The White Riders who had arrested them shrank from removing his scales, yet Eragos had insisted upon it. If they were gone then he would not endure endless begging from Eithne to violate this cell, ruin the bars and escape. She did not understand that being caught was more than likely a blessing. Geoff, Martine and Cols might have careers left in front of them if they escaped Agrippa's wrath. To that end Eragos was prepared to take as much responsibility as he could without lying. He could not pretend that Eithne had not blackmailed them, or that it had not worked, but if the Captain did not ask then he would not volunteer that information. It felt the same as lying, but Agrippa was always certain that he knew a great deal. Open ended questions were not part of his personality. He would ask the questions that mattered to him, and then he would make a decision. Eragos wondered without alarm if his time in this company was done.
It should have alarmed him.
In all of the world you would find one organization or another. They were dedicated to defending a goddess or a faith or... he had been part of such groups. The White Riders, on the other hand, were dedicated to defending the people. It was not a righteous air or a determined sneer that they cultivated, but an honest concern for the doings and dangers that came with living whatever kind of life you wished. More than civil guard, more than watchmen, they were truly servants of their nation. Eragos did not want to think that he would no longer belong to such a company, truly singular in all of the world, simply because Eithne had to find out the truth about herself. A truth it seemed she must have already known. Eragos did not think she was too stupid to see what had been in front of her. Denial was a powerful weapon. So it seemed.
"Since the Breaking," Agrippa said lazily from the other side of the bars. "Twenty-seven Riders have left our company. Another ten have died. It's amazing, isn't it?"
"I don't understand," Eragos spoke for all of them.
"Nearly three times as many men and women quit as died. That says something about our code, don't you think, Eragos?"
Eragos saw his point almost instantly. It was very near to a speech that his father had given him when he was a boy. None of these creatures with him had heard it. Not creatures, good people in the main, but they did not understand the point that Agrippa was about to make to them and they would not understand it no matter how he tried. Cols was nodding slightly, as if to say that he knew, but Martine and Geoff still stared with blank eyes. Eragos pointedly did not look at Eithne. Agrippa was still speaking in any case. Even if he wasn't, Eragos wanted nothing to do with whatever mad gleam was showing itself in her gaze just then.
"It isn't easy to live by," Agrippa sighed. "Or convenient. But if you want to be a Rider, you do need to live by it."