Having a slave switch all their weaves was not an uncommon practice of slave traders. However, unless the person was a war slave or a convicted felon sentenced to slavery, it was illegal. That is, as far as the Sahal Empire was concerned.

Of course, being so close to the border of the Kingdom of Arid, the slavers were getting around it by taking slaves across the border, where they temporarily put them in the hands of Arid masters, only to take them back "clean". Unfortunately, despite knowing about it, there wasn't much the city guards could do about the practice except to keep a closer eye on those who did so and be strict with their other law violations.

Never in her life, however, would Elira Hakhe have thought that the slavers would so openly discuss doing such a thing in her city, right in front of her.

"You can't do that; that's against the law," she snapped from the shoulder of the big bruiser of a woman. If the others in the guard corps saw her being so helpless and treated like the sack of potatoes she looked like thanks to the pathetic-looking mage, yet demanding the law be upheld, they would laugh their asses off just like the thugs. Especially her friend Vara, now bound and half-naked like her, barely conscious. But in spite of her own situation, worried about her friend and especially her brother, Elira could not stay silent when one of the most heinous crimes was to be committed on one.

"Oh, shut the fuck up, or I'll shove those laws up your ass," the bald guy, the slaver always playing with his whip to keep his hands occupied, growled at her. The bastard was the one to suggest such a terrible deed, and no doubt he wouldn't hesitate to order her to do the same if she had a slave collar around her neck like Grey. A bit of luck on her side. Whether it was because of Harcon, or just because the slavers hadn't lost all their minds, she and Vara ended up only bound by ropes. Terrible in itself, the helplessness, the shame, but it was the thought of losing a lifetime of hard work that shook Elira's body to the core.

"Boss? Nobody said anything about her weaves."

"I heard you the first time. You have a point, though. It would be..."

"Harcon, tell them something!"

"You should be more concerned with yourself, Elira," the former Master Guard replied. How someone like him could end up like this was beyond her. As a Master Guard, he had status, respect, and even his wage was nothing to scoff at. Frustrating as it was, however, she had to admit he was right. 'Will they try to sell us into slavery?' More than ever, she was glad for her array. No one in their right mind would want a Guardswoman as a slave, at least no one sane in Castiana or Sahal. That, however, didn't rule out the possibility that they might try to get them across the border. But to do so, they had to get through one of the city gates first. 'The gate! Elias!'

"What happened to E...?"

"Before you let her get rid of her weaves, Arlo, maybe you should let her regenerate," Harcon cut her off, kind of taking her breath away. There was still something of the city guard he used to be in him, and he quickly found an angle to convince the slave trader not to take Grey’s weaves. "From what I've seen, she can make a full recovery. And fairly quickly."

"Is that why you messed her up so badly?" asked the guy, a Fighter, with whom Elira had exchanged a few blows before - before everything went to shit. "Pent-up anger? Maybe I can have a round with her too..."

"Shut the fuck up, or I'll fix your ugly mug, too, Jareth."

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"Did I hit your nerve or something?"

"Stupid asshole, you have no idea what you're talking about. If I let her..." Harcon didn't finish his sentence, visibly shuddering, making Elira wonder: 'If he'd let Grey do what?' "...forget it. I knew she could take it. The same can't be said for you, so..."

"That's enough, you two," the slave trader growled. The little round man, Arlo Rutledge, was not a complete unknown to Elira. Given his profession, the Castiana City Guards kept tabs on him as well as others who traded in slaves. To her knowledge, however, he was by no means an influential trader with connections allowing him to go up against the city guards, let alone the Sahal Empire. Despite the lack of funding, only a few Seeker Companies could afford to trade blows with the Castiana City Guards, and not for very long at that. That was, unless...

"Harcon has a point," Rutledge interrupted Elira's train of thought about the cooperation of several Seeker Companies. Obviously tired of his goons bickering and pissed off that things didn't go quite according to their plan, he wiped his sweaty forehead, frowning. "Besides, no one may have said anything about it, but if we're going to get all the money, it's safer to let the wench keep her weaves."

"Then at least forbid her to use them, boss," the slaver said, obviously thinking it was a mistake.

"And how will she heal?" Harcon reminded them.

"Afraid they'll get your ass for the way you messed her up, huh? Not my problem."

"Shut up and let me think!" Rutledge growled, pacing back and forth a few times before fixing his eyes on Grey. "You, I forbid you to use any weaves except the ones to fix you. That should do it."

A twitch of her ears and, above all, a slight smirk from Grey did not escape Elira, but her thoughts were elsewhere than worry about what the half-Terr'den woman found amusing. 'They? Who were they?' As a city guard, she couldn't help but wonder who they were talking about, who had hired them for this job, and above all, what was so special about Grey that she was worth going up against the Castiana City Guards? Sure, they were underfunded, short of people, and their equipment obviously not up to par, but even so, most of the Seeker Companies in the city didn't venture beyond a few brawls here and there. After all, doing so was like writing their own death warrant. The best they could do was to flee across the border, or hope to end up as slaves themselves.

'Why? Why are they doing this?'

The thugs didn't seem haggard, desperate, or overconfident, at least most of them, as far as Elira was able to observe. Neither did a case of sheer stupidity seem likely to her. Arlo Rutledge seemed rather thoughtful, and they had Harcon with them. Mages didn't reach his caliber unless they had their wits together.

'It must be Grey.' Elira concluded, unable to help but chide herself. 'Of course it's her.' Harcon told them from the very beginning that it was all about her. 'But what was so special about her? Who could she be worth so much to that they were willing to go to such lengths?' No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn't think of anyone. If the "Collectors", slave owners who were buying slaves for their unique looks and abilities, wanted to show off their collections, it was in their interest to acquire slaves in accordance with the law. The same was true for various brothels and even Seeker Companies. Slave-like as their contracts may have been, such a method of recruiting new seekers would nullify any contract in the eyes of the law and their captain.

'Just who? Who was so interested in Grey?' Whether it was her city guard nature to get to the truth or just the sheer desperation of the situation pushing her to make sense of it, she failed to get an answer before things got moving.

"All right, you lot. Let's wrap it up here," Rutledge growled, looking around sharply. "Have you left anything that could lead the guard bastards to us?"

"Needless worry, Arlo. I've swept the whole place. Burned all the blood. What they'll find are just a few sooty smudges. They won't track us down," Harcon spoke, his eyes meeting Elira's piercing gaze. "At least not right away."

"Good. Very good. Then let's go, you lot!"