"Alea, can you pass the salt?"
"Here you go"
"Thank you"
"Alea, I need help with this spell"
"Coming Sol"
"Lass, come here will ya!"
"I'll be right there Fyed"
It has been 6 years since she had started living with them. She grew from the scrawny child they found in the desert to a beautiful young lady.
Alea was smart, quick on her feet, and very useful. She was also a looker with a body many men would die for. But everyone in the caravan avoided her. She was the symbol of bad luck and no one would speak to her except the three who took her in.
Everywhere she went, misfortune followed her like a second skin. The caravan witnessed more danger with her than in all the years of them traveling. She was shunned and relegated to the rear end of the caravan with the strongest warriors in case anything went wrong.
Alea often wondered why the three of them kept her. Sol gladly told her the reason; misfortune always comes in hand with fortune. So, she shouldn't think about her misfortune. Rather, she should focus on the fortunate parts of her life. They weren't a lot but she cherished them.
"We're setting up camp here for the night. That's what chief says" Diqa announces.
"Why? This place looks creepy and haunted" Alea says with a shudder.
"Are ya scared lass? Don't worry, Fyed will protect ya pretty little arse"
"Fyed, what did I say about swearing in front of Alea?"
"Leave me be woman!"
"Not after I rearrange that scruffy brain of yours which might not exist at all"
"Oi! Are you mocking me nuggets?"
"Yes blockhead. What are you going to do about it?"
"Guys, guys, stop. Let's set up camp quickly before we lose daylight"
"But...." they both argue. Sol puts a hand up to shut them up.
"Let's get to work. Alea, go fetch us some firewood"
"Okay Sol" she says excitedly and picks up an ax.
She leaves the silent trio and wanders into the forest, careful not to hurt herself. Sixteen years of misfortune had taught her how to navigate having such a curse.
She sees some suitable trees and carefully begins to cut them. She also has her eyes on the forest behind her, watching for any foreign threats.
She cuts them with no problem, ties them up, and began to walk back to the caravan. At that point, she's suspicious nothing had happened yet so she hurries back to the caravan. The two moons were starting to reveal themselves in the sky as she runs back to the campsite with the heavy logs in her hands.
She's met with a horrifying sight. The wagons are all up in flames and numerous dead bodies litter the ground. She drops all that are in her hands and hurries to where Diqa and the rest had set up their tents.
She let out a scream when she sees a dying Fyed on the floor, his hairs singed off and a sword protruding from his guts.
"Fyed....no, no, no!"
"Alea... Is that you?" He says weakly. Tears drop from her eyes as she nods. She takes his bloodied hand and puts it on her cheek, rubbing her cheek against it.
"My beautiful little lass"
"Where's Diqa and Sol?"
"Run Alea...as fast as ya can. Run"
"What? Where are they?"
"Run...." he says and he breathes his last. Alea sobs and holds on to his lifeless hands for a while. She closes his eyes and goes off in search for the other two.
She finds people but they aren't who she's looking for. They aren't even part of the caravan. They're bandits.
"Hey! One is still alive" one of the bandits call out.
"Capture her and bring her to me" a voice calls back, probably the leader.
Alea turns and begins to run. They chase after her and shoot arrows at her. She had almost gotten away but she trips on a twig and loses her balance, falling to the ground.
They catch her in seconds and knock her out.