Hounds Rising

Ana sat at the dining table, counting the coins and putting them into a separate purse from her normal one. Everyone was moving around the tower, gathering supplies and setting them in the main chamber, but she hadn’t given herself time to unpack. So, she and Sir Nibs had already figured out everything for travel.

While Ana was growing used to traveling, there was a difference to this time. She would be going with a larger group, and she wouldn’t be alone for it. She felt the letter in her breast pocket and the anxiety of it growing as she realized how close she was to handing it off.

The twins made their way out of their room and set their things with everyone else’s. Lyla stretched, her arms outward, rotating her left shoulder slightly as if nursing a sore spot. Myla counted on her fingers, mumbling under her breath momentarily, then turned towards Ana.

“Well, it seems like we have everything packed and ready. Ready to go get clothes?”

“Yeah!” Ana answered.

She lifted Sir Nibs from the table, and he sneaked behind her shoulders and under her hair. She thought about the muffins she had made this morning but figured it would be better to wait as they hadn’t finished cooling down. The three of them left the tower and were on their way.

Ana loved being in towns rather than big cities. While she enjoyed the people, watching others as they made it to and from stores, their homes, and work was easier for her. From what Rhokhishi had said yesterday, she knew Feathered Cape was in the Ghostway district but wasn’t exactly sure where it would be. They passed The Ancient Anvil, where she saw Kanadak working inside and even stopped outside Lasthold Bakery so Lyla could step in and talk to the owners.

When they finally found Feathered Cape, Myla pointed up the road toward another building.

“Eralasarr’s shop is just up the way here. I’m going to stop by and grab a few things real quick, and I’ll meet you here after?”

“Sure,” Lyla answered.

Myla handed her sister a few golden coins and left them outside the shop. Lyla placed them in her pouch, stepped forward, and opened the door for Ana to step inside.

Feathered Cape seemed like much more than a general clothing store. At first, Ana walked inside and saw various types of material used to make a multitude of regular, everyday clothing. Further in, though, she saw large gowns, fanciful colors, and more. At a table, working without looking up, sat a woman with brown hair, with gray starting to come in at the roots. It was hard to see her face, with her hair falling in front of her, but Ana could see that her long fingers were covered in tiny scars, which she assumed were probably due to her profession.

Without looking up, the woman’s voice moved through the fabric, muffled by the lack of echo in the room.

“Welcome! Just let us know anything you like, and we’ll pull it down for you.”

Somewhere behind Ana and Lyla, another voice rang out.

“Don’t touch anything you’re not going to buy! It takes too much to clean stains from fingers.”

Ana looked around at the other voice but couldn’t see anyone. She turned back as the woman set the garment she was working on and moved the hair from her face. She was a kind-looking, older woman, probably in her fifties. She stood, pushing around the table to face them, and smiled.

“My name is Evelin, one of the owners of Feathered Cape. Pay no mind to Mere. She had to do a lot of cleaning this week and is just grumpy about it. What can I do for you ladies today?”

“Well,” Ana started. “We’re looking for some clothes for our friends and ourselves. We’re traveling this week to Aramore.”

“You’ll be needing something a little more warm than the cloak, huh?” Evelin’s smile shifted slightly. It was still friendly, but Ana could see the thoughts moving through her head as she thought about it. “Dear?”

“Yes, Evelin?” The voice rang out from behind the shelves.

“We started stocking the colder weather gear, correct?”

“It should be back here somewhere…”

Ana heard a loud noise as things were pushed and thrown behind the shelving. After a moment, another woman stepped from behind the shelves, carrying a large box in her hands.

“This is one of a few boxes we’ve got back there. We’re supposed to be getting more later this week,” She mentioned.

Mere had light blue skin with white hair tied up in a bun. Ana had met a few genasi in her life. The top of her head reached six feet easily, but it was hard to be sure of an exact height since her feet weren’t touching the floor. Her body hovered just enough, and she was diving into the box, pulling out various items. Evelin looked up at them.

“We’ll need some measurements to ensure it all fits right. If you’ll need any adjustments, just let us know. If they’re quick, hems and such, I could probably have it done in an hour or so. If it’s more intricate, I have a few orders ahead of you.”

An hour passed, and with little need for variation, Ana and Lyla had six finely wrapped packages of clothes. They said their goodbyes and made it out of the shop, just in time to see Myla walking back over.

“Everything go alright?” She asked.

“Yeah. They were really helpful,” Ana piped up.

“If anything isn’t perfect, they said they would look at it today if needed,” Lyla informed her sister.

“Well, that works out perfectly. We should have everything we need then. Let’s go back, try these on, then we can head out soon!” Myla planned.

Back at the Archmage’s Tower, the three of them sat the packages in front of everyone’s door. Ana had already tried on her new outfit but wanted to check it out again, so she went to her room. Carefully, she removed the twine on the outside of the paper wrappings and started to change. After a few minutes, she was bare, then in her new clothes.

She walked over to a mirror, which hung on the wall but was at least seven feet tall and four feet wide. Puffs of white fleece accented the darker brown tones of the jacket around the end of the sleeves, the bottom, and inside the hood to add extra insulation. She had big snow boots on, with a type of stretchy pants made of thick cotton dyed a reddish color that almost matched her skin. A long, wide scarf wrapped around her neck and down, with shades of tans and browns. On the end of the scarf, there was a pretty design of a green leaf. The pattern was elvish in nature, with small swirls inside it, giving it a more artistic feel.

“What do you think, Sir Nibs?” She asked as she turned towards him on the bed.

The squirrel jumped off the bed and approached the top of a dresser that stood at Ana’s shoulders. Ana moved her hand towards him so he could cross her arm, and he made himself comfortable in the hood of the jacket, hidden underneath the many loops around Ana’s neck.

“I think it’ll do just fine,” She smiled at herself in the mirror.

She quickly changed into the clothes she had on and made her way down the tunnel towards the kitchen. Inside, she could see all the muffins she had made and set on the counter. Carefully, she took them out of their tins and placed them in her bag, where they would stay fresh for as long as they were there. Ana remembered how excited she was when her dad gave her the bag before she left.

She had seen him take the bag on his adventures and when they traveled from the restaurant to the winery. It was always exciting because they never had to cook on the road. He would cook for them beforehand and place the items in the bag. When it was time to eat, he would pull the bag out, and they would be nice and ready. Even though she knew the magic wouldn’t allow it, she still swore that she could smell some of those meals in the bag today.

Ana finished packing the muffins, took one last look around the kitchen, and returned to the main chamber. She said a silent goodbye to the tower’s kitchen, and as she stepped out, the room lights shut off as if saying it back.