Asha flexed her tired arms and legs for a moment, the work for today had finally ended thus allowing everyone to return home for the night. Sibi joined her on the way back tonight with her colt Mabi tied up to her back for security, the two zebras walked along partially in silence as exhaustion gripped their bodies and minds.

It was not unusual to end the day by going to the river to bathe and wash away the sweat, dust and grime of a days work before going home to make dinner. Water would be drawn from the various wells as the river was not clean enough and brush would already be piled up near the entrance, courtesy of the firewood gatherers.

At least that used to be the normal ritual. With the return of the caravan and two new residents things were positively buzzing now even if the two said nothing. Sibi had probed her relentlessly every single day from the moment she got back for every last bit of information she could possibly get.

"So when we build this canal?"

"Verik not say."

"You not ask?"

"Yes! He say it take time to plan, have to mark area and path for canal, find proper depth, width... Many other things including doors to stop water."

"Doors to stop water?"

"He call them flood gates I think, describe as big doors with tight seal."

"How we make all that? We barely have enough tools to work field!"

"Verik think of something, I hope. If not I know Tendaji say deal off and tell him to leave."

Sibi studied Asha's face a moment before prodding her in the side. "That bad thing yes?" The result was a glare, not of anger but a mixture of worry and concern being brought to the surface that she would have rather kept buried.

Sibi watched her a moment before changing the subject as they neared the river and began chatting away about random little things. The grape vine never ended but eventually things came back to familiar names.

"Hani's brother complain Verik threw dirt in face during fight to try and win, everyone worried he try to eat someone after biting last time."

"Ask him then."

"He your husband."

"He is not! We live in same hut!"

"Everyone say he is. True anyway, way you look at him and he you. Still predator but sooner or later..."

"Verik predator but not mean... Mean towards enemy but not mean towards us, he not hurt us. Even swear to protect."

"Expert now hmm?" Asha's face flashed irritation making Sibi smirk as they stopped at the riverbank. Seeing as her new hut-mate refused to bathe in the presence of others they had very rapidly become accustomed to bathing farther off from the others. As always Asha trailed along to stay nearby as was the custom, the more eyes the better.

Not that he ever shared this sentiment, in fact he argued that if they were so worried about being attacked while bathing to post sentries and rotate them. Verik did not chase them off though, he gave up after the first few attempts as the ensuing conversations had led neither side anywhere.

Mabi was unstrapped with some help and left on the shore with another tag along to keep watch while his mother and her friend bathed. Asha nearly choked when Sibi suddenly quirked both an eye and ear then asked where exactly was Verik today?

"He foraging... Be back in a few days. Took Altayih with him."

"He foraging food? He finally fix hut? You say he promised."

"Only been short time! Not enough days to fix everything, maybe he bring back grass for roof though... Be nice to not have leaky roof when rain come."

"At least he make promise. My husband just say "maybe" then never do it."

Asha perked her ears up remembering something he had said the day before leaving, they would need reeds for some of the repairs. At least that is what one of the villagers had told him when he asked about how to fix the roofs hut. Tying things down with reeds would help and Verik then came up with the idea of adding a woven mat under that to act as an extra screen.

It was like he was expecting the deluge which was actually partially correct. Well, far as she cared, so long as it worked. Then again they needed the reeds for making more baskets to store things in assuming Altayih and Verik actually found forage. Remembering his plan made her shiver a bit, the idea of crossing the river onto the lands of a semi-hostile tribe to steal food was not only insane but dangerous. The deadly kind of dangerous.

Yet somehow she knew he would pull it off and things would work out in the end. Somehow. At least she kept praying that it would every single night not that she had ever stopped praying fervently. Zuberi had always brushed off those who prayed but Asha knew it never hurt to ask for a little extra help and when one considered her past it was especially true.

"Ready to go or you just stare into distance?"

Asha came out of her distant stare to look at Sibi who was waving a hand in front of her face. Telling her she needed to gather some reeds first Sibi offered to help gather them. Mabi had already been given a quick bath and after leaving him to sit on the blanket the two waded into the mud to collect reeds.

It meant washing their legs off again but oh well.

"Where you going?"

Turning to see who Sibi was talking too she watched her friend leave the water with a collection of reeds. Leaving them in a pile Sibi walked after her infant son and scooped him up then returned him to the blanket. Mabi refused to stay, he kept wandering off again and again no matter how many times she put him back.

Giving up Sibi looked at Asha and shrugged before just following behind him to see where he would go. Crawling took time so Sibi went back to gathering reeds in between watching Mabi, they both just assumed he was either bored or crawling after something that held his short attention span.

It turned out to be a very long attention span.

"Okay, we go now. I get Mabi."

Sibi walked over to collect him and after picking him up glanced to where Mabi kept staring and grasping at. No colorful bugs or butterflies which were what usually held his attention for hours. Curiosity having the better of her she wandered a short distance looking around but saw nothing.

Her last step almost made her fall down as she tripped over something on the riverbank. Staggering for a second then righting herself Sibi looked down at the rock she had bumped into before going wide eyed.

Asha heard the yelp and dropping the large bundle of reeds hurriedly ran to Sibi and looked down at the mud covered creature. Panic struck for a brief moment thinking it was Verik but he did not have a tail nor hooves and whoever this was did.

Crouching beside them Asha patted them a few times and listened to the half garbled response. Their voice was soft and full of pain as they continued to mumble something, recognizing the voice she turned to Sibi and asked her to remain and watch him while she got help.

It did not take long before a gaggle of villagers swarmed after Asha to collect the wounded Shahid and bear him back to the village. Hustling him to Nuru's hut they deposited him outside so the shamaness could look him over and after a quick look water was brought. One very quick rinse later so she could see what they were looking at Nuru waved everyone off except Asha, Sibi and two others she had ordered to stay.

They would either be burying him soon or helping move him to a better location.

"So Nuru removed the arrowhead, washed the wound, disinfected it, patched it and then had him brought here?"

"I ask why he brought here, we closest..." Asha looked a little worried about the decision but Verik just shrugged it off.

"He ever wake up or say anything?"

"No, Nuru say he still have high fever, wound infected but she treat. Only time tell now."

"Wait... If he got here that means we passed each other..." Verik looked at Altayih who was now sitting beside Shahid and they both shook their heads at each other. "He is very fortunate you found him."

Squatting beside the injured and feverish stallion Verik looked at the wound very carefully. It had clearly become infected and it was no wonder either considering the state he had been found in. That also meant he hugged or swam the river which only complicated things.

Still, he was alive and breathing. It also meant that his personal quest to free his sister had been a failure.

"No one came asking about him right?"

Asha shook her head. "Only Sefu or Nuru come. Sefu say Tendaji know but that he want nothing to do with this, he your problem."

"I figure your chief is about to bust a blood vessel from worry considering how much has been happening lately. Well if he washed his hands of the affair then he abstained from kicking Shahid out or turning him in."

"Tendaji never throw out someone who need help or injured." Asha was most adamant about making that point but Sibi laughed.

"Unless they one of Fareed's." Sibi made that sound as if it had already happened once.

"Alright well that means his life is his own then as there is nothing I can do about that... Okay, outside, we got stuff to move."

Following Verik out Sibi and Asha stared in wonder at the "cart" loaded with food. They wasted no time in bringing everything into the now rather cramped hut. With no room for anything but standing and looking at the spread of various foraged foods they took a quick count before Sibi stared at Verik questioningly.

"How you get all this? Where? Foragers come and go for months and not find this much inside Wete lands... You steal from Miwani?

"Nope. Just got lucky."

Sibi was not buying it, that was painfully obvious.

"Some of this is yours."

"Bribing me?"

"Yes and no. You helped with Shahid and are a friend of Asha. I will be giving some to Nuru as well."

"Why?"

"Ones like her know everything that is going on and what has been done. It would be most prudent to give her some as a peace offering."

"How would she know?"

"She has her ways. Now lets get this divided up."

It did not take long to portion everything out with a small share going towards Sibi and Nuru, the latter being put in a rough reed bundle and left on her doorstep. Sibi and Altayih quickly departed with their collection of foodstuffs leaving the three alone. Shahid rarely moved and if he did it was a twitch.

"You cross river and get all this then."

"And no one stopped us. Had some trouble getting it all back though but oh well. Hope this will be suitable for a good while though as I dont care to do that again."

Sleep had been very easy and after rising Verik left the hut, grabbed the branch and sought out Jelani. When he offered the healthy branch for making a bow she laughed at first then looked it over carefully.

Whatever he had found turned out to be the correct choice but was reminded that such trees did not grow on this side of he river within Wete lands. All the same she accepted it and after hearing how long it would take to dry out before being carved Verik was left wondering if it would not be quicker to walk to Alzamard, steal one then take the long way back and still have time to do it a couple of more times or even make a life of it.

Asha had also suggested he try and trade some of it with the local smith who was still in possession of the shackles that had been used on Altayih and Shahid. It turned out to be a pointless visit as the smith was gone, out foraging for wood to use for the forge.

Sefu however had some suggestions of his own in passing and the first was to simply share some of it with those going hungry. It was a good suggestion and one he could not argue against, then again it might help smooth things over which was one more reason Sefu suggested it.

There would always be time to visit the smith later and a few bits of food would hardly cover the expense anyway. As Sefu led him around quickly to the various little dugouts some new questions came to mind that were better asked now that later.

"Where do you get your salt from?"

"Small place nearby, dig it out of hill."

"Any chance I can dig out a couple blocks worth for salting and drying meat?"

"Not Wete so no but there another place."

"Let me guess, across river or some other tribe-"

"No, belong to Fareed. Abandoned because not worth it but you can "take" it... However..."

"I can take a hint. Do I assume that means you wont say a word if I did?"

Sefu shook his head.

"Alright... Where exactly is this salt mine?"

"Altayih!"

"What?! Oh..."

The Arabian nearly smacked his head into the crude reed roof of his dugout before calming down at seeing Verik hunched over and looking in.

"How do you feel about robbing a salt mine?"

Altayih laughed at the suggestion, the very idea of robbing a salt mine was preposterous. Slaves and criminals were sent to such places to die in hellish agony, breaking in and robbing one was... He kept laughing.

"I am quite serious. Sefu said Tendaji would most certainly not allow us to visit their little salt mine so that just leaves the other one."

"Oh, and who owns it?"

"Fareed."

"I'm in."

"Well its supposed to be abandoned so-"

"Yes captain, but supposed to be and is are two different things."

"True. We wont be going just yet though, I want to stick around and see how Shahid fares before we take off."

Altayih nodded a few times before asking how long that would be and the only answer Verik could give was until the injured stallion was at least coherent and able to move more than just lay there and twitch.

In the meantime training would continue but now they had something to train for even if the odds were low anyone would actually be there. The next few days came and went quickly with Shahid making rapid improvements to the point he was able to be left on his own. Caring for the wounded was never easy but whatever miracle goo Nuru was using certainly packed a punch as the wound had gone from being septic to clear in just two days.

By the fifth day he was sitting upright but still needed support so he sat leaning against the wall. His diet had gone from what Verik dubbed "green zebra soup" that smelled bad to watery corn mush mixed with stuff.

Having to feed another mouth also meant the food storage took a hit but with effort Verik had managed to start snagging fish in the shallows after a great deal of practice in the early morning and evenings. He had even convinced the smith one day to make a tiny little bronze fishing hook for him on the promise of payment. Sefu had vouched for him to a small extent some time ago so he agreed.

By the sixth day Shahid was able to speak coherently again and with an audience gathered in the hut, all waiting eagerly to hear what had happened during his little... Quest. Things had actually gone better than expected, Verik's words had left a mark on him that resulted in the actual formulation of a real plan.

Unfortunately bad luck and lack of knowledge caught up quickly resulting in a close call that nearly left him dead. After being shot in the leg and then diving into the river things improved for a little while, at least until he couldn't get the arrow out. The cold water had kept the swelling down but after leaving and passing out of the riverbank for hours he woke up to a swollen shut wound.

It had become impossible to remove the arrow without nearly passing out so he broke it off so he could swim and floated on hoping to reach Miwani. He knew that it was a risk but that the Miwani would most likely not turn him out at first. However, he kept passing in and out of consciousness while floating along and was soon to dizzy to realize he had missed the chance.

Coming ashore the final time he decided to just walk the rest of the way pain or no, swimming and floating was easier but he knew that drifting past Wete that would be the end of him.

As Altayih and Verik listened they probed him for more details because neither could believe they had simply passed each other without ever seeing the other party. Yet they had, they had all completely failed to notice either because Shahid was stumbling through tall brush along the bank or the other was farther away on the road. Perhaps they passed him just after he had passed out again in the brush.

With a severe infection and fever setting in quickly Shahid could not remember much more except waking up in the hut.

Once the story ended everyone had questions, most were concerned with him drawing someones ire but that was waved off easily. No one would care about a petty thief who got shot, dove in the river and was never seen nor heard from again.

Ushering everyone out for the night Verik sat across from Shahid and stared at him quietly for a bit. "You are going to try again yes? But why come all the way here?"

"I want to hire you to help me."

"That is quite the tall request."

This was the first time anyone had ever actually spoken the idea of "hiring" him as a mercenary to help with something either. It was a good cover story but some were actually taking it quite seriously.

"Name your price."

"You are destitute, homeless... Shall I go on? Yet you ask me to go to Iuny, break into a mansion, find our sister, break her out, escape from the town and then bring her somewhere else. Without getting shot, stabbed, cut or killed in the process."

"I will pay whatever you ask."

"Shahid, your broke."

"Then I try again."

"Would not doubt it for a second but you will not survive next time, they will be more than ready for you and probably have taken steps to make certain no "new" thieves get in."

"I swear to serve you as payment. For life if I must."

Verik stared at the intent which burned deeply in Shahid's eyes before sighing.

"Alright. But not right now nor anytime soon, trying again so quickly would be foolish. We give them time to grow bored and complacent again first, then we go. You were inside the mansion right? Do you remember the layout? Rooms, hallways, so on..."

Shahid nodded.

"Alright, but first you need to heal up so you can actually walk on your own again. Maybe Sefu will accept one more into training and if so that is what you will do, train and train until we go back for her."

"How long?"

"When we are ready to go we will. Not before. Got other problems to solve in the meantime and you asking this just complicated matters greatly but I will still help you."

After what I have seen I would never dare to not help...

"I will look into finding you someplace to stay in the meantime, have a few ideas on twisting the chiefs arm into accepting as well. You will never speak of this to anyone, understood?"

Shahid nodded and swore to never tell anyone, Verik trusted him on it too because they both knew that if he did Tendaji would stop them immediately. Embarking on a quest to break a slave out of captivity was a crime but one Tendaji did not terribly care about. However, going into Iuny of all places to do it and into the mansion of someone well to do... It was trouble the Wete did not need nor would want to get tangled up in.

That was also one bridge that if caught alight in the fiery aftermath would result in hell to pay for anyone even remotely involved. A situation Verik knew Tendaji did not want anything to do with considering how much trouble he already had to deal with.

If he pulled this off... A servant for life. He could always refuse the offer but then again it might be a better idea to have one more in his little "mercenary band" that was dedicated and deeply indebted. Not in coin, but in thanks or because of loyalty.

One thing remained priority: finding that salt mine and acquiring a healthy supply quickly. The sooner he had a large stash of salt the sooner he could hunt freely and preserve the meat and fish he gathered which would free up a tremendous amount of time from foraging or fishing.

Of course, as Altayih had pointed out: that only remained true on the assumption that the mine was still abandoned.