Derek looked at Jenn as he finished telling her what he'd learned about what happened to the human who wore Jenn's mask. He still didn't really understand why she was so against sharing the way he was used to, but the fact that she could share anyway was acceptable to him. Though, he would like to know what it felt like to experience the physical way with her at least once.
However, legends, even older than the time of humans, spoke of a time before they started sharing and how destructive forcing someone to share was to the entire tribe. How it could tear a tribe apart without warning and cause everyone in the tribe to die because they'd fracture into groups too small to survive on their own.
Which meant that if he forced her to share like that, even if she couldn't share with her magic, he'd be risking bringing back dark times that maybe would have justified how the humans had reacted to them the first time they were encountered.
It was just one of those things that Derek was confident he'd just have to live without knowing. Regardless of what he'd prefer.
Although, he wasn't sure why she didn't receive this information when she shared with him and the ogress chieftess. It might have made things easier if she had learned about that then, but that wasn't something that he had the information to settle on his own. Maybe there were legends he couldn't remember or that were lost to time that would explain it, but that wasn't something that would help him now.
–So, you're saying that it was one of my people who killed my friend?– Jenn asked, sounding like she wasn't feeling very well.
–I suppose that's the case.– Derek replied, understanding why she wouldn't want to believe that would happen.
It would be the same of any ogre not wanting to believe one of their own killed another. It happened from time to time, but rarely was it because of an intentional act. In those cases, the matter was typically brought before a group of chiefs or chieftesses to judge, but Derek wasn't sure how the humans were accustomed to dealing with that. Especially when it involved an ogre, one that the humans likely would rather believe killed one of their own rather than one of their own.
Jenn merely sighed. –I was starting to suspect she might have been innocent.– Jenn looked at the ogress who had come to Derek for protection. –Though, I'll still need her to return with me to resolve this matter. I'll need her to demonstrate why it couldn't have been her to have killed Jianopra.–
Derek wasn't concerned with the name of the human who was killed, but he didn't think it was a wise move to share that point with Jenn. He suspected she might take offense to it, which would merely prolong this issue which seemed to be mostly resolved, aside from a few potential formalities.
–You look tired.– the chieftess remarked, surprising Derek. –Why don't you sleep here with us where it's warm. The nights are still rather cold and you probably won't be able to do much if you return to your kind tonight anyway.–
Jenn suddenly looked uncomfortable and Derek wasn't sure what the reason was, but he didn't think it was a good time to ask. Not when it was a good suggestion anyway. After all, he knew she had to stay warm somehow, so he couldn't see why sleeping with them would make her uncomfortable, he was confident it had to be because of some other reason.
–We can finish this in the morning.– Derek allowed. –We've taken care of the biggest issues anyway. All that's left are a few small matters that can wait until morning.–
Jenn sighed as Derek said that, looking resigned. Another reaction that mystified Derek. He wasn't sure what this was about, but he still was dying to pry. Humans were so fascinating with how they acted but were also so difficult to understand. Why that was, he couldn't be certain, just that he would like a chance to learn more about them.
–Fine. I probably would fall asleep on the way back and it was getting rather cold out there.– Jenn merely said, though she didn't move to take off any of her clothing, which was another oddity for Derek. After all, from what he could remember about what he'd learned about Jenn through her sharing with him was that she typically wore less when she went to sleep than she was now. Yet, here she was, not making a move to shed any of her clothing. Derek couldn't help but find the whole situation rather remarkable.
_
Jenn opened her eyes in the morning to find herself sandwiched between the chieftess and ogress. While she enjoyed certain parts of their bodies pressed against hers, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed at that fact. She doubted the ogres would understand if she tried to explain it, but she felt that even the situation she was in could be interpreted as cheating on Alex. Something she certainly felt in the front of her mind.
She carefully extracted herself, grateful that she was still fully clothed, even though the ogres never put anything on after they'd 'shared.' Not even the little clothing they typically wore. She wished she didn't need to sleep with them, but she had to admit, that even in this cave, it was still rather cold and she would have risked freezing to death if she hadn't accepted their offer. Even her magic might have not been enough to keep her from dying and she didn't care to find out if she'd be able to have managed on her own. Not if it wasn't absolutely necessary. As that would merely be inviting death.
Idly, she wondered if her trying to find out the answer would be considered a suicide or not. She didn't care for the implications either way and quickly pushed the thought out of her mind. She really didn't have time to even entertain such thoughts. Especially when it involved her death.
Jenn made her way over to where she'd sat down while listening to Derek explain what had happened and why the ogress had run away. She didn't have anything else to do at the moment and she doubted that any of the ogres would be happy if she woke them up so they could finish things here. She knew she'd at least be annoyed, regardless of how important the issue was.
Fortunately, she didn't have to wait very long. First the chieftess and ogress seemed to notice Jenn's absence quickly and wake up because of the air that was able to flow through where she had been, chilling them a little into waking up. Then as they were getting up, Derek woke up himself.
–Good morning!– Jenn called out to them, feeling much more alert than she had the night before. Almost to the point where she was eager to get moving. The only damper on that point was the fact of what she'd need to do when she finished up things here.
–We haven't even had anything to eat yet. Why are you so cheerful?– Derek grumbled, sounding like he needed what was likely their version of coffee in the morning. Which Jenn wasn't sure if they even knew what coffee was in this world.
–I guess I just slept really well.– Jenn replied, not wanting to go into the details or even think about where she was when she slept. Not when she was too tired the night before to even think about where she was falling asleep.
–Well, you said something about how you were willing to let us take your life if you failed to protect the ogress from your kind. Isn't that correct, human?– the chieftess asked, almost as if she was asking about the sunrise.
While she was tired the night before, she fully remembered what she'd said and offered. Which she was still fully prepared to accept, regardless of any other option she might have right then. –Yes, I remember and I'm still willing to offer that.– Jenn replied, idly wondering if maybe that's the way to save Beth. Sacrificing herself. She knew Beth wouldn't be happy with that as the means she used to save Beth, but she knew that at least Beth would still be alive at that point.
Derek looked at the ogress as if he felt a little resentment at her taking the initiative and talking about this matter so quickly, but he didn't say anything about it. Instead, his left head looked at Jenn, yawned, and then nodded, while his right head merely scowled at the chieftess. –Very well. I'll let you take responsibility for her and place her under your protection. However, remember the warning I gave you last night. If you try to flee if you fail at protecting her, we will hunt down all your kind on this world after we destroy all access to the means which your people came to this world. We will do this if you don't keep your word at that point. Even if your people stop you from keeping it, we'll take it as you breaking your word intentionally.–
Jenn nodded, swallowing a lump that suddenly had appeared in her throat. She couldn't say that she hadn't thought of her people preventing her from giving her life to the ogres if she failed in protecting this ogress, but she was also quite confident that her people weren't going to turn into a lynch mob when she returned with the ogress. Partly because she knew that most hadn't even seen an ogre, and so wouldn't know which one was which when it came to the one who had been accused of killing Jianopra.
–I understand.– Jenn answered as she looked at each of Derek's heads in the eye before doing the same to the chieftess. –My safety is dependent on the safety of the member of your tried.–
Derek nodded. –As long as we understand each other.–
Jenn then turned to the ogress and addressed her directly. She had a feeling the ogress was being patient and couldn't hear anything that they'd said mentally, but she had no doubt that the ogress knew that she was the main subject they'd been talking about. "Would you be willing to accompany me back to my people and prove your innocence to them?"
The ogress looked at Derek and the chieftess hesitantly, looking like she was ready to try and use them as a shield and Jenn hardly blamed her. The ogress likely wasn't used to being in that position and Jenn was confident that she'd be rather hesitant herself if she had been in the ogress' position and hadn't been able to hear the whole conversation.
However, she didn't say anything, she just turned back to Jenn and both heads nodded, each looking like they expected to not survive this trip.
Jenn wasn't sure what to say to her, so she didn't say anything. Derek and the chieftess didn't say anything as they left, walking side by side and although the ogress walked slower than Jenn did, she essentially matched Jenn's pace given how much taller she was. Jenn wasn't sure what was going through the ogress' mind even then, but when they reached the opening of the cave, the ogress turned to Jenn and picked her up, as if she was a bundle of branches and started running.
Jenn wished she could ride on the ogress' shoulder but had a feeling she better not say anything. She wasn't sure what would help the ogress with her concerns, nor was she confident that she wouldn't make matters worse by trying to say anything. Even if it was that she felt being carried like she was, was rather undignified.
As the scenery sped by them while the ogress ran, Jenn couldn't help but wonder how much she'd slow down once her pregnancy started showing. As she could recall the ogress once saying that she was carrying Derek's child, but with how she was running at the moment, Jenn wouldn't have guessed. Although, she also had to admit that she didn't have a clue as to what the ogre's pregnancies were like. As far as she knew, this was acceptable behavior for a pregnant ogre to do, that it wouldn't cause any problems for them or the unborn child.
Even though it was difficult for Jenn to notice any landmarks they passed by, she could at least tell that she was nearing the settlement, especially since she could see it through the trees after about an hour of being carried like a bunch of sticks. While she doubted that it would affect how her people saw her, she didn't care to have anyone see her in such an undignified position as this.
"Uh, could you set me down when we reach the edge of the trees?" Jenn requested, her question taking a little bit to get out with the bumpiness of the ride.
"Why? We make better time like this," the ogress' left head replied.
"Because then I can make them see you not as a threat, but as a guest. Otherwise they might think that you're trying to attack them," Jenn replied, not sure if that was true, but had a feeling it'd be close enough. "I'd rather avoid having to calm things down if I don't have to to."
The ogre slid to a stop, which impressed Jenn with how steep the mountainside they were on was. Jenn estimated that if she'd been running down the slope and tried stopping, she'd end up starting to roll down the rest of the way, only getting stopped if she slammed into one of the trees dotting the mountainside.
"You make sense. We walk from here," the ogre's right head said, sounding almost annoyed by the fact, but Jenn wasn't going to argue. Neither was she going to complain about the fact that she'd asked to be put down at the edge of the trees rather than here. She suspected that the ogress saw little difference between the two locations, but it wasn't an important point to Jenn, so she didn't see the need to go on about it. Especially given the fact that they'd nearly reached the settlement by taking a route that would have been impossible for Jenn to take by herself. After all, all this did was make it so that it'd take just a little longer to reach the settlement.
Besides, Jenn also figured she might be a little too wobbly on her legs if the ogress had waited to put her down when her people saw her, given she actually needed a moment using a tree to brace herself before she could actually walk without worrying about falling down the steep slope.
"You funny, human," the ogre's left head remarked while the right head nodded in agreement.
Jenn smiled ruefully at the ogress, not sure how she should take the remark. She doubted the ogre was trying to mock her, but she couldn't rule the possibility out. Not when she had a feeling the ogress was trying to distract herself from what she likely expected to happen as they approached the settlement.
The climb down the slope took longer than Jenn would have liked, but when they reached the edge of the trees, Jenn could see that the day was fully underway for her people. Though, she wondered what the reaction would be when she appeared with the ogress. She supposed that her people might form a lynch mob for any ogre that appeared, since she doubted they'd be able to recognize the differences between them. Though, she hoped that her presence would eliminate that possibility and the fact that those who knew she was the actual Blue Rose would help get a sizeable group on her side rather than having most try to ignore her.
Fortunately, either word hadn't spread as far as Jenn had thought it would that an attempt had been made on the Blue Rose's life or those who had been left in charge when she left had been able to get things under control enough to keep a mob of any kind from forming. Which Jenn certainly appreciated. Especially since she didn't really feel like trying to calm a mob down when she really didn't have to. Not when she'd rather get this over with.
After all, the one who accused ogress of being the killer might not be the killer herself, but she had to know who it was and was either intimidated by them or was being leveraged into lying about what she'd seen. Regardless of the reason, Jenn was determined to get to the bottom of the matter and ensure an example was made out of the killer, so as to keep this from happening again.
As Jenn and the ogress passed buildings by, she called out to her advisors with her magic, telling them to collect everyone involved in figuring out who killed Jianopra as well as the 'witness' to the murder. Not to mention the murder weapon and Jianopra's body. Jenn had an idea of how to prove the ogress didn't kill Jianopra, but in order to do that, she had to have everything present at the time Jianopra had been killed. That way she could catch the witness in her own words as well as prove that the ogress couldn't have been the killer.
When Jenn arrived at the main building, she saw Tchisa, Zirisia, and Maelia organizing the room as Jenn had instructed, though the witness, glared at the ogress as she entered the room, and even lunged at her, as if she wanted to avenge Jianopra. If Yaelish hadn't been right there, Jenn had a feeling that the witness would have tried to kill the ogress, as if the ogress was the killer like the witness claimed.
"First we're going to go over what happened so we can be sure we're killing the correct individual," Jenn intoned still wearing the mask, feeling it was better for her to conduct this rather than another of her stand-ins. She didn't want a chance for another of her friends to be killed while they had someone who had it out for the Blue Rose for whatever reason.
The girl nodded, her eyes glaring at the ogress, though Jenn suspected that the glare was to keep herself from worrying about what would happen if they saw through her lie.
Jenn turned to Tchisa and nodded, signaling for her to begin the re-enactment of what had happened according to the witness. Everything went smoothly, though when it came time to deliver the killing blow, Jenn asked the witness to demonstrate on Jenn herself how the ogress had used the dagger to kill Jianopra. Jenn was confident if the witness was the killer, she wouldn't risk killing Jenn when she had so many witnesses who would try to stop her. Jenn suspected a lot of planning had gone into it, especially with who to make as a scapegoat for the murder.