The trees thinned out as they approached the fort with its gray stone walls and Luna cried in anguish.

"I don't want to stay there", she sobbed.

Perhaps the soldiers will never release us. Suppose we must sit in the fort until the rats begin to gnaw at our bodies!

The driver grinned and Luna became even more anxious, but Jomar tried to calm her.

"You needn't be afraid, my puppet. I shall make sure they release us soon. We may not need to stay more than a few days".

The carriage continued slowly over the moat and into the yard of the fort. Luna saw that a large heavy grating came down behind them and she understood it was almost impossible to escape. Some of the soldiers pointed their crossbows at her. The mounted soldiers followed them into the yard where they dismounted and tramped threateningly towards them. The soldier who had been kind to her was unfortunately not there. She noticed that these mounted soldiers looked cruel and scornful. Never before had she felt so small and afraid, but the worst was that hands, feet and heads lay on the cobblestones, which were red with dried blood. Luna and Midar screamed and looked away.