“We’re not departing yet,” Lawrence stated.

“What did you say, mage?”

“We’re not leaving until I find Sakura.”

The knight commander shook her head, frustrated. “Who?”

Has she forgotten already?

“Our friend,” Kaiya said as she approached Arduani from behind.

The commander turned. “And who are you?”

“We can’t leave without our daughter,” Hitomo said. He was as resolved as Lawrence, though he didn’t seem it with Yukio weeping into his chest. Beside him was his younger daughter and Tomiichi.

Arduani turned back toward Lawrence. “Do you mean to tell me we’re not going to depart because of some dancer woman while the royal heiress is on this ship?”

“The only reason she has a ship is because I told you the Akaima Dancing Fan was here in this cove. It’s their ship.”

Arduani pursed her lips. “Princess Kurosawa’s need is greater than yours. She’s the future empress of this nation!”

“That is if Mikuma doesn’t become a vassal of Kachiiwara,” Tomiichi muttered.

Lawrence could see she was visibly gripping the railing as if she were trying to throttle the wood there, her hair fluttering in the cool breeze.

As if that breeze told her what to say next, the commander pointed toward the darkening clouds and without looking in that direction, she said, “Do you not see that storm, mage? We have hardly a skeleton crew as it is. It will be a miracle of the Flame if we make it through a storm with this crew during a storm.”

“Just wait for a time,” he asked.

Surely she can be reasonable.

She made a sound of disgust. “We’d be putting Princess Noriko in danger. I cannot allow that.”

“Then we can decide here,” the failed mage said. He drew his sword. Everyone bristled, including the two armored knights on deck.

Arduani let go of the railing and took a step back as Lawrence stood there for a response. “You’ve already lost to me once.”

“If I recall, that was more of a draw.”

She scoffed, glanced about. “You, a guard and an old man against us three?”

“And me,” a ponderous voice said from the dock.

Lawrence turned, saw the red-skinned oni there. “Hiun?”

The magicker—mage or otherwise—nodded. “I wish to help the girl.”

Lawrence returned the nod. “Are these odds a little more even for you, Knight of the Purging Flame?”

Arduani narrowed her eyes. She still hadn’t drawn her sword. “Haku hasn’t even said she would go with you yet! It’s a trap and you all know it.”

“I will go,” the White Feather said stoically.

This seemed to shock Arduani. She was clearly on the verge of throwing up her arms and screaming in frustration.

“If it may change your mind…” Hiun said in his characteristically slow speech, “I may… have the strength to bring us back to the ship… Once we have her.”

The knight commander was near to snarling. “Magic…”

“Yes… magic…”

Had the situation been different, Lawrence might have laughed. Arduani looked like she was near to gagging. But she resolved herself.

“We know where she is,” Lawrence added. “Finding her will be easy.”

The commander’s knights seemed on edge—ready for a fight. But Arduani was clearly not interested in a confrontation, and despite that, Lawrence felt they had to convince her of the soundness of their reasoning—to give them just a little bit of time to save Sakura.

Arduani stared at Lawrence, glanced at Haku, then to her knights. Finally she looked back toward the failed mage. “Ugh! Fine—damn you! Hurry up. I won’t wait long. I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this,” she said as she crossed her arms.

Lawrence wasted no time. “Hitomo-san. Yukio-san. I will bring her back.” His eyes went to the White Feather. She nodded, and jumped over the railing. She glided to the docks like her famed moniker suggested. The failed mage didn’t even hear her sandals make contact on the wood ahead of him. He felt so outclassed around these gifted warriors.

“I’m coming,” Tomiichi declared.

“No.” Lawrence said.

“She’s my sister!”

Lawrence went up to him, took him by the shoulders and whispered into his ear. “You would slow us down.”

“She’s my sister!”

“I need you to keep an eye on her,” he said suggestively. Tomiichi knew who he meant. “She may leave without us. I need someone to keep her from doing that.”

This seemed to give the man thought. Finally he nodded his ascent, though Lawrence could see that he wasn’t pleased. But it made sense. “All right. Just bring her back.”

“I will.” He nodded toward Arduani. He didn’t think she would leave them. She could be reasoned with. “We won’t be long.”

But I’m not going to push her generosity either.

“See that you’re not.”

He turned and—

“Mage…”

“Yes?”

“Draw your sword on me again, and I’m going to kill you.”

Unable to contain himself, he smirked. Lawrence didn’t know if she had said that to somehow lighten the mood, or if she was completely serious. Either way, he turned his back to her once again and ran across the gangplank, falling into step with Hiun and Haku on the docks.

I’m coming, Sakura.

Hiun stopped. “Go on ahead. I will catch up.”

“Are you certain?” Lawrence asked him.

He nodded. “I do not wish to be seen when you confront them. It is… best that I remain unknown as long as possible. I will not be there to fight.”

“All right.”

Together, the failed mage and the White Feather set off.