn't put it past the guards to shove a rat under her door for pure fun-to hear her panic or to break her will.

She stood there for several minutes. She strained to see movement, listened in the silence for any sound that would betray the intruder, and breathed through her nose for a scent that would identify man or beast. Nothing.

Enough, she told herself, as she let herself slide back down the wall. If it's a rat, I'll let it crawl up on me, and then grab it, strangle it, and eat it. She laughed silently as the thought crossed her mind that not only could she use meat in her diet, but it would also probably taste better than the slop they fed her. I can't and won't give the guards the satisfaction of showing fear, she chastised herself.

On the floor, nothing happened for a minute, and then something slipped into her lap. She calmed herself, grabbed, and found that she held a snake. But what kind? Does it matter? The golden vipers had made her immune to any poisons. Oh, Naga, how I miss my golden viper. The snake had coiled itself around the hand that held it, but didn't bite her. Then she felt a snake wrap itself around her ankle. If the guards had planned to scare her with snakes, they had seriously misjudged her. With that thought, she lay back down with the snakes coiled around her, and went to sleep.

She woke when she heard the morning food tray slide under the door.

"Your morning meal, Mistress." She recognized the guard by his voice. He had been the most persistent, of the guards that wanted sex with her. His name was Adlar, and he had a scarred face and an ugly disposition to match. "If you treat me well, I can see that you get better food-or if not, I can see that your food gets worse. Maybe a bit of rat meat."

"Rat meat sounds good. Maybe a few bugs to season it."

"Bitch. Eventually His Grace will get tired of you and give you to us. You'll pay, now or later."

"And could you turn down the heat? It's uncomfortably hot in here." Jola smiled. They may kill me, but they will never break me. The light in the cell was never better than dim, but in the daytime, she could at least make out objects like the food tray, her waste pot, and the rags she called a bed. She picked up her arm to see what variety of snake the idiot guards had found, only to discover that the two golden vipers had somehow found her. She pressed them to her face, kissing them with all the pent-up passion the past four eightdays had taken from her-Tenzen's fate, her wounds, the poor food, the cold, damp cell, and the physical and mental torment.

She dropped to her knees and pressed the vipers to her. Thank you, Naga, for returning your envoys to me. I'll protect them with my life.

* * *

Jola slept well that night and she felt her strength returning, although her conditions hadn't changed. With her viper and Sister Tenzen's viper as companions, she was at peace, and was content to wait out Lord Chaney's next move. By his own admission, he wanted judicators who would administer his law throughout Tasman. Jola conjectured that he could train more women like Shalea to impersonate judicators, but their inability to ascertain the truth would, eventually, identify them as frauds. After Chaney had secured the province with an iron hand, it wouldn't matter. But she suspected that to start, he needed believable judicators who wouldn't alert the commoners to the rebellion-especially since Shalea had been discredited in Essam. If she was right, he would eventually turn up the pressure on her. At that point, she would have three options: one, to attempt an escape, now that she had two vipers; two, to attempt to kill Chaney; or three, to capitulate and join him. Until then, she could but wait.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Tasman Province

"Your Grace," First Minister Alfred said as he entered Chaney's private study. Chaney's Corvus castle was smaller than Tarquay, his castle at the capital, but it was elaborate by any standard. Since his arrival at Corvus, Chaney had been in the process of obliterating his father's red and gold influence with his own silver and black decor. "I've a young lord, Loman, who wants an audience with you. He says he has information from Essam."

"Bring him in, Alfred." Chaney did not look up from what he was reading.

Alfred exited, and a few minutes later returned with the young noble, still dressed in his riding clothes and somewhat disheveled. Loman bowed. "Your Grace, Marquess Stassio asked me to bring you the latest news from Essam. He suggested that you make your move soon-" he began.

"No one tells me what to do, Loman!" Chaney shouted, and banged his desk for emphasis, which caused several items to bounce up and off his desk.

"Your Grace, a king's judicator exposed your judicator. She's declared you in violation of the Seven Provinces' Treaty," Loman said in a rush.

"WHAT!" Chaney came out of his chair, spilling more papers and books onto the floor. "Did no one stop her?"

"We tried, Your Grace; however, she received support from the crowds and the city guard. Afterward, we blockaded the roads out of the city, but either she slipped past us, or she's found someplace in the city to hide. Marquess Stassio continues to search, but even if we find her, it'll at best delay word getting back to the king," Loman said.

"What happened to Judicator Shalea and her guard?"

"The king's judicator ordered her and her guard confined to await her judgment. And she no longer has her dagger, cape, mask, or snake."

"It doesn't matter. Her credibility has been destroyed. I'll consider releasing her after we break the treaty." Chaney considered his alternatives. A town full of nobles couldn't stop one judicator. What fools, he thought. They definitely needed a strong, decisive leader like him. This fiasco didn't really change anything, but it did hasten the break with the king by a couple of seasons.

"Tell Marquess Stassio to raise his Essam army and bring them into Tasman within the next eight eightdays. Our stand will have to be in Tasman, where we can consolidate the three armies. I'll meet him at Blueridge." Chaney looked up at the young noble. Pathetic-a weakling, and he smells, he noted as he rang for Alfred to get Loman out of his sight.

Alfred arranged quarters for Loman, and returned to find Chaney pacing the floor.

"Alfred, we've a problem. I need a judicator to go to Southgate. A just ruling or two will expand my support in Sattah. With the disaster in Gotter, we're going to need a sizeable army in place within the next eight eightdays. Nicolas will have no choice but to send a small army into Essam to punish me. I'll need a decisive victory to convince him it'll be prohibitively expensive to continue, and will be better for him to negotiate with me," Chaney said as he continued to develop his strategy. "How is that bitch, Jola? Five eightdays should have softened her up." Chaney imagined her in the bare-damp cell, harassed by the guards he had assigned and instructed.

"She asks for nothing and never complains, Your Grace," Alfred said.

"I think it's time to convince her she's been living in luxury." Chaney laughed. "Summon Sergeant Brokk, Alfred. Mistress Courageous will beg me to be my personal judicator."

* * *

The cell door opened to admit Chaney and three guards.

"My dear, how do you like the accommodations?" Chaney asked. He smiled while he chewed on something sweet and gooey.

Jola's mouth watered at the sight of it-undoubtedly, the effect Chaney had hoped to induce. "I've had better and I've had worse." She wasn't sure that was true, but he wouldn't learn it from her.

"And the food?" Chaney licked his fingers and lips.

"The rats are a bit stringy, and the bugs don't have enough substance, but the soup is excellent."

Chaney chuckled. "And your guards?" Chaney chuckled again and smiled at something Jola couldn't see.

Jola didn't think she was amusing Chaney. She doubted he was ever amused by any jokes except his own. He had something planned, which she doubted she was going to enjoy. She had no choice but to play the game, and wait to see what happened.

"Those are guards? They've been so sweet, I thought they were servants." She continued to play the fool. She had learned never to let them see her pain-it just encouraged them.

"I brought you a new servant." Chaney pointed to a man who trod into the cell-a monstrosity of a man, one that Jola had never encountered before and never wanted to see again. He was huge, easily twenty stones, with the twisted and scarred face of a man who liked to fight. His eyes were devoid of emotion, and he was naked and aroused.

"Before I give you your new personal servant-who will live with you in your spacious quarters-I thought you might want to consider my previous offer." Chaney grinned.

Jola was speechless as her mind raced through her few alternatives. Chaney needed her desperately, she thought. Otherwise, why was he here, and why was he asking her to reconsider his offer? Maybe she could exploit the situation. The next move would determine the winner.

"Last chance," Chaney said with a sneer.

"He's a beautiful specimen, and I would like to keep him, but first, I would like to negotiate better terms," Jola said, pointing to the naked man.

"The only terms are my terms." Chaney pointed to himself. Jola wasn't sure if he'd prefer to have her agree to his terms, or to watch that monster savage her. In any event, he enjoyed the confrontation.

"It's too bad, Duke Chaney. You don't trust me, and I don't trust you. It would be a perfect partnership." She knew that although he was desperate, he wouldn't trust her if she gave in too quickly.

"She's yours, Sergeant Brokk. Two hundred silvers if she accepts in an eightday; four hundred if she accepts in three days... and one thousand if she accepts today." Chaney laughed again. His face reflected his excitement and delight in the game he played with her.

Brokk wasn't waiting; he came charging across the room, arms spread wide, expecting her to try to run. Instead, she jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist-well, almost. The two vipers struck, one at his neck and the other at his arm. For ten seconds, nothing happened. Brokk stood there paralyzed, along with Chaney and the two guards. When he collapsed, Jola landed on her feet, straddling the dead sergeant.

"Lord Chaney, I really need a personal servant with stamina," Jola said, blinking her eyes at him. Your move. Jola giggled quietly as she watched his response.

Chaney backed up against the wall, his eyes wide with fear and his mouth hanging open, as he stared at the golden viper wrapped around her neck. The second viper had disappeared inside her rags.

"How did she get a viper?" Chaney shouted, looking angrily at the guards. "I'm surrounded by fools. I'll have those responsible hanged when this is over."

"What would a judicator be without a golden viper? A fake," Jola said as she stepped closer to the door, cutting off everyone's escape.

"I'm willing to work for you, Your Grace, but only if I get rewarded. I lived in bondage as a child. The sisters gave me little more than food money, and you've had me in a cold, damp cell. Besides, if the king's army overruns yours, I'll be condemned to the iron mines with you." Jola paused as she gauged his face. "Or, kill me now."

She could see Chaney mentally debating whatever issues he had, including his odds of killing her before she or her viper killed him. Several seconds passed as his eyes surveyed the cell, everyone's position, and Jola. He clearly was struggling with his decision. "You're obviously not a fool like those around me, but how can I trust you?" he asked.

"Reward my services and keep me on a short chain, Your Grace." She had to convince Chaney he could manage her. Greed, Chaney would understand.

"Alfred, take Mistress Jola to one of the guest bedrooms and get her whatever she needs. We'll talk tomorrow when you've rested and had a decent meal," Chaney said, as he squeezed against the wall to pass her, and then exited the cell.

Alfred led her from the cell and up the stone stair to a narrow hallway-while watching to stay well ahead of her. It seemed to take forever, climbing stairs and negotiating hallways, to reach the room. By then, Jola was exhausted, and every muscle ached. Her muscles had weakened during her time in the dungeon. Alfred opened the door and stood back for her to enter.

"Mistress Jola, if you will tell me what you need, I will see that you get it." Alfred smiled. Jola saw relief in Alfred's face. She surmised that it was because she was no longer following him, and he could now see her and her vipers.

"Alfred. Let's start with dinner, wine, and of course, dessert. And a seamstress would be nice. Duke Chaney certainly wouldn't want to see me again in these rags. Oh, and a bath. I stink if you haven't noticed; I'm sure His Grace noticed. And maybe... no, that will be enough for now." Jola waved Alfred off, suppressing a giggle as he left. Naga, your timing was perfect.

* * *

The next morning, Alfred ushered Jola into Chaney's book-lined, private study-taking care to stay out of striking distance, much to her amusement. She bowed slightly, and then went to the seat furthest from Chaney's desk. The gown the seamstress had made for her overnight was a beautiful dark green silk that hugged her bodice and hips, and flowed to her ankles. It complemented her olive skin and black hair. At present, her vipers were coiled around her arms with their heads sticking out of her flared sleeves. She couldn't help but notice the two guards, one on either side of Chaney's desk-two very dangerous men by the look of them. "Your Grace," Jola said in her sweetest tone.

"You look well, Mistress Jola. I trust you slept comfortably."

"Very well, Your Grace. Your accommodations are superb. I'm rather looking forward to becoming accustomed to them."

"You will, if we can find mutual grounds for an agreement." Chaney waved at her to sit.

"With your permission, I'll start," Jola said, and received a nod from Chaney. "It wouldn't be appropriate for me to be elevated to noble status-we must observe appearances. However, I'd like to live like one. I want a villa with servants and, say, twenty guards for my protection, and your peace of mind. Oh, and a reasonable allowance, please."

Chaney laughed long and hard. "You don't want much, do you? All right, I agree. You will be available to travel where and when I want. Unless I inform you otherwise, you may use your own judgment on cases involving the commoners. Judgments involving nobles will always be subject to my wishes. Your twenty troops will be there for your protection, but will be under orders to kill you if you defy me in any way. In addition, you'll assist me in keeping the king's judicators out of my territory."

"Agreed. I do hope I've chosen correctly, and you do eventually win your freedom from the king. I hate my hair knotted and dirty, like it would become in the iron mines." She examined a strand.

"If I can ever come to trust you, I think I could enjoy your quick wit and sense of humor," Chaney said with a laugh. "It would help if you would leave those vipers in a cage when you're in the same room with me."

"I'm afraid my vipers would sulk if I left them alone. I think I could get fond of you, Your Grace, if I could ever trust you. In the meantime, you can always seat me at the far end of the table and provide me with a couple of personal body guards, like those two beauties at your side."

The game continued, but had reached a stalemate.

They dined that night in a large room, the deep windows framed with black and silver draperies and the chair cushions covered in black satin. Jola found herself seated at the end of a very long table, with Chaney's two beauties standing to either side of her. She smiled her sweetest and fluttered her eyelids at each guard, but received no reaction. She was surprised when she couldn't sense any emotions from either one. Chaney had chosen well. These were indeed dangerous men.

"Your Grace, I thank you for your generosity. They're lovely."

"I'm glad you like them. Time will tell whether you get to keep them. They're exceptional warriors." Chaney smiled for the benefit of his guests. "They're born killers, my Jola." Tasked with seeing that I behave, she added to herself.

The other ten nobles at the table remained quiet during the exchange. The ones at her end of the table were transfixed by her two vipers, which seemed restless and kept slithering up and down her arms. While she didn't recognize any of the nobles, she thought five were from Sattah, judging from their dress and manner.

"I'd love to see my new villa and meet my new servants, but I'll bet Your Grace has urgent work for me."

Chaney stared at her for several seconds before replying. "I hadn't realized how astute judicators can be-or are you an exception?"

"Your Sattah guests must have petitioned you for your assistance. And in your generous way, you have agreed to help." She doubted generosity had anything to do with it. He needed Sattah's support for his rebellion, and she somehow helped secure it.

"True. You'll get a chance to get acquainted with your new soldiers on the way to Southgate. I'm afraid the commoners have wrongly accused Lord Kafele of stealing." Chaney sat back and waited for a reply.

"That's terrible, my Lord Chaney. Everyone knows Lord Kafele has no need to steal from a commoner. Pretty soon the commoners will want titles too." Jola stroked one of the vipers, which had wound its way up to her neck. The reaction around the table varied from laughter, to nodded agreement, to anger, she presumed at the commoners' audacity. Watching Chaney smile, she understood she was on display for the benefit of Chaney's allies. Tonight was the first of many tests. She found that she enjoyed the game-a story she had become personally involved in-and looked forward to influencing its outcome.

* * *

That evening, Jola again sat in Chaney's private office in the chair furthest from his desk, with a guard on either side of her. Chaney spent several minutes watching her before speaking. "You are as dangerous as your vipers. Never mind, my dear Jola, your performance tonight almost earned you your villa and servants. It was excellent. My guests were most impressed with you, and are looking forward to you being their judicator. What do you expect your judgment will be concerning Lord Kafele?"

"He's innocent, of course, and the merchant is guilty of lying to a judicator," Jola said with a frown. "I'll probably have to order a few strokes of the cane to remind him the futility of trying to lie to a judicator."

"Yes, you'll do fine, so long as you can remember which lord you owe your loyalty. You are certainly not boring to have around, unlike most of the fools I have to deal with. Unfortunately, I need them to do my bidding."

"My villa will be a constant reminder, Your Grace," Jola said with a huge smile. As well as your two beauties, she added silently.

* * *

Jola, her personal bodyguards, and her guard of twenty left the next morning after an early breakfast with Chaney. Her two beauties had been especially attentive, as the breakfast table in the duke's private dining room was shorter.

The captain of her guard, Maury, informed her it would take four days to Southgate. He expected to be able to find quarters for her in the small villages along the way. The captain described his duties in a friendly and candid manner.

"Mistress Jola, you are my superior, and I am subject to your orders so long as you remain loyal to Duke Chaney. If not, I am to kill you-if your personal bodyguards fail in their duty." Maury bowed to her.

"Captain, I understand. Thank you for being honest. You have duties, as do I."

Jola found the next few days interesting. She knew not only the truth of every statement made to her, but frequently the emotions involved-except for those of her two personal bodyguards, who seemed dead emotionally. Chaney had also lacked real emotions, unless he was pleased or angry; he'd radiated little else. But no one could tell her emotions, or whether she told the truth. It was little wonder that judicators made most people nervous, especially nobles. Maybe that explained why judicators were loners, seldom married, and never seemed to have strong relationships, except with other judicators.

They clattered into Southgate late in the afternoon, and proceeded to the castle that served as the residence of the Marquess Pirmin. He greeted them at the gate, and was effusive in his efforts to make Jola comfortable. He told her that the judgment would be held two days hence, and led her to a luxurious suite to use for her stay. That night, she was the guest of honor at a dinner that twenty nobles attended. She had become adjusted to being deferred to and treated well in most towns; however, here, they treated her like visiting royalty. It surprised her to find that it was fun.

"Mistress Jola, you're here for a judgment on the case of Lord Kafele?" one of the nobles asked.

She paused, with a bite of delectable poached fowl halfway to her mouth. "Yes, I've been asked to judge that case," Jola said with a smile.

"What do you think about the merits of the case?"

She put the bite of food in her mouth, and chewed and swallowed it before she answered. "I know nothing of the merits of the case until I can question the two parties involved. We wouldn't want to start a rumor that I've a bias before the judgment starts, would we?" Jola fluttered her eyes and noted a general nodding of heads.

"No, Mistress, that could cause problems with the commoners," the young man said, apparently pleased with her answer.

The next day, Jola decided to wander down to the market, accompanied by her captain and her two ever-present personal bodyguards. Chaney had provided her with a sizeable bag of silvers, which her captain carried for her. She thought that several additional guards, although unseen, were probably not too far away-just in case. She stopped at a variety of stalls and chatted with the merchants about what they had for sale. Most were cautious because of her guards, but friendly when they realized she was a real judicator. Her two vipers did cause a bit of excitement as they moved restlessly around her clothes and body.

In one stall, she recognized a Kasavan warrior, Azizi of the Clan Anan, with whom she had trained in Mitra. As he turned to move away from the table, she moved so that he almost tripped over her. "Excuse me... you're the warrior Azizi, aren't you?" Jola asked, and noted Azizi's puzzlement, since she knew him well. He had spent an eightday coaching her on the clansmen's style of dagger fighting.

"Yes, Mistress, I'm Azizi," he said, as his eyes took in the Tasman guards.

"How did Clan Chief Obasi survive the confinement Judicator Tenzen ordered for stealing the Sangola?" She laughed.

"He survived, Mistress." Azizi bowed and walked away.

* * *

The next day after a lavish breakfast, Jola was off with her guards to the judgment platform in the town square, where a sizeable crowd had gathered by the time she arrived. As she started to mount the platform, her two bodyguards also started up. She stopped them with a wave.

"That wouldn't look good, my beauties. I'll be right up there with the captain," Jola said, waving at the platform. They looked at each other, and then turned without a word and positioned themselves on either side of the stairs. Jola mounted the platform and surveyed the crowd. It was a mixed group of commoners and nobles, with a scattering of Kasavan clansmen. Most of her Tasman guards clustered in front of the platform.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. Captain, would you please read the charges," Jola chanted in a loud voice.

"Merchant Aello has accused Lord Kafele of stealing jewelry worth two hundred silvers," the captain read.

"Lord Kafele, are the charges accurate?" Jola looked down at the young lord, while noting that half the clansmen had disappeared, and that Azizi had moved up to the front of the crowd.

"Mistress, Merchant Aello and I negotiated for jewelry he had in his shop. I agreed to pay the price of fifty silvers, which is what the articles were worth."

Jola detected truth mixed with falseness. It would require more precise questions to determine which part was true and which false. But she didn't seek the truth today. Today the result had been predetermined.

"Merchant Aello, what do you say to that?" Jola knew her questions permitted open-ended responses rather than easy-to-evaluate "yes" or "no" answers; however, the answers didn't really matter. This trial was a farce.

"We negotiated a price for many of my articles, but never reached an agreement. Lord Kafele picked up six pieces, put them in his pouch and threw fifty silvers at me. He said that was all they were worth." Aello's eyes never left hers.

"How much was the jewelry worth, Merchant Aello?" Jola appeared to stare at him, but surreptitiously scanned the crowd. She noticed that the number of clansmen had doubled. They now surrounded the platform.

"One hundred to one hundred twenty-five silvers, Mistress. I must make a profit."

Jola whipped out her dagger before the captain could respond and pointed it at Aello. "Merchant Aello, you've accused Lord Kafele of stealing. Maybe he's a better judge of jewelry than you." Jola noted that the captain had returned his half-drawn sword to his sheath, and her two bodyguards had relaxed again. The crowd, however, began to grow restless.

"No, Mistress; the jewelry-" Aello gaped in astonishment as Jola flipped her dagger so that it lay along her forearm with the point facing behind her, stepped to her rear, and drove it into the captain's heart.

"Sorry, Captain, you were honest with me, but I wasn't honest with you," Jola mumbled as she pulled out her dagger. She spun to see her Tasman guards falling everywhere as the Kasavan warriors attacked. A few guards managed to draw their swords, but were quickly cut down. As one of her personal bodyguards turned toward the stairs to the platform, Azizi cut his throat. Her second bodyguard, however, had killed the clansman who had attacked him. He pulled his sword from the clansman and stepped onto the stairs before Azizi could react. The guard smiled for the first time since Jola had known him.

"Mistress, it appears your word is no good," he said, his sword in one hand and a dagger in his off hand.

"I guess that means Chaney won't give me my villa and servants." Jola dropped Tenzen's viper on the floor and stepped back.

"Duke Chaney to you, worthless scum," the guard said, as he tried to watch Jola and the viper simultaneously. She stood too close to the viper for him to kill it without giving her an opening.

"No, I've declared your arrogant, self-centered fool to be a traitor, without titles or land. A common criminal, taking orders from commoners." Jola giggled rather than laughed. It seemed like more of an insult, and made her appear less dangerous.

The guard showed his first real emotion. Anger radiated from him as he cursed her and charged. He slashed at her with his sword, while keeping his dagger hidden. She stepped to the side as he lunged with the dagger. She caught the thrust with her own dagger. For that moment, the opponents stood face to face, with their daggers locked at their hilts. Then, Jola's and Tenzen's vipers struck. His eyes widened as he crumpled to the ground.

With a sigh of relief, she looked around to find the platform surrounded by Kasavan warriors on horseback. On one side, Azizi waited with a riderless horse. With her own viper wrapped around her wrist, Jola picked up Tenzen's viper as she ran and jumped into the saddle.

"Your dagger work has improved, Mistress!" Azizi shouted at her as they galloped through the city streets.

"I had a very good teacher. I wasn't sure you would understand that I was in trouble."

"It was obvious from your Tasman guards. The two that shadowed you were very dangerous men. They didn't look like your friends."

"Do you think they'll pursue us?" Jola hoped the danger was over. The ordeal of prison, playing a part, and plotting an escape had left her exhausted.

"Yes, Mistress, but it won't matter. Our desert horses will outdistance them. We can make it to Mitra in four days if you can hold up," Azizi said, his face puckered with concern.

"If I can't, you've my permission to tie me to the horse." Jola gave a small giggle as she imagined the sight. She would gladly be tied to a horse to escape Chaney.

They rode for what seemed like twenty hours, but she knew it couldn't have been that long, as the sun hadn't yet set. She had managed to blank out everything but staying in the saddle. When they did stop, Jola was too tired even to dismount.

"Mistress, may I help you down? The horses need rest and water. We'll stop here for several hours before we continue on, and you could use a couple of hours' sleep as well," Azizi said as he looked up at her.

"Yes, please." It was the last thing she remembered before Azizi shook her awake some time later. When he did, she jerked awake and reached for her dagger. Azizi gently stopped her by placing his hand over hers.

"Mistress, you're safe among friends."

"I'm sorry. I've been among enemies too long." She looked around at their little camp. "Are we safe?"

"Yes, but we must keep moving. We've time for you to eat and relieve yourself. Then we must push on." He handed her a bowl with a hot, stew-like substance. It burned her mouth, but it tasted wonderful. Twenty minutes later, she was ready to go.

"Why were you and your men in Southgate?" Jola realized it wasn't luck that the clansmen were there.

"We hoped to find word of you. Judicator Tenzen survived the encounter with Chaney's troops, but didn't think you did. She thought she saw you killed, but was too injured to do anything but escape. However, there was a rumor that one judicator had lived and been captured. We decided it wouldn't hurt to look around."

"Sister Tenzen lived? Thank Naga. Where is she?" Tears welled up and streaked down Jola's cheeks. "I thought she had been killed in the fight."

"She is in Three Springs recovering from her wounds. They were serious."

"Can we go there instead of Mitra?" Jola's heart thudded with excitement. Suddenly she was no longer tired. She hadn't allowed herself to think about Tenzen. The pain had been too much to bear, until now. Damn Chaney and his delusions of grandeur. May he rot in the iron mines.

"Mistress, we'll do so willingly, but you have the authority to order us if you choose," Azizi said with a sly smile.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do declare you in the service of King Nicolas, and grant you authority to enter any and all provinces to assist me and Judicator Tenzen in getting to Lappin. Thank you, my friend. I'll never forget what you've done for me."

* * *

The next days were a blur. Jola learned to sleep while riding, or at least to blank out hours of riding. At some point, in what seemed like a dream, Azizi informed her that Tasman had mounted a pursuit, but that they had wisely chosen to turn back. Kasavans would not permit another province's soldiers on their soil, and few sane soldiers wanted to fight Kasava warriors in the desert.

When they reached Three Springs, Jola was welcomed by a captain of the guard, who escorted her to the castle. Tenzen was waiting there to greet her.

"Sister Jola." Tenzen paused, and Jola saw her blink back tears. "When I heard you were alive, I couldn't believe it. I saw you slashed from behind, slump over your horse and fall. I thought you were dead. I was too weak to do anything. I had hoped you would escape when I attacked the nobles." She held Jola in a hug.

"Escape? When you were being attacked?" Jola held tightly to Tenzen and tears streaked down her face.

"I see you found my viper." While they hugged, Tenzen's viper had slid off Jola's shoulder to its friend. "Now tell me how you escaped."

While Jola talked, Tenzen led her inside and introduced her to the Three Springs baths. Minutes later, Jola was luxuriating in the hot, steamy water. It was the first opportunity she'd had to bathe since her escape from Southgate.

The baths had two women as attendants, who waited on her for two glorious hours. She soaked in the steaming water until she turned a rose color and her fingertips wrinkled. Then, the women plunged her into a cold bath before giving her a massage with oil whose fragrance reminded her of wild desert flowers. By the time she was taken to her room, every part of her body tingled. Her room was a warm terracotta color, with plush rugs that depicted desert landscapes. The furniture was made from a light, almost white, wood, and a round beehive fireplace dominated one corner. At the far end of the room, two large louver doors led out onto two small terraces. Jola lay on the bed, delighting in its soft comfort and the peace all around her-content now that she knew Tenzen had lived.

She raised her head at a small knock.

"Mistress, I don't mean to disturb you, but Duchess Kambiri wanted to know if you would like to join her and Judicator Tenzen for dinner," a small young girl asked from the doorway.

"Yes, I would very much like to join Her Grace for dinner. Can you wait while I get dressed?"

"Mistress, there is no need to rush. I will come back for you in thirty minutes."

When Jola arrived at the dining room, everyone had just begun to be seated. "Mistress Jola, I hope you have had a chance to refresh yourself and rest. I would have seen you immediately upon your arrival, but after an eightday in the saddle, you would, I knew, rather bathe and see your sister than be entertained," Kambiri said, smiling knowingly.

"Thank you, Your Grace. I doubt I would have been coherent upon my arrival. I love Kasava, but do not have the endurance of your warriors."

"Come, let us eat; you must be starved if you have been living on a warrior's diet." Kambiri laughed. She motioned for Jola to take a seat next to her. Consistent with the Kasava people, the dinner was simple. Jola described the battle she and Tenzen had fought with Chaney's troops, her imprisonment, and the deception that had brought her to Southgate, where Azizi rescued her. At the end of the meal, Kambiri invited Tenzen and Jola into her private study.

They settled into comfortable chairs across the desk from the Duchess. Once they were seated, Kambiri served a strong, bitter chocolate drink she called "caffa."

"Mistress Tenzen, now that you have recovered from your wounds, and your sister has returned, you must be in a hurry to depart for Lappin. I would ask a favor before you leave. We had an instance yesterday that requires a judgment. It appears to be related to your news about Essam and Tasman."

"What are the charges, Lady Kambiri?" Tenzen asked. Jola knew that Tenzen wanted to leave the next day, since they needed to get to Lappin as quickly as possible.

"I have three nobles who are accused of poisoning two of our three springs. In Kasava, that's a crime punishable by death on the sands. However, the young nobles are entitled to have their liege or his representative present during the judgment. That would seem impossible now that you have charged Duke... Chaney with treason."

Tenzen sat silent for several minutes, and then turned to Jola. "My sister, you caused the problem. Would you like to suggest a solution?" Tenzen relaxed back in her chair. Jola knew that Tenzen had passed the responsibility to her. Jola wasn't sure whether it was part of her training, or whether it was because Tenzen was still recovering.

"Lady Kambiri, I'll try the case tomorrow if all the necessary people are available," Jola said. Kambiri raised her eyebrows in evident surprise.

"Thank you. I'll have the necessary people ready at first light." She paused, and Jola sat quietly while the noblewoman gave her a long look. "If you don't mind my asking, how are you going to try the nobles without a representative?"

"With all due respect, Lady Kambiri, a liege lady or lord is there to listen to the case and plead for an alternative sentence if he or she feels the judicator's judgment is too harsh. They're only observers-they can talk to us about our verdicts, but can't change them. In this case, it's a courtesy that we can't accommodate because these nobles have no liege lord." Jola looked to Tenzen, who smiled. Then she looked to Kambiri, not sure how she would take that blunt assessment. Kambiri only laughed.

"Out of the mouths of babes comes the untarnished truth. No need to look worried. Justice would not be balanced and fair if nobles or commoners could change your decisions. You are young, but you have been well trained." Kambiri nodded to Tenzen, and then rose, signaling the end of the discussion.

* * *

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. Captain, would you read the charges, please," Jola said to the captain standing in front of the three noblemen, who were surrounded by six guards.

"Mistress, the noblemen Lord Baldric, Lord Hamlin, and Lord Wagner are charged with poisoning the Taru and Vahu springs," the captain read from his paper.

"You can't try us without a representative from our liege lord," Baldric said.

"And who do you claim is your liege lord, Lord Baldric?" Jola asked. The three noblemen were well dressed in brightly colored silk pants, shirts, and jackets-very expensive clothes, although not well suited for the desert heat.

"Duke Chaney, of course." Baldric smirked.

"Chaney is no longer titled. You can, therefore, see my dilemma. You're without a liege to appoint a representative. Therefore, you will have to be judged without a representative." Her viper's head appeared out of her blouse. Baldric and the other two remained silent as they looked at each other in shock.

"Lord Baldric, did you poison the Taru or the Vahu spring?"

"No," Baldric said, and Jola sensed the truth of the statement.

"Lord Hamlin, did you poison the Taru or the Vahu spring?"

"No," Hamlin replied, and Jola again sensed the truth of the statement.

"Lord Wagner, did you poison the Taru or the Vahu spring?"

"No," Wagner replied. Jola sensed the truth of the statement, and also a sense of satisfaction from each of the nobles. Something felt wrong-or could they be innocent?

"Captain, what happened to suggest that these nobles poisoned the two springs?" Her viper slid into her lap and coiled into a circle.

"The nobles paid the guide Jalal to escort ten horses across the desert from Southgate, to Three Springs, Kusor, and finally Lucien. When they reached Three Springs, they informed Jalal that they wanted to stay several nights before traveling on to Kusor. Two nights ago, a clansman found a dead horse in the Taru Spring and another in the Vahu Spring. Their bodies contaminated both. The two horses came from the nobles' string of horses."

"They must have gotten lost and something killed them," Wagner said with a scowl.

"Twenty-silvers fine, Lord Wagner, for interrupting the proceeding. When I want your opinion, I'll let you know."

"He has a right to speak," Baldric said.

"One hundred silvers fine, Lord Baldric; fifty for being rude and fifty for being stupid. Would you like to try for a caning?" Jola had stayed seated, and had said it in an even tone. Her viper rose up from her lap and hissed in apparent agreement.

"No... Mistress," Baldric said, sputtering.

"Lord Baldric, did you kill either of those horses?"

"No . . . Mistress." Again, he radiated truth and satisfaction. Jola asked each of the others the same question, and received the same reply. She hoped the fact that she didn't like the three nobles wasn't affecting her judgment, and that they were, in fact, innocent. Or maybe...

"Captain, how did the horses die?" Jola asked.

"Mistress, it appears they were bitten by a poisonous snake."

"Captain, only two springs have been poisoned?" Jola decided that if they were responsible, they had intended to poison all three. She didn't understand why anyone would want to poison the springs, but if they did, it would be all three.

"Yes, Mistress."

"Do they still have eight horses?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Captain, please take me to see their horses and equipment." Jola rose, with her viper around her arm.

The captain led her to a roped-off area across the square, where eight horses were tied. Jola walked around to where the noblemen's gear had been stored, and dropped her viper to the ground. It slid over and under the packs. Eventually, it stopped near a bag and began hissing. Jola walked over to where the viper was coiled. She grasped the edge of the bag and upended it. An asp fell out. Jola reached down and grabbed it behind the head. At the same time, her viper wound its way up her leg, through her clothes, and out onto the arm holding the asp. Jola walked slowly back to the platform and sat down.

"I found your pet," Jola said to the three nobles. "I see why you could each truthfully answer that you didn't kill the horses or poison the water. The snake killed the horses, and the horses poisoned the water. Would you like to deny it?"

No response came from the nobles, but they paled.

"The question is, who dreamed up this scheme and why?"

Again, no answer. Raw emotions flooded over her from them, feelings of anger, despair, and hate. She shrugged.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving the charges of poisoning the Taru and Vahu springs by the Lords Baldric, Hamlin, and Wagner." Jola paused to look at Tenzen and Kambiri, who only nodded. "I decree the following:

"First, Lord Wagner pays to the king the twenty-silvers fine imposed by me.

"Second, Lord Baldric pays to the king the one-hundred-silvers fine imposed by me.

"Third, anything owned by Lords Wagner, Baldric, and Hamlin is the property of Duchess Kambiri, to dispose of as she wishes.

"Fourth, for a deliberate act of war against the Kasavan people, and reckless disregard for lives, I do hereby sentence you to the traditional Kasava death by the sands.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus," Tenzen echoed.

Kambiri insisted that they both join her for one last cup of caffa before leaving; Jola and the two older women walked in silence back to the castle. Kambiri led Jola and Tenzen to her private office, where they were served steaming hot caffa.

"How did you know, Jola?" Tenzen asked. "I detected no lies."

"Nor did I. I began to doubt that the three nobles had been responsible for poisoning the springs. Although they were a bit too pleased with themselves, each answer they gave rang true."

"What convinced you they were guilty?" Kambiri asked.

"I realized that if they were responsible, they intended to poison all three springs. If so, then they needed a poisonous snake somewhere. If it really was an accident, there would be no poisonous snake," Jola said. "I didn't like to impose the death sentence, but the Kasavan people have a right to Kasava-style justice."

"Your sister and I agreed with the sentence, Judicator Jola. Of course, I have to admit I am biased. The alternative would have been the iron mines for life, and while just, it wouldn't have been satisfying to Kasavans," Kambiri said, sipping her caffa.

A short time later, as she rode out of town beside Tenzen, Jola could see the hill where the three nobles had been staked out on the sand. Three Kasava warriors stood guard. Jola turned her horse toward the hill, while Tenzen, Azizi, and their guard waited on the road. She dismounted and walked over to where the three nobles lay. They were already in pain, each suffering in his own way. Baldric screamed insults, Wagner begged, and Hamlin alternated between sobbing and screaming. Jola had sentenced the nobles to this punishment, and felt she must be willing to take responsibility. No one should give a sentence they aren't willing to face. She stood there for several minutes to absorb the cruelty of her decision. Finally, she remounted and walked her horse back to the group.

"Excuse me, Mistress," Captain Azizi said when she returned. "It's a cruel way to die, but in the end, less cruel than the iron mines. For the Kasava people, it was demanded by the crime. We, the warriors of Kasava, thank you."

Jola rode in silence for the rest of the day. She loved the judicator's role in determining the truth, freeing the innocent, and punishing the guilty. She had done the right thing, but she felt no joy in it.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Tyrol Province

When Tenzen and Jola neared the gate of Lappin, a captain and a small detail of guards met them.

"Mistresses, I'm Senior Captain Dannby. The king has asked me to escort you to the castle. He has canceled his appointments to meet with you, after you've had a chance to rest and refresh yourselves," Dannby said. "There have been disturbing rumors for many seasons from traders returning from Essam and Sattah. Then, your detail of Sattah soldiers arrived six eightdays ago. The king sent several Horse units to search for you, or for information about you. We'd heard nothing until several days ago, when we heard a rumor that you were arriving from Kasava. The king is anxious to speak to you."

Jola could feel the city's tension as they rode through the streets on the way to the castle. It appeared that the king's apprehension had spread to the town's inhabitants. The market was crowded with people buying supplies, but then hurrying home. Few stood around to chat. As Jola and Tenzen entered the castle gate, the activity increased. Soldiers jammed the training areas, as they practiced, or cleaned and repaired stacks of equipment and weapons. Captain Dannby waved over a soldier as they reached the front entrance to the castle.

"Sergeant, take care of the horses. Mistresses, I'll escort you to your assigned quarters." Dannby led them through several hallways and up stairways that looked like they were part of the wing the king and his family occupied. "I'll give you time to freshen up and change clothing, but I'm afraid it won't be long. The king has indicated that he is anxious to talk with you."

"Thank you, Captain. We will be quick," Tenzen said as they entered the room. Their quarters were spacious, luxurious, and exquisitely decorated. Steaming water awaited them in large basins, and clothes were laid out on the bed. True to his word, a short time later Captain Dannby knocked and asked them to follow him to see the king.

Dannby bowed them into the private parlor where King Nicolas, Princess Regina, and Prince Aquila were seated. Jola and Tenzen each knelt on one knee, heads bent.

"Greetings, ladies. Please rise." King Nicolas smiled as he stood. "I hope we've given you sufficient time to refresh yourselves."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Tenzen said as they rose.

"Please sit." He waved toward two cushioned chairs near his. "We've much to discuss. We need your assessment. Based on the report we received from your Sattah detail, I imagine the news isn't good."

"The leader of the revolt is Chaney, previous Duke of Tasman. Mistress Jola declared him a traitor and stripped him of title and lands. He has gathered support in Sattah and Essam. The active support in Essam is primarily from southern cities. The support in Sattah seems to come from the Hygorge area. Of course, individual nobles from other areas of Sattah and Essam may be involved, as well. We didn't travel through Manito, but Rador and Kasava are loyal to you, and we noted no sign of rebellion there."

Tenzen and Jola spent the next hour detailing their experiences in Rador, Kasava, Essam, and Sattah, and ending with Jola's escape from Tasman.

While they spoke, the king's jaw knotted with anger, and he jumped to his feet to pace around the room. After a few times around the room, he seemed to have spent his temper somewhat, and turned back to them. "They attacked my representatives... open rebellion!"

He shook his head and resumed his seat. "Pyxus owes you a very large debt for your faithfulness to duty, and for risking your lives to uncover their treachery."

Again he paused, and tapped his fingers on the scrolled arm of his chair, frowning deeply. "At least we now have a clear picture of the rebellion. Chaney fancies himself a king in his own right. He must have been planning this rebellion for a long time. I'm not surprised that he's garnered support from nobles in Essam and Sattah. Many nobles resent the Seven Provinces' Treaty, since it holds them to the same laws as the commoners."

Tenzen nodded. "That's true, Your Majesty."

"This revolt must be put down, but the question is, how? Do I remove every nobleman in Essam, Tasman, and Sattah? Do I only remove those who have actively supported Chaney? Do I charge everyone in their families with treason?"

"Guilt can be very elusive, Your Majesty," Tenzen said. "A man is guilty if he actually commits a crime. However, what about a man who plans to commit a crime but doesn't, or a man who will, given the opportunity? Today, they're innocent until they act, but should that be true when it involves treason?"

"Excellent questions-questions best answered by a senior judicator, not a nobleman or a commoner." Nicolas gave a harsh laugh. "First, I have a rebellion to put down."

He stood. "Aquila, you'll devise a military plan to enter Rador, Kasava, Essam, and then Tasman, and subdue any resistance there. Regina, you will need a plan to enter Manito and Sattah, and subdue any resistance you encounter there, prior to arriving in Tasman. If this two-prong attack on Tasman from Essam and Sattah is going to work, you and Aquila will need to carefully coordinate your movements prior to the invasion. In addition, I would like you to consider whether commoners need to be brought into the plan. And Mistress Tenzen, bring me a plan to determine who is loyal to the kingdom. I expect your plans in two days' time."

As they strode back to their suite, Tenzen spoke to Jola over her shoulder. "I see several criteria for judgments as the armies move through the provinces. I see all the difficulties, but no good solution."

Tenzen closed the door behind them and turned to her. "You've proven yourself during our travels, and have earned the right to be heard in this matter." Jola thought Tenzen still looked tired from her injuries, and from their hard travel. I'd be in favor of doing away with all nobility, Jola wanted to say. Of course, she knew that wasn't going to happen.

"In my opinion, every noble in Sattah, Essam, and Tasman needs to be judged," Jola said. It was the closest she could get to doing away with the whole institution. "They'll object on principle, of course. But how else can we separate the good from the bad?"

"That's contrary to our laws. We only have judgments when a person has been accused of a crime."

"What if we accuse every noble of violating the Seven Provinces' Treaty? The judgments will clear those who are innocent," Jola said with a frown. "I believe there's cause, with the provinces in rebellion. Besides, we have the authority during a judgment to expand our questioning to persons related to the case. In this case, we assume all nobles are related to the issue."

"How would we establish who is innocent? Many want the treaty broken, but would never take any action. Others may want to take action, but won't once the army arrives."

Jola laughed. To her, it seemed so simple. "You treat it like a story. Rather than look to see if someone is innocent or guilty, you follow the story to its conclusion, and then reach a decision."

"That does seem to be your predilection, and it works for you. I'm not sure it would for me."

The discussion went on for several hours. However, in the end it came back to Jola's suggestion to question every noble, and her technique of reserving judgment until the whole story was understood.

"Jola, let's take a break. We could both use a rest, and maybe a break will give us a fresh perspective." Tenzen rang for a servant to bring them a meal; as they ate at the table in their little parlor, Jola could see her mulling over what they had discussed.

"Jola, unless you have any new ideas, I would like to stop for today. I'm tired and would like to sleep on our discussions."

"Good night, Sister," Jola said.

* * *

"Jola, the king expects an answer today. I've agonized over the alternatives, but have been unable to come up with anything better than your solution. It may not be ideal, but it is the best we can conceive on such short notice," Tenzen said as they sat eating breakfast. "You conduct the judgments and I will supervise."

Later that day, Jola walked beside Tenzen into the great hall. The king was already seated on the dais, with the princess and prince at the foot and a handful of nobles in attendance.

They each dropped to a knee, and he waved them to their feet.

"This rebellion has to be stopped before it has time to gain strength," the king said. "So tell me how you will do this for me."

He nodded to his son and general to proceed.

The prince quickly set out a straightforward plan to commit most of the king's two thousand mounted cavalry to the campaign, half to be led by him and half by his sister. She would move through Manito, while he moved in a pincher action through Rador. They could count on adding loyal forces on their way, and would join forces before attacking the main rebellion in Tasman.

"How does this fit with your plans, daughter?" the king asked Princess Regina.

"We discussed it, and it fits well. The judicators will accompany me, and in each town we will invite a representative of the merchants' guild to join us, although we won't promise their safety in a battle. I want to ensure that they understand that we are taking necessary actions. I believe we have the loyalty of the commoners. The important thing is to find the nobles who support the rebellion."

The king nodded to Tenzen.

"Your Majesty, I believe that we'll have to hold all the nobles in the hostile provinces up for judgment, including the dukes and duchesses. I know of no other way to discover who is loyal and who is not. After the rebellion is put down, we'll have to circle back through Essam to make sure all are held accountable. It will be a difficult business-but otherwise the guilty will escape."

"Yes. I agree to your plans." The king turned to one of his counselors. "Prepare the edicts for me."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Tyrol Province

As the gray light of dawn crept across the land, Jola and Tenzen joined the prince, princess and their captains in the castle courtyard. From the balcony above, King Nicolas saluted them as they rode through the castle gates, on their way to join the army that had assembled just outside the city. Even if nothing went wrong, it would be a season or two before they returned.

An hour later, Prince Aquila and his seven-hundred-man army moved west toward Rador and Essam, and Princess Regina and her six-hundred-man army moved south toward Manito and Sattah.

Tenzen and Jola rode with Regina's party at the head of the column. The party included Regina's tactical commander, Besnik, several nobles, her security, and a Royal Horse unit that consisted of a captain, an undercaptain, and forty-eight mounted soldiers. To Jola, Regina's party was like the head of a viper, and the column, which stretched for leagues behind them, its body. Jola found traveling with the princess very different from her journeys with Sister Tenzen. Regina had cooks and servants who did most of the work. Jola wasn't comfortable doing nothing while others worked, and found it difficult to relax. She was thankful when after dinner, Tenzen collected her for their evening sword practice. Before too long, they had a small audience that included several of Regina's off-duty guards, their captain, and a couple of nobles. Tenzen stopped after thirty minutes and looked around the audience.

"Who would like to help me keep my young judicator in practice?" she asked. Everyone who had watched for more than a few minutes realized that Jola wasn't a beginner. That made it interesting for Regina's guards, who, as veterans, welcomed the challenge. Several of them stepped forward.

"Mistress, we would appreciate the chance to practice, but most of us only use a saber," a corporal said.

"That will be good for Mistress Jola, and for you. For her, it will be a chance to practice against soldiers-and for you, a chance to practice against the nobleman's favorite weapon. You can go first, Corporal. The rules are simple: one score per match. When I say 'stop,' you will stop. I'll announce who I believe scored a killing or disabling blow. Any questions?"

She drew Jola and the corporal into the middle of the circle. Over the next hour, Jola had five matches, and won three. The two matches she lost were longer than usual, and were close. As the story spread, many of the soldiers who came were interested in testing themselves against the young judicator, or in getting a second chance after they had lost to her.

* * *

The next five days were slow and tiring. They broke camp before dawn and traveled until near sunset. Jola looked forward to the evening matches, which had become something of a small festival and attracted more soldiers each night. Some even came from other nearby units. The matches expanded to include bouts between soldiers. Although the matches with Jola remained the main attraction each night, the company matches gave her time to rest and watch experienced soldiers' varied techniques. Most hacked and slashed, but with surprising skill and speed.

They made Rockport, at the tip of Tyrol, on the seventh day. Marquess Fulke invited Regina's party for dinner and after-dinner entertainment. The "small" dinner included more than forty guests. Jola sat across from Tenzen, and close to Fulke, Regina, and a Lady Camilla and Lord Glaston to whom Tenzen introduced her. She felt relaxed, and had to smile behind her goblet of wine when she realized that dinners with nobles had become routine. It was, however, still a strain, having to remember all the various titles of address and to watch her choice of words. She had to admit that the food, which featured a roast pig brought whole to the table, was delicious.

Jola thought that her viper enjoyed the party-as did the nobles around her, it seemed, after their initial shock in having an active viper so close to them. One moment her viper looked like a tiara in her hair, the next a golden bracelet on her arm, and then a necklace, all the while entering and exiting her sleeves and blouse or winding itself down her arm to inspect the food and drink.

Lady Camilla edged a bit away, but finally couldn't seem to contain her curiosity. "Mistress, your viper seems more active than Mistress Tenzen's viper. Is her viper better trained?"

"No, Lady Camilla. We don't train our vipers. They stay with us out of choice, and have minds of their own."

"Mistress, what kind of food does it like?" Lord Glaston put in.

"None. The golden vipers are vampires. They subsist on blood alone."

Lady Camilla's mouth dropped open and she gulped. "Whose blood?"

"Their mistress's."

This silenced her dinner companions for a moment, and Jola saw Tenzen giving her a small, amused smile.

Lord Glaston finally spoke up, his voice a bit faint. "But they're poisonous, aren't they?"

"Yes, so please don't touch me or them."

"What if they bite you?" Lady Camilla said.

"Judicators are immune to their poison." Jola hid her smile as she took a sip of her wine. At that, her companions apparently decided that they wanted to concentrate on the fancies of spun sugar being served. She glanced toward Tenzen and suspected she was chuckling behind her own goblet.

Jola felt relieved when the night ended, and she could retreat to the comfort of the rooms she shared with Tenzen.

"Sister Jola, your viper was the main entertainment tonight. I have to admit, it fascinates me with its antics," Tenzen said as they strolled back to their rooms.

"It's funny. It appears interested in everything. I don't think it cares about people's reactions." Jola stroked the viper's head where it rested on her shoulder, as she reflected on its actions over the past season.

"Just like a little god," Tenzen said with a laugh.

* * *

The army broke camp at dawn, and began its march toward Lanham, the Manito capital. Regina's party stayed to have a late breakfast with Fulke and his immediate family. Around noon, they mounted and rode after the column. Regina stopped several times to talk with the captains who commanded the various Horse units. By the evening stop, Regina and her group were again at the head of the column.

The next ten days were mostly uneventful, with long days in the saddle and their little tournaments after the evening meal. Jola noticed that Princess Regina and Commander Besnik were on the sidelines almost every night. Jola overheard Besnik tell Regina that he thought the matches were an excellent idea. It not only relieved the boredom of the march, but it kept the soldiers sharp. On the tenth night out of Rockport, they were only one day's ride from Lanham when they stopped. After the meal and a small rest, Jola had the first match. She wasn't sure how her opponents were selected. Somehow the soldiers seemed to know not only who her opponents were each night, but also their order. As Jola stepped into the circle with Tenzen and looked around, she was surprised to find that no one had entered the ring.

"What's wrong? Is everyone afraid of hurting me? I promise not to go crying to my big sister if I lose." She was answered with good-natured laughs.

"If you promise," Besnik said as he walked into the ring. "I certainly don't want my older sister angry with me."

Jola stood there in shock. Sister Tenzen was good, but her brother was even better, since he spent every day teaching soldiers how to use weapons. Forget that, she chided herself as she cleared her mind in preparation for the match. By the time Besnik reached her and took a ready position, Jola was also ready. She saw his smile, which didn't extend to his eyes. The rustle of the wind and Besnik's breathing were the only sounds.

"Begin," Tenzen said, stepping back.

They stood there for several heartbeats without moving, like two statues. Then Besnik attacked. She sensed his movement and met it with a parry. A flurry of strikes and counterstrikes followed before they stepped back. Again, a moment went by without any movement, and then another flurry of strikes and counterstrikes. Jola saw an opening and lunged. Besnik parried, and followed with a quick thrust. She stepped back and lowered her sword in a sign of defeat.

"I saw no point scored, Sister Jola," Tenzen said, looking back and forth between the two.

"Master Besnik scored against my sword hand. The strike would have disabled me. The match is his." She saluted him with her sword to her forehead, and then dropped the point to the ground.

The ground shook as the soldiers stomped their feet and banged on their shields in appreciation. It had been a long time since anyone managed to stand against Besnik.

"You've improved greatly since last we practiced," Besnik said, lowering his sword.

"Thanks to you, and to your sister's instruction."

Jola decided that one match with Besnik was enough for the night. She walked with Princess Regina toward the tents.

"That was an impressive performance," Regina said. "I didn't know that the judicators were so well trained in the use of the longsword."

"Thank you, Princess Regina. Sister Tenzen gave me extra training, knowing that our investigation in Essam would be dangerous. I've had the luxury of training with every member of her family, and with soldiers we've met on the road or in the cities. It's saved my life more than once in the past season."

"I must arrange a match between you and my brother, with your permission, of course. He prides himself in being almost as good as Commander Besnik, and has bested me several times," Regina said with a small, wicked chuckle. "One must keep her brother from becoming insufferable."

In the afternoon the following day, Jola and the rest of Princess Regina's personal party sat at the head of the army atop a hill that overlooked Manito's capital. The Royal Horse contingent sat on their horses nearby as Besnik gave his captains a few last minute orders for making camp. After he was satisfied with the preparations, he signaled the guards and they rode toward the castle. A captain leading a small detail met them on the road with an invitation from His Grace to stay at his castle.

With the additional guards, they cantered through the gates. Manito Province's ruler Duke Greer, a dignified middle-aged man, stood in the courtyard waiting to greet them.

"Greeting, Princess Regina. It's an honor to have you visit Manito. It has been many years since I've seen you or your brother. Is he with you?"

"No, Lord Greer. He's commanding a second force that will travel through Rador and Essam. I plan to meet him in Tasman after I speak with Duke Waller in Sattah. Apparently, some of Duke Waller's nobles don't believe they are subject to our father's rule," Regina said from her mount.

Duke Greer's mouth dropped open but he didn't respond. They all dismounted and handed over their reins to the stable boys. Duke Greer led Regina, Besnik, and the judicators into his private office, where Regina handed him a copy of her father's edicts.

"Here is King Nicolas's order for a levy, for you and your Horse units. We expect all of the province's leaders to come along on this campaign to ensure that there is no misunderstanding about what transpires in Essam, Sattah, and Tasman," Regina said.

"Yes, of course. I'll need a few days to organize a force, and the necessary supplies to support it." Greer pinched his lips with his fingers as if deep in thought.

The dinner that night was subdued as Regina gave the guests an edited version of the judicators' recent encounters. By mutual agreement, everyone decided to retire early-the Manitons because they needed the time to prepare, and Regina's party because it had been a long day.

"Will you sleep well with no sword practice tonight?" Tenzen asked as she opened the door to her room, which was next to Jola's.

Jola yawned and smiled. "I look forward to sleeping in a real bed. I don't think sleep will be any problem." She closed her door behind her, washed her face, donned her nightgown, and crawled into the soft bed.

That was the last she remembered before her viper's agitated movement awoke her. She lay there trying to understand what was causing its strange behavior. Although it was still dark, she decided it must be close to dawn, as a gray light filtered through the thick drapes. She had her hand on her covers and was preparing to get out of bed when the door to the hallway burst open and several figures charged into the room.

"That old bitch and her viper took three men down," a man said.

"We need to kill the young one fast and get out of here," another responded, as a dark shape moved toward Jola. "Close that door so that cursed viper can't follow us in here."

Jola only dimly registered what the men's words meant for Tenzen, as she prepared herself. She could only make out shadows, and the shape of a sword in one of the men's hands. He lunged. When he did, she flung the coverlet at him and rolled in the opposite direction, where her weapons hung on a rack. She heard him curse as he thrashed to untangle himself.

Jola grabbed her sword out of its scabbard, and with the other hand, she grabbed the neck of her long nightgown and ripped it completely open. She hissed under her breath. No time to get rid of the ripped cloth. As cold air washed over her nude body, she hoped the fabric wouldn't trip her.

One man ran at her around the bed to her left. He hesitated for a second, and as Jola's eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw that he was grinning lewdly. Jola flipped her viper at him. She turned toward the man bounding across the bed toward her. He had a sneer on his face, which would have been funny in other circumstances. He landed on the floor, slightly off balance. She sidestepped his sloppy thrust and slashed across his neck. Blood sprayed everywhere. She backpedaled, which put the dead men and her viper between her and the three assassins who remained.

She noticed that the man on the right had his sword raised, watching her viper's movement on the ground. She reached back and grabbed her dagger from the rack, and threw it at him. The dagger hit him on the chest and bounced off. Although it didn't do any damage, it distracted him for a moment and ruined his aim. He missed her viper, which slithered under a table. It also distracted Jola for a few seconds. Too late, she tried to parry a stroke from the man who came from her left. She twisted so that she took the cut on her arm instead of on her chest. It burned like a hot iron, but she spun behind him and managed to slash his neck before he could turn. She let the force carry her another step, as the man in the middle jumped over the dead man's body and slashed at her. His sword sliced through the air where she had been, and cut into the other assassin's body.

Both turned toward her. Hate and anger radiated from them, pounding at her. Her vision blurred and spun. Her whole body was racked with searing pain, her face splattered with blood and her sword handle slick from blood and sweat. When they lunged, she would only be able to kill one. She couldn't dodge them both.

She waited, determined to kill at least one more in revenge for her sister. It seemed to take an eternity. A nod from one signaled the start of their rush. Jola stepped back and slightly to the right, which put a little distance between her and the man on the left. The one on the right thrust at her stomach. She turned, using her arm instead of her sword to guide the sword past her. It tore a gash in her arm as it slid along. Her sword, free, went through his neck. A second later, she felt a sword stab deep into her left side, and knew that death was a finger's length away. Then it stopped and her attacker collapsed-a golden viper was wrapped around his leg, with its fangs buried deep. The room swam in a black fog and she sank to the floor.

* * *

Jola forced her eyes open, confused, with her body on fire. Someone shouted at her. The room seemed crowded with shadowy figures. Strange, I thought we had killed them all.
I guess they must have had more friends. The voices in the room were loud, but she couldn't make sense of what they were saying. As she strained to see past the wisps of fog in her vision, the two vipers on her seemed to change shape. They twisted together and grew, as they changed into a man-one with a golden, male body and the head of a viper.

"You seem to have gotten yourself all cut up, my little Jola," the figure said, although only his tongue flickered.

"Are you the God Naga?" Jola felt muddled.

"God? No, thank you," the figure said, with a laughter that seemed to fill the room.

"Why do you not show yourself to the sisters?" Jola ignored the figure's refusal to admit he was a god.

"What would happen if I did?"

"The sisters would honor you," Jola said.

"Oh, yes. They would begin by honoring me. Then some would decide that I should direct their lives. When I wouldn't, they would decide everything they did was because I directed it. They would no longer have to consider the right or wrong." The figure paused, as his tongue flickered in and out.

"Others would think that I should help them when they were in need, which would be every time they wanted something. They would pray to me and expect me to fix something, or get something, or make something happen. They would do nothing while they waited for me to deliver for them."

The figure laughed. "How very boring. I'd much rather watch as each of you encounters obstacles and uses your intuition, imagination, and skill to overcome them."

"Like watching a story unfold?" She understood stories.

"Yes, like an interesting, never-ending story. After all, I have already given those I favor an advantage, a precious gift."

"Are you part of your gifts... your vipers?"

"That's a question that will be debated for the next hundred years, little one," the figure said, and laughed.

"But you've given us our gifts?"

"My friends were bored with nothing to do all day. By giving them the ability to sense the truth and emotions, I gave the sisters a reason to willingly carry them everywhere, so they could see and experience new and exciting places."

"Do they worship you?"

"Vipers are simple creatures. They don't want or need gods. They are content to be what they are."

"Am I dead, Naga?"

"Do you want to be?"

"If I am, I'd like to see Sister Tenzen."

"Is it not enough to know she is at peace, little one?" the figure said. "I think you should live. You've things you need to do, and my friends would be disappointed if you died. In fact, Tenzen's friend has asked to stay with you."

"I'd love for it to stay." The haze seemed to clear, and pain flooded in. "I feel pain, Naga. Am I hurt badly?"

"Yes, little one. But you should heal if you get some help. I want you to reach your right arm out as far as you can. Good." The figure began to fade back into the two vipers, who wound their way up her arm.

Then Jola dreamt she was back on the streets, being hunted because she killed a member of a street gang. Every time she went out to steal food, they found her and chased her. They always came within a few hands of catching her. She had to eat the garbage she found in the alleys. Even there, they managed to find her.

She dreamt she was in bondage. Every night men came in to paw and beat her. She couldn't sleep for fear of them. Each day she got hurt because she was too tired to pay attention to her work.

She dreamt that the Sisters of Astraea claimed she was a thief, and a judgment found her guilty. The sisters threw her out of the monastery in the middle of winter, with nothing to wear but rags. She cried because she was innocent, but no one would listen. The snow soaked through her rags as she crawled toward a cave.

She awoke drenched in sweat. At first, she clawed at her covers in panic at the sight of armed strangers around her; she tried to roll away, but her body refused to respond. She moaned. An elderly man sitting by her bedside jumped up.

"Mistress, you're awake. Thank the gods." The man leaned over the bed and pressed a cool hand to her forehead. He was very quick, keeping his eyes on the vipers that were still wrapped around Jola's arm. "I'll get you some broth. You haven't eaten in over three days."

"Please get my vipers something to eat." Jola gently stroked each viper.

"What do they eat, Mistress?"

"Blood. We'll need a live animal. The bigger, the better."

"Yes, Mistress," the healer said as he opened the door and hurried out.

"Am I under arrest for killing someone?" Jola looked around the room at the three guards.

"No, Mistress. Princess Regina has designated a Horse unit as your permanent guard. I'm afraid that you will have little privacy for a while," the captain said apologetically.

She nodded and closed her eyes. Privacy was a rich man's word. It usually meant they wanted to keep the poor people away.

"We'll try to be inconspicuous. However, Commander Besnik hand-picked your guards and ordered that at least ten be with you at all times. I'm Captain Rankin."

"Where are the other seven? Under my bed?" Jola joked weakly.

"Several are in your waiting room and several are in the hallway, Mistress. None are under the bed-right now." She opened her eyes long enough to see Rankin's lips twitch, although he managed to keep a straight face.

A maid came in with a tray of broth and soft white bread, and a man with one of the small hogs that the nobles were so fond of roasting. Another soldier accompanied them.

"Mistress, with your permission, I'm to taste your food before you eat it. Princess Regina is concerned about poison," the soldier said, with something less than enthusiasm.

"It's your lucky day. Judicators can't be poisoned. Please thank Princess Regina for her concern," Jola said. "Captain, can you tie this pig's legs, and lay him on the bed for me, please? My vipers are starving. Normally they would feed off me, but they haven't because I've been too weak."

The maid plumped Jola's pillows so she could lean back as she sipped the broth; she managed to get that down, and a few bites of the bread. She knew that her stomach would be sensitive after three days without food, a lesson she'd learned when young. Her vipers, on the other hand, gorged, which left the pig too weak to walk. Her vipers were feeling well again as they roamed over Jola, investigating her wounds. Tenzen's viper was more sedate than hers, and was content to rest about her neck. When she touched it, she could feel Tenzen's stability. Or is it her presence? Her viper seemed to prefer her hair, since crawling around her wounds caused her pain.

She told the captain to sit down; she didn't like having someone standing over her. He refused to allow the guards to be seated, although he moved them back a little way. She felt like talking, so the captain asked her lots of questions. She explained about her vipers, her training, and her experiences on the road. He said that the more he knew about her, the better he would be able to protect her. He knew she was an excellent sword fighter when she was healthy, but he wanted to make sure that was the very last option-healthy or not.

A knock on the door made the captain spring to his feet. A servant opened it for the princess.

"Jola, I am happier than I can say to find you conscious," Regina said. She sat on the side of the bed and put her hand on Jola's. "I need to tell you about Tenzen... "

Jola blinked back her tears. "I heard the assassins say they killed her."

Regina shook her head. "I failed to see that the two of you were protected. I should have never trusted Greer." She bit her lip and looked pained. "I'm sorry."

Jola gave Regina's fingers a small squeeze. She knew that Tenzen had been fond of the princess. "Don't think that you were at fault. You'll stop this rebellion and end what the rebels are doing."

Regina patted her hand. "I'll need you to help once you're stronger. If you need anything, the captain will see that you get it. So I expect you to tell him." She gave Jola a stern look. "The sooner you're well, the sooner we can have Greer's judgment, and move with the army."

"The army won't move until I'm well?" Jola asked weakly.

"Of course not. So I expect you to mind the healer and recover." Regina gave her a smile before she strode from the room.

Jola sighed. The stories she enjoyed as a judicator had suddenly become about her. Lying in bed wouldn't give her back her strength. She intended to get up, right after she rested her eyes for a moment. A few hours later, she awoke with a jerk. But perhaps the sleep had helped, she thought as she carefully stretched, feeling a bit stronger.

"Enough. Captain Rankin, please come over here and help me out of bed. I'm starting to act like a spoiled noble," Jola said, loudly enough to be heard in the next room, eliciting several laughs.

The captain hustled over to the side of the bed-opposite the viper around her arm-and gently helped her up, keeping a close eye on the one wrapped around her neck. Jola took his proffered arm, walked around the room once, and then walked into the outer room. When she appeared, all the soldiers on duty jumped to attention.

"Relax, men. I'm too weak to fight," Jola said; then she hobbled around the room, to chuckles and remarks about how good it was to see her up. Her stomach grumbled, so she went back into her room and had a roasted chicken and some vegetables sent up.

She had lost blood and needed to recover her strength. Every few hours she had one of the soldiers help her up for a stroll around the rooms, and occasionally out into the hallway. Within two days, she was moving well without a supporting arm, although ten guards always accompanied her.

On the third morning, Besnik knocked on the door and asked if he could visit her.

"Mistress, I'm delighted that you're recovering so quickly. Frankly, when I saw you after the assassination attempt, I thought you would die," Besnik said. "I want you to know how sorry I am that our sister was killed."

"I'd gladly have given my life to save her," Jola said, feeling tears pricking at her eyes.

"Tenzen felt the same about you. But neither of you had the choice. I think the eight nobles-or I should say, "assassins"-chose to attack Tenzen first because they knew she was an experienced sword fighter. In fact, she never reached her sword. The first who attacked her while she lay in her bed succumbed to her viper. She killed two more with his sword, before several stabbed her in the back. You and your viper took out the others. Two more were waiting in the courtyard with all ten horses. We captured them. They await judgment when you're ready." Besnik patted Jola's hand. "I'm glad you've Tenzen's viper. I hope it stays with you. She would have wanted it."

"It will," Jola said, remembering her dream... or hallucination. "Would you please inform Princess Regina that I'll be ready for judgments tomorrow?"

* * *

Jola sat on a beautifully carved chair inset with gold and silver, and made with a variety of dark, exotic woods. The designs depicted intertwining vines with scorpions-Manito's crest. The vaulted room was Duke Greer's reception hall, and although designed to comfortably hold well over two hundred people, it was crowded. Jola still required her bandages, but her judicator's clothes hid them. One of her vipers coiled around her neck with its head resting on her shoulder; the other wove itself into her hair and had its head resting on her ear. Ten guards surrounded her, all looking alert as angry vipers. She hated needing to have guards; it felt wrong. But she had to admit she felt too weak to fight, and was very tired of having to kill stupid nobles. Princess Regina sat to her right, looking every bit the king's heir in her purple velvet breeches and coat trimmed with gold braid.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. Captain, would you read the charges, please," Jola said to the captain of Regina's troop. Two nobles stood in chains, surrounded by six of Regina's guards.

"Lord Langit and Lord Anghet are charged with aiding in the assassination of Judicator Tenzen and the assassination attempt on Judicator Jola," the captain read from his parchment.

"She can't give a fair verdict, because she was involved in the assassination attempt," Anghet said. His anger and hatred washed over her like a tide. The emotion was stronger than she had ever felt before. Jola could only assume that the two vipers amplified her awareness.

"Lord Anghet, if you wish a fair hearing, you will remain quiet until you're asked a question. Otherwise, I'll assume you're guilty. In that case, I'll send my viper down to judge you. Your choice," Jola said with a flip of her hand. Anghet opened his mouth as though he would say more, but closed it when the viper around her neck slid into her lap.

"Lord Langit, did you come to Lanham with the intention of assassinating one or both judicators?" Jola asked.

"No, we were just passing through on our way to Candia." The falseness of both answers slammed into Jola, again amplified.

"Lord Anghet, did you come to Lanham with the intention of assassinating one or both judicators?"

"No, we were just passing through on our way to Candia," Anghet said. Again, she felt the double falseness.

"Lord Langit, did anyone in this castle knowingly assist you or your friends in the assassination?"

"Yes, several. Everyone hates you and your kind," Langit answered. Jola again felt the falseness of the first response, but felt the truth of his belief in the second. She debated the value of probing for more about their mentors in Sattah, and decided against it. Exhausted and too tired to prolong the questioning, she stood.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving the assassination of Judicator Tenzen and attempted assassination of Judicator Jola." Jola chanted the hundred-year-old ritual words leading to her decision. "I decree the following:

"First, Lord Anghet and Lord Langit are guilty of knowingly assisting in the death of Judicator Tenzen and the attempted assassination of Judicator Jola.

"Second, having caused the death of a judicator, they are responsible to the golden vipers for their crimes.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus." She stood and dropped both vipers to the floor in front of her. Everyone in the hall froze as the vipers slithered down the steps of the platform toward the two noblemen. Their guards didn't know whether to stay or run; however, they stayed when Jola raised a hand to stop them. The nobles tried to shuffle back, constrained by their chains, but a guard on each side grabbed their arms.

"Princess Regina, this isn't justice. Help us!" Langit screamed.

Regina lifted a hand. "The judicator has spoken. No one is to move."

The vipers separated; each slithered toward one of the men, and then wound its way up a leg. The men blabbed, screamed, and cried. When a viper reached the first man's neck, it struck. Seconds later, the second viper reached its target and struck. The men collapsed, convulsed for a second and then lay still. The hall was silent as the vipers crawled back to Jola.

"Captain, please bring Duke Greer forward." Jola sat back down. Guards opened the immense doors at the front of the hall. Greer shuffled in his chains to the front of the platform. His face looked pasty and beaded with sweat as he passed the two bodies, which hadn't yet been removed.

"Lord Greer, do you fully support the Seven Provinces' Treaty?" Jola asked.

"Yes, Mistress," Greer answered. Jola sensed the unequivocal truth of the statement.

Jola stood again. "Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving Duke Greer's complicity in the assassination of Judicator Tenzen and attempted assassination of Judicator Jola," Jola chanted. Greer turned white, along with Princess Regina. "I decree that Duke Greer is innocent of any complicity in this matter.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus." Jola turned to Regina.

"If you will excuse me, Princess Regina, I'm very tired," Jola said. Captain Rankin offered his arm and she leaned on him in a daze of grief and weariness. Surrounded by her guards, she returned to her room.

She undressed and spent the afternoon resting in a comfortable chair. She sipped a glass of wine and gazed at the garden outside her window-a garden Tenzen would never see again. The judgment cut like a sword, bringing to reality the loss of her dear friend and mentor. She sat there as darkness fell over the castle. Lord Greer knocked on her door and asked to be admitted. Her guards scowled when she said she would see him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mistress. If I knew you were ready for bed, I'd have waited. I apologize," Greer said, his face flushed, obviously embarrassed. He backed toward the door.

"I wouldn't have let you in if I didn't want to talk to you, Your Grace. I'm dressed adequately for my bedroom. How may I help you?"

Lord Greer paused.

"Why did you do it? You must know I would like to have the treaty revised in favor of the nobility. With the right questions, you could have sent me to the iron mines," Greer said, the sweat beading at his hairline.

"Your Grace, if we're to punish everyone we disagree with in one way or another, we'd have to send everyone to the iron mines. A judicator that judges on that basis should herself be sent to the mines. No, judicators are to rule on actions, not wishes or thoughts. I know you didn't conspire in the assassination. I won't punish you for something you didn't do."

Greer nodded thoughtfully, and she felt his surprise at her answer.

She smiled. "Now if you would like to trade evil thoughts, have a seat. I wager I can match you one for one. I was raised on the streets and was a bonded servant when I was young."

Greer did sit, as he looked at Jola, the person. Then he chuckled. "Are you unique? Or have I misjudged the judicators?"

"We're all unique, Duke Greer, but we're all trained in the same way. In my limited experience, we all see the law through our sisters' eyes."

"I had my doubts about the king's edict to put every noble in the three provinces to judgment. After watching you, I no longer have doubts. Maybe someday we can trade evil thoughts again." Greer rose, bowed, and left the room.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Sattah Province

The army formed up to leave Lanham for Sattah, where they would meet Duchess Kambiri in southern Manito, several leagues outside Candia. Besnik ordered one Horse unit to act as an advance guard for Regina's party, which now comprised the princess's royal Horse guard, the Horse unit guarding Jola, and Lord Greer's ten guards. Regina's army had grown by an additional two hundred Manito Horse troops, and numbered more than eight hundred mounted soldiers.

Jola managed not to moan as she mounted her horse. She had to wonder how well she would stay in the saddle for long rides, but was determined not to delay them in reaching Tasman on their prearranged date for a coordinated assault on Chaney's army.

"How are you feeling?" Regina asked as she pulled up beside her. "We'll stop anytime you get tired."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. The truth is that I'm sore and in pain. However, I'd feel the same back at the castle or in bed." Jola laughed. "If it gets really bad, I'll say something."

"Please do. I didn't expect to be able to leave so soon, with the wounds you suffered."

"I'll try not to overdo it," Jola said with a weak smile.

"You continue to astonish me. It's as if you're two people-the young Judicator Jola and an older judicator like Mistress Tenzen. Lord Greer agrees."

"I can only hope that someday I can be like Sister Tenzen. I loved her very much." Jola felt a dull ache in her chest. "These rebels have killed a sister who was like a mother to me."

"And yet, you seem to be able to separate justice from vengeance, Mistress Jola." Regina leaned forward with intense interest in Jola's response.

"I won't tarnish my sister's memory. I'll die first," Jola said, so quietly it was almost lost under the sound of the horses' hooves.

"You took several years off my life yesterday. The first was when you dropped your two vipers to the floor. The second time was when you asked Lord Greer only one question before standing to announce your decision. I thought you meant to pronounce him guilty," Regina said with a wry laugh.

"I'm sorry about dropping the vipers. I was too tired to walk down to the prisoners. When I realized Lord Greer was innocent, I had no choice in my decision."

"Your sisters would be proud of their student, Mistress Jola. I feel fortunate that you're the judicator that fate has provided us on this campaign."

Regina then drifted over to talk to Besnik. Although Jola had said nothing, she was thankful that afternoon when Besnik ordered a halt several hours earlier than normal.

* * *

They rode into the valley where Duchess Kambiri had camped with her two hundred Kasavan warriors in mid-afternoon, a few days later. While the guards set up the tents for the commanders, Regina introduced the duchess to the members of her party.

"Duchess Kambiri, I'd like you to meet Besnik, my tactical commander."

"Commander, it's a pleasure to meet you. Your reputation precedes you."

"Thank you, Your Grace. I'm looking forward to training with your Kasavan warriors."

"I believe you know Duke Greer," Regina said, continuing the introductions. "And Judicator Jola."

"Yes, Greer and I are loyal friends." Kambiri gave a bow in Greer's direction, which he returned. "Judicator Jola, I wish we were meeting under happier circumstances. Tenzen was a great judicator and a wonderful person who we will all miss. From what I've seen of you, I believe she has passed on to you her legacy."

"Thank you, Your Grace. I will try-" Jola felt suddenly overwhelmed with grief. She reached up to touch Tenzen's viper before continuing. "-try to live up to her teaching and ideals."

"Judicator Jola, you are welcome to join us in my tent for a drink," Regina said into the resulting silence.

"No thank you, Princess. I think I would like to be alone for a while, if you don't mind."

"Of course not. I forget-you are still recovering from your injuries."

Jola left the group and limped into the forest, which bordered the camp. She found a quiet clearing and unsheathed her sword. Her ten guards stopped and looked around nervously, until they realized that Jola had begun slowly working her sword in a set of exercises. It was so hard she wanted to cry. Her muscles ached; her side and arm were in pain. She was exhausted in minutes. She rested for five minutes before beginning again. Thirty minutes later, she wobbled as she stood; her clothes were soaking wet.

"Mistress, you don't have to do this. We'll be here to protect you." Her captain walked up to her and took her sword.

"I am honoring my sister Tenzen's memory and the gift she shared with me. We'll do this every night after dinner." Rankin held out his arm, and her legs felt so shaky that she took it gladly. When they reached the camp, Jola headed for her tent.

"Captain, please get a jar of horse liniment for me." Jola entered her tent accompanied by two of her guards. When Rankin returned, he had a small jar. Jola sat on her mat and pulled her blouse over her head. "Please rub that into my back, side, and arm. My skin is very tight from the stitches."

Everyone had averted their eyes.

"Mistress, I can't do that," Rankin said in a shocked tone.

"Sure you can, Captain Rankin. If needed, I have nine guards to defend my honor-and please hurry. I'm getting cold." Jola couldn't help her snort of laughter.

* * *

Since Candia wasn't large enough to accommodate one thousand soldiers, they continued moving toward Cape Storm.

True to her word, every night after dinner Jola found a quiet area to work on her exercises. Each night, more of her guards followed her to watch. It kept her going through her exhaustion when they cheered her on. By the end of an eightday, Jola had increased her exercising to an hour.

The next night, Jola carried a wrapped bundle with her to the clearing. She laid it on the ground and unwrapped two blunted practice swords.

"Alright, who's first?" Her question was greeted with dead silence. No one moved for several heartbeats. Eventually, Captain Rankin stepped forward.

"Mistress, are you ready to fight?" he asked with a deep frown.

"How will I know unless I try?"

Rankin sighed and motioned to one of the guards. Slowly, the guard came forward and picked up the practice sword. He parried her first two strikes but refused to counterattack. Jola's next move scored a winning hit. The second guard decided to show her that she was still too weak for a real fight. Although he and the next guard attacked aggressively, they quickly lost. After that, Jola called a halt.

Because of her weakened condition and slower responses, Jola had gained an insight that had been just out of her reach. Speed, or reflexes, or strength don't make a master-it's clarity of mind, which enables you to sense your opponent's moves. She had thought she'd achieved it before, but now she realized that, while she had been close, the prize had until now eluded her.

Today, the world around her had flared into real clarity, with infinite sounds, colors and shapes, and smells. It was almost unfair-she knew exactly what her opponent's next move would be before he made it. It was beautiful. It was intoxicating.

"Thank you, Sister Tenzen!" she said, as she sank to her knees.

"Mistress, are you all right?" Captain Rankin ran to her and dropped to a knee at her side.

"Yes, thank you, Captain. I think it's time to go back."

* * *

The matches continued every night as the army moved through Sattah, advancing toward the capital, Cape Storm. Each night the audience grew as the rumors spread. Most nights, Jola remained undefeated. Her guards had affectionately named her "Red Viper." On the tenth night out, Regina, Greer, Kambiri, and Besnik joined Jola's little party.

"Well, Mistress Jola, you appear to have recovered," Besnik said as he approached. "I understand you aren't only back to normal, but are much improved."

"Thanks to your instruction and coaching, I now understand your sister's gift to me." Jola gave a sad smile. She did feel fully recovered, and felt she had honored her sister and her gift with her tenacity. Driven by grief and love, she found that action helped relieve the loneliness she felt without Tenzen.

"Are you up to a demonstration with me, Mistress?"

"I'd be honored." Jola entered the ring and picked up her practice sword. The audience was alive with guards exchanging wagers. Jola wasn't sure why anyone would bet against Besnik.

They took their places and saluted, and then took ready positions. Several moments passed. Besnik came in hard and level with a stroke toward her belly; a flurry of strokes followed with no point scored. This went on for several exchanges with no winner. Then, Besnik stepped back and saluted.

"My sister would be very proud of you, Mistress Jola," Besnik said with a slight bow. The ground shook with stomping feet and swords thumped on shields as he turned and strode from the ring.

"Mistress, you've a lot of happy troopers. They made many silvers off your performance against the commander," her captain said with a huge smile.

"I'm happy for them. Maybe it makes up for the boring work of babysitting me." Jola smiled as they walked back toward her tent. It was wonderful to have her strength back.

"I know I speak for the entire troop when I say that babysitting you is anything but boring," Rankin said, and then laughed.

* * *

The army passed through several small villages on the way to Cape Storm. The villagers were reserved until they realized the army meant them no harm. Princess Regina stopped in each one, and had Jola accompany her to buy fruit, bread or sweets. The risk was too great to mingle too closely, but she made sure that the citizens saw them. She gave each merchants' guild an opportunity to select a representative to accompany them. But none of the merchants cared to take a chance, since the princess made it plain that they were headed for battle. These were merchants, not fighters-but they supported the king, and trusted his judicators.

On the tenth day after crossing into Sattah, they reached the capital, Cape Storm. A spectacular sight, it sat on a plateau that seemed to extend out into the ocean. Only one road led to the plateau, because of its steep sides and rocky outcroppings.

The army made camp on the open plain at the foot of the plateau while Regina and six Horse units advanced on the city. By the time they reached the gates an hour later, a small detachment was waiting to escort Regina and her party to the castle. Two Horse units remained to secure the gate, if necessary, while Regina and her troop continued on.

The streets were empty as they rode through the city. When they entered the castle bailey, Duke Waller met them.

"Greetings, Your Highness, Duke Greer, Duchess Kambiri. To what do I owe this pleasure? It looks as if you're expecting trouble," Waller said with a smile and a wave of his hand in the general direction of the army camped outside his city.

"Greetings, Duke Waller. No, we aren't anticipating any trouble. Quite the contrary-it appears that you and the leaders of Essam and Tasman have let your nobles get out of hand. We're here to settle them," Regina said with her own smile.

"I resent that. I'm the Duke of Sattah, and it's my province to run as I see fit." Waller's voice was under control, but color rose in his face.

"Sattah Province is yours to run as you see fit so long as you obey the king's edicts, live up to the Seven Provinces' Treaty, and don't infringe on your neighbors. My father, the king, has evidence that your nobles are in rebellion. By his edict, every noble in Sattah, Tasman, and Essam will stand judgment for suspected violation of the Severn Provinces' Treaty. You will have all of your nobles within two days' ride report here for judgment five days hence."

"Under whose authority?"

Regina tossed a copy of the king's edict at his feet. "Has your hearing failed, Waller? I have one thousand troops here to support the king's edict and the judicator's decision. Those who refuse or fail to report for judgment will be branded outlaws. They will be stripped of title and lands by the authority of the king. Is that clear, Duke Waller?"

Waller stuttered twice before being able to speak. "What have my nobles done to justify this action?" Waller managed to say when he regained control.

"You continue to question the authority of the king?" Regina's voice would have frozen over the hells. "I'll answer your questions this once. But be clear. We will follow the king's edict.

"Your young nobles, along with their retainers, attempted to assassinate two judicators. They killed soldiers you yourself sent with the judicators to Hygorge to protect them. Later, they succeeded in assassinating a judicator. Duke Greer and Duchess Kambiri witnessed the judgments against the assassins who survived. Now, I'm here representing the king." Her face was set and stern.

"If that's your judicator," Waller said, pointing at Jola, "I object. She's too young, and lacks the experience to judge nobles. Besides, I reserve the right to determine whether she's been prejudiced by the acts against her and other judicators."

'"The king sent her to make judgment and I support her. I did not ask your consent. Perhaps you want to be found in rebellion." She gave Waller a hard stare. "We'll begin tomorrow with you, Duke Waller, and any other nobles in the castle."

"You had best caution your guards and nobles not to stray through the hallways. I've ordered my guards to kill anyone who strays near our rooms," Besnik said into the silence.

* * *

Jola sat in an elaborately decorated chair, which had replaced Duke Waller's throne on the dais. Fifty soldiers surrounded the platform with hands on their sabers as they scowled at the onlookers. Princess Regina, Duke Greer, and Duchess Kambiri were seated to her left. Another fifty guards were stationed at the entrances to the hall, ensuring that no one entered with a weapon.

Heraldic banners in grays and blues, Sattah's colors, draped the stone walls of the reception hall. The carved, dark wood double doors gleamed with years of polishing beneath a vaulted ceiling held up by old-fashioned, unfaceted columns. For all its size, the hall was crowded to capacity. It appeared the local nobles had taken Regina seriously, and were present. Regina had sent several of her nobles into town to announce the judgment, and many of the town residents had chosen to attend. They had also announced to the merchants' guild that it could select a member to represent Cape Storm as the army moved across the provinces.

When the princess and the duke and duchess had made themselves comfortable, Jola rose and waited for the crowd to quiet down. She tried to settle the conflicting emotions that raged in her. She felt too young and inexperienced. Her decisions wouldn't only affect nobles, but also their families and their dependents. This intertwined with her sorrow and anger-a sister she loved was dead and deserved retribution. Calm won out. She wouldn't shame her sisters. Let the story begin.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. This judgment will identify those individuals who have acted in rebellion against the king and attempted to break the Seven Provinces' Treaty. Captain, you'll record the name of each individual called to judgment, and my verdict. Those who fail to report for judgment will be judged guilty by their absence. Captain, who is first?"

"Duke Waller," the captain called out. Jola took her seat as Waller walked to a spot in front of the platform.

"Duke Waller, is it true that you resisted providing Judicator Tenzen and me with assistance in apprehending several nobles who had threatened us?" Jola settled her mind to follow the story. Her viper had twisted into her hair and had its head on hers, while the other viper was coiled in her lap.

"Yes... Mistress. I thought it was a mistake or a prank, and didn't consider it serious. She subsequently convinced me that it was serious, so I provided her with a troop of soldiers," Waller said, a smug look coming over his face. Jola felt the warmth of truth in the initial yes, a strong falseness during the next part, and the truth of the ending remark. Jola had never been able to separate pieces of a statement before-she wondered if it was because of Tenzen's viper, or because of the combined strength of the two vipers. She also felt Waller's strong satisfaction at the end of the statement sweep over her. But why satisfaction?
Is he satisfied that he sent the troops in the end? Or that he can say he sent them?

"How many troops did you sent with the judicators?" Jola wasn't sure what she was trying to discover, but she felt something was there to find.

"Twenty-five, Mistress," Waller said, and again Jola sensed that same sense of satisfaction and humor in his answer. Why humor, she wondered. What is funny about sending twenty-five troopers? Unless...

"Did you believe that twenty-five troopers were sufficient to protect the judicators?"

"... yes, more than adequate, Mistress," Waller said, and Jola sensed the falseness.

Jola stood up abruptly. "This judgment is suspended until tomorrow morning." Jola strode from the platform, with her guards rushing to catch up. Regina exited the platform close behind her.

"Mistress Jola, stop for a minute, please!" Regina half shouted, and Jola stopped walking to let her catch up.

"Why?" Regina asked. "What did you find out?"

"Princess, I need to think about what Lord Waller said; part was true and part lies. This judgment is very complicated. I don't want to tarnish the memory of my sister by rushing to a decision that I might later regret." Jola walked out of the castle.

"Where to, Mistress?" the captain asked as they reached the courtyard.

"Into town, please." She paced back and forth as she waited for the horses to be saddled, and remained quiet all the way into town. The problem was, she didn't like Waller. Furthermore, he had attempted to get rid of Tenzen and her by providing them with an inadequate guard for Hygorge. Jola's mind was in turmoil. Is a man guilty if he knows a crime will happen but does nothing? Is a man guilty if he plans a crime but it's interrupted? Or, is a man guilty if he ignores injustice?

"Mistress, where to?" the captain asked again, interrupting her thoughts.

"To the marketplace, captain," Jola said. They found it ten minutes later. Jola dismounted, handing the reins to one of the soldiers, and wandered down the street. Few people had ventured into the market, and those who were there backed away at the sight of the guard troop.

"If it isn't our little god." A dark-haired young man dressed in silk, with a heraldic insignia on his chest, stood staring at Jola. "Very brave with your army at your back. I'll bet that sword is a fake like you." He snickered.

"I see your problem, my friend," Jola said to a merchant in a stall stacked with clothing, "if you've to deal with nobles this stupid."

"You bitch, you're nothing, and a coward besides," the noble shouted.

"Yes, stupid. I've thirty veteran soldiers who will cut your throat if I nod," Jola said, and thirty swords left their sheaths.

"Yes, stupid. Thirty veteran soldiers who know me are at my back, and they would bet a year's salary that you would die with the first thrust." There were chuckles from her guards, which she ignored.

"Yes, stupid. Tomorrow you'll stand in front of me for judgment. I can take your title and lands, and send you to the iron mines with a word, and no one can dispute my decision. Fortunately for you, I'm tired of killing stupid young men." Jola continued to walk, leaving the young man stunned. It didn't help him that everyone either laughed or nodded in agreement.

The vendors and other people in the street were suddenly friendly. Jola's easy manner and lack of pretense had the people involved as she bought fruit, examined clothes, admired artisans' works, and joked with the merchants as she shopped. She already knew that there was tension between nobles and commoners. The outing was her way of avoiding the problem while hoping for inspiration.

Unintentionally, she found herself in a run-down area of the city. Her guards had become even more alert than they'd been in the markets. Jola continued walking as she reminisced about her early life before Sister Kassandra had saved her. She missed Kassandra. She snapped back to the present as thirty guards drew their swords. Jola reflexively whirled toward the noise that had alerted her guards. She saw three young boys running down the alley, and a sobbing child huddled against the wall next to a lot of rubbish.

"They stole my food!" the child said, indignant between her sobs and hiccups. Her nose was bleeding, her clothes were rags, and she was dirtier than the ground she sat on. Jola walked over to the girl and knelt before her. As she did, the girl tried to squeeze herself more tightly against the wall, her eyes on the two vipers.

"I didn't do it. Please, don't hurt me. I won't do it again," she babbled, as Tenzen's viper twisted down Jola's arm and rested its head on the back of her hand. Jola didn't understand why; she knew, however, that the vipers weren't arbitrary or vicious.

"It won't hurt you, child. What is your name?" Jola asked.

"Kit." The little girl stared at the vipers in hypnotized horror.

"Give me your hand, Kit," Jola said softly, as she extended the hand with the viper. She heard a sharp inhale from several of the soldiers. "It won't hurt you, Kit."

Slowly the little girl reached out her hand. Jola grasped it lightly but securely. It was almost like grasping her own hand, as a remembrance of her own pain and helplessness as a child washed over her. The viper slid down further and twisted around the girl's arm, working its way up. It touched the girl's face with its tongue and then slithered back onto Jola's arm. Her viper was around her neck, watching the whole time. "Kit, where is your mother?"

"I think she's dead."

"Kit, how would you like to come live with me?"

"What do I have to do for you?" Kit asked, looking at Jola with narrowed eyes.

"It'll be better than the streets."

"Can I have something to eat?"

"That, we can do." Jola held the little girl's hand as they started back down the street toward the vendors. She bought Kit the smallest meat pie she could find so the girl's stomach wouldn't rebel. Then they shopped for simple cotton trousers and shirts in the girl's size, and returned to the castle. Kit protested loudly at being put into a tub of steaming hot water, but seemed to decide it wasn't so bad as Jola washed her hair. Later, Jola had dinner in her rooms with Kit. The princess arrived after dinner.

"Are you feeling any better?" Regina asked.

"Yes, Your Highness. I'm sorry about this morning, but the issue is more important than Duke Waller. I'm still young and have only limited experience. I needed time to resolve my own feelings. These judgments aren't the normal criminal cases we judicators try. I'll be ready tomorrow." Jola hoped Regina understood.

"I don't envy you the responsibility. Who is your young friend?" Regina asked, surveying the waif of a child who was using both her hands to pick up her food and stuff it into her mouth.

"I'm taking her to the monastery, Princess." Jola too watched the girl.

"Through a war?"

"She's used to war. It's food and a warm bed she isn't used to." Again, she reflected on her own early days on the streets. Deep in thought, Jola didn't hear Regina' s quiet "good night."

* * *

Jola sat on the platform, with Duke Waller in front of her.

"That was rude yesterday," Waller said with a sense of satisfaction.

"Yes, Duke Waller, it was rude. However, it's more important that I be fair with you and the other nobles than that I be polite." Jola paused for Waller's response.

"Yes, Mistress. We've done nothing wrong."

"That was my dilemma yesterday. When does something become a crime, and when is it only wishful thinking? When is bad behavior a crime, and when is it only ignorance? I've decided to let you decide for me," Jola said, to a buzz of whispers around the room. She could actually sense Regina's and Kambiri's confusion, and Greer's humor.

"Yes, that would be fair!"

Jola felt his exaltation. "Duke Waller, was it your intention, through your actions and lack of actions, to help others break the Seven Provinces' Treaty?" Jola said into the silence.

"No!" Waller took a step toward the side of the platform and threw himself to his knees in front of the princess. "Your Highness, I beg forgiveness. I did nothing wrong."

Jola stood. "Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her, involving Duke Waller's complicity in treason by attempting to break the Seven Provinces' Treaty. I decree the following:

"First, Duke Waller is guilty of condoning treason, although he took no overt acts against the king.

"Second, he is stripped of his titles, lands, and property, which revert to Princess Regina, who is the king's direct representative, to distribute as she sees fit.

"Third, he's to be permitted to keep one hundred silvers and one horse for each family member, including himself.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

Jola smiled at Kit, who stood holding the captain's hand and eating a piece of bread. "Captain, call the next name."

Five hours later, Jola had passed judgment on the last of the nobles. Of the forty she'd judged, she'd pronounced five guilty, and stripped them of their titles and land. She stood and walked to the bottom of the platform steps, followed by Princess Regina. Kit came flying across the room to attach herself to Jola's leg.

"Has she been a good girl, Captain?" Jola asked with a smile.

"Yes, Mistress, she's been very good."

"Can I've something to eat, Mistress?" Kit asked, squeezing Jola's leg tighter. "Please."

"We'll stop by the kitchen and see what they've lying around." She laid a hand on Kit's head as a commoners' delegation started in her direction.

"I think they want to talk with you, Mistress Jola," Regina said from behind her.

"Mistress, may we talk with you, please," a stooped, white-haired man asked.

"Of course. It's important that you're well informed. There will be enough rumors afterward." Jola reached down and picked up Kit.

"The vipers!" the elderly man said, eyes wide.

"They know she's my ward, and won't harm her." Jola smiled at Kit.

The man took a deep breath and seemed to gather his thoughts. "Mistress Jola, we would like to know why you only found five of the nobles guilty. We've heard what they've said about you and the king. It was wrong. We've even heard that one of them insulted you in the streets yesterday."

"Excellent question, Merchant. The king hasn't sent the princess to purge the nobles from Sattah, Tasman, or Essam. He's sent us to enforce the laws of Pyxus."

Jola looked back to Regina, and then at the people around her one by one. "I can't punish a man because he isn't a nice person, or because he has evil thoughts. I can only punish a man if he's broken the law. The five nobles I punished committed treasonous acts; the others didn't. There are many bad people in Pyxus. I know of no way of making them good. I can only judge whether what someone does violates our laws."

One of the noblemen who Jola recognized from the streets the day before stepped toward her. "Mistress Jola is right. I came here expecting to be judged guilty for what I said. I have said stupid things. But I've broken no laws. I'm just stupid."

He looked down at his feet for a few seconds before he continued. "I want to apologize for the rude and stupid things I said to you yesterday. You were thrice right. Your soldiers would have killed me at your nod; you would have killed me in a sword fight; and you could have taken my titles and sent me to the iron mines and no one would have questioned you. I'd like to make amends."

Jola nodded. "If you'll share what you've learned over the past two days with your friends, you'll have paid me back a hundred-fold. There are many ignorant people in Pyxus. What keeps Pyxus stable is that there are also many wise people to offset them. Be one of the wise ones." Jola smiled at the young man.

"Yes, Mistress, you can count on me and my support if you ever want or need it," the young man said, and then bowed and left.

"Kit, let's see what we can find in the kitchen," Jola said as she tousled Kit's hair.

"Yes, Mistress, I'm hungry."

* * *

"Mistress, when can I've my own horse?" Kit asked as she rode in front of Jola in the saddle, on the third day out of Cape Storm.

"You'll learn to ride at the monastery. When you're older, you'll be given a horse," Jola said, and had to smile. Kit had become very talkative in the previous two days, which provided Jola with an active time in the saddle.

"Nine?" Kit asked, looking back at Jola.

"When the sisters think you're ready," Jola replied with a laugh.

"Good morning, Mistress Jola; I see your ward has found her voice," Duke Kontar said as he and Duke Greer pulled their horses alongside hers.

"Good morning, Your Graces. Yes, it's a small sign of trust, since nothing bad has happened in over an eightday and the food keeps coming." She laughed. She understood Kit and knew that total trust would be years in coming, but she seemed slowly to be adjusting to life with Jola.

"We haven't had much of a chance to talk since Princess Regina elevated me from Marquess of Candia to Duke of Sattah. Like Duke Greer, I've been impressed with your judgments, and the insights that you shared with the commoners' delegation. That was good advice for nobles as well as commoners," Kontar said, and smiled at Kit. "She's a lucky girl to be adopted by you. However, isn't a campaign like this a dangerous place for her?"

"On the streets, her chances of living to ten would be negligible. Here, she has a thousand troops to protect her," Jola said with a wave of her hand. "'Safe' is a relative term. I believe she's safer here than on the streets of Sattah."

"Point taken. I tend to view life from my experience, which admittedly has been sheltered and privileged." Kontar lapsed into thought. "Being with you is going to be very interesting."

* * *

When they entered Hygorge, a middle-aged but energetic-looking woman with streaks of graying hair greeted them. "Welcome to Hygorge, Your Highness. I am Countess Ruxandra. I would be honored for you to stay at my estate; however, it is small and I doubt it would hold even a small number of your party," the countess said, and bowed. She then pointed in the direction of a large inn. "We can make room for you at the Laughing Man Inn. It isn't luxurious, but it's comfortable."

"Thank you, Countess Ruxandra. Where, may I ask, is Marquess Gustel?" Princess Regina said.

"He and many of the local nobles left for Southgate, along with their retainers-about a hundred or more."

"Very good. Since Gustel has forfeited his title and land to me, let us retire to his former castle and make ourselves comfortable. Would you lead the way?"

"Yes, Princess," Ruxandra said.

"Also, send messengers to inform the nobles who've stayed that they are to be present two days hence, at the castle. I would like you to accompany us and oversee the castle's preparations. For now we will visit the inn for refreshments and an opportunity to talk with the locals," Regina said, turning her horse in the direction of the Laughing Man.

That evening, the princess, Jola, and the nobles accompanying them moved into Gustel's former castle. It was small, but adequate for their party. The security units crammed into the barracks or set up cover in the courtyard. The commoners' delegation stayed at the inn.

* * *

Two days later, Jola stood on an elevated platform in Gustel's old reception hall, along with the princess, the two dukes, and the duchess. Before sitting, she surveyed the crammed hall. It appeared that the entire town had assembled to see the princess and to hear the judgments. The merchants and commoners had been abused under Gustel's rule, and they wanted justice. The princess stepped forward and raised her hands for silence.

"We are here today to enforce the Seven Provinces' Treaty, not to seek revenge. All nobles present will be judged, those found guilty will be punished, and those who do not answer the roll will lose their titles and lands." That invoked whispering and mild applause. "Mistress Jola, you may begin."

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. Captain, read the roll." Jola seated herself.

"Countess Ruxandra." The countess stepped forward. "I'm Countess Ruxandra."

"Do you support the Seven Provinces' Treaty?" Jola asked.

"Yes, Mistress."

"Will you enforce the laws of Pyxus in a fair and just manner, consistent with the king's edicts?"

Ruxandra hesitated for a moment. Jola knew it was an odd question to ask a countess with little authority outside her own lands. Jola sensed confusion rather than doubt. It was a strange question, but one the princess had requested that Jola ask. "Yes, Mistress."

"I decree that you are innocent of treason. So say the Judicators of Pyxus." Jola turned and nodded to the princess, who stood.

"Countess Ruxandra, you are elevated to the rank of Marchioness, and are given the lands previously belonging to Gustel by my order as the representative of King Nicolas."

The new marchioness hesitated a moment, and then bowed and withdrew. The next six nobles were judged loyal, and the captain moved on to the eighth name on the list.

"Lord Nahor." As his name was called, a young noble stepped forward. As he did, Jola felt an overwhelming sense of hate, anger, and righteousness. Why is he here? she wondered. He had to know he would not only lose his title, and his right to inherit, but would be imprisoned or worse. His eyes passed over her, settling on the princess.

"Guards, to the princess!" Jola shouted. At the same time, she drew her dagger and threw it at him as hard as she could, just as the young noble produced a knife and drew it back. She knew her attack was unlikely to kill or even harm him, and it didn't. It did, however, distract him, and his dagger flew high of his mark. The guard who dashed in front of Regina took the noble's second knife to his chest just as the assassin was hacked down by the other guards.

Regina suspended the judgments for the day and retired to her room with Jola.

"How did you know?" Regina asked. Her face was pale and her hands clenched. The first knife had passed over her head, but the second knife would have struck her chest had her guard not dived in front of her.

"Having two vipers seems to have increased my sensitivity, Princess."

"It is a strange set of circumstances that has bound us together and kept us alive. The gods, perhaps?"

"Perhaps, Your Highness. Perhaps." Jola reflected back to her deathbed encounter with Naga. Would she have died without His intervention? Would the judicators be facing extinction? Would the entire kingdom be engulfed in civil war? Maybe the God does care, and did intervene. Only Naga knows, and he isn't saying.

The rest of their stay proved uneventful. Jola found no guilty nobles during her remaining judgments. However, thirty-three nobles failed to show for judgment and were designated as outlaws, forfeiting their lands and titles, subject to execution on sight. There was speculation that they had taken their soldiers and gone to Tasman to join Chaney.

Two days later, the army departed Hygorge for Southgate.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Tasman Province

Jola, Kit in the saddle with her, rode beside the princess as they left Hygorge, lost in her own thoughts. Everything seemed to remind her of Tenzen. She reached up to touch her sister's viper, which helped to relieve the lump in her chest. Maybe it contained a bit of her sister, who had been more like a mother. Jola had been on this road twice with Tenzen, once running for their lives and once heading toward an encounter with Chaney's thugs. She hugged Kit, who munched on something she had charmed from someone. Tenzen would have loved Kit as she did.

"You're quiet," Regina said, which interrupted Jola's pensive thoughts.

"It's hard not to brood, Princess. Sister Tenzen and I traveled this road twice. It brings back memories of her."

"I'm sorry. I know you loved her. She had been a friend to me since I was a young girl. She was an exceptional woman who has left each of us a better person for having known her."

After the exchange, Jola and Regina rode in silence.

As the days passed, Jola would have brooded more if it weren't for Kit and her incessant questions. Everything and everyone interested her, especially food. As a child of the street, her diet had been limited to mostly the rotten or spoiled leavings of commoners. Now, she experienced foods she had never seen or tasted, and to everyone's surprise except Jola's, loved everything she ate and ate everything.

On the fifth day, they entered Southgate, a picturesque city situated between two snowcapped mountain ranges. The town's center lay on level ground, but most of the houses perched in the surrounding foothills. The marquess's compound abutted a cliff, and looked impregnable because of the steep approach to the compound's walls. An eerie quiet pervaded the town as the army made its way through the streets. They were deserted except for a few people at the market, who looked in a hurry to leave. It seemed that everyone knew trouble was coming. Jola could feel their fear like sandpaper grating her skin. They couldn't fight and they couldn't run. All they could do was to try to remain inconspicuous and hope that by some miracle it would bypass them.

"Besnik, find out who occupies the marquess's compound," Regina said. Besnik rode back in the column, and before long six Horse units were riding toward the compound. Regina walked her horse into the market area, followed by Jola and their combined security. Everyone dismounted when Regina did, and their security formed around them.

"It looks like it's a slow day today, Merchant," Regina said as she surveyed the fruits, grains, and nuts laid out on the table.

"Yes, Mistress... everyone is afraid... Mistress. Armies come and go everyday... Mistress." The merchant stepped back from his cart, his eyes darting back and forth as he took in Regina, Jola, and the hundred soldiers that surrounded them.

"I'm Princess Regina and this is Judicator Jola. You have nothing to fear from us. We are here to ensure your rights."

"Mistress... Highness," the man mumbled as he knelt.

"Rise, please. What can you tell me about what has happened in Southgate?" While she spoke, several people moved closer and Regina waved to her captain to let them. Reluctantly, the captain complied.

"Several eightdays ago, bands of nobles with soldiers on warhorses began arriving from Sattah. Most of the soldiers stayed at the local inns; the nobles stayed at Marquess Pirmin's compound. They ran wild for the two eightdays they were here. No one was safe on the streets or in his home. An eightday ago, Marquess Pirmin led them out on the road to Tasman."

While they were talking, Besnik returned. "Only a few guards and servants, Your Highness."

"Leave a couple of Horse units in town to keep order. Any nobles are to be taken into custody. The main force will camp away from the town. The town's people are rightfully afraid of soldiers right now. My command staff will retire to Pirmin's compound." With that, Regina thanked the merchant, mounted and left the market with her security.

* * *

Three days later, the dukes and duchess, Regina, Jola, and her ward sat eating breakfast in Marquess Pirmin's dining room. It comfortably sat thirty. The table and chairs were carved with a variety of mythical creatures. The silverware was heavy, with elaborate designs on each handle. The chairs were upholstered in a red silk with a yellow floral pattern. The castle was small, but beautifully furnished. Handwoven rugs adorned every room, tapestries depicting each of the four provinces that bordered Southgate hung in the reception hall, and detailed works of art in marble were everywhere. Jola couldn't help but shudder at the excessive wealth this man had, while children like Kit starved in the alleys of this and other cities. Her thoughts were interrupted when Besnik entered the room.

"Highness, five Rador soldiers and three Kasava warriors have just arrived. Their captain says he has a message from Prince Aquila."

"Show him in and collect your commanders. I think the captain's information will determine our next move." Besnik signaled, and four guards accompanied a tall Rador captain into the room. Jola thought he looked dirty and tired but would be a handsome man, washed and in a clean uniform. He looked to be in good physical condition.

"Your Highness," the man said, and bowed low. "Your brother, the prince, is in Warring. He arrived there an eightday ago, and split his forces in three parts after he learned that Duke Chaney's main force of seven hundred is at Blueridge, with another two hundred in Greenridge. The prince sent three hundred to Cybele to attack Greenridge; hid another two hundred between Cybele and Warring in the hope that Chaney's spies will underestimate his force; and kept six hundred in Warring. He plans to attack Blueridge at your arranged time. I will return with any message you have for the prince and inform him of your arrival. If you hadn't been in Southgate, the prince planned to hold in Warring to await your arrival and my return. The details are in this message from the prince." He handed her the rolled up document and bowed. Regina opened Aquila's message, began studying it and then looked up.

"Thank you, Captain. You have done well. Sergeant, see that the captain and his men are fed and given quarters to rest and refresh themselves. We have work to do." Regina went back to studying the message from Aquila.

Jola felt uncomfortable about being included in the war council, even though the princess had requested that she attend.

After reading the message from Aquila, Regina briefed the group. "Duchess Olinda joined the prince at Stag Bluff with four Horse units, and Serkan joined him in Essam with another four Horse units. His force now numbers eleven hundred. His scouts indicate that Chaney's army is less than one thousand, and divided between Greenridge and Blueridge. Aquila thinks the small force at Greenridge is just a decoy to draw him into the larger force at Blueridge. He's splitting off a small force to attack Greenridge. He intends to cross into Tasman with the main force two eightdays from today."

Besnik grunted. "We're ahead of schedule, only six days from Greenridge and an eightday from Blueridge. I suggest we move immediately to attack Corvus. Chaney is unlikely to have left a large contingent there. He will have stripped his castles in order to field the largest possible force against the king's army. If we can capture Corvus, it'll cut off his possible retreat to the east."

Regina smiled. "I like that idea. We'll have to move immediately to ensure that we arrive at Blueridge in time for the party." That raised quiet chuckles among the group.

The next day the army swung south toward Corvus.

* * *

Chaney sighed contentedly. He had taken up residence in his small but comfortable Blueridge residence. Today, twenty of his commanders had assembled in the reception hall, which had been converted into a war room. A roasted pig, stripped down to the bones, was being cleared by some of the servants, as another refilled his wine goblet.

"Gentlemen, to victory!" Chaney said. As he raised his glass, he was greeted with shouts.

"We now know where the king's army is, and we know its size. Our scouts have reported in from Warring and Cybele. It's apparent that King Nicolas has sent his son, Prince Aquila, with a force of eighteen Horse units-about nine hundred troops. The prince has split his forces. He has six hundred in Warring and three hundred to the west of Cybele. For now, they aren't moving. I suspect they're waiting for information about our positions. If I'm right, when they find our deployment, they'll send the Cybele force against our Greenridge force in the hope that they can overwhelm the two hundred troops we left there as bait. We've an opportunity to decimate Aquila's main force. Send a messenger to Greenridge to recall three Horse units. That gives us an opportunity to overwhelm Aquila's main force advancing on Blueridge." Chaney paused to sip his wine.

"But the one Horse unit at Greenridge will be defeated," one of his commanders said in the lull.

"No, the Greenridge force will not engage the enemy, but will retreat east around the foothills and circle back to join us. That will keep Aquila's Cybele force occupied for ten to twelve days while we wipe out his Warring force. The old fool Nicolas has only sent nine hundred troops. I had expected more like twelve hundred to fifteen hundred." Chaney laughed. "When we wipe out the forces he's sent against us, he'll be left with a decimated army. He will have lost."

* * *

Princess Regina's force approached Corvus on the third day out of Southgate. Corvus was well fortified for an attack by a small army, but not by a force of a thousand. Regina's scouts had ridden back the day before with the news that Lord Chaney had only left twenty-five soldiers to defend the town. Chaney's flag was quickly lowered in surrender and the city gates thrown open. Two Horse units entered through the gates, followed by Princess Regina, Jola, the dukes and duchess, and their guards.

The Tasman guards were quickly disarmed and brought before Princess Regina, where they were asked to take an oath of loyalty. Jola witnessed the oaths and rejected two she detected lying. Those two were imprisoned, to preclude them from alerting Chaney of Regina's force and the capture of Corvus.

That night at dinner, Commander Besnik outlined the next steps in the campaign. They had twelve days before Prince Aquila planned to engage Chaney's force at Blueridge. Once Aquila set out, it would take his force an eightday to reach Blueridge. In Corvus, they were less than ten days from the city. Regina decided to rest the army for two days. The delay should get them to Blueridge about the same time as Prince Aquila.

"Commander Besnik, I've no military training, but won't Chaney retreat to Tarquay as soon as he discovers the size of the king's forces?" Jola said, somewhat embarrassed. Besnik stood motionless for several moments. Thinking he was mad that someone like her would enter the discussion, Jola sat wishing there were a place to hide. She reached up and stroked Tenzen's viper, which helped to calm her. "If it's anything like Stag Bluff, it'll be difficult for us to extricate him," she said.

"You're correct," Besnik said. "The problem is, Aquila will certainly need our forces at Blueridge. That precludes an attack on Tarquay."

"Corvus was poorly defended. Wouldn't Tarquay also be poorly defended? Maybe Duke Kontar, flying the Sattah banner, could get past the gates. He could claim that Waller has decided to back Chaney, and that Chaney has sent him to reinforce the city and the castle," Jola said.

"It just might work," Besnik said. "What do you think, Duke Kontar?"

"I'm willing to try. I believe there will be little risk, as Chaney can't have left more than a token force behind. They should be happy to see reinforcements." Kontar chuckled.

"My only concern is the number of Horse units that would take. I can't allow our force to be much reduced for the attack," Regina said.

"If it is going to work, we shouldn't need a large force," Kontar said.

In the end, Regina decided that she could spare seven Horse units-Jola with her Horse guard, Kontar's four Sattah Horse, and an additional two Horse units. Once Kontar had gained access with his Sattah soldiers, he would hold the gates open for Jola and the additional troops. Regina and Besnik would take the remaining thirteen Horse units to meet Prince Aquila, as planned.

* * *

"What!" Chaney shouted at the noble who stood in front of him, and at the other nobles who had assembled to hear the report out of Southgate.

"Your Grace, Princess Regina arrived in Southgate over twelve days ago with twenty Horse units." He cringed as he watched Chaney's flushed face and angry scowl.

"And you?" Chaney turned to the noble who had reported Aquila entering Warring with only twelve Horse units. "How do you explain this report that claims Aquila is two days from us with sixteen Horse units, with six converging on Blueridge?"

"He only had twelve Horse units in Warring, Your Grace. He must have split his force before he entered Warring."

Chaney stood thinking for several minutes, his nobles in turmoil. He smashed his fist down on the table and then took a deep breath to calm himself. He smiled.

"We still have all the advantages. They're fighting on our soil, they're exhausted from over a season on the road, and they've limited supplies. Prince Aquila has only sixteen Horse units. We've our original fourteen Horse units, plus the three Horse from Greenridge. We have a slight numerical advantage." Chaney paused, deep in thought.

"What about Regina's force? We'll be crushed between the two armies," a nobleman with a wrinkle-seamed face said into the silence.

"If we stayed to fight. Instead, we'll do the unexpected. We'll go out to meet Aquila's force in a surprise attack. One full day with everything we have. Our objective is to cripple his force. While he prepares for the second day's engagement, we'll retreat to Tarquay. We can hold out against Regina's force indefinitely, since she can't sit outside the city walls for long without supplies. And when they leave, we'll attack them from behind and wipe them out," Chaney said. "The war is ours to win. Gentlemen, prepare your Horse units to ride. We attack tomorrow night."

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Tasman Province

Jola watched from the top of the hill as Duke Kontar rode at the front of the Sattah formation, his captains and a soldier flying the Sattah banner, a gray shark on a field of blue. Each of his Horse units rode four abreast and twelve deep. Together, forty-eight rows deep, they were an impressive sight. The formation did not conjure a feeling of danger, but of troops on parade-a parade of victorious troops returning home.

There was a pause at the gate before they disappeared behind the walls. Jola chewed her lip as she waited. This was the plan. If it went wrong and someone died because she'd been wrong, she'd have to live with the guilt. She pushed the idea out of her mind and nervously stroked her viper as it rested its head on her shoulder. An hour later, the Sattah flag flew above the city walls.

"Captain Rankin, I think we can now enter the city." Jola pointed to the blue flag that flapped in the wind.

"Yes, Mistress. You must be very careful. Many will be glad to get rid of Chaney, but he will have loyal supporters who would like to see us all dead. You and Kontar will be prime targets," Rankin said. Jola could see that he was concerned; he had motioned her guard more closely around her.

As the three Horse units entered the city, the reaction was mixed. Half cheered at the sight of a judicator, and half stood silent. Jola understood the mixed emotions of the city's citizens. The merchants and commoners always paid the price, whether they supported old rulers or new ones. Life on the streets never changed.

That night, Duke Kontar sent word that he and Judicator Jola would hold an open audience the next day in the castle's great hall. He, Jola, and Kit were in the middle of a hurriedly prepared meal when one of Kontar's captains entered the room.

"Sir, Mistress. One of my soldiers discovered the body of a dead noble in his room. He said there was a viper on the bed," the captain said. "From his description, it sounded like your vipers, Mistress."

"It's Narette's viper. Your Grace, please have your men search the entire castle. I suggest they start in the dungeon. Captain, can you have someone show me the room?"

"Sergeant Willis will show you, Mistress."

"Rankin, come." Jola headed for the door. Excited, she had for a moment forgotten Kit, but as she turned back, Kit stood behind her with both hands filled with food.

They followed the sergeant down several halls and then down a level. The door to the room was open, and two soldiers stood outside the door. Jola walked past them into the room. There on the bed lay a golden viper, and a dead man lay on the floor at the side of the bed. Jola reached down, and the viper wrapped around her arm. She raised it to her face. Her viper and Tenzen's flowed to meet the new viper.

"Sergeant, do you know where the dungeon is?"

"Yes, Mistress, the stairs at the end of the hall lead down to the lower level, which leads under the castle to the dungeons."

They were only halfway to the dungeon when they saw several guards supporting a slender, olive-skinned woman in rags. Her hair would have been lustrous if it weren't filthy and knotted.

"Sister Narette? I'm Sister Jola." Jola walked up to her and held out the viper she had found. The woman reached out, and the viper flowed onto her arm. She hugged the viper to her face, and tears ran down her cheeks.

"Thank you... Sister. Yes, I'm Narette." Jola put her arm around Narette's waist and supported her as they moved up the stairs into a bedroom. Jola helped her wash while the guards searched the empty rooms for clean clothes.

Afterward, Jola had food delivered, and a healer fetched from the town. She left hours later, after Narette had fallen asleep. Kontar assigned several soldiers to guard the room.

* * *

Narette joined Jola and Kontar for breakfast the next morning. She was emaciated, but a little color had returned to her face. For the next hour, Narette explained her confrontation with Chaney and her subsequent imprisonment. For the first couple of eightdays, she had been raped and abused by most of the guards Chaney had left behind when he left for Corvus. As one after another died from the still-unfound viper, her treatment had improved. The guards began to share their food with her, warm blankets appeared, and the abuse stopped. The guards had been unwilling to do more, though, for fear Chaney would return and find her released.

Narette declined Jola's offer to join her and Kontar for their meeting. She chose to retire instead.

* * *

The reception hall was beyond opulent. The vaulted ceiling soared over their heads, decorated with murals that depicted the Tasman forces defeating armies, with support by exotic beasts. The immense tapestries covered almost every bit of the walls with scenes of knights in battle and victory feasts. Chaney's cat-carved throne perched five steps above the floor.

Jola had two chairs placed in front of the throne platform, for her and Kontar. Her only concession to formality with the new arrangement was to place the chairs on a large embroidered rug; it formed a visual boundary between them and their guests similar to the one the platform normally provided. Guards surrounded them. Kit clung to Jola's side until she motioned for the child to sit at her feet.

A delegation of twenty merchants was the first group admitted.

"No disrespect, Mistress, but are you a real judicator?" a man asked as he stood with his hand clutched in front of him, his eyes downcast.

"Merchant... ?" Jola waited for a name. A name meant respect, and he deserved that.

"Ionel, Mistress."

"Yes, Merchant Ionel, I'm Judicator Jola. It is not my clothes that proclaim me a judicator, but my viper." Jola raised an arm with a viper wound around it.

Ionel looked up and nodded. "Yes, Mistress."

"I'm accompanying Princess Regina. She and her brother, Prince Aquila, are here to restore order and maintain your rights under the king's edict and the Seven Provinces' Treaty. The former Duke Waller has been stripped of his lands and titles and replaced with Duke Kontar." Jola gestured to Kontar. "Duke Greer and Duchess Kambiri are with Princess Regina. Duchess Olinda and Duke Serkan are with Prince Aquila. Chaney has lost his title and lands, and will be sentenced to the iron mines or executed when his force is defeated."

"With respect, Mistress, if he's defeated," the merchant said.

"With respect, Merchant-when. The king and the other province rulers have sent more than two thousand troops against Chaney. He'll be defeated today or tomorrow, and his grand scheme of rebellion will fail," Jola said, as her viper returned to its favorite spot in her hair.

"Two thousand... Mistress?" Several in the delegation murmured.

"Yes, and I'm here to identify and sentence those noblemen who support Chaney in his treason."

They received several more delegations in the course of the afternoon. Jola could tell they welcomed the idea of Chaney's defeat, but had no confidence that he wouldn't return.

It remained only to wait for Prince Aquila's or Chaney's arrival-which depended upon the outcome of the battle at Blueridge.

That night, Jola, Kit, Kontar, and Narette dined in one of the dining rooms in order to accommodate Jola's and Kontar's security guards.

"You don't think they might poison us, Mistress?" Kontar asked as he watched a servant put food on his plate. Kit had almost cleaned hers.

"No, Duke Kontar, I tasted the food before it was served. Although I can't be poisoned, I'd know if the food were. As you can see, my ward couldn't wait to eat." Jola nodded toward Kit.

"Where does she put it all?" Kontar asked, and then laughed. "She eats more than I do."

"She's a growing girl and she can use extra fat on her." She gave Kit an affectionate smile. "Besides, she's eating as much as she can, so when the food stops coming she can survive until she can find more."

"But the food won't... oh, I see," Kontar said as he studied Kit carefully. "You and she have given me much to think about when I return to Sattah."

"No one can solve all the problems, Your Grace. But it would help if we solved the ones we can." Her eyes were moist as she remembered her dead sister. She picked up Tenzen's viper and pressed it to her face. "You promised she was at peace," she murmured to the viper.

"Pardon me, Mistress. I didn't quite hear that," Kontar said.

"A small prayer to anyone who is listening." Jola dismissed it with a wave of her hand.

* * *

Someone poked her arm and she managed to mumble, "What?"

She rose up on an elbow. Through the window, only a little gray light filtered in. Captain Rankin leaned over her.

"Pardon, Mistress, a large army from the north. They're about a league away, and no sign of the royal banners."

Jola pushed back the coverlet and jumped out of bed. Kit rolled over.

"Is it time for breakfast yet?" Kit asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Yes, Kit. I'll have one of the soldiers take you to the kitchen. The cook will fix you something." Jola hugged Kit and then turned to her ever-present captain. "Send a couple of guards with her. The rest of us are going to the city wall to welcome Chaney to his judgment."

Jola threw her clothes on, hurried to the courtyard and mounted up with her entire guard, minus the two guarding Kit. As they clattered through the streets, not a single citizen was in sight, and the doors and windows they passed were closed and barred.

When Jola arrived at the city gate, Kontar was consulting with one of his captains on the wall. She dismounted and ran up the steps to join him on the parapet. The captain bowed and hurried away. Jola scanned the walls where Kontar's guards had already taken their places, and where the captain paced, conveying their orders.

"My captains estimate Chaney's army at around six hundred," Kontar said. "They have wounded, and look tattered and tired like they are coming from a battle. I'd be surprised if more than five hundred were fit to fight."

They watched as an officer rode toward them, ahead of the main force, followed by a bearer who carried a pennant with a large, silver wildcat on a black field.

"Open the gates. It's Duke Chaney and his army," he shouted.

"Chaney is no longer a duke. He has been judged a traitor and stripped of his title and lands. But thank him for coming to me for sentencing," Jola shouted down.

The officer stared up at her for a moment, but didn't speak. After a minute, he turned his horse and galloped away. They waited, and watched the oncoming troops as they spread out across the plain in front of the gate. At last, Chaney rode toward the gate, surrounded by guards and trailed by a soldier bearing his pennant.

He pulled up well out of bowshot. "Open that gate or I'll have you all caned to death."

Jola stepped in front of Kontar. The breeze was at her back, but she wasn't sure how far her voice would carry. Still, she would try. "Soldiers of Essam, Sattah and Tasman, beware. You no longer serve nobles of Pyxus. Every noble with you has been stripped of his title. They'll be dead, or sentenced to life in the iron mines. Two thousand troops from Tyrol, Rador, Manito, Essam and Sattah are marching on Tarquay. Look, even the Duke of Sattah stands against you," Jola shouted, and pointed to the Sattah banner flying high over the gates. "The other five rulers come with the army. They'll roll over you like the desert winds over the sands. Leave now and I, Judicator Jola, will promise you immunity from judgment. Stay and you'll serve the same fate as your leaders."

"You're wrong, bitch. We've defeated Prince Aquila's army, and we'll defeat your pathetic rabble."

Chaney turned his horse and rode back a short way. Jola and Kontar watched as he sat with his captains, who then rode back to the lines of troops spread out in front of the city. More time passed as they waited. The sun rose higher, and sweat began to run down Jola's face.

"What do you think they're waiting for?" she asked Kontar. Behind the front lines, soldiers could be seen scurrying back and forth with supplies.

"Not building anything large-scaling ladders, I suspect. They'll try to get over the walls, since we can easily defend the gates." Kontar nodded toward the murder holes over the gate, where archers stood prepared to kill anyone who got close.

After an hour, Chaney signaled the charge.

The fighting was fierce as soldiers carried scaling ladders to the walls and scurried up them. A few threw grappling hooks and tried to climb. Atop the walls, the guards pushed back the ladders. Others hacked at the grappling hooks' ropes.

Jola's stomach roiled. This was her first real battle and she prayed it would be her last. Screams and moans rose from outside the walls. She shuddered. It seemed as though the fighting would go on forever.

One of the young guards assigned to carry bread to the fighters on the walls stopped and held out his basket. She picked up a slice. It dawned on her that she hadn't eaten yet that day. Kontar handed her a flask and she took a sip of wine.

"How long can this go on?" Jola handed back the flask. They had been at the walls all day, and the setting sun had begun to tint the western sky red.

"Hard to say. We've punished the rebels badly." Kontar took a long drink from the flask as he surveyed the enemy line below the wall. For the moment, they'd withdrawn, but more ladders were being carried up for another assault. "I'd say about a third of them are down, but with our losses, I'm not sure how long we'll hold out."

Once more, Chaney's forces charged toward the walls, shouting. As night settled over the city, the fighting showed no sign of slowing.

"He must be desperate," Jola said. "No matter how much they cut up Aquila's force, they have to know that Regina's army is somewhere near."

Kontar nodded absently as he watched two guards push a ladder away from the wall, several of Chaney's soldiers going with it, screaming as it fell. "She can't be more than a few days away."

Around midnight Chaney pulled his men back from the wall. Sagging with exhaustion, Jola sat on one of the steps and Kontar sat beside her.

"I suspect they're getting set for an all-out attack." He motioned to one of his men. After a few minutes, he brought them a roasted bird that Kontar split with his dagger for the two of them.

Kontar continued to speak with his mouth half full of the dripping bird. "They don't want to give us a chance to rest. And they can't take a chance that Regina will hit them from behind."

They had barely finished the food when a guard ran up. "They're attacking the east and west walls, Your Grace."

Kontar cursed. "They want to split our forces." Hand on his sword, he looked back and forth from one wall to the other. "I have to take my guards to support one wall."

"Which is the weakest?"

"The west wall, maybe. It has an easier slope to climb."

"Take your guards there. My guards and I will join the east wall. If the west wall is breached, we'll join you to reinforce it; if the east is breached, you can come help us," Jola said.

"Mistress, it will be hard to protect you if we must reinforce a breached wall. Why don't we retreat to the castle?" Captain Rankin said. "Princess Regina-"

"Captain, I appreciate your concern. But we don't know where the princess's army is, or when they will get here. If we let them breach the walls, they will have the walls to protect them when the princess arrives. Yes, Regina will eventually defeat them, but at what cost?" Jola said. The cost of that night's battle was high enough. The thought of Regina and her troops having to force their way past the wall was one she couldn't consider. Chaney had already taken too many lives with his dream of grandeur.

At four in the morning, the west wall was breached, and Chaney's soldiers poured over it. Fighting on the parapet was fierce. Many of the enemy soldiers chose to descend the stairs toward the gates rather than attack the defending soldiers.

"Well, Captain Rankin. It's our turn," Jola said as she descended the steps to the ground. Mounting, she kicked her horse into motion, with her guards racing to beat her to the enemy. Her fifty mounted soldiers slammed into the attacking force who had managed to storm the gate in the confusion. Meanwhile, Kontar reformed a small group of guards at the top, and was now in control of the parapet.

A soldier slashed at Jola's horse. She went down in a roll and came up facing two enemy soldiers. They smiled as they attacked. She sidestepped the man on the right and smashed him in the face with her sword hilt as his momentum carried him past her. He fell, clutching his face as blood gushed between his fingers. She met the other man's downward stroke and their swords locked. He gave her a savage punch to the ribs. Jola blanched and hoped he hadn't cracked one of them. She drove her knee into his groin. He screamed in pain and dropped his sword. Jola slashed him across the neck. As she looked around, she found Captain Rankin standing over two bodies, and the fight was over. All she saw standing were her own guards, and Kontar, who was rushing down the steps at the head of a group of soldiers.

Rankin sheathed his sword and grabbed her arm so he could turn her. He prodded at her side and she sucked in a breath. "It's not broken or I'd be in worse pain." She turned to Kontar. "How does it look?"

"Well, we've held the walls this time. We won't hold for another charge like that." He nodded to where several of her guards lay-a couple bleeding, and several dead.

As morning dawned, it was clear that Chaney's army was down to fewer than two hundred. But Kontar's forces-those who were fit to fight-numbered less than a hundred. Jola watched as Chaney's men constructed a battering ram. They could breach the city gates with it, but what then? The king's forces would retreat to the castle, which five hundred couldn't breach in a month. She didn't want to do that but their options were few.

"Mistress, to the northwest!" her captain shouted. Even from this distance, Jola could see the banners of the king and the provinces. As she watched, shouts went up from Chaney's camp. A few minutes later, a group of the rebels galloped away. Two hours later Regina's army swept over the remnants of Chaney's grand army. Jola stood on the ramparts as a cloud of dust covered the battlefield. A few shouts and screams drifted her way on the wind. She clenched her fist as she watched, and then the haze cleared and the royal banner flew over the battlefield.

* * *

Jola sat in Chaney's throne room, in his chair. To her right sat Judicator Narette, Princess Regina and Prince Aquila, and to her left, the nobles of five provinces. She stared down at Chaney, in chains with a guard holding each arm, and wanted revenge. She shook her head violently to try to dislodge the thought, and then rose.

"In the name of King Nicolas, we, Judicator Jola and Judicator Narette, do hereby call this judgment in session. The first order of duty before this judgment is the sentencing of the man called Chaney," Jola said in a loud, clear voice. The hall was packed with guards, nobles with the king's army, the commoners' delegation, and citizens of Tarquay.

"You aren't even pretending to give me a trial. So much for your pretensions of justice. You're no better than me." Chaney sneered.

"You've already been judged and found guilty. You imprisoned Judicator Narette. For that act, she found you guilty of treason. You appointed your own judicator, Shalea, who implicated you. Shalea was a very poor imitation, by the way. Like you, a cheap substitute for the leader of a province. You imprisoned, me, a judicator, for which I found you guilty of treason. Directly or indirectly, you convinced ten foolish young nobles that they were gods, and that they had the right to kill a kind woman to further your great scheme. For that, I judged you guilty of murder and treason. And in an act of treason and rebellion, you raised an army against the king. A trial? You have been tried repeatedly and found guilty of treason each time. All that remains is my decision as to your punishment."

"You mean revenge," Chaney replied with a smile.

"Revenge is very tempting. We could drag you around with us, and at each village, town and city have you publicly caned. We could send you to the iron mines where you could share your life with criminals just like you. Each sister could stop there on her way through and personally cane you. We could break your arms and legs and turn you out into the streets to beg for your food. Lovely thoughts." Jola paused. A deadly silence hung over the hall. Chaney paled at Jola's suggestions. "But that would make us no better than you. No, it's justice we seek-justice demanded by the very treaty you attempted to break." As Jola finished talking, Tenzen's viper slid off her lap and slowly undulated down the steps of the platform. Jola looked to Narette, who nodded. Chaney's eyes widened as he watched the viper advance on him.

"You fancy yourself a god, Chaney. Now is your chance to prove it to the golden vipers of Astraea." The crowd remained silent as Chaney first tried to free himself from his guards, and then screamed, and finally pleaded to Princess Regina and the other rulers. Tenzen's viper twisted around his leg and slowly advanced up his torso to his neck, where it stopped.

"See, I'm innocent!" Chaney screamed and laughed, just before the viper struck his neck.

For the rest of the day, Jola sat in judgment of the nobles and soldiers who had stayed to fight with Chaney. All the nobles and about half of the soldiers were sentenced to the iron mines for life, and the rest for lesser terms. In addition, the nobles were stripped of their titles and lands.

"Before I finish, Duke Serkan, please come before me." Jola waited until a tall, thin man stepped down from the dais and stood before her. Narette looked at Jola in surprise, but said nothing. "Duke Serkan, the sisters have determined that all the nobles in Tasman, Sattah, and Essam will be judged. I'll ask you the same question I asked Waller. Duke Serkan, was it your intention through your actions or lack of action to help others break the Seven Provinces' Treaty?"

"No, Mistress. I've neglected my duties to the citizens of Essam from time to time. I've wished for more. But I haven't sought to break the treaty," Serkan said, and the truth of his statement washed over Jola. She rose.

"I decree that Duke Serkan is innocent of treason. Further, I decree amnesty for all the soldiers who deserted Chaney and his fellows. So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus," Narette repeated.

Jola reached down and picked up Kit, who had fallen asleep at her feet. "Come, little one, I'll bet you're starved."

"I'm hungry," Kit mumbled, still half asleep.

* * *

The dinner that night included Narette, the princess and prince, the dukes and duchesses, the commoners' delegation, and senior members of the army. The table was still covered with the remains of the pork braised in white wine and green oil, and the lobster in lovage, as they all leaned back and sipped their wine. Regina rose.

"Each of you was asked to join this campaign to witness the king's response to a breach of the Seven Provinces' Treaty. I ask each of you now: Are you satisfied that justice has been served?" Regina asked. She then looked at each individual until he or she nodded. "Good, I'm also satisfied. We owe our thanks to the Sisters of Astraea for alerting us to the treason, for providing us with justice rather than vengeance, and to some, for willingly giving their lives in pursuit of the truth. I for one will never look at a judicator again with the same eyes. My thanks to you, Judicator Jola. If anyone has any questions, now would be a good time to get them answered, while we're all here."

"Mistress, why did you forgive all the soldiers?" Besnik asked.

"I didn't forgive all, only those who chose to leave Chaney rather than attack the city," Jola said. "I granted them amnesty for two reasons. The main reason was that it would be unfair to blame soldiers for following orders. They aren't expected to understand the issues underlying an order. Imagine what would happen on a battlefield when the commander ordered a charge, if every soldier then stopped to consider whether it was a just battle, whether the issues he was told about made sense, or whether the rumors he may have heard were right. However, when a judicator explains the issues, soldiers not only have an obligation to choose, but also are responsible for their choices."

"Are all the judgments done?" someone asked.

"No, the sisters have called for judgment of every noble in Tasman, Essam, and Sattah. I'll return with Princess Regina through Essam to ensure that every noble has been judged."

"Will that end it?" another asked.

"For a while, we'll have a limited peace. The princess and the prince, with support from the rulers of the provinces, have avoided total chaos-but they haven't changed the nature of people. There will always be dissatisfaction with the treaty. People with wealth want more wealth, people with power want more power, and people with strong beliefs want everyone to believe. In addition, there will always be people who are unkind and uncaring," Jola said, as she stroked her vipers with one hand and Kit with the other.

* * *

The army stayed in Tarquay for six eightdays. Princess Regina appointed a new Duke of Tasman, a list of the outlaw nobles was posted, and the army was used to install the new nobles. In most cases, it was an elevation in rank for a lesser noble, but Regina did elevate several commoners to noble status for their contributions to Pyxus. Prince Aquila planned to return with Duke Kontar to help him in Sattah, and then planned to continue on to Tyrol where he would deliver the prisoners to the iron mines. Aquila requested that Narette accompany him, since he might need a judicator. Princess Regina would take Jola back through Essam with Duke Serkan, to judge his nobles and root out the outlaws guilty of treason.

Jola had found the eightdays after the judgments to be a welcome relief. They were also an opportunity to spend time with Kit, who Jola found to be delightful company; Kit kept her constantly entertained. Kit, in turn, had attached herself to Jola like a tail and wouldn't let her out of sight, even if it meant missing a meal.

"Kit, empty your pockets, please," Jola said one morning when they had returned to their rooms after breakfast.

"Do I have to?" Kit asked, looking at the floor.

"Yes, you do," Jola said, trying to suppress a smile.

Kit reluctantly did so. The contents included a silver knife and spoon, two pieces of fruit, two silvers, and a silk napkin.

"The fruit you may keep. The rest is stealing. Do you know what they do with thieves?" Jola forced herself to remain serious.

"They cane them?" Kit answered, now showing fear.

"Yes. Is my ward a thief?"

"I was a thief. I stole to stay alive. I won't do it again, Mistress," Kit said, with tears in her eyes.

Jola pulled the now-sobbing girl to her and cried herself. "Good. I expect you to keep that promise, Kit. Let's start by returning these items to the rightful owners." Jola held Kit at arm's length.

"Yes, Mistress, I promise." Kit placed her hand on her heart. Jola took her hand and they walked back down to the dining room, where Kit returned the knife, spoon, and napkin to the table. Then Kit took Jola up the stairs to Princess Regina's room and knocked on the door, to the amazement of her guards. Another soldier opened the door.

"I need to return these to the princess." Kit held out the two silvers. Jola squeezed her mouth tight to contain her chuckle. However, a couple of the guards had to cough to avoid laughing. Regina wandered over to the door when she heard Kit's voice.

"Hello, Kit, how can I help you?" Regina asked.

"I stole these from you. I'm returning them so I won't be a thief anymore."

"Thank you, Kit. Are you sorry you stole these silvers?" Regina asked. Her lip twitched as she said it.

"Yes, Princess, I promised Mistress Jola I won't steal anything again," Kit said. "I'm giving up being a thief." That induced a lot of coughing.

"Mistress Jola must be very proud of you, Kit," Regina said. "I'll tell you what. In celebration of you giving up a life of stealing, let's go into the city markets and find a gift to mark your new life."

The rest of the day was spent shopping. Kit got new clothes, which she needed, several sweets to eat, and a chance to tell everyone who would listen that she was no longer a thief. It was a fabulous day for Jola and the princess.

Two days later, Princess Regina's army began its march toward Warring.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Tasman Province

The threat was over and only cleanup in Essam remained, so they had no reason to rush. Duke Greer said that Warring would take him several eightdays out of his way, and that he had business at home that required his presence. He said his goodbyes a day out of Tarquay, and he and his soldiers rode east toward Manito.

Kit was a changed girl who was interested in everything and everyone. By the time they reached Warring, she had charmed everyone in Regina's party, including Duchess Olinda, Duke Serkan, and all of their guards. Although Kit didn't stray from Jola's side, Jola's guards were still as watchful of her as they were of Jola.

Warring was in a state of chaos when Regina's army arrived. The majority of Warring's nobles from both the Tasman and Essam sides of the city had joined Chaney to overthrow the treaty. Consequently, most of the estates were now without nobles or soldiers. A delegation of merchants met their party, complaining that thieves and gangs ran rampant throughout the area. Besnik took a Horse troop to secure the estates in support of Duke Serkan. He also sent six Horse units ahead to Gotter, which Jola said would also be affected.

The real tragedy was the wives, sons, and daughters of those outlaw nobles. They were being thrown out of their homes with little except the clothes on their backs. Jola negotiated with Regina to give them one hundred silvers for each family member, and to allow them to take a few household items to begin their new lives as commoners. Many were innocent family members who had nothing to do with the decision to support Chaney. Jola visited each estate, and acted as the arbitrator in deciding what could be taken and what had to be left. Regina spent time with Duke Serkan to decide which nobles would receive the estates. Those who hadn't supported Chaney benefited by acquiring new lands or being elevated in rank.

Jola conducted judgments for the nobles in the area, and sentenced as outlaws those who didn't show. She judged twenty-five, found five guilty, and stripped them of their titles and lands. She stipulated that they not be confined, since they hadn't participated in the fighting. Jola thought the loss of titles and lands would be far worse to men who had known privilege all their lives.

It took Regina's captains four eightdays to restore order and prepare to move on.

* * *

By the time Regina's group reached Gotter, Besnik's soldiers had restored general order, secured the estates without nobles, and collected the nobles for judgment. Jola looked forward to seeing Gotter again. She had made good friends during her time there, friends who'd helped save her life. But first came the judgments.

Jola approached the platform in the center of the town square-the same platform on which she had exposed Shalea as a fake. She ascended the steps with Kit, Princess Regina, Duchess Olinda, Duke Kontar, and the guards, and then stopped at the top and turned around.

"Good morning, citizens of Gotter. A few of you may remember me as the heckler who exposed Tasman's fake judicator," Jola said, to a rumble of laughter. "I hope whomever I gave her rat snake to is pleased with it."

"Aye, it has wiped out half the rats in my neighborhood!" a woman shouted from the crowd, and the crowd roared with laughter.

"I owe you my thanks for helping me expose Shalea as a fake. You kept the nobles that supported Chaney from stopping me. Captain Marek kept Shalea's soldiers from killing me, and helped me escape the city. Toma, a street rat like me, helped keep me hidden, and Trader Sava gave me a beautiful horse to help me escape. I'm much indebted to all of you for your support and courage." Jola finished to boisterous cheering.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, do hereby call this judgment in session. Captain, would you read the first noble's name to be judged," Jola said, loud and clear.

"Marquess Stassio," the captain shouted, and Stassio was shoved to the front of the platform, a guard gripping each arm.

"Princess Regina, I appeal to you. This judicator had a bad experience in this city and probably blames me for not helping her more. She's not suited to judge me. She can say I lie when I tell the truth, and no one will know."

"Lord Stassio, if you don't trust me, I'd be glad to let the golden vipers judge you." Jola unwrapped her viper from her hair and held it out toward him. Stassio looked as if he couldn't speak, and merely shook his head as he stared at the viper.

"Lord Stassio, did you participate in the search for me after I exposed the fake judicator?" Jola asked.

"Yes... Mistress, I had a right, because you had killed a man," Stassio said with a small smile. Jola sensed truth shaded with evasiveness.

"Did you know I was a judicator?"

"I knew you claimed to be a judicator," Stassio replied, even more relaxed. Jola sensed the same truth and evasiveness.

"Did you know Shalea was a fake judicator?"

"I knew Chaney sent her to judge the trial of our three nobles accused of rape."

"Very clever, Lord Stassio. When is the truth not the truth? When it's a lie." Jola laughed. "Lord Stassio, did you knowingly take actions in support of the Tasman leader's treasonous efforts to break the Seven Provinces' Treaty?"

Stassio stood still and said nothing. His mouth worked several times but nothing came out.

"Lord Stassio, the people of Gotter are waiting for your answer. Surely, it isn't a difficult question." Jola waved toward the crowd.

Stassio still didn't answer. "All right, I'll ask an easier question. You ordered the search for me. Were your instructions to the groups that searched for me to have me killed?

"No," Stassio said. The falseness of his answer washed over her. Back in her hair, her viper rose from the top of her head, jaws open with fangs exposed. The viper in her lap also rose up, fangs showing.

"Enough, Lord Stassio. For the benefit of the citizens of Gotter, I'll summarize your answers. You knew Shalea wasn't a judicator, and that she would brand the women as whores and free the three nobles who raped them. You knew I was a judicator, and yet ordered my death. You supported Chaney's efforts to break the Seven Provinces' Treaty. Oh, and you stayed away from the fight so you wouldn't get hurt and could pretend you didn't support Chaney, if he lost."

"You see, Princess, Duke Serkan, she's prejudiced against me. I'm innocent," Stassio said as Jola stood.

"Let it be known to all citizens of Pyxus that Judicator Jola has resolved beyond any man's right to question the issue before her involving Lord Stassio's involvement with Chaney's effort to dissolve the Seven Provinces' Treaty," Jola chanted, as Stassio continued to plead to the princess and Duke Serkan. "I decree the following:

"First, Lord Stassio is guilty of treason.

"Second, Stassio forfeits his title and lands.

"Third, Stassio spends the rest of his life confined to the iron mines.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus."

Jola looked back at the princess and Duke Serkan, who nodded agreement.

Jola heard fifteen more judgments; she found three guilty and they forfeited their titles and lands. At last, she reached down and picked up Kit, who had been too fascinated by the crowd to sleep. "Well, Kit, are you hungry yet?" Jola knew Kit had probably been hungry for the past hour.

"Yes, Mistress." Kit gave Jola a big hug, ignoring the vipers that seemed to ignore her.

"How do we know you're a real judicator?" a well-dressed woman shouted. Jola guessed she was probably the wife or daughter of a nobleman who had lost his title and lands.

"Actually, there is only one way. Judicators are immune to a viper's poison," Jola said. She understood the resentment of wives and children of nobles who had by their actions displaced them. As she reached up her own arm, her viper coiled around it with its head at her wrist. Its fangs struck the artery. "Now the only way we can prove whether or not it's poisonous is for you to allow it to strike you."

The crowd shouted for the woman to go see, but the woman ran off.

"That was quite a demonstration, Mistress Jola," Serkan said with a laugh.

"But it proves nothing unless someone tests the snake," Jola said, grinning.

"Even if it wasn't poisonous, I doubt anyone would call your bluff."

"In reality," Jola said, as the second viper struck the artery in her other arm, "it was having supper, and not injecting me with poison. I suspect she was the wife of a former noble. In that case, she's just distraught and angry at having lost the only life she has ever known."

"We nobles have much to learn, and much to lose," Serkan said, almost to himself.

* * *

The trip to Etzel was slow, as they stopped in Egon for judgments. Jola found no nobles guilty of anything except one, and he only of bad behavior, which cost him one hundred silvers. The judgments in Etzel also found no nobles guilty of treason. Their offenses were merely an intellectual agreement with Chaney against the restrictions on them.

She had become fond of Duke Serkan over the past ten eightdays together. He had changed a great deal from the leader she had met two seasons before, when she and Tenzen had passed through on the way to Gotter. She hoped that the judgments in Essam, Tasman, and Sattah had likewise helped to enlighten most of the remaining nobles as to what they had to lose.

* * *

Finally, they left for Rador and the town of Lucien, which Jola had only briefly visited with Tenzen on their way to Kasava. She remembered it as a small town built on a low hill surrounded by rolling plains-the separation of green from yellow, from cool and hot.

On entering the town, Princess Regina decided to visit the inn, The Easy Traveler-to arrange for rooms, to visit the local lord, and in general to be visible to the people. As Jola dismounted, a blond girl came streaking across the street toward her. Jola just had time to shout, "Captain, she's a friend!" before Rosa enveloped her in her arms.

"You're alive! Where is Sister Tenzen? Who is this girl? Where are you going?"

"Stop, Sister Rosa; I can answer only one question at a time. Let's find a place to sit, and I'll answer all your questions. I've a few of my own," Jola said, noting Rosa's eyes on the two vipers.

"Sister Tenzen is dead, isn't she?" Rosa asked, her face pale.

"Yes. We've lost much in the past two seasons," Jola said. "And gained much-meet Kit, my ward."

Rosa looked down at the frail little girl and saw a kindred child. "Kit, I'm Mistress Jola's friend, and I'd like to be yours." Rosa was shocked when the little girl put her arms around her neck and gave her a hug.

"Sure," Kit said.

Rosa was horrified, and then instantly relieved when she realized that the vipers didn't bite the little girl.

"The vipers ignore her," Jola said with a shrug. "Let's go into the inn and get something to eat. Kit is always hungry."

The inn had tables outside under a tree, where the maid brought them pastries and greenberry juice. They spent the next two hours bringing each other up to date on what had happened over the last several seasons. Rosa and Kassandra had spent their time touring Manito, Kasava, and Rador. They had returned to the monastery, where the sisters had decided that Rosa was qualified to ride a circuit on her own. Her current assignment was Rador and Kasava. Rosa finished her update by sharing several of the cases she had heard since she had finished her apprenticeship.

"How do you like being on your own?" Jola asked. Her face felt tired from smiling so much; she felt proud of her sister.

"It's strange and lonely on one hand, and yet it's a very satisfying feeling," Rosa said.

Jola detailed everything that had happened on the campaign. She told Rosa about how Tenzen had died, about her own narrow escape, about the judgments in Sattah, the capture of Corvus and Tarquay, the judgments in Essam, and finally, about her experience with Naga.

"Was it real, Sister Jola?" Rosa glanced around to be sure no one was near.

"I think so, but you've to remember that at the time I was close to death. It did sound a lot like I imagined the God Naga to be, based on the reality that none of the sisters admit to having seen him," Jola said. "But that may be the problem. Maybe I was hallucinating. I can't prove it, but I think I talked to Naga."

"What he said makes sense to me. It also seems consistent with the kind of women the golden vipers select. Are you going to tell our sisters?"

"I don't know... would you?" She had been too busy to think about it before.

"I don't know either. Somehow, I don't think you should. It sounds like he would rather it remained a mystery." Rosa grinned. "I promise to keep it a secret, until you decide."

"Thank you."

"I'll keep it a secret, too," Kit said, shocking Jola and Rosa, who had forgotten about their young companion.

"Thank you, Kit," Jola said, silently telling herself she needed to be more careful around her ever-present ward.

* * *

Jola left the next day with Princess Regina and the army, on their way to Northgate and Lappin. It took twelve days to get to Northgate, where Regina planned to rest her army for an eightday before pressing on to Lappin.

"Mistress Jola, do you plan to go to Lappin with us? Or do you've other plans?" Regina asked, a few days before the army planned to leave Northgate.

"There's no reason for me to go to Lappin. I think it's time that I get my ward to the monastery, before she exhausts your army's rations completely," Jola said, and laughed. "In fact, I probably should take extra supplies with me."

"I'd like to send at least half of your guards with you to the monastery, although it's probably unnecessary. We upset a lot of people during our campaign," Regina said. "In fact, I think you and your sisters should consider whether guards would be appropriate in the future, based upon the trouble you've encountered in the past three seasons. Don't give me an answer right now. Give the sisterhood a chance to consider the pros and cons before you decide."

"Thank you, Princess Regina. You're right that it isn't something I can decide on my own. And there is the fact that our taking foreign troops across provincial lines on circuit would be in violation of the treaty. Perhaps with the king's permission, a way could be worked out. I thank you for your offer of security to Astraea, but it won't be necessary. Kit and I shouldn't encounter any trouble in Tyrol. It'll be hard, leaving my guards, since I've become quite fond of them. I'm going to miss them," Jola said.

Regina laughed. "Captain Rankin told me much the same thing. In fact, he suggested you needed a security guard to Astraea. They see you more as one of themselves. You haven't only been a good traveling companion and an excellent judicator, but also a teacher. I hope we'll see much of you over the years."

* * *

Kit and Jola made good time to Iron Hills, arriving in four days. The trip alone with Kit had been wonderful. She had an unending supply of questions about every animal, plant and person they passed. She kept Jola entertained and amused. Kit was starting to feel like her daughter. Jola wasn't sure whether that was good or bad; however, she found she enjoyed the experience.

They were warmly greeted at Iron Hills by Marquess Thomas, who had come to terms with Jola's last visit.

"Your advice about the prisoners was correct, Mistress Jola. I've improved their food and provided a rest time, and they've been less trouble and more productive," Thomas said as he walked her and Kit to their quarters. "The new prisoners arrived only three eightdays ago, and are still adjusting. I'm afraid they won't appreciate our improved conditions."

"No, Lord Thomas. The tragedy is, they had so much and they threw it away," Jola said. "I hope you don't mind if I eat with the prisoners tonight."

"Normally, I'd be insulted, but you had such a positive effect on them last time that I'd have suggested it if you didn't." Thomas laughed. "But I'll be hurt if you don't breakfast with me tomorrow."

"Kit and I would be delighted." Jola smiled. Lord Thomas signaled a guard, who escorted her and her ward to the prisoners' mess hall.

She waited until everyone had been seated to enter, to avoid any trouble.

"Good evening, Mistress. I hope your companion isn't a new prisoner," the guard at the entrance said, trying to keep a straight face.

"She's dangerous, Corporal, but so far she hasn't been charged with a crime," Jola said. "Although she has stolen a few hearts."

That caused the guard, and another who was close by, to have a hearty laugh.

"I haven't stolen anything since I promised," Kit said indignantly, which caused even more laughter. Jola and Kit entered the hall, looked around and headed for a table where she recognized several individuals.

"You bitch," someone screamed, as several ex-nobles jumped up and headed toward Jola, who pushed Kit behind her. This proved unnecessary, since guards leaped into a circle around her and Kit, the old-time prisoners met the former nobles before they could get close to her, and a huge fight broke out.

"Should we break it up, Mistress?" the sergeant asked, obviously not in a hurry to do anything since the ex-nobles were getting the worst of it.

"It looks like a friendly argument that will probably break up soon. Besides, I wouldn't want any of your men to get hurt accidentally," Jola said. Kit peeked out from under her arm and the heads of her two vipers remained turned in the direction of the fight, one viper with its head on her shoulder, and one with its head on hers. Eventually, the fighting slowed.

"Gentlemen, my dinner is going to get cold if you continue!" Jola shouted, and the room became suddenly quiet. The old timers turned and went back to their tables. Several of the guards started helping up the beaten and bloody nobles, and prodding them out the door. "We'll get you lot bandaged up," one of the guards said.

She and Kit found a place where the prisoners had made room for them, and sat.

"I doubt the new guys will mind missing a meal. They don't like the food anyway," one of the men said.

"Men, I'd like you to meet my ward, Kit, a little street rat from Sattah."

"She must be a real street rat, the way she's eating the food," the man said, to numerous laughs.

They stayed almost two hours-Jola telling stories of the campaign, and Kit telling about life in Sattah. The guards were as interested as the prisoners. She and Kit enjoyed themselves, and delivered small entertainment to men who had little to look forward to.

On the way out, Jola pulled the sergeant aside. "Sergeant, please give the prisoners and your guards a treat on me tomorrow," Jola said, handing him a small purse of silvers.

* * *

"Good morning, Mistress; I understand the ex-nobles didn't enjoy your company or the food," Thomas said with a wry smile.

"I don't understand it, Lord Thomas. The food was excellent, right, Kit?" Jola said, and looked to Kit, who'd had two helpings the previous night.

"Yes, Mistress. It was good," Kit said, already evaluating the food being served for breakfast.

Lord Thomas choked and had to have a sip of water to recover. "She actually liked the food?"

"Kit was raised on the streets of Sattah, Lord Thomas. Any street rat knows the only bad meal is a meal you've missed," Jola said.

* * *

Halt, in the name of Count Lazare!" a sergeant shouted, from the middle of a group of soldiers blocking the road to Astraea on which Jola and Kit were traveling.

Jola stopped and looked at the ten soldiers and the two nobles among them. She recognized Count Lazare and his son.

"Have you come to apologize for your earlier breach of conduct?" Jola asked. She knew by the way Kedge sneered that they meant trouble.

"Kit, I want you to be very alert, like on the streets or in the alleys. These are bad men, and you'll need to escape into the woods as soon as you can. If something happens to me, go back to Iron Hills. Tell them that you're Mistress Jola's ward, and you want to go to the monastery at Astraea. Tell the sisters at the monastery that you're my ward. They'll take care of you. That will be your new home," Jola whispered in Kit's ear as she waited to see what the group would do.

"I don't want to leave you," Kit pleaded.

"If you escape, it'll be easier for me to get free, Kit. Just like on the streets, we have to split up for a while," Jola said, although she didn't believe she would get free this time. Kedge would kill her, or the soldiers would.

"Yes, Mistress, I'll get free," Kit said, and Jola gave her a tight squeeze.

"Sergeant, get that kid," Lazare said. "You'll fight my son, or I'll have the kid killed."

"Yes, that explains the coward you have for a son. His father would kill an innocent child to indulge his fantasies." Jola hugged Kit one last time.

"This time he'll cut you into ribbons. He had been poorly trained last time. My new weapons master has made him a master, as well," Lazare said, as the sergeant rode up, grabbed Kit and yanked her over to his saddle.

"Sir Kedge is more than ready for the likes of you, bitch. I taught him how real soldiers fight," the sergeant said.

"In the name of King Nicolas, I, Judicator Jola, have resolved beyond any man's right to question the guilt of Count Lazare and his son. I decree the following:

"First, they are guilty of treason.

"Second, they forfeit their titles and lands.

"Third, they be confined to the iron mines for the rest of their lives.

"So say the Judicators of Pyxus," Jola chanted, to the nervousness of several of the soldiers.

"Shut that bitch up!" Lazare shouted, but when the sergeant raised his hand to strike her, he found a viper's head alongside her face, and stopped.

"The viper, Count," the sergeant said, quickly backing his horse away.

"Never mind. Down, bitch, or I'll have the girl killed," Lazare said. "Did that speech make you feel better?"

"Much, Commoner Lazare. Your soldiers realize that my sisters, with Princess Regina's support, will purge every noble in Lappin, looking for my killers. Eventually you'll pay the price I've set," Jola said, remembering that Sister Tenzen had sent letters to the monastery and to the king describing the previous incident with Lazare and his son.

"Enough talk, bitch. Today you'll pay my price. I'll see you beg my son for forgiveness," Lazare shouted, his face purple and twisted in rage.

His son had already dismounted and drawn his sword as Jola dismounted. As she did, she threw her viper in the direction of a stand of thick brush, and then drew her sword, noting that the other viper had already disappeared. Kedge made several complex cuts through the air. Jola could see that they were the traditional moves old veterans used. Obviously, the sergeant who taught him was just that, a veteran, and not the weapons master Lazare had claimed.

"After I kill you, I'll find that snake of yours and have it mounted on my wall," Kedge said, pointing his sword in the direction Jola had thrown her viper. "Pray to your snake god, bitch, that you die quickly!"

Jola saw the sweat forming on his forehead. She sensed his unease. He's not as assured as he claims. Jola took no solace in his discomfort, as her detached mind registered the soldiers, the sergeant holding Kit, a grinning Lazare, and Kedge. She heard his ragged breathing, saw the shifting of his weight, the narrowing of his eyes, the twisting of his hand and sword, and recognized them as signs of his impending lunge. He swung from his right, at her neck. She parried it, pushing it over her head to her right. He twisted the sword and struck at her waist. She blocked it, and her arm vibrated at the impact. He withdrew his sword and lunged at her chest. She could have delivered a killing blow but didn't, because Kit was still in the sergeant's grasp. She sensed he was a man without conscience, and would kill Kit at Lazare's command if Jola killed Kedge. When Jola began to retreat, Kedge grew aggressive with his attack, smiling at his perceived advantage.

"There, bitch. You are going to die for having me caned, and I want you to know before you die that I am going to kill that kid of yours, as well as that snake," Kedge shouted with glee as his blade slashed through her shirt and into her arm. Jola hardly noticed. She had only half her attention on her fight with Kedge; the other half was on the sergeant and Kit.

Kedge wasn't her equal, but he had improved over the several seasons since their last encounter. You and Kit are going to die if you aren't careful, she chastised herself. With that, she stopped her retreat and focused her full attention on Kedge. It would be so easy to kill this fool. She slid past his lunge, but stopped short so the coward didn't lose all his nerve and run. Kedge stopped for a moment, unsure of what had happened. He was sweating, and breathing hard. Jola took the opportunity to glance toward the sergeant. He had slumped in the saddle and Kit had disappeared.

Jola could sense Kedge's impending attack. She would take him and then try for his father. The confusion would allow Kit additional time to disappear into the trees. Just then, Kedge charged. She sidestepped as his sword swished by her face, and slashed hers low through the tendons of his leg. She slashed down through his neck as he fell.

"No! Kill her!" Lazare screamed as he drew his sword. "Kill her, Sergeant."

"Here, you evil man," Kit yelled, dashing from behind a tree as she threw a viper at Lazare. It landed on his arm and struck several times. Lazare struggled for a few seconds before he fell from his horse, convulsing as he died.

Jola turned to the soldiers. "Corporal, you look intelligent, and not eager to work in the iron mines. Take these bodies to Commander Besnik and tell him what happened. Tell him I've judged Lazare guilty of treason and have taken his titles and lands. Tell him that I don't hold you or your men to blame for what happened here today."

The corporal nodded and directed his men to collect the bodies. "Thank you, Mistress."

An hour later, Jola and Kit were back on the road to Astraea.

"How did you get away, Kit?" Jola asked Kit, as she hugged her for the tenth time.

"One of your vipers came with me. When the sergeant hit me, the viper bit him. When he stopped moving, I jumped off the horse and ran into the woods like you told me."

* * *

Five days later, they topped a ridge in the foothills of Astraea, and saw the monastery and the temple of Naga.

"Welcome to your new home, Kit," Jola said.

Table of Contents

- CHAPTER ONE
- CHAPTER TWO
- CHAPTER THREE
- CHAPTER FOUR
- CHAPTER FIVE
- CHAPTER SIX
- CHAPTER SEVEN
- CHAPTER EIGHT
- CHAPTER NINE
- CHAPTER TEN
- CHAPTER ELEVEN
- CHAPTER TWELVE
- CHAPTER THIRTEEN
- CHAPTER FOURTEEN
- CHAPTER FIFTEEN
- CHAPTER SIXTEEN
- CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
- CHAPTER EIGHTEEN