[color=green][b]"What game is this?"[/b][/color] the barbarian spat. He spoke of the [i]utter defeat[/i] of his people and questioned Melody's intentions. [color=green][b]"Why do you not speak to our chieftain or our master of the hunt, or their sons if they are already slain?"[/b][/color]

Melody couldn't know whether or not the men of whom he spoke were dead. Knowing how few men had survived, though, told Melody that they likely had perished. That didn't matter, though; Melody had no interest in speaking with any of the men.

"That little girl," she began as she turned to retrieve more hot water from the large pot over the fire. "I told her that she had something that was important to me: leverage."

She carried the steaming pitcher to the tub and dumped it, turning to refill it again. "You have something important to me as well."

Melody conspicuously glanced down to the barbarian's still dangling manhood, then back up to his eyes. She smiled, then chuckled. She said only, "No."

Dumping more water into the tub and checking the temperature with her fingertips, Melody explained in a very calm, matter-of-fact tone, "I have someone I want you to kill for me, someone to whom I do not have access. A woman. A woman--" Again Melody glanced to his groin before looking up again and adding, "--who likes men like you."

She turned for yet one more pitcher to warm the tub as she continued, "I will take you and your people to the Capital City ... to the slave market. There, I will ensure that this woman finds you on the sale block ... ensure that she buys you. Once you are alone with her, you will slit her throat ... you will cut out her heart and bring it to me."

More water spilled into the tub, and Melody promised, "And in exchange, your tribe will be sold as a single block to a Master who I know will keep them together ... will keep them safe and healthy ... until you can buy them back with the money that you will earn while in my service." 

Melody looked to the tub again, gestured him toward it, and said, "Please. I need you bathed and clean so that I can judge with certainty that you are the man for this mission. Or ... you could go ahead and kill me now, after which Kapiten Broon will kill you and what remains of your tribe. The choice is yours. Oh, and please ... what is your name?"