Rawiya tried at first to enjoy the novelty of being led through the swamp.
It was sort of like being a poorly trained pet or perhaps a towering simpleton trailing in the wake of the wee folk. She did have experience playing all sorts of unusual characters, of course. And it wasn't the first time she'd worn a leash.
Even the entertainer's unflappable playfulness frayed before they got too far. The bugs were more of a nuisance when you couldn't easily swat at them. Rawiya sorely wished she had the time to rummage for herbal remedies. There were plenty of options to repel nibbling, sucking, skittering varmints if you knew which herbs and flower bulbs to mash together.
When they began their trek together, the Yarin guessed her longer legs would give her the advantage on the sloppy terrain. But she was heavier too, thin as she was, and she sunk deeper than her hosts with every step.
Crouching down on the slick grasses near the shore to catch her breath, she thought of Snap and Tooth, wondering how they might have fit in here. Hopefully, when they did hatch, the Driftwood Snappers wouldn't be too snobby over their oceanic heritage to vacation in a marsh.
"You said this Jarbar has a history with pirates," Rawiya commented abruptly. They most certainly had not volunteered such information. "That's a subject I've studied in depth, I must confess. Let's put our heads together and come with a plan. We're not completely witless and unprepared, are we?" While the intrepid young thespian couldn't identify all the risks in motion, it seemed a prudent gambit to offer some guidance on circumventing the meticulous menace of the Trapmaker's lair. She'd heard things, after all. If she portioned out what she knew and what she could surmise, she needn't show all her cards.
"She sounds like an educated woman, or at least very experienced, if she's lived long enough to build a reputation. You say she runs the shiny? So that makes her a master of coin as well as traps." Awkwardly, the Yarin raised both bound hands to tap a thoughtful, muddy finger against her chin. "Among corsairs and buccaneers, the most level-headed among their ruthless numbers usually serve as treasurers as well, balancing accounts. Lots more inventory and logistical planning than you might think in that racket. Especially when you get all your stuff through bloodletting and skulduggery." Rawiya grinned. According to Captain Tenazza, Jarbar had indeed held this role, in addition to being second in command.
"And if she operates alone, I'm betting she's got a fair bit of personal power too. Sturdy build, at the very least. Plenty of stamina." Also true, as she recalled. "But she'll think like a human, I'm betting. Not so good for traipsing around in the dead of night, which means she would have designed her defenses to compensate for that weakness. No help for us there, though those folk often underestimate clever, smaller adversaries who move with subtlety. And that sounds just like us."
Uncomfortable in her bindings, she shifted in place before finally plopping to the ground on the seat of her pants.
"We're not precisely the variety of opposition Jarbar will expect. And if she's both forceful and exacting in her schemes, she'll definitely leave a bolt hole or two, just in case she's overwhelmed. That means there's a safe path to her doorstep, if we can find it." She nodded with satisfaction. "Charging straight at her is a silly idea. Assuming we can sneak up is also a fool's errand. I vote we occupy ourselves with some other innocuous task in this vicinity. We make ourselves visible—inadvertently, if you take my meaning—giving the impression we're pursuing unaffiliated goals, and Jarbar will pretty much need to investigate. She can't afford to ignore trespassers who won't do her the common courtesy of getting themselves killed or attacking outright. We just let her come to us."
Rawiya looked around at all the dirty, tired faces, gnome and halfling alike.
"You're quite fortunate you found me, yeah? Harmless interference is kind of an artform where I come from."