Lithoniel

After Baeris, it was Urilee's turn.

"Urilee, I have just two questions for you. Baeris said Lithoniel was trying to seduce Garluin and Kolvar got jealous. That's the reason for the fight. Is it true?" Shylin asked.

Lithoniel involuntarily winced when she heard the word seduce together with Garluin. She still couldn't believe Tinesia could come up with something like that.

"No way. Lithoniel hates Garluin. There is no way she would try to seduce him."

"If that's the case, what happened that night? Why did Kolvar attack him?"

"It was Garluin. He whispered something to Kolvar and made him furious. Probably he insulted him."

"That's just a conjecture, Loremaster." Tinesia said.

But Naevys didn't say anything like she didn't hear her.

"But why? Why would he do that?" Shylin asked.

"I don't know for sure, but..."

"But?"

"I think Garluin planned this." Urilee continued.

"Why?" Shylin asked.

"He wanted Lithoniel to break the vow. He forced to Kolvar to attack him and someway convinced Liara to run."

"Someway?" Tinesia laughed. "And how, pray tell, did he do it?"

"Probably he seduced her" Shylin interjected. "He is a handsome young man..."

Tinesia looked furious. Probably she didn't like seeing Shylin using her own tactic against her. "That's just rubbish! Loremaster!" Tinesia sounded frustated, "Please say something!"

It wasn't a surprise since Naevys was ignoring on purpose

Naevys sighed.

"Shylin, Urilee, enough." Naevys scolded, but her voice was gentle and soft like she was amiably talking with her granddaughter.

"Loremaster..." Tinesia said, gritting her teeth.

"Don't look me that way, Tinesia. I'm old. My hearing isn't as good as it used to be." She said, but her eyes were laughing.

Bad hearing? You can hear an elf walking from one hundred steps away, Loremaster.

Tinesia looked like she sucked the bitter root of an ebontree.

Teacher seems impartial, but it's just an act.

The thought filled her with warmth, but at the same time, it worried her. Lithoniel knew how strict Naevys could be. She had always been impartial and rational in her decisions. She was the true pillar of the tribe, the leader who led them for more than fifty years without favoring anyone.

And now she is breaking her principles. Because of me.

She was still thinking about that when Shylin called her son to the stand. Kolvar, not Rolim.

When he came forward, Lithoniel noticed that he seemed very different; he wasn't the old Kolvar, carefree and always smiling, but looked serious, his expression guarded like he was desperately trying to restrain his emotions.

Lithoniel almost suspected Shylin made a mistake and called Rolim instead.

What happened to him? It's almost like he...grew, all of a sudden.

It was weird but not as weird as seeing mother and son looking at each other like they were strangers. Lithoniel knew their relationship was strained, but she didn't think it was that bad.

"Tell me, Kolvar. When you were in the cave did Garluin say something to you?"

"He did."

"Do you remember his words?"

Kolvar nodded.

"Can you repeat them?"

Lithoniel pricked up her ears. She had no time to ask before, but she really wanted to know what Garluin said to him.

She stared at Kolvar, but she was shocked when she saw the look on his face. She had never seen him so solemn, his face a mask of determination.

"I can, but I won't."

His words caused an uproar.

"Kolvar, you know how important this is for Lithoniel." Shylin tried to reason with him. "Are you sure you don't want to answer?

Kolvar flinched when his mother mentioned Lithoniel, but he didn't budge. "I am sure."

"At least can you tell us why?"

Kolvar seemed to think about it for a long minute.

"Because what Garluin said is demeaning and offensive." He said speaking very slowly, his voice loud and clear like he wanted everyone to hear his words. "If I repeat those word, I would smear her reputation. That's why, no matter what, I won't do it."

"Her?" Shylin glanced at Lithoniel and then back at Kolvar, a strange look on her face. "Are you talking about Lithoniel?"

Kolvar winced, realizing he said something he wasn't supposed to say.

"Yes." He admitted.

"So, is that the reason you attacked Garluin? Because you were defending her honor?"

In that instant, Lithoniel and Kolvar's gaze met but he quickly looked away as he couldn't bear to look at her.

"Yes, but I made a mistake. This isn't Lithoniel's fault but mine." Kolvar continued. "I shouldn't have fallen in Garluin's trap."

"Trap? Are you saying Garluin planned this?" Shylin asked.

"Nonsense!" Tinesia's shrill voice interrupted her. "Where is the proof?"

"I don't need to prove it." Kolvar sternly said. "Garluin is a schemer and clearly he..."

"You are just slandering him because you want to hide your lack of control. You took a liking to the half-blood and..."

"Shut up" Kolvar hissed.

Tinesia snickered.

"Did I hit a nerve, Kolvar?" She said, her voice no more than a whisper. It was so low that even with the elves sensitive ears just the people nearby were able to hear her.

"Poor Kolvar. Do you really think she didn't know?" Tinesia said pointing the finger at Lithoniel. "Because if that's the case, you're a fool."

Kolvar looked nervous, scared even as he slowly turned to stare at Lithoniel. He had a pleading look on his face like he was begging her to say it wasn't true, that Tinesia was lying and she didn't know.

Unfortunately, she couldn't, and when their eyes met, Lithoniel averted her gaze.

Lithoniel couldn't keep lying to him. She did know about it. She had known for a long time.

I am a coward. I can't even look at him.

Because she knew what she would find on his face if she did: anger, betrayal, maybe even hatred.

But when she raised her head and their gazes met, there was none of it, just pain.

Maybe it was better if he was angry.

She could bear the hatred, but the disappointment on his face? The pain in those hollow eyes? That was way worse.

Lithoniel's mind was chaotic. She opened her mouth, trying to say something but no word came out just a hissing sound, quickly drowned out by another, stronger voice. Tinesia's.

"It seems I was right." Tinesia said, shaking her head. That mocking undertone and

the smug look on her face was awfully similar to Garluin'.

They almost looked like mother and son, both hateful, both people Lithoniel really wanted to kill.

"Poor Kolvar. For how long did you follow her around like a lost puppy?"

"Tinesia, enough!" Naevys said, but she didn't stop.

"And for what? You just let her use you and then discard you when she found someone smarter and stronger than you."

Lithoniel looked with apprehension at Kolvar. He was unnaturally still, his eyes closed and his face unfazed like he couldn't hear her words.

Something is wrong.

That wasn't like him. Kolvar always had a short temper, ready to snap at the first provocation. But now? He looked calm, too calm.

"And do you know who that someone really is?"

When Kolvar didn't answer, she laughed.

"You should. That person is really close to you, you know."

"Stop talking, Tinesia." Shylin warned.

"But it's only natural. After all, why would Lithoniel choose the boy when she can have the man? Why would she choose the youngest brot..." But Tinesia was never able to finish what she was saying.

Without warning Kolvar charged toward her, an inarticulate sound, close to a feral growl, coming from his mouth. It happened so fast that no one was able to do anything, just looking with horror as Kolvar tackled Tinesia and pushed her down. Then he hit her, one, two, three times, his nails scraping her cheeks like paws as he slapped her.

Naevys was the first to recover from the shock.

"Separate them!" She ordered the guards.

Even when they took him off her, Kolvar kept growling, a murderous look in his eyes as he watched Tinesia like he wanted to skin her alive.

"Let me go!" He shouted like he was insane. "I want to kill her!"

"Take him away." Naevys ordered. Her voice remained strong, but she looked shaken, her face pale and withered.

Lithoniel looked horrified as the guards took him away, her shock second only to the guilt. She knew that this would have never happened if it wasn't for her. It was all her fault, and looking at the expression on Shylin's face, she knew it too.