The Summer Isles

"Some come. Traders. We like traders, they bring us things we do not have. We do not like the great fire beasts. Targaryen family has fire beasts, no?"

She adjusted her hold on the arrow so that it pointed right at Daenya's heart.

"You come to our land without being asked and you think are noT a threat? We have many archers, could kill you easy. Stupid girl."

The woman didn't look remotely friendly. Daenya realised that Adara had turned away from the conversation and was now making come hither faces at a handsome man wearing nothing but a loincloth..

The woman is not moved by the girl's attempt to be charming. She glares at her. "You claim to be Targaryen. You come see our chief. He will decide if you go to see the king."

She called out an order in her own tongue. Before long, Daenya and Adara were seized by muscular men, and were being guided through the village, while the people looked at them in curiosity.

"Why have you come?" The woman asked, and Daenya realised that she was probably around twenty years old.

"My father is chief," the woman replied. "I am head of village archers. We guard the village from strangers."

The men were not easily pushed away. Daenya would have to use force if she wanted to try.

They took the women to the biggest hut in the village. Inside they ended up in a communal room where a huge man sat on a thronelike chair. Like his daughter, he wore orange robes and matching features, though his headdress was larger than hers.

They conducted a conversation in the summer tongue before the woman turned to Daenya.

"Father asks why you came. I will tell him what you say."

More conversation followed and then the woman asked "You just visit? For no reason? Father thinks you come to make war or seek friendship."

More conversation followed ad then the hut seemed to close in on them as the nearly naked men blocked off the door. The woman glared at Daenya "My father says you are a spy. You are our prisoner now."

The young woman tried to translate but Daenya and Adara were still grabbed and hauled out of the room into the village. Men tried to bind their hands.

But their hands were already being bound and then everything went black as some kind of cloth was pulled over Daenya's head. "Do what I say and no harm comes to you," the woman said.

Daenya could hear Adara weeping and begging to be let go.

They were led along through the village again, this time without the benefit of seeing where they were going. Inevitably, they ended up stumbling on occasion and Adara once let out a squeal when she kicked something hard with her foot. And then they were led into another hut. Their blindfolds were removed and then, when they were locked in, Adara, shivering, said "Well, this is horrid! What do we do now? Will Vandaras come save us?"

"But...why would they think we are spies? We're only women." Adara sighed. "It's not how I thought it would be. Should we bang on the door and demand food?"

"But it's boring," Adara complained. "I want something to do! I want food. And wine. Lots of wine. They have wine here, I know they do."

There were two wooden chairs in the room, a clay bowl clearly intended as a chamberpot and two thin pallets of woven grass but no coverlets. There was no way to entertain themselves, no food and nothing to drink.