Tirad goes to Dalia. He doesn’t know whether to thank her or not. She had saved his life with the help of her family friend. If it wasn’t for them, Tirad wouldn’t have lived to see the fire kindled by Mart. Dalia’s face is wet. Tirad thinks that she must have soaked her head as usual. But she can hardly breathe. She is sobbing. Tirad asks if she was upset for the refugees. She nods. Tirad promises her to take their revenge. Dalia nods again and more tears roll down her eyes. Tirad repeats his promise even though he has no idea how to take revenge. Dalia stops nodding. She takes short quick breaths to stop her sobbing but she can’t. She cries. Tirad puts his hand on Dalia’s shoulder but she wants his arm. He takes her into his arms, embracing her close and stroking her baldhead. She stays close to him until her tears stop rolling down. She distances herself from Tirad and takes a deep breath, preparing for what she wants to say.

“Healy was on the harbour… Mart had sent her there and ordered her to stay until midnight…” she says and bursts into tears again.

Chapter 22

The closest ship to Oxan is the remainders of a naval ship. The huge, rusty naval seems to Tirad like a small island in the middle of the sea. As soon as they had sailed away from Oxan, Tirad had fallen asleep. He had woken up in the middle of the night. The boat was not moving, and Narivan and Dalia were sleep. He wanted to ask Narivan why he had stopped the boat but he was too tired to get up. And now as he has opened his eyes again, the naval is taking up his view in the dim light of the early morning. Dalia is eating a dried fish from the boat’s supplies and she hands him one. Tirad has never eaten raw fish before but he is starving, and his empty stomach will take in anything now. He takes the fish and eats it completely, the bone, the skin and the stiff flesh. He doesn’t even need the knife Dalia hands over to him to tear off the fish. Narivan points to the naval ship. He tells him that there are a number of naval ships near Oxan that are actually black markets selling fuel and contraband goods. Anyone unable to find or buy what they need in Oxan would come here. The prices are higher of course, but they don’t ask why you are buying things and for what purpose. He says the residents don’t fish or dive, they make their living through dealing and smuggling. The ship only has a small platform and one guard is standing on it and they don’t check everything a traveller carries like the Oxan guards do, emptying all the sacks and bags and recording everything. Some people even find it more convenient to pay more coins but to shop directly from the naval instead of entering Oxan.