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Warrior's Code: Quiz 131


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#1 Guest_Serena_*

Posted 20 August 2004 - 11:03 PM

Warrior’s Code

Elshana stared at a join in the stone wall. She sat on the floor, behind the iron bars, with the other members of the party.

“Ellie, c’mon, talk to us!” Imoen pleaded. Elshana didn’t seem to hear.

“She will not speak, Imoen.” Kivan said. “She has not spoken since Tethoril and the guards brought us here.” The archer’s dour mood did little to help any of them. “And I, for one, cannot say I blame her. They spoke as though we were truly guilty of Rieltar’s death.”

“But we -- we weren't there!” Khalid said, a frown on his face.

Kivan shrugged, his lanky frame curled up against one of the stone walls. “I cannot explain it, I only know what I observed.”

“I can.” Elshana said softly, and all of them turned to her.

“Child? What do you mean?” Jaheira straightened.

“I know why I’m here. Not you.” She still refused to even glance at the group, and her voice was soft.

“Elshana,” Ajantis said, placing a hand on her shoulder, his voice compassionate, “if you can explain anything here, please, do.” She shied under his touch, and did not answer.

The group sat in silence for a long while, before Elshana spoke again. Her voice was barely above a whisper. “You weren't there.” She echoed Khalid’s statement. “But I was. When I told you I was going to my old room to collect a few things? I lied.”

There was silence again as the group thought about what she had said.

“I didn’t want to get you into any trouble.” The whisper came again. “I -- I --” Then she began to weep.

“Child? What is it?” Jaheira asked. Elshana looked up, meeting her eyes for the first time since they had been taken.

“Ever -- ever since I ended up on the road, I’ve thought of myself as a warrior. Someone who fights to survive. But that’s not true any more.” She took a shaky breath. “Now I’m just a common murderer.”

“I don’t understand,” Kivan said.

“I made it my point, that anyone I fought against I fought in combat had a legitimate chance to win, to defeat me. Even if magic was involved. But that’s not true either.”

“Child, what are you trying to say?” Jaheira’s voice was low.

“I --” she seemed to almost strangle on the word. “I killed Rieltar. I killed him! He didn’t even know I was there, and I killed him!”

“It may not have been the right thing to do, Elshana,” began Ajantis, “but I doubt few will mourn his loss.”

“No! You don’t understand!” She stared at her hands. “I killed him. I’d planned it for days. I planned, schemed to take a life, and I did it -- without even giving him a chance!” Shaking she turned to face the group. “I wanted him dead. Sarevok is -- was -- a puppet on his strings, and I hoped that Rieltar’s death would free him. Given the chance in combat, I would have run him through without a second thought. But this -- this --” she couldn’t finish.

“Elshana,” Kivan tried, “sometimes a warrior must take a life --”

“Yeah,” Elshana snapped, “death in combat and all that. But there’s a difference between a warrior and a murderer, that most people fail to see. I tried to hold myself to the standards of a warrior. And now I’ve failed.” She shook her head. “I’m no better then a common cutthroat.”

“That’s not true!” Imoen blurted out.

“The worst of it is that you must suffer with me.” She added. “I never wanted you involved.”

“B-but Elshana, w-we’re your friends --” Khalid began, his green eyes wide.

“Exactly. You don’t deserve this. I do.” She turned away from all of them, and resumed staring at the floor.

“But child, the sentence for murder is --”

“Death.” Elshana finished. “I know.”

“You do not deserve death, Elshana,” Kivan said.

“And Rieltar did? Who are we to judge?” Elshana snarled back.

The silence returned, as no one appeared to have an answer. It was only when footsteps were heard that Elshana raised her head, and stared up into the face of Ulrant, flanked by two guards.

“So.” His brown eyes glinted in the torchlight. “You and your companions are held responsible for the death of Rieltar Anchev. What say you, Elshana?”

She came slowly to her feet, never taking her eyes from his. “My companions are innocent. Release them.”

“Release members of the Shadow Thieves?” He sounded incredulous. “You must be out of your mind.”

“They -- we’re not shadow thieves!” Elshana protested.

“So you say; but the insignia of the Shadow Thieves was found by Rieltar’s body.” He pulled himself up to his full height. “For such crimes, the penalty is death.”

“Please, Ulrant, let them go!” Elshana pleaded. She turned away. “I killed Rieltar. They’d nothing to do with it.”

Imoen cried out, “Ellie, are you crazy?”

“Child, don’t be a fool!”

Ulrant glanced at her, his eyes widening. “In spite of all Gorion‘s teachings, I was proven right. Your violence is bred within you. Still. You have confessed, and shall be found guilty. As for the involvement of your companions; that will be determined later, when all the evidence is reviewed. As for the present, you shall be taken to Baldur’s Gate, where sentencing will be carried out.” He turned on his heel, and motioned to the guards. “Come.”

When the sound of his footsteps could no longer be heard, Jaheira burst out. “Have you lost your senses, Child? You will be put to death!”

“I murdered someone.” Elshana said.

“Elshana --”

“No.” She turned to face the group. “I want you to understand.” She stared at each of them. “I learned within a few hours of my father’s death that sometimes you have to kill to stay alive. I hated it, but recognized that if I didn’t kill, I would be killed. I learned to accept that.” Elshana took a deep breath. “I also found a certain thrill in combat. The knowledge that it’s only your skill, your strength, that keeps you alive.”

“Anyone who has been in combat can attest to that, Elshana.” Ajantis said. “That hardly makes you a murderer.”

He got no response as she continued with her explanation. “But combat is between willing people. Everyone who fights accepts the risks. Even if they’re fighting because they think they’ve no other choice, they still realize that there’s a chance they could die, and have accepted that risk. I respect that. Everyone who’s fallen to my blade knew the risks in fighting me. And many of those fights have been close, with perhaps only luck saving me.” She sighed. “But Rieltar didn’t know the risks. He didn’t even know I was there. I never gave him that chance, that respect. Do you see? That is the difference between a murderer and a warrior, and one I’ve tried to uphold.”

“That is what I must be punished for. Not for killing Rieltar, but for murdering him.”

Ajantis came over and laid a hand on her shoulder. This time she did not shy away, but turned to look at him. “I think I do understand, Elshana. Though I do not agree, I understand.”

“If you find a way out of here, take it.” She ordered. “Stop Sarevok. I’m hoping that I may not be killed, that Rieltar’s activities might keep me from being sentenced to death . . . but I’ve done something horrible, and must take whatever punishment is meted out.” Facing Jaheira, she added. “Look after Immie, will you?”

They could hear footsteps coming down the hall. Elshana tensed, but the footsteps down the hall resolved into the figure, not of Ulrant, but of Tethoril, trailed by a guard carrying a large bundle. The guard dropped the bundle to the floor with a muffled clatter, and left.

He shook his head sadly. “I never thought I would see Gorion’s ward behind bars. Ulrant told me what you said.”

“I’m sorry, Tethoril. But --”

“I know. And we must hurry. I can teleport you into the catacombs. You should be able to make your way to freedom from there.”

“Teleport the others.” she ordered. “I’m staying.”

“You really meant it, didn’t you?” Imoen said softly.

“This is foolish, Elshana.” Kivan said. “To deliver yourself to your enemies?”

“No, child. We are staying.”

“You’re innocent,” She said, “and don’t deserve my fate. I’ll be alright. Go.”

Tethoril glanced at the others. “Please, send them out of here.”

“Very well, Elshana.”

“No!” Imoen shrieked. “Ellie!” She ran forward and hugged her foster-sister.

“Imoen, I’ve got to take the punishment for this. This isn’t like all the pranks we pulled. This is serious.” Elshana wrapped her arms around Imoen and hugged her. “Please?” Something in her voice convinced Imoen, who stepped back.

“Okay,” she said. Imoen was crying.

“Are you sure of this?” Tethoril asked. He fumbled in the pocket of his robes, and pulled out a ring of keys. The door unlocked easily, and he untied the top of the bundle to reveal the party’s equipment.

“Quite sure.” Elshana managed a wan smile. “I’m Gorion’s child, after all, and never ran from my punishment.”




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