Laying back on her bedroll and looking up at the night sky Shadow could hear the distant crash of waves on cliffs. A full moon lit up the vast sea as the dhow continued to skim the waters while Kalai quietly steered them farther South. There was no trouble seeing tonight so Qufai had opted to not bring the ship up to the coast for the night and drop anchor till dawn.

Staring at the mesmerizing lights above it only now occurred to her that since coming back to the surface not once had she made any attempt to look UP. A blue sky was boring by comparison to the multi-hued cavern ceilings but the stars tonight with a full moon lighting up the world around her was entrancing.

They had been assured that sometime in the morning the distant city of Obiad would come into view only requiring a few more hours of good sailing to reach the mouth of the river then begin to sail up it. When asked about sailing up a river against the current Qufai told her that the winds here flowed Southwest along the coast then bent South up the river making it possible to travel without rowing.

Qufai had however given her that toothy grin of hers and remarked that if they were not moving fast enough they could break out the oars and Shadow was more than welcome to join them. It had been a joke but the way it was said meant there was truth to what she had said.

Rolling onto her side and staring out towards the coast she watched as they slowly passed a distant village. While they were still well out in the waters the ship was still very much hugging the coast making her a little worried if one false turn would send them slamming into the cliffs. Then again considering the age of the ship... This crew was highly experienced at sailing and knew what they were doing even if Yajfa was a little slow.

He was a nice stallion. Very quiet. Like his sisters he was tall and scrawny with arms that did not match the body with their heavily corded and bulging muscles. On the other hand the few times any of them had talked to him it was short and to the point. The one time he had spoken his speech was slow but carried no hint of him being an idiot by any stretch.

What a strange crew they were, all family members working the same boat up and down the coast and rivers doing what she did not know. Today it was passengers, what would it be after they left? Shadow tugged her thin blanket over her body a little more as the dhow hit a rough spot sending a small spray of water into the air that tingled on her exposed fur.

Looking back at Kalai for a moment the mare's eyes turned to her for a moment going a little large for a moment before calming down and smiling to her before looking back out to sea guiding the ship onward. It was then she remembered her eyes had a glow to them in the dark and it was probably that which gave her away and startled Kalai a bit. Pulling the sheets tighter while shutting her eyes and willing herself back to sleep Shadow's mind drifted off as sleep overtook her.

Most of the rocking and rising of the ship had died off in the early hours as the sun began to rise again calming the waters some. Valkardian had gotten up with Qufai unable to sleep himself which was rather odd. It was not like that damned sleep invading pony could touch him especially beyond the borders of Equestria despite her high and mighty claims at being a princess of dreams.

Joining Qufai at the stern he sat down and allowed his hooves to dangle off the little rise and watched the coast slip past. Finding a crew so fast had been easy as Betu through his own means had arranged a very fast ship to be made available without tipping anyone off. In fact it was a little too easy as Qufai had approached him outright upon arrival to the docks.

Betu had given someone a description who in turn gave it to someone else and as it went down the pecking order it found its way into her hands. He had also not offered to pay even one cent for the voyage as Qufai had been quite innocent in her stating she had only been told he was looking or a very fast ship to get him down the coast. No details had been given but they were not needed, she had a ship and he had the coin.

Valkardian mused on how Betu's "kindness" only went so far. One more of the priests little reminders that he was most unwelcome but not forbidden either. Compared to his ancient predecessor he was a massive step up and in the right direction should events pan out as they should.

Qufai leaned forward a little resting her arms on the long wooden pole that controlled the rudder before looking over at Valkardian.

"Why all the way to Tatsu? There is nothing out there to see. I know. We were born there."

"Figured why not. We are here on vacation so may why not go as far as we can and see more than just the perfect cities with their perfect streets. To see a place and get to know it one must be willing to take it all in not just the best parts."

She nodded a little and shrugged. "Your coin not mine, we are happy to take you there and back again as agreed."

Shadow began to stir before sitting up and looking around rubbing an eye. "How much longer?"

"Feeling a little seasick?" Qufai grinned.

"No. I want to see the city from a distance first."

"When we pass by that cluster of rocks far ahead you might be able to see the city."

Shadow slowly rose up and moved to the front of the ship to look at the distant pile of rocks sticking from the sea. Most of the coast had leveled out that night and was now dropping rapidly in elevation revealing more beaches and distant orchards. Shuffling back again to sit below Valkardian and pulling out her bag from under the protection of the overhang she rooted around before retrieving her journal.

"Will we be stopping anywhere along the way?" Turning her gaze up at Valkardian he glanced down a moment before staring off into the distance again.

"Two or three. The first short stop will be the city, we will remain on the boat while Qufai drops off a few things, refill the water supply and we will be off again. The river may be freshwater but it is too dirty to drink from."

Qufai called out to Yajfa to fix something for a moment before turning to Shadow.

"Mail. We took on a bag of it and other things before setting sail since we had the extra cargo space. Passengers take up very little."

"So your a mailmare?"

"A what?"

"You deliver mail. That's what you do with your ship?"

"HAH! No. We move small cargo around, usually pricier bits and pieces here and there. Someone always needs a fast ship to make deliveries up and down the coast. Sometimes we fish though."

Valkardian turned his head a little. "A crew of many talents then."

She seemed to like the little comment but quickly called out for the sail to be raised again as a breeze began to pick up.

When the wind finally picked up enough to catch the sail they had neared the rocky outcropping. Shadow was again at the front looking out waiting on any sight of the city while Kalai brought around bowls of food and now day old bread that was getting a little stale and... Hard. Prying a piece loose and chewing on it along with some cheese she kept watch as the ship slowly sped up.

It had been a little while but soon a small ship in the distance could be seen heading their way. Or were they going to them? Everything seemed to work so strangely out on the waters and judging distance was impossible without looking at the distant coast first and comparing the two. Soon the tops of distant walls could be seen their towers poking up into the sky but from this distance they seemed so small she could obscure them with a finger.

Few ships could be seen at first but as the hour wore on more appeared moving slowly out into the sea of all sizes and shapes. The "little" ship she had seen earlier was now closer and getting bigger all the time. When another half hour had passed the city was looming high in the distance while the ship loomed over them as it slid past at a distance.

Two massive eyes were painted high on the brow as rows of oars dipped low driving it onward up the coast. Ballista and catapults lined the high decks while archers kept watch. One watched them quietly as they slipped past them but what had made her scratch furiously at her journal was the huge ram projecting from the front of the vessel. It blasted through the water just below the surface its golden glittering surface showing some signs of tarnish from the saltwater.

"Guild navy. Warship. Rams enemy ship to sink it or they come along side and throw planks then board." Qufai had been watching her draw the whole time.

"When was the last time the navy fought?"

It took a moment before Qufai could answer and it was a slow one. "MMmmmm... Five... Six years ago now? More?"

"What happened?"

"Pirate fleet from far north came down and began to raid ships. Navy sent a small fleet to deal with them and the pirates mistook the naval ships for a group of large cargo ships."

Valkardian turned his head away from the passing warship. "I bet that went brilliantly for them."

Letting out a cackle while keeping their ships far apart Qufai turned back to the front.

"Navy captured all the ships very quickly. Turned them south, sold them for profit and took the pirate crew and some of the rowers for slaves to row their own ships."

"Slaves?"

"Yes. Fitting for the pirate bastards. Their loot and steal now they must row the ships that captured them."

"Are all the ships rowed by slaves?"

"No. Many are paid to work on the ships. Very bad pay. But, they have a "home" and food. Others are criminals sent to row till they pay off their debt."

"You know a lot about ships and how they work... Makes sense though."

"My uncle is a mercenary on one of those ships."

Ah. That made a lot of sense. Shadow faced off towards the city starting a new sketch as more and more boats and ships left the harbor while others went in. Even from a distance there was a method to the madness but the massive lighthouse towering over the harbor held the most attention.

Soaring up well over the height of the walls and even the temple its polished white surface reflected the suns rays in with a blinding brilliance. Even without a fire burning this building could be seen over vast distances during the day with its tall, sharp angular bronze cap. She wondered what the world must look like from so high up.

Qufai steered them carefully through the teeming mass of vessels and into the harbor itself. Tall walls of stone guarded it on both flanks with towers and parapets showing signs here and there of ballista or the occasional catapult all covered in heavy tarps.

Inside the sheltered harbor the sail was left up for a short time pushing them towards a far side where smaller vessels could dock. Everything was divided up in sections, one for small vessels another for medium to large cargo ships. The farthest side however held a row of warships and even a shipwright where one was being repaired. A second shipwright was stuck in the dead center of it all where many smaller and larger ships were swarmed over by laborers doing repairs or what fascinated her the most: construction.

From this distance though it was not possible to make out a great number of details unfortunately. Yajfa brought the sail down finally at Qufai's order and the oars came out. They moved at a crawl till they were within throwing distance of a dockworker who waited on them, Kalai threw out a rope and he brought it to a large knob and wrapped it around and kept tightening as they got closer.

Yajfa was the first to act after they had stopped rowing grabbing the boarding plank and tossing it over the ships side so they could come and go. Qufai walked off the ship and talked to the dockworker for a minute before returning while the other left quickly calling out to somepony else.

It went quickly and smoothly as a large bag was hoisted out and signed for by a zebra who handed off a couple of silver and gold coins to Qufai before leaving with it. Others brought up a cart bearing water barrels and after a quick top off payments were made to both the water haulers and finally the dockworker who took a single bronze coin before undoing the ropes while Kalai brought the plank back on-board.

Qufai and Yajfa used oars to push the ship away from the dock before rowing while Kalai steered. All of them took turns at the various jobs, Qufai was captain but not too proud or arrogant to row her own ship. Making their way back out Shadow turned and noticed Valkardian had not once moved from his spot.

"We will be coming back here. Right?"

"Oh yes. First the artifact then we are on vacation again."

With the magic translating everything including her own words it was strange to hear him speak Krethe again as the magic tried to force translations. His hands began to move a little and they began to speed up a little. Jerking her head back Qufai gave Valkardian a quizzical stare.

"A little magic to save you all the rowing."

The two shrugged and gave up rowing as they slipped free from the harbor, he seemed a little eager to get under way again and not waste any time. They received a few strange stares as they glided out without the need for rowing or wind but after a short distance where the wind could be caught again they stopped moving.

Again raising the sail they moved around the city and to the mouth of the vast, wide river. What had been obscured by the city was dense banks covered in tall reeds that grew right down into the water line. The only elevation visible was either the city up on the banks of the only high ground or far off in the hazy distance.

A powerful wind shot them up the mouth of the river and past more boats that ferried passengers to and from the city, a small town lay on the far banks opposite and teemed with industry and large brightly colored bundles stretched out in rows resting on a system of poles.

Kalai followed her gaze. "Dye works. Smells awful so they make it out here not in the city. Wait until we are farther down then you will smell it."

She had been right too, approaching the smell had been hidden but now that they passed them it was horrible. The odor clung to everything making her gag and pull more cloth over her muzzle. Everypony else seems oblivious to the smell or at least ignoring it as best they could.

As the day wore on Shadow had collected a vast array of sketches showcasing the strange little reed boats that wove their way up down or across the river. Stranger still were the larger ones made of wood that had tall rises on both ends. These river craft were very odd but their speed was remarkable as the larger ones sped rapidly towards the sea being rowed or in the case of one, followed them by sail but slowly lost ground.

Shadow did not see any military ships on the river all day long but many reed craft built for two passengers and no more. Cargo moved mostly down the river but was sparse this apparently being the in-between part of the year for harvest. It would be another two months at least then the river would be clogged with barges and cargo ships eager to haul away the crops according to Qufai.

When the sun had dipped low on the horizon the dhow was piloted towards the shoreline along a part not covered in crops. It was one of the few areas that had a little elevation to it and a small cluster of shaggy looking trees.

When the bottom of the boat ground on the mud and slowly came to a halt Kalai tossed an anchor up on the shore while Yajfa prepared the plank for them. Qufai was the first off the boat and up the shore disappearing into the cluster of trees without a word. Valkardian walked down the plank and into the trees while the other two grabbed pots and pans along with various cooking implements onto the grassy knoll.

Looking up and down the river Shadow could see a few of the other rare ships doing the same as little fires began to pop up in the growing darkness. Qufai and Valkardian returned not long after Kalai had set up a cooking area with plenty of tinder and a little wood. Yajfa was busy setting up a large open air tent of sorts.

Fire burning and dinner bubbling away in small pots Valkardian was busy with Kalai preparing some fish they had caught along the way. Qufai on the other hand sat at the fire stirring and tasting the contents and tossing in small pinches of various herbs and spices.

"How much longer till we reach Tutsa?"

"At least two days. Probably three." Qufai took another taste of one pot seeming satisfied with its contents then slapped a lid on it.

"Is everything around here two or three days away?"

"By boat yes but the river keeps going far beyond Tutsa which is on the border of Kifa. You can follow the river for five more days before it branches off. I would not suggest it though."

"Why?"

"Very dangerous. The Sultan of Kufai is seeking to please some foreign power and has begun to make many changes that are upsetting the people."

"What kind of changes?"

Qufai only shrugged, everything was mostly rumor and the only real information was passed by merchants who traveled that far. She did not however instead preferring to stay along the coast.

They all ate in silence listening to the quiet lapping of the river on the Bariq's hull. Two more days then there would be a bloody contest to see who would keep the artifact.

Dawn came with it several large, long legged birds that flocked to where last nights scraps had been tossed. Smaller birds joined in as well fighting over the bits and pieces as they loaded the ship back up and got under way. As life returned to the river and the surrounding landscape marked by the occasional farming village Shadow wondered if the mental link with Valkardian was still there.

He had made it a point the few times they talked to avoid any further mention of why they were really traveling to Tatsu first even changing languages to prevent the crew from listening in. Trust no one. Focusing her mind and seeking out the connection hidden in the back of her mind she drew on it and called out.

Valkardian's eye twitched along with one ear before his gaze shifted over to her waiting.

"How exactly did the bandits get the artifact anyway? Wasn't it hidden?" Shadow focused and pushed her thoughts towards him through the link.

"Yes. Three parts were taken away after the battle, one by the military who put it in a great heavy box and sank it far out at sea. Another to the priests who buried it deep in the sands in a secret chamber and the last I took and hid away."

Hearing his thoughts in her head was always a little unsettling but he has also dodged the most important part of the question.

"How did they find it?"

"Dumb luck? In time the sands move and possibly part of the chamber became exposed, someone found it and broke it open thus retrieving the artifact. None of that really matters. What is important is that I get it first and hide it again."

Everything fell silent again as the ship sailed on bending and weaving around the river. Looking back at Qufai as she stared out bored Shadow asked why they wove back and forth. The rivers current would drive them back down to the coast was the response so they had to stay clear of it but on the return trip stay IN the current.

A day had since passed with the only sight being two small cities along the way. Something that had made her jump a little was when Kalai pointed out a very large reptile called a crocodile. Good for making expensive leather items but also incredibly dangerous to harvest. What amazed her was that some even bred the things for harvest along the river banks in area's less populated.

What worried her more was the way Valkardian eyed them as they passed close to the shore on one slight bend lined with them. It was a hungry look and it was very disturbing. Things came to a head when he asked if any of them had ever eaten one and Qufai and her family had laughed thinking he was joking. His deadly serious look though quieted them before Kalai said he was insane.

Valkardian just smiled sweetly at her making Kalai bristle, the other two just shook their heads.

Well into the day Yajfa became bothered by something in the distance and called Qufai forward. Moving forward quickly she joined her brother in a hushed conversation and lots of pointing before he hurried back and began to drag out a long bundle hidden away.

"Smoke. Small ship is floating towards us and may be on fire. Cant tell yet."

Valkardian stood and joined her in looking and began to toss off excess layers of clothing. Shadow did the same as Qufai yanked her robe off and retreated to the back of the ship with Yajfa. Shadow immediately stood and did the same joining the two as they unwrapped quivers and strung bows.

"Whats wrong? Shouldn't we help them if the ship is on fire?"

"Ship is smoking but not on fire. Also no one on ship that we can see. Dockworker warned us before leaving that rumors were spreading of bandits along this part of the river. Forces were sent but still be cautious."

Kalai continued to steer their ship away from the oncoming boat but it slowly matched them driving them towards the shore. Qufai was quick to change places with her sister suddenly changing course drastically driving them straight at the other ship and to the right away from the shore.

Watching Shadow's eyes caught sight of a head popping up for a moment before ducking back down as an army turned the rudder towards them. Valkardian on the other hand just stood quietly leaning on his staff with no expression. The logic of raiding their tiny ship escaped her but the lack of other ships anywhere in sight meant they had probably picked now because there was no help in sight along this stretch.

"Fight or run?!" All heads turned to Shadow for a moment before Qufai answered.

"Run if we can stay away from them. They would not challenge us unless they have numbers. If they grapple we fight, dont stay here, cross to their ship and fight, they wont expect us to attack them first."

"What if there are too many?"

"There already are."

Qufai passed out equipment and Kalai tugged on heavy leather armor with metal stud. Shields were passed around but Valkardian and Shadow were out of luck, they only carried enough for themselves.

Long hooked poles extended from the oncoming boat as figures rose up. Both ships were coming dangerously close and the larger one acted like the pilot intended to just run them over rather than attack. Qufai began cussing and swearing loudly at the sight of the poles and drew back her bow and fired hitting one of them in the arm causing the pole to fall into the water.

It was too late for much more than a lucky shot as a few raised wicker shields and hunkered back down. Qufai turned to Valkardian and asked if he would do something since he could use magic the retort being that if he set them ablaze they too would burn. Shadow knew this was a bold faced lie, there were a million things he could do to them, tugging on the connection she asked what his plan was.

"To fight and take their ship the old fashioned way. Using any large amount of magic like say... Blowing their ship to kindling would raise more questions than I care to answer. Even poking a hole in their ship and making it sink or veer away would not solve anything as we are coming back this way later. I intend for our return trip to remain unmolested so I am going to kill them all." There was a long pause before he turned to face her. "Or are you now scared of a few poorly trained bandits?"

Bastard.

Shadow drew her sword free and took shelter behind the mast as a very poorly aimed spear passed overhead splashing into the water well behind them. Meanwhile the zebra family was busy firing away at the ones holding the hooks and had managed to wound one but the bandit was immediately replaced.

At least thirteen were on the ship one steering so the ratio was not terribly unbalanced. This might be a good chance to prove she was not scared of a fight. When the two ships had almost ground their hulls together the two mares carrying the long hooks snagged the ropes and leaned back hard while a few others hurtled grappling hooks over and yanked them tight.

One ship tried to drift south the other trying to sail north made the two ships creak and groan as they slowly began to spin in the river. Tossing their bows away Qufai, Kalai and Yajfa wasted no time in immediately rushing forward and attacking the closest bandit dropping one of them immediately.

Mayhem broke loose as bandits made the short hop onto Bariq as Shadow lurched into action parrying a clumsy attack by one attacker before skewering him with a dagger to the stomach. From the corner of her eye she watched Valkardian use his staff to cleave a bandit's arm off with the still innocently looking piece of wood.

Everything was going very well as they quickly pushed onto the other ship the bandits falling back quickly by the sudden onrush of bodies. Qufai was a murderous blur with a sabre in one hand, dagger in the other while her two siblings battered them back. Yajfa was throwing his strength around plowing through shield and bandit alike wielding a spear that cracked skulls and broke bones on impact before skewering them.

To her right Valkardian had climbed on board the ship a grin on his face as he impaled bandits with this staff before flicking them out into the water as if they were weightless. One had shown some intelligence and tried to step behind him but had been zapped so hard his chest opened up felling him over the side of the boat.

Shadow had brought down three so far the latest had brought up a laughable excuse of a shield to protect herself and wondering what her sword could really do made a slicing motion and found the sword cut through her opponents shield and arm like a knife through warm butter.

Seeing another pony missing part of her arm and screaming made her hesitate for a moment but shuffling forward finished the bandit off with a quick thrust to the chest. Marveling at her sword Shadow drew the kopesh figuring this would be better than never at seeing how it felt and wielded.

A proud smile adorned her face as she stalked forward at her two new opponents who looking around at the carnage unfolding on the ship and stepped back a moment thinking before exchanging glances and fanned out to flank her.

Diving hard to the right Shadow's kopesh caught the first bandit unprepared and slamming her body forward while deflecting their weapon collided with their body sending them backwards and onto their back. Quickly moving away and towards the other who closed in parrying the spear to one side the kopesh swung into their unprotected side and sunk deep before a rib stopped it.

Jerking it free the bandit gurgled up blood and fell away while their partner scrambled to their hooves and swung at her legs. Flapping her wings and rising above the blow she landed a short distance away and surged forwards again as the other scrambled to get away. They failed. Pounding their body into the mast and driving both swords into their back she had to yank hard to free from the mast having pinned their body to the mast.

It had only been a few brief bloody minutes but the battle was already over. Kalai had been cut on the leg earlier which had resulted in a pained grunt bringing down the wrath of her sister who beheaded the offender almost immediately. Yajfa had just finished skewering his last opponent who had tried to dive over the side before pushing the body over the side.

Valkardian meanwhile had a mare by the throat asking questions in a calm soothing voice. Panic stricken she did her best to answer but not to any kind of satisfaction as he soon sent a violent jolt of electricity through his arm electrocuting her to death before absentmindedly flicking the body away like an old rag-doll.

Looking at his victims bodies it was clear his staff was something else entirely disguised to look harmless to the passing eye. Hacked off limbs and excessive goring marked his fallen enemies bodies. One was missing a head.

Qufai bandaged her sisters leg quickly before they took their time to examine the damage done. There were no survivors. Not one of them questioned Valkardian's choice of interrogation then execution of the final bandit instead content to start looting the bodies. Looking at her own kill's Shadow walked around and began to pick their pockets and pull away some pouches.

Behind her Qufai joked that her brother should not have tossed the last one overboard as the bandits had so little on them they would be lucky to get much out of this. A few chuckles were exchanged as they soon turned their attention to what little cargo was on-board. Shadow had a feeling that Qufai and her siblings had not always shared a simple life of sailing and her remark of having an uncle who was a mercenary came back to mind.

Yajfa opened up some containers and shook his head before wandering over to her and asking if she had found anything worth while. Shaking her head Shadow held up the few coins gleaned from the bodies before going back to searching her last victim. Passing her he checked on Valkardian who was watching the shoreline carefully before turning away.

"If there are any more of them they are hiding after what we just did."

Laughing Yajfa rejoined his sisters as they began to loot the few barrels and pots of their contents. Valkardian examined the bodies slowly and hardly picked over them before deciding they had nothing worth his time and motioned that she was free to have at them.

Two years ago the sight of decapitated and brutally mauled bodies would have made her vomit and run screaming but now as she stepped in the gore while covered in pony blood it seemed insulting.

There really was not much worth taking from the boat, what little they found of value was gathered and taken back over to Bariq and with anchors dropped holding the two ships safely in place they laid out their bounty.

Qufai's little group had killed half and had little to show for it but then again they could not brag either. Valkardian had done almost all the killing and all he had really gained was that they had seized the ship a day ago in the same place they were attacked. What little cargo the ship had been carrying was unloaded and taken away already and what had been left was enough to feed them till the next attack.

It was not all bad though, the old crew had put up a hell of a fight killing the vast majority of the bandits, their bodies had been dumped on the shore and covered farther up the bank. With this little revelation came the location of a small cache left behind in a bunch of reeds. The mare had tried to bargain with him but failed horribly and paid the price. Shadow felt lucky to have succeeded so long ago with her own negotiations.

Qufai went back aboard the other ship after divvying out the supplies captured between the two parties and began to walk the length of the ship over and over again examining it. Kalai had washed and re-bandaged her wound after applying a balm and was undoing the hooks and other objects that held the two ships together leaving only one that was not at risk of damaging the Bariq.

Crossing back over Qufai kept looking back and forth between the ships before settling her gaze on Valkardian.

"Not a bad ship, not as good as mine but worth something still... Not enough of us to crew both and sail it to the next town but you... You have magic and can make the ship move on its own... We tie the other ship to mine and tow it, you use magic to make it follow us then sell it. Yes?"

"Maybe. What percentage do we get?"

"Half. There is so little of value here only the ship is worth anything. We are not greedy, you fought and killed half so you get half."

He mulled it over a moment before nodding. Qufai broke out in a smile and they began to quickly gather ropes from the other ship and tie them to her own. Magic brought the anchor up on the larger ship and it slowly began to drift away. A series of motions made it stop and draw closer before stopping.

"Good. Now lets get ashore and find the cache!"

Lifting the anchor an eagerness filled them as Qufai brought her ship close to shore before dropping anchor again and jumping into the shallow water waded ashore weapons drawn. Valkardian tapped Shadow and then stepped out walking over the water while Yajfa jumped in and waded across. Kalai stayed behind to keep an eye out just in case but also because of her wound.

Walking on water was an interesting feeling as her hooves tapped down one at a time. Had she dove in the water would have been well above her waist. Seeing the water moving below gave her a little motion sickness and looking up she walked in a straight line quickly to the shore and joined the others. Yajfa was impressed by the simple spell and Qufai asked if he could do it again to make loading anything they found easier.

Finding the cache was very easy as the bandits had made no attempt what so ever to hide their tracks in either the mud or sandy soil of the reed patch. A slew of "ant trails" all led into the same spot pounded by a small throng of hooves. Valkardian wanted them to wait in case they left some "surprises" behind and took the lead for a minute carefully checking a path with the butt of his "staff."

Several barrels, bags, a few sacks and some amphora were all that waited for them. Indeed they had hauled almost everything away but left plenty of food and wine behind along with a few personal possessions.

Getting it all back on-board was trivial after casting his spell on all of them again. Kalai was the happiest with their newfound loot going through everything quickly and examining the food and setting plenty aside. Tonight they would dine very well.

Bags were checked and most contained lice infested dirty cloths that were tossed over the side immediately towards the shore. A couple more coins was their only reward for all the searching and opting for caution Qufai had them throw all the bags away just in case and began pulling the anchor up.

Not far from their current location was one last little town that had a dock. Qufai informed them they could make it in a few hours and spend the night hocking the ship and with any luck see if the local garrison would cough up a bounty for the bandits. Cutting an ear off the bodies still on her ship before dumping them over the side they set off with the other ship in tow following close behind.

The small town of Amanei had one single long dock jutting out into the water and a tall stone tower in the middle flying a lone blue flag. Its skinniness was a stark contrast to other towers she had seen and as they approached a villager wandered down the dock with two guards in tow.

Now that she looked around the town was bristling with soldiers keeping watch behind barricades. Drawing up to the docks while Valkardian guided their newest acquisition onto the other side before magically severing the ropes and retying them to the posts the villager and guards stepped forward.

Their immediate reaction was to take one look at the contents of the other ship and one soldier was off immediately shouting while the villager retched into the water. "Not long ago that was me" she thought as the other soldier and Qufai exchanged heated words before things calmed down.

More soldiers came running with what looked like an officer trailing behind. A young Arabian mare dressed in a bronze breastplate with red plumed helmet walked to the other ship first and looked in before shutting her eyes and looking away. Staring at them quietly she went from face to face before settling on Valkardian who just gave her a big grin that made her look away quickly.

"Okay... What happened to the Uras and its crew?" The officer eyed Qufai carefully while soldiers boarded the other ship.

"Bandits. They tried to seize my ship on the way up but we got the better of them. That one with the evil smile made one of them talk and we know where the bodies are buried down the river."

Looking around a minute before looking back the mare tilted her head slightly.

"And... Where is this prisoner?"

Qufai smiled and drew a finger over her throat. Letting out a sigh the officer called back to see what the others had found. Just dead, mangled bodies.

"Pile them and burn them. I suppose you are looking for a bounty since you are holding ears..."

"Yes." Qufai offered them up and another soldier took them.

"How many?"

"We killed fifteen total."

"I can only pay you for the proof you have present."

Qufai shrugged and offered to sell the boat. Since it was a guild ship from the markings it was out of the officers hand's but if they took it up with the local guild office they would probably pay something for getting it back. Looking back to the bodies and then at their armaments she stopped and stared at Valkardian.

"How many did that one kill?"

"Around half."

"Must be a very mean stick."

She stepped off the boat for a moment and fished out several coins and tossed them to Qufai who thanked her before asking where they were headed.

"Tatsu."

"Ah. Be careful up that way. A small army of bandits is gathering but between the soldiers and mercenaries the village is safe. Are you from there?"

"Yes. Our home village."

Looking them over again the officer settled on Qufai.

"Makes sense now."

Corpses were hauled off the other ship and body parts carried off to a pile up on the bank as Qufai motioned for them to go. Leaving the Bariq behind they went into the little village and found the local guild office. Angry haggling and shouting lasted for a little bit and when Qufai returned she held up a large pouch with a smile. Apparently the guild had decided to pay off the ships ransom rather than risk the crazed zebra burning it on the spot.

"Now we enjoy the spoils of victory. Yajfa go find a villager or two to cook for us then meet us on the river bank."

Handing off a few coins they left and she counted out the pouches contents and divided it up between them. It was handsome little pile of gold and silver but pennies compared to what they already had but something else made her curious.

"What did that officer mean when you told her about being from Tatsu?"

"Most of us are or were mercenaries. Being on the border of two nations we took well to fighting on the sand or on boats. We were mercenaries ourselves once but got tired of it and after making enough purchased the Bariq and have been living quietly since."

"Something bad happen?"

"No. Just boring. Tedious. We talked and decided a regimented and heavily disciplined life was not for us. Very good at it but not for us."

Yajfa returned with two villagers in tow carrying pots and pans not long after as well as a basket of burning material. Among the many things brought back was fresh bread which they tied into immediately, their own supply had run out but not before it had gone stale and rock hard. Kalai showed their temporary cooks to the ship and what to bring and before long fires were burning and pots simmering filling the air with a delightful aroma.

"You took to looting the bodies rather well joining in yourself rather quickly."

Shadow turned her head quickly to where Valkardian sat an arms length away. He was right of course. As soon as she had seen the others start to loot the bodies she had joined in as if it were perfectly normal. Natural. Nor did it disturb her now that she thought about it. In fact if it happened again she would do it all over again.

"I dont know. It just seemed normal. Natural."

"Well dont tell that to a pony back in Equestria or they will lock you up and have your head felt."

An amphora was finally set up after a little effort so it would not fall over and one of their cook's popped it open ladling its contents out. Soon cups of wine were passed around and Valkardian began sipping his own.

He waited until Shadow had just begun to sip her own before speaking.

"I take it from those happy little sounds you were making you enjoyed slaughtering them."

Coughing and sputtering heads turned to watch her little spectacle before he waved them off smiling at her.

"Now were even."

Author's Notes:

I discovered the wonders of the horizontal rule.