The Collapsing Tunnel - Chapter 4

 

4 – Ana – The Hall of Disputes

Ana stands outside the doors of the Hall of Disputes. The doors always look so imposing and solid. The Hall was the one place where goblin custom and dwarven law met as equals, and every ruling inside shaped the fragile peace between their peoples. She adjusts her red sash and badge denoting “guardian of the border”. She is always so uncomfortable wearing the formal uniform. Its wool fabric always feels limiting and looks so much like the Peacekeeper’s.

“Stop fidgeting, Ana.” Waad comments, standing next to her.

“I know Waad. I prefer our silks to this.” She says as she moves her shoulders. “This always feels so limiting.”

He smiles, “Imagine wearing Peacekeeper’s armor instead.”

She visibly shudders. “I’m uncomfortable when they wear it. It reminds me of furnaces at Two Forges.”

Waad shifts the beaded Aashkibwe‑maan belt across his shoulder and rotates the rough slag bead in his hand. “If this were the early days of peace, they’d still be in armor.”

“Yes, but we’d be in body paint. Can I change into that instead?” she brightly smiles.

Playfully mocking, he responds. “Of course. We’ll both enter wearing body paint, silk ropes, and strung bows across our bodies. Looking like the ‘shadow warriors’ they fear.”

She likes the thought of wearing only body paint, but also knows how zhul-durak – shadow warrior – of legend can easily be twisted into zhul-rakkaz – shadow killer – whispered about in fear. She rotates her neck and pulls at her uniform collar as the announcement bell sounds.

Straightening up, she holds her barkskin pad.

The large stone doors open, held by Hall Protectors. Ana rarely entered the Hall—border guards only come when a violation is serious enough to threaten the treaty itself. She lets Waad enter ahead of her. He silently holds up the Aashkibwe‑maan belt. Clearly and loudly, he announces, “This is the official record of Aniniwiin Sukaniniwinin. We come forth seeking justice.” The Truth-Speaker and the Stone-Judge both nod, each from their seats. Waad then turns to the Listener-of-Bruna, who nods, followed by the Priest-of-Durn, who also nods. While staying on the Goblin side of the chamber, he approaches the dwarf Record-Keeper, who nods, and finally the Weaver-Who-Hears-Meaning takes the belt and lays it on the table below the Loom of Peace. Every bead added to the Loom became part of the shared history of both peoples—an unbroken record of the treaty’s survival.

Ana silently walks into the great circle, staying on the goblin side and waits.

Two Peacekeepers enter from the other side. The senior one holds up a glass bowl with three large beads. “This is the rule of Law. We await the decisions of Truth and Justice.”

He offers the bowl to each member of the Hall, who ritualistically nods until he moves down to the Loom and waits next to the Record-Keeper.

One of the Peacekeepers whom Ana handed the miners to enters the circle and stands silently on the dwarf side. This is followed by the two miners being escorted in by two more Peacekeepers. The Protectors who were standing by the goblin hall door move to stand just outside the circle as the prisoners are put into it.

The Stone-Judge hits his mallet twice, and it echoes in the Hall. He looks directly at Ana. “You bring a grievance into this Hall. Do you require a translator?”

Her hand nervously tightens around her notes. “No, Great Stone-Judge and Truth-Speaker. I will make my words heard in Durask, so they know what they are accused of.” She says as she points her empty hand at the miners.

Both the judges nod at each other. The Truth-Speaker also directs, using Durask, “Bring forth your grievance, Aniniwiin Sukaniniwinin.”

“Thank you. I am Noonda Ashkwa Mishig and monitor the treaty border. These two were found in violation of that border, with picks and mining tools. One drew a knife, but both were safely subdued and handed over to the Dur-khazrim.” She then holds up her barkskin notes. Both justices nod upon seeing them, but motion for her to continue standing in the circle. Waad holds up the rough slag bead and hands it to the Weaver, who adds it to the Loom of Peace, as the Record Keeper takes notes.

The Stone-Judge looks to the Peacekeeper. “What is your role in this?”

“Stone-Judge and Truth-Speaker, I am Dulmir Iron-Vigil. My partner, Kavran Stone-Oath, and I received two border violators from this Zhul-durak.” He holds up a slate with notes marked on it. “And these two men are those violators.”

Ana flinches when she is called a “shadow warrior”, but she’ll worry about that later.

The Stone-Judge addresses the miners. “What do you have to say in your defense?”

One of them clears his throat. “We followed the will of Durn. We seek his gifts in the unmined lands. We did not know we crossed the border.”

“Yeah, we didn’t see any signs. We were just following a shaft.” The other one comments.

The Listener-of-Bruna asks, “May I read the notes from the border?”

The slate and the barkskin are collected and handed to him. He reads them and then has them taken to the Priest-of-Durn. The Priest reads them and scowls. “I think the border guards overreacted. These appear to be lost lambs following the voice of Durn.”

The Listener-of-Bruna shakes his head. “I disagree. The notes are clear. These men were well beyond the border in clear violation. But, as always, I respect the judgment of Justice.”

Both the Stone-Judge and the Truth-Speaker request the notes from the Priest. A few moments after reading them, they whisper to each other. Ana is unhappy with Priest’s argument, but she, like the Listener-of-Bruna, trusts the justices.

She sees them nod and then deliver the notes to the Record-Keeper.

The mallet bangs again. “Thank you, Noonda Ashkwa Mishig, and thank you, Dulmir Iron-Vigil. Step from the circle.” Once they do, the Stone-Judge continues, “Brokkan, son of Durvak, and Helmir, son of Thuldren, you have both been found guilty of willful violation of the border and disregard for prohibitions of mining in goblin lands. You are both sentenced to a year of hard labor in Mining Guild monitored tunnels and barred from working near the border lands for five years.”

The Hall Peacekeepers escort them out as the Senior Peacekeeper holds up the bowl, and a polished iron stone of “guilty” is placed in the Loom. Ana looks at the beautiful patchwork of beads hanging down from the statues of Bruna and Durn holding hands. The Loom of Peace is beautiful to behold. Waad picks up the Aniniwiin Sukaniniwinin belt. They silently leave the hall.