Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 3)

Bay looked over at the others and then back at Pratik, then nodded. The soldiers dispersed.
"Let's get you all inside," Sera said. "You look half-starved and frozen besides."
"What is she saying?" Ada asked Pratik, approaching after Rickard.

"She's inviting us in," Pratik murmured, walking ahead with deliberate steps, chin raised and shoulders squared. "She says we look cold and hungry."

"She's dead right." Ada followed him. "What kind of food do they have here?"

"Same as Tarr's place -- meat and vegetables." Pratik stopped a polite distance from Sera, but glanced back at Ada. "I don't know what -- if anything -- they have warm. But I'll take anything at this point."

"Fair enough."
"The war is over, as you know," Sera said, glancing over her shoulder. "Lord Ash called you here to renegotiate your contract. You'll receive double what was agreed, but that's all I know at the moment."

Pratik grinned, switching back to Upper Tongue. "I like the sound of that."

"He figured you'd earned it. Now, the meal will take awhile to prepare but in the meantime I can check up on your physical health and get your rooms ready. Does that sound alright?"

(I forgot to mention the head of the slaver who sold them is stuck on a pole on the walls. It's frozen solid so it's recognizable)

(Ooh good to know!)

"Sounds good to me!" Pratik agreed brightly. He glanced over, noticing Nasa's head on a stake -- frozen solid into a ghastly expression. He grinned at that. "Hah! He did it!" He looked back at Sera, pleased. "And he freed the slaves?"

Sera followed his gaze to the grisly trophy. "Indeed he did. A couple are still here but most of them have found their homes or gone off to make their own way." She peered at the trio's collars. "I'll have a smith come and get those off as soon as possible. That looks painful." Her eyes lingered on Rickard, and she lowered her voice to address Pratik. "I want a full rundown on both of them when we're alone, so I know what I'm dealing with."

"Yes, ma'am," Pratik murmured with a nod. He didn't know much, but he'd gotten a pretty good read on them in the past two weeks, and he'd share whatever he could. Especially since the read he'd gotten was that they were harmless. Scared. Broken. Suspicious. But harmless all the same. "I understand."

Sera dipped her head and they entered the Keep. "Your stay didn't cross over with Lyra Loquitur's at all, did it?"

"No, ma'am," Pratik answered. "The Loquiturs were gone by the time I got there." Pratik hesitated, still following close behind -- but not too close. Was she digging for information? "Alexander-- Tarr's apothecary-- said Loquitur took another girl with him, too. Didn't give me many details on who it was or why. But I'm assuming Loquitur didn't take a slave -- at least not with the intents of keeping her himself-- so I don't know who the girl is or if she's relevant. Ma'am."

"That must be Ky," she mused. "I met her recently; she seemed sweet enough. Lord Loquitur is adopting her into his family."

"Ky, huh?" Pratik rubbed his face, frowning as his fingers were even colder against his face than it was itself. "I knew a Ky once." He blew into his hands, trying to warm them. "But he was a guy. Worked for an awful, awful man. Poor sod."

"This one did as well." Sera grimaced. "Lord Loquitur cut him down last month. Lord Ash had been sheltering him under false pretenses."