The Rogue Mistress
The frog creature or demon or whatever it be ... Berta's hand tightens on her blade, ready to join the fray once Viktor weighs in with his axe, surely only a heartbeat away ...
And then the confirmation that the Tenatir is who they seek, and worse, Angrboda seems minded to hand him over matter not that those whose hearts were stolen will suffer (though quite how, she is not sure, save for Pollidemia's wrath). But, surprisingly, the big man drops his weapons, engaging the pirates with his tongue, not his blade, for all Rael tries to curb his assault ... and her lips tighten as the captain comes aboard and sets out the truth of it (and she knows it's the truth, not only in that the pirates could take their prize and slay all those aboard the captured vessel should they be minded).
With a curse at her own helplessness and bitch-queens in general, the warrior woman, sheathes her blade with ill grace.
"I believe her," Berta avows, roughly, though she looks to Angrboda in some surprise at Maria's question. She knew ?!!
"Pollidemia never did me, any of us, any favour when she gave us these," she raps her gauntleted hand against her stolen breastplate. "Like as not even could the bitch remove them, she'd balk at the effort and kill us instead."
"I'd rather spit in her eye and take our chances ..."