It was cold sleeping on the prison floor, the bed was taken by another inmate that refused to move for Li, however Li stayed strong and managed to get some sleep that night. She stayed sitting in the corner as it felt like the whole world was crashing down upon her. She was so happy to get off the boat, to get away from her homeland that is now nothing more than a graveyard. Letting out a sigh a knight walked over to the cell and banged on the bars to get her attention. "Little Brat, your mother is here."

"Mother?" Thought Li, standing up and dusting herself off while Caryl walked into view. Li was not happy about this at all.

"Come on honey let's get you home, i've told you to stay out of trouble lots of times." Caryl sounded like she had been rehearsing that line many times before coming here. The guard opened the cell door and Li quietly walked out.

"Say, if you don't mind me prying," The knight chimed in, "Your daughter has jet black hair and tanned skin, in fact she looks almost nothing like you."

Caryl nervously laughed, "People have told me she always took after her father."

Li could not hold in her silence anymore. "You know nothing about my father!" Li shouted so loud even the guard was floored, regretting his decision to bring it up. Li was practically in tears after screaming it, and did her best to hold them back, however they still poured out like a broken dam.

Caryl was silent for a moment, "We can talk about it once we get home, let's go honey." Caryl forcefully took Li's hand and walked her out. Surprisingly enough Li did not fight this as she normally would. Caryl walked along the streets with Li being tightly held onto and constantly checked on. "Why did you run away Li?" Caryl already knew the answer, but she just wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth.

Li sniffed an answer, "Because Fomors are bad."

Caryl chuckled a little. "Formors are bad aren't they? But you know what else can be bad?" Li looked up at Caryl with tears still in her eyes and a large glob of snot hanging from her nose. "People can be bad too." Caryl leaned down and used her own sleeve to clean up Li's face. "I'm sorry I upset you so much, I had to pretend to be your mother to get you out of jail. Also I had to pay the guards a hefty fine but that's something I can deal with."

Li looked down at the ground and mumbled "Some people are bad I guess." Then she looked up as if about to change Caryl's mind "But most people are good!"

Caryl couldn't help but laugh, "Okay then, if some people are bad but most people are good, then is it fair to say that most fomors are bad but some are good?" Li looked down again, as if she was conceding defeat. "You gave up fast." Caryl wanted to laugh again but held it in. "Not all Fomors are bad, have you ever stopped to talk with one?" Li shook her head, still staring at the ground. "When we get back you can talk to Krunk before you work, or after you work, but you have to talk to him tonight, otherwise I won't get you out of that jail again, understand?" Li nodded her head just enough to satisfy Caryl. "Good, Krunk is hoping that you can still be friends."

Li decided to get it over with and talk to Krunk as soon as they got back. Krunk, one who doesn't know many words and Li, one who doesn't speak much, had a second rough start. Caryl was worried Li would run off again, but then again that wouldn't be such a bad thing. She was just extra hands anyway, Krunk and Caryl handled the bar before, they could handle it now and into the future as well.

But to leave a poor young child alone in the city seemed far too harsh, even for Caryl who detested this sort of thing. Caryl walked over to a table where a lone woman was sitting, covered in a shawl and hood. "What can I get you ma'am?" Caryl did her normal routine.

The woman folded her hands together and put her elbows on the table. "Just some grilled fish, whatever you fancy cooking." Caryl nodded and went back to the kitchen. The woman in a shawl looked at the mostly empty bar, it was still early morning so only alcoholics and young couples were out enjoying the day. Then there was that nagging thing in the background. Was it some sort of worm? No it was far too rigid to be a worm, but the motion made her think it was something living. She focused on it, and then Li moved out from behind one of the customers. She was surprisingly small, and the broom was far too big for her, the woman couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

"Here's your meal ma'am!" Caryl put down a plate of salmon.

"Tell me, are you busy right now?" The sudden question made Caryl pause.

"Not really, why?"

"Please take a seat with me. For just a short while." Caryl was suspicious, but she had nothing better to do, some small talk with a customer shouldn't be bad. "Tell me, I did not realize that it was legal to have children working at such a young age."

Caryl looked confused for a moment then she smiled. "Oh you mean Li. Actually she's working here on Riordan's orders. Oh you probably don't know who that is."

The woman raised a hand partially in the air. "Tall, blonde, never smiles, kind of a jerk?" Caryl looked at her wide-eyed. "He typically signs his papers as 'the pontiff's court'. Not many know his name unless they are directly involved with him at some point."

Caryl turned in her chair to readjust herself, she was not expecting this. "We were soldiers in the same company. He kept going and got promoted, I just served my mandatory time and then opened this bar."

The woman smiled below the hood. "I see, so then I assume you aren't a very big fan of having her here."

"Well I wouldn't say that, she does decent work but … she mistrusts Krunk a little too much."

The woman reached into her Shawl and dropped a small brown pouch that jingled as soon as it hit. "Is that enough to pay for the food and the girl?"

Caryl stumbled on her words. "That must be a trick, let me see what's inside the pouch!" The woman gestured for her to take it. As caryl lifted it up the weight was noticeable. She opened it and gold shimmered from inside. Caryl took out a piece from near the bottom and bit it. It was gold alright. "May I ask why?"

The woman in a shawl stood up, not touching her food. "I'll come back later tonight, think about it and consider that a down payment. I'll ask for it back if you decide against it."

"You avoided my question!"

The woman was silent. "Some fat buffoon in a castle is willing to pay my retirement to have a young girl in his castle."

Caryl was quiet for a moment as the woman walked off. Caryl flipped the gold coin around in her fingers. "That's disgusting …" She felt the weight of the pouch again. "Caryl you're disgusting for thinking about it …"

Sooner than she realized nightfall came, the pouch of gold was staring at her from the kitchen counter all night. She had been busy that night but it was obvious to even her non-regulars that something was bothering her. Krunk and Li had stayed as far apart from each other as they could the whole day. As promised the woman came back later that night. Caryl took a deep breath when she saw her. "Can I get you anything?"

The woman looked up revealing dark brown hair and eyes. "Yes, the salmon you served me earlier smelled very good, it was a regret of mine to let it sit there uneaten." Caryl nodded and walked to the kitchen, taking a deep breath when she saw the money pouch. Shaking her head at first and getting the meal done. Once it was done she stopped herself for a brief moment and took another deep breath. She brought the steaming salmon to the table and stood there for a moment while the woman ate. "Did you think about it?" The question that broke the awkwardness of the situation.

Caryl hesitated again and sat down across from the woman. "What's your name?"

The woman laughed. "Shayla, and no that won't get you anywhere if you decide to report me to the guards."

Caryl shook her head. "I was not planning on that, I just want to make sure that Li will be better off with you than with me. Where do you plan on taking her?"

Shayla swallowed a bite of fish and reached a napkin up to her mouth to spit out a bone. "Colhen, about a two week carriage from here."

Caryl blinked, "Colhen? Isn't that a small farming village near the coast?"

"It is, but it is also the headquarters of the Crimson Blades, some of the best mercenaries around. If a lord wants something for shady dealings they contact them, and it gets done. The price is hefty though." Caryl crossed her arms in thought. "If it convinces you further, I said that the first pouch was a down payment." Reaching into the shawl once more Shayla pulled out two more pouches, roughly the same size.

Caryl chuckled under her breath. "How badly do you want her? She comes in and sweeps and she makes me pay her bail to get out of jail when she runs outside after curfew."

Shayla leaned in. "Call it a hunch."

Caryl burst out laughing. "You want to buy a human being, that might one day be a sex slave for some bastard in a lofty castle, underage mind you, on a hunch?!"

Shayla confidently smiled, "I never said any of that. I simply said some fat buffoon in a castle is willing to pay for my retirement to have a young girl in his castle. I have something different in mind for her."

Caryl stopped laughing, "Different?"

"Remember the Crimson Blades? She might not be a mercenary, or any great warrior. But a hidden knife and a pretty face, when used together, can be more powerful than any army."

Caryl was dumbfounded, even silent for a moment. "Assassinations?" She said, whispering and astonished.

Shayla laughed, "I never said that either."

"Then what are you saying?" Caryl was starting to get a bit frustrated.

"Simply put, you'll feel like a piece of shit for accepting my deal." Caryl nodded in agreement, "But at the same time," Shayla pushed the two pouches closer, "It's too good to turn me down isn't it? To get your two man team stable again, and to have the girl out of the picture in a non-violent way. Not only that but you're making one and a half grand off of it. Let me ask how much money you made today."

Caryl leaned back. "About … a quarter thousand ..."

"This is around six days of business. Emergency fund maybe? Or a few more tables or a better oven. It may seem shallow, but business is business, and I'm sure you'll be happier this way." Caryl bit her lip, deep in thought. "You don't trust me, of course, and I don't expect you to. Then let me put it this way: is she really better off with you and Krunk?"

Caryl inhaled deeply, and then exhaled. "I'll go get her." She took the two extra pouches and hid them in the kitchen, promptly returning with Li. "Li this is Shayla, she's here to give you a new opportunity."

Shayla smiled a somewhat greedy smile. "Come on Li, say goodbye to Caryl and Krunk. We're going somewhere that isn't the big city."

Li looked confused, and looked at Caryl, and then at Krunk who was hiding ineffectively behind a wooden support. Krunk waved somewhat sadly, and Li waved back despite her previous dispositions. Caryl just patted Li on the head. "You'll be fine with her Li, if you get the chance make sure to come back and visit, okay?" Li nodded and waved to Caryl, then Shayla lowered a hand for Li to hold onto, which was promptly held. They walked away from the bar, neither looking back once.

"So Li" Shayla started as they walked towards the city gate, "A woman like you needs a less childish name, don't you think?"

Li shook her head, "I am not a woman yet, I do not need a new name."

Shayla laughed, "You are so innocent aren't you? Well get used to Lynn. That sounds more appropriate to me."

Lynn, who was once Li, and was once Little Dragonfly, turned her head to face Shayla. "If you say so."