Passing Judgement

Clearly, the old man did not care if he lived or died. A not-so-quiet voice or more like voices from inside the young leader were debating the faith of the accused as much as Islana herself was. If they had succeeded the men would have just been outright executed. Maybe, that should be their fate.

However, they hadn’t actually killed her. While Islana certainly trusted what Agizul had told her, but the evidence against the men was spotty. Truthfully the woman did not know if she could live with executing them with things the way they were.

Islana strived to be better than the Inquisition, better than the society that rounded up people from villages and hung them with no evidence but this was different. Wasn’t it? There was some evidence against these men, it was just not very much.

Exile seemed to be the other option. Let the Twins sort the men’s fate. Let Islana not be known as a murderer but was that the more humane decision? What was to say the men wouldn’t be back to try again?

“I will not ask for any of the others to speak as the evidence is against all of you. You can not all be innocent as most of you claim, and no one spoke out in your favor therefore you must all be punished.” Islana knew it was important to just make the decision, to prove her leadership abilities. “My decision is for you all to be exiled. You will be allowed one water skin and a cloak and then you are all to choose a direction, away from the others, and go that way. If you are found anywhere near the Horde, Gra’askt, in general, any place I am, you are to be executed on the spot.” She paused. “That is my decision. If any of you would prefer death, that can be arranged as well.”

“Have this known, from now on any more attempts on my life will be met with execution. We can not have things like this happening when we are waging a war. We need to be united. If I die, that kind of dissonance can lose everything.” Addressing the crowd before turning back to the accused men. “Do any of you prefer death to being exiled?”