away from Katsu's searching hands.
Katsu paused, lips still tight, and folded his hands in his lap. "I met Byron on the road and told him I'd go willingly if I could tend you. We're allowed together on our good behavior. Keep your voice down, or they'll separate us and we'll still be sold." His lip curled in a distasteful sneer on the last words, as if the very thought of being sold was so unbelievable as to be disdained.
"Katsu--" Ashe stopped, not knowing what to say. It had already been done; he could berate Katsu for being foolish, for throwing his life away, but it was already done. "Please tell me you're part of a bigger plan," he whispered.
Katsu's gaze shifted elsewhere. His hands remained still in his lap. "I'm sure the others are on their way."
"Sure because you all hatched a plan? Or sure because..." Ashe trailed off. Katsu still hadn't looked at him.
After a long beat of silence, Katsu spoke again. "We've crossed the border into Diwegol. The others won't have any legal recourse to free you -- us -- now. I doubt they'll be able to take the caravan. It's... well guarded. I thought, maybe if I was on the inside..." He lifted one hand, looked like he didn't know what to do with it, and set it back down. "I have a plan. If it'll work."
"Which is?"
Katsu looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Let's get the rest of you untied," he said, and Ashe's heart sank.
Katsu had never been vocal during any of the crew's plans. He sat in the shadows and listened, sometimes adding a derisive snort when he thought a plan was particularly stupid. But to Ashe's knowledge, he had little experience planning anything more than knocking out a dragon.
Katsu untied him in silence, starting with his ankles and moving up to his hands. That was a painful process; blood had dried, sticking the ropes in place on wounded skin. Katsu did what he could, licking his fingers and dabbing moisture onto the blood to liquefy it again before he gingerly pulled the ropes free.
With a hiss of pain, Ashe brought his hands to the front of his body, muscles protesting. His nerves fired, circulation returning in full and bringing with it stinging pain. Katsu rubbed Ashe's shoulders, his arms, working down to hands and fingers.
Katsu massaged silently, focusing on his movements. Everywhere he touched, the pain eased off a little more, and Ashe realized the last of the drug fog was starting to clear as well. Ashe watched Katsu, the lines of stress in an otherwise unlined face. Katsu was intent on his job. Ashe thought that just under the thin cloth of Katsu's tunic, there was a faint glow.
"You're doing that thing again," he whispered. "With your magic."
Katsu said nothing, but kept on doing it.
Ashe's mind cleared further, the ache he felt everywhere going away, the stiffness seeping out of his joints. Escape seemed far more possible as the pain went away.
"How are we going to get out of here?" Ashe asked. They were underway again; the rumble and bounce of the wagon on the dirt road was unmistakable. "What's your plan?"
Katsu dropped his hands, glancing at Ashe and then elsewhere. "There's a few horses and four or five guards who'll be getting ill soon. I think. Then..." He shrugged. "I thought we could do something."
"It'll slow us down," Ashe said doubtfully, wondering if that would be enough for Nate to find them and effect a rescue. He didn't see how.
"There's more," Katsu said quietly. "If you trust me."
Ashe hesitated. "I trust you," he said finally.
"It might not work. And you could die."
Ashe smiled, though the words set a chill in his lungs. "I risk death for every job we do. Risking it for freedom seems easy."
Katsu only looked at him for a long while, as if waiting for solemnity. Eventually, Ashe let his smile fall away, and nodded once. "I'll take the risk."
Katsu's lips pursed. He took a breath and nodded back, settling against a crate.
"That's it?" Ashe asked. "You're not going to tell me what comes next?"
Katsu thought about it for
Katsu paused, lips still tight, and folded his hands in his lap. "I met Byron on the road and told him I'd go willingly if I could tend you. We're allowed together on our good behavior. Keep your voice down, or they'll separate us and we'll still be sold." His lip curled in a distasteful sneer on the last words, as if the very thought of being sold was so unbelievable as to be disdained.
"Katsu--" Ashe stopped, not knowing what to say. It had already been done; he could berate Katsu for being foolish, for throwing his life away, but it was already done. "Please tell me you're part of a bigger plan," he whispered.
Katsu's gaze shifted elsewhere. His hands remained still in his lap. "I'm sure the others are on their way."
"Sure because you all hatched a plan? Or sure because..." Ashe trailed off. Katsu still hadn't looked at him.
After a long beat of silence, Katsu spoke again. "We've crossed the border into Diwegol. The others won't have any legal recourse to free you -- us -- now. I doubt they'll be able to take the caravan. It's... well guarded. I thought, maybe if I was on the inside..." He lifted one hand, looked like he didn't know what to do with it, and set it back down. "I have a plan. If it'll work."
"Which is?"
Katsu looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Let's get the rest of you untied," he said, and Ashe's heart sank.
Katsu had never been vocal during any of the crew's plans. He sat in the shadows and listened, sometimes adding a derisive snort when he thought a plan was particularly stupid. But to Ashe's knowledge, he had little experience planning anything more than knocking out a dragon.
Katsu untied him in silence, starting with his ankles and moving up to his hands. That was a painful process; blood had dried, sticking the ropes in place on wounded skin. Katsu did what he could, licking his fingers and dabbing moisture onto the blood to liquefy it again before he gingerly pulled the ropes free.
With a hiss of pain, Ashe brought his hands to the front of his body, muscles protesting. His nerves fired, circulation returning in full and bringing with it stinging pain. Katsu rubbed Ashe's shoulders, his arms, working down to hands and fingers.
Katsu massaged silently, focusing on his movements. Everywhere he touched, the pain eased off a little more, and Ashe realized the last of the drug fog was starting to clear as well. Ashe watched Katsu, the lines of stress in an otherwise unlined face. Katsu was intent on his job. Ashe thought that just under the thin cloth of Katsu's tunic, there was a faint glow.
"You're doing that thing again," he whispered. "With your magic."
Katsu said nothing, but kept on doing it.
Ashe's mind cleared further, the ache he felt everywhere going away, the stiffness seeping out of his joints. Escape seemed far more possible as the pain went away.
"How are we going to get out of here?" Ashe asked. They were underway again; the rumble and bounce of the wagon on the dirt road was unmistakable. "What's your plan?"
Katsu dropped his hands, glancing at Ashe and then elsewhere. "There's a few horses and four or five guards who'll be getting ill soon. I think. Then..." He shrugged. "I thought we could do something."
"It'll slow us down," Ashe said doubtfully, wondering if that would be enough for Nate to find them and effect a rescue. He didn't see how.
"There's more," Katsu said quietly. "If you trust me."
Ashe hesitated. "I trust you," he said finally.
"It might not work. And you could die."
Ashe smiled, though the words set a chill in his lungs. "I risk death for every job we do. Risking it for freedom seems easy."
Katsu only looked at him for a long while, as if waiting for solemnity. Eventually, Ashe let his smile fall away, and nodded once. "I'll take the risk."
Katsu's lips pursed. He took a breath and nodded back, settling against a crate.
"That's it?" Ashe asked. "You're not going to tell me what comes next?"
Katsu thought about it for
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