They were on the road now, riding with the speed of ... well little speed at all. According to the facts, Philomel's daughter was not being held too far away. And there was little way in the news that they were going to move her at all. She was being held by a sick man who was obsessed with selling sex slaves for a profit, a business that apparently Stare's master Vitruvion, the man who actually ran and founded the hell hole called the Hollow, was partly into. Sort of.

"He calls it his 'empire'," Stare rolled her black eyes. "And trust me, I take no pride in the fact that I am part of it. But at least I know what the girls - they call them 'guests' - go through there. At least I can make it somewhat better."

The look on Philomel's face was one of absolute disgust. "How can you even support him?"

The kenku blinked once, her hands slightly tightening on the reigns of her black horse beneath her. It was a strong thing, bold and lively with an inquistive attitude. Therefore it kept nosing towards Philomel's huge bovine tera'k with its muzzle, sniffing the air around him. He lowed more than once, gesturing with a horn for her to get away. It made Albion the assassin, still masked, still silent and grumpy, to take his distance from the two women as he rode his own dark steed behind.

Stare moved her wrist into the faun's eyesight. Philomel saw the thick band of blackish metal curved around there, with small decorations, and metal binding that looked as if it were tied on.

"That," she said quietly, "Was my first gift from him. It is magically tied to him in a way that-" she cut off suddednly, and looked away, "I am bound to him," was all she finished with, but Philomel could see the pain resonating in her eyes. Pain she knew, that she had seen in so many other people.

"What is it?" she asked, trying to keep her voice low and out of earshot of Albion. Though she did not fully trust this kenku - not yet anyway - she still preferred her over the masked one. Firstly, she was a female. That made it a lot easier.

"He talks to me, in my head and has told me to shut up about it," Stare grunted, shaking herself. "That is all I can say for now. He's a bastard, and I know it, so don't worry."

Philomel pursed her lips, considering. Silence fell for a few moments.

"So why is he apologising?"

"Because by practise he does not capture other people who are in the ... same line of work as him, who could be potential allies. You, as the Matriarch of the Gilded Lily, are one such."

The faun raised her eyebrows. "I am, now, am I?"

The kenku nodded. "Apparently so."