decision.
Suddenly the events of the day caught up with her. She felt weary beyond thinking. The bed seemed to call out to her. She knew she should be considering what Gaelen had told her, but her mind could not hold a coherent thought. To be able to think clearly, she needed at least a few spans sleep. She tried to remember … had he said he would return this afternoon or not until tomorrow? After all, it had been almost dawn when he brought her here. Surely he meant tomorrow. He had said he needed to rest, too. Yes, that must be what he meant. She could afford a few spans sleep.
She forced herself to strip down, wash, put on the nightdress and brush as much of the grime and dust from her hair as possible. It was a small attempt at control, to stave off complete despair. Then she lay down on the bed and fell quickly into a restless sleep. Her dreams were filled with blood, screams and fire. And of Gaelen trying to kiss her, then turning into a demon with hungry, leering eyes, attempting to devour her.
~ 10 ~
ROUGH JUSTICE
Sinnath faced the distasteful duty of punishing those soldiers who had raped or injured women and young girls. Discipline had broken, and now it fell to him to decide who would be punished and what form that would take. The most difficult part would be determining who was guilty. Men would be loath to inform on their mates. Victims would hesitate to come forward with what they would consider their ultimate shame and degradation. Mothers would cover their daughter’s reputations as much as possible. Or go to the opposite extreme of making false accusations, especially if their loved one had been killed or maimed. Sinnath knew that disciplinary action needed to be swift and decisive, both to reinforce the laws within the army and to demonstrate to Catanians they would be treated fairly.
He decided that each soldier found guilty of rape would receive five lashes in the public square. One captain argued for leniency, claiming battle frenzy as an explanation. Sinnath quickly silenced him with the reply that others had not succumbed to battle frenzy, and that he had failed in his duty to maintain discipline in his men. He informed captains that they must round up the accused and advise them of their sentences. A captain’s non-compliance meant demotion to regular foot soldier … or dismissal.
“ First, request that victims come forward and point out the guilty.” He looked at Mesor, the captain who had protested, and gave him the names of the two men he had himself witnessed raping a young woman. “You will take these men, strip them to the waist, and tie the first to the post. The other will await his turn under guard. All soldiers not on patrol must gather in the square to watch. I want no further incidents of this nature.”
Mesor stiffened with anger but said nothing.
“ Now, Mesor!”
Sinnath eyed the other two as a scowling Mesor strode off. “If either of you know of others who are guilty, tell me now. Failure to do so will show me you are unfit to command. You will be demoted and take the lashes yourselves when it is found out … and it will be found out. These acts shame Bargia; they shame us all.”
Both men shuffled from one foot to the other.
Larn cleared his throat. “There was one Glash in my company, sir. I have already dismissed him without pay. He is no longer here.”
“ I see.” Sinnath waited a moment longer. “Since you have no further names, go among the Catanians and see if you can find any willing to come forward. Understand that I do not intend to believe every accusation. When we have gathered all the accused in the square, I will make it plain that each accuser must convince me of their claim. If I discover a soldier has been lashed on the basis of a false accusation, that soldier will be given the right to mete out the same punishment to his accuser.”
He stood and regarded the two men again thoughtfully. “I find this as distasteful as you. But
Suddenly the events of the day caught up with her. She felt weary beyond thinking. The bed seemed to call out to her. She knew she should be considering what Gaelen had told her, but her mind could not hold a coherent thought. To be able to think clearly, she needed at least a few spans sleep. She tried to remember … had he said he would return this afternoon or not until tomorrow? After all, it had been almost dawn when he brought her here. Surely he meant tomorrow. He had said he needed to rest, too. Yes, that must be what he meant. She could afford a few spans sleep.
She forced herself to strip down, wash, put on the nightdress and brush as much of the grime and dust from her hair as possible. It was a small attempt at control, to stave off complete despair. Then she lay down on the bed and fell quickly into a restless sleep. Her dreams were filled with blood, screams and fire. And of Gaelen trying to kiss her, then turning into a demon with hungry, leering eyes, attempting to devour her.
~ 10 ~
ROUGH JUSTICE
Sinnath faced the distasteful duty of punishing those soldiers who had raped or injured women and young girls. Discipline had broken, and now it fell to him to decide who would be punished and what form that would take. The most difficult part would be determining who was guilty. Men would be loath to inform on their mates. Victims would hesitate to come forward with what they would consider their ultimate shame and degradation. Mothers would cover their daughter’s reputations as much as possible. Or go to the opposite extreme of making false accusations, especially if their loved one had been killed or maimed. Sinnath knew that disciplinary action needed to be swift and decisive, both to reinforce the laws within the army and to demonstrate to Catanians they would be treated fairly.
He decided that each soldier found guilty of rape would receive five lashes in the public square. One captain argued for leniency, claiming battle frenzy as an explanation. Sinnath quickly silenced him with the reply that others had not succumbed to battle frenzy, and that he had failed in his duty to maintain discipline in his men. He informed captains that they must round up the accused and advise them of their sentences. A captain’s non-compliance meant demotion to regular foot soldier … or dismissal.
“ First, request that victims come forward and point out the guilty.” He looked at Mesor, the captain who had protested, and gave him the names of the two men he had himself witnessed raping a young woman. “You will take these men, strip them to the waist, and tie the first to the post. The other will await his turn under guard. All soldiers not on patrol must gather in the square to watch. I want no further incidents of this nature.”
Mesor stiffened with anger but said nothing.
“ Now, Mesor!”
Sinnath eyed the other two as a scowling Mesor strode off. “If either of you know of others who are guilty, tell me now. Failure to do so will show me you are unfit to command. You will be demoted and take the lashes yourselves when it is found out … and it will be found out. These acts shame Bargia; they shame us all.”
Both men shuffled from one foot to the other.
Larn cleared his throat. “There was one Glash in my company, sir. I have already dismissed him without pay. He is no longer here.”
“ I see.” Sinnath waited a moment longer. “Since you have no further names, go among the Catanians and see if you can find any willing to come forward. Understand that I do not intend to believe every accusation. When we have gathered all the accused in the square, I will make it plain that each accuser must convince me of their claim. If I discover a soldier has been lashed on the basis of a false accusation, that soldier will be given the right to mete out the same punishment to his accuser.”
He stood and regarded the two men again thoughtfully. “I find this as distasteful as you. But
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