Sasha tried to ignore the brambles scratching at her legs as she worked her way through the underbrush. The crow chittered overhead, oblivious to her discomfort as it flitted through the tree branches. The crow had told her the docks were not far off. Maybe a few hours' travel by road, though it had been nearly a half day of crawling through mud and prickle brushes to get there.

She'd insisted on leaving right away, even if by the crow's count they wouldn't be leaving until the next morning. It settled her nerves to know she was at least doing something, rather than sitting and waiting and feeling sorry for herself.

You are slightly more likely to be caught this way.

Sasha was often surprised at just how useless the animal's quips usually were, and this time that was more true than most. "I don't think any of the people that took him know who I am."

And you expect them to simply let you on their boat.

Sasha rolled her eyes and hacked yet another piece of greenery out of the way with her sword. Or whoever's sword she'd stolen, at any rate. Taking it had lessened the sting of having all her money and weapons taken from her before they'd chased her out of town. It wasn't a very nice sword—it was too heavy and ornate to be more than a nice decoration—but she didn't doubt the metal inlay on the handle was worth some money.

Does that make up for the boy

Sasha let a breath of air out her nose. The space in between her eyebrows tensed. "No."

She didn't think anything would make up for them having taken Rannok from her. She could have gone on forever pretending things were okay, that they were something that they weren't and that she mattered. But because of the stupid guards and that stupid woman with the shrill voice, she couldn't pretend anymore. 

Perhaps that would have happened anyway.

Sasha wondered what about the crow made it think she still wanted to talk to it. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and kept moving. "I'll find a way onto the boat." 

What about when you get to wherever they are going?

Sasha hadn't actually thought that far ahead. Rich people always needed servants though, didn't they? It wouldn't be too much trouble to just act like she was looking for work. She could knock on their door and ask. It wouldn't be too hard. She ignored the lump rising in her stomach.

You have been reading too many storybooks, the crow replied, flitting a little too close to her head as it projected the words into her head. Sasha swatted at it and peered through the branches lining the road. She could smell water and hear gulls crying. They couldn't possibly be that far. Her eyes traveled down to her breeches. There were holes in the calves where the brambles had grabbed them, and she didn't doubt her hair was a tousled mess. She looked like a beggar.

Perhaps they will take pity on you, the crow said. Sasha thought back to a story she had heard when she was very young. An old beggar had gone to a house to look for work and had cursed the residents when they said no. Sasha didn't have the ability to curse people. Her thoughts drifted idly toward the crow.

My kind lost the ability to grant curses long ago, it said. Sasha knew that already, but somehow she still couldn't bring herself to stifle the disappointment. Of course they had. Sasha's head turned as the sound of lapping water grew louder. They must be getting close to the shoreline.

"Go out and see who's out there," she said to the crow, careful not to get so close to the treeline that anyone traveling down the road might see her. She had no way of knowing how far away these docks were or even if they were in the right place, and the lack of voices in the midst of the river sounds made her worry.

I am not a pet. I do not take orders. The crow glided down and came to rest on a branch a few feet away. It fluffed its feathers out, then shook them until they all laid flat. Sasha sighed loudly, though it came out as more of a groan than anything else.

"Please," she said, eyeing the creature. She would have given anything for a more useful ally. The crow seemed to want to do everything in its power to make her life more difficult.

Very well. It left the branch and took off into the skies. Sasha leaned her back against a nearby tree branch and wrung her hands together. She had no idea how this was going to work, if it worked at all, and the thought of getting found out threw an uneasy knot in her stomach. 

Sasha had only just sat down when the crow reappeared in a flurry of wingbeats and feathers. Sasha's heart dropped as it flew down from the treetops and began tugging at her shirt.

"What's wrong?"

Come quickly!

There was not time to worry about being caught or about someone else seeing her appear from between the trees. Sasha dashed onto the road. Ahead of her it widened from a thin dirt path to a wide swath of gravel. Several docks perched themselves against the waterline, the edges of the water ringed with stone.

In the distance there was a boat growing smaller and smaller against the horizon. Sasha's palms began to sweat. "No. You said they weren't leaving until tomorrow!"

I thought I was correct. For once the crow sounded despondent. Scared, even, like it had made a mistake it couldn't fathom how to rectify. Its black and white body crossed into Sasha's blurring vision as it landed on the edge of one of the docks. Her vision was tunneling again. She couldn't see. She couldn't hear except for the rushing of blood in her ears. Her feet carried her until she was on the end of the docks, peering out over the water, as if doing so would cause the boat to come back somehow.

"What do I do now?" she asked, her voice small and unsure. She doubted even the crow had an answer. It fluffed its feathers and pecked gently at her ankle.

"Can you find out where they're going?" Sasha held onto the railing to steady herself. She knew the answer. If it thought there was a chance it would have left already. It would have already been on that boat. But she had to ask anyway. She had to hear the answer for herself.

I may not make it back. The winds over the water are too strong. 

Sasha gripped the posts until her knuckles hurt. "Please. You have to try. I have to follow him."

I may die.

Sasha gritted her teeth and kept her eyes on the boat. "I don't care. You find out where he's going."

The words sounded colder than she'd expected coming out of her mouth, but that bothered her less than she thought it should. It didn't matter. She was going to get him back. She wasn't going to give up on him that easily.