[Rochelle]

She knelt beside the palace noble as he slowly struggled to open his eyes. The left was swollen beyond all recognition of an eye, and she grimaced at his pain. “Do you have any idea where the children might be?” His mouth opened to speak and all speech was lost save a whisper. “…the palace…they took them to the palace.” Speech was exhausting for the man and she looked up to Awyrgan who was lost in his own thoughts.

She returned her focus back to the noble. “Do you know the palace well?” The man nodded subtly. Her eyes looked him over, he had a major cut across his forehead which had caused his face to swell tremendously. She took out her medicine bag and revealed leaves of athelas. She crushed them in her palm, the sweet smell of orchards and pine escaped, bringing renewed vigor to those around. Carefully she placed the leaf shards in the cut and moved to rip off the hem of her cloak. With this she wrapped it about the mans forehead so that the medicine could do its work.

She sighed and looked to the corsair who had been cast aside. He had not dared to move from where he landed for fear of another assault. She stood and moved over to the man, kneeling beside him, hand on the hilt of her knife. “What devilry wroughts the minds of your comrades corsair?” The man just stared at her, this was the woman who had slipped from his grasp only the day before. He frowned and cursed Khazdifir for not allowing him to take up the chase when she had escaped.

She brought her knife to his throat, the tip testing the softness of his skin. “What was that you muttered? Tell me, what plan does your leader have with the children?” The corsair grinned a toothless grin, “Milady, you should be minding house and husband…not running around aspiring to be victor.” He uttered a short laugh before a blow to his temple sent him unconscious.

She ran the back of her hand across her mouth before resheathing her knife. “Bastard.” Her eyes darted to the guard, then to Awrygan. “I don’t think this corsair will be of much help to us…if the noble can manage to travel, I feel he may yet be able to help us in our search.”