The village that morning was anything but peaceful.
Where once there had been the calm sound of vendors calling out dried fish and the soft chatter of townsfolk—now there was an excited, bustling energy echoing through the cobbled streets.
Through the great wooden gates, a steady stream of women were passing one by one, so many, in fact, that the guards had stopped even trying to count them.
Some were in their twenties, young, bright-eyed, and full of curiosity.
They walked with a bounce in their steps, some even fixing their hair or straightening their dresses as they entered. A few of them whispered to each other with giggles, excitement bubbling in their voices.
Then there were the women in their thirties, strong and confident, the look of wives and mothers who had long since learned how to keep their homes and families running.
