Zari's nose crinkled disapprovingly as she and Lyra passed the growing crowd at the dock. Even from the edge, they could make out the raised platform and the sullen forms standing on it. Taka's slave trade had flourished and market fully established itself in the port. Lyra rolled her eyes at Zari's disgust. The Thieves Guild's skewed sense of honor and justice were one of the reasons she had left, and she and Zari had heatedly fought about slavery before.

To Lyra, the slaves were only as enslaved because they allowed themselves to be. They were the same as any other prisoner. When she had expressed this opinion, Zari had laughed thinking she was joking. "Selling other people isn’t right. You can't own another intelligent person."

"They aren't buying their souls, they're buying the right to have them imprisoned."

"And they should be imprisoned?"

"Most slaves are enslaved because of debt or defeat in battle. How is that different from the prisoners in the Jarl's cells?"

"It's demeaning."

"More demeaning than dying in your own filth underground?"

Zari had thrown her hands up in frustration. "But there are laws protecting prisoners. Laws are made to protect the slave keepers and not their slaves."

Lyra snorted. "Yes, I'm sure jailers are perfectly humane to their charges. No one ever dies in jail. Or were you referring to the gentle and kind execution laws?"

Eventually, Raldo had calmed their argument and Lyra had not said anything when a slave trader's vaults were emptied coincidentally around the time Zari commissioned her new, expensive armor.

Mainly the slaves were of Valhym's own or Duskars from the neighboring Archipelagos. They were sold as farm labor or house servants. Occasionally there were more exotic races. Tall, pale Dyve with their curly red or snow white hair or islanders from the Sky Sea with golden, almost metallic skin.

It was that skin that caught Lyra's eye. She stopped and stared at the stage.

He was beautiful.

Wide shoulders and sculpted muscles. The early morning sun shining on his bare chest and reflecting off his golden hair, which fell just below his shoulders. It was a deeper, richer blonde than was commonly found among the pale skinned people of Valhym. His eyes were looking down but when the slave auctioneer pounded his gavel, he turned for a moment and she could make out his angled jawline. Her fingers tingled and she wanted so badly to trace that jawline. To feel his warm skin on hers.

"What are you stopping for?"

Lyra flinched. Her mouth dry, she didn't tear her gaze from the man. Zari followed her line of sight and sucked in a breath. "An islander? That's unusual. Do they really think they’ll be able to find a buyer in this crowd?"

The sharp sound of horse hooves broke through the crowd’s murmuring. A thin, stern man rode through the fringes, turning his nose up, clearing disgusted by the smells of the port. He had fine boots and no doubt clothes to match, although they were covered by a large black coat.

"Ah, good sir. Welcome, see anything you like?"

The man sniffed. "I hope so. You expressly told my mistress you had an item of interest today?"

The seller's greedy eyes lit up. "Ah yes, yes." He gave a signal, and one of the slavers pulled the islander man to the stage.

As he reached the center, the man looked up, revealing light brown eyes and a straight nose. His features were flawless and symmetrical. He had a blank expression, but there was a sort of weariness in his stance. It was different from the more defeated or scared poses of the other slaves.

"This is the specimen I wrote your mistress about. A fine man, from the palaces of Aryus. He was one of the queen's own slaves."

From his horse, the man was able to look down at the slave, despite the stage. He nodded approvingly and removed a bag from his belt. Even from across the crowd, Lyra could hear the clink of gold from inside. Her fingers twitched and she felt Zari shift beside her. The man handed the bag to one of the slavers who passed it to the seller.

"2,000 is my final and only offer."

There was a loud murmur. Two thousand! That was enough to buy a house in many parts of Taka. The seller frowned and seemed to take his time, but Lyra figured he had already arranged this beforehand. The man dropped the gold into a chest and locked it.

He handed the steward a leather tube, no doubt containing the slave's papers of ownership. "A pleasure doing business with you, sir."

The steward tucked the tube in his coat. The inslander’s manacles were removed from his wrists and a rope was loosely placed on his neck, the end handed to the steward. A few people followed them a bit, but grew bored. He was obviously headed for the rich part of town and few of the dock workers and merchants in the crowd would make it far before being stopped by the merchant families’ private guards.

Lyra, however, had no problem. She ditched Zari, saying nothing to her questions as she left. The steward had hidden the crest of the family he worked for, counting on the common people not to recognize him. He was probably right about them, but Lyra knew many of the rich merchant houses intimately and she recognized Jurn, steward to Lady Hilda of the Greenhelm house.

In fact, she beat him home.

Cat-like, she jumped and climbed to the third floor of the estate, slipping in through a carelessly opened window into one of the excessive amounts of rooms for the lady.

A quick glance reminded her of the house layout and that she was in the greeting room, connected to the hall and the second dressing room. Judging from the time of day, the lady was no doubt finishing breakfast and scheduled to meet her new toy after.

Lyra made her way down the hall, ducking quickly into a study to avoid a bustling housemaid. As she reached the stairway to the great hall, she just caught the lady and her party making their way to the meeting room. She cursed. It would be much harder to get there than to watch from one of the many darker corners of the hall.

Though, the fact that the lady did not want to meet in the more public hall gave Lyra a pleasant hint as to the nature of the new slave. As servants poured out of the kitchen to deal with the meal's aftermath, Lyra changed her course. She returned to the hall and made her way to the room farthest in the direction of the meeting room. Carefully she listened at the door and, hearing nothing, took the risk and opened it. It was the steward’s bedroom and luckily empty.

Now directly above the meeting room, she opened the window and made her way down. This part of the house was over the gardens and there was no gardener in sight. She hung from the window and listened. The conversation was hard to make out, but she caughts bits.

"...did deliver...the two thousand..." That was the deep but strained voice of the steward.

"What is your name?" The higher voice of Lady Hilda rang clearly through the window.

There was a low sound but Lyra couldn't catch it.

"Vai. A beautiful and fitting name. Thank you, Jurn. You and the others are dismissed."

After a few moments, the door shut.

"Is it true you belonged to the Aryi queen?"

A murmur.

"So why are you here? I certainly hope it is not because your skills were displeasing."

His voice grew a tad louder and Lyra leaned in trying fruitlessly to make it out.

"An interesting story. Vai, you will call me mistress. Your quarters are upstairs and you will be called for when I request. I look forward to seeing if my gold was well spent tonight."

Lyra risked glancing in. She saw Hilda's hand brush off of Vai's face. The rope had been removed and he stood barefoot and bare chested in only a simple pair of dark pants.

Hilda opened the door and two maids stood waiting. One followed the lady and the other walked in and spoke softly to Vai who turned towards her, nodded, and began to follow.

Jurin didn't come in and Lyra cursed herself again for being distracted. She had been too curious and lost track of her goal. The room empty, Lyra picked the window lock and slipped inside.

She idly picked up a gold and wood paperweight, running her fingers over the intricate design as she planned her next move.

The Greenhelms were the third most powerful merchant family in Taka. She'd have to leave town and lay low if she went through with this. But she wanted Vai. And Lyra Bryndotter always got what she wanted.

She pocketed the paperweight and concentrated. She muttered the spell and watched satisfied as her body disappeared. If she moved slowly and stayed focused, she could hold the invisibility spell for twenty minutes.

Creeping to the door, slowly Lyra opened it. She slipped out just as one of the servants noticed the door’s movement. With a confused look, they glanced around and moved to close it.

Lyra held her breath two feet away as the servant peeked inside before snapping it shut and bustling back to work. She breathed out in relief as she saw Jurin talking to the head butler as a maid removed the black cloak from his shoulders. He tucked the leather tube under his arm and bowed, returning to his normal job of bossing the maids and manservants around.

Jurin crossed the hall to the library. Lyra frowned, she would have to move across the whole great hall to follow and her spell didn't hold as well under direct light. Instead of being invisible she would be a warped image in the air, like looking through hot steam.

The servants seemed to be finishing up, so Lyra took the chance and moved slowly across the floor. It took her practice and training to stop herself from moving quickly. She had to convince her brain that she was invisible and that everyone couldn't see her or the spell would break.

After an agonizingly long time, she reached the other side, slipped inside, and crept down the hall. The library door was just opening as Jurin emerged empty handed. Lyra pressed herself against the wall as he walked past her.

She grinned. This is what she had hoped. The Greenhelms had a secret safe in the library and Lyra had been in it before. She hadn't taken anything, her assignment had been to see if the Greenhelms actually had the blackmail material they claimed they had on her employer. The Greenhelms thought their calculated risk had merely failed when Lyra's client called their bluff and they never suspected anyone had seen the inside of their vault.

Lyra walked to the bookshelf that hid the safe like she had done it a hundred times. She simultaneously pushed the two books required, deactivating the alarm and opening the hidden enclosure. With a hum, she pulled out her lock picks and got to work.

The concentration required to crack the difficult lock broke her spell, but she didn't care, she doubted anyone would be returning to the library for a while. It took her twelve minutes to open the safe. It was full of jewels, various books, and papers. She found Vai's papers and pocketed them as well as three diamonds and a lovely ruby for good measure.

On a whim, she placed the paper weight inside. She could just picture Jurin finding it and agonizing over what it meant, trying to decipher a non-existent message or threat. She clicked the safe back shut and smiled at a job well done.

Last time, she had spent a cramped few hours in a curio cabinet waiting for the maids to douse the candles, signaling the house was going to sleep. Lyra was not doing that again. Instead, she pulled the plush armchair to the side of the door and waited, passing the time by flipping through one of the books.

Eventually the door opened and the serving maid stepped in holding a feather duster. Lyra crept up, covered the girl's mouth and held her in a choke hold until she passed out. She stripped her, put on her uniform, and put her own street clothes in the fire. Everything she needed, her tools and weapons, were tucked into the maid's outfit. She grabbed the feather duster and, eyes downcast, left the room.

She knew better then to think she could blend right in. Houses like these ran like clockwork. There were servants to manage the servants so a new face would not go unnoticed. Still the uniform would let her move at a distance without suspicion, so she dusted her way up the stairs. Noting Jurin talking to a visitor at the door, she slipped into his room and out the window.

Lyra thought about heading back to the hideout, but the idea of seeing Zari and no doubt being interrogated by her was unappealing. So Lyra found the largest tree in the garden, climbed it and took a nap.

She waited until evening, watching servants come and go, using them as a clock. When dinner was being served, she slipped back into the steward’s room.

After eating the meal set out for the late working steward, she was able to conjure up another bout of invisibility and make her way into Lady Hilda’s bedroom, taking a quick stop to don one of Hilda's dresses. It was a rich red dress with delicate gold embroidery. With her dagger, Lyra slit it up to her thigh so she could move freely. She also grabbed a cloak before she slipped into the bedroom.

It was dimly lit by candles and there was the smell of lavender. Lyra smiled at the ambience, dropped the cloak over an armchair, and glanced around. There were plenty of places to hide. She chose atop the canopy bed. The thick red velvet was plenty strong enough to hold her weight and she lounged atop it, out of sight until the door opened.

"Wait here, the lady will be up shortly."

The door closed and Lyra lifted her head enough to see Vai. He had been washed up, his hair cleaned and combed. His black pants had been replaced with tailored dark green and he wore a black sleeveless shirt. His feet were still bare.

He glanced around and sighed then scratched his arm, fiddled with his shirt hem and rolled his shoulders. Behind him, Lyra gripped the bedpost and lowered herself to the floor like a dancer. She drew her dagger silently and leaned against the post. "Vai was it?"

The slave whirled around, his eyes widening. She could now see they were flecked with gold. They narrowed with confused suspicion and when he glanced at the dagger, she watched his muscles tighten.

As his mouth opened to shout, Lyra pulled out the leather tube and tapped it thoughtfully on her lips. "Shh, Shh. No need to get anyone else involved."

His eyes focused on the tube, its meaning sinking in. He straightened, appearing relaxed but Lyra could tell he was still on edge. "Are you one of mistress's?"

The islander’s voice was deep and rumbled musically. She loved it.

She couldn't wait, she stepped forward, placing her hand on his chest and leaning in. "No, Vai, she doesn't like me much at all."

Vai didn't move and she leaned up and kissed him. After a brief moment he kissed her back. His lips were soft and he tilted his head down towards her as she ran her right hand over his shoulders and around his neck.

When she pulled away she was smiling. It had been good. Oh so good. She looked him in the eyes and he scanned her face, his features neutral but his eyes alive and anxious. She laughed. "Tell me, Vai, can you climb?"

"Probably, although I have not tried."

Unwinding her arms from his shoulders, she gestured at the cloak with her dagger. "Put that on, we're leaving."

His eyebrows furrowed and he watched the tube as she tapped it against her thigh. She glanced down at it. "Yes, it's yours. I wanted it, Hilda wanted it. We have different ways of getting things. She trades large amounts of gold for them. I just take them." She smiled again and gestured at the cloak once more.

Vai hesitated, "I...I am unfamiliar with this land's laws. I do not know if I should go with you or not."

Lyra's smile froze and her eyes grew sharp and cold. Slowly she slipped the tube back onto the belt on her thigh.

"I don't care much for this land's laws. I have you. I have your papers. And I have the ability to kill anyone who stands in my way. Is that clear enough for you?"

Vai opened his mouth, closed it again, and then stepped forward and took the cloak, draping it over his shoulders. For a moment, Lyra thought she saw the corner of his mouth turn up but when he straightened, he was neutral once more. She walked over to the window and pushed it open.

"We will go out, climb up to the roof, and cross to the southwest corner. From there we’ll descend into the garden, climb that wall, go down to the street and head to the south entrance of the city. Follow my lead and if anything...eventful happens, stay close and say nothing."

Vai nodded hesitantly and Lyra flipped her dagger once. "I went through a lot of trouble to get you, it would really piss me off if you did something stupid and I had to kill you. So don't do anything stupid."

She gestured to the window and Vai stood on the sill and started to climb.

As they crossed the roof, Lyra noted the position of the guards. Getting out unnoticed would be nearly impossible. She signalled Vai on where to climb back down. When they reached the bottom, she stopped him and pushed him against the wall behind a bush.

She crouched in the shadows of a tree and watched as the guard walked by. Quick as a snake, she darted out, smashing her hand into the woman's windpipe. The guard gagged and Lyra grabbed her breastplate with one hand, hooked the guard's ankle with her other and pushed her off balance. As she hit the floor, Lyra moved higher and pressed her knee against the woman's throat. Her helmet had slid up and the woman was blind as she tried to throw Lyra off her. She gurgled for a while and then stopped moving.

Lyra waved and Vai came back over and the two climbed the garden wall. The patrols were spaced so that there were guards on both sides of the wall alternating, so with the inner guard out of commision, Lyra and her prize safely crossed the wall and darted down the street.

When they reached the gate, Vai slowed, but Lyra walked casually up to the guard. She stopped when he held up his hand. Vai stood behind Lyra, head down and covered with the hood of the cloak. The guard raised his torch and peered at him.

"Who's that there?"

Lyra waved and Vai lowered his hood. The guard raised an eyebrow. "An islander, eh? He got any papers?"

With a flourish, Lyra revealed the leather tube. "He's mine. His papers are right here."

The guard took the tube and removed the rolled papers, scanning over them. He shook his head and grinned, handing them back to Lyra, looking her up and down.

"I recognize you. I have a funny feeling this is going to cause trouble, but papers check out so you're free to go."

Lyra had also recognized the guard. He was one of the more friendly towards the Thieves Guild. Slightly susceptible to bribes, as long as they wouldn't reasonably be found out. She was sure he'd report her when the investigation was opened, but they'd be long gone by then. She took the papers back and she and Vai left the city.

They walked for a couple of hours before Lyra stopped.

"We'll camp here."

She gestured for Vai to follow and started handing him branches to carry. He took them wordlessly and watched interestedly as she went back to the road, poked around, and then counted her steps into the rocky forest path.

"And fifty-seven!"

Shoving a large rock over, she brushed some dirt aside revealing a chest. Guild members often had to leave the city in a hurry, and they kept supplies stashed by most city entrances for such occasions. Lyra removed the bedroll, bag of dried meat and nuts, and waterskin. She told Vai to put the wood down, before leaning over and starting a small fire.

Gratefully she munched on some walnuts, her brief stop at the steward's dinner the only food she'd had in over thirty hours. She tossed the rest to Vai who ate as well as she rolled out the bedroll. Finished, she patted beside her and he obediently sat next to her.

She unclasped the cloak and brushed it off Vai's shoulders and she examined her prize. His golden flecked eyes watched her intensely as she ran her hand appreciatively down his jawline and onto his chest.

"Alright, tell me Vai, were you worth the trouble?"

"I cannot say since I do not know how much trouble was paid. However, I was one of Her Excellency's zhurl, which seems to be a standard of value."

"A zhurl?" Lyra cocked her head, it was not a word used in Valhym.

"A slave of pleasure."

Lyra smiled. Good, that is what she had hoped. She leaned forward, whispering in his ear, "Well then, let's see how high a standard Her Excellency had."

Their lips met, and Vai began to move. He gently pulled her towards him and as she moved herself onto him, his hand slipped through the slit of her dress and trailed up her thighs until they reached the small of her back. The kiss became more feverish and he broke away, traveling down her neck.

When her hand unclasped his vest, he took his cue, pushing the dress up and off of her. He struggled for a moment with her intricate toolbelt and she pulled away to unclasp it herself, leaving him free to remove any remaining clothing she had. She wrapped her arms around him impatiently and he moved faster, lowering her back down as his kisses travelled to her chest. She moaned in delight.

To her surprise he went lower and she felt his long hair tickle her cool thighs and his lips traveled between her legs. She gasped as sensation tingled up and down her body. She arched as his tongue brushed her sweetly and her eyes closed as she felt herself ready to burst. Never had any lover given such attention to her needs and her mind grew wild with desire.

"Now," she gasped, and Vai moved up, his mouth moving to her breasts as he entered her. Her hands tangled in his golden hair and she gasped again as he thrust into her.

As he worked, she angled herself and he followed her movements, every one of her muscles tense. She panted and the wave of pleasure rushing over her body imploded within her.

She lost sense of the world for a moment and when she refocused, her body was limp and tingling. Vai was still atop her, massaging her chest and kissing her neck. One of her arms was flung above her and the other was still tangled in his hair. After a moment, she shifted and he paused. She turned, removing her hand from his hair.

Anticipating her wish, he turned as well, lying on his back as she draped herself atop him, her long hair falling over his chest as her head rested at his shoulder, green eyes studying his face. She felt tired but heavenly.

"That was..."

"It will get better as I learn how you are."

She frowned. It wasn't often she experienced pleasure like that. Most men she had been with had been impatient and left off once they were satisfied. If this was Vai's low bar...

She smiled as she traced his collarbone absently. "Mmmm, definitely worth it."

"I am glad you are pleased." He shifted slightly as he pulled the abandoned cloak over her. She hadn't noticed the cool night air.

Lyra wanted to go to sleep right then, warmed by Vai's body, but her instincts reminded her she was in a vulnerable position with someone she didn't not trust. She frowned, disappointed she had to spoil the moment for herself.

"In case you had the idea, if you killed me—which would be more difficult than you can imagine—you wouldn't get far before you died in the wilds or were caught by guards. There are few enough islanders that you'd be arrested as a suspected slave, taken back to Taka and reclaimed by Lady Greenhelm. And if she was in a bad mood, she would probably kill you."

Vai stiffened slightly and Lyra continued, "If you are thinking about taking the papers and running, I would just hunt you down and kill you myself."

Carefully, Lyra read Vai's body language. She could hear his heart beat faster but he didn't seem to panic.

"I had not planned either." It was really the only thing he could say, but she was surprised by the sound of almost offense in it.

She patted his shoulder gently and closed her eyes. "Good to hear. Get some rest, we have a long walk tomorrow." Lyra fell asleep quickly, ignoring the mental alarm that still persisted.

When she awoke, she was in the nook of Vai's arm, which was wrapped around her and secured the cloak as protection against the chill morning air.

“Still alive,” she thought with satisfaction. Although if she had died, it would have been a hell of a last night. She moved a bit so she could look at Vai's face. At the movement, his long lashed eyes fluttered open. "Good morning, mistress."

Lyra pushed herself up, holding the cloak over her bare chest and shivered. "When it's just us, call me Lyra. Mistress Lyra when others are around."

"Very well." Vai sat up and his warm hands touched her shoulders and began to massage. It was divine. Lyra couldn't resist a groan of pleasure.

Vai's hands expertly worked her muscles and Lyra let him continue for a good ten minutes before finally pulling away. "My dress."

As Vai fetched her discarded dress as well as her undergarments, brushing off a few pieces of grass, she admired his bare form while he did. She took the clothes, preventing him from helping her dress, and carefully she rebuckled her waist and leg belts securely.

"Get dressed and roll up the bed."

Vai obeyed and Lyra restarted the fire, warming her hands in front of it and munched on the jerky from the bag. She handed some to Vai who took it after draping the cloak over her shoulders.

As they ate, Vai stared into the fire and Lyra stared at Vai. Finally, she reached over and grabbed the leather tube. Vai's eyes followed it.

"I told you before, I wasn't fond of laws."

Vai nodded.

"Well, it's important you understand that you aren't mine because of these papers. You're mine because I wanted you and I took you."

She opened the tube and removed the papers. "These exist so if you run away, I can commision city guards to find you and bring you back." Lyra tossed the papers into the fire and Vai flinched. "But I don't need that. If you leave, I will find you and punish you myself. You're mine because there is nowhere you could go that I couldn't get you back."

Vai's face changed quickly through several emotions before finally he spoke, "Forgive my imprudence, mis—Lyra, but I am confused. I have not been in Valhym for very long and many things are strange to me. May I ask, do many Valhym share your philosophies?"

Lyra laughed. "No, I find most think all that matters are empty words from those who hold grand titles. I deal with harsh realities and my ways are my own."

"Then I humbly beg that you be patient as I learn your ways."

Lyra leaned back. "As long as you learn them," she said, voice cold, but Vai merely nodded acceptingly.