Anna
*With a quick slide, she had moved past the crowd of people. Eloise had always loved to go.. Anywhere really. So, she had always made sure to put her safety first. And that safety, being this inconspicuous cloak. She had always been pulled aside for it, for it used to be solely made of linen and she was easily seen as suspicious. But she had embroidered its edges with sage green in an attempt to rub the allegations off. It worked, for the record.*

*It was at the point in the capital where time would stop, at least in her eyes. When the streets begin to hush down and the sky starts to gleam a little brighter, that was when you know you've reached your destination. That was how the Aikatherini family found places, which occasionally worked. Standing now in a desolate alleyway, she stared at the antique pottery shop. At first glance, it didn't seem like much. Through the windows it seemed pretty dull. But when Eloise opened the door and the smell of that familiar paint washed over, it was farther than the truth.*

*Making sure the sound of the door closing behind her rung, she finally entered the shop. Her hand traced the unfinished pots, walking deeper into the store. She could hear the wooden wind chimes clanking against each other, another way of the shop saying hi to her. Her eyes had begun to wander farther than clay smeared shelves, closer and closer to.. "ELOISE!" A loud crash had interrupted her exploration, flinching at the sudden noise. It was a voice that could be only owned by an elderly, it had come from a door beside the counter. **"Ezra?"** She chirped back, hearing the noise of a wheel spinning from inside aswell. **"I hope I'm not late."***

*Eloise opened the door, peeking inside with a cheery smile. There it was, Ezra's workshop. It had a few little elves running around being taught by him. "Yes, you are. You know how I hate that." Eloise awkwardly smiled, **"I know."***
Henry
*The smell of the city near evening was a strange mix. Food frying in cast iron pots, the dust stirred up under the cobblestones, the scent of horse's sweat and man's labor. Smoke wafting from chimneys. Each and every smell found its way to the nostrils of the small brown-speckled gecko perched on a sandstone wall of the same color, unmoving in the fading light of the evening. Niles's courier shop had closed slightly early that day - there were some things one needed to prioritize over the operation of his mail service, and proper casing was a task that could never be neglected.

Vertically slitted eyes darted about as the hours passed, noting each and every person that left the Aikatherini manor, identifying each servant as they exited by name and face. Elwyn, the scullery maid. Gunnar, the stablemaster. Each had been carefully penned down in a sheaf of ever-growing records stashed within the walls of Ethan Pedron's courier shop. The Aikatherini family themselves were quite distinctive, of course - fire-red hair was an easy feature to track even for someone not accustomed to the practice. Rumors had reached his ears that one of them had been sneaking out and roaming about the streets, and for Niles, such a rumor was too valuable to pass up.

A secret tryst might yield some valuable leverage over the family if he ever needed a quick escape - with cover broken, each and every resource he could gag with a threat was necessary and useful. Noble families tended to care a good deal about their reputations, and that could be exploited for his benefit. As the sky's rosy color began to fade, a lock of fiery hair concealed beneath a hood embroidered in sage lining clued him in as to the identity of the latest person to exit. A woman, by her gait. Likely Eloise, the daughter, but there was little confirming that yet.

As Duke Kalev had so often said, the mind of a spy must be open to information and closed to assumptions.*

_ _
*Finally, he moved, slowly slithering down the other side of the wall to find a quiet space, out of sight, to return to his humanoid form. The watchful eyes of an ogre-faced spider trailed the woman as he broke line of sight, feeding images into his head. Directions were not far behind. She was clearly new at concealing her form - distinctive features like a set of embroidered edges marked her as a noble attempting to pass herself off as a commoner, and the disguise she had chosen did not mask her figure or change her silhouette as much as it needed to. 

Under the back door of the fletcher's shop he slipped, a predetermined quick-change location. The small mud room was closed, private, dark. The brown-speckled gecko grew in form, clothes and golden hair blossoming on what had once been scales until a local face, Ethan Pedron, stepped out of the fletcher's shop with a smile, recognizable to the passerby as the messenger they all knew, in a gray peddler's cloak, with staff and leather mail bag in hand. Through the eyes of Squint, he knew where the fire-red hair was headed, and at some distance, he found her in amongst the crowd, following as if he was simply making another delivery. 

Professionals had many reasons to be in a single place.

On the wall, Squint disappeared without a trace, reappearing under the cloak of the courier, on his shoulder, concealed for the moment. Through the streets and alleys they went, the red-haired quarry and he, until her steps took her to an alley he knew well. Every street was mapped, of course, but he'd delivered letters to Ezra the potter for years, and the cheery man knew him well. She entered rather conspicuously for someone attempting to hide, but there was little for it - and after she entered, he kept his ears open. Eloise, Ezra shouted. It was her, then, the daughter.

He waited for a heartbeat, then two, then opened the door himself.*

_ _
"Ezra?" *He called as the bell rang above him, a small smile on his face. Niles was a lean man, with a weathered face that seemed to be forever smiling. His hair was the color of golden straw and fell to his ears. Crinkled eyes of a cloudy gray-blue peered around the shop, finding most of it as it had been. He wore tough, simple work pants of beige cloth, and worn-out boots of brown leather. Under the gray peddler's cloak was a dusty brown tunic. Almost as soon as he had entered, his eyes fell on Eloise, and he straightened up slightly, the veneer of surprise neatly in place on his face.*

"Oh, you've got guests." *His eyebrows shot up his face as he inclined his head to the lady in question.* "Sorry to intrude..."
Anna
Her ears had instinctively perked up in the presence of another voice, quickly reaching to grab for her hood. "Ezra?" A male voice called out, one that was most certainly not one of someone she was familiar with. "Ah, you're finally here. 'Least one of us can arrive on time." Obviously it was aimed towards her, whether serious or not, a deep hearty laugh escaped the frail man. Mordecai (the old man) let out a groan as he stretched his mouth, showing off a few gold teeth before approaching the mailman. Gently passing through and making his way behind Eloise. 

*At least he isn't a total stranger to him.* He sounded *Alive*, human and most importantly kind. That was enough for her personal standards. In suit, her shoulders dropped slowly. She had to even let out an involuntary sigh of relief, which she quickly covered up with a cough. "Oh, you've got guests." *Dear. He's so polite too.* Eloise's eyebrows briefly knitted together, disappointed at her own cynical ideas.

Eloise took a deep inhale, turning around to finally see the mystery man. "Meet Niles." Emeralds peeked through their ginger locks, scanning the man before itself. Tired grey eyes, worn out locks of blonde and a slight smell of *Paper* On him. *The all too familiar smell of a post office.* It would be weird to just stare, "No, no. I apologise." *For assuming you were even any sign of threat, seriously, was he alright?* "I am Eloise. Eloise Aikatherini." A freckled hand emerged from the old cloak, pushing aside some of her long locks in the process. There was no sign of scarring, since she was always so keen on wearing gloves when outing. This time however, she didn't wear them. It was hard to convince her father she was going to the market if she had picked them up, no?

_ _
At the corner of Eloise's eye, she could've sworn she saw his once scrunched up face beginning to beam with excitement. One that was similar like a child with a brand new pet. "Ahem. Mm. If you're done with your introductions." He barely croaked out whilst trying to maintain his stoic demeanour, attempting to hide the blatant enthusiasm. Extending an expectant hand towards the man.
Henry
*She seemed to instantly freeze, like a doe sighting a hunter - it would spell her doom if she was being chased in earnest just as quickly. A wince, cringe, or sudden movement almost always drew the eye of a pursuer, and she was making herself obvious as someone who was not supposed to be out and about in the streets of the city. Fire-red hair, a distinctive embroidering on the cloak, and a scared demeanor? She stuck out like a sore thumb.*

"Just finished most of my deliveries. Heading back home, I had one for you on the way." *He shrugged, a cheery smile on his face as he answered the man. His thoughts lingered on Eloise, however - confirmation was not so easily gained by first glance. There were details that an illusion could repliate, and he was well acquainted with the intricacies of illusion magic. Physical contact was one of the ways in which an illusion could be detected, and as she reached out her hand, he reached out to reciprocate, masking the test with a polite smile.*

"Ethan." *He greeted her, inclining his head in a nod. There seemed to be no illusion - at least, the shape of her hand matched the boundaries of it that he had felt - and she had given away her real name. He wondered for a moment just how sheltered the girl had been if she would give away her real name and surname - instantly identifying herself as nobility - while trying to pass as a commoner. She didn't speak like one either. The accent was much more refined, there was very little slang - and the way she repeated the name smacked of high birth. 

Ethan Pedron chose to politely ignore that, and Niles already knew. As Mordecai cleared his throat to but in, he acted as if he was suddenly remembering his business, popping his head up quickly and rummaging through his bag for a letter. The brown leather was worn from years of use, but had never failed him yet. Tanned well, thick enough to keep trucking, and well-maintained, it was his livelihood in one accessory.*

_ _
"Here you are." *He handed over a sealed letter that bore a simple red smudge of wax, a wince on his face.* "It's from Jonathan - probably not what you wanted to get, but he paid me, so I've got to deliver. I heard from him that the price of clay's going down, though, so he'll probably be able to slam you a little less hard on the bill next time." 

*As he looked around the shop, his eyes snagged on a pottery wheel left out long after its time - two wheels set side by side.* "You're usually done by now, the kiln's off." *He remarked, rolling his shoulder to ease an ache.* "Just cleaning up?" *His eyes traveled curiously to Eloise, wondering if she had anything to do with the change in schedule.*
Randy
Was honestly so excited to see the ping
Anna
*Ethan.* She repeated in her head before pulling away from the handshake, greeting him with a gentle toothy smile. Revealing her unusually sharp canines with no malicious intent, which was another unique trait in the Aikatherini clan. Despite her initial doubts, he was pretty trustworthy. Though, she couldn't help but feel curious as to why he hadn't mentioned his last name, *Perhaps something like that was personal.* It clearly wasn't to her, since she just gave it away like that. *They are just words.*

Once their little greeting was over, Ethan had begun to dig into his worn out bag, skilfully pulling out a crisp letter. "It's from Jonathan - probably not what you wanted to get, but he paid me, so I've got to deliver." Eloise turned to watch the transformation that was Mordecai's face. The words had slowly translated into his ears, triggering a slow shatter of the mask that was his stoicism disappear from his face. *Disbelief.* At this point, you could tell that whatever Ethan was saying, he was disinterested with it, no longer wishing to even keep the formalities.

_ _

Crossing his arms, he let out a sigh of frustration. "I'm going to make 'im pay every cent. Ion care." His accent bled through like spilled ink on a piece of parchment, snatching the letter.

Eloise looked towards Ethan, a crinkle forming on the bridge of her nose as she observed him. "You're usually done by now, the kiln's off." Her eyes darted to where he had just mentioned, "Ah, he's done for the day. I am to receive my clay." Her tone had shifted one would use when speaking to a child, gentle with a hint of understanding. As strange as it'd be, she spoke like this unknowingly. It was just a tone she picked up from her late mother. Turning to the now bothered owner, Mordecai let out a grunt in response. Quickly ducking behind his counter before hauling a large sack of clay onto the now bent wooden surface. "This is manageable, yeah?" *Not like I have a choice, now do I.* Despite her internal conflict, she offered a sympathetic smile. "I can try, you may take your rest if you need. We'll be out of your hair in a few."

Approaching the clay, she had only now realised the reason why he had asked that question. *Thought we were making some progress, Mordecai.* It was about from her head till her waist, which at first wasn't so bad, since she didn't *Have* To hug it. But oh, was she wrong. Cracking her knuckles, she decided to embrace the large sack first, attempting to drag it off of the counter before lowering it onto the floor. It was working, until it reached the lowering part. Instead, a loud thud was heard, her sandalled foot being crushed a little too hard. "Goodness-" She hissed through gritted teeth, pulling her foot away from the weight. Eloise ran a hand through her ginger locks, pursing her lips together as she tried to ease the pain through rambling on mentally. "I'm alright." She suggested *Lightly*, trying to acknowledge the fact she didn't forget he was there.
Henry
*The canines were an interesting trait. She looked the part of an elf, but perhaps there was a shifter in the family at some point - or else, perhaps he was dealing with a vampire. Teeth were very little to go off, but there might have been another reason she was sneaking off at night. Perhaps he'd simply caught her in the most innocent of her endeavors, and once in a while, she feasted upon some poor commoner or thief she'd caught in the streets. The pieces he'd uncovered so far fit - the extreme jump could have been because of her fear of being outed.

Still, Niles's easy smile remained on his face as he played the part of Ethan Pedron - there was little reason for the courier to be putting together webs of conspiracy from his little shop near the palace, nor was there reason for him to suspect any foul play. Ethan Pedron was a simple man, of course, and had no ambition to go snooping in anyone else's business.*

"Funny that you say that - he was just saying the same about you." *He chuckled, nodding to the letter.* "That's the clay bill this month, I think - if you don't cough up a copper or two soon, I might be back with a more strongly worded one." *There was little he didn't know about the goings-on in town, especially when they involved townspeople that sent letters back and forth through him. He often didn't even need to open and re-seal the letters - a small conversation at each end told him what he needed to know more succintly. Often with more subtext.*

"Oh, that's nice. You sculpt?" *He asked in a conversational tone, polite and businesslike. Good conversation was to be made simply by watching and hanging around at the end of the day in a warm room, talking to his neighbors. As Mordecai hauled up the gigantic lump of a bag, there was very little doubt in his mind that the woman wouldn't be able to lift it if she wasn't a vampire - so as she dropped it, he mentally checked a box - either she was an excellent vampiric actor or a normal elf.*

_ _
"Oh-" *He made a half-motion as she slipped, as if he was reaching down to help but couldn't get there in time. Drawing in a hissing breath through the teeth, he winced in sympathy for her foot.* "Ooh. That's got to hurt." *He shook his head in the process of bending down to haul the sack up and onto his shoulder, hefting it with no small amount of effort. Mordecai was a stronger man than him - but he'd walked mile after mile with a heavy load. This would be no different than delivering a package. Large, heavy package though it might be, he could do it.*

"I'll take care of it." *He offered after the fact, a flash of a friendly smile in her direction carrying him forward towards the door.* "Where were you heading? I'll only charge you half price for this one, I sort of volunteered for it."
Anna
Mordecai let out a snort, the only kind of acknowledgment the poor man had gotten after the big reveal. He had walked off in anger, the audible sound of some scribbling . *Isnt that swell.* Now she was stuck with the man she had humiliated herself in front of. 

"Ooh. That's got to hurt." Eloise let out a chuckle, letting a cheeky response slip. "You speak to me?" Making an extra effort to show that she was joking, she offered a playful grin. "I'll take care of it." He replied, flashing a friendly smile in response to her own. Letting go of the clay, she lifted herself up from her hunched over posture. "I'm not sure- It's quite the hike. I don't live in the city." She awkwardly chuckled, her lips pursing into a straight line. She wasn't kidding. *Plus, my father would be concerned with how often she was bringing some guy back home.* "But.. It is your job." She didn't mind the dust, so she placed her thumb nail in between her teeth. Her eyebrows knitting together in thought.

"..I'll only charge you half price for this one. I sort of volunteered for it." Eloise's nibbling had stopped instantly, her elfish ears had its movement broadcasted by the small jingle of her jewellery. "Really?" Eloise smiled, gently taking his hand and shaking it. "Thank you!" Of course, it wasn't free. But it was *Half* Off. Any discount was a discount. *Especially* When it was so generously offered. *Perhaps she'd cook for him when they got back. It would be pretty late by then.* Taking her hand off of him, she gestured for her foot. With his assistance, she was able to free her foot with a small grunt. "Thank you Mordecai!" She greeted him goodbye as she walked towards the exit, gently placing a small *Tip* Inside of the jar right beside it. "I left you something in the jar, I do hope you enjoy it." Eloise opened the door for Ethan. "Seriously, I appreciate it." Eloise smiled, draping the hood over herself once more.
Henry
*Niles's shrug was a bit labored, given that he was currently hoisting the bag of clay upon his shoulders, but it would do in a pinch. One shoulder moved up and down as he brushed off the concern at what a long hike it was. Clearly, it wasn't a long enough hike that she wasn't willing to make it - but that was Niles the spy talking, not Ethan the courier. There were other reasons, of course - her being out of town would triple his fee.*

"I hike for a living. A discount is no problem." *Plus, out-of-town deliveries were triple the usual fare - so one silver, five copper at the end of the day, after discount. He grinned at her, hefting the bag as comfortably as he could, making sure it sat on his shoulder with minimal trouble. Of course, it was heavy, like carrying a sack of flour to the marketplace or a bag of potatoes, but no more difficult to seat. The bluff she was enacting was a little too thin for him to really expect her to lead him anywhere out of town, but if she was going to lead him to a hideout or another little secret bolthole, she could be his guest.*

"Good night, Mordecai - I'll see you tomorrow!" *He called back into the shop as they both exited. There was no doubt in his mind he'd be seeing the potter soon. The bill had to be paid, and though he tended to grumble, he'd never been behind on his payments yet. Helped along, he thought to himself, by the gracious tips of a noblewoman who perhaps unused to telling how far a single gold coin would go.*

"Oh, no, it's no problem at all." *He shrugged.* "I'm all done with my deliveries for today - and you looked like you were struggling. People help me out when I need it - the least I could do is help someone who needs it, if she does." *That hood, he thought, was an atrocity against the very act of sneaking. There was so much more to be done when hiding in plain sight...*
Sheridan
I think it should be good for the moment! Up until they actually reach her house. Then we can move to the channel.
Anna
The pair left the building, only to be greeted by the chill of the oncoming night.

Amongst the quick feet rushing to return home, if you listened closed enough, there were audible noises of a soft hoot echoing Ardunon. The call of the owls, the favoured curtain call of nightfall. "Dear, we must get going." Acknowledging the sound she had begun to pick up the pace. With quick haste, she guided him through the crowds of wool and linen. Despite the fact she wasn't the *Proudest* In her disguises nor navigation skills, there were many other things she was much more capable of. At the moment, there was the one that she had decided to show to the stranger. 

When the crowds lost its density, when the streets had fallen quiet and the evergreen that once measly peeked from the cobble stone paths grass filled the floor. She *Knew* She was alas, *On the way home.* "Cmon." Lowering down her hood, she tucked her fiery hair into a neat little ponytail. Which wasn't little, since she had *Quite* The volume in her hair. "Hope it isn't 'no problem at all'." Quoting his earlier words, she dug her sandals into the path before following its lamp'd route.

"You know, the kids who live around this place light up the path." Eloise remarked as she jogged alongside him, surprisingly, not too out of breath yet. "There's this one kid, passionate about magic, he had once lit up this entire path *All* On his own.." Eloise had let out a sigh, small 'happy' wrinkles had formed around her emerald eyes. "I wonder, what are you passionate about?" Eloise had a joke planned in her head, of course, covering up a polite giggle before even finishing. "Well. Of course, other than mailing letters. Though, no shame if you do like it."
Henry
"It's a little early to call me dear, isn't it?" *He joked, the grin of a cheery courier still upon his face as he followed her through the city's streets. He knew them like the back of his hand, had traveled them every day - and the path ahead was very straight, very familiar, and very full of hustle and bustle. It was taking them back to her manor, as he had expected. There were very few points along it that he did not know.

As she tucked her hair into a ponytail, he waited, lugging the clay along on his shoulder as she wrestled with the voluminous curls. Like flame spilling over marble, he thought briefly - she could have passed for a fire Genasi if someone had only seen her hair rustle in the street. He shifted the lump of earth from one shoulder to another, making sure he wasn't tiring himself out on only one side. It was his job, but that made it no less tiring to tote the bag - not that he would ever admit it.*

"His name's Peter, isn't it?" *He asked, recognizing the child in her story - a thatcher's son who turned out to have a good deal of magical talent. His father was saving every penny to send him off to the Mage Hands with enough coin in his pocket to buy books of magic for his education. Though he could do little but conjure lights now, he could become a powerful man in the future.* "Edwin's son. I heard it from his father. He's proud as could be."

*She seemed to take genuine pleasure in the sight of children on the path playing - at least that counted for her in some degree. There were seldom any points of relevancy to whether or not someone had a good heart when one was gathering political leverage, but a tendency to help those in need was leverage in itself. A simple trap, a disguise as a beggar or an old man knocked down in the street, would likely catch her in its grasp as easily as stepping on a spider to crush it into the floorboards.*

_ _
"Passionate?" *He repeated for a moment, eyebrow raised. Niles knew what he truly had a passion for - the game, the knowledge and advantage that came with pulling one over on an unsuspecting mark, the brutal slips that he could push a political opponent into, the sense of danger that came with each assassination.* "I'd say I'm passionate about people."

"When you deliver as many letters as I do - fair amount of packages too - you get to see a lit of highs and lows in life." *He explained.* "A son getting married, a cousin coming to town, presents from a daughter far away. Then there are the sour parts. Bills every month, like Mordecai. Notices that you're behind on your payment. Threatening letters. Once, I delivered a live adder to a woman who had broken it off with a man who couldn't let go - luckily, I killed the thing with my walking stick before it could bite her, but it was a close thing."

"Then..." *He hesitated.* "The letters that really matter. I used to deliver letters that notified parents ttheir son had died in Dazvaz up until last year. Letters that told families that their father was gone forever. Those sorrows, and the birth of a grandchild, the joy that comes in a letter from ones you love. When the war ended, I had such an influx of them that I was rolling in gold for months." *His face was a mixture of wistful and peaceful, a gentle sort of remembrance.* 

"To see all that is really something."
Randy
YO the length is chefs kiss
Anna
Well, that cheeky remark woke her up. "PFFT-" With a few twitches of her shoulders, a full blown huff of laughter had escaped Aikatherini. At times she'd forget that she was speaking to people who *Would* Be around her age. Of course, *Literally* She was much more older. "Well, my apologies, *Ethan*."

Despite her earlier thoughts of testing him, she decided to not speak of the 'notorious root.' Most of the time, when people hiked or walked here, they *Always* Tripped over that particular *Root*. It was just a thing she believed in, that *Nobody* Could avoid it *Unless* They knew of it. And well, *He walked right over it.* Eloise wasn't the type to jump to conclusions. She liked to weigh her options, like how perhaps he just had delivered a lot of packages along this route. So, she'd keep her suspicions on hold for now.

*'His name's Peter, isn't it?'* With newfound interest, her head quickly turned to look at him. She found herself wide eyed, curious at the recognition. He got the story completely correct. "You're right." She chuckled, with a slight meaning behind it. Shortly looking back to the path ahead of her. "Our little fire starter." She smiled the thought adoringly, the way a mother would at the sound of her child earning an achievement. 

"Woah." Was all Aikatherini could let out after his words, staring at the crunching leaves that had become the only sound for the fleeting silence. She had allowed his words to seep into her mind, along the way she had subconsciously slowed down to listen to him speak better. Meeting now at the same pace as him, walking parallel to him. It was apparent, there was *A lot* Of sincerity in his speech. It was not that she didn't think alike, it just felt *Refreshing* To hear from someone else.

_ _


"You know," She cleared her throat. "You'd make a great writer." Eloise placed her hands behind her back, basically staring at him as she spoke, she had *Some* Faith in her muscle memory. "I suppose it's just the way you speak, it's.. It's immersive. Can't help but feel touched here." She snorted, controlling her immature chuckle. Which, for the record she was aware of. "Though, with what you've told me.. A mailman seems much better." They had took a left turn and in short, revealed  .