When Lara stirred awake, the sky was still cloaked in darkness. The air was cool, and the silence was only broken by the rooster's crows and the soft rustle of leaves outside. Getting out of bed, she quietly slipped through the back door, her sandaled feet barely making a sound against the cold ground. The moon was still up, and its beams faintly lit the path to the community well.
For days, she had been struggling with hygiene. While the men could bathe openly, she could not do that. It had been three days since she last washed her hair, and she could no longer stand the greasy strands that clung to her scalp, making her skin crawl.
The house she was staying in was a sturdy two-story inn that had been a haven for merchants during the bustling summer trade. The inn was owned by Mayor Roder Fuerte. It was one of his cash cows. During the summer, it was a place for travelers to stay, but during the rainy season, when travelers were scarce, it turned into a brothel.
