Crow wondered about the leader’s answer to his question. So this group had been tracking them for a while now. Why would they bother to do that? The wagon the king had provided them with didn’t contain many things of value, and these men didn’t look like they were in need of either money or equipment. As far as the thief could tell, there was nothing special about him or his companions—at least, there was nothing special enough to warrant any attention—so it made no sense to him that the strange men would want to capture them. For a moment he wondered if they were working for the Younisian king, but that didn’t seem likely. None of the men had the slightest hint of an accent, and the Younisians were far too proud of a people to hire Brerratic mercenaries. So what [i]did[/i] they want with him and the three knights?

Crow put the thought aside as they arrived in the group’s camp. He stopped walking and looked around, taking in as many details as he could. It was small and rather plain for his taste, but he supposed it was a perfect fit for their purposes. Its simplicity was also a problem for the thief in that he wouldn’t have very many options if he tried to escape. There were few places to hide and the entire area could be kept under watch by a small number of guards. If he tried anything, he would likely be caught within minutes... Well, he could always hope for a proper distraction, but the chances of that happening were slim as well. Overall, the setup put him at a major disadvantage.

Soon Crow spotted William and Abraxas, who were both chained to a tree near the middle of the camp. They looked quite roughed up as if they had also tried to fight off these unusual attackers. He shivered, wondering if they had gotten their injuries before or after they had been caught. Penelope seemed to think these men were after information, but to what extent would they go to get it? Had they already tried to pry at the other two knights? The thought was unnerving.

[color=fdc68a][b]“Well now, welcome to our humble abode,”[/b][/color] the leader was saying. [color=fdc68a][b]“I suppose we should start with reuniting you with your friends now shouldn’t we? Please, make yourself at home before we get down to business.”[/b][/color]

“‘Make ourselves at home,’ you say?” Crow mused. “Well then, do you have any food? I’m famished.”

“Not that much at home,” one of the nearby men scoffed, giving the thief a push towards the tree where William and Abraxas were chained up. “Come on. Go sit with your friends until we’re ready for you.”

“But they’re not my friends,” Crow objected, planting his feet and giving the man a hard stare. “And if you think I’m just going to let you put more chains on me, you’re horribly mistaken.”

“Is that so?” the man narrowed his eyes and drew his sword, poking the thief in the torso with its point. “How about now?”

“You know, I think I’ve changed my mind,” Crow said quickly, stepping back from the blade. He glanced at Penelope. “I guess we’re going to join our ‘friends’ now.”