This Little Mage Went to Auction... [open!]

[kleineklementine]

"Yes, deal, of course!" Elena agreed hastily at Soevak's offer. It was a gamble, obviously, but it seemed like the only option she had left to her. She added her own money to the table, topping Torak's offer by a moderate margin. She bit her lip, looking expectantly at the slaver handler.

[Rhindeer]

As the woman launched into her story, Pepper's eyed widened and something within her clenched. What. What? It shocked her right out of her crying and she stared at the woman, mouth dropping open and heart beating a little faster.

She could see no resemblance between them, no commonalities beyond their fair skin--which on Pepper was freckled---but the woman looked Serenian, at least, just like Pepper. But...a half sister? Never once had she entertained the idea that she had siblings, but it could work. That would explain everything. That explained the woman's desperation, why she was bidding on her, fighting to win her. And the story added up. Pepper had never known her mother, had no memory of her and no knowledge over what ever became of her. She'd always assumed she'd been abandoned (which some of the meaner kids suggested) or that she'd died when she was too little to remember.

It was scary how much it fit.

But...how? How did she find her? Unless...the college! She did attend a rather well known mage college, after all, so maybe...?

A sister...?

A family?

And yet it might all be ripped away from her again as soon as she'd found it, and she prayed to Kia for a miracle, only snapped from the scene unfolding when the other man--the man who had lost--spoke to her.

"Wha?" she said, for she hadn't been paying attention to what he'd said, too distracted over the people that were currently deciding her fate. She kept her voice low, because she didn't want to miss a word, and even as she spoke she didn't take her eyes off the woman and the other man.

The slave-handler eyed the money piled before him and quickly began to gather it up into bags. "Done!" he said, and gave Pepper a push toward them. How they worked the issue out was their business and as long as they paid, he didn't care what they did after that.

He handed the key to her manacles and collar to Soevak. "The bindings are iron. As long as she has the collar, she can't use magic," he explained to the both of them, clearly implying that removal was at their own risk. Then, with a polite dismissal, he gathered up the coin and returned to the auction.

[Brisinger987]

"Well little girl. Seems you are stuck with the sob story. Funny, I would have released you. Never mind. I will keep my hard earned money." Torak withdrew the money, and as he put it in his pocket, the bag fell.

Out of the bag slid various miscellaneous items, and lots of weapons. 4 daggers came out, matching the style of weapon that the helmet that also slid out. A whole bundle of crossbow bolts, for the crossbow on the bracer. A few bombs, unlit, and one impact bomb. Torak had no time to react as it hit the floor and blew up, not harming anyone, but certainly drawing attention to him. Alongside the rest of this, came several dozen bound contracts. But Torak didn't see these. Torak was blinded from looking at the explosion that had gone off.

[kleineklementine]

Elena was almost weak with relief when the deal was done - or, done with the slavers, anyway - and she immediately pulled Pepper to her and embraced her. She might still not know who this girl was, but the gesture wasn't staged. Elena always lost her heart too quickly, and the care and concern she felt for Pepper were genuine. Whatever reason she'd been compelled to come down here, she felt responsible for the girl's safety.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly while still holding onto Pepper.

The child swaddled in between them squirmed, and Elena released her embrace, but held Pepper at arms length for a moment and properly studied her, looking for signs of abuse... and clues to her identity. Who are you? she wondered. Why are we here? It could wait. For now, she felt nearly as fiercely for Pepper as she did for the baby.

But they were only halfway there. Or less. There was still this "business man" to come to terms with. She moved to place Pepper protectively behind her, keeping one hand on Pepper's, and turned back to Soevak. Her eyes flashed for a moment when he had been handed the keys to Pepper's bonds, but she reminded himself that he had paid the far larger amount. And as much as she wanted to release the Serenian girl from the iron, there would be no profit in arguing with the man. This whole business was exhausting.

"There's no reason to stay here in this awful place," she began saying to Soevak. "If you'd like, we can come to terms at," she was about to invite him to her house, where they could take care of the girl and work out their terms in some privacy, when Torak's bomb hit the ground. Elena gasped, clinging with one hand to Pepper and with the other to her child. When the dust settled the sound of the explosion was replaced by the loud cries of the baby. Panicked, the young mother dropped to the ground, kneeling to examine and comfort the child. Gods, if that man had hurt her infant... "Avi, Avi, Avi," she muttered to herself while tending to the child. Even if there was no apparent harm, the sound or the flash could have damaged his hearing or his sight...

When she was satisfied that there was no immediate risk to the child and she had subdued his shrieks, Elena turned to look up at Torak, her eyes flashing. Gone was the weariness, the desperation, the startled out-of-her-depth wealthy woman. Elena's eyes blazed like a wild bear's whose cub had just been threatened. She. would. kill. him.

[Listenbeastie]

The man was prepared to eventually respond to the slave, not seeming to care about the tension between the others, but the bomb went off and for a few seconds everything was obscured. When it was done he was somewhere else, close to the man who dropped the item.

His footing was set for a potential quarrel and the glower had returned to him. His left hand stuck out in front of him holding a short, slightly curved blade while his other hand had just drawn another blade from behind him. He remained still for as long as the man did not attack but the foreigner was almost as furious as the mother. A single red feather floated around him, slow to reach the ground and soundless.

Just as well the man was trying to figure out what exactly happened. He glanced for a split second to the source of the harmless explosion and started to put things together in his mind. Curtly the fellow spoke up. "Go... Take. Leave."

[TheHighwayman]

Vak had seen the explosion coming. In fact, he'd recognized the sort of bomb, and knew it would do no real harm... but an act was an act, and traveling entrepreneurs weren't known for being nonchalant when faced with explosions. When the bomb fell. he jumped clumsily away, landing sprawled on the ground about a foot away. Scrambling to his feet, he put on an indignant face and walked right up to Torak. "Careful with things like that, imbecile! You could have killed someone! Namely me! You ought to be arrested for this!"

Soevak huffed as he turned to Pepper and Elena. "If you'd kindly step aside so I can unlock her manacles? And could we be going soon? I'd rather take care of this before some other idiot blows something up." The assassin tapped his foot and folded his arms; and this was genuine annoyance, no act. A simple auction like this shouldn't have gotten anywhere near this complicated, and the stunt Torak just pulled really did irk him. What kind of idiot just carried explosives around with him, especially unsecured? It was just unprofessional. Admittedly though, he had another motive for wanting to get moving. Elena's glare hadn't escaped his notice, and while the look would probably scare any normal man with a fragment of sanity about him, people who carried bombs around a city... weren't exactly normal. He'd antagonized Torak to keep up his act, but he didn't think pressing the issue was wise.

[Brisinger987]

Torak heard everything that they were saying, and hurried in picking everything up. Everything but his assassination contracts, which remained on the floor, bound in red wax seals, with all of them containing incriminating details of noblemen, and evidence against him.

Torak began walking away, "dropping" a smoke bomb next to them all. He would not be cheated of this prize. The smoke bomb exploded with a boom, and spewed smoke everywhere.

[kleineklementine]

Another pair of eyes were watching the scene unfold in the slave market. They weren't concerned with the mage girl or how much anyone paid for her or whose sister she was or wasn't. They were only interested in the assassin. The clumsy assassin! But if Torak didn't see all of what fell out of the bag, they did. And the smoke bomb was the perfect opportunity to retrieve the bound contracts. Once the smoke filled the clearing, they darted in and grabbed the bundle, fading back into the streets of Ketra. They waited until they were decently far down an alley, away from the market, before opening one of the wax-sealed envelopes.

Oh. The eyes widened. This would certainly be interesting to the Red Jackal.

They closed the envelope again, stashed the contracts beneath the ribbing of a bodice, and disappeared.

[Aeytrious]

Those weren't the only wolves in the area. Canis Rufus had a mind to expand, and had sent small scion groups out into Serendipity and Adela to find suitable places to take up business. During all the bidding and bartering, this wolf had inched closer to the exchange area. The key was exchanged, the slaver pulled back the coins preparing to stow them in chests nearby. Then that Shadow Wolf, who was not part of the group sent here, dropped a flash grenade. Weren't Shadow Wolves supposed to be about stealth? Well the flash was a great distraction. The Wolf used the moment to get behind the partitions, into the slavers side of the stall. And what perfect timing for the smoke grenade. With the small amount of magic the Wolf had he undid all the locks within fifty feet with a snap of his fingers. He couldn't do anything else, but at least his one spell was powerful. Under the cover of the smoke the little wolf began emptying all the gold into his magic sack. The slavers would not be happy, but the Soot Wolves would really be able to move into the area with the amount of gold they were coming into. All the slaves would be realizing they were loose soon, and that extra distraction would be all the wolf needed to escape. Before the smoke was even clear, thank goodness there was no wind today, the Wolf had all the gold the slavers had locked away, and was dashing off into the chaos of choking onlookers.

[Rhindeer]

Pepper was still shaken from the first explosion when  the second went off with a boom. Smoke filled the air, and with a squeak Pepper dropped to a crouch beside the woman, eyes shut and hands over her ears, which were still ringing from the first blast. By then, the commotion had drawn a lot of attention as people in the crowd shouted in alarm--and yet not all those cries were cries of fear.

Some were of elation.

The smoke was still thick in the air, stinging Pepper's eyes, when she felt the manacles slide from her wrists and hit the ground with a metallic thud. The collar around her neck felt looser, too, and with shaking hands she reached up to feel at it--and found it had opened. Heart beating fast, she tore the collar free and tossed it away and then, without skipping a beat, she grabbed the woman by the wrist and pulled her to her feet.

"C'mon!"

She didn't know how it had happened or why, but Kia was apparently smiling on her today! She didn't wait for the woman's response before tugging her into a run as the smoke finally began to clear and other freed slaves began to flee around them. All of them but the most broken ones, who had lost enough hope to find freedom some sick joke.

Kia, you old hag, sorry for calling you a bitch all those years! Pepper prayed as they went, not daring to look behind them. You're actually pretty alright. Just get us outta here now, yeah? Please?

[kleineklementine]

OOC: Somehow the large amount of things that seemed to have happened are making for a short post...

BIC: Elena was torn between following Soevak and destroying Torak. How would this small young woman with a baby swaddled against her destroy a large armed man? That question didn't enter her head, so she didn't need to bother answering it. But in a moment, she didn't have to answer any of the questions, because the smoke bomb went off and then... What were those sounds? Were people escaping?

But Pepper grabbed her and pulled her through the smoke, and Elena didn't resist. Clutching Avi, she ran alongside the girl, bumping into someone only once or twice. After a few minutes of running, not really knowing what direction they were going, the pair finally escaped the smoke.

Elena continued to run a few moments after this, wanting to put a bit more distance between them and the melee behind them. But then she slowed and eventually stopped. She looked frazzled, and frankly exhausted. She'd slowed Pepper with her since the girl was holding onto Elena's wrist, but she didn't hold onto Pepper to make her stay. Instead just looked at the girl. Would she still stay now? Why should she? But Elena felt... Well, obviously she was curious, she wanted to know why she'd been drawn in to this girl. But even besides that, she felt bonded to her somehow.

"Are you... are you okay?" She didn't know what else to ask. For the moment, Soevak had left her mind.

[Listenbeastie]

The foreigner was prepared for the second smoke bomb, but the third one which completely enveloped the area? The source of that was truly an enigma to him. Two blades were drawn and he was quick to prepare for some sort of fight-- then people started cheering. This caused the dark-skinned fellow to start laughing, followed by some coughing of course.

Sheathing one blade and keeping the other the lad decided to follow the briefly open path taken by the slave and mother. As he too escaped the smoke he slowed down. After all, it was not his intention to follow either of them. Instead the man settled down, turning to face the smoke while making sure it didn't envelope him again.

_____

Within the smoke a riot was brewing. Handlers and guards were moving to fight liberated slaves as the air remained obscured. Some simply ran while others fought viciously.

A short, older man with a long but thin beard cussed loudly and growled, "My investments, all going up in smoke, LITERALLY!"

Nearby a much larger and more imposing figure stood, rusty mace in hand. The old man turned to it and cussed before spouting, "Don't just stand there! I'll not see my family's name spat upon in such a manner! Bring them back!-- Nay! Kill any damnable slave you find! I'll have the head of whatever weasel did this!"

The larger one simply snorted at first, turning its head to search the area for anyone. "...There are civili--"

"Are you so stupid that you cannot tell a slave from a pedestrian?! Go! Go now!"

And so the occasional bloodcurtling scream joined the chorus of chaos. The large figure was attacking what slaves remained; hopeless or not.

[TheHighwayman]

And Vak had thought matters had been out of hand before... that would teach him to complain, he supposed. Oddly enough, the man didn't seem the least bit disturbed by all the chaos unfolding around him- his only reaction was a slight sneer at the clumsiness of the whole thing. Unless whoever started this had the sole purpose of causing chaos to begin with, surely they could have found a better way of handling things than starting what amounted to a riot? Hrmph, nobody seemed to have any subtlety these days.

Peering into the smoke after both the trader and the two women- all of whom had run off somewhere- he stroked his chin and pondered the matter. The trader had given him a lousy product, and while he preferred not to kill if he didn't have a contract, that had been a lot of money he'd given for nothing. If he was quick, he could get it back. On the other hand, the women had what he really wanted- a chance at getting closer to a cure for his condition. He'd lost his bartering chip, but this mayhem might very well have given him another- after all, there was a decent chance of them getting attacked before they could reach safety, and neither of them struck the assassin as a fighter. Besides, his instincts told him the mother- he assumed she was the mother of the kid she was carrying around, at least- was probably a gentler sort, the sort that would lend a hand for nothing in return, if he played his cards right.

With one last darting glance after the slaver, he took off, moving effortlessly through the crowd and smoke. He wasn't particularly fast- if he tried sprinting or any of his normal acrobatics it would likely reopen his wound- but his somewhat fancy clothes made him an easy mark for the thugs to identify and avoid, so there was no danger of being waylaid as long as he was alone. Once or twice he saw a fleeing slave attacked by one of the slavers, and lent his swift and efficient assistance to the poor soul; partly out of a sense of mercy or empathy, but mostly due to his irritation at the slavers' policy. Who killed good merchandise like that? Just wasteful. Besides, these thugs were clumsy enough that he didn't even need his knives to finish them. Just one quick strike to the throat and he'd be on his way.

Soon enough he was free of the worst of the melee, and he could see the women up ahead- they looked unharmed, for the moment at least. Hopefully none of the slavers would spread out too far: in the chaos of the smoke and fighting he'd been comfortable enough dispatching them, as anyone who saw either wouldn't have time to note his face or would have their own problems to deal with, but he'd rather not draw too much attention to himself in the more open streets...

[Rhindeer]

When the woman slowed, so did Pepper. She didn't fight it, for she was out of breath herself with a sharp stitch in her side. Panting, she bent forward and rested her hands on her knees, cursing the fact that she'd gotten so comfortable at the college, sitting around practicing spells and reading. When she got back, she'd have to change up her routine a little, because this was ridiculous.

Raising her head at the woman's question, she paused and blinked. Just as when the woman had asked her earlier, she wasn't sure how to answer, because it was equal parts yes and no. So she settled on something more neutral.

"I'm..." Pepper thought for a second, and then continued. "I'm better." She straightened up and forced a tired smile, reaching up to push her hair out of her face and wipe away some sweat. She didn't quite look at the woman, feeling oddly vulnerable--and not just because she'd lost her concealing robes.

"Thanks. Fer whatcha did. I dunno what I'd--I mean, I don't really know what to say, honest. Ya saved me, and talk feels awful cheap fer somethin' like that..." She trailed off, and let out a frustrated sound. "I'm awful shitty at this, but I'm grateful, I just dunno how to..."

And then Pepper gave up trying to articulate at all and hugged the woman instead, now that her hands were free and she could. She was careful of the baby between them but the gratitude, and desperation, came through the clinging gesture clearly enough. That tiny mother was a safe space and kind soul in all the awfulness, her knight in shining armor, and she didn't want to let go. While she hated admitting how terrified she was, even if only through a gesture, she didn't care enough then to try to act brave.

But a piercing scream rent the air, and it was followed by more. The hair all along Pepper's arms and the back of her neck stood on end as bloodcurdling cries sounded off in chorus--from the direction of the slave block--and her body went stiff. Eyes a little wet, and now wide with fear, she pulled free of the embrace and grabbed the woman's hand in a crushing grip. She didn't want to know what was happening.

And she didn't want that other man, the one that had gone in on her with the woman, to find them.

She gave the woman's hand a tug. "Let's go!"

[kleineklementine]

Elena hadn't really meant 'how is your emotional state.' She'd really wanted to know... what? Well, if they'd hurt her somehow, or some way... But it didn't really matter now. Soon they could be home and she could stick her in a hot bath and decent clothes and feed her and then, hopefully, learn what had brought them together. (Not to mention do the same for poor Avi. An eventful morning for an infant!) But Elena wasn't thinking about this as much anymore. They were together, that's all that mattered.

"You don't have to thank me," she told the girl gently. "I just... I had to. I couldn't..." Elena didn't know how she would explain, but soon she didn't have to, because Pepper was in her arms. She held onto Pepper, pressing her face against the girl's hair. "We can talk about it when we get home," was all she said. And when she said 'home,' she meant it. But of course, there was still the matter of...

The screams from the slave market reached them and fear coursed through her, her eyes going wild. Those cries, those sounds. Her mouth opened to say something but went dry. She was about to run with Pepper when she saw Soevak at the end of the alley. For the moment, she was frozen to the spot. Obviously they needed to get away, far away, and quickly. But... without that man, she would have lost the bid entirely. She might have lost Pepper entirely. She owed him. Not just the money (though she supposed she owed him that, too), she owed him a favor.

So, mouthing a silent apology to Pepper and making the strongest promise that she could in her heart that she wouldn't let anything else happen to this girl while she was able to protect her, she waved her arms to Soevak to make sure he could tell which way they went. Then she grabbed Pepper's hand, clutched Avi to her, and sprinted as fast as she could in current circumstances.

They ran down the road for several minutes, and she continued pulling Pepper along after they seemed clear of the melee. Until finally the neighborhood began to change, the streets became greener and the houses larger and set just a little apart. Then finally she stopped, panting. She looked down the street, watching for Soevak, before turning to Pepper. "Sorry, I couldn't... I owe him, I said... I said I would," she told Pepper between heavy breaths, the last statement coming across as a clear apology.

"But I won't let anything happen to you." She was still breathless, but this came across clear, solid, and again there was a fierceness in her eyes. "I promise. Not while I can still prevent it."

[Rhindeer]

Pepper wanted to ask what the hell the woman was doing when she started to wave at Soevak but bit her tongue, because once again they were on the move, and she didn't want to waste any breath that could be used for breathing. In a panic, some part of her considered splitting away from the woman and just running, running away from all this, even though she'd saved her, even though she could be her sister and she trusted her, just because she didn't want to risk getting near that man.

But the thought dissipated as soon as it arrived. Run away...and go where? She didn't know Ketra. She'd been all of twice, and only briefly, because most of the time she just stayed in that trading town with Cain. Worse, even though she was unchained, she was wearing the rags of a slave. People would recognize her as one, and they would return her to the slavers at best.

At worst? A heart-rending scream split the air, and Pepper ran faster.

When they finally reached the "fancy" district (as Pepper knew wealthier places) and the sounds of disorder faded, Pepper began to relax again, though not by much. Once they had stopped, she tugged her hand free of the woman's and crossed her arms over her chest even as the woman got out breathy apologies.

She shook her head vigorously. "I know why ya done it, but please, please don't," she said, her own words breathless and shaky. Her eyes darted around the area, looking both for escape routes and signs of the man. "Let's just...let's just keep goin', he won't know, he won't find us! C'mon, this is fuckin' crazy! Ya don't even hafta feel bad! That man--alright, look, men only buy women for one reason, 'kay? Think about it! Ya don't gotta feel bad fer stiffin' an asshole like that!"

She shifted from foot to foot, anxious to get moving again. "C'mon, c'mon, he's gonna fuckin' find us!"

[kleineklementine]

Elena frowned at Pepper's arguments. Of course she understood where the girl was coming from. No, she couldn't really understand, how could she? It wasn't her life being bought and sold. And she knew Pepper had a point, but she somehow thought it wasn't the case now. And she felt sure she could protect the girl now. Right? What if she failed?

But she owed that man, and she knew it.

" Yes, I know why most men would buy a girl," she countered, and there was a new firmness in her voice. Not the tone one would use with a servant, but rather the tone of a familial argument. "And if it weren't for him, you'd already be sold off to that other man. He'd already have taken you off to who knows where to do whatever he wanted with you. There wouldn't have been anything I could have done. You'd be on your own, with a strange man who carries around bombs, and iron chains around your neck."

She gave Pepper a meaningful, stubborn look.

"I know that I'm glad that didn't happen. I, at least, owe him for that. Of course if you want to go now, I won't stop you and I won't blame you. It's my debt that needs to be settled, and I can do that on my own. If you make it without being caught and ever find your way back to Ketra, I'll help you then, too. Of course. But remember if you stay now, whatever happens next will happen in my home, where you won't wear slave rags, with my husband, and my household. If worse comes to worse, after the insane events today, I think the authorities would support the wife of one of Ketra's wealthiest traders before a stranger who is probably a con man."

Elena waited a moment for everything she said to sink in. When she spoke again, her tone was softer.

"You should still have time before he gets here. If you follow the garden of this brick house up ahead, it leads to a vineyard and then to the forest. You'll make it if you go now."

[TheHighwayman]

The assassin wouldn't have had much trouble following them even if Elena hadn't assisted him. As they fled through the streets, Vak kept a fair but constant distance back from them- he could recognize fear when he saw it, and he saw no need to worry her any more than needed. A wry smile crossed his face- this had turned out not too different from one of his jobs. Oh, sure, he'd not been required to kill anybody this time, and the risk of his own death hadn't really come into it, but the amount of thought he was putting into matters was certainly more than he would on day to day business. The same parts of his mind had stirred to life, and if he wasn't careful the same instincts- dangerous instincts- might as well.

When the women stopped, clearly still discussing something (him, in all probability), he did likewise, taking up a visible place across the street and a short ways down. He kept half an eye on them as they spoke, his thoughts turning to other matters. Now, the events at the slave markets had piqued his curiosity- bad for business as he knew that was. Who was it that would do something like that, and for what reasons? Were either of those other strangers part of it? They'd certainly been suspicious enough... Perhaps he'd do a little bit of sniffing about before he left the city. For once he let his expressions lie unmasked- puzzlement and a slight degree of worry wouldn't cause him undue attention here- and scratched his chin. There was nothing to say that these people weren't dangerous, possibly more so than he himself. Was it worth the risk to satisfy a slight professional qualm and sate his curiosity? Definitely not, but if he looked closely enough he might find someone who could make it worth it...

[Rhindeer]

Pepper wanted to argue. She wanted to dig in her heels and be just as stubborn in the opposite direction, but she swallowed her words. Partly out of fear--she didn't want the woman to get angry with her and change her mind or abandon her, because she had saved her, had spent a lot of money to save her, and she didn't have to do that. Was she already regretting the decision? Kia, she must sound so ungrateful!

But it was also partly because the woman was kind of right. Pepper was at a disadvantage. Safety was here, with this woman, and if she left, she may as well turn herself back in to the creeps.

And if she left, well...that was pretty shitty of her, leaving a helpless mother alone with a guy like that. Pepper had a strong feeling this noblewoman had no idea what kind of fire she might be playing with. What if the guy decided to rob her house or something? Or take both of them? Or hurt the baby? Or something? At least it would be two against one, and Pepper might be able to do something. She was a mage. And exhausted, weak, and tired mage, early into her training and reliant upon spells and words of power, but she was also no longer in irons.

Her shoulders slouched in defeat and she let out a sigh.

"Sorry," she said quietly, looking away. "I'm just...I'm just kinda nervous here."

And those nerves spiked when she caught sight of a shape in the distance. A familiar shape.

She stiffened and moved closer to the woman. "We've got company."

[kleineklementine]

Elena pulled Pepper into a hug and kissed her on the cheek. "I know," she told her.  "I'm sorry I couldn't do better." Elena already felt badly for coming down hard on the girl. Of course she was scared. Elena was scared. But they wouldn't be any safer if Soevak went to the authorities and said that Elena had stolen his property. Which would have been the case, for now. There were plenty of witnesses.

She let go at Pepper's last words and took a short moment to compose herself before turning to Soevak. "You don't have to pretend to be recovering from the run, just because we are," she said by way of calling him over. "Let's get out of the street, finally. I think it's been exciting enough out here for me for the day. Just try it: spend three months never sleeping for more than two hours, and see how your nerves hold up."

Deciding that was argument enough, she took Pepper's hand and, walking in between the two, led them down the road or merchant and banker and other wealthy people's houses. It wasn't long before they reached hers. A fine, grey stoned town home. The "city house" of Mallor's family. Tough Elena had also come from money, before her marriage she never had multiple houses. Entering the house, they were greeted by a strict-looking white haired woman who frowned at the lot of them.

"Misses Katz," Elena greeted the woman, "could you take our guest upstairs? Draw her a bath and put her in a new dress. Mister Strel and I will be waiting for her in the library." She didn't offer any explanation to the housekeeper, who disapproved of Elena on the best of days, nor did she ask permission of Soevak.

Once Misses Katz took Pepper away, Elena led Soevak threw to a high-ceilinged, book-laden, comfortable library. Wordlessly, she gestured for him to take a seat and went to a cabinet to pour him a drink. She unwrapped the sling that had swaddled the babe to her and sat opposite to Soevak. Undoing her shirt, she put the child to her breast. When he began feeding, she finally turned to Soevak.

"While we're alone," Elena began, tired but all business, "I want to agree to some preliminary terms. I'll pay you in full for the rest of her price, and compensate you for anything else you might have lost in that melee. The whatever debt you feel is left to your draw it from me. Anything but the child. Leave the girl out of it."