Dyric and Akua hauled the three corpses to the cave entrance to keep them away from the others. By the time they returned, the others had were all huddled together, shivering. Assem in particular, shook violently, though she was bundled in several blankets.

Akua conjured a fire, everyone drawing in close to the heat. Dyric knelt beside his wife, gently stroking her wispy brown hair.

“Thank you.” He said, looking up at Akua. “Without you, she would never have had a chance.”

Akua smiled.

“I'm glad I could be of help.”

He moved to where Tawny and Neira sat, and settled in on Tawnys’ other side. Tawny trilled at him and he ruffled the russet feathers on her neck. Neira gave him a shy smile and worked her fingers into Tawnys’ damp fur.

“You two aren't actually married are you?” Morai observed.

Neira and Akua glanced at each other, and shook their heads.

“The truth is, we barely know each other.” Neira replied with a shrug.

Akua winced.

“Actually, that’s not fully accurate.” He admitted “You barely know me, but I lived for many years in the goddesses’ palace. I watched you grow up.” His voice was soft, his eyes ventured up to Neira. “I’d say I know you quite well.”

Neira flushed, looking back down to her knees again. Morai looked between them with a sly smile.

“I see.”

There was a whimper from the far side of the cavern. Their prisoner lay on the cold stone, still bound and gagged. Fat tears rolled down his ruddy cheeks. Neira looked at him and winced.

“I think we should probably take the gag out, and sit him up”

There was a murmur of agreement from the others. She and Akua pulled him upright and extracted the wad of fabric from his mouth, but left him fully bound.

“Please,” He squeaked “Please, I beg you to untie me. I swear I won't try anything!”

Pacumi and Dyric both scoffed and shook their heads. Dyric looked at him with open disdain.

“You should feel lucky to still be breathing.”

“Please…” He sobbed “Have mercy….”

Dyric rose, his fists and jaw clenched, his eyes blazing with fury.

“Did your bandit friends ever show mercy? Do you even know how many lives you helped them take?” His voice rose and he moved closer, grabbing the man by the shirt and hauling him into the air. “What makes you think that you deserve any consideration?”

The prisoner sobbed, avoiding Dyrics’ gaze.

“I had no choice.”

“There’s always a choice!” Dyric roared back.

He shook the man, throwing him back to the ground in disgust. The mans’ shirt ripped, falling away from his shoulder. Neiras eyes went wide as they landed on a familiar mark burned into the flesh of his shoulder. She moved closer her fingertips brushing against the mark.

“You were a slave?”

He nodded, curling inwards, unable to do more than whimper.

“It doesn’t make any difference.” Dyric spat “He still could have run away, they sent him alone to Nopriat on a regular basis. He could have turned them in, or even simply fled. Half the people in my fathers’ merchant guild were slaves at one point. He stayed with the bandits because he’s a greedy coward!”

“I didn’t stay for myself!” The prisoner looked up now, his own eyes burning. “I hated those men more than any of you could have for everything they’ve done!” His voice broke and his eyes fell again. “Almost as much as I hated myself for helping them.”

He sobbed silently for a moment.

“They took my sisters children, Rai and Horen. If I had run…” He looked up at Neira, tears streaming down his grubby face. “Please, please I swear I’ll never breathe a word of anything that happened here to anyone for as long as I live. Please, just let me go so I can save them? They’re all I have left.”

Dyric shuffled back to Assems’ side and sat beside her with a huff. He looked down, his expression dark.

“I’ll admit, if that’s true, it would be reason enough to have stayed.”

Neira chewed at her fingertip, her mind working through all the new information.

“As much as I hate to doubt your story, we really can’t afford to take any chances at this point. Do you have any evidence of what you’re saying?”

The man shook his head, slumped in dejection.

“The bandit leader brought me a letter from the children once, but he wouldn’t let me keep it. I can’t imagine he would have kept it after showing it to me.”

Neira took a deep breath and looked toward the entrance. Akua caught her arm.

“What are you thinking Neira?”

“I’m thinking that if the leader had some proof, it would probably be on him. He was never one to let things be far away.”

“Why don’t I go look?”

Neria shook her head.

“It’s ok. I should go.” She looked down the dark tunnel. “I remember a few places he used to hide things.”

She made her way alone to the entrance of the cave. The air had a musty foul odor as she got closer to the bodies. Her stomach turned. There he was, in a crumpled heap on the ground. As a girl she had so many nightmares of that face, of the terror she’d had to endure before being sold. Now as she looked down on him she wondered if the nightmares would disappear with him.

She dug through his pockets and came up empty. Then she turned to his favorite hiding place that he had sewn into the side of his shirt. His body was stiff and cold, and flakes of dried blood fell as she shifted his clothing. She gagged at the feel of his clammy skin, but there in the hidden pocket she found a small leather pouch. Pulling it free of the corpse she retreated.

On her way back to the others she opened it, and found three sheets of parchment. The first was a letter to someone called Mipenze. Neira shook with rage as she read through it. He claimed that a man named Tiernon had outlived his usefulness. It spoke of children, and instructed that they should be sold, for no less than one hundred gold each.

She glanced at the other sheets. One was a map. Several locations were marked but none were clearly labeled. It seemed to be some sort of code. She tucked it away again and read through the third. It was some sort of an invitation from the Guild of Whispering Blood. She replaced it in the pouch as well, focusing back on the first letter.

Everyone but the prisoner looked up expectantly when she returned.

“I found a letter.” She said “But I need to know your name.”

He looked up at her in disbelief, a tiny spark of hope in his wide, watery eyes.

“It’s Tiernon.”

Neira handed the letter to Dyric.

“It looks like they were planning to kill you,” She said softly “and sell the children as slaves.”

Tiernons’ face drained.

“Sold?” His voice was barely above a whisper “They are to be sold?”

He trembled, struggling against the ropes as he pleaded.

“Please- please, I have to rescue them, they are only nine years old. They’ve already suffered far more than their share… Please.”

Dyric looked Tiernon over and back down at the letter in his hands. He glanced around the cave at the others. Neira and Morai were both in tears, Morai clutching her son. Assem looked up and gave him a weak smile and nodded. Pacumi glowered, his fists clenched so hard they shook.

“Filthy mongrels. “ he growled “Preying on children.”

Everyone appeared to be of the same mind. He pulled out a knife and crossed to Tiernon, slicing him free of his bonds.

“Do you have a plan?”

“They are being kept not far from here.” Tiernon said, rubbing at the indents in his wrists. “There are two men guarding them though. I’m not much of a fighter, but I’m sure I can find some way to sneak them out.”

“Can you?” Dyric prodded “What happens if you fail?”

Tiernon shook his head, his lip trembling.

“I can’t afford to think that way. I have to get them free.”

“You can’t really afford not to think like that.” Neira argued “If you fail, they could be killed, or worse. You need a better plan.”

“Could they be bribed?” Dyric asked.

Tiernon shook his head.

“If it fails I will have lost the element of surprise. There’s no way I can overcome them with force.” He wrapped his arms around his knees, eyes on the ground. “Stealth is my only option.”

“There is one other option.” Neira crouched beside him, and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You could ask for help.”

Tiernon looked up at the strangers surrounding him, and saw gentle smiles and determined faces.

“You would help me?” He breathed.

“I know how awful it is to be a child sold into slavery.” Neira wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I could never just stand by and let it happen to someone else.”

“We’ll help too.” Dyric added “Freedom is worth fighting for, especially for a child.”

Tiernon looked from one to the other and sobbed.

“Thank you.” He clasped Neiras’ hand “Thank you all so much!”

“Well then,” Akua cut in with a grin “I suppose now is a good time for us to come up with a new plan to save them.”