Ellie is seven years old when the raiders come from over the mountains came. They descend upon the town like a thunderstorm, crashing and killing, sending everyone into panic. Her parents try to hide her inside, but they are cut down from behind, and Ellie is dragged into the center of town with the other children her age. The air fills with smoke and screams, as the raiders burn their way through the town. The children huddle together, under the watchful eye of three hard-bitten and scarred men. Over the next half hour, the screams slowly fade while the smoke thickens. Bits of plunder are brought out and deposited near the children. One of the older boys tries to use this distraction to make a run for it. One of the more-scarred raiders dashes over to him before he gets far and sticks a hand in his face. There is a crack like thunder. The boy screams and falls to the ground, clutching his face. It is smoking slightly.

Ellie jerks involuntarily at that. This is like something out of a nightmare. She wants to wake up now. Three carts are brought up. The children's hands are bound, and they are placed in one of the carts. The others are loaded with the stolen goods, and the group sets off towards the mountains in the distance. The town smolders behind them. Ellie attempts to work free of her bonds, but they're tied too tightly and she doesn't have the strength to work free.

The first night, there are two runaway attempts. Each is met with the same crack of thunder that befell the boy earlier that day. There are no attempts the second night. On the evening of the third day, they emerge from the mountains into a hot, humid swamp. The buzzing of insects rings loudly after the stillness of the pass. They making getting to sleep difficult, and Ellie considers running away just because of that.

At noon on the fourth day after they were kidnapped, the caravan arrives at another town, larger than the one they left. The carts containing the valuables split off, and the children are delivered to the courtyard of a large building in the center of town.

Ellie is seven years old when the raiders come from over the mountains. They descend upon the town like a thunderstorm, crashing and killing, sending everyone into panic. Her parents try to hide her inside, but they are cut down from behind, and Ellie is dragged into the center of town with the other children her age. The air fills with smoke and screams, as the raiders burn their way through the town. The children huddle together, under the watchful eye of three hard-bitten and scarred men. Over the next half hour, the screams slowly fade while the smoke thickens. Bits of plunder are brought out and deposited near the children. One of the older boys tries to use this distraction to make a run for it. One of the more-scarred raiders dashes over to him before he gets far and sticks a hand in his face. There is a crack like thunder. The boy screams and falls to the ground, clutching his face. It is smoking slightly.

Ellie jerks involuntarily at that. This is like something out of a nightmare. She wants to wake up now. Three carts are brought up. The children's hands are bound, and they are placed in one of the carts. The others are loaded with the stolen goods, and the group sets off towards the mountains in the distance. The town smolders behind them. Ellie attempts to work free of her bonds, but they're tied too tightly and she doesn't have the strength to work free.

The first night, there are two runaway attempts. Each is met with the same crack of thunder that befell the boy earlier that day. There are no attempts the second night. On the evening of the third day, they emerge from the mountains into a hot, humid swamp. The buzzing of insects rings loudly after the stillness of the pass. They making getting to sleep difficult, and Ellie considers running away just because of that.

At noon on the fourth day after they were kidnapped, the caravan arrives at another town, larger than the one they left. The carts containing the valuables split off, and the children are delivered to the courtyard of a large building in the center of town.