Katapel's ire rose for a moment, and she drew herself up more assertively, balling her hands into fists. "You don't get to ask questions!" she half-shouted, taking a step towards Nerisa. "You should do... as..."<br/><br/>She shrank back when her eyes lighted on Nerisa's crossbow and spear. "Sorry, sorry," she muttered hurriedly. "I didn't mean to... it's just... it's politics and it's complicated. Tlazok is Canara Clever-Tongue's brother. Her owner," she explained, pointing to Sara and indicating the mystic symbol on her breast. She's our witch doctor, and she's very important, and very protective of her brother. She'll make trouble for my father if he isn't seen to be doing something. But nobody wants to miss the feast tonight. And Father doesn't want to send more warriors out after him if he's going to lose them too, so he's sending out slaves instead. And me, he doesn't care if anything happens to me."<br/><br/>She wrung her hands in front of her body, her previous aggression now gone. "He'll punish me if I can't make this work. Please? I can put in a good word with him for you, or get you some things from the store, weapons and furs and food and stuff." She glanced back at the manor house nervously. "I can't screw this up."