It was night, once again. Aly knew this to be her last, if Nawat didn't come through on his promise. And what was to say that he would? A few cheap, shiny baubles, some bugs? She ran her fingers through the scant, red-gold hair on her head and glared up at the sky. Pure bad luck, that's what caught her. The pirates shouldn't have been in the cove that time of year. Didn't they know when pirate season was? Honestly.

"Ow!" A sharp pinch brought her to reality, and she glared up at Greasy, the slaver who'd tried and failed to break her spirit for market. "Leave me alone, you bastard!" she snarled, baring her teeth as he yanked on her sore wrist to bring her to her feet.

"Now, is that any way to speak to me?" He leered, "specially as this may be your last night?"He pulled her closer, dangling the magicked key that would disable her slave's collar in front of her nose. "If yer nice, I may even─aargghh" he cut off, toppling forward before catching himself, spinning to see what had struck him, still gripping Aly's wrist.

It came again, this time with friends. The crows dive-bombed the slaver through the open bars of the cage, powerful blows with open claws that soon knocked the slaver to the ground. Helped by a kick from Aly as she tore her wrist loose. "Bastard." She spat, then looked up at the crows. "Thank you, though Gods only know why you'd..."

"Aly!" Nawat said, entering the cage for the first time, through the door left ajar by Greasy. "I brought friends." He smiled, holding up a blacksmith's tool, for cutting off slave collars. "And this."

"Nawat, you did it!" She exclaimed, throwing herself on her surprised friend for a hug. She quickly pulled away, cheeks red, and bent to look for the key. "I was worried. Come on, we have to hurry." She held the key up, then handed it to Nawat, turning around so he could use it on the collar.

* * *

Nawat arrived in the wake of his cousins, sent on ahead to help Aly if needed. He was relieved beyond belief to see she was safe. Surprised by the hug, it was a human thing, he tightened his arms around her briefly in response before she was gone again. Feather vibrated with pleasure, and he looked towards the slave docks. Fire lit the sky. The rebellion had provided a distraction, as promised.

Taking the key, Nawat tried to remember what the Balitang blacksmith had told him. Turn the key in the lock, whisper a phrase in Old Thak. Then use the tool to remove the collar. He turned the key, repeating the phrase carefully. There was no room for mistakes. Hefting the clippers, Corien had been offended when he heard Nawat call them that, and insisted on the right name, but it tickled the crow-man to see the big smith reduced to speechlessness and so he still called them clippers.

Cutting twice, he removed a five-inch section of collar, allowing Nawat to remove the entire thing and dropping it with a thud to the packed earth. Feather, around his neck, hummed and chirped at Silver, revealed by the absence of the collar.

Nawat looked up at the crows lining the bars and nodded. They took off into the orange-lit night.

"Come on, we have to hurry."

* * *

Aly felt the absence of the heavy collar with relief, reaching up to feel her bare (except for the darking still in residence) neck. The crows took off with low cawing, winging up to harass Stormwings who hung over the burning docks, feeding on confusion and fear.

"Come on, we have to hurry."

A hand grabbed her uninjured hand, this time in friendship, and led her from the cage. They traveled swiftly through the streets of Rajmuat. Aly tried to keep track of their trail, as her father had taught her, but the weeks of hardship were starting to take their toll on her body, and she found things blurring more and more as they ascended to richer streets.

They stopped at an intersection, because Aly was finding it harder to make herself move. Someone swept her feet up, lifting her and traveling on.

* * *

Finding they had to halt again, Nawat considered his options. They were close to Balitang house, but Aly simply couldn't move on her own anymore. Lifting her so he cradled her light body in his arms, he crossed the street. He looked down at the human who he had fallen in love with over the last few weeks. At the request of his god, he and his flock had become a sort of unofficial bodyguards for the twice-royals. (Actually, Kryprioth had bet very sparkly jewelry that they could keep the girls alive until one took the throne.) Nawat, always curious, had volunteered to become human, and teach the rebels the crow language, and act as a translator and whatever else was needed.

But he had been becoming bored, feeling next to useless. Nothing was done but talking, and the chattering didn't seem to accomplish much. Nawat had been sent out to do something useful, instead of moping about the house by Chenaol, the cook. It was then that he met Aly in the slave market. She'd become an escape for him. As he was out and about, looking for things to bring her, he had seen things actually change in the city as the rebels picked up steam.

Entering the house from a side door, he avoided the main house and brought his burden, too light to be called truly a burden, straight to the infirmary.