Runa did her best to keep pace with her captors.

They had been woken up just before dawn and made to march through the desert on the first day. It had been the same for four more days after that.

Now, she trudged along as a part of the long snake of a column that was the other slaves. Their captors rode up and down the line on Linta birds and Vol. After the line of slaves was the caravan of wagons that held most of the camp.

“Move, girl!” a voice ...