Negotiations

"First, I want to know from who and whatever you can tell me about you pasts," I retorted. I could likely protect them against most threats, but I wouldn't do something like shelter criminals without a reason. And, for better or worse, if they were being chased by nobles, they had probably been branded criminals in one form or another.

"Ugh," Bron said, jarring back in his seat.

"Just tell him," Tyler said, finally breaking the silence that had descended due to my words. "He won't hurt us because of it."

"And why would you think that?" I asked him. I considered revealing that I knew about his 'sight' but I figured that it would only push them further towards running and I didn't want that right now.

"Because I can see you as you really are," he admitted without reserve. "Just as you heard when you were watching us this morning."

Everyone gaped at his words. They were probably shocked by the fact that he had admitted his 'sight', while I was more shocked that his 'sight' had seen though my 'invisibility'. After a few moments, I couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing. Everyone had been so careful to keep their cards hidden, but this Tyler had decided to take them from everyone and throw them out on the table.

"Then I guess we don't really have much of a choice," Bron sighed, before turning once more to me. "As you have no doubt guessed, we are fleeing from a group of powerful nobles from the Yanshri Kingdom. However, I swear that we an not bandits, brigades, thieves, or revolutionaries."

"I would think that such people would be better dressed and fed," I said, gesturing towards their bodies. They look a far sight better than when they had arrived, but you could still see that they had been half-starved until just recently. "So, why are they after you."

"We were all slaves under the 'care' of these nobles," Bron said with obvious disgust.

"I take it that you are referring to more than normal manual labor?" I asked carefully. It was probably a delicate subject, but if these boys, or is it men, are to remain here, then I wanted to see their wounds healed. All of them.

"It is as you have guessed," Bron admitted in a defeated tone. He was about to recount more, but I stopped him.

"You don't have to say more than that," I said, lifting up one hand. "I am here and willing to listen and help in any way that I find myself able, but I won't force you to recount things that are better left forgotten."

"Thank you," Bron sighed in relief.

"Now, regarding these nobles, how close do you think they are and do they have any way to track you?" I questioned, focusing on the present situation.

"I don't know if they are close or not," Bron admitted. "I don't know about the others, but I don't remember if they had a specific method to track us. Honestly, we probably made it this far on luck alone."

"Oh? What happened?" I inquired curiously, as I sensed something else behind his statement.

"We had all come with our various 'masters'," Bron explained, and once again I could feel an incredible amount of disgust for these people. The others also tended to fidget whenever they were mentioned. I felt something stirring within me and thought to myself that I might have to act. "to a conference between noble houses. While there, group of rebels attacked and released us as a diversion. I don't think they really cared what happened after that, because they just left us. I managed to gather everyone that we could find and flee. We ran for three weeks, scavenging for food and never sleeping for more than a few hours at a time. At times, our pursuers would almost find us, but we somehow managed to slip away. Finally, we were forced into the wastes, because we had nowhere else to run."

Everyone else nodded in agreement as Bron explained their plight. I had expected something like this, but I was thinking that it was a good thing that Yolmin hadn't asked me to stop the wars. I probably would have decided to just wipe out everything and start over. Did that make me evil? Not sure, but for now I would do what I could to help those that had suffered.

"Well, for now, you don't have to worry about them finding you," I said suddenly.

"How do you know?" one of them asked fearfully.

"After checking on you all this morning, I flew over the wastes, tracing your path to the edge of the wastes," I explained, watching their expressions. Bron's seemed to darken for a moment when I mentioned flying, but it vanished a second later. "There isn't anyone other than monsters and animals around the forest. As and additional precaution, I erected a barrier style illusion a couple miles from the edge of the wastes."

"Can't they go around it or break through?" another asked in a quavering voice.

"Maybe, if they feel like walking for a couple hundred miles or if they are powerful enough to detect such an illusion. However, I made it look like an impassible canyon and it is hidden within the natural magic power of the wastes," I explained, but their expressions made it clear that they didn't understand a word that I was saying. Seeing that they didn't understand, I tried a different approach. "Even if they did make it through, I would know with enough time to move everyone."

"Oh," they exclaimed as they began to understand things a little.

Had the knowledge Yolmin given me really been just the common sense of this world? Either way, it was useful, so I wouldn't complain.

"Um?" Bron attempted to speak but stopped suddenly.

"Yes?"

"Does this mean that you will shelter us here?" Bron said in a rush. I didn't have to read his mind to know that he was afraid that I would as for something in exchange, but I had already decided to shelter them here a while ago.

"Yes," I said simply.