Meanwhile, at home, Walda went through Lelvin's room, which had now been turned into a guest room though all of Lelvin's belongings still remained there. Walda cleaned the entire space thoroughly and began moving her own things into it. Lelvin had only been married for a year.
The road back to Laoni went around the forest, stretching the journey to the market to nearly an hour while sprinting through the forest would take about half an hour.
Egen, not wanting to sweat again, flagged down a horse cart and asked to be taken to the market.
In the clothing shop, Yara sat quietly having her lunch. There were no customers at the time.
Suddenly, the sunlight that had been shining brightly outside faded, casting a dusky glow over the market.
"Why does it want to rain now?" Yara murmured, pushing aside her half eaten lunch. She stood up and walked to the shop's verandah, looking up at the sky.
Dark, grayish clouds swirled above. Then, on one particular white cloud, she saw two angels hugging a woman. Behind them was a rock, where the angels gently led the woman to sit. They appeared to be bidding farewell to a man who remained behind.
Yara blinked. The angels and the woman were still there, talking. She blinked again and they were gone.
She scratched the back of her neck, her eyes scanning the ground, darting left and right.
"This stuff again!" she laughed to herself, shaking her head.
Then she looked up once more. The sun was beginning to shine through the clouds, and the figures were nowhere to be seen.
Egen had been watching her from a distance, his eyes fixed on her until she returned inside the shop. He followed soon after and found her resuming her lunch.
"Any good sales today?" Egen asked, pulling the sales book from the counter drawer and flipping through the records.
Yara smirked slightly and stood with her lunch. "I don't know. You can check," she said, walking to the other side of the shop and continuing her meal, avoiding eye contact.
"This is our shop. You need to know what you've sold," Egen said, pushing the book aside and beginning to count some of the clothes.
"And if I don't know? What will you do?" Yara replied, a brief smile folding at the corners of her lips.
"I don't know. Mom (Zera) will take care of it," Egen said, a note of unease creeping into his voice.
Yara said nothing. Egen lingered in the shop until evening.
As 8 p.m. approached, Zera arrived in Bale, where Atur's men were already waiting at the offloading center, having anticipated her arrival.
Bale was a bustling trade hub in the southern region, full of life, jewelry shops, fine clothing boutiques, multi-story stores, and restaurants lined its vibrant streets. Everything moved quickly, but with a rhythm that made one feel at home rather than like a visitor.
The ride to Atur's home passed through an upscale neighborhood just a kilometer from town, quiet, well lit with street lamps, and lined with standalone homes. Some had no gates, others had gates low enough for someone to easily climb over.
"This place is beautiful. Reminds me of my younger days," Zera remarked.
"Lelvin loved it here. We all miss her. She was such a lovely person," said Atur's main man, his expression softening with a sigh.