Wash Your Hands of Him

Writers: Aaron, Devin
Date Posted: 15th April 2025

Characters: N'vanik, Corofel
Description: N'vanik discusses what should happen to Ingrizon with Corofel.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 3, day 4 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Talryne, Gilbek (not by name), Alyena (not by name), R'ayl (not by name)

N'vanik

Corofel

The stormy weather was fitting for N'vanik's mood. He'd sent a message
ahead to warn the Acting Lord Holder that he was coming and as Loseth
landed in the Gather Square he spotted a few figures huddled in the
rain.

Ellay cheeped nervously to Corofel from his spot on the young man's shoulder.

"Weyrleader N'vanik," he greeted as the dragonman approached. Corofel
was not precisely thrilled to be summoned out into the rain, but he
was going to keep up every custom and norm he could manage, even if it
was inconvenient.

"Acting Lord Holder," N'vanik said in a barely civil voice. "We have
another problem to discuss."

Corofel was starting to think he did not like the flavor of that
'Acting' qualifier anymore.

"Would you care to join me inside?"

"Lead the way." N'vanik followed Corofel into the Hold, trying to keep
a leash on his temper.

Corofel led N'vanik to his conference table, where his staff provided
him with hot spiced klah and offered to take his jacket.

"Now," he said once they were settled. "What can I do for you?"

**Don't start with accusations,** N'vanik thought. "Since the former
holder Ingrizon fled justice, I think that makes him holdless. Which
means that aside from this conversation, you don't need to worry about
him anymore."

"I guarantee there are people to whom I am responsible who will
disagree," said Corofel. "Under ordinary circumstances, a fugitive
from justice in my jurisdiction should be returned to face justice
here. I concede that there is reason to believe that there are
extenuating circumstances, but I must insist that we conduct a hearing
to prove your case."

N'vanik clenched a fist under the table. "And I might remind you that
if you'd accepted the Weyr's offer of help in dealing with White
Hollow, Ingrizon might not have been able to flee and show up at
Dolphin Cove to try to kill one of my riders." His voice was rising
and he forced himself to stop.

"All right, look, N'vanik. Let's talk straight." Corofel folded his arms.

"I understand that you blame me for Ingrizon escaping. But you don't
_know_ what would have happened if your people had interfered, and I
can only assume you don't _care_ about the fallout I would have had to
deal with after you left. You came in and made your demand, and I told
you exactly what I need to do to give it to you. But you're still
sitting there _glaring_ at me as if I've told you no, as if I've been
unreasonable, as if it's not enough to get what you came for when it's
on my terms."

"I can only assume you're even here asking me because you want me to
take responsibility for what you're going to do to him, so perhaps the
next attempt on someone's life will be one of mine and not yours. If
your people are all that matter to you, then why _should_ I give you
what you want?"

"I'm here asking because I want you to wash your hands of him." The
Weyrleader tried to hold on to his frayed control. "He tried to kill a
_kid_ in the middle of the Dining Cavern. My weyrmate was _right
there_." N'vanik put a hand to his head, the reasonable part of him
pointing out that yelling at a kid was not going to make anything
better.

"And I'm going to follow the proper and _public_ procedure," said
Corofel. "Because not everyone who lives under my protection has
intimate knowledge of what he did. All they'll see is you flying in,
making demands of me, and me _folding_ like I'm nothing more than the
rubber stamp for your direct control over Emerald Falls and her
protectorate. If I'm going to wash my hands if him, they need to _see_
me doing it. They're not just going to take my word for it that my
hands are clean."

The sharding kid was making sense and that just made him _angrier_.
**Loseth.** N'vanik reached for his bronze, needing help to calm down.

}:Talryne is safe. They're all safe, mine,:{ Loseth soothed his rider.
}:You're not angry with him.:{

N'vanik took a deep breath. "What do you need for a hearing? I have a
man who can testify Ingrizon ordered a cothold in your territory
burned down with a woman and child inside. I have the woman herself,
who had to flee to the Weyr. She's our Headwoman now. Her son, who
Ingrizon attacked. Is that enough?"

"Between that and the evidence we already have, it should be more than
enough," said Corofel. It would definitely help that they had their
own corroborating evidence. "We can easily show that rehabilitation is
impossible, and that a sentence of exile is warranted. Of course, once
he's officially holdless, he's all yours."

N'vanik closed his eyes for a moment, relief and dark possessiveness
washing through him. But Ingrizon's fate wasn't in his hands just yet.
He looked at the young lord, feeling a little calmer, his voice a
little more steady. "How soon can we arrange this?"

"I'll provide the venue and a Harper to represent Ingrizon," said
Corofel. "Give me five days."

}:Be calm,:{ Loseth told him.

That wasn't long, really. It would give the witnesses time to prepare,
and Corofel seemed to have no desire to save this man. And if
everything went wrong . . . there were other ways. "That sounds
reasonable," his voice sounded distant to his own ears. "I'll let the
witnesses know."

"Thank you for working with me." Corofel was not entirely sure that
Ingrizon was not going to have an unfortunate accident before the
trial, but he had done all he could do when it came to protecting his
own image and credibility at Emerald Falls. If N'vanik did make an end
run around him, Corofel would just have to cross that bridge when he
came to it.

Last updated on the April 22nd 2025

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Wash Your Hands of Him