Double update. If you haven't already, read chapter Lithoniel 9.2.  

First draft

A murmur of many whispering voices filled the cave when Lithoniel reached Fennan's tent. A crowd of people, representatives of minor craft castes, bystanders and simple woodcarvers, were standing there. They were arguing with the guards, a single cordon of men deployed around the tent, preventing the protesters from entering.

"Please, come back tomorrow." One of them said, "It's late. Master Fennan won't see anyone today."

"Are you kidding? I've been waiting here all day!" A woodcarver said.

"Right! We are tired of waiting!" Another complained, "We want to know the truth!"

"Answers! We want answers!"

It was the spark that ignited the crowd and created a ripple effect as the people from the back started pushing against those in the front. The guards tried to drive them back, but they were badly outnumbered. Lithoniel watched in horror as a man tried to plow through a guard blocking his way, only to be pushed down as another guard whacked him. Everyone froze when the man flopped down, bleeding profusely from his head.

Then the crowd charged with renewed vigor, and the protest quickly turned into a brawl. Useless to say, the guards were on the losing side. They kept getting pushed back and beaten without having the possibility to retaliate. Soon, one of them lost his cool, and when he shoved his knife into a man's arm, the situation teetered on the brink of disaster.

The other guards and many of the protestors drew their knives, causing the violence to escalate even further. It was about to turn into a real battle when some people of the Asp Ridge's tribe came running and tried to separate them, defusing the situation.

That's when Lithoniel made her move, taking advantage of the chaos to slip past the guards.

She entered the tent and found Fennan sitting on a chair, close to an ebonwood desk. Two men, his close aides, were standing in front of him.

Lithoniel didn't even look at them. She just barged in, her eyes locking on Fennan as she furiously walked across the tent.

The new master of woodcarvers looked a bit haggard but smiled at her, "Lithoniel, what brings you he..." He was saying when Lithoniel slammed her hands on the desk.

"Are you out of your mind?" She hissed.

"Good day to you too, Lithoniel." He looked at her with a sardonic smile on his lips, "How have you been?"

She gritted her teeth, "I'm not joking, Fennan. How dare you...

"Wait." He said to her before turning to his aides, "Leave us."

The two men sneaked a glance at her before scurrying out of the tent. Lithoniel was glaring at him, but Fennan waited for them to leave. Only then he turned to look at her.

"Now, what were you saying?"

Lithoniel took a deep breath, "How dare you give orders to my hunters?"

Fennan blinked, his lips curling up into a mocking smile, "Oh? Are they yours now? I remember you said you didn't want to be the Nightstalker."

"And I don't." She said, her irritation mounting, "but until someone else..."

His smile faded away, his brows drawing together as he stared at her, "Who? Most of our hunters are dead. Dead, Lithoniel." He repeated, "They are not coming back."

Lithoniel winced, but she didn't back away, "So, what? Are you sending casteless amateurs to do the work of..."

"We need more food, in case you haven't noticed." He said in an overly punctilious tone, "We got too many mouths to feed."

"I know that, but..."

"The tribe's food stocks won't last long, Lithoniel. Soon, the snow and the cold..."

Lithoniel clenched her fists, her annoyance flaring, "I know what's going on better than you do, Fennan! That don't give you the right..."

"...to order your hunters?" Fennan snickered, "Really, Lithoniel? Now you care about traditions? I remember a woman not so long ago urging me to convince the Loremaster to..."

"Don't go twisting this around, Fennan! Things were different then. There was no Nighstalker and..."

"...there is no Nighstalker now!" He rebutted and suddenly rose from his seat before slamming his hand down against the table, "The hunters are like headless chickens! Do your duty If you want me to stop!"

"I'm already doing it." She hissed.

"No, you're not. You have to take charge, Lithoniel." She opened her mouth to rebut, but Fennan raised his hand, "I know you're training the children, but that's not enough. You have to lead them, and I mean all of them, not just your friends."

She narrowed her eyes, "What are you trying to imply?"

"I mean exactly what I said, Lithoniel." He stared back at her, "You're protecting your friends, but what about the rest of the hunters? You left them alone. If you keep acting like this, how are you any different from the former Nighstalker?"

Lithoniel winced, letting out a harsh breath as she absorbed the blow.

"No matter what, you shouldn't have done that. They weren't ready, Fennan. And now..."

"...they are dead." He said, without emotion, "I know what I did, Lithoniel. Do you think I wanted this? I'm in enough trouble as it is." He looked at the door, and unwittingly Lithoniel followed his gaze. The clamor had abated somewhat, but someone was still fighting.

"Then, why did you do it?" She asked quietly.

Fennan shrugged, "You left me no choice. Someone has to lead the hunters, and that someone can be only you, Lithoniel. The people of the Asp Ridge's tribe see you as a legend, the woman who killed the Zaruk. I know you don't like politics, but you have to deal with the factions if we..."

"Wait a second. Don't tell me you...you did this only to force me to take charge?"

Fennan didn't even try to deny it, "Yes."

A wave of nausea hit her, "How could you?!" She asked, trembling with fury, "Two people are dead because..."

"I did what I had to do. Besides, they were casteless." He shrugged, "they wanted to prove themselves. Who am I to stop them? You know we need trained hunters, and I'm not just talking about our food problem. We need a lot of wood to survive winter. The Ebonwood is the only place where we can find it, but the woodcarvers can't go there alone. It's too dangerous."

Lithoniel looked back and frowned. The noise had subsided, but the situation was still far from normal.

"Is that why those people are protesting?"

Fennan nodded, his face growing somber, "I've already lost four men. There was no hunter available."

Then it dawned on her.

"So that's what this is really about. Your people." She accused.

Fennan's face turned red with rage, "That's not what..." He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but his composure was cracking, "That's not what I mean, Lithoniel, and you know it." He said, his tone filled with frustration.

"Then, what? The humans? That's what you're talking about? We don't even know if they..."

Fennan let out a long sigh, "No, Lithoniel. I'm not talking about the humans." He sat back, "I'm talking about Garluin."

"The Loremaster..."

"The Loremaster is old and tired. Master's..." He paused, his face darkening, his anger stronger than his grief, "loss hit her very hard. She can't face Garluin, not anymore. That's our duty now."

"Fennan, I know what you want to do, but this is not the right time."

"When then, Lithoniel? Every day, more people are joining him. Most of our tribe support him already. The only reason Garluin hasn't made a move so far is that you're still supporting Naevys."

She pointed at herself, incredulous, "Me?"

"Yes, you, the Zarukslayer. Garluin knows that the Asp Ridge's tribe supports you and that's why he is so prudent. But that's changing. Soon, he will have enough followers to win the elections. Those people aren't just supporters, Lithoniel. They are fanatics. They see him as a savior, the emissary of the fairies in this world. I heard some of them saying that Garluin can use magic like the high elves of old. They believe he will reunite the tribes, destroy the humans and turn the Embersea green again."

Lithoniel shook her head, "This is madness."

Fennan shrugged, leaning back in his chair, "Perhaps. But they believe it. I don't know how he did it, but they believe everything he says. You now understand why we..."

Lithoniel sighed, "We can't kill him, Fennan."

Fennan jolted upright, "I just told you..."

"Yes, I understand, and that's exactly why we can't kill him. Those people lost everything. The things Garluin is saying to them..."

Fennan waved his hand dismissively, "That's just nonsense."

"It doesn't matter. Maybe deep down they know Garluin's promises are just lies, but they refuse to admit it. They are desperate, Fennan, and Garluin is offering them hope. They will cling on to that hope to the bitter end."

"What do you propose then?"

"We have to expose Garluin's lies, force his followers to face the truth. That's the only way, but we have to proceed with caution."

"Caution?" Fennan scoffed, "I have already waited a month, Lithoniel. We have to solve the problem, and we have to do it now. We can't give him time to consolidate his power."

Lithoniel's shoulder sagged. She felt powerless, unable to refute his words.

"What other choice do we have?"

Fennan gave her a meaningful look, but Lithoniel shook her head.

"I know that kind of desperation, Fennan. We don't know what will happen if we take that hope away from them."

"So, what did you intend to do? Let him do what he wants?" He drawled in a mocking undertone.

"No, but if we do what you're suggesting...we run the risk of turning him into a martyr."

"Fine," Fennan said, spreading his hands, "it won't be painless." He conceded, "But we can deal with the aftermath. Can we deal with Garluin? See through his tricks and schemes?" He asked rhetorically.

Her throat clenched. Outwitting Garluin? It seemed a pipe dream.

"There is only one way to deal with him, and you know it." He reiterated, inching forward.

She stepped back, "Let me...think about it."

They stared at each for a long moment, then Fennan shook his head.

"Fine, think about it, Lithoniel. But remember, you can't leave a wound to fester in the hope it will heal on its own. I will give you some time but...don't take too long."

"I said I'd think about it." She retorted, "And from now, leave my hunters alone."Then she dashed out of the tent.