Yet again, the other shoe had dropped.

Of course, with the Winchester brothers it always did. When they had stood in that open clearing by the stream, and were about to leave, the attack had started. But it didn't last long, after all it's not easy to fight against arrows with daggers and knives, especially when they couldn't even see their attackers. The only choice they had was to get the hell out of there, to run like they always did, but that was where their problem started. The arrows that had shot down all around them, wasn't shot to kill, they had heavy nets strapped to them that effectively managed to pin the both of them to the ground. They were trapped.

"Crap!" Dean grunted, and tried to squirm so he could reach down to his foot and grab the dagger he had been stupid enough to pack away, but the nets were to heavy and held him securely in place.

"Guess you did hear something then, huh?" he tried to joke even if they were in a really bad situation now, trapped like animals.

"Not the time, Dean!" Sam hissed, and they both tensed when they heard several footsteps come closer, and men laughing and talking in a language Dean didn't understand. Not Henriksen then, he thought, but didn't know whether he should be relieved or scared. At least, with Henriksen he knew what to expect. Some crappy monologue about what a horrible person Dean is and how he will burn in Hell for the rest of eternity, and then a quick death. Now though… He had no idea.

The footsteps came closer, and finally into his line of vision. Six guys dressedin black, that's three for Dean and three for Sam, they could manage to take them down. Had been up against larger groups before, but then they usually were armed or the other people were drunk. Now though, they didn't exactly have the upper hand. These guys were large, young and armed.

What looked to be the leader, a dark haired man around fourty, crouched down between them while the other five stood in a circle around them, ready with ropes in their hands. Two of the men lifted up the net over Dean's legs and he tried to kick, but one of them pinned him effectively to the ground while the other quickly removed the dagger from his leg. Great, unarmed and trapped against six guys. When they took Sam's knife as well he looked at his brother, and knew they both were thinking the same thing. They were in deep shit. Again.

Xxx

"So what do you think they plan to do with us?" Dean asked his brother later, when they had been thoroughly tied up and placed in one of the wagons. The men that had captured them clearly didn't take any chances on letting them escape. They were tied around the wrists, around the ankles, their arms were tied around the chest, and they were tied to the wagon itself. Other than that they had been completely ignored after being placed in the back of a wagon, and the group had started moving again. They group had three wagons, each pulled by a horse, and with two men in front on each wagon.

"Well…" Sam started slowly while studying the rest of the content around them. "I would guess these guys are traders, judging by all the stuff they have with them. Like all the fabric and leather in this wagon. Thought I saw they had food in one of the others and weapons in the last. So they travel around and trades stuff. And really, what do you think travelling tradesmen do with captives?"

"Great, we're slaves. But at least we're still alive. I mean, had it been a certain someone else ambushing us back there we would have been dead already. As long as we're still alive we still have a chance to get away. We'll get through this." Dean said, and tried to sound confident and reassuring, even though he didn't feel it at all. They were screwed, and they both knew it. These guys were professional in capturing people, and probably wouldn't let them out of sight for even a second.

Xxx

The caravan traveled down the dirt road for several hours before they stopped for the night on a grass field. Dean could only watch as they prepared for the night, one guy made a bon fire, one unstrapped the horses from the wagons and tied them with a long rope to a tree on the clearing where they could stay for the night and grass. Two of them set up some cover for the night using large skins and sticks, and one guy prepared dinner, some kind of soup. The last one, a tall guy with scruffy blond hair was clearly on babysitting duty, he stood solemnly still and observing the brothers' every motion. Dean glared defiantly back at him, and received an amused smirk in return, but he didn't let it stop him.

After a few minutes he could hear what he thought was the leader shout something to their babysitter in the strange language from the campfire where the rest of the group now was seated eating their dinner. The babysitter shouted something back to him before he jumped up into the cart and walked over towards Dean. He untied the rope that had tied him to the wagon, and Dean had a small hope that he would untie more of them, but that was crushed when the babysitter dragged him out of the wagon with unexpected strength, and Dean landed hard on the ground, a sight that made the rest of the group break out in laughter.

Dean was unnerved when he realized this man was probably much stronger than him, and with a quick glance at the rest of the group he realized all of these men were not only taller and bulkier than him, but also taller and bulkier than Sam.

After being unceremoniously dropped on the ground Dean tried to stand up, something that wasn't easy when he was bound tight around his feet and arms, and the sound of laughter rose until the leader shouted something to the babysitter again. Then Dean was suddenly swept off his feet, and he realized he was being carried bridal style towards the group. He tried to squirm out of the grip, but to no avail.

When they reached the group Dean was placed on the ground between the leader and the babysitter, who received a bowl of the soup they were eating. Dean, who hadn't eaten anything other than some berries and apples for the last few days, and not much in the days before that either, felt his mouth watering and stomach growl with the smell of warm, tasteful food that actually had meat. Dean could almost not even remember the last time he and Sam had eaten meat. They had been too busy running and hiding too hunt proper food, and had instead eaten what they could find, or steal. Even if they had been innocent before the manhunt, they had been made into criminals during it, they had to if they wanted to survive.

The men could obvious see Dean's reaction to the food, and even if he hoped to get a bowl of soup, he knew he couldn't expect it. He was captured as a slave, and slaves were rarely treated well. Dean turned around and looked to the wagon were Sam still was bound. He didn't understand why only he was brought here and Sam was left on his own, while earlier they had both been under strict supervision. He hoped Sam took the opportunity to try to untie his ropes, if Sam got loose he could untie Dean, and they could maybe escape during the night.

Dean sat in his own thoughts, planning how they could escape that night, so focused that he didn't notice the smell of food coming closer until it was right under his nose. At first he stared at the spoon in disbelief, he had not expected them to actually give him food, he thought they had brought him here just to gloat. Then he understood what this action meant and glowered angry at the babysitter who held the spoon, still with that annoying smirk. He pressed the wooden spoon once again against Dean's closed lips, but he didn't react. He wanted food, but no way in Hell was he allowing them to feed him like a child.

The third time the spoon pressed against his lips without any reaction, the babysitter showed the first sign of anger.

"Eat." He said with a low voice.

"No." Dean answered defiantly, realizing too late what a failed move that was.

As soon as his mouth opened, the spoon rushed in, and Dean couldn't help but close his eyes when he tasted the warm and tasteful soup. When he opened them again it was to look into the triumphant smirk of the babysitter, who already had a new spoon ready. Dean was ready to refuse it again, but then he saw several large pieces of meat on the spoon and remembered how good it had tasted. And besides, if they were escaping tonight, he needed his strength. Dean swallowed his pride and opened his mouth up, ready for the man to push it in once again. But this time he just kept it in front of the lips, forcing Dean to lean forward and close his lips around it. It continued like this until the small bowl was empty, the man sometimes pushed the spoon inside Dean's mouth before he was ready, sometimes he held it just out of reach, so Dean had to lean forward, and a few times he moved it slowly against Dean's open mouth, only to suddenly take it for himself instead, and laugh when Dean glared at him. He really didn't like this smirking bastard.