It shouldnt make any difference to her how the invasion turned out, after all. She was a thief. There would always be things to steal, and there would always be those who wanted to hunt her down. There would probably even be more in the aftermath of a war, when things tended to get a little less tightly controlled, and there were always gaps for someone cunning enough to slip through.
She could go back to Felldust, rest up, and then find some fresh adventure to set out on. She could go off in search of long-lost islands, or head into the lands where ice closed over everything like a fist. There might be treasure and violence, women and drink. All the things that had tended to mix together so readily in her life to date.
What made her keep the small boats tiller pointed toward Delos was simple: it was where Stephania and Elethe would be. Stephania had tricked her about Thanos. Shed used her to get to Felldust, and then shed tried to kill her. More than that, shed tried to kill Thanos, even if the rumors around Felldust suggested that he had at least survived through to the rebellions capture of the city.
Felene found that she couldnt let what Stephania had done go. Felene had left plenty of enemies behind her when she sailed on, but she didnt like to leave unsettled debts. Shed fought a duel in Oakford once over an insult a year before, and once hunted down a locksmith who had tried to cut her out of her share, following him across half the Grasslands.
Stephania was going to die for what shed done. As for Elethe
In a lot of ways, that betrayal was worse. Stephania was a snake, and Felene had known it from the moment she set foot on the boat. Elethe had actually dared to make her feel something. For one of the first times in her life, Felene had dared to think beyond the next theft, and had started to dream.
And what a dream, Felene said to herself. Traveling the world, rescuing beautiful princesses and seducing fair maidens. Who do you think you are? Some kind of hero?
It sounded more like the kind of thing Thanos might have done than something for the likes of her.
My life would be so much easier if I hadnt met you, Prince Thanos, Felene said. She jerked on one of the lines for her boat, setting it skimming in a new direction.
She didnt mean it though. The main thing her life would have been if she hadnt met Thanos was shorter. She would have died on the Isle of Prisoners without him, and after that
He was a man who seemed to have a cause. Who stood for something, even if it had taken Felene to remind him of what that was. He was a man who had been prepared to fight against everything hed been brought up to be. Hed fought the Empire, even though it would have been easier for him not to do it. Hed been prepared to give his life to save the likes of Stephania, which was truly the kind of thing a hero did.
I suppose if I had any sense, Id be falling in love with you, Felene said as she thought about the prince. He was certainly a better person to fall for than the likes of Elethe. But you didnt get what you wanted in this life. You certainly didnt get to choose when it came to love.
It was enough that Thanos was a man to respect, even admire. It was enough that just thinking about the kind of thing he would do made Felene into a better person.
If not necessarily a more sensible one.
Felene sighed. There was no point in all this trying to argue with herself. She knew what she was going to do.
She was going to Delos. She would find Thanos if by any stroke of luck he was still alive. She would find Stephania, she would find Elethe, and there would be blood for blood, death for death. Probably, Thanos would have argued for something kinder or more civilized, but there was only so far you could go in emulating people. Even princes.
Now, there was just the question of getting to Delos and getting inside. By the time she got there, Felene had no doubt that it would be a city at war, if it hadnt fallen outright. Felldusts fleet would probably be a floating barricade before the city, and it was a long established tactic in times of war to blockade ports.
Not that Felene cared about that kind of thing. Shed occasionally made quite a healthy profit from smuggling her way around blockades. Food, information, people who wanted to get out, it had all been the same.
Still, Felene couldnt imagine that Felldusts soldiers would be very welcoming to her if she were stupid enough to just charge for the city. Already, Felene could see fragments of Felldusts fleet ahead of her, vessels strung out across the water from Felldust to the Empire like jet beads on a necklace. The main fleet had long since sailed, but they were going in clusters now, forming groups of three or four, setting off together as they tried to make the most of the invasion to come.
In a lot of ways, they were probably the sensible ones. Felene had always had more of an affinity for the people who came up after a fight to steal than for the ones risking their lives. They were the ones who understood about looking out for themselves. They were Felenes people.
An idea came to her then, and Felene steered her skiff in the direction of one of the groups. With her better arm, she pulled out a knife.
Hoy there! she called in her best Felldust dialect.
A man appeared over the railings, holding a bow aimed at her. Think well take all you
He gurgled as Felene threw the blade, cutting him off mid-sentence. He tumbled from the boat, hitting the water with a splash.
He was one of my best men, a mans voice said.
Felene laughed. I doubt that, or you wouldnt have made him the one to lean out and see if I was a threat. You the captain here?
I am, he called back.
That was good. Felene didnt have time to waste negotiating with those who werent in a position to do it.
You all off to Delos? she demanded.
Where else would we be going? the captain called back. You think were out catching fish?
Felene thought of some of the sharks that had hunted her on the way in to the shore. She thought of the body tumbling among them now. Might be. Theres bait in the water, and there are some big prizes in these parts.
And some bigger ones in Delos, the voice called back. You looking to join our convoy?
Felene made herself shrug as if she couldnt care either way. I figure an extra sword is good for you.
And an extra fifty is good for you. But it looks as though you can fight. You dont slow us down, and you eat your own supplies. Fair enough?
More than fair, since Felene had found her way into Delos. However careful the cordon around the city, Felldusts fleet wouldnt look twice at her when she was a part of it.
Fair enough, she called back. Just so long as you dont slow me down!
Eager for gold. I like that.
They could like what they wanted, so long as they left Felene be. Let them think that she was there for gold. The only thing that mattered was
The coughing fit caught Felene by surprise, almost doubling her up with the force of it. It ripped through her, her lungs feeling as though they were on fire. She put a hand to her mouth, and it came away wet with blood.
Are you all right down there? the captain of the Felldust ship called, in a voice of clear suspicion. Is that blood? Youre not carrying some plague, are you?
Felene had no doubt that he would make her travel alone if he thought she did. That, or fire her ship just to be certain that no disease got close.
Got gut punched in a fight on the docks, she lied, wiping her hand on the railing. Its no big deal.