Inez led the trio up the gangplank to the deck of the Guardwell, dodging deckhands that were busy bringing crates, barrels, and sacks of cargo up to be stored below decks. None of them commented on the fact that entire crew was women, though they certainly noticed. A loud female voice from the deck ordering the crew about caught their attention, and they made their way over to her while trying to stay out of the way of the busy crew.
The woman was a few inches taller than Inez, though not nearly as muscular. She had more of a dancer's body, long and lean, and she nodded as she saw the three of them. Stepping back from the bustle, she walked a few steps to meet them while steering clear of the rest of the crew. "I assume you're the passengers I was told to expect?"
Inez gave a friendly smile to the woman, who she guessed was the captain. "I believe we are. My name is Inez, and these are my companions, Medya and Katja. We're just hoping for passage to Southington."
"I'm Liana, captain of this group of misfit women. We'll be happy to get you there! For two gold pieces per person of course," she added with a wink.
"We have your money," Inez assured her. Medya counted out six gold pieces and passed them over to the Liana silently.
Liana studied the three of them closely for a moment, as if trying to decide if they would be a danger on the trip. "It will take three days to make the journey to Southington, weather permitting, and then you can be on your way. Would you care to join me in my cabin while the crew gets the ship ready to sail?"
"That would be nice, yes."
They followed the captain back towards the stern, where she had a room that appeared to be a combination of office and bunkroom. Maps and charts of the depths littered the walls and the desk, while a pair of lanterns hung from the ceiling to provide illumination. A handful of chairs were haphazardly scattered about the space, as if they had shifted in heavy seas but were never placed back in their position.
"Feel free to pick a chair that suits you." Liana said with a smile as she sat behind her desk, putting her feet up and tossing a small rock up in the air over and over.
Medya sighed inwardly, but followed the directions, as did the others. Before long, they were seated in a small semi-circle in front of the desk. "Go ahead, ask your questions," Medya directed, mildly annoyed.
Liana laughed loudly, as she didn't seem to have another volume. "Well, you just answered one of them, so thank you. I take it you know what this is?" She held up the small stone that she had been tossing.
Medya stuck her fingers into the pouch at her waist and pulled out an identical stone. "It is a truthstone. Handy items if you're going to interrogate people," she said with a smirk as she passed the stone to Inez. "It will vibrate if someone lies in your presence. But they are limited and can be misled."
Katja seemed to think the conversation was great fun and was staring at all the women with equal wonder. Her life to this point could hardly have prepared her for such an encounter.
"Oh, this is exciting. I guess we'll all lay our cards on the table then?" the captain asked with a smile.
"We have nothing to hide," Inez claimed, then saw Liana's smirk as her stone vibrated.
"Shall we try that again?"
"Ask your questions," spat Medya.
"Fine. Where are you headed after Southington?"
"We're going to Tefra," Medya answered quickly. Inez took this as her cue to keep quiet, since Medya knew how the stones worked better than she did. "Can we trust you?"
"As long as you don't threaten my ship or crew, then yes you can trust me." Liana answered. "Why would you bring two slaves, one a Kittani, to Tefra of all places?"
Medya didn't even ask how Liana knew that she and Katja were slaves. There were always indicators, especially to another slave. "We're escorting Inez there to meet a friend. How long have you been free?"
Liana flashed her a small smile. "Ten years. To answer your next question, every woman on my crew is an ex-slave. But now we live free, under nobody's thumb. Would any of you like to join our crew?"
Medya didn't answer right away, she hadn't expected such a question. But her brain had started to work out some ideas. "I cannot answer for my friends, but truthfully, while such a venture would not be my first choice, I think I would enjoy it if I said yes."
Liana smiled at that. "That question usually trips a lot of people up, but I liked your answer, though it gives me a lot of other questions. Tefra seems to be a stop on your journey, where would you go after meeting your friend?"
That wasn't a question that Medya had wanted to answer, though it seemed that much would come out in this discussion that they might otherwise want hidden. "If the three of us got what we needed, we would most likely head to the castle in Glirion. What country are you from?"
"I must say, I'm more confused than ever. You seem to be going rather out of your way to get to Glirion if you're trying to get out of Winterhaven on a smuggler's ship," Liana commented. "But if it helps, I hail from Appalya, much as you're trying to get there. I was sold to slavers as a child and escaped when I was 20."
Inez sat up straight, a look of shock on her face. "That is impossible!" she cried, but then looked at the stone in her palm that hadn't vibrated.
Liana put her feet down off the desk and leaned forward, a predatory smile on her face. "Why would you say that?"
"Slavery has been illegal for centuries in Appalya, how did you get sold?" Inez wondered.
Medya closed her eyes at the question, wishing that the captain wasn't as intelligent as she was.
Liana digested the information for a moment, then leaned back and put her feet back up on the desk. "Slavery was illegal for centuries in Appalya, this is true. But King Hudd legalized it almost ten years ago. I was sold by my parents to pay off a debt."
Inez just shook her head, tears falling from her eyes. "No, no, no, no, no!" she mumbled, and she hit herself in the thigh. Medya reached over to hold her hand to prevent her from hitting herself more.
"When you lied about having nothing to hide earlier, it wasn't just that there was a Kittani and a pair of slaves among you was it? Who are you, Inez?" Liana asked quietly.
Medya put her hand in Inez's thigh, comforting and hopefully keeping her from talking. Inez grasped the hand immediately, squeezing it for comfort. "She is Princess Inez, the rightful Queen of Appalya. We seek to gather forces for her to take back the throne. Her mother was from Dallinia, I was hired in Tefra to free her from the magical prison Hudd had put her in over 40 years ago. We're headed to Tefra to talk to the person who hired me, and then see if we can gain allies."
The captain leaned a little too far back in her chair at that, and went tumbling backwards with a crash, then scrambled to her knees behind her desk. "By the gods, you're serious!"
"We are," agreed Inez.
"Then you need a new plan. There will be no help for you in Tefra, regardless of who hired you. To the slavers there, Hudd is their greatest resource. He has opened a new slave supply market for them. They would sooner cut off a finger and hand it to you than aid someone in overthrowing him," Liana explained sadly.
Everyone sat in silence after that, not sure what to say. They kept looking from one to the other, as though expecting someone to have a wonderous idea. "I do sympathize with your cause. Every one of us on the ship, and most of the citizens of Southington, are escaped slaves or their descendants. Removing the blight of Hudd and Tefra would be something we would all like to see."
Inez and Medya merely nodded at that.
"Do we have to get supporters in Tefra?" Katja asked in a timid voice. "Is there nobody else who would want to overthrow Hudd?" she turned beet red as the three older women looked to her in surprise. "Sorry, I didn't mean to speak up."
"Don't be, you're right. Perhaps we can rally the citizens," Inez suggested.
"Wait a minute," Medya interjected. "How many people could be raised with arms in Southington? You have smugglers and pirates that surely can handle weapons, and I know you have some troops in case slavers come from Dallinia. Unlike most nations, both men and women will fight in Southington."
Liana looked at her, confused by the question. "I'm not sure. If we took a few days, perhaps we could get 500 people armed. But that isn't enough to handle the troops in Tefra."
"The army of Dallinia is a myth," Medya countered, her voice rising with excitement. "There is no army. There is a city guard to look out for thieves and other lawbreakers, and then each clan has their own private forces and caravan guards. Most of the caravan guards will be out with the traders, not in the city. The city guards and the clan warriors are all armed with cudgels and whips. There are very few lethal weapons. They would rather capture a slave than make a corpse. With a force of 500, we could easily take Tefra.
Liana studied her; her hand wrapped around her truthstone. "You really believe that."
"It is the truth," Medya stated clearly.
"And their sorcerers?" Liana prompted.
"They have a few minor wizards, but none too powerful anymore," she claimed.
"Anymore?" Liana grinned.
"Yes, anymore. My old master died a tragic death two years ago when I accidentally planted a dagger in the back of his head."
Liana burst into her loud laugh once more. "Fuck, I'm convinced. Now I really wish you ladies would join my crew, but if not, we'll sack Tefra and then reclaim your throne!"