After they had both withdrawn from the clearing, Verse muttered to Kohl, "What was that about?"

"You don't think they actually wanted to exchange prisoners?"

"They knew they wouldn't get to. We don't keep prisoners unconscripted, and they" - nodding to Barik - "haven't taken any Oathbreaker prisoners at all."

"'Honor all oaths with your life.' Any slaves we take are bound by the three honors as much as are we. And every one of them in this fight has already broken it."

"Riiiight. Anyway, if they have a trained mage - and not a young one, she looks like a veteran - why send her on diplomacy? Much less one I'm pretty sure we didn't know existed."

"Ah. So this wasn't her primary mission. A fallback, when she was in the area."

"I bet it's related to the attack at Edgering Ruins when you showed up. She was supposed to be there."

"I see the wisdom of that. Attack you when you crossed into the Tiers, before you could deliver an Edict. Concentrate your strongest weapons on the attempt. But they failed to organize the attack properly."

"A cheerful thought," Kohl replied dryly. "And one to chew on."

Barik nodded, and they lapsed into silence for the rest of the journey.