"What about the sons who were already taken?" Mirumah asked.
Sullha wondered whether she should tell them about the soldiers who asked her to find their mothers. Some of them had brothers in the army, but no one had told her whether there would be an effort made to free them as well, and she had a feeling that there wouldn't be. It was too risky to approach other soldiers, even siblings. Then again, the next logical question the women would ask was why them, and then she would need to reveal that their sons were responsible for their path to freedom.
She turned in the direction of where she thought Yaaf was, hoping he would give her another sign, but it seemed like she was on her own and would have to decide how much to reveal.
"The team I mentioned is made up of your sons. I can't tell you which ones, but they are the reason most of you are here. They made this plan, and they asked me to find their mothers." She shifted her gaze to Saphira and Burda who were sitting next to her, and then to her mother. "The others were chosen by me. Regrettably, we cannot liberate the entire enclosure, and we had to choose who can come. They chose their mothers and sisters, and I chose my mother and two good friends."
"I have three sons in the army," Gindah said. "Which one has asked for me?"
"I can't tell you that. You will know the day of the escape."
Gindah put her hands over her face, bent forward, and her shoulders started shaking. After a moment she straightened up, wiped her cheeks with the back of her wrist, and looked at Sullha again.
"I'm coming with you," she said. "No matter which of my sons has asked for me, I owe him to be brave and take what he offered."
"I have only one son," Karina said. "Are you telling me that Armos cares enough to ask for me?"
"Yes."
Karina shook her head. "I am too old to start a new life somewhere else. Some new place where I don't know the rules. I'm no longer of breeding age, and I can die in peace here."
Sullha glared at her. "Or you can live freely in peace and not die a slave."
Karina did not respond immediately. She looked down at her hands, then up at Sullha, then over at the other women.
"I can't believe that my son wants me to go with him. Did he tell you why?"
"I don't communicate with all of them," Sullha admitted. "I'm only speaking with one."
"How?" Asira asked.
"I can't tell you that. It will put him at risk."
"No immortal warrior can get in here," Baruha said. "And there is no way any of us can get out to talk with one of them."
Sullha had expected those rebuttals, but she couldn't answer them without revealing too much.
"There is a way, but I can't give you details. I'm risking a lot by contacting you and telling you all this out here in the open. You will have to trust me."
"I don't know you," Baruha said.
"But I do." Asira squeezed her mother's hand. "I know Sullha, and she's trustworthy. I'm going with her, and I want you to come. Camdor asked for us, and I'm not going to disappoint him. You shouldn't either."
Tears appeared in Baruha's eyes. "I disappointed him enough already. I will not do that again. I'm going with you."
"Good."
"I have two sons," Zohara said. "Can you tell me which one asked for me?"
Sullha really didn't want to be the one to tell Zohara that one of her sons no longer lived, but she didn't want to lie to her either.
"I'd rather not say. You'll have to wait to see which son is waiting for you on the day we make our escape."
Zohara nodded. "I'm going."
Rohilah adjusted the sleeping Bianca on her lap. "I'm in. I'll do anything to save my daughter from this fate."
Sullha had expected that was what Rohilah's response would be, but it was still a relief to get a confirmation.
