17 17. Poisonous flare

Cressida looked at them one after another, their fearful eyes and shivering body. Glancing at the surrounding, she found goods stacked on. Getting closer to the stacks, she slashed one of the pouches of grain with her dagger, a stream of rice fell from it. Moving to the side, she saw other grains stored. 'Wait,' she thought, 'Is this a trap?'

"Shoot." She whispered. "That man obviously lead me here."

Turning to the girls, she smiled warmly at them. "Don't be afraid of me. I'm here to help you."

None of them respond to her. It looks like they were scared to death. "Who brought you here?" She asked. Again silence returned as the answer. "Damn it! Why aren't you speaking?" She raised her voice. One of the girls started crying. "Hold on, don't cry. I want to help you girls, trust me." She consoled them.

"We don't trust you." One of the girls said and hid behind others.

"Why not?" Cressida asked again.