Dron's head bounced up and down. The world was upside down.
Consciousness slowly came back to him, and so did the pain.
"What is this? What is going on?" He groaned and tried to move his hands. They were down in front of him. He had to squint his eyes to see them. When he did, the last little bit of fight surged in his body. He was tied up.
"Get off me! Let me down, immediately." Dron struggled, but something held him fast.
"Mark Chief, you're making this more difficult than it has to be."
He heard a voice he recognized. Dron turned his head only to see the back of Zeqon's head. Zeqon was carrying Dron on his shoulder like a bag of grain.
"Why am I tied up? Where are we?" A panic swept through Dron in a wave. If they were bringing him back to Tine's settlement than he was that much farther from Tempest.
"You're tied up because there is no one here who'll be able to take you at full strength, as for where we are I'd say less than half a day from the stronghold."
