The four cats walk to the senate meeting (Kattmyntetunga is a little jumpy and speedy). When they arrive to the insula where the meeting's gonna be held cats have already gathered. As they mingle Kattmyntetunga speeds up even a little more. They pay respect to the cats they know, acknowledge relationships and salute some important cats that recognises them. The princeps and the consuls arrive and everybody lowers their voices and start the informal negotiation over where they should sit according to territory, age and fame. Tryggtass notice Skarpöra and a suspicious foreign cat that they guess will speak for Skarpöra.
Princeps call for attention and opens the meeting. She points out the jury and the consul in charge and thereby judge for the trial and then asks the jury to step forward and take their places at the front. When asked by the judge Kattmyntetunga steps forward and eagerly states the accusation against Skarpöra. The judge then asks for a statement regarding this from Skarpöra's representative, a foreign cat called Eggtunga (Sharp Tongue). Luckily for Skarpöra she thought of getting her representative acknowledged before the trial when choosing a cat from another region. Eggtunga looks very nonchalant and strools up to the speaking area, strikes a pose and says that the accusation is incorrect.
As the accusing party Kattmyntetunga and Tryggtass gets the opening expression. Kattmyntetunga starts by reminding the jury and the senate how these simple things as duels have been possible to handle in a juste way based on firmly laid out tradition. Never before has this have ot come to a court case. Cats nod in agreement and readies themselves for some prime entertainment.
As first witness Kattmyntetunga calls Tryggtass who shortly and without frills describes how it happened this thing that Skarpöra calls a duel and how another cat, Högertass, was involved and how a third cat probably readied himself to join in. A murmur travels through the cats at this flagrant crime against traditions. Eggtunga steps up and says that it's with sorrow he has to go to court to counter such a foul distortion of the truth. He calls Skarpöra as witness and Skarpöra ruffle up her, stretches herself and confidently walks up to the speaking area. She tells about the fight without any direct lying and without mentioning any of the two other cats on her side.
The jury is hard to read but seems to lean towards Tryggtass telling the truth.
Kattmyntetunga then calls Grå to testify regarding how the fight happened and was carried out. He tells about Skarpöra's airy attitude and that there never was any formal challenge, that Skarpöra just behaved like it was her area and backed that up with threats of violence and with right paw that later engaged himself in the fight together with Skarpöra. Kattmyntetunga asks if Grå knows who this cat is. When Högertass is pointed out his facial expression goes from interesting-happenings-this to -eh-hey-don't-look-at-me-I-was-almost-not-there. Eggtunga has nothing to add and has no questions for Grey (to everybody's surprise).
Kattmyntetunga follows up by calling Högertass to testify about the fight and the more experienced cats in the senate raise their expectance for entertainment even more and whisper about that clever new rethor (speaker) Kattmyntetunga. Högertass looks perplexed and asks "Who?!? Me?!?" "You!" answer the judge. Kattmyntetunga asks Högertass if he was present when the fight occurred. He starts by trying to equivocate "I was at the same street roof, that's correct", trying to not say that he was in the fight or even really near it. Kattmyntetunga pushes him a little by asking if he participated in the fight or if he means that Grå is lying. Högertass says that he of course isnät trying to accuse grå of lying and then has to acknowledge that he was participating in the fight or "the challenge" as Högertass calls it. He's very nervous and Kattmyntetunga is clearly having the upper paw in the situation. He states it as if it could be another fight than the one Kattmyntetunga has been talking about but when Kattmyntetunga asks if there was more than one fight that day he falls spinning into the trap and answers that there was only one. So apparently he was participating in the fight and that fight also obviously wasn't going by tradition. Eggtunga tries to save the situation by asking Högertass if it is correct that he was there to act as Skarpöra's second in case that would be needed. To this Högertass of course answers yes and thereby implies that maybe the first tradition breaker wasn't Skarpöra but rather Tryggtass.
The fumbling testimony from Högertass is giving advantage to Kattmyntetunga and Tryggtass though and Tryggtass can feel the presence of her forefathers, guiding her and distracting the opponents forefathers when they try to help. The representative for the jury asks for a short break to discuss the matter at hand and the judge decides for a nap long break. Tryggtass, Grå and Svansglidaren slightly worries that the jury won't be fully neutral since they have recognised several cats in the jury that participated in the hunt for their catnip last night. Since they didn't get anything and Kattmyntetunga et al got a lot they might hold a grudge.
Kattmyntetunga continues after the break with a rethorical question wether this event is only about breaking the traditions regarding challenges and calls Svansglidaren to testify. Kattmyntetunga asks if it's true that Skarpöra repeatedly provoked Tryggtass to get her to start an unjust fight or maybe scared give up the area anyway. Grå answers with a simple "Yes". Following that kattmyntetunga asks in what form the provocations were "...surely no cat would mark territory inside another cat's territory without a proper challenge?" Grå's simple answer to this is that at least one cat would do that, Skarpöra, and she did that several times. He states where and how Skarpöra consciously marked Tryggtass' favourite spot as hers. Kattmyntetunga calls Tryggtass and Grå and asks them one by one if Svansglidaren's statement is correct. Eggtunga seems totally off and has nothing to add and totally fail to grab any opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses.
Eggtunga calls Skarpöra to testify and asks if she thought that everything was already done and finished and that she had won the challange. Skarpöra answers "yes" and then angrily goes of the rails and questions why they are here at all over this trifle. It should be obvious that she won the fight and that it's her area now. Eggtunga interrupts her, thanks her and sends her down from the witness area.
Kattmyntetunga calls Skarpöra to testify and asks her to describe how a correct and juste durel should be carried out. Skarpöra is very flippant basically says that two cats fight and the last cat standing gets the territory. Kattmyntetunga then calls Tryggtass and asks the same thing. Tryggtass gives a, if not fully correct so much more traditional, view on duels and also states that it by no means has to be about the whole territory. It's rather most common that it's about a small part of the territory depending on the terrain. In Tryggtass's case, a quarter of an insula as territory, it's obvious that it's divided in many parts. Eggtunga still isn't back on track and has no further questions. Everyone is surprised when Kattmynetunga calls princeps, oldest cat, most revered cat in the region, leader of the senate to testify. Kattmyntetunga asks princeps to explain how a challenge should be carried out to be correct and just, how seconds should behave, how parts of territories are decided and many other things. It's obvious that both Skarpöra and Tryggtass have made mistakes but also embarrassingly obvious that Skarpöra did the biggest ones and probably just didn't give a shit about the rules.
Kattmyntetunga declares that she's done and won't call any more witnesses unless any further testimonies calls for that. Eggtunga doesn't manage to come up with anything further so the jury leave to counsel and decide upon who's guilty. In the meantime the area explodes in talk and betting and some cats seem worried that humans will wake up and interfere in the procedures (Kattmyntetunga is nervously walking in circles) but everything is kept silent enough and the jury returns.
The judge ask the jury if they are finished and since they are finished he asks for their decision and wether they have reached that conclusion with a qualified majority. So they have and they have found that the accusation stands and is correct. The judge then decides the outcome. Skarpöra has no right to any part of Tryggtass territory and no privileges besides regular traditional rights to pass through territories and similar. He also states that if Skarpöra wants to challenge Tryggtass in the future over any part of Tryggtass's territory a neutral third party from the senate has to oversee the duel. The same goes for Tryggtass. Skarpöra and Eggtunga snort and leave. Tryggtass, Svansglidaren and Grå notice that the other two cats that earlier seemed to have a lot of dealings with Skarpöra doesn't follow them.
After some courtesy mingle they return home.
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