When Betty stepped to the back of the fruit stand she drew in a deep breath committing herself to the deed. When she felt the small brush of air she stepped forward and found herself face to face with not only Kristin, but also Elena and five of the other girls.

Elena stepped forward checking the other side of the barrier. Satisfied for the moment she turned to Betty. “We had given you up for a traitor, or dead, or worse.”

Betty put on her most convincing smile. “I ran into some problems and got delayed, but I made it and I have what I went after.” Betty held the phase scanner up for them to see and then she gave a small display of how it worked. Kristin was amazed. “This is way better than the cheap disguises we got when we came here,” she said in awe.

Elena didn’t seem quite as impressed. “What kind of trouble exactly. You seem to have disappeared right outside the market.”

Betty glared at her. “How would you know I disappeared unless you were following me?”

Betty saw Kristin blush and turn her face to the ground, but Elena stood firm.

“You didn’t answer my question, Betty. What kind of trouble did you run into, and where did you go?”

Betty steadied her breathing and stuck to the plan she and Barsork had devised though it broke her heart to do so. “Barsork found me just on the other side of the market and abducted me. I’m not sure where he took me because he put a blindfold over my eyes. I think we were in a building though, because I heard a door open and close a few times.

“Barsork ranted for a little while about how much trouble I had caused him and then another man showed up. Barsork asked him how much the offer was for me and the man rattled off something called quills.”

Betty heard a collective gasp around the area and Elena seemed to soften her features a bit. “Quill is what they use to buy and sell us on Xicret,” Elena said softly.

Of course Betty already knew this, because Barsork had explained the whole thing, but she acted surprised to hold up the ruse. “Anyway Barsork laughed at the man and said that I was worth way more than that. Then he said that he knew where all of you were and that he knew a secret way in.”

Another gasps rebounded around the girls.

Elena leaned in closer. “What then? What did the guy say then?”

Betty shook her head as if trying to remember. “He said something about that being worth a lot of quills, and then Barsork said he didn’t want quills he wanted the throne.”

Elena took a surprised step backwards. “Barsork is going to challenge his brother? I don’t believe it. Did you hear what the man’s name was, the man talking to Barsork?”

Betty again looked as if she were in deep concentration. “Uhm, Rindor, Rider, Rigor…”

Kristin burst into the mix. “Rigor. Was his name Rigor?”

Betty snapped her fingers. “Yeah, Rigor was what Barsork called him. Anyway, they are supposed to meet at some secret location tomorrow, some special entrance and take you all by surprise. I barely managed to escape.”

All the girls began talking at once as they frantically tried to make sense of the new information. All doubt about Betty was put to the side and they accepted that she was one of them.

As they talked, Betty looked down and blinked back the tears threatening to overtake her. She couldn’t afford to show weakness now, Barsork needed her to be strong.

“I think I have a way to turn the tables,” Betty announced drawing silence from the group of babbling women. “If we can get Barsork before he gets us, we can turn him in and secure our own safety. With the phase scanner someone can go find this Rigor and tell him that Barsork is a traitor or something.”

“How does that help?” Kristin asked. “Either way, this place is going to get raided, with or without Barsork.”

Betty shook her head. “Yes, but if we aren’t here when the place gets raided, Barsork will be held accountable. He will get carted back to Xicret where he will either fight his brother for the throne, or be killed. Either way, he’s out of our hair and we gain more time to locate more girls and prepare an assault.”

The girls seemed to think this through and finally Elena stepped forward. “I suppose you want to be the one to go disguised to Rigor?”

Betty shook her head. “Actually, I thought you would be better equipped for that. Besides, I have another job while you are busy with Rigor.”

Elena looked at her suspiciously. “What other job?”

Betty smiled. “I have a secret hideout. The one I used to escape Barsork. While you convince Rigor to arrest Barsork, I can lead the girls to safety at a better location that no one can find.

“The market is too conspicuous and eventually someone is going to get caught. Now that we have the phase scanner though, we can disguise ourselves anytime we need to leave. Then when Rigor and Barsork attack in the morning, no one will be here and Barsork will take the fall.”

Elena thought it over for only a few brief seconds and then smiled. “What are we waiting for? Let’s get to it.”

Elena sent out runners to get the rest of the girls and erase any trace that they had ever been there. They wanted to get these hunters off their tail once and for all. Meanwhile, Betty showed Elena how to use the scanner and told her how to find the waterfall once the mission was accomplished.

Before everyone left for their tasks, Betty pulled Elena aside. “I don’t mean to pry, but you are a lesbian right? I mean you like girls.”

Elena blushed and that was more than enough answer for Betty.

“Look I’m only saying something because I’ve learned lately how important it is to have someone in your life you care about, and I see the way you look at Kristin. I think you two could be really good together if you give it a chance, but you have to let her know how you feel.”

Elena ran her fingers through her hair. “Do you really think she would give me a chance? I mean, she’s been through so much, maybe she doesn’t want to get close to anyone now.”

Betty smiled. “I think that you both have been through a lot and because of that understand each other in ways others may not. You’ll never know though if you don’t give her the chance.”

Elena smiled warmly. “Thanks, Betty. I think I’ll go talk to her right now before I leave.”

Betty watched Elena walk off toward Kristin and then nearly choked when without saying a word, Elena pressed her lips to Kristin’s and kissed her long and hard. Betty couldn’t help but chuckle. “Not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess it works,” she whispered to herself.

Betty thought about Barsork and wiped another tear from her face. “Come back to me,” she whispered softly.

By the time night fell on Azu-ban, all the plans had been laid, and she knew in her heart that Barsork had done what he needed to do as well. Tomorrow everything would change. She fell asleep to the sound of her own muffled tears as she rocked herself wishing that she could still feel his strong arms around her.