Carefully laid plans.

I see a wagon pulled off the side of the road. Just two figures seemed to accompany it. A human by the looks of the one tending the fire. Just beyond I can see the familiar form of Tiefling horns laying back for the night. I make my way forward slowly over several minutes and take up a position near the wagon waiting.
After an hour or so the man gets up and walks a short distance off to relieve himself. I creep forward and empty a pinch of finely ground herb into the cup near the fire, hoping it won't be noticed in the dim light. Creeping back toward the wagon I grab a rope from the cart and quickly make my way back up the road.
 
A few minutes later I’m almost finished with the incantation and I feel a smile rise as I spot the man returning to the fire and picking up the cup to drink from. I crouch down and pull my sling and three bullets from my apron. With a few words the stones turn cold, covered in frost in my hand. I can see this play perfectly. Take out the man, take out Damaia. Follow her directions to the letter…well maybe…
She at least settled for knocking them unconscious instead of severely wounding them… ok what am I supposed to do here?
Knock them out…rob them of 100% of their belongings... Leave Damaia to return to the obsidian tide naked and with the message she gave me…
Wiping my palms as I wait, I see the man finally crumple to the ground and let out a sigh of relief.
The Tiefling, startled by the sound, bolts up and looks around before quickly scrambling forward and attempting to awaken the form. Seeing he wont wake, the Tiefling quickly tosses a bucket of dirt on the f
ire, dousing most of the light from it, I see her reach for a nearby weapon and peer out into the dark. I let the small steel ball covered in frost leave the sling and hear it whistling out of the dark. It strikes her in the forehead somewhere. She crumples flat on her face…
Oh it feels like my heart skipped a beat…Did I just kill Damaia? Impossible…she is so tough…but a single bullet? This should have been harder…
I feel my stomach turn with dread and I watch for a few minutes. Neither of them move at all…
I finally unlock my knee caps and creep forward to the campsite… The man is wearing the gauntlets Damaia found?
And Damaia? I just forward and turn her over. This isn’t her! I mean…It’s her clothes...It is a Tiefling…The sick feeling in my stomach grows deeper…Did they kill her? I look around at the surrounding hills. No one is near.
What is going on? She said to…no she didn’t… she said the first mate. Damaia was the second mate…Not that I was going to correct her…Perhaps she didn’t make a mistake? Was she toying with me then? I feel heat hit my cheeks as relief quickly gives way to anger.
She just wanted to see if I would actually go forward with attacking my friend? Why? Is she sadistic? Or just evaluating what I will do? What is going on? Why is this worth her time?
I reach in my apron and rip a sack out as hard as I can, attempting to expel some of the adrenaline that is causing me to shake…
What does she really want? I don’t normally feel this lost. She did that on purpose…making me think she had asked me to hurt my friend…
I look back at the man… He must have hurt her? How else would they have her possessions? The man's eyes flutter open and I find myself staring right into them in shock. One heavy gauntlet comes around, catching me square in the cheek knocking me over. Oh this is bad. Her stupid test is going to get me killed. The man rolls over and makes for his feet. I feel the adrenaline kick back in and I rush up the road to where I left my pack. I can hear him close behind me. Taking a careful arc around the snare spell I dive for the hammer in my bag hearing the heady sound of footsteps right behind me. As I manage to take hold of the small weapon I turn to face man. Suddenly there is the sound of rope tightening and the man is strung up before me, bound tight by the magic. He squirms and twists in frustration and anger spewing threats. I can’t understand it through the blood pounding in my head. This guy likely killed Damaia and is going to kill me. Curses why am I here alone? I swing with all my might and the form goes limp. I wait a minute and he doesn't move. All I hear is my heart beating in my chest. I release the spell and his form crumples hard to the ground. I can see his sash now…he is a fire mate…
A short time later I have all the belongings in a bag and I feel myself seething in anger. I also feel worried. She knew something happened to Damaia. Maybe she was ok? I’m glad she isn’t mad at the captain as far as I know… But I do not like this manipulation at all…
I take a deep breath to calm myself. I look down at the naked form of the man and the woman near him stripped to her under garments. What did you two fools do? I kick the man's thigh out of anger and toss the small scroll case at him. I twinge of conviction hits. I grab the scroll and unravel it, covering his shame at least. Why did you get us into this you fool? Stay calm Eethyl.
I try to relax my brow for a moment…my cheek bones…and breathe deep again…It's ok…She might be fine.
“I’m ready” I muster in my clearest voice. I feel the shift and the mist on my cheeks and open my eyes. She is still here! She waited?
“Padishah” I say, bowing my head and laying the sack before her where she sits on a floating pool of water.
I hear amusement in her laugh and look up to see her lifting the bag and emptying the contents in front of her. She twirls her finger once, lifting a single piece of jewelry from the pile. Something else is going on here…I feel tightness return to my stomach. It’s ok. It’s ok. perspective…I feel like I’m losing control here though.
Her light laugh continues and I feel the confusion show on my face. She stands from the pool of water she lounges on, nearly filling the 20’ tall vessel, and with a brief sweep of her foot the pile of belongings puff into mist. I try to find words but also hold back the anger that is still boiling and preventing me from trusting my own voice.
She leans over some and with a single hand I feel myself lifted into the air. “Oh, you little thing. You will prove useful after all.” she says with a final soft laugh "you better" and she draws me into a very wet embrace that leaves me facing the trinket. In a puff of mist she is gone and I feel myself falling…