Riverside ransom! [Tally-cakes!]

[Rhindeer]

Good girl, Nakato thought. Just stay like that.

The problem here was going to be the other slaves. Though they looked weary and spiritless, and though some had even drifted off to a restless sleep, she knew she wasn't going to remain unseen. She had no knife, which meant she'd have to pick at Soralyn's knots the old fashioned way--but worse, around those slaves there was no cover. She'd be exposed, the slaves would notice her, and they goddamn better be quiet about it!

Nakato waited, listening and watching. But the men were in the distance, gathered around the fire and doing whatever it was this group did in their down time. Crawling closer, she finally left the cover of the long grass, and took it slow until, finally, she was behind Soralyn.

She didn't go unnoticed. She would be fooling herself to think she could. A woman sitting neck to Soralyn saw her, and Nakato saw her eyes widen and lips part at the sight of, well...a naked, dirty, wild-looking woman crawling up behind them out of the grass. Nakato shook her head quickly and put her finger to her lips again, then pointed to Soralyn's bindings.

Be quiet, she mouthed, and began to pick at the knot.

Fortunately, she had experience with knot-tying, and it began to come loose quick. "Ya ready to run, chickie?" she whispered.

[Tally]

It was dreadfully difficult to sit still while she waiting for Nakato to find a window of approach.  To stop herself from fidgeting, Soralyn studied the camp.  So many warriors!  It made sense, as there were many slaves to watch over, yet she wondered at how they kept such a large undertaking beneath the notice of the province guards.  They were not that far from the capital!

She heard rather than saw Nakato shuffled up behind her, and soon her hands came loose.  She kept them where they were, lest she rouse attention.

"Well done!"  Soralyn shifted to the side so she could get at the hands of a nearby captive without alerting anyone.  "Quickly, begin work on the others!"

[Rhindeer]

"Are ya mad?" Nakato hissed as Soralyn did the exact opposite of running and started to untie a captive while Nakato looked on in horror.

Because the captive, who had been dosing, roused when Soralyn began to untie her knots, and she jolted alert and gasped in surprise. The jolt disturbed the one next to her, who she promptly hushed and then nodded behind her to where Soralyn was working. They were being quiet, for they weren't stupid, thank gods. They knew the danger they were in, and that they might not have another opportunity like this. But Nakato chewed the inside of her cheek and fidgeted, eyes darting back and forth between the slaves and the campfire.

All it would take was just one mistake. Just one yelp of surprise, just one wrong movement.

And what of when they tried to leave?

Gods, Soralyn was fucking it all up!

Nakato grabbed Soralyn from behind, hands grasping her wrists to still her. "Stop, princess," she hissed in her ear. "Ya gotta stop. Can't save 'em! We got a chance of slippin' away, but the whole lot of 'em? All these slaves? Gonna draw attention and then we'll all die! They're armed, ya idiot! We ain't!"

"What?" The slave Soralyn was working on risked a glance over her shoulder, eyes filled with desperation. "You'll leave us? You can't just leave us here! No, please, don't leave us here!"

[Tally]

Soralyn breathed deeply and drew up.  Even with her arms clasped behind her, she pitched her voice poised herself as one who should and will be obeyed.

"Of course not," she said, her voice even, unrushed.  "This is my servant, and she's merely frightened.  I've loosened your knots, go ahead and slip out if you can...there you have it."

It worked, thank the gods.  The woman calmed and did as Soralyn told her, though she began to shake from the nerves.

"Well done.  Begin work on the next.  Try not to move too much, let them think we are all still tied."  And, finally, she could turn her attention back to the jackal.  "You must turn your back to me.  Swiftly now, or they will see you are not tied!  Place yourself so you might get at more of the ropes."

[Rhindeer]

Right before her eyes, Nakato watched her hopes of a quiet escape go fluttering out the window. Her mouth dropped open. Her servant?! Afraid?! Of all the--! Nakato was seriously regretting not clocking her over the head again when she awoke. At least unconscious the biggest issue had been her weight!

Teeth bared, Nakato started to make a strangling motion at Soralyn before she realized that if anyone looked at them right then, they'd see that her hands were free. So with an irritated growl, she dropped her hands and put her back to Soralyn's. Of course, if anyone looked they'd also see that she was the only naked one among the bunch, but that was beside the point! Maybe they wouldn't notice that in the poor light.

"Don't say I didn't warn ya," she grumbled as she turned to the prisoner closest to her and worked on her knots, since that was the only other option. If she tried to grab Soralyn and haul her away, they'd be outed. Either Soralyn would fuss, or all these prisoners would protest about being left behind, thanks to Soralyn waking them all! This was madness, but at least if everyone else was freed, they would have a chance.

The prisoners could be used as shields and distractions, and they could slip away in the chaos.

She finished untying the knot, and whispered in the prisoner's ear, "Get at the next. Hurry up!"

[Tally]

Soralyn desperately wanted to go about untying everyone herself, but that would not do.  That much movement would surely attract attention.  No, she must rely on them all to do their part and do it well.  As it was, their voices were raising too high already and she had to hiss at them all to keep silence.

Only a few more to untie.  She leaned back to speak to the shifter.  "Not long now.  You must go to the horses.  Get them all loose, and spook them into a stampede."

Not a single soul would make it out of here if their pursuers had the advantage of horseback.

[Rhindeer]

"Seriously?" Nakato hissed, unable to believe her ears. "Ya realize once I do that, they're gonna be hot on our asses, yeah?"