Orme opened his eyes to a massive headache and his hands tied behind his back. He was hungry, thirsty, and lost. It was morning.

He looked around to catch his bearings, but nothing particular caught his attention. He was where he’d last remembered being, about an hour from the riverbank, with a few trees around and a dusty trail leading to the main road a bit further.

He rolled around in the dust until he found a sitting position, to better look around and assess the situation.

No tents, no boots, no campfire. Nobody. Nothing.

Orme was all alone.

He wondered what had happened, and where his companions had gone. He tried to stand, but his legs refused to execute the complicated dance that would have gotten him up. 

And so it was sitting down that he saw 2 figures in the distance. They seemed to be walking, not running. They weren’t fast. They weren’t slow either, which meant they probably weren’t hurt. He guessed them to be his companions, and was relieved. Still, that didn’t tell him why he was bound and separated from them.

The ground was even, but it still took them a way too long time to reach Orme.

He'd guessed right. Wren ran the last few steps to kneel behind him and cut the ropes that tied his wrists together. Iyona crouched in front of him and gave him some water. Neither said a word for a long time.

Finally, Iyona asked “can you walk?”

“I don’t know,” Orme answered. “I’ll try.” He got up and took a few steps in the direction of the river. “Not fast, but those legs will carry me still. Where to?”

“The river,” they answered in unison. “There’s a boat waiting for us there,” Iyona completed the thought. “It’s small but sturdy. You should be able to keep it afloat.” Orme nodded, hoping for more explanations. When none came, he started the slow and painful walk to the river.