Logan pushed himself upright in bed as Rena and Asha stood up from the floor.

               [SFX clothes rustling]

Cas closed the door then leaned against it and crossed their arms.

               [SFX door closing]

They were lean, with short black hair and big green eyes. They were clad completely in black which made their skin look paler than it actually was. They were wearing a loose cotton blouse and had tucked the ends of the sleeves into a pair of black leather gloves.

A faint smile tugged at their lips but didn’t reach their eyes and with the intensity of their stare, Rena couldn’t shake the feeling that a great beast had snuck into their room.

RENA: [stammering, almost like a question] I’m sorry, I didn’t know Kalani was your wife.

CAS: [jovial, with a hint of resentment at the end] No, of course not, how would you? But the other two know.

Logan slipped his legs out from under the blanket and tried to stand up, but he quickly sat down again, clutching a hand against his wound.

LOGAN: [apprehensive, in pain] Why are you here?

CAS: Well, I was tired of waiting downstairs on my own, silly.

LOGAN: No, I mean, why are you in Halvint? Why did you leave Rancor?

ASHA: I asked them to come.

LOGAN: [exasperated] Of course you did. Listen, Cas, we can fix this ourselves. Kalani probably already got away from the guards on her own and is waiting outside town. She’s resourceful like that. There’s truly no need for you to be here. And I’m sure there are more important things that require your full attention.

Rena stepped closer to Logan, afraid that if he tried to stand up again, he would simply collapse.

RENA: I think we could use any help we can get.

LOGAN: [under his breath] You don’t want to be in their debt.

RENA: [whisper back] Why not?

Rena glanced over at Cas who was staring at her without blinking, the faint smile still on their lips.

CAS: [slower] Nonsense. [with more energy] Being in my debt is as easy as milk spoiling if you forget it in the sun. It’s just a natural state of the world. I would dare to proclaim that being in my debt is easier than not being in it, am I right, Asha? Certainly easier to be in my debt than in someone like Deacon’s.

Logan’s head snapped up as he stared at Cas with wide eyes.

LOGAN: Why? What did he say?

Rena wasn’t sure what they were talking about until it dawned on her that she’d heard the name before. In the city of Rancor, after they’d found Asha and met up with Logan again, he had acted strangely even though he’d insisted everything was fine. Hadn’t he mentioned someone called Deacon then? And something about a deal blowing up?

Rena shifted uneasily, the worry of that day creeping back into her.

CAS: [exaggerated sigh] I’m not your personal records keeper, Logan. I’m sure you know yourself whichever debt you haven’t repaid yet and why he’s so desperately looking for you. Or maybe he’s simply one of your jilted lovers. Although, I think even your standards aren’t that low.

Asha stepped forward until she stood to Rena’s left, arms crossed to mirror Cas’ stance.

ASHA: Let’s not get distracted. What Deacon does or doesn’t want isn’t relevant right now.

LOGAN: [mistrustful] No, they know something.

Logan kept his gaze focused on Cas, narrowing his eyes as if he was trying to read their thoughts. Cas shrugged and pushed away from the door, before slowly stepping closer to them.

               [SFX slow footsteps]

CAS: I know a great many things, Logan. But Asha’s right, we shouldn’t get distracted. If I recall correctly, you’ve got some people to save. But what to do, what to do? Time isn’t on your side, after all.

ASHA: We need to head back to Rancor before everyone’s left. I’ve got some ideas about who could help us, but I don’t know if they’ve already left the region or not.

LOGAN: You’re uprooting the camp?

CAS: With the ruckus you’ve been making here? Of course. The military and the historical academy have infected the region like fleas, I’m not waiting around for them to weasel their way into my city.

Rena felt something twist in her stomach. Guards were swarming the region because of her. It was her fault that people had to abandon their homes and move somewhere else. How could she still expect help from these people if she was the one putting them in danger?

RENA: [hesitant] Is it a smart idea to head back to Rancor? I mean, Ocassian’s right, we probably don’t have a lot of time. We don’t know what the guards will do to Rodrick and Kalani, the longer we wait, the further away they could take them.

ASHA: Exactly, we don’t know where they’ve taken them, we need to get to people who can get us more information.

RENA: [hesitant] What about Devon? Darian mentioned he might be able to help.

CAS: You really want to trust someone who works for the Royal Council?

Cas had stepped over to the other side of Logan’s bed and had sat down on the bed Rena had slept in. They were leaning back on their elbows and had crossed their legs at the knees, lazily swinging their right leg back and forth.

CAS: The same people who are swarming the province searching for you? Who are looking away as their kingdom burns? You really think he isn’t just going to rat you out?

Cas’ eyes were fixed on hers and it took Rena all of her strength not to look away. If she dug her nails into the palms of her hands the pain would distract her enough that she even forgot to blink. Somehow, it seemed important not to let Cas get the upper hand, that they were simply here to test her and how she persevered would dictate the course of her future.

RENA: [slow voice] I don’t think he would. He knew people from Oceansthrow, I’m sure he also wants justice for them.

CAS: Oh, I bet he knows exactly who set the fire. But loyalty to friends only goes so far. If your superior tells you to close your eyes and shut your mouth, you do it, or you won’t get far in your career.

With a grimace, Logan pushed himself up from the bed, gently manoeuvring Rena to the side so he stood between her and Cas.

LOGAN: [with some effort] There aren’t a million places they could have taken Kalani and Rodrick. They might try to get them over the border or transfer them to the military academy, but I don’t think they’ve done it yet. Not with the losses they sustained yesterday. And there’s too much paperwork involved in their whole operation, they first need to prepare their arrest records and all that nonsense.

ASHA: If they’re making an official arrest.

LOGAN: Right, but I don’t think they’d veer too far from their usual protocol. I bet they’ve put Rodrick and Kalani in some holding cells in the meantime. Not in one of the smaller towns though, they need more security than that. My bet is they brought them to Hollowtooth. And if I’m wrong, we can always gather more information later. We don’t need Rancor for that.

CAS: If you say so.

Cas got up and brushed down their pants.

               [SFX clothes rustling]

CAS: We’ll see if you won’t come crawling back to me in the end, like so often. But I suppose I’ll be so kind and keep my ear to the wind. Can’t punish Rena for your stubbornness. And maybe I’ll even find them before you. Make it a little game, see who’s more competent. I wouldn’t want to put the fate of my wife solely in your hands, after all. She’s too important for that.

               [SFX slow footsteps]

They walked over to the door, hands clasped behind their back, barely regarding them anymore.

               [SFX door creaking open]

They stopped before stepping out, turning one last time to look at Rena.

CAS: Right, before I forget, I think I heard a rumour or two that might be of interest to you. Oh, but silly me, I seem to have forgotten what it was. Something or other about another survivor from Oceansthrow. Tragic that I can’t remember who or where they are. Oh well, it can’t be helped, I’m sure it’ll come back to me eventually. I’ll see the three of you around, like a headache that just won’t leave me alone.

               [SFX knocking on wood twice, leisurely footsteps leaving]

Rena’s vision blurred. She had to sit down on the bed or she might have lost her balance. Another survivor? Were they talking about Maya, or was there someone else? If they knew where Maya was, they would have surely told her. They wouldn’t be toying with her like this if it was about someone as important as Maya. But could there be more survivors besides her and her sister? Well, of course there could, there was nothing special about her. It would be stranger if she was the only survivor. But why hadn’t she heard about it until now? Had she simply left Halvint too quickly that first day after the fire? Was it someone who had been out of town and had only returned later? Or was Cas lying to rile her up? But what could they gain from that?

RENA: [murmur]: What?

LOGAN [whisper]: That’s Cas for you.

ASHA: They’re usually friendlier.

LOGAN [whisper]: Barely. [groan]

Logan sat down next to her again, his right hand holding the wound on his stomach. He lay down, his head dangling off the other edge of the bed. He ran a hand through his hair, carting through his curls with his fingers.

RENA [stunned]: Do you think there really are more survivors?

LOGAN: Wouldn’t be that strange. They might have just landed somewhere besides Halvint.

               [SFX heavy footsteps coming closer, door closes]

Darian rushed into the room, a grim expression on his face.

DARIAN: We need to get you out of here. Someone’s looking for you in town. For now it’s just one guard, but who knows when more will arrive. Devon’s managed to lead them away from the inn but they won’t stay at the other end of town forever. Logan, Valentina wants to take a look at your wound again, and then we’ll need to smuggle you out of here. Valentina can drive you somewhere if you hide behind the crates in our wagon, people will just think she’s running some errands, but we need to act quickly.

ASHA: Can she get us to Hollowtooth?

DARIAN: Hollowtooth? That would take a couple of hours [pause, sigh] I’ll talk to her, but it should be possible.

RENA: Thank you. For everything. You’ve done so much for us. I don’t even know how to repay you, but I’ll find a way! You’ve put yourself in so much danger for us and I hope you know that we don’t take that for granted.

Darian ran a hand over his short-cropped beard, averting his eyes from Rena’s.

DARIAN: [mumble] Just trying to be helpful. [clearer] But we really need to go, Valentina’s already waiting.

               ~~~~

               [SFX nature sounds, horse walking]

Less than half an hour later they were sitting in the back of a rudimentary wagon, hiding behind a wall of empty crates with a canvas fastened above them. Valentina had cleaned and bandaged Logan’s wound and had given them all old clothes. Rena had received a dark blue dress that used to belong to Valentina’s niece and was several sizes too big for Rena but stayed on her body with the help of one of Darian’s belts. She tied her hair up and hid it underneath a head scarf in the same manner her mother used to wear in the mornings.

Asha had refused to wear a dress, stating that if a fight were to break out, she’d need her usual range of motion. She’d instead gotten Darian’s old clothes – a pair of brown linen pants that had seen better days and a thick cotton blouse that could hide her armguards. She had grumbled about the odd fit of them but did recognise that her blue tunic was too easily recognisable. She refused, however, to take off her jewellery and simply hid them under the hood of a short cape. The matter of her sword was another problem. She refused to leave it behind, and Rena had to reluctantly admit that she felt safer with the sword close by, but it was too distinct not to hide it at all, so off it went into the burlap sack with their original clothes.

Logan ended up with clothes that actually looked nicer than his own, seeing as they weren’t riddled with patched-up holes.

               [SFX nature sounds slowly turn to town sounds]

The ride to Hollowtooth was agony, they barely had any space to stretch their legs and the air grew so heavy and hot that Rena felt like she might lose consciousness at any moment. It took them a few hours to reach the other town, although Rena couldn’t tell exactly how many. Her stomach had started growling halfway through the journey and her mouth had long dried up. She couldn’t imagine that her companions were doing much better – especially Logan with his wound – but neither of them complained even once, or said anything at all for that matter, so the ride stretched out in silence – making seconds feel like hours – until Valentina finally stopped the cart.

               [SFX horse walking stops, neighing, town sounds mixed with ocean sounds]

Rena was ready to burst out from under the canvas but waited diligently for Valentina to set them free. She had stopped the cart in a small back alley between two tall buildings, the alley only illuminated dimly as the sun reflected off of the white plaster of the facades. The buildings felt oppressive as if they could bend over her and crush her at any moment. She had been to Hollowtooth a handful of times, but never in this district. By the smell of it, they were right next to the sea and probably a large fish market.

VALENTINA: I can’t get you closer to the centre of town, it would be difficult to find a street without any curious eyes. You’ll have to find your destination on your own.

Rena stepped out of the cart, followed by Asha who slung their burlap sack over her shoulder and held a hand out so Logan could step down with ease. He grimaced as he landed on the cobbled street and held his side with his free hand.

RENA: Thank you so much! I’m sorry for all of the danger we’ve put you in.

Valentina hoisted the canvas back over the empty crates with some effort, gesturing for Asha to tie it down properly.

VALENTINA: It wouldn’t feel right if we let the guards get to you. But you should leave now. These parts aren’t always safe, even if they seem empty. If you follow this road to the west and head north on the main road you’ll reach the beginning of town. [pause] Logan, are you sure you’re gonna be fine? We can still find a way to get you to Rancor.

LOGAN [with some effort]: Yeah, don’t worry about me, I’ve lived through worse.

RENA: I’ll make sure to inspect and clean his wound regularly so it doesn’t get infected.

LOGAN [mumbling]: I’ve lived without a mother for over a decade, I won’t need one now either.

Rena opened her mouth to argue with him, but Asha had already said her goodbyes to Valentina and turned around, so Rena had to hurry to catch up with her.

They barely met other people on the streets although Rena could hear people working inside the buildings. As they reached the main road, Rena finally saw what was inside the big buildings. They had been built on top of the beach, meaning that the ocean flowed into some of the buildings so that ships could be manoeuvred into them. In one building further from the ocean, she saw how a ship was being newly built, workers swarming around its giant hull like ants.

Asha admonished her for looking around too much, saying that it made them look suspicious if they seemed like they’d never been there before. Rena kept her eyes on the ground from then on, although it was difficult not to glance around out of curiosity.

[SFX less ocean, more city]

As they entered the city, the streets started filling up with people. Hollowtooth was a busy place, somewhere people from all over the kingdom came to do business and visit the ocean. The houses looked newer and bigger than what Rena was used to from Oceansthrow or even Halvint, but they didn’t come close to the splendour of the Plains’ inner sections.

They headed towards town, hiding in the mass of people on the main road so they could avoid any guards who might be looking for them. Although, Rena wondered how many of the guards actually knew what they looked like. They would probably be safe if they didn’t draw any attention to themselves.

They followed the crowd to a busy market where merchants were selling all kinds of things, worst of all, food that made Rena’s stomach grumble and turn until the pain made her dizzy.

RENA [murmur]: I’m so hungry.

[brief pause, clothes rustling]

LOGAN: [murmur] Here you go.

Logan held out two fist-sized balls of dough covered in almond pieces, biting into a third one with his other hand. Rena hadn’t even noticed him stopping to buy them but she had been so distracted by the myriad of sounds and smells surrounding her that she hadn’t been paying much attention to her companions.

RENA: [astonished] Oh, thank you! I didn’t know you had money on you.

LOGAN: Oh no, I don’t.

Rena stopped for a second, the pastry halfway to her lips, but then decided that her hunger was greater than her need for the truth. She bit into the dough ball, the crunch of the almonds giving way to the sweet softness of the honey cake. She closed her eyes for a second, letting the taste of the pastry flood her senses, feeling the dough pass down her throat and to her stomach, alleviating the dull pain she’d been feeling for the past few hours.

ASHA: You better not get us into any trouble, Logan.

LOGAN: Would be the easiest way to get into the holding cells though.

ASHA: It would also be the stupidest way.

RENA: We need to find the guard station first.

LOGAN: It’s not far from here. I’ve been inside before, they really put a lot of money into that building. Renovated all of it about five years ago after some guy blew up one of the walls. It’s not a big building but the cells don’t touch the outside walls anymore. Makes it harder to escape. There’s a spot in the entrance though where you can see who they’re keeping in the cells. We could just enter the station and try to take a peek at who’s inside. Maybe we’re lucky and Rodrick and Kalani are actually here. Would be good to know we didn’t just waste our time. I really don’t think they’ve shipped them off to the military academy though, but if the Crows are in charge they might have just booked it to Baedan.

RENA: I could pretend I’m lost and ask for directions. Maybe I’ll catch a glance at the cells.

LOGAN [pensive] We could try. If you act young and sweet they won’t get too annoyed at you. The spot is to the very left. You’ll have to lean against the wall to properly look into the other room and there’s a door. If you time it right you can look past the person walking through, you just need to make sure you don’t look too suspicious.

___________

They waited outside of the guard station for a bit, observing it, but nothing seemed much out of the ordinary. Guards and civilians walked in and out with varying degrees of urgency, sometimes together, more often separately.

Logan started to get impatient, unable to stand still to the point where Rena feared he might burst and run into the station himself. So she took all of her courage into her two hands and calmly walked in, clutching her hands together so they wouldn’t tremble too much.

[SFX people talking in a room]

The station wasn’t much different from the one in Halvint. A handful of tables were strewn across the rather small room with people sitting behind them or standing around them. The wall to her left was covered in wanted posters showing the faces of supposed criminals. She slowly approached it, feigning interest in the posters although her focus was actually on the back of the room. Behind the desks, to the very left, was a door, as Logan had mentioned. Rena stopped right in front of the posters, angled so that she could see whenever someone went through the door. It opened and closed, a guard entering the front room, long enough for Rena to see the metal bars that made up the cells but too quickly for her to see any of the people they held.

Rena slowly walked the length of the wall, letting her eyes trail the posters. She couldn’t keep her mind from imagining what her own face would look like on one of these posters, what Logan’s or Asha’s or Rodrick’s would look like. What would their charges be? What might their punishments be?

A cold shiver ran through her. She knelt down, averting her eyes from the posters, and untied the bow holding up the canvas shoes Valentina had given her. She re-tied them, taking her time to flatten the ribbon perfectly to her ankle, as her eyes glanced towards the door, but no matter how often it opened, she couldn’t get a good luck at the other room.

GUARD: Can I help you, miss?

Rena shot up and found herself face to face with an older woman, maybe in her late fourties, with a weathered guard’s uniform and a serious expression.

RENA [stammering]: Excuse me, yes, I need help. I’m lost, actually. I was trying to get to the harbour, but I couldn’t find it.

She winced. She had wanted to sound more confident but the guard had taken her by surprise. She could see the confusion turn to annoyance on the woman’s face.

RENA [embarassed giggle]: I’m truly sorry. I suppose seeing all of these hoodlums has shaken me more than I thought it would. I’ve never been to Hollowtooth before and my father asked me to meet him at the harbor to help him with his stock. I’m truly sorry, I know you probably have more important things to do, but I didn’t know where else to go. Could you tell me how to get to the harbour? I would be very grateful for your help.

Rena’s eyes darted behind the woman as the door opened once more and this time it stayed open just a moment longer. Rena didn’t want to keep looking at the other room for too long, worried the guard would notice her inattention, but something caught her eye. Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw one of the people pacing inside one of the cells. A tall woman with black skin, lighter spots peppered over her face and hands.

She couldn’t be certain that it was Kalani, she would need to get closer for that, but she thought the likelihood of it being someone else had to be slim.

GUARD [slightly annoyed]: You simply have to follow the main road to the south and you’ll stumble upon it.

Rena forced her eyes to stay fixed on the guard with a soft smile on her lips. She nodded periodically even though nothing the woman said truly registered for her. The possibility that her friends were in the other room had cemented itself into her mind, so how could she concentrate on anything else?

GUARD: Follow the smell of the ocean, you can’t really miss it.

RENA [overly friendly]: Thank you so much!

GUARD [annoyed]: Just ask someone at the market next time. We aren’t map vendors, you know.

RENA: Yes, I know, I’m truly sorry! I won’t bother you any further.

Rena smiled once more at the guard then turned around, glancing one last time at the door which was now closed.

She hurried out of the station but as she reached the door she had to step aside for a larger group of people coming in and her eyes landed on a very familiar face. Piercing blue eyes above sharp cheekbones. Finn only glanced at her for an instant, looking away as if he hadn’t recognised her. He wasn’t being escorted though, he simply walked in with an entourage of guards as if he was simply part of the establishment.

Rena stood frozen for a moment, staring at the empty spot in front of her as her blood pulsed in her ears. Mechanically she opened the door and stepped out, heading south like the guard had told her.

Had Asha been right all along? Had Finn been the one to betray them? But then why had he simply walked past her? A million questions whirled inside her mind as she walked towards the market, not remembering where Logan and Asha were waiting for her.

---