The first message arrived four days later. Vai checked for lights as he now did each night and the following morning collected a letter from Harold. In her room, Lyra ripped it open, scanning the contents happily.

"Watch carefully Vai, there should be more soon," she said, tossing the letter into the flames. She was right, of course, and the very next night the lanterns were lit again. However, this time when Vai went to collect the letter, there was a woman with Harold.

As he entered the room she gawked and laughed. "Damn! I can't believe she actually did it. I mean I heard the commotion but.." She stepped up and eyed Vai over, he shifted uncomfortably. "How'd she do it? How'd she get you out of the city?"

Vai glanced at Harold but he just shrugged. Vai took a step back. "My humblest apologies but I'm not sure what you're asking."

The woman, a well muscled Duskar in leather armor, looked him over again. "You were Hilda Greenhelm's slave weren't you?"

"Ah. Yes, I was bought by that lady before my current mistress...acquired me."

"Acquired!" The woman snorted. "Stole you like candy from a candy shop. So how'd she get you out?"

"Through the front gates. She had my papers."

The woman laughed, wiping her eyes. "Gods, I feel bad for those guards. Probably rotting in jail now. Hilda was pissed, she spent a small fortune on you."

Harold coughed, interrupting the woman to Vai's relief. "Zari here is the message. Please take her to Lyra at once."

Vai bowed and he and Zari left. When they were halfway through the town, she yanked him into an alley. He held his hands up expecting an assault, but she hushed him.

"Shhh. I'm not going to hurt you." Vai lowered his arms, the woman's face was concerned. "Listen, I can probably get you back to Aryus if we leave now. Lyra and me go back far enough she'd get over it in time. I'd have to get your papers later, but I could have you on a boat in less than a week."

Vai blinked. What was she talking about? Back to Aryus?

"I can't go back to Aryus." The words tumbled from his mouth unbidden and he bit his tongue.

"Look, I'm sure she's threatened you, but I've been doing this longer than she has and I promise you'd be safe. She knows how I feel about slavery, she'll get over it when I give her my news. Trust me, she'll be much too preoccupied to track you down."

He shook his head. "No, I have been banished from my homeland. I cannot go back."

"Wow. Okay, well then to Dyve or the Duskar Archipelago then. You have to decide now though and this is a one time offer."

Vai smiled and bowed. "I thank you for your consideration, but I would fare there no better than here. I am a zhurl and I will stay with my mistress."

Zari shook her head then shrugged. "I don't get it but we're out of time. Better get to the Tigress."

When Zari entered Lyra's room the woman's face lit up but then darkened. "If you're here it's serious isn't it?"

Zari leaned against the bed post. "You really stepped in it this time, Lyra. At first it looked like a simple pay job. Bounty on your head that some tough guys picked up. But the 'bounty' was posted too soon for it to be the real reason for the attack. And it wasn't king posted."

"Usually that's a good thing," Lyra said dryly, "What's the bad news?"

"One of our hounds was doing a job, small news, just a simple forgery, when he had to hole up in a closet. Heard some interesting noise while in there. The guys who went after you are regular menaces up north. Drive Jarl Gregor crazy. They up and left their turf weeks before the attack and here's the rub— it was the day after a meeting Jarl Gregor had organized to discuss trade."

Lyra frowned. "Who attended?"

"Isolde, Hurson, Nyrn, and Byrd all attended. Gregor too, obviously."

Lyra's eyebrows wrinkled and Vai stepped behind her, massaging her shoulders. Zari raised an eyebrow but Lyra didn't notice. "Hurson's been suspicious for years, but we've hit Nyrn's lands pretty hard this last year. Not to mention the incident with Byrd's ship. Could even be an alliance."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Zari held up her hands. "Beats me, all I know is you've got a Jarl problem and it's more than them just sending fights to you, the bounty was retracted and was hardly specific. It was a coverup, plain and simple. I would watch for Zorites at this point. Someone really wants you dead, or at least your family."

Lyra scoffed. "The Jarl's are not that dumb. They wouldn't cover the Brimstone’s cost, not with their own stations so precarious. Any sniff of demon work and the crown would have their Jarldom in a heartbeat, ‘bout the only way he can nowadays."

"Well that's all I've got. We're stretched pretty thin and that's a lot Jarls to cover."

Lyra scribbled a note on her desk and handed it to Vai. "Give that to Ulris."

After Ulris took the note and read it, his eyeballs nearly popped out of his head. He took Vai down to the cellar and through three locked doors. Vai blinked in the dim room. Ulris's single candle illuminated enough, piles of weapons, goods, and chests of gold filled the small room. It was wealth Vai had not seen since the empress.

Ulris muttered as he filled a small chest and shoved it in the Vai's arms. "Go bring that to Lyra and tell her it'd better be worth it."

Lyra took the chest gleefully and opened it for Zari who whistled. "There, don't say I never gave you anything. That enough to get five tails?"

Zari rolled a coin expertly across her knuckles. "One for each Jarl? Yeah we can do that."

"Not Gregor. No way he'd deal with his own parasites. Last one is for Fenrin."

Zari tossed the coin and grabbed it. "That one'll cost double. You know Geryl will put up a fuss."

"Fine don't tail him. Just tell me where he is."

Zari clicked the chest shut. "Deal." She went to the door then turned to wink. "Your brother's on Bryd's coast."

With that she shut the door and Lyra laughed. "Gods, I missed this."

Over the next weeks, Lyra received more messages and got closer to recovery. At last she could move almost without any pain and begin to rebuild her muscles. Bryn returned and Lyra waltzed down to greet him with a cold nod. Now free of her room, Lyra disappeared a few times, but never longer than a day.

When Fenrin came back, the family was called together. Vai waited outside the room but had no problem hearing when his mistress raised her voice.

"If you think killing a bunch of pirates is going to solve this then you're stupider than you look."

Fenrin said something but Vai couldn't make it out. The Bear boomed, "There is only one other group capable of standing up to our raids left. You and Fenrin will take care of them and end this."

"It won't end shit. A Jarl is behind this. My people—"

"Are not mine daughter and I will not trust their words," Bryn interrupted.

"It's Hurson or Nyrn, I'm sure of it. If we wait I can go to—"

"You will go with your brother."

Bryn burst through the doors, storming off to his office. Now the door was open, Vai could hear Fenrin.

"You really think it's a Jarl?"

"Sure of it."

"Well, it's not like killing the Blackskulls would hurt. If anything they'll have nothing to fight with. I mean they can't mobilize their own troops without the crown's authority."

"That's exactly what's going to happen if we don't figure out which Jarl it is and apply pressure. Either Hurson or Nyrn thinks they're getting away with this and I'm sure they're investigating just as much as I am. Running out and conspicuously taking out our rivals is only going to make things worse and make us easier to case to the king."

"Maybe...but it seemed pretty much like a simple bounty out there. You really didn't leave your room?"

"Didn't need to. I'm good at what I do, don't forget that. Also it took you way too long to get back from the coast. Decide on a holiday?"

"How'd you...look I have my own schemes, sister. Keep your paws off."

"Whatever. Let's leave now, I can't stand this place."

The siblings stormed out and left within the hour. Bryn disappeared a few days later but Dyla stayed. Guiltily, Vai kept track of the comings and goings even though it wasn't really any of his concern. He wondered if Lyra would want to know what'd happened while she was gone. All the talk of tailing people and information gathering were wearing off on him.

Dyla visited the Jarl a few times and spent hours with Ulris in Bryn's office. Vai was certain she'd stayed for a reason.

Lyra and Fenrin returned in eight days, Fenrin sported a new scar and Lyra's arm was broken. Vai was pleased he could care for her wound without outside help. Fenrin left to find his father.

The next morning Vai woke, Lyra tangled in his arms. She was looking at him thoughtfully, her mouth scheming. "Let's try something new."

Vai considered his repertoire and what they hadn't done yet, but Lyra rolled out of bed. "We're going on a trip. Get dressed."

He obeyed and to his amazement Lyra retrieved a dress from her wardrobe. It was pale blue and looked lovely against her fair skin and hair. Vai helped her into it and braided her hair.

"May I ask where we are going?" he said as he pinned the last plait in place.

"Undercover. I'm determined to solve this mystery. We're going to Nyrn's court. Hurson knows my face so we'll do something different when we get to him. Just do what you normally do and you'll fit in perfectly."

She kissed him and then looked him over. "Hmm...do the black instead. Looks more intimidating."

Vai changed again, this time into the tight black velvet vest she'd had made for him. The black made his gold skin glow and Lyra nodded satisfied. "Time to go."