They'd found more in that town than they'd ever be able to sell, so Aelle decided to sail south with as much wealth as he could fit in the ship. He wasted no time in organizing the voyage, leaving a few good men behind to guard his new hall, along with half of the men who had sworn to him. The other half of the newly-sworn, along with a good number of the men and women who had not, were shoved into the Maker's Fury and made to row. Lajaka took an oar herself, and after the first day, she was grateful for the extra hands. It meant she could rest her aching muscles.
One of the women captured had been a wise woman, and Lajaka was grateful that her home hadn't been reduced to ash the way some of the other were. She collected a number of medicines on the woman's behalf just before they left, and one in particular was passed out to all the women on the ship, secretly, with Lajaka's help. All she asked in return was to be able to keep some for her own use, and to give to Saria.
Lakaka didn't know what to make of the girl Aelle insisted on dragging around… and judging by how reluctant she appeared towards being on the ship at all, the dragging might have been literal. She was bruised up after taking a beating from Aelle for trying to escape, though it seemed he'd been kind enough to resist breaking her arm or something. Lajaka wanted none of his kindness, and had a mind to part ways with him as soon as she had her coin. Maybe she couldn't stop him or the rest of the men from hurting the women, but she wouldn't fight under that sort of man, either.
When she had a free moment, and could be sure no one would notice, she slipped a small packet to Saria. "Silphim," Lajaka said, keeping her voice low. "And a few other things. Assumin' you don't want Aelle's bastard, this… it ain't perfect, but this is what the other women are usin'. If you can, grind it up into a powder and swallow it down. If you can't, chew it a few minutes instead." Then Lajaka left her, not wanting to be seen spending too much time with Aelle's witch.
She knew the girl had been beaten trying to run, and Lajaka spent the next few days trying to come up with a plan. The girl had been a damn fool for just running off, and now it was going to be harder. Any trust Aelle had in her was gone, and Lajaka expected the girl would be watched like a hawk once they made port. The day they were due to arrive in Vilpamolan— a ridiculous name as far as Lajaka was concerned— she took a chance and sought Saria out.
"If you'ree thinkin' of tryin' to get away again, don't," Lajaka whispered. "You need Aelle to trust you. Stay put and wait for me."
Another storm caught them, and what should have been a short stay in Vilpamolan ended up being days longer so they could make repairs. Lajaka was in a mood when the women who hadn't been claimed were lead off the ship for the slave market. She hardly left the ship, save to find more herbs for herself and Saria. Then she saw them.
He came first, years younger than she'd left him, but it was Galin all the same. Next was a woman holding a man captive, and when Lajaka saw her face, it took everything she had not to run to her. It had been two months since she'd seen her mother, and while Lajaka had been away from home for longer than that before, this was different. He'd called her Alyson, that was off, but everything else was the same. When Aelle was looking for someone to join Leofric and another man Lajaka didn't know, she volunteered, and was heartbroken when Luthene didn't recognize her. She was even more heartbroken when, after the fight, they'd parted ways. There was no reason for Lajaka to follow them, however, and she knew they'd be able to talk more in Adeluna, but after searching all this time it hurt to watch her go.
That night, Lajaka got drunk and fucked Leofric until she couldn't walk straight. Come morning, however, she didn't feel any better.
The rest of their time in Vilpamolan past far slower than Lajaka liked, though when they boarded the ship again to leave, some of men men thought it wasn't near long enough. They'd be in Adeluna soon enough, though, and as she spent the day rowing, Lajaka thought about Saria's problem more. By the end of the day, she wasn't any closer to solving it. It all rested on getting Aelle to trust his witch enough to leave her unguarded, or for him to trust Lajaka enough to let her be the guard (and preferably the only guard) for long enough to get the girl gone. Trouble was, Lajaka would have to face Aelle's wrath. A beating she could handle; hell, she'd fight back. But what if Aelle got it in his head that she should take Saria's place? With her ma so close, Lajaka couldn't risk that.
At sunset, when someone came to relieve her at the oar, she decided to go looking for the witch, maybe catch her alone. She had to give her more herbs, anyway.
