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Dreezil Pocketdip Trial
Three days later, Firiona had managed to assemble twelve jurors from the surrounding countryside and the visiting judge, retired soldier Furley Wiggins, in the great hall of High Keep Castle. Arvelion had been appointed to represent the prosecution and Firiona was prepared with her defense. Furley, a grizzled veteran of many battles, was comfortably ensconced in a velvet-cushioned chair behind a large table. Two guards walked in with Dreezil between them, his wrists manacled to a length of wood he bore on his shoulders. They simply did not trust rogues with locks, it seemed. Dreezil bore a somewhat pained and dejected expression on his normally impish face. The guards led him to a seat in front of and to the left of the high table where he could be seen by all. Judge Wiggins pulled a dagger from his belt and rapped the table with the base of its hilt. "Settle down, now, settle down!" He tried to get the attention of the assembly. The jurors murmured as they settled in their seats. Firiona stood quietly and watched while the room grew quiet and then stepped forward. "Your Honor, I want to thank you for allowing us to present this case before you, and for taking the time to travel here from Rivervale for this purpose. If you will permit me, I would like to explain the nature of the case before us today. "Dreezil Pocketdip here, who is a resident of Rivervale, and is an acknowledged member of the Deeppockets Guild there, has been accused of smuggling. To be more precise, he is accused of smuggling one case of Blackburrow Stout. His accusers are present in the courtroom, as is Dreezil himself. "Your Honor, I believe that what has happened here is that the defendant has been accused strictly on the basis of circumstantial evidence - evidence which, in and of itself, is not sufficient to demonstrate the commission of any crime. " "As the defendant's counsel, Your Honor, I will be attempting to show how the events occurred which led to Dreezil's arrest and incarceration. I believe the jury will see that Dreezil was not involved in smuggling, but rather, was attempting to assist the authorities here in High Hold Pass in their efforts to end the smuggling. Furthermore, I will try to demonstrate that there are, in fact, other parties involved in nefarious and illegal activities right here in Highkeep." The onlookers murmured amongst themselves at this declaration. Firiona looked over at Carson and noted with satisfaction the look of mild surprise on his face. She turned back to the judge and summed up her statement. "As I said, Your Honor, I thank you for allowing us to appear before you today. " The high elf sat down and folded her hands in her lap, looking over at Arvelion. The chamberlain stood up and faced the jury. "It's very simple, ladies and gentlemen. This halfling rogue," he said with obvious distaste, "was caught with the evidence in his hands just outside the keep. When I have produced my witnesses, there will be no question in your minds that he is indeed guilty of smuggling Blackburrow stout. I'm certain you will see that this rogue deserves to be punished for his nefarious activities and that you will see your way clear to finding him guilty as charged. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, and you, too, Your Honor, for taking the time to hear this case today." He turned back toward Firiona, smiling smugly in anticipation of his easy victory. "First, Your Honor, I would like to present evidence in this case. There is a certain case of Blackburrow Stout in the possession of the defendant's counsel, which I would like to ask that she produce at this time." Arvelion sneered haughtily at Firiona. She returned his glance blandly and stood, easily lifting the heavy wooden case and carrying it over to the judge's bench. "Your Honor, at the prosecution's request, I would like to enter this case of Blackburrow Stout into evidence at this time." The judge looked down, one eyebrow twitching slightly. He motioned to Firiona to place the case on the floor near his seat, behind the bench. "Very well," said Judge Wiggins, "it can remain right there until it has been properly identified by witnesses." He peered down at his side, where the case lay, just out of sight behind his bench. Firiona returned to her seat and allowed herself a tiny smile. "Now then," said Arvelion, "I would like to call one Guard Heptal to the stand, if you please?" A tall guardsman moved to the front of the courtroom and took his place in front of the jury. Judge Wiggins glared down at him from under beetled brows and challenged him, "Guard Heptal, you must speak only the truth, by your oath of fealty and your honor as a guardsman, do you understand?" Heptal nodded quickly. Arvelion faced him and cleared his throat delicately before beginning. "Heptal, please tell us under what circumstances you first met the accused, if you would?" The tall guard's face reddened slightly, unaccustomed as he was to public speaking. "Well, sor, y'see, I was comin' out of the gate, to take m' place on duty, y'know. An', y'see, here was this halflin' just walkin' up t' me, with this big ol' case in his arms. Just as brazen as can be, y'know, walkin' up to th' gates an' grinnin'. So I says to m'self, I says, hmmm... somethin's funny about that one, I just know it. So I walks up to him and I says, HOLD! That's what we says to strangers, y'know. So he stops and I looks and sure enough, there he is, big as day, holdin' a case o' Blackburrow Stout, he was! I know that's got to be smuggled, since it isn't legal here in Highkeep or parts hereabouts, so I takes it and I arrests him, Your Lordship, sir. And there he sits, plain as day, he does. Right over there." He pointed at Dreezil. Dreezil frowned unhappily. The judge ducked down behind his bench, momentarily out of sight of all onlookers. A tiny pop and hiss could be heard if you were close enough, though no one but Dreezil actually was. He tilted his head to the side slightly and looked over, puzzled. The judge popped back up and Dreezil could see a slight flush on his face from this close distance. Arvelion continued, "How did he say he had come by the contraband, Heptal? Would you please tell the Court?" "Well, um..." Heptal hesitated, "I didn't exactly... er... well, y'see, I didn't question him m'self, y'know. I took him t' Carson McCabe, y'see, an' he told me t' put th' rogue in a cell, is what happened, y'know. But the only place he could've got it is from some gnoll from Blackburrow o'course. Everybody knows that's where it comes from, y'see, an' so that's where he must've got it." "Have you ever seen this kind of contraband before, Heptal?" "Yup, I sure have, yer chamberlainship, I sure have. They's always runnin' it through the pass, those gnolls. That Gunrich o'er in Misty Thicket, he's part o' this, y'can count on it, y'can." "So you are something of an expert on this smuggling ring, then, eh, Heptal?" The guard preened visibly. "I am at that, y'know. Yes, I am." Arvelion smiled and turned to Firiona. "You may cross-examine, if you like, milady." He bowed obsequiously. Firiona stood up and walked over to Guard Heptal. "Thank you, Arvelion," she smiled, "and thank you, too, Guard Heptal, for your expert witness here today. I see you have had a lot of experience uncovering and breaking smuggling rings, eh?" Heptal grinned back, openly admiring Firiona. "Yes, milady, if I do say so m'self, I've probably done more than any other guard in Highkeep t' keep things safe that way. Yep. That's what I'd say." "You said that you saw the defendant heading toward the gates when you first saw him, is that correct?" Heptal nodded enthusiastically. "Yep. That's what he was doin'. Headin' right toward th' gate. Funniest thing I ever saw. Him smugglin' an' headin' right toward a guard," he chuckled. "Do you often notice smugglers walking right up to the gates with incriminating evidence for you to seize?" Heptal looked a little confused. "Well, no, o'course not, milady. That's what's so funny about it. He just walked right up and let me arrest him. Oddest thing I ever seen, it was." As he spoke, the judge chortled to himself softly. He ducked his head under his desk again for a moment or two while all eyes were on Firiona and the witness. Firiona continued, "Did it occur to you that perhaps there might be something more to the defendant's presence than met the eye? That perhaps he was not, in fact, a smuggler, but rather that he might have been attempting to produce evidence against some other perpetrator?" The guard stammered and then coughed a little, "Well, no, milady Firiona, o'course it didn't. He is a rogue, after all. I mean, you can see he wears the guild emblem. Rogues don't help the guards, y'know," he laughed in wonder, trying to imagine anyone not knowing that. "So, then, the fact that Dreezil is a rogue is what made you believe he was a smuggler, is that it?" "Of course it is!" Heptal looked at Firiona in surprised confusion. Judge Wiggins leaned down behind his bench for a bit and came back up with his face flushed red. He put his hand over his mouth to muffle a belch. Firiona looked over and grinned slightly. She nodded to herself and turned back to Arvelion. "Would you care to cross-examine, Lord Chamberlain?" "Why, Firiona, I believe the prosecution has made its case rather well already, thank you." The chamberlain smiled down his nose at Firiona. "That will be all, you may step down." Firiona watched Guard Heptal march back to a seat in front of the courtroom. She then turned back to the judge and looking him in the eye said, "At this time, I'd like to call Carson McCabe to the stand, Your Honor."
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