Corporal Janis Williams sat in the Gaol for the first time on the inside of the bars. There was a great familiarity to it, however - not for her, personally, but for the situation that had lead up to this. In her cell, she met with despair. Not really for her own fate; while she had never really been sociable, Janis was still a fellow Guard - many still in uniform - gray uniform, now - have known Janis longer than they've ever heard of Helstone. Her stay isn't uncomfortable, excepting that it is staying; hard to do for a woman constantly seeking answers.
"...Corporal?"
The inquisition originated from a man on the other side of the bars, in the Brotherhood gray. Sergeant Heinrich Loche, five years her senior - both on the earth and in uniform. He stepped up to the bars, visually answering his own question. "I'd heard they brought you in. What's this all about?"
Janis shook her head, remaining silent for a moment. "Hello, Heinrich."
"Why are you in here, Janis?"
The Corporal raised her green-eyed gaze to meet the Sergeant. "Remember Private Masaccio?"
Sergeant Loche nodded. "Do you remember why he was put on trial?" she asked.
The Sergeant pondered for a moment - but it was a short one - before nodding. "Heresay by the Governor's guard, Ariane Carnath-Emory."
Janis nodded, open her palms to say there wasn't any more to the story. Heinrich looked at her with slight confusion. "Ariane called you a traitor?"
Janis shook her head. "No, Heinrich, Helstone's guard called me a traitor. It's the same thing, all over again: we're being 'governed' by a Governor with a tongue in his ear. All she needs to say is that the Brotherhood is plotting to 'sweep the Council clean', and we'll be right back to where we were. Myrken Wood doesn't deserve this."
The Sergeant didn't really have anything to say to that, and remained muted. Janis picked up the silence: "Did you know that she can shadowjump, Sergeant? Just like the Drow. Do you think that's a coincidence?"
"...what are you getting at, Janis?"
"Think about it," she said, beginning to rise. "Think about all the circumstances and events that led to now, to Helstone's seat as Governor. You know I'm not a conspiracy nut, Heinrich. But even that's a few too many coincidences for me."
The Sergeant remained silent again, processing the idea. It's true, Janis never was one to look for conspiracies. She was never one to cause any trouble, either...which just made this moment confusing. Then there was this talk of Helstone...but he'd leave that for another time for consideration to come to his own conclusions. "So you think he's crooked. Why are you doing something about it now? We've had other crooked officials before."
Another shake from the Corporal, who by now had met the Sergeant at the bars. "Not like this. And before, we've always had someone to stand up to them. Captain Daniels, Captain Kanashia, Captain Taliaferro...all of whom may have come from somewhere else, but their duties were here. Now? We don't even have a full Council. We can't even count on counter-goal crookedness to keep themselves in line. There's just Helstone. And...the General. Neither of whom are on the Council legally, I might add. And why should they? There's no one left to say no. So...I have to do something."
"...then, what did you do?"
"For this? I went to Helstone's Meetinghouse. Truthfully, that's all. And I'm glad I did. I'm a lot more aware now of threats that never left Myrken Wood."
"You mean Helstone."
Janis shrugged. Probably - either knowingly and maliciously, or just by the same path Altias Bromn walked. Either way spells disaster for the territory.
"I don't know, Janis..."
"Just think about it, Heinrich. The dots are all there. I just hope I'm not the only one drawing the lines. But right or wrong, I can guarantee you the Governor isn't good for Myrken Wood."
The Sergeant was a little hesitant to acknowledge the Corporal. There was a significant pause before he gave a nod. "I need to get back on patrol. I will think on what you've told me though, Janis. Maybe I can ask around and find out more."
He earned a scrutinizing stare from the Corporal. "Heinrich?"
"...yes?"
"I need some writing materials."
The Sergeant looked to either side. The Guard wasn't nearly as whole after the Thessaline boys merged the ranks - for the most part, they had meshed well. But given the tumultuous design of Myrken's politics, sometimes there were questions of loyalty. Better to play safe, in any case. Satisfied, the Sergeant nodded. Then he turned away and continued down the hallway of cells.