Wren was right. It took them a week to reach the ruins. What they hadn’t expected though, was that they weren't the only ones there.

Iyona stopped them in their tracks and stared, all of them afraid to move.

It was a fae encampment.

Fae look nothing like humans. They have green skin and stand straight and tall. Their ears are pointy, and so are their teeth. These ones wore light leather armour over yellow sturdy clothes. Fae don't ride horses. They have ridiculous stamina and can run for many hours without breaking a sweat. They are, most of them, masters of the sword. 

Fae are simply terrifying.

The companions stood rooted to the spot for so long, they were spotted. And once you're spotted by the fae, running is useless. They were overtaken us in minutes.

They were chained up and taken to the camp.

There were special tents for prisoners. They were thrown into one, all 3 together, limbs tied, without a word. And there they waited.

The tent was big enough for 6 people, and there were 2 more prisoners in there. There were also clean mattresses and chamber pots. They were given some surprisingly fresh bread and left there.

The other 2 didn’t want to speak. Wren tried to start a conversation but was met with grunts and turned backs.

The sun set, and the temperature started to drop. Orme was shivering on his mattress, trying to undo the ties that bound his feet, when 2 fae entered the tent.

They bowed to each of them in turn, and offered them a blanket and a bowl of soup each.

The fae must have seen the surprise on Iyona’s face, for they smiled as gently as one could with pointed teeth and put the offered items down in front of her. They said a few words in a language nobody understood, bowed again, and left.

Orme looked at Iyona, but she seemed as bewildered as he was.

Confused and unsure, she took a bowl and raised it to her face. She sniffed, let out a surprised noise, and started eating. She didn’t drop dead immediately, so the others assumed it was safe enough and followed suit. They were starving anyway.

They all slept as best they could, wrapped up in the blankets on the mattresses, their hands and feet still tied. It wasn’t comfortable.

The next morning another fae returned and took the blankets back, along with the empty bowls. Even the strangers had caved and eaten the soup in the end.

The companions were left alone for a few hours, then someone brought food again. 

Wren thought they could get used to being treated like that. That was more food and comfort than they'd seen in a while, and it was offered by the enemy. They started to suspect maybe the fae weren't as they were told: bloodthirsty savages who would kill any human on sight.

After a few days of basically being treated like princes (except for the bound limbs), all 3 were taken to the camp leader. A fae untied their feet so they could walk there, tall and proud, escorted by 2 fae each. The strangers stayed behind, under guard.

The leader seemed to speak a little Human language, although badly. Wren had the best ear for languages among them and naturally was sent forth.

The leader wanted to know who they were and what they were doing so close to their camp.

Wren didn’t have time to explain.

All of a sudden the whole camp was in an uproar. Everyone was running here and there, with a purpose known only to them. 

And then Orme heard it. 

The stomping of feet.

Humans were coming.