She nodded at Senjen’s repeated offer. “I’ll message you if I run into trouble but I think I know just the thing.”

Her features softened as she listened closely to him. “Thank you. I believe you – you couldn’t have known this would happen, except by taking the cynical view that all things in Korit are bad in the end. I’m glad you didn’t. Your optimism is…infectious. We can make a success of this bad situation, and return as heroes.”

Ruk stood up and shook out her feathers. They returned to their usual sleek form. She patted his head tenderly. “I’m going to go and rest, then go shopping. I’ll meet you at your ship when its time to leave.”
[hr]

Two days passed in a flurry of checks and preparations. Light ordered in enough supplies to last them a few months. The surpluses he stored in the cargo hold. A storm rolled in from the mountains on the second day, bringing with it rolling thunder, howling winds and driving rain. As the afternoon turned to evening, he began to feel nervous.

“Where is everyone? You gave the address, right?” He asked Senjen from the cockpit.