military-defeat-and-retreat

In this chapter, Ista and her small group are captured by a weary and defeated Roknari raiding party retreating north toward Jokona. The chapter details the tense interactions between captors and captives, the looting and inventory of prisoners and supplies, and Ista's internal reflections on the situation, including her hopes for escape and concerns about the fate of her companions. The narrative also reveals the brutal consequences of the raid on the town of Rauma, including the death of a divine and the suffering of prisoners.