She's got a clever hook-tipped knife out and is carefully, carefully cutting the ropes off Emli, rubbing the circulation back in to every limb. She lets the slave-girl exhaust all the panic, letting out soft "mmm"s and "it's okay" and "you're safe"s. Han threatening her, coerced her into telling them how to leave, tied her up and left. It's not a bad story at all and Emli's certainly terrified enough to sell it, if Piripiri would believe that Han'd do it in the first place.

But Han is a shepherdess and Emli, briefly, was flock. A dragon would not hurt what's theirs. And so, the balance. She genuinely wants to be kind to Emli. The whole plan was for Han and Lotus to leave. While it would have gone so much smoother had everything stuck to the original timetable, they're currently run aground miles away from the canal: the first plan was hosed. Further, Emli is useful, in that cold iron grip of logic, because she's fresh and innocent and so very full of love. Damage that, and you damage a tool under you. Something to avoid. And yet, she needs to know what Emli knows. A razor balance.

"Any bruises on you, dear? You seemed tied up well enough that you wouldn't have rattled about when we ran aground, but I don't know if that was before or after, well. Your terrible encounter with Han." Stars above, Emli, if you're trying to lie about this, make sure you don't flush pink up to your ears at the memory.