Mark was running too quickly and ran straight into the man outside the mercantile, spilling the groceries all over the street. Jinna blushed and bent to pick them up.

"I-I'm sorry, sir." she apologized. Mark just stared dumbly at the man. Jinna elbowed him and he began to pick things up as well, but his gaze did not leave the man.

"Who are you?" he asked bluntly.

True Justice

Terence groaned as the boy hit his leg. Another one? Terence mentally thought, chuckling to himself. Once again, he had to pull his focus away from Shay and towards the newly arrived distraction.

He reached down and steadied the boy, but he was too late to help keep the groceries safe. They spilled from the boy's hands. The woman, who must have been the boy's mother, apologized, but Terence waved a hand as he bent down and grabbed a jar of honey. He handed it to the woman and said, "Not to worry, I've been run into a lot today. I just hope your groceries are alright. They're more fragile than I am."

He looked at the boy as he voiced a question. "Who am I?" Terence picked up a bag of flour and set it into the boy's hands. "I am Terence. Who are you?"

Jinna smiled at the man. "Oh, my groceries are alright. Anything I buy has to be able to survive these children." Chuckling, she motioned to the two children clinging to her skirts and the young child in her arms.

Mark grinned as he took the flour. "My name's Mark. Mark-"

"Mark, hold your sister for a moment." Jinna put the baby in his arms and Mark stopped talking for a moment to steady her. "Anyway, I was wondering about this traitor. Do you know anything about her, Terence?"

"Mark, you do not call him by his first name; he is an adult, your elder. Call him..." Jinna raised her eyebrows and turned to Terence, as though to inquire as to his last name, but suddenly she froze. Her blue eyes seemed chilled and pale and a drop of sweat formed on her brow. "Mr. Rowland..."

True Justice

Riley whooshed out a breath as the last customers left. They had left before he could tell them who the traitor was. Actually, he didn't really know himself. That was the whole reason he had wanted to close up early. Maybe now he could close his shop.

...Maybe.

And maybe he shouldn't have let Shay leave so soon. Business was definitely picking up.

***

Shay gave Terence a once-over, holding her chin high. "Fine. Mr. Rowland, I will accept your job offer. When shall I start?"

She studied the woman with the boy in concern as she started turning pale. "Ma'am, are you all right?"

Shay might be a loner, but she could be friendly, polite, and caring. Sometimes.

Jinna glanced at Shay for only a moment before turning back to Terence.

"Uh, I'm alright, miss. I think. It's just that..." She looked Terence straight in the eye and forced herself not to pass out. "I think I know you. In fact, I think you might know where my daughter is." she managed to say.

True Justice

"Oh, well, they are taking her to the capitol, Sir!" Thomas gulped, ringing his hands. "Or at least, that's what I heard the men muttering when they took her away." he sighed. "I'm not sure how you can locate her. They took her to the docks, Sir Adrian, and that's the last I know!"

~~~~

Aeryn turned away from the door and went back to the corner of the room, sitting down and resting her head against the relatively cool side of the ship. The wavering light was hypnotic, but her mind was too awake to let her relax. Already so many things had happened....she had seen the true nature of Captain Seranoy, and found someone who might protect her from him. She closed her eyes, and tightly clutched a handful of her skirt. I hope I have the strength to make it through this voyage....

True Justice

Terence looked at Shay and nodded. "Good. We'll talk about that in a second."

He stood and said to the boy, "If it's who people are saying it is, I know a lot about her, but I'd rather not say anything."

Terence arched a brow at the mother, "Yes, I am Terence Rowland, but it's nothing to look pale about." He listened to her explanation and shook his head, "I think you're mistaken. I'm not sure I've met your daughter, or you before today. Why do you think so?"

True Justice

((OOC: You can see Riley's character profile here.))

Riley stepped out of his shop, only to see a group of people gathered on his doorstep.

"Oh no," he groaned. "Don't tell me you're here to shop too. The shop is closed."

He then realized that it was the woman who had just left his shop, as well as Terence, and Shay.

"Well, this is a merry bunch." He frowned. "Everyone looks so downcast. What's going on?"

True Justice

Terence glanced at Riley and brushed some dust off of his hands. "Her daughter is missing." He looked at the woman. "Riley may be able to help you better than I can. He sees more people than I do. I only see sailors for the most part..."

True Justice

Riley turned to the woman. "Terence is right. I see a lot of people - and I know most everyone who comes in the mercantile. I don't know if I can help, but I can try. Tell me about this daughter of yours."

True Justice

Terence glanced at Shay and said, "Miss O'Teale may also be able to help you. She's been working with Riley and with a quick tongue like hers, I'm sure her eyes don't miss a thing either."

He crossed his arms, looked at Jinna and said, "But if you say you know me, then maybe I am the best person to ask, though, if I don't remember meeting you before, then perhaps I'm not."

True Justice

Adrian put his hand on Thomas' shoulder. "I'll find her, Thomas. I swear it. As soon as I can get some supplies together, I'm gone." He looked Thomas in the eyes for a moment more and then turned to go. "I'll send word when I've found her!" He promised, and then left the house.

-------

The galley was crowded as Jean and several other men came out of the kitchen with the first shift of dinner. They'd roasted four chickens, and tonight promised to be a rare feast.

Jean hadn't chosen the dinner. It didn't sit well with them that they seemed to be celebrating the capture. Wasn't it a sad thing to capture a traitor? Wouldn't it be better if no traitors were captured, ever, because then the country would be safe? He ruminated over his cup of water but looked up, startled, when a shout of excitement resounded around the galley. A great cask of mead had been brought out. Not much of a drinker himself, Jean scowled into his cup. This was just what they needed...

True Justice

"I can do my best to help you," Shay said to the woman. She swallowed her beef jerky before continuing. The bag was almost gone. "I don't know many people, but I might know more than Terence here does. And I have all the time in the world since I haven't started my job yet." She sent a pointed look in Terence's direction.

True Justice

Captain Seranoy, was, as usual after every capture, enjoying himself. The hearty meal with the addition of mead always put him in a pleasant sort of mood; pleasant that is, in an un-ordinary fashion. He wasn't drunk, yet, but was enjoying a large glass of this drink, and talking loudly with a couple of his mates. Their conversation was mostly about the merry thought of being paid at the end of the journey, and, the beauty of the traitor in the hold. "Speaking of that..." Captain Lanon grinned, a cruel look sparking in his eyes. "I don't believe our little wench has had her dinner yet." A round of chuckles went up about the table, for they all know his visit was much more than to give her dinner.

As a matter of fact, the Captain usually didn't care much whether his prisoners ate or not. He made sure they didn't starve, but he hardly had them fed regularly. Lanon snatched a plate from a table and threw a small biscuit, and a few scraps of chicken on it. He then grinned, and left the room heading for the hold. On his way out, he caught sight of Jean, and sent the man a withering expression, before striding out.

Jinna smiled, her face weary but hopeful.

"Well, allow me to explain to you my current situation." she began. "I adopted a little baby girl ten years ago; she had been left on my husband and my doorstep. We raised her for four years before she ran away, drowned, and died. However, I am not so sure that she did die; I think someone took her away and is hiding her. For one, I did not see her die myself, and when I arrived at the place where she had supposedly drowned, they claimed to have already buried her. That was most unusual, as I have never heard of someone being buried within a day of their death, without allowing the family to see them, when the family lives only a few houses away from the scene of the death." Jinna straightened up with resolution. "Another thing that has made me nearly positive that she is still alive is this." Jinna held up an old, folded, wrinkled piece of cloth that she had pulled from the pocket of her apron; she opened it up to reveal messy writing on the inside, which could just barely be read: I saw your little girl; she is still alive. ~Rowland. Jinna folded the cloth up and returned it to the pocket. "I saw the little boy who left that note on my doorstep the day after Gracie supposedly drowned. He was running away, but he looked back for a moment, and I saw his face..." Jinna trailed off and studied Terence's face again. "The boy had the same curl to his hair, same eyes..." Jinna seemed to be in a reverie and said nothing more, but continued gazing at Terence.