“Anyway, listen,” Katryn said to Jace. “When the two of you came crashing into my cave, I was running pretty low on supplies and not sure what to do next… we helped each other out, though to be fair, you made it easier for me to get away from Faresia than it would have been otherwise.”
“He made it necessary for you to leave Faresia,” Loki said, from the front of the hold… behind Jace and Sheiral, on the other side of them from the ladder. “Who knows what kind of welcome will be waiting for you if you ever try to go back to that cozy little cave?”
“We won’t be back that way for months,” Katryn said. “If the slaves are traced that far, it will probably be assumed they drowned. We’ll check it out carefully when we go back, make sure nobody else has moved in… same as we always do. Anyway, boy,” she said, turning her attention back to Jace, “I’m going to give you a purse with ten tetrae in it when we get to Montport. That should be enough that you can get off the street and get some better food before you find a job or sell the knife. If our paths ever cross again, I’ll expect you to pay me back.”
“And what if they don’t?” Jace asked.
“Then I’ll consider it money well spent,” Katryn said.
“I can’t believe you would do this to me,” Sheiral said. “Leave me all alone in the world!”
“I’m not leaving you alone, I’m leaving you with him,” Katryn said. “Which is how I found you.”
“We’ll be fine,” Jace said.
“I won’t,” Sheiral said. “I’ll be spotted as soon as we step off the ship, like that woman said.”
“Yeah, please try to at least make it until the end of the pier,” Katryn said. “I don’t want any more attention on the Chaser than is strictly necessary.”
“We’ll get an inn room with the money she lends us,” Jace said. “I’ll find a job. You can stay…”
“Stay cooped up in a tiny room?” Sheiral said. “For how long? Until something happens to you? Or you decide to sell me? You’re talking about a fate no better than the one you rescued me from!”
“I wouldn’t!” Jace protested. “And you wouldn’t have to hide all the time… you’re not a slave. People can’t just take you.”
“No? How do you think I ended up where you found me?” Sheiral said. “You don’t understand anything about the world… how do you think you’ll be able to keep me safe?”
“Just wait… I’ll earn some money,” Jace said. “We’ll save it. You won’t be stuck in a room forever. We’ll get enough money to get by with, and then you won’t have to hide. You’ll see.”
“I don’t know how it’s possible for someone to sound so worldly and naive at the same time,” Katryn said. She turned back towards her cabin. “And I don’t care. I want to get as much translating done as I can before we make port and I start getting hit with distractions.”
“I can help you with that!” Sheiral said.
Katryn laughed.
“If ships had jesters, girl, you could sail with me forever,” she said.
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