The children started tugging on their mother when you did that, I nod my head slightly to let Alberich know I heard his statement. The man stands and steels himself, and I nod at him. "Please tell me your name and if you had a job within this so called town." I could spy the female acolyte struggle on the stake and I nod at the guard next to her who slaps her hard. The man sees this and gulps then responds to my question. "My, my name is Harry Ma'am. I, I was a hunter of food Ma'am. I, I, I." He stutters a few moments a few tears escaping his eyes and he looks to Cassie, "I'm so sorry what they did to you! I didn't know you were a child, I have children." Harry turns to look at me and drops to his knees, "I found all the victims of that evil priest. It is my fault they were killed." The woman in the crowd shrieks and passes out and I see Harriet, who had been approaching with food for me drop the food and rush to the woman. Harriet looks up at me and nods, just passed out then.

I turn to Cassie, "he is telling the truth in as much as he does truly believe he is at total fault." Cassie announces and I get her clue and I ask Harry a question. "Did you want to capture all those creatures? Did 'Father Innocent' have something he was holding over you?" Harry looks at me understanding, "Ma'am I am a hunter I track, trap, and kill game for food and leather. So I am responsible for this, yes the priest had my family hostage. I could have refused his demands however, if I had known the unicorn had been a child;" he rambles off again crying again.

I tilt my head at Cassie, then behind my back wave at Harriet who gets the hint and with the help of Jake brings Harry's family onto the dais. Harry goes absolutely still, his wife still passed out from fear. I squat down and wave the children over to me. "Hey, want to pet a real life unicorn?" Cheshire decides then to show up and catches on quickly, "or the very friendly kitty? I don't bite people I like." He ruffles his wings playfully and the children rush over to pile onto him, you owe me. I chuckle as the children squeal happily, and I turn back to Harry seeing his face loose their worry a moment watching his children play with a winged cat.

I walk up to Harry and clap him on the shoulder, "Harry." I project my voice so the clustered people can hear and notice a few shadows moving in the close windows. "The only 'crime' you have committed is to be loyal to your family, I didn't see you in the group we captured last night, so I am guessing your guilt made you turn yourself in?" He nods his head, I pat him on his back and Cassie steps forward and touches his face with her nose. "I forgive you Harry the hunter, you meant no ill will. You were used," she then steps over to his wife who was still out like a light and nudges her awake. The woman freezes from shock and starts crying again, I step away from Harry and speak to the crowd again. Which is now starting to grow, "Harry. You are probably the best person in this town right now, and while you meant no harm directly your actions did cause harm. Your sentence is," I see Harry rush to his wife to hold her. "Your sentence is to take care of this town and be it's headman, your wife will make sure the women stay in line as well. This is your sentence, your loyalty cause people to be harmed. So prevent others from being harmed."

Harry and is wife look pole axed, I see two guards look at me pointedly and nod to the town. "Also The two guards on the end have decided to remain here and be the head of your town guard only answerable to you." The two indicated guards come forward, still on the ground to address Harry. The male speaks first, a middle aged man of mixed decent. "My name is Terrance, I feel I need to remain here and give a hand to these poor folks. I'm not all that bad at swinging an ax either, so I can teach a few of the lads here how to become decent wood cutters. We'll need that wood before winter sets in," Terrance walks back over to where he was standing then and watches the crowd once again. The second a young female from the breeder camp, "I am Lina. I can keep the more rowdy women under control and any man thinking they can control me will learn why I prefer a knife as a weapon. I also know a fair bit about fishing as I spent my childhood fishing with my family. When the Hunter leaves I will travel to the Gryphon home to let them know I will be bringing people over to fish from time to time." She then steps back and resumes her position watching the crowd.

Harry stands slowly still shocked his wife standing as well, just noticing the children playing with the Cheshire and relief comes over her face. "I um, Hunter. I don't know what to say." Harry stammers out, and I smile. "Nothing to say you'll have a great deal of work a head of you to save this town before winter hits. If you want to avoid losing people this winter I suggest you get them to work as soon as we are done here. However I am hoping it won't take all day." Harry steps off the dais with his wife the children reluctantly leaving Cheshire behind and he proceeds to switch to his eagle head and proceeded to straighten his flight feathers.

I look over the group left to judge, and decide to leave the female for last hoping I can be more charitable then. Most of the remaining men were involved in the direct deaths of the intelligent creatures, and were administered their death sentences. Seeing as how none of them had families within the town their bodies were put into a pit and burned like they had done to the other creatures. Two were found guilty of torture, and I sentenced them to a public whipping to be carried out after the proceedings finish. Then we come to the female acolyte, who was still trying to glare at me with her hands tied behind her and her mouth gagged.

"So Jake care to tell me why this woman has the pleasure of being gagged? Even though I can probably guess." Jake shoves the young woman who stumbles to the ground and struggles to get up, "well. For starters we found her hiding out in the 'chapel' inside one of the walls. Apparently the good Father thought a hidey hole was important in case something went south here. When we found her she started spouting garbage about how we were going to hell for helping the evil abominations escape. Then when we marched her out here she started berating the townspeople causing a good many to flee to their homes."

I nod my head, having figured that this probably was the case before he told me it, I squat down and help her stand carefully. Then I turn her to look me in the eyes with her still glaring at me and I ask. "If I remove your gag do you promise to keep your mouth shut unless questioned?" The woman looks furious and starts shrieking into the gag, I nod to Jake who slaps her making her stop. "Be lucky I didn't have him use his fist on you, seeing as how you refuse to be civil. I guess I shall have to appoint Peter to defend your actions, and in as such I am guessing you two do not get along. I doubt he will know your true intents for doing what you have done, now I also plan to ask all the villagers to tell me what you have done." I point at Cassie, "and with her I shall know when it is true or false as magical unicorns can see truth and falsehood. So would you like to reconsider?"

The woman looks furious at the idea of Peter defending her so she calms down and nods her head with the anger still in her eyes. I nod to Jake who unties her gag, "try anything and I won't hesitate to knife you in the back girl." The woman stands calmly though I spot a wince at Jake's words. I cross my arms, "so tell us acolyte what have you done to the intelligent creatures that were present in this town?"

The woman stands taller and says, "I have done nothing to those aberrations." I look at Cassie, "she is telling the truth Hunter. However, she also believes what was done to them was right." Alberich snorts in anger, I walk over and pat his nose; "at ease friend." I look at the woman, "so; you think you are going to get off scot free do you?" The woman adjusts her pose to make it appear that she has grown taller, "based on your own 'laws' Hunter you can't do anything to me." I smile wickedly at her and the crowd who started objecting when she spoke went deathly silent. "Do you really think there is nothing I can do? Wrong, intent also has a sentence. As from appearances Cassie is shaken by your mind, so that tells me your intent is not good. Now while you haven't harmed anyone, as yet. I do have a fitting judgment, whether Harry enforces it after is up to him. Know if I ever see you enter my city I will find something that I can use to punish you." I look to Harry and the the gathered people as I inform everyone of this woman's sentence. "You are banished, you will be provided with a pack and a week's rations. The pack is standard to anyone in my group, it will have a couple tarps a sleeping bag and a fire stater. Do not return here."

I then turn around and she starts shrieking again, I hear Jake slap her again and tie another gag onto her. I address the crowd, "people. I hope this town that is set on a main road to the land bridge can learn from this experience. Humans are not the only intelligent species on this planet anymore, you need to think of all life being sacred. Does that mean you cannot eat meat? No, it means that you respect those who have the ability to think like you. Not everyone will think like you but any intelligent species has the ability to think as you do. Eventually once my city has grown enough I plan on sending out trading groups, if you cannot work with other species they will never stop here. Also, you must improve your homes. Do not expect you will live as you did in the old world, however you shouldn't live in a shanty town. Have a town you can be proud of and those traders will stop and trade with you."

I glance at Harriet and wave my hand in her direction, "in a short time this woman will give every woman here a selection of garden seeds for this area and instructions on how to care for the plants. Consider it an expensive gift, because it is. This could very well enable you to survive this winter, don't squander your time. You have the control over whether you live or die this winter, me and my group will be leaving at dawn we still have two day's travel to the gryphons and the land bridge." I turn and walk off the dais and head back to our camp in search of a meal that I still hadn't gotten.

I could hear the public whippings taking place and shake my head at the foolishness of those who prey upon those who don't know any better. I spend the rest of the day with my own people prepping to leave on the morrow including setting up one of the small wagons with the gryphon remains in it. I had already spied the small statue placed on the grave of the hippogryph, as well as the marker to represent the dwarves who died. Based on the fact the dwarves had arraigned it so the villagers could plant flowers around the statue and marker I have a feeling if they do straighten out they will get traders from the dwarves as well down the line.