“What tribe? Allegras mouth felt cottony, and the rasp of her words trailed off. She wasnt certain how long they had been traveling, but it seemed at least three days.

“Whatd you say? Vardok asked. His Jazidian drawl was hard to understand.

She tried again. “What tribe are you from?

“You know Jazid tribes? he asked.

“A little. Are you the TAmbera?

“How did you know that?

“I heardthey steal women. She had never believed the stories. She kept hoping she would awake and discover this was some sort of delirium.

“What thievery? Vardok asked idly. “To steal, you must take from someone. We didnt take you from anyone. You were alone. Its our good fortune you were stupid enough to wander into Jazid.

“I was in Aronsdale. She couldnt absorb that they had taken her from her home, her family, everything she knew. In Aronsdale, selling people was illegal. Unthinkable. In all the settled lands, only Jazid allowed it. Aronsdale and Jazid had a treaty for that reason, forbidding exactly what these nomads had done. Such incidents couldnt occur often or she would have heard about it even across the country. She hadnt known Jazid nomads came into Aronsdale.

“You cant do this, she said.

“We seem to be doing it just fine, Vardok told her.

Sot spoke in a slurred voice. “The forbidden is that much more valuable. He motioned at her with his bottle. “With that yellow hair of yours and those pretty violet eyes, well get a fortune.

“You cant sell me! Im a citizen of Aronsdale.

“Not anymore, Vardok said. “We crossed into Jazid two days ago. But dont worry, we wont put you in a public auction. Weve private buyers. They asked for an Aronsdale girl. Exotic coloring like yours. Someone pretty. And curvy. Like you. He rose to his feet and stepped toward her. When the wagon lurched, he lost his balance and dropped to his knees next to where she lay.