Rawintr knew there was nothing keeping the girl from running away. She could have gone for the exit, but Rawintr could imagine it wasn't easy to move without a good deal of effort. It was likely she wouldn't be able to get there and get it open without Rawintr catching up.
One thing she could consider was it wouldn't be so easy for Rawintr. She would have to figure out how to keep the man she held at knifepoint from getting away or attacking her if he had the nerve to, and she doubted he did. The only knife he had on him wouldn't do anything against her if he tried.
It would be enough to squeeze through to escape before Rawintr could properly act, and Rawintr knew it. She just didn't know if she would try. Rawintr would not be merciful just because the other person was a woman. She might spare a child.
Rawintr felt relieved when she did none of those things and instead nodded and said, "What do you want me to do?"
"Go ahead into the hole," Rawintr growled, pushing Varnett along. "It opens up more than you think. It isn't hard to figure out after. You can try to run away, but I can't promise what my boys are going to do to you on the other side. They're watching and waiting for someone like you to show up."
She let out a noise as she made her way over, though it wasn't easy to see. It was just beyond the light of the torch. Rawintr had considered going over to put it out, but figured it wouldn't matter. It wouldn't be noticed any more than if they had come and gone as they intended and would go out on its own before long. It would be hard enough taking her current hostage back while making sure the girl didn't escape. She considered leaving him here and tying him up, but the risk was too great and she didn't know if it got colder at night.
If he escaped, it was all over. She was sure of that, even if he waited to alarm anyone. Having his girlfriend didn't matter. It was pessimistic, but it wouldn't be hard for him to replace her. Rawintr could probably cut her throat here and now, and he wouldn't care other than from the gore of it.
She sniffed. She wouldn't do it that way. She shoved him roughly to get him walking and towered over the girl as she struggled to figure out how to get down the hole for the first time. Rawintr was menacing, but wasn't outright rushing her. She seemed to have a hard time of it, trying to find places to place her feet.
"Leave a little room," Rawintr snapped, not caring about being harsh, but wanting to make sure she was clear so she wouldn't end up getting hurt. She could hear her scamper out of the way as Rawintr did her best to place her hand on the top of Varnett's head and push him under so she could make her way in with him. She was careful, not wanting him to have time to turn on her in the tight space. He didn't seem likely to. He was limp, complacent, and whimpering. She still couldn't guess if he had been through here before or not by the way he climbed down. He seemed capable enough, but she thought that might have been because he was young and not because he knew what he was doing.
"Get going," Rawintr told the girl as she felt her ahead of them. She considered being aggressive and being purposely impatient and scaring her, but she knew there was no reason to. She told herself it wasn't because she was practically the same age as her and she wanted to be nicer to her.
She kept up a low growl she was sure she must have heard. It wasn't intentional, but she had to admit there was some satisfaction in feeling the man tremble each time he heard it. She figured stopping would be the same as holding her breath and she wasn't about to.
They emerged on the other side, and Whistle leaped down to meet her and her prisoners, looking between them curiously. "What do you have there, captain?"
"You're a captain?" The girl asked louder than she intended and the two glanced at her.
Rawintr said, "I found a way out of the wall, and as far as I know no one else knows about it. If they do, it should be as easy to catch them as it was to catch these two."
Varnett whimpered. She figured he had something to say, but thought better of it. She didn't care. She nodded at the girl and said, "I'm going back down and I'm going to take care of this. Take her and lock her in my room for now. Let them know if a single one touches her I'll take care of them myself."
Varnett whimpered again, but this time said, "Please, can we rest? I'm so tired."
Rawintr cuffed him on the ear and said, "I prefer to go with the cover of night. The sooner the better."
"I don't know, captain," Whistle said, keeping his eyes fixed on her, "Maybe it would be better if you wait until morning. Adders died, maybe no earlier than twenty minutes ago. Give the boys some time to mourn and we'll be with you tomorrow night."
"I was going to go on my own," she answered, rolling her shoulders. "They'll have all the time in the world to mourn in the meantime, and it'll be over. Besides, it's my problem. I don't want to bring any of you to the gallows with me."
"Captain," Whistle said, trying not to sound like he was arguing with her, "I want you to know we're here for you. We sailed this far with you because we're completely prepared to lie down our lives for you and we don't want you to go alone."
"This won't be complicated," she answered. "I have his son here and he'll either take my offer or he won't. If he's going to kill me for this, he'll kill all of us. I would rather it just be me if it's all the same to you."
"It's not all the same to me, Captain," Whistle said. "We won't see you die alone."
"You won't see me die at all this way," she answered, growing more and more mulish.
"May I ask," the girl said, "What exactly Catinol did to you?"
"What he did was kill her mother, burn down her bread shop, and sold her to pirates who sold her to the black cove markets," Whistle said. "That's what he did."
"That's awful," the girl whispered.
"She might not be dead," Rawintr said, "but that's mine to bear. He sullied me, my mom, and my family name."
"Your family is mine," Whistle told her. "Any Red Liar would gladly give their life for you, captain. Just give us a day and a night and we'll give you whatever you want, okay?"
"We really need to change that name," she said under her breath.
He retorted, "If we get out of this, we'll rename the whole thing—we won't be liars anymore. It'll be whatever you want, but you have to trust us with this. You might be the captain, but if you go into this alone, you'll be going AWOL against your post as our captain. If there's no one to lead, we'll have to mutiny, and if that happens we're storming that keep however we like and spilling our blood however we want. Understand, Captain?"
"I don't know if all of you feel that way," Rawintr said, "but I understand what you're getting at."
Whistle scoffed and said, "You don't know us nearly as well then if you don't think so."
Rawintr appeared confused, her forehead wrinkling in thought, but she gave the smallest hint of a smile when Whistle led the way and called up to Kircan who was waiting for them, "Lower the boat!"
It fell, bouncing as it came to the end of its rope, and Rawintr kept a tight grip on the back of Varnett's neck as she reached out to help steady it. Her head tilted back and forth like an owl to take everything in and to watch the girl in case she tried anything. She moved forward to help, and Rawintr could only imagine she was trying to earn points with them.
"Are there any other women on the ship?" She asked as they climbed in and were lifted.
"What kind of question is that?" Varnett snapped, feeling Rawintr let go of him while she was helping pull them up, just to get elbowed in the side of the head.
"No," Rawintr answered. "Women are bad luck out at sea." She could already feel the way the water subtly moved the ship even in this still water, how the sea seemed to welcome, scold and remind her it was safer to never leave. It wasn't so loud this time, and she fancied it was because she had proven it wrong.
She shoved the man on the deck, knowing he could have stumbled, but knowing he had the balance for it. He didn't go without crying, but made it nonetheless. She jumped over and looked back at the girl expectantly, her eyebrows raised. Before Rawintr could see if she made it over, Kircan's arms were around her. She struggled and nearly nipped his face, but by a miracle more than anything kept calm. Maybe it was because she had strangers watching.
He let her go quickly, before she lost her temper altogether and hurt him, and said, "I'm sorry, captain, but we were worried and I couldn't help myself. What are you going to do with them?"
She gave a low growl, but replied, "I don't know yet. We're about to find out."