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“These are my two lady companions…” Huvos started.
“Lovers?” The Zarvixian asked.
“No,” Huvos said, quickly. “They are my helpers.”
“Ah…human helpers. We are in need on Zarvis of this type. You say you will trade. Might you trade them,” the Zarvixian asked.
Huvos’s fingers skirted along the hilt of his axe. “They are not for trade.”
“We must leave here at once, Tirizar raider. Be quick about what it is you wish to trade,” the Zarvixian asked.
Huvos looked at me. “Our shuttle has crashed and we need transport to another colony.”
“Which colony?”
“Xtarra.”
“Ah…Xtarra. We will not reach there in quite some time, but it is possible. What is in Xtarra, may I ask? Why should we go there?” the Zarvixian inquired.
“A mixture of species. You will be sure to find all the human helpers you need there.”
I swallowed as a nervous lump rose in my throat.
The Zarvixian looked from Huvos to me and all around the room. “You wish transport for the lot of you?”
“Ik.”Huvos nodded.
The Zarvixian burst out in laughter. “My ship is burdened by weight, my friend. From the looks of it, you will never be able to offer a fair trade.”
“You can have all these coins of mine.” Huvos held out a pouch. “And I am quite sure that once we safely reach our destination, there can be more talks of trade.”
The Zarvixian took the pouch and scratched his chin. “ ’Tis not enough, raider. I do not lie. The tarpui that fuels my ship was paid for by another. Xtarra is far. This is not enough to replace the fuel at the next post if I transport the lot of you. What will I tell the merchant if I run out of tarpui and coins?”
“We do not all have to leave here at once,” Mesandreia offered. “It is imperative for some of us to reach the destination more quickly than others. Can you take a couple?”
The Zarvixian narrowed his gaze and eyes Mesandreia from head to toe. “Do you need safe passage to Xtarra, girl?”
Mesandreia shook her head. “Nyet. My lady needs safe passage. Not me.”
I clutched Mesandreia’s hand and squeezed reassuringly. “Wait. If I offer a fair trade, fair enough to pay for the replace of tarpui for your ship, can you transport everyone?”
The Zarvixian angled his head and his irises narrowed. “What have you to trade, human girl?”
I took apprehensively steps over to my chest of belongings. When I opened it, Mesandreia gasped. Not only did the chest store my belongings, but it also stored my works in progress, including the gems and stones I used to make them.
The Zarvixian walked up to the chest and stirred through the bag of gems, holding a few up for inspection. “These are no counterfeits, lady.”
“No, they are not.”
“Still, there are so few. What is that there? Down in the bottom of the chest?” He pointed to the black velvet sack I used to store the pair of crowns I designed for Khol.
“It is nothing,” I said, quickly. “It is only an unfinished piece.”
The Zarvixian reached down and Huvos caught his arm and squeezed. For a moment, I thought the two warriors were sure to start fighting inside the camp.
The Zarvixian jerked his arm out of Huvo’s grip and stepped back. “I am merely a trader from Zarvis. Everything I transport is tied to the tarpui used to transport it. If you want transport, you must pay the price. We leave at high tide until then…” He spun around on his heel.
“Wait!” I pulled the bag out of the chest and pulled out the two crowns. I watched in earnest as the Zarvixian’s eyes widened.
“How did you come to be in the possession of such a treasure?”
“That isn’t important. I’ll pay for the transportation. You can have all the gems in the chest and the crowns, if you transport all of us safely without any stops to our destination.”
“Lady!” Huvos interjected.
I held up my hand. “I’ll pay the price for all of us.”
The Zarvixian pretended to think about it, but I knew he already had his sights on that crown.
“But…” I drawled.
“But?” the Zarvixian inquired.
“Our destination will change. If you want what’s in your hand, you must take us to Dretis.”
I was going back. My gut told me I had to.
“Deal,” the Zarvixian stated.
