The camp consisted of simple, hand-sewn tents arranged closely together, presumably for protection, Min surmised. Nearby, there was a basic pen where several rabzoa, a breed of wild goat that lived in the Witch Wood, were kept for milk. She could hear the laughter of children playing nearby, but her attention was immediately drawn to the smell of smoke and cooked meat when her stomach rumbled.

Ilay laughed, causing Min to blush once again. "Don't worry about it—I know that look well. My son Sait used to have eyes bigger than his stomach when he was growing up." Ilay led the way through the camp, their footsteps crunching on the...