THE NEXT FEW hours passed slowly. Another worker brought around water in a clay jug. It was filled with floating debris, but cool enough. Bert used some to wet a piece of his shirt which he used to wipe and cool down Sana. He also managed to drip some of it into her mouth and she eventually drank it slowly. Some sort of mixture of grains and wild greens was brought about in wooden bowls. There was one for each person in the cage and Bert had to threaten to fight a man who wanted to take Sana’s. Bert kept it beside her instead for when she woke.

  Nothing to do, Bert fell himself falling asleep. He got up and jumped a bit to awaken his body, but didn’t fell much more awake.

  “I can take a turn watching the woman,” a man said, rising from a corner of the cage.

  Something about his voice seemed familiar. Bert took a moment to look at the man. He was fairly tall, had a rough beard of brown and looked quite healthy. His wiry muscles reminded Bert of Dray, and he spared a smile for the man. “Thank you, but I will stay awake until she is up herself,” he replied quietly.

  The man nodded, but pointed beside Bert, asking if he could sit there.

  “Of course,” Bert replied, happy to have something to keep his mind busy. “Have we met before?”

  “I don’t think so. I haven’t been in…these parts for too long,” the man replied. “Reed,” he added.

  “Bert,” Bert replied. He saw no reason to hide his name here. He shook the man’s hand. “Have you been in here long, Reed?”

  “Long enough, I’m embarrassed to say,” he replied. “I have…obligations outside this tainted place I need to get to.”

  Something about the man’s accent and disdain of the farm rung a bell in Bert’s mind. Bert looked at the man’s simple clothing. He wore furs and skins much like Sana, only his were much more functional and skillfully made. “What can you tell me about this farm?” Bert asked, an idea taking over his mind.

  “Only that its existence is a stain on nature,” Reed spat angrily. “As is the concept of using prisoners as slaves to do their dark work. I will escape this place or die trying.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  “And the berry they grow here?” Bert asked.

  Reed smiled rather than answer. “What is it you wish to ask me, Bert? I have no secrets to hide.”

  “Did you come from a camp down the river? A camp of people, but also of…other creatures?” Bert asked quietly.

  Reed smiled again. He seemed amused rather than defeated. “I did. I was part of a patrol. The other two in my patrol were killed. We took out six of their ten before they had me to the ground. I will take many more before I am taken to the ground again.” He frowned at the memory and seemed to settle something inside himself. “How do you know of this camp and of our friends we hold so dear there?”

  Bert considered telling Reed he was a dragonrider, a friend of one of the wyrms Reed and his people held so dear. Would the man believe him? Would he laugh in his face? He decided to tell the truth, but not all of it. “I worked with Mira during the march on Wyrmgate. I side with peace, as do your people.”

  Reed took a moment to consider this answer, then nodded at Bert. “Then, we shall work together once more. I am late to this cause, but I wish to rejoin Mira and the others.”

  “We are in agreement there, Reed,” Bert said quickly. “But I must be careful, and I must take this woman with me when we go. I made a promise.”

  Reed looked carefully at Sana. “This woman is too wild for you, Bert. Even a coinbiter who marches with us has much to learn of the lands we live on. This woman has seen much in her years.”

  Bert reddened at the suggestion, and was aggravated Reed thought Sana was too much for him. He had said it casually, a fact as sure as the sun rising the next morning. “It’s not like that. She is a friend, no more.”

  “Another then,” Reed replied simply.

  Bert was growing annoyed with everyone taking such an interest in his romantic entanglements. He sighed. “Yes, Reed, there is another I want to get to. But I also want to get out for Sana here. And myself. I want to get back to Mira as well. She will help us, but she will not be patient. We will need to keep her calm until we can come up with a plan.”

  Reed nodded. “I have some ideas already. They will make us work soon. It will be grueling and slow. But, look as you work, Bert. See what you can learn of the guards, their rotations, weak spots in the walls, whatever stands out to you. Tonight, we will talk again. You will talk first. My hope is that you see something useful I have not. After, I will share what I know and think.”

  Bert smiled, liking this plan. “I am in agreement, Reed.”

  “Good, then rest now. You will need your energy. You know enough of my people to know I will not harm the woman. I will keep watch on you both, but fear not. These people are cowed. They might steal food or water, but they will not risk more. A fight is likely to be ended in death here, but not from each other. The guards are aggressive and often solve problems by removing them quickly.”

  “Thank you, Reed.” Bert wrapped his cloak around his head, blocking as much of the sun as he could and laid down beside Sana, trusting Reed to keep watch. He fell into an uneasy slumber.