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“May I have more?” Uther asks, holding his bowl out.

“Of course,” she says as she gets up to ladle more into his bowl. “Anyone else?” she asks when his bowl is full. Miko of course comes to his feet quickly and gets more. Qyrll stands and comes forward with his bowl as well.

She glances to his tattooed face coming toward her and gets a nervous look on her face.

“I would like some more too if you don’t mind,” he says to her.

Her hand has a slight tremor in it as she ladles more stew into his bowl. “Thank you,” he says when his bowl is again filled and retakes his seat. All they have to go with the stew is some slightly stale bread. But you dip it into the stew and it’s edible.

By the time the meal is over, night has settled in and the temperature continues to drop. They throw more wood on the fire to keep the chill at bay as they begin to settle down for sleep. All that is but Uther who has pulled the first watch.

James lies his blanket down next to Dave, Miko settles in on his other side. Soon they’re all fast asleep.

Suddenly awakened by a tugging sensation, James comes awake. He opens his eyes and the world swims in front of him. He looks up to see Kerrin standing above him, his hand around the chain securing the medallion around his neck. He tries to stop him but his movements are lethargic, his muscles not responding well to his commands.

“Get the rest of their money,” Kerrin says.

“Yes dear,” he hears Gayle reply.

“You did good work,” another voice says. James scans the area and finds the voice belongs to another man. He starts in shocked recognition when he realizes it’s the older gentleman from the inn back in Feld. The one who had warned them about the bandit attacks in the pass.

“Was easy enough,” replies Kerrin as he finally manages to remove the medallion from around James’ neck. Holding it up, he mumbles to himself, “Might bring a couple silvers.”

He then reaches down and removes the pouch from James’ waist which contains the crystals. At first excited when he opens it thinking he’s found a stash of gems, he’s quickly disappointed when he finds all there is are some common crystals of little value. “Don’t you know what real gems are?” he asks James. Grunting in disgust, he dumps out the crystals on the ground next to him and continues rummaging through his pouches, removing all things of value. The necklace James had found in the underground temple near the fortress of Kern goes into Kerrin’s pouch as well.

When at last he finishes with James, he moves to Dave and begins going through his things.

“Gather the horses,” the older man says. James notices the younger one from the inn is there as well and begins putting the reins on their horses and securing them in a line to the back of the wagon.

Unable to move other than small movements, he tries to look around the campsite. He finds most of the others are passed out, Jiron seems to be the only other one besides him even conscious. He fears the others may be dead, no way to be sure.

They must have drugged us! His eyes come to rest on the stewpot and the realization hits him that that must be how they did it. But Kerrin and Gayle had eaten too, maybe they had taken the antidote before they consumed it.

Gayle is remaining by the wagons while the three men continue removing everything of value from their victims. Once Kerrin is finished with Dave, he stands back up and moves to the wagon to deposit the items he’s removed. The older gentleman joins him and together they help to get the horses secured in a line behind the wagon.

When they at last have all of them tied behind the wagon, Gayle points to James and the others as she asks, “What are we to do with them?”

“Can’t leave them to come after us,” Kerrin says to her.

“You’re going to kill them?” she asks aghast.

“You don’t worry about that,” he replies.

James tries to move after hearing that but whatever drug they used on him has almost completely immobilized him. All he can manage