"If you hadn't decided to get all cuddly with Rune, we wouldn't be here!" Shay snapped, tugging at her iron bindings.

Súndavar narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't you think I feel bad enough already?"

Eragon, who was propped against Shay, moaned something, his head lolling. Shay looked at him helplessly. "You're going to be okay…." She turned her blue gaze to Vanir. "Can't you even try to heal him?"

Vanir sighed and shook his head, pulling at his iron. "The iron is spelled," he said softly. "We can't break it. No magic can be practiced while bound."

"Stop struggling," advised a slave with a crooked nose and dark eyes. "You're making it worse. Any more noise, and Hane will come to check on us."

"What's going to happen to Rune?" Súndavar demanded.

"The little girl?"

"Yes. Her."

The man—who seemed to be the alpha of the group—shrugged. "If she's pretty enough, she'll be sold as a bed slave. If not, she'll be a maid or servant. Is she innocent?"

Súndavar pursed his lips, glancing at Eragon. Was she? Yes, he decided. She wouldn't bed Eragon without telling him. "Yes."

"Then Hane and Keorg will treat her fairly. If it was otherwise…" the man trailed off. "My sister bears their child."

Shay's eyes widened in anger. "That's awful! If they lay as much as a finger on Rune I swear I won't rest until both are dismembered and fed to Saphira!"

The man blinked at her, and Shay clamped her mouth shut, realizing what she had said.

"Saphira?" asked the man.

"M…my dog. Saphira. She was with us, when we were…taken. You didn't see her?"

The man shook his head. "No. No dog. Sometimes they have an instinct about things, though."

So do dragons, Shay thought.

"She probably left before they got to us and joined a coyote pack somewhere," Súndavar offered, trying to keep up the lie. "She's better off than with us, that's for sure, Shay."

Shay breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn't seen the dragons! That meant their identity was safe. Except…she glanced at Eragon's hand. For now, it was covered in blood. His gedwëy ignasia was hidden. Súndavar followed her gaze and clenched his hands into fists behind his back to hide his own.

"Where are we headed?" Súndavar asked.

The man frowned. "You mean you don't know?" he asked. They all shook their heads.

"We're headed to Dras-Leona, boy. The City of Lions."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Cladi woke Rune up when the sun was beginning to set. "I'm going to untie you and your friend now," she whispered. "You're to be examined by the Dogs. All new girls are. Go straight to the fire, and don't try to run. They'll shoot you."

Rune nodded, trying to quell the fear in her heart. Cladi's nimble fingers worked her hands free, then moved to Alanna. The elf girl had slept all day.

"Wake up," Rune urged, shaking her.

Alanna blinked groggily. She looked around, her eyes widening, before opening her mouth to scream. Rune clamped a hand over her before she could.

"Hush."

"W-where are we?"

Rune took a deep breath. "We were captured," she said. "But we'll be alright. Don't worry."

Alanna saw the fear in Rune's eyes, but said nothing.

"Hurry!" Cladi urged. "The Dogs don't like to be kept waiting."

"The Dogs?" Rune asked. "You mean Hane and Keorg?" Although she didn't know the two men, the entire day she had been hearing the children tell terrible stories about the vile beings who lead the band of slavers.

Cladi nodded, shaking with fury. "They're no better than dogs," she hissed. Her hand flew to her stomach without thinking.

Rune saw the gesture. "One of them is the father, isn't he?"

Cladi bit her lip, hard enough to draw blood. "One of them, perhaps both of them. I don't know. They killed Aures. He was…I pretend he's the father." She looked away. "Don't tell them anything," she said.

Rune nodded. "Don't worry. I won't."

"They all say that."

Tawnyclaw scratched Rune's hand to get her attention. She looked at him.

Strength. He said. Hope.

Rune nodded to him. Will you come with me? To protect me from bloodthirsty Dogs?

The bird blinked his golden eyes. Yes. She held out her arm, and he perched himself on it, his one good wing flapping. The other wing was rather limp.

You're still hurt.

Yes.

Rune kissed him, and he nibbled at her nose. You flew today, though.

Did. Must.

Thank you.

"You'll be late. You don't want to be punished."

Rune didn't want to know what the punishment for being late was. She scurried out of the cart, wrists throbbing, Tawnyclaw clutching tightly to her. Alanna was at her heels.

All of the carts—four of them—had been pulled around a central campfire. Around twenty men sat around the flames. Rune searched each of their faces, but found no sympathy in any of them.

"Ah, our little pets arrive!" called one. "And they've brought a friend."

Tawnyclaw hissed at him.

"Feisty, eh? Hane, what do you make of her? The older one."

Hane stood up. Rune's mouth dropped open. Alanna gave a little whimper of fear, like a puppy separated from its mother in a thunderstorm. She clutched to Rune's hand.

Where Hane's left eye should have been, there was nothing. Half of his face was mutilated beyond recognition as human. The remaining eye was dark and flickering, clever and ruthless. The good side of his face looked in his mid thirties, young and strong and healthy. The other side…it should have been in the grave long ago. Rune shivered.

The thing called Hane circled her slowly. Rune stood stock still, unable to move as she felt his eyes moving over her body, stripping her. She kept her jaw set fast, blinking away tears.

Lycona help me, she cried in her heart, trying to find that princess's reserve she had called on so often in the past. It was no longer there. That's because I'm not a princess anymore, Rune thought bitterly. The thought stung.

Hane smiled with the good half of his face. "Pretty enough, eh men?"

The men cheered, raising mugs. Rune recognized mead sloshing in them, and realized that only three of the carts contained slaves. The other was filled with supplies – food, weapons, and drink.

Tawnyclaw bit her ear, hard. Faith, he reminded

"What do you make of the bird?" asked another man. Tawnyclaw bristled.

Hane shrugged. "What is your name, girl?"

"Dove."

"Very well. I don't suppose you can be persuaded to give a real name?"

"No," Rune tried to sound brave, but her voice cracked. For Alanna, she told herself. Be brave for Alanna.

Hane smiled. "All the same to me. You're property, no matter what you call yourself. Have you any skills?"

"No."

"You're innocent?"

"Yes."

"What about the boy you were found curled with? Is he your lover?"

Rune shook her head. "No. My friend."

All the while, Rune was looking around desperately. She had already told herself that the slavers knew nothing of the dragons, but she wanted to confirm it.

"Where are Slate and Saphira?" she asked.

Hane looked to the other cart. "In there." A flicker of triumph shone in his eye. He had gotten Rune to reveal the names of two of the other slaves.

How wrong you are, Rune thought pleasantly. The dragons must have sensed something was wrong and left, she told Tawnyclaw.

Betrayal!

No! They couldn't bring us all, don't you see? She said, if they had, they would have left the horses. And that would be suspicious, finding five horses in the middle of the desert. Galbatorix hears about suspicious things.

Fight!

No, we couldn't have fought, Rune corrected him, tightening her grip on Alanna's hand. If we had fought, we may have won. But when the slavers didn't arrive in Dras-Leona, Galbatorix would hear of it. He would know. He always knows. And if we had lost, it would be even worse. Besides, what would we have done with all of the others? They'd die, out here.

Tawnyclaw's talons tightened on her arm, but he said nothing. His disapproval was clear.

Alanna looked at Rune for assurance. Rune smiled at her, trying to pretend they weren't being examined by twenty men.

"You! The younger one. What is your name?"

"Arianna," Alanna replied without a second's hesitation. Her pointed ears were hidden by her blonde curls.

"Where are the two of you from?"

"Hedarth," Rune replied.

"Where were you going?"

"Gil'ead."

Hane saw the lie in her eyes easily. "That's the story you're sticking to?"

"Yes."

"Remove your tunic."

Rune's eyes widened. "What? You can't—"

"Take it off. Now."

Rune's hands were shaking as she slipped her tunic over her head. She shivered as the night's air hit her skin. Her eyes flew to the cart, and she saw Súndavar's face peering at her through the bars.

Be strong, his eyes seemed to say. You'll be okay.

Shay joined him a few moments later. Her rage was clear as crystal when she saw Rune.

Rune closed her eyes, trying to force down the burning shame. Alanna was sobbing at her side.

"Garb yourself," Hane said after what seemed like a thousand years.

Rune slid her tunic back on. She hugged Alanna tightly.

"Next time you anger me or lie, my men will touch you," he said. "If you found this uncomfortable, know that will be worse."

"What happens after that?" Rune asked hesitantly.

"Cladi was a stubborn girl," Hane said by way of explanation. "Respect me, and I will respect you. Let this be a lesson."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Súndavar shook with rage. "They—they—they'd better not touch her! If they harm her, I-I-I don't know. But they better not." There were tears in his eyes, and for the first time Shay realized how much he truly loved Rune.

Vanir watched quietly. "She is strong," he said. "She will not allow this to scar her."

"She may not allow it to, but it has nonetheless," Shay snapped. She remembered her experience by the lake—Vanir had watched her dressing. But that was different. She hadn't felt shame then, only annoyance. Because he was Vanir. But Rune didn't know these men. Shay shuddered at the thought.

Eragon muttered something in his restless unconsciousness.

The man – who said his name was Tarn – helped Shay prop Eragon higher. His gaze followed Rune as she and Alanna scurried back into the children's cart.

"They're going to use you all to break the others," he said. "Hane is smart. He sees the bond between you all."

"The bond is what will make us strong," Súndavar resolved. "We'll be here for one another."

Tarn shook his head sadly. "If you think so, boy," he sighed. "If you think so."