Rift was a little surprised at how much Blackberry had deteriorated. A stern look passed across his face and he knelt before the cage, forcing a soothing purr to rise in his throat. "Calm down, Blackberry. The trial hasn't happened yet. Keep yourself together until then, okay? Remember what Kera was telling you." He stayed like that for a moment, purring, until Blackberry seemed to relax a little bit.

He stood, looking down at the owl with a serious look on his face. "Come, I need to speak with you." He gestured with his tail to lead the owl away a short distance - not too far from Blackberry, but far enough that a low tone of voice wouldn't reach her. He stopped and turned back to Aetius. "Listen, I know you want to do what you think is right but I don't think you fully grasp the magnitude of Blackberry's crimes. She and her children have torn families apart, killed friends and loved ones. There's many creatures throughout the caves that have somehow been scarred by her family or know someone that has. This Kingdom's first purpose when it rose was to face her cruelty and bring peace to a world she left in tatters." His tail lifted and pointed towards the Hollow. "The scars never faded, not on our bodies or in our hearts. Because of that goose's cruelty."

He paused, taking in a deep breath. "There is no dealth penalty slapped on the trial yet. If she's judged for punishment, it will be up to all present to decide her final fate. We very well maybe force her to live - death would very well be a mercy at this point." He glanced over to where Blackberry was laying. There were a couple of times where he very well had considered doing the deed - raising a branch straight through her heart with the right force would end it quickly. But he had made a promise to keep her safe and sane until the trial.

Despite how much she despised the cat, he'd been there for her. Whenever she was close to another meltdown, he'd step up and purr quietly, setting her mind to focus on something else. Something that wasn't going to push her over the edge. Because one of these days, she'd be pushed and she would never come back.

So she breathed and focused on Kera's gentle voice, how she spoke to her and promised to help. "I don't know if you can change, but I'm willing to help you try, and help you earn a second chance." Was that what she was doomed to do? Her punishment wasn't to die, but to live with the pain and wash away the agony she'd left in her wake. A second chance. She didn't want it, but it's what she needed to do.

Not forgiveness. She didn't want it. She didn't need it. She didn't deserve it.

She focused, for now, on that. What was she going to do, if the trial spared her? How would she help? Perhaps her children...perhaps she would help them first. If they accepted her help, at least. Azure had made it clear that she didn't see her as a mother. Perhaps the others felt the same.

She didn't notice Rift speaking to Aetius. She didn't hear them. She was too busy trying not to go insane.

@Aetius

Aetius nodded at Rift's words reluctantly. She had to understand Rift's point of view, as well as the point of view of those the goose had hurt. She took a calm breath of air, before speaking. "I understand Rift. I know the damage she has caused and how she made others suffer. But, as a member of the Kingdom, I don't think she should suffer, and deserves mercy. She shouldn't be alive as punishment, but as a decision in the trial that she deserves a second chance." She left the last part out, thinking it instead. 'The Kingdom stands for peace, and if Blackberry dies because of the trial, that would go against everything we stand for' "Can you promise me one thing Rift? Can you promise me you'll do your best to make sure that trial is as fair as can be?" She asked him the question with care. That was all she wanted. Those who should die should be those who didn't regret their mistakes, but Blackberrry has and is destroyed because of it. She deserved mercy.

@Blackberry

Rift nodded slowly. "No, I agree with you. No matter how bad a person may be, they don't deserve suffering like this. But there's nothing we can do to help Blackberry's state of mind right now - she brought it on herself and she knows this well. Forgiveness and mercy are two different things, Aetius. Personally, I will never forgive her for what she's done to me and my family and my friends. But I will still show her mercy, especially now when she's at her lowest."

He glanced towards the cage again, pity welling up in his chest. She was unforgivable, but that didn't make her a mindless beast. She had feelings and emotions too and they were what had crushed her to this shell of a creature.

He closed his eyes briefly before looking back at Aetius and nodding. "Of course. No matter my own personal feelings in the matter, it will be just and fair. Everyone will have a chance to vote and everyone will have a chance to decide what to do with her."

He stood and stepped back to his post, sitting himself down to keep guard again, his level, neutral expression watching Aetius, if she went back to the cage or not. "If you want to hear both sides, you should find Kera. She was here not long ago, perhaps she's still nearby. She's known Blackberry longer then anyone and she could tell you exactly how much forgiveness she deserves."

*exit

Once she'd calmed down enough, Blackberry's breathing calmed. She strained her listening to try and hear what Aetius and Rift were talking about. The owl's foolish idealism was starting to rub her the wrong way - it reminded her too much of Wilder. That had ended poorly as well, for both her and the kitten, and she didn't want to cause anymore unneeded harm, even if it was indirectly.

She raised her head and stuck her beak out through the branches. "Owl. I appreciate that you want to help. I do, really, but you don't understand. There's too much that you don't know. You keep walking around yelling about how I deserve anything is only going to get you hurt too because I don't deserve forgiveness and I sure as hell don't want or need it. That doesn't mean I gotta get killed, alright?" She sighed and forced the next words to spill. "I'll...I'll try and live because all I want is another chance to make things right. That's it, okay? If I can't have that, then I'll take death. Living is just too painful."

@Aetius

Aetius brightened up at hearing Blackberry's last words. She said she would try to live, and that was all Aetius needed to hear. "Good. Trying is good. I'm sure and certain you will make things right Blackberry. I will fight for you at the trial, I won't break that promise. Hang in there, I will see you soon." With a firm nod Aetius flew off to find Zutar, her daughter. Aetius was not sure exactly when the trial would start, so she had to be ready for it. Rest with her daughter now sounded like a good idea.

-Exit Aetius

Blackberry watched the owl fly away before pulling her head back into the cage. She rested it back on the ground, feeling about as dead as she did before, but now she knew that there was someone else out there that was on her side. Not that she really cared, she deserved whatever punishment necessary, but at least there was the knowledge that she had another ally out there.

...But was that even a good thing?

*exit