Tanith Telus was in the best of moods.

Few things had ever enchanted her like sailing for adventure in the roaring waves. She looked out over the chilly blue of the Haldrenian Channel with her hair flowing before her. The smell of sea salt was heavenly, and the light was clear from above. If they went only a little further down, you could see her home of Ran Telus. However, she'd grown up more as a ward in the realm of Carn Gable.

Hadn't William swum this once? Or half of it?

"Ah, the sea air is high, and we're out," said Tanith. "Now, the only thing that could be better is if we were going to raid Calishan shipping. Aris and I did much of that before we got serious."

"Yes, well, I can't have worse luck than the last voyage," muttered William, who hated sea travel.

"Don't tempt fate, William. Rioletta likes causing pain when people ask for it," said Felix to one side.

"If fate is tempted, I'll beat it to a pulp," said Tanith.

"I'm just glad to be going to Antion," said William, standing up and smiling.

"Why?" asked Tanith, perplexed. She'd hated the place when she went through it. The bounty hunters trying to kill her was an improvement. And why was he looking so cheerful? It wasn't a bad look, to be fair.

"It's the greatest of the Harlenorian Kingdom's Tanith," said William. "It has technologies and finery like nothing else. The population is far higher than Haldren or Escor. It produces most food shipped across the Sea of Power and the Haldrenian straights.

"They say the Capital of Antion is veiled in a golden light," He seemed enthusiastic and happy.

This was a poor change. Tanith didn't have the heart in the old days, but now he was backsliding into the insecure, happy person he used to be.

"Well, aren't you acting like the old you?" asked Tanith, getting him a headlock. "Knock it off. I like you better than you are now. Not like Anborn."

"What did he do this time?" asked William. "Did he get another red-haired girlfriend to take care of him?"

"He ran from a battle," said Tanith.

"What?!" said William. "He was alone, wasn't he?"

"No, he wasn't," said Tanith. "He'd made friends with a group of adventurers. One of his girlfriends was there too. They got cornered by bandits, and he ran off.

"He came back later to save them when they were tied up.

"Later, he allowed himself to be captured and seduced by the bandit leader. While leaving his friends to fight a life or death battle."

Disgraceful.

But William didn't want to say anything; Tanith could tell. Anborn had a long list of stupid and cowardly actions which he had been spared trouble from.

Yes, William had run away in his first battle after a fashion. But he'd done that to save a fellow warrior and friend from the sea. Also, it only happened once. Anborn always pulled this kind of thing in one way or another.

"I've always wanted to go to Antion and meet King Andoa," said William, breaking it. "To be knighted by him would be a huge honor." Andoa was famous the world over and at one time had been considered comparable to Anoa the Bright. However, William and Tanith both thought of this exaggeration for obvious reasons.

One did not simply compare to Anoa the Bright. All were forever in his shadow.

Tanith considered telling him a bit about reality. But he'd read all the same books she had, so he probably knew. Let him enjoy the dream. For her part, Tanith never wanted to go further into Antion than the ports.

"Babarassians, port side!" called a man.

Tanith looked up, and sure enough, the Babarassian vessel was before them, with a prow in the shape of a mouse. Even now, they were heading toward them, and the men onboard were brandishing weapons. They wore long beards and concealing garments and had a vicious look.

"Maybe they're friendly and simply want to negotiate," said William.

"Not likely," said Tanith. "Now we get to spill some blood."

"So it would seem," said Felix.

It seemed they were in for a splendid time.

Tanith ran to quickly put on her armor, getting help from Felix in it. It was well-polished, and she thought she'd have to clean it afterward. Drawing her two swords, she smiled as she returned to the deck. William stayed behind her, a shield and sword in hand.

He was no coward, but in Khasmir, he'd played the role of healer, which was wise. This crew didn't look battle-hardened. Turning up, Tanith saw the ship nearing them and pulling up. A long silence stretched as she waited for the fun. The gangplank was thrown down, and the Babarassians rushed over the deck toward them.

Tanith rushed toward them, disarmed a man, cut his throat, slashed out the eyes of another, and ran a third through. The men rushed behind her into battle, weapons drawn as battle was joined. Tanith smiled, feeling the warm blood pour over her body as she ended their lives.

William was healing their injured as the battle went on. Wounded men were rising again.

Tossing her swords into the air, Tanith drew knives and hurled them, and each one found a mark. The last man fell in shock, whimpering in horror as Tanith caught the swords. She lunged forward and stabbed them through his palms.

Grabbing her head, she wrenched it to snap his neck.

Was he begging for mercy?

It didn't matter.

She'd heard it all before. Filthy dark-skinned invaders needed to have their numbers culled anyway.

"I can't say that wasn't efficient," said William.

"Sorry," said Tanith. "I'll leave some for you next time. We lose anyone?"

"No," said William. "A few injured and healed. We'd better see what is down here."

"Why did they attack us?" asked Felix.

"Who knows?" asked Tanith, not caring. "Let's loot the place."

William nodded, and they began the search of the ship.

As they did, they found it contained people, many of them stored in the lower decks. They were herded into cramped quarters filled with filth and straw, and the smell was awful. A few had been set aside in more humane quarters, meaning they had about a foot each. Tanith walked through the stinking place and saw the people trapped.

They looked to Tanith with obvious fear, which was probably the smart move. William looked around, seeing their dark skin and brownish hair. "Are these Furbearers, Tanith?"

"Yeah, more or less," said Tanith. "What do you want to be done with them? We could sell them?"

"No," said William. "Release them at once, and I'll heal them. I need to know what Furbearers are doing here. They are under the protection of King Gavin and Haldren."

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"It could be a raid," noted Tanith as she slashed a lock. Nakmar's swords were awesome.

"No," said Felix. "Babarassians might decide to attack a lone ship, but a direct attack on Haldren would never be made. Not without a larger campaign, and we'd have heard of that.

"It may be possible these were sent after us in particular. You and William are valuable targets with a fair share of enemies."

"Either way," said William. "We'll get them out on deck. Once there, we will talk to them. Lead them up, and I'll heal the sick and injured."

And so it went, a boring and unmemorable event as the slaves were led up onto the deck. Tanith quickly arranged for the bodies to be stripped of their clothes and weapons. That and many other valuables. These were given to the crew.

Food was given to the slaves, which Tanith thought was a bit far away. But it seemed to get them less afraid and more receptive. Finally, William spoke to them in their tongue, using the power of language. "Does anyone speak for you?"

A girl came forward, dark-skinned with brown hair that was tangled. Her clothes were blue, and she had a very nice rack. Not to mention a good curve of the hips, and didn't look like she was done growing. Tanith wondered if William would mind her taking her as a slave.

Probably, he was a bit nice for his own good. "I am Kata of the Islands of Torment that lie east of Haldren. And the daughter of our leader, Osrif.

"We were sold to these men by the King."

"Which King?" asked William.

"Lord Kern of Haldren, who else?" said Kata, speaking Haldrenian. "He claimed authority over us because his Father killed a lot of our people. But he has never even come down near us except to exact tribute. Things got very bad the last few winters, and we couldn't pay the tribute.

"Now he has sold us to the Babarassians to pay off the debt, and I was among them as an example. One day, the Incarnation of the Land will return to set this right, and you'll be sorry for what you did! To my people and my Mother!"

"You should have been ready to fight if you didn't want to get enslaved," scoffed Tanith.

Bad luck.

"And what are we supposed to do against an entire ship of armed Babarassians?" asked Kata. "Many of our men are on a trading voyage, and we were caught before we reached our safe locations."

"You could die well," replied Tanith. "Or at least commit suicide before they captured you to deny them profits."

"Given that we rescued them, that might not have been a good idea," noted Felix.

"That's not the point," said Tanith. "It's a matter of principle. Of honor and warrior code."

"Do you know why these men would attack us?" asked William.

"Some of us heard them talking about a contract," said Kata. "They were alerted to you by someone and directed to intercept you. They were asked to seize him as a bargaining chip."

"Well, that would be me," noted William. "Felix, why would you say they'd do that?"

"Well, we made no secret of our departure," said Felix. "Given that Tanith's actions have put a rift between Wrynncurth and us, it would make sense. I'm sure many enemies of House Gabriel would love to disrupt that.

"And if the Babarrasians took you prisoner, there would be an element of deniability. King Gavin could come to your rescue and put you in his debt or keep you as a hostage. And selling Tanith to Wrynncurth would be a valuable bargaining chip. But other people could be behind this."

"Should we really be having this kind of meeting in public?" asked Tanith.

"What is wrong with having the treachery of my enemies be well-documented?" asked William. "Kata, next question. How much do you know about the Babarassians and their slaving operations?"

"Well," said Kata. "They have a contact, Omar, who set it up. He and another man in armor like Lamech. They came to us, and we offered them hospitality, and they asked many questions of us.

"Then Omar went east, toward Themious and Babarassia. Tavish came through and was very nice and polite. They said only that his business arrangements had gone off well. Then the Babarassians arrived, and we let them establish a small port. Then, they set up outposts in each village.

"But pretty soon, armed men filled the area, and they started taking things over. Our Village Healers were forced out of their homes and enslaved. And then they started taking us. Father tried to rally the men and fight them off, but there were too many. I was seized and sold into slavery as punishment by Tavish."

"You mean to tell me that you let them in?" asked Tanith, blinking in surprise. "You should have started planning to fight them when Gavin gave the order."

"We're a peaceful people!" said Kata.

"Then you're insane," said Felix without aggression. "Living in peace is only possible by deterring your enemies. That requires either an ironclad defense or an aggressive striking power. Preferably both."

Kata stepped back from the bars for a minute, only just seeing him.

"Tanith, Felix, this is not the time," said William, not liking how they dismissed these people. "Kata, can your people sail?"

"Yes, but not usually with a ship this large," said Kata. "We use more maneuverable craft."

"Very well," said William. "Tanith, could you run a crew to Ascorn?"

"Sure," said Tanith. "Seeing as you and Felix have some experience.

"Best time to learn."

And they set to work at once, breaking off from the ship they'd come. It turned out that the Furbearers were quite quick learners, faster than William or Felix. Tanith had to give them the differences, and they quickly adapted. William, meanwhile, opted to navigate a bit.

Once Kata had a chance to clean up, she was very nice. Her braided hair made her look nice. And Tanith decided to approach her. "So, these Babarassians, by what authority could they take you? Surely you are citizens of Haldren."

"Technically, we are serfs," said Kata. "Though Father and my family have noble status.

"We handle all our affairs and do everything for ourselves. Once, our people had huge fortresses. But you all sacked or burned them, and we've had to deal with raids. One of you pirates killed my Mother!"

"That's sad," said Tanith.

"Sad?" shouted Kata. "That's all you have to say."

"You fought a war, and you lost. It happens to everyone," said Tanith, thinking back to her Mother's disfigurement. "No shame on you; at least you fought."

"What about my Mother?" asked Kata.

"Everybody dies eventually. And most people die horribly," said Tanith with a shrug. "At least she got killed in battle. Better than wasting away from old age or a skin disease.

"Bad things happen to good people, and life isn't fair. You can feel sorry for yourself and revel in being a victim. Or you can get back on your feet and ensure you kill all the raiders the next time. Then you can steal their ships, burn their villages, and rape and murder their women.

"Crying never helped anybody. But ending other people's lives can help you a lot."

Kata stared at Tanith. "...Are you the Shark Queen?"

"What?" said Tanith. "What are you talking about?"

"My people have shrines to ward off the Shark Queen," said Kata. "I thought... you seem to like what a Queen of Death would look like."

Tanith laughed. "The Shark Queen is the proxy Goddess of Elranor and focuses on death as an aspect. When you see her, it usually means that someone will die or otherwise disaster will fall on you."

"So, what's the difference?" asked Kata.

"Doom is a bad thing that can or will happen to you and an unrelenting force you fight against," said Tanith. "But you can master it. See William over there? A year ago, he got shipwrecked with nothing but Felix. They were captured by satyrs, tossed in prison, and brutalized.

"But they escaped and made their way on foot. They made companions, had many adventures, and escaped from them. Doom came upon them, but they passed beyond it and grew stronger. If something bad happens, you should fight like hell against it. If you fail, you should accept the defeat and become stronger.

"Both are responses worthy of praise, depending on the situation. But you have to fight first. Ward off doom, and you delay the inevitable at the expense of weakening yourself. For my part, I say never submit. Never stop fighting.

"Let the enemy take your land from you in an ocean of their blood. And let new tides wash away that ocean.

"If bad things happen to you, don't think 'why me.' Think, 'To overcome this is to achieve greatness.' For a rich man, paying his debts off is a trivial matter. It doesn't matter that he is paying a lot more money because there are no stakes. The banker can't kill him, and he has a lot of money. So all he's doing is treading water.

"A poor man, who has much smaller debts, risks being sold into slavery. If he succeeds in paying off all his debts and becoming a little prosperous, that is a far greater deed."

"Because he was facing worse odds," guessed Kata.

"Exactly," said Tanith. "Your people are in a bad position and aren't likely to win. So if they win or even fail gloriously, it will be far more impressive. Wouldn't you consider that an opportunity?"

Kata looked at Tanith with wide eyes. She seemed about to say something, only to halt. "Well then, who is the God of Death?"

"Elranor," said William, coming in with his helmet off. "Why else would his Paladin go shod in plate inlaid with skulls? The domain of every deity becomes its antithesis."

"What do you mean?" asked Kata. "Elranor is a God of Healing. Of restoring and protecting."

"Yes," said Tanith. "And how do you treat a wound that has festered and can't be healed by normal magic?"

"...You cut the rot out," said Kata.

"Exactly," said William.

Kata looked down with a sigh. "What am I supposed to do? Even if I get home, what then?"

"For a start, you can tell us a bit about these Babarassians," said William. "I'd know they'd been setting up some colonies, but I didn't think they'd go this far." There he went again with the lady's man chivalrous act he'd been practicing with Kiyora.

Kata halted. "We were told King Gavin wanted a counterweight to House Gabriel. Colonists will soon be brought in to replace us.

"Our Lord sold our domain to them. The Islands of Torment and the domain of the Furbearers."

"He sold part of Harlenor to a foreign power!" said Tanith, hardly believing his ears. "You mean he...

"Why that-"

"Calm yourself, Tanith," said William. "Kata, do you know how to use a spear?"

"Well, we use them for fishing," said Kata. "And we hunt with slings, but we've no real experience at war. King Gavin forbade us from practicing, and we never had the strength to resist him."

"Well, King Gavin is now more or less making war on you by proxy," said William. "So you are no longer obligated to listen to anything he says."

"Right, you're right," said Kata with a sigh.

"Well, Tanith will instruct you as best I can on the journey," said William. "If all of your people learn how to do this in an organized military fashion, I expect it should help a great deal."

This looked like the start of a beautiful friendship. Also, Kata was easy on the eyes.

The only thing that could ruin it was that Anborn might be in Ascorn.

But the sun was just as high and the wind as brisk when they returned above decks. And now Tanith had another potentially beautiful slave girl once she was cleaned up.

Well, not really, but the fantasy was fun.