There's a visitor in the whorehouse early in the morning. Alea, up early, sees this person ride into the whorehouse. Bored, she monitors him and loses track when he enters the manager's office.
She goes out to pick berries in the forest and check for herbs for Feri's potions. She wanders into the forest with only a piece of bread sitting in her stomach.
She hums a tune to a song she learned long ago. A tune sang to her when she was but a suckling till she grew. Then she had to leave. Her train of thought halts there and she focuses on her purpose.
She returns in the afternoon, going straight to Feri's room. Feri feeds her and sorts out the herbs she had brought.
"We had a visitor today"
"Yes. He came from the palace to deliver a message to the manager"
"He told you that?"
"No. I overheard him talking to Madame Zima. They're moving some of us to the capital"
"Oh, Feri, didn't know you were capable of eavesdropping"
"I was curious, alright?" Feri said, shoving Alea playfully.
"So, what's the move all about? There's a branch in the capital?"
"Yes. It must be new"
"Despicable"
"You call it that. I call it boldness. The second prince is subtly coming out with his illegal business. Power has shifted in the royal palace"
"How does that affect us? That's the royals business"
"Oh Alea, you're no longer in a caravan. You're now a citizen here. If war breaks out, you can't be on the sides. You can't just walk away"
"This is why living in a caravan is better" Alea grumpily says. Feri laughs and pinches her cheek. Alea swats her hand but a smile blossoms on her face.
Alea's bad luck has affected her only friend in ways she couldn't bear with. Since she came, the manager had noticed Feri and hounded her persistently. Alea felt guilty but Feri often shrugged it off.
"How do we know who they're sending off to the capital?"
"Madame Zima is picking which girls are going. I don't think she's going to pick you so don't worry"
"How about you?"
"I'm sure the manager cannot bear to part with me. We'll be together for a while longer. This doesn't concern us"
"If you say so" Alea says and picks out a book to read.
They hear a tap on the door and a shrill voice calling them out. They giggle at their joke about her voice and leave the room.
They follow the other girls to the reception area in the whorehouse. Madame Zima is a short blonde beautiful woman who's a natural seductress. She was about the same age as Feri but she had none of the latter's sympathy. In fact, she didn't care about anyone else and didn't go out of her way to do anything to anybody, good or bad. She had most of the noble clients and she was the official head of all the girls there. She looks at all of them with sharp eyes and begins to call names.
She calls thirteen girls and her eyes slide to Alea and Feri standing together.
"Mier, you're going too. Along with your mage friend"
"Zima, you can't send me away. You need me here. I'm the only mage here. Alea's bad luck. We're better off here"
Or dead, Alea completes in her head.
"The prince would send another mage. Go to the capital. I hear there's a mage that works for the prince which can help you cure your bad luck, Mier, so that beauty of yours can be useful"
Alea grits her teeth and says nothing.
"Go pack. You all leave by sunrise tomorrow"
"Yes Madame Zima" they all chorus.
When Madame Zima turned her back, Alea glared furiously at her. Feri tugs her away before Madame Zima could catch her.
Alea packs her bag furiously and sits on the bed, sobbing. Her life just had to get worse.
She pulls down her sleeve and brushes a spot on her shoulder. She hisses in pain as the mark appears. Bearing the pain, she looks at the mark.
It's a sun carved carefully on her skin. Half the circle is bright orange while the rest is black. She grits her teeth and puts a drop of blood on the mark. It disappears, the pain with it.
She sighs and resigns into a fitful sleep.