The two women seemed to relax as the weapons were put away, but again Vera jumped at Doxi's message when it was delivered.  She certainly was a nervous young woman.  The sound of arrows hitting the bottom of the hull sounded moments before the lurch of the Virtuous Maiden as it began to move skywards.<br/><br/>"Please," the matron said, "allow us to go free.  We've done nothing to harm you.  We'll give you all of the valuables in our wagons, at least a few hundred gold, and we can pretend none of this ever happened."<br/><br/>The matron's eyes seemed desperate, as if she knew this ploy wouldn't work but she was going to try anything to resolve this without violence that she could.