Chapter 78

Marcie awoke to the sound of the door of her cell closing again.

Armin must wait until she was deeply asleep before he dared bring her food. The old tray had been removed and a new one sat in the middle of the room, more porridge, bread, preserve and water.

As she had the previous day, she ate the porridge slowly, allowing it to fill her and had a little water, leaving the rest for later.

The porridge did not sit well in her stomach, they were so tangled with nerves. She walked around the tiny room to try and help it settle and tried to arrange herself as respectfully as possible. She straitened the creases in her trousers and shirt, wiped most of the mud off her boots with hay. She used her fingers to untangle her hair, getting all the straw out and braided it carefully, pulling it tight against her head. Then she used some of the water from the jug to clean her hands and scrub her face and neck.

Feeling a little refreshed but no less nervous she walked around and around her little cell until her legs began to ache, but she did not wish to sit down and dirty her cloths or hair again so she continued to walk around and around.

It came as such a relief when she heard feet on the steps outside that she nearly cried. She took deep breaths to control herself and carefully ate the left over bread roll and drank some more water while she waited for the door to be opened, she knew she would need the strength from the food to get through this.

The two men she did not know were back again, they heaved the door open and came in to stand on either side of her, Marcie held herself very still and did not allow herself to show any fear of these men.

Roor followed them in and stood in the door way. He did not look at her.

He held out his hands and Marcie blanched at the heavy iron manacles he held.

"I would like you to put these on please, Marcie" he said quietly and sadly.

Marcie stared at the rusted chain and heavy bracelets that would secure her wrists, the men on either side of her shuffled aggressively.

She slowly raised her hands out in front of her, turning them palms up, she refused to be forced into them. But she felt dread coil in her gut as Roor approached and secured the first bracelet over her left wrist with a dead sounding click. He locked it with a large black key and then moved onto the other one. Marcie stared straight ahead, her heart beating so hard she felt light headed.

When he was finished, Roor finally caught her eye. He looked even older today, or maybe it was the weak light, his face appeared even more lined and his hair looked grayer,

"Do not say anything" he instructed quietly, "Allow your friends and family to speak for you"

Marcie nodded, it was all she could do.

Roor turned and walked out of the room, the two men grabbed an arm each and Marcie had no choice but to follow.

Breen gulped down a few spoonfuls of soup but then pushed the bowl away unfinished. Justyna was also hardly eating, she pushed the spoon around the bowl distractedly.

Breen checked the light and saw, with a sense of trepidation that it was soon midday. The air was sticky and Justyna had opened every door and window in hopes of coaxing a breeze to come along and cool the sweat from their brows. The sun was high but Breen could see dark clouds in the far distance and knew that the storm that had been threatening for so long would finally break. Somehow he did not think it was a good sign for it to present itself on this day of all days.

Justyna came out of her daze and got up, she walked around the table and put her arms around him. He clutched at her desperately. She whispered reassurances into his hair and he squeezed her tightly before letting go, gathering his courage and leading her towards The Hall.

They joined the stream of people also going that way and he held his head up at the whispers and looks that passed his way. He met his mother and siblings also heading out. His mother had been crying and the little children looked to be in shock, he squeezed his mothers hand and she turned hopeless eyes to him, he felt his stomach clench. He was surprised to see Kena also with them, clutching two of her siblings hands, of course, she would not miss Marcie's reckoning.

The stream of people filed neatly into The Hall and it was very soon full. Breen and his family had to push their way to the front, as family of the accused Roor had informed them that they had the right.

Everybody waited, low whispers and murmurs filled the hall, echoing off the high beamed ceiling.

Summer court was held around this time very year. But usually  it was merely a place to offer up marriage proposals or seek recompense for perceived misdeeds, the punishments for any wrongdoing was usually a fine or hard work to help the village. A death sentence was unheard of in his lifetime and yet, there were stories of those who committed truly terrible acts being sent to the flame.

The atmosphere in The Hall was one of excitement and it made Breen sick to his stomach.

The door at the far end of The Hall banged open and a hush immediately fell over the expectant crowd.

Roor walked out first and stepped up onto the raised platform, retrieving his leader staff that leaned against the large chair and taking a seat.

He surveyed the silent crowd through tired and heavily hooded eyes before raising his staff slowly, every eye followed the movement, and brought it down with a thud on the platform.

A shiver seemed to run through the crowd.

Marcie came out onto the stage.

She had washed up as best she could, her hair was pulled back tightly from her face and making her look severe, too severe, he wished she had worn it down, it would have made her look younger, more sympathetic. Her expression was one of fierce determination and she walked stiffly, held between two burly men he did not know well but knew to be petty and cruel.

Her wrists were chained together.

The men marched her onto the platform and the crowd exploded.

Many asked why she was chained, his mother cried out "She's just a girl! what harm can she possible do", others shouted her name, he heard Miss Maiden, all his siblings and a few others, but over all of them he heard catcalls and horrid vindictive remarks, jeering and cries of "Burn the Witch!"

Breen watched all the colour drain from Marcie's and knew that she heard exactly what he did. More of the crowd was against her than with her.

Roor thumped his staff on the floor twice and silence descended, but it was a silence tinged with violence. In the distance Breen heard the unmistakable rumble of thunder

"Here today" Roor boomed, his voice hitting the rafters and bouncing back, "We are gathered for our summer court" he paused for effect, "But today I have been given the most unpleasant task of trying the accused you see in front of you"

A few villagers shouted out, waving their fists at Roor. He thumped his staff and they settled back.

"Marcie No Ones Bride" he boomed, "Is accused of the truly terrible crime of Witchcraft"

The crowd lost it again. Many people called out that this was ridiculous and they had not seen hide nor hair of any witchcraft from this girl. Most though, shouted to burn her.

Roor thumped his staff once again.

"The Goddess is merciful and so, the accused shall have the support of her family and friends" he raised his voice, "Who shall represent her?"

Breen stepped forward, "I shall" he said, his voice ringing through The Hall.

Mutters and grumbles followed his declaration, yet he ignored them as he stepped up onto the platform. Roor nodded at him, and Breen was surprised to see that the older man looked relieved. Roor turned back to the crowd.

"And who shall raise the evidence against her?" he asked.

There was a moment of silence when nobody came forward and another rumble of thunder was heard. Then, a clear voice rang out over waiting villagers,

"I will"

And Kena separated from her family and stepped up onto the platform. Breen could only stare at his sister as she stood on the other side of Roor a satisfied little smirk hidden at the side of her mouth.

Breen glanced quickly at Marcie and saw her level a look at Kena, one of disbelief and boiling anger, he caught her eye and gave her, what he hoped, was a pleading look to behave and let him handle this. Her eyes darkened and she grit her teeth, staring at the floor angrily.

Roor had to thump his staff again to get silence after the crowd reacted to Kena's betrayal, or, as much of the crowd seemed to think, her bravery.

"Hunter Breen" Roor boomed, "Can you speak for the character of the accused?"

Breen cleared his throat, "Yes, I can"

"And how do you describe her?"

"I would...I would describe her as having never done anybody any harm. As a kind and helpful soul who is polite to not openly hostile to anyone, even those who despise her" he cast a sharp glance at Kena who was smiling graciously at the crowd, "She keeps to herself, if kind to small children, provides for herself and did the best out of a terrible situation-"

"Oh dear brother, how you cannot see the truth! That she has bewitched you!" Kena interrupted gleefully, "However, I forgive you your blindness! For she almost bewitched me and yet I was able to break free and have come with eyes open anew to save you all! I love each and everyone of you, even the blind! For this is my home and I would protect it with my life, and I ask you now to do the same and cast out this foul corruption that has been wrought upon us! Remove her, remove this outsider from our midst that we be free to care for those we love without fear!"

The crowd cheered. But not loudly enough that they did not hear Marcie shout,

"You only love yourself you heartless bitch!"

Roor leapt from his seat and smashed his staff down with a ear splitting boom,

"Kena Gatherer" he said angrily once the crowd had quieted, "If you interrupt the representative again I will have you replaced, understood?"

"Yes Leader Roor" Kena simpered smugly,

"And Marcie" Roor said turning to the accused, who bristled, "Do not speak"

She glowered at him, all fear gone, replaced with anger. The two men had firm grips on her arms and her hands were clenched into fists.

Roor waved at Breen to continue. He swallowed, not a good start.

He had Miss Maiden speak up about how hard of a worker Marcie was, and other villagers, he asked his hunting troupe who all spoke of her skill with a bow but they cast furtive looks at one another as though they were unsure whether to mention that they had seen her do some pretty extraordinary things but knew that it would not help her case. He had his father speak up and even some of his siblings who said things like, "Marcie is pretty, I love her", "I like it when she sings", "She carries me" and "Why is everyone being so mean to Marcie?"

He asked his mother to speak up but instantly knew it was a mistake,

"Well, Marcie. She...she had made some mistakes, she has made some choices that are to her detriment"

Breen tried to interrupt her, "Mother, I think that's enough-" but she just barrelled past him,

"With the hunting, and living so far away from the village and talking to those outsiders and not marrying, oh why Marcie, did you never marry? This never would have happened if you had a man beside you" she said, talking directly to Marcie now, who stared at her in disbelief,

"Mother this is not the time-" said Breen pleadingly,

"I am not married and I never been accused of being no witch" Miss Maiden said loudly, glaring at Luce.

Roor thumped his staff for silence, then rubbed his eyes tiredly,

"Please do not address the accused directly" He told Luce who nodded mutely.

Next Kena brought forward her witnesses.  She brought forward many who Breen knew Marcie had never been close to, who all spoke of strange happenings in her presence, of animals acting strangely around her and some even committing suicide, one even spoke of seeing a large mole, a Witch mark he called it, on her thigh when she had been bathing in the lake.

Marcie rattled her chains and began unbuckling her belt at this remark, declaring, "Lets have a good ole look for this mark you seen on me then" and made a move to pull her trousers down. Roor stopped this behaviour with a thump of his staff and pointed a finger at Marcie warning her to behave.

Then Perick, Kena's sometimes lover came forward and spoke of how Marcie had attempted to seduce him under the full moon. Had called him out of his bed into the garden, stripped naked and invited him to take her under the wicked sky. "But I remember my lessons and I remember that to lay with a woman who is not your wife is the worst sin-" he was saying, his head bowed low in repentance when Marcie interrupted again and Breen closed his eyes,

"I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole Perick, I ain't interested in Kena's leftovers"

Once order was restored after that little outburst, Kena, looking a little shaken, called forward Ketsa. Breen hissed angrily.

Ketsa shuffled to the front of the crowd and Kena crouched, asked him tenderly to tell everyone what really happened in the forest when the Blacksmiths poor son and the innocent Freddie was killed.

Ketsa shuffled his feet nervously and avoided looking at Breen who was glaring at him so intensely it was a marvel he did not burst into flames, instead he merely broke out in a sweat.

"I...I...." he started,

"Shhh, do not be afraid, she cannot hurt you here" Kena reassured him gently, he gazed at her face like a drowning man,

"Hunter Breen said he did killed Freddie an Noal but he didn, ah mean, well...he did kill Noal but...but only after Marcie cast a spell on im and made is eye fall out an then she turn into a demon and she beat Freddie ta death with er demon hands an-an-an that's what really happened..." he slowly got quieter and quieter until he stopped altogether, "they did do nothing, they was just there" he mumbled,

This time it was Breen who lost it, "Did not do anything!" he roared, "The three of you conspired to rape her! An offence punishable by death if they had lived, but they did not and you are lucky you can still stand here today and dare say-"

But a wail of grief rose, louder that Breen. The blacksmith and his family screamed and tried to push through the crowd, shaking their fists at Marcie. And Breen knew he had lost them, nothing he said would change their minds now.

Roor took a long time calming the crowd down this time, only a surprise crack of thunder, loud enough to be heard over all the noise allowed the crowd a distraction to listen to the rest of Ketsa's testimony, because he had not done enough, Breen thought bitterly.

Kena coaxed him along splendidly, all soft kindhearted smiles and reassurances,

"What was it you told me Ketsa? What was it? Why don't you tell everyone now"

Ketsa swallowed and spoke quietly, but the acoustics were such that the crowd heard him quite clearly,

"I heard it said...that-that Marcie spoke of killin er father, gettin the house all ta herself, bein rid of him"

Mutters spread through the hall. This, this they did not know whether to believe.

Marcie took a deep angry breath in to tell Ketsa exactly what she thought of him, but Roor pointed his staff at her with such menace that the air rushed out unused.

"Oh come on" Ryna cried, "Kill her father? Like he was not on deaths door already the amount he drank" she said, tossing her hair scornfully,

"And you" she said, pointing at Kena with the utmost contempt, "How dare you stoop so low as to accuse her of such a crime, like it aint bad enough you accuse her of something so absurd as Witchcraft for goodness sake, what actual proof do you have, just like the Witch mark, it is all easily disproved"

"Well, Ryna" Kena said dismissively, "I am not merely a representative of our home but a witness to this woman's evil myself! Yes, I have seen her use magic first hand! When she thought herself alone in her isolated home, I followed her and saw her raise a bright blue light with which to summon the evil creatures of the forest that she loves so much she would rather live in there that in our Goddess blessed village!"

More cheers, and Marcie looked, if possible, even paler than before, but she was uncertain now, her anger fading and giving way to...what?...acceptance? Breen shuddered and tried to make his voice heard.

But Kena was not finished, she raised her arms and her supporters fell quiet so she could continue,

"And I also know Ryna" she said turning to her brother and his betrothed, "That you have been witness to her powers over evil also"

Ryna scoffed, "No we bloody well-"

"My brothers hand"

Ryna's eyes narrowed,

"The wound he claims was from a hot pan in mothers kitchen, did I not hear you say, dear brother, that you gained it after trying to hold the accused back from her fathers body, that her skin burned you just like putting it upon a hot pan? hmmm?"

Ryna glowered, "You bitch" she said and Kena smiled triumphantly, turning back to the crowd she said, "You see? Even her supporters do not believe it impossible for her to have...abilities. What the hunters of my other brothers group will not freely tell you is that she also burned the bodies of our beloved dead! With nothing but the power of her wicked mind! If she controls fire then what else can she do I ask you!"

The crowd erupted and their shouts of "Burn her!" drowned out Roors frantic attempts to keep the peace.

Suddenly a crack of thunder sounded directly overhead. So loud it made every single villager in The Hall's ears pop and several to scream. It left them with a ringing that abated into silence.

And in that silence, Marcie could clearly be heard to say,

"If you believe I can control fire then what good will burning do?"

Breen stared at her. And knew in that moment that there was nothing he could do to save her.