Tayrey used to be an adventurous young woman. It comes with the territory of being an astrogator - of being a spacer at all. A certain appreciation for risk and for novelty. She'd loved fast flights, busy multicultural hub stations, stepping into the unknown of uninhabited worlds.

Captivity had crushed that out of her. The worry that her behavior might be letting her people down. The terrifying unpredictable magic. The horror of the first and last excursion she'd willingly signed up for. The fear that if she tried something new, and liked it, others would claim that she was clearly enjoying her hated imprisonment and had nothing to complain of.

Arilanna Tayrey is not a captive any longer.

She reaches out.

She takes Elsie's hand.