The wagon filled with the new workers Sienna-Rose had taken from the slums of the Citadel rattled on, rolling past the bustling city streets and into quieter lanes, where the houses grew fewer and fewer as they pressed deeper into the woods.
The trees closed in around them, and a nervous hush settled among the passengers. Whispers stirred; some feared they were being taken to be monster feeders, left at the mercy of the dark forest that loomed on either side.
But then, just as doubt began to gnaw at them, the trees parted to reveal a small yet lively complex of cottages nestled at the forest's edge. Smoke rose gently from chimneys, gardens bloomed with bright flowers and neat rows of herbs, and children's laughter drifted faintly in the air.
