Morgan, emboldened by Dhara’s input, continued, “Are we to await a verdict before we honour the Huntress?”
“Enough,” Mavka barked the command, each of the huntresses jolting at the sound. Even Dhara sat back. “Another time.”
A silence fell upon the hall and, for a moment, Aloisia took Mavka’s word as final. But seemingly the others did not.
“The beads are part of our tradition,” Valda spoke up from Morgan’s side, twirling a copper braid about her finger. “Do we wait ten days, until the trial is over, to get them made by Fynn?”
“If he is proven innocent,” Morgan added, her beak-like nose still held high.
Kaja gripped Aloisia’s arm, as if to hold her in place. “Shut your trap.”
“Silence!” Mavka bellowed.
The huntresses withdrew at her voice.
“I must apologise to our guest.” Mavka turned to Inari. “Shaman, I am sorry you are seeing my guild at its worst. I am sorry this is the side they have chosen to show you.” She looked sideways at Morgan and Valda.
Aloisia glared at Morgan, rage burning in the pit of her stomach. She longed to punch her beak-like nose until it bled. It would be an improvement to her narrow, sneering face.
“No need to apologise to me,” Inari said. “Though, for what it is worth, I do hope he is found innocent. I would not be assisting if I thought he was guilty.”
Morgan’s cheeks burned red.
“Let’s just hope what’s in that forest doesn’t decide to come out again. For all our sakes.”
Fear glinted in the eyes of the other huntresses. Inari sat back and returned to his meal with his point made.
Aloisia set aside her plate and headed for the doors, Kaja on her heels.
“She was completely out of order!” Kaja said. “Both of them. What makes them think they can ignore Mavka? Do they want to be expelled from the guild?”
Aloisia leant back against the wall, Morgan’s words playing in her mind.
If he is proven innocent.
She would do everything she could to ensure Fynn would not be executed. But would it be enough?
“Such heinous things they said,” Kaja fumed, pacing back and forth before her. “Who are they to say such things? We are supposed to be sisters, family. We are supposed to support each other.”
Inari appeared in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest as he rested against the frame. “Families are complicated. They seem just as scared as you do.”
“I doubt it,” Aloisia said. No one was as terrified for Fynn’s fate as she.
“Fear can do strange things to people.”
Aloisia felt Inari’s gaze on her, studying her. She ignored him, staring at the treeline of the Dead Woods, the branches barely visible in the looming darkness of night.
Kaja placed a hand on her shoulder. “You should get some rest.”
Aloisia nodded, detaching herself from the wall and heading home. Inari followed. As she walked through her door, she shed her weapons belt and headed to the nearest log bench.
Inari perched beside her. He clicked his fingers and flames burst to life in the small fire pit. Aloisia stared in wonder as the fire crackled to life.
“I would pay no heed to their words,” he said.
“They are my sisters. And even they have no faith that Fynn will survive this. They are already looking for another smith.” Fury boiled within her, tempered by her panic.
“Like I told you, it is their fear talking.”
