Ristop was led into the midst of the communal area. There he stood proudly, as if he had no care in the world.

Halvar clapped his hands sharply and the murmurs of the Kharlins died down. Silence fell in the village cave.

“Ristop, you are accused of an unprovoked attempt to murder a guest of our village. As we did not want rumours to circulate about what you did and your judgement, the village council decided to hold the trial in front of the whole tribe.”

The other Kharlin waved his hand dismissively.

“Pah. Unprovoked murder attempt. That human is the reason so many of our relatives and friends died. She led the demons to us. It would be better for us all if she was dead. And you, Halvar, are not fit to lead the village, you are influenced by her. Your judgement is rotten, and I don’t accept it.”

Halvar sighed, rubbed his ear and shook his head slowly.

“I expected that argument from you, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to have this discussion before the entire tribe. But, make no mistake, whatever you think about Dawn or about me, you have no right to attack anyone in the village. Just think what would happen if this was an example of how we acted in every conflict with another person, be it human or Kharlin.”

He had spoken calmly, but now he raised his voice and asked loudly: “Are we beasts to murder with impunity?”

But Ristop was unimpressed by his words. He just tossed his head and replied.

“I didn’t murder anyone. The human is alive, standing in the midst of this village as if she was one of us. Why is she still here? Didn’t she bring enough misfortune to us all yet?”

The Kharlin looked around himself as if he expected applause from the tribe for his speech. But apart from a few murmurs here or there the villagers didn't react.

While far from all of the villagers were Dawn’s friends, most of them drew the line at offering violence to a guest. No matter how controversial said guest might be.

“Dawn is alive, yes. But she survived your attack only because she is a healer and could heal herself. A fact you hadn’t taken into account obviously.” Halvar replied. He sounded very tired as he continued.

“If you had killed her, there would be no necessity for a trial. The judgement for murder is known to us all. You would be an outcast, forbidden to set foot in our village and to contact any of us again. As your victim is still alive, it was only a murder attempt. Fortunately, such a thing happens rarely enough among us that there is no clear precedent.”

“You with your judgement and your trial.” Ristop exclaimed loudly. “How many of us have been killed by humans out in the wilderness. Do you think those humans held trials for those guilty of murdering a Kharlin?”

“But you did not encounter Dawn in the wilderness. You approached and attacked her with a hidden knife during a council session. The fact alone that you kept that knife hidden, proves malicious intent.”

Halvar stated curtly.

Another wave of murmurs ran through the big room. Though rumours about the attack had spread around the village long since, now that the facts of the matter were reported out in the open, it made a difference.

Nuala had followed Halvar’s and Ristop’s speech silently, all the time concentrating intensely on the accused Kharlin. Now she stood up, slowly and with great dignity.

“It is a sad day for this village today. Sad, because we have to hold a trial for an attempted murder. Sad because the accused sees nothing wrong in his actions and thrice sad because I am forced to speak judgement for his deed. I am a priestess and have been blessed by the Vixen to see truth in all things. A blessing by our goddess is a matter of honour and great joy and yet - ” she raised her hand and sighed, “there are moments when it can be a great burden indeed.”

Slowly, she walked over to Ristop, stood in front of him, looked into his eyes and said in a calm voice that nevertheless reverberated loudly through the whole village.

“I have seen your true colours. The black of fear and hate, the poisonous green of jealousy, the bileous yellow of envy, the purple of pride. They are predominant in your soul.” She lowered her head sadly and turned around, speaking to Ristop as well as the villagers.

“There is no easy remedy to purify your soul. But we will not give up on you. You are not yet beyond redemption. The colours of joy, friendship and love are hidden, but may be found again. The Vixen in her great wisdom has forbidden us Kharlins to raise our hands against each other. We are not humans for whom an execution for a serious crime is just a matter of course. We are few in number and strife among us is deadlier for us than any demon.”

Slowly, the priestess raised her hands, palms out in the direction of Ristop.

“For your attempt to murder a guest of our village, a human, an adolescent, I offer you judgement. As your fear and hate of a human stranger led you to violence, for one year you will be a wanderer, a stranger wherever you go. Forbidden to set foot in your village, forbidden to contact your family and friends. No other settlement may offer you succor for more than seven days at a time. You may take with you only what you can carry. You will have to brave the dangers of the wilderness on your own, depending on the kindness of strangers. If your luck and the Vixen allow you to return to your village after this time, the slate will be clean.”

As she had spoken, three white slashes appeared in the fur on Ristop’s forehead, a visible sign of her judgement. Nuala lowered her head and slumped, visibly exhausted.

For the first time, Ristop showed some emotion. Astonishment, anger and protest in turn appeared on his face.

“Such big words!” he mocked. “The Vixen has forbidden us to raise our hands against each other. Instead you leave me to be killed by beasts in the wilderness. A death sentence it is just the same. But of course, your hands will be clean. Such a proper priestess!” He laughed bitterly and turned away.

Nuala sighed. She looked very old suddenly as she told him:

“If you doubt my verdict, you may always invoke the judgement of the Vixen. It is your right. But it should not be used lightly. Do you think my verdict false in truth? That young girl you are so contemptuous of survived for a while alone in the wilderness. She was barely fifteen and had just been granted her path. You are a grown man and not lacking in levels. Are you weaker than her then?”

But the other Kharlin didn’t want to listen to her.

“Oh certainly, I am going to invoke the Vixen. False priestess, I call you! You have more love for that human than for any of your own.”

His words caused some of the villagers to exclaim loudly in shock. As priestess, Nuala was honored, almost revered by the tribe for the burden she had taken upon herself. Her skills were powerful and most of the Kharlins met her with some discomfort because of her ability to see truth. Everyone had some darkness inside of them after all, and none felt unconcerned at the thought of her seeing through them. None of the Kharlins would ever have said a word against Nuala. And now Ristop called her a false priestess. It was entirely unheard of.

Ristop looked around himself and snorted at the shocked faces he saw among the villagers.

“You are sheep, easily manipulated and led. I am claiming my right to invoke a judgement by the Vixen.”

He called out loudly, raised his wrist to his mouth and bit himself until he started to bleed. Then he dipped his finger into the blood and drew bloody slashes on his forehead and on each cheek.

“By the blood that connects us, I ask for trial and true judgement. Vixen, I call for you!”

Stillness ruled. No one dared to move or breathe. For long moments nothing happened. Then, just as the group collectively started to exhale, a light appeared next to Nuala. It was a small translucent white ball, slowly growing in size and brilliance until a bright ghost-like presence stood next to the priestess. The Vixen shared her features with the Kharlins. Pointed ears, a short snout with whiskers, fingers capped with claws. She looked at her priestess with warmth, then spoke. Her voice sounded like honey filled with sunshine and the prospect of spring after a long cold winter.

“By the blood that connects us, I have answered your call. As was promised in the covenant between us, I offer judgement for one who feels wronged by the verdict of mortals.” Her gaze swept around the group until it stopped on Ristop.

“You who doubts my priestess, make your case.”

The Kharlin straightened himself, stood rigidly upright for a second and then bowed low to the presence of the Vixen.

“Great Vixen, your priestess cast the judgement of the wanderer on me. For one year I am sentenced to dwell only in strange lands, never to stay in any place and to wander the wilderness on my own. It is not justice but a sentence of death, disguised in fine words. I have been wronged!” he appealed to the goddess with great conviction.

The silence after his words extended until it filled the whole village with tense expectation.

At last, the voice of the Vixen broke the tension.

“You claim wrong judgement, but omit all mention of your transgression.” She said. “The curse of the wanderer is not spoken lightly nor is it offered for a minor offence. What then was your crime?”

“I attacked this human, this abomination. She is responsible for the death of many of our villagers, stirring up and leading the demons of the mountains to our tribe. Not enough with that, she led other humans to us and even requested our help in her fight against the demons causing even more of our tribe to die. Her infamy knows no bounds.”

For one moment Dawn felt the unmitigated attention of the goddess centered on her. She could almost sense the weight of centuries behind that unnerving gaze. The fine hairs on her nape rose. It was a deeply alarming sensation. Then the vixen returned her attention to Ristop.

“So, beasts killed many of your tribe. It is a reason for horror and great sadness, but it was not that girl standing there that killed them. Nor did she lead them to you with intention. In fact, members of my folk have been killed by these beasts for centuries now. Why did you attack an intelligent being in retaliation for the actions of beasts?” the Vixen asked sadly.

Nuala spoke up now in explanation.

“He attacked Dawn with a hidden knife unprovoked and without warning while she was a guest in this village. His intention was to kill her, her survival granted only to the fact that she is a healer.” Her calm words broke the silence.

“And you called wrong judgement? That is audacious indeed.” The Vixen turned her scrutiny to Ristop once more.

“He called me a false priestess due to the fact that the human girl, Dawn, is near to my heart. I owe her my own life, for she saved me from that selfsame demons, and she has grown dear to me.” Nuala’s voice was dusky now, a sign that the accusation had hurt her deeply.

The translucent figure of the goddess turned to Nuala and laid an insubstantial hand on her shoulder.

“Fear not, my priestess. I would not listen to such an accusation, for I know you better than that. You have carried the load of my service with great strength for long years now. It has not been easy for you. Indeed, the growth of friendship and love is a matter of joy and should not be used to censure you.” Her voice rang like a bell and the warmth in it suffused the whole group standing in the center of the village.

With her next words she addressed Ristop.

“Do you think my priestess inhuman, that you would deny her the feelings of friendship and love every thinking being is entitled to? You invoked my judgement, so I’ll give it to you. The verdict of my priestess stands. She is my priestess in truth and deals in joy, friendship and love rather than hate, fear and rage.” She raised one hand up and said.

“Would that you learned from her rather than deny her vocation. Go! Use the time during your travels to think on your conduct and may the wilderness grant you wisdom and redemption.”

After she had spoken her verdict, she turned to Nuala and asked.

“As for you my priestess, you have been waiting for a long time. Did you think me a liar then, who promised much and failed to deliver?”