Oh, a new queen. Slightly less big eyes of terror. Flax wobbles her way toward the little house she and all the other flax-oriented slaves share.

"How long am I going to be summoned? Do I appear back here if I die of it?"

"If I recall correctly, they once did one in Galt that lasted a few years. I think we're hoping this one will be faster. Hopefully not more than a few months."

"If you die while you're attending, you'll go to the river of souls to stand judgement before Pharasma, same as if you would have otherwise. But we're putting in a fair amount of effort to make sure the delegates will be protected from harm, so I don't think it's especially likely to come up."

"...I don't have food for that long!"

"You'll be paid a daily stipend as compensation for your time. It should be plenty to cover your room, board, and other necessities while you're there."

"Oh. ...just for me and not for," she counts on her fingers and then gives up, "more people?"

"The stipend is yours and you may spend it however you wish. Using a portion of it to pay your attendants would be a reasonable decision."

"- well but I don't know how much it is!"

"It's a pretty generous stipend. If you're frugal with it, I think you would have more than enough left over to pay all your attendants a fair wage."

Flax, who has never been paid any wages and seldom even handles money, is not sure whether a "fair wage" is the same thing as "an amount of money you can use to buy enough food that you don't die", but the others will hopefully be able to get jobs even if she is busy being near the queen. (Shiver.)

She disappears into the tiny house - the door's not big enough for Ione, though it looks like it wouldn't be hard to rip up the roof a little if one were an angry human owner.

Ione waits outside for Flax to gather everything she intends to bring with her.

Flax comes out with her winter clothes, all the food that was in the house, a half-finished bolt of linen, and three more halflings. An additional four halflings also leave the house but appear to be choosing this opportunity to simply Leave The Area, perhaps hoping to shelter under the confusion of Flax's disappearance while not actually accompanying her. Off they fuck. The three who are coming with huddle close together.

"Good to meet you all. My name is Ione. If you are all ready, come take hands in a ring and we can be on our way."

"That's a pretty name," says Flax, as they all join hands jockeying for positions that don't involve touching the intimidating tall wizard.

"My grandmother gave it to me."

And once they are all linked up - bwip.