"You should be on your way," suggested Garul. "May the ancestors look out for you.”

“And may the tribe live on,” he replied.

Around him, the crew had risen from their labours and were now removing the prisoners from the boat, a task made more difficult by the rope securing their hands and feet.

"A good job, lads," called out Captain Kopruli. "We might not have saved any slaves, but there's one less pirate ship to trouble us."

"Yes," agreed Safak, "and now we know how to handle their type. With a little luck, our sponsors might cough up some coins."

“What of the prisoners?” asked Natalia. “Will you hand them over to the Temple Knights?”

“No,” the captain replied, “we were hired by the independent merchants, it’ll be their decision what to do with them.”

“But they know about the slaves,” Natalia argued.

“I doubt this lot had anything to do with acquiring them,” said Kopruli, "they’re just the crew, but if we do discover anything of interest, we’ll be sure to pass it along.”

"Thank you, Captain,” said Athgar, “I know it didn't quite work out the way we had hoped, but I managed to get some important information."

"What will you do now?" asked the captain.

"Our journey takes us back into Corassus. We have people to find."

"Good luck with you, then," Captain Kopruli replied.

"And to you," added Natalia.

They walked along the beach, hand in hand, eager to be on their way.

"What's our next step?" she asked.

"Personally, I think we need to get back to the estate and change. I don't know about you, but my tunic has a burned arm, and it stinks like smoke."

In answer, Natalia lifted her arm, smelling her sleeve. Her wrinkled nose told him all he needed to know.

They walked on in silence for a while, soon crossing the bridge that led to the eastern side of the river.

"I could use a bath," she said.

Athgar smiled, looking at her. "Yes," he agreed.

"No," she admonished, "I mean a real bath."

"So do I," he said, a look of indignation crossing his face.

"No, you don't," she accused.

He laughed, releasing a lot of the tension he'd been holding in. "No, I suppose not," he confessed, "but you can't blame me for trying."

"I don't blame you," she said, "I just meant we needed a proper bath FIRST!”

It didn't take long to reach the city gates, and from there they made their way directly to an herbalist. Natalia was concerned about Athgar’s hands. The Therengian had tried to ignore the burns, but the skin was now blistering. They entered the shop to see an elderly woman tending a potted plant.

She looked up as they approached, “Can I help you?”

“Yes,” said Natalia, “I wonder if you might have something to help with burns?”

“What kind of burns?” the woman asked.