The traveling merchants decided to stop in the village on their way to the walls. The village girls were excited beyond measure. They wore the most beautiful head scarves, some even put on makeup and used perfume. Their giggling and ringing voices filled the square.

For Bug, it was a sign to hide. She tried her best to stay out of sight of the visitors. Today, the old woman sent her out to buy groceries and one of the merchants saw her. A young man was talking to the butcher next door when she filled her basket with heavy glass cans. Bug felt his curious gaze and a chill ran down her spine. Before he could approach her, she hurried back to the old woman's house.

This was a mistake on her part. Having become so accustomed to wolf form, she completely forgot that her human body was not blessed with agility and smooth movements. She tripped. Trying helplessly to protect the basket, she held it tightly in her arms and fell on the pavement, right elbow and knees getting scratched. A few cans fell out, but fortunately, the height wasn't that much, and the glass didn't shatter. This brief feeling of relief was immediately smashed to pieces.

The air was filled with laughter. The familiar laughter she had heard hundreds of times before. Men and women, teenagers and children, it wasn't a big deal, yet a certain one felt painful. She raised her head and noticed how the merchant who had been looking at her earlier chuckled. Their eyes met, and the man covered his mouth as his grin vanished replaced by a guilty look. Bug picked up the canes and returned them to the basket. Limping, she walked away as quickly as she could. The man took a few steps toward the hunchback when some girls blocked his path. This was enough to change his mind. 'This is for the best,' thought Bug as she returned to the elderly couple's home.

The two-year-old memory was still vivid. Another traveling group on the previous North territory stopped at a village. She was naive back then. She thought that people outside the village who hadn't met her before would be kind to her. One man talked and smiled at her. For the first time, Bug thought that she could even be friends with someone. But then the man visited the barn where she was staying overnight, and despite her protests, he took her by force. He left as soon as the deed was done, and the next day, the group left. She was too afraid to say anything to the elderly couple who already hated her so much; giving them more reason to despise her would have been too much for her to bear. This was another lesson that showed Bug what reality was like. Her only salvation was in her dreams.

But now dreams have become a new reality. Bug grasped the basket tightly. Even though she works at night in her nest, it feels different. The swarm is grateful for her efforts. She can feel it, as well as their encouragement. 'I wonder if other wolf ants are sleeping now? Who is on duty today? What tasks will I do today? I want to go hunting again.' These thoughts made her smile. These thoughts made her smile. The abuse she suffered two years ago faded as a vague nightmare.

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Briefly entering the house to leave the basket with cans, Bug headed for the pigpen. It was time for their second meal. Before going to work, she took some rainwater from a barrel and washed her scratches. The only place with pavement was the square, how unfortunate she was to fall there! Bug sighed. Her blood had already started to dry, but the water stung her scratches. It was bearable compared to the flogging she had received from the old woman.

The girl looked at the water circles inside the barrel. The swarm treated her kindly with the one peculiar exception. Sometimes, when she walked through the tunnels, the queen would push her at the shoulder or neck. For the first time, Bug was taken aback. Upset, she thought about the possible offenses she could have unknowingly caused the queen. However, soon enough, Bug noticed that she wasn't the only one to get pushed. All the females in the swarm were the targets. This pushing was not painful, but it caused the wolves some stress. Bug could not read or ask anyone to interpret this behavior, so she still did not understand why the queen had this attitude towards other females. At least it was not her fault, and it began to feel like a routine to her. In the end, for Bug, it became just the queen's way of greeting.

Grunting coming from the pig pen brought the girl back to reality. It was still day, and there was work to be done. Bug filled the bucket with water. The weather had been hot recently, despite autumn. She would see the swarms soon enough, but for now, the other animals needed her care. Especially, the sick sow. It hadn't felt well for the past few days. The vet had left some medicine, but there had been no improvement yet.

The girl entered the pig pen and filled the trough with fresh water. She started calling the animals, who were supposed to be happy for refreshment on such a day. But the pigs gathered in the corner of the pen. They were restlessly pushing each other and grunting. Worried that something might have happened to the sick sow, the girl left the bucket and went into the pen. the pigs started squealing. The girl took a few steps towards them, but the animals panicked as if the butcher was coming for them himself. She has never heard such heartbreaking squeals. Suddenly, she became frightened as well. The pig's reaction to its usual keeper, and the possibility of an old woman's anger towards such a reaction, was frightening.

Bug retreated outside the pen. She closed the door and leaned against the clay wall. The squeals continued for a few minutes before the animals finally calmed down. Fortunately, no one came out of the old couple's house. There was no scolding, which was the only good thing. Difficult questions were something that she still needed to deal with. And if the first one - why the pigs reacted to her like that - had an unpleasant yet easy answer, the second proved to be challenging. 'How will I care for them now?'