Alis Volat Propriis translation: She Flies with her Own Wings
The market was bustling as Nikola surveyed the various booths, searching for ingredients for her workshops. She did not come often, but she had needed to resupply her own booth with more pet food for the masses so it had been a good time to wander about seeing what interesting and useful items might be for sale. She was admiring a pair of tailored trousers when the sensation of being watched made the hair on the back of her neck prickle. She looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary. There were faces present that she did not know, but there were always people she did not know. She shrugged off the sensation as just someone who was gawking at her wounds recently received in a war game. She stopped in at the Mysts tavern and had a quick bite to eat along with her favorite beverage, a fire brandy. The brandy always made her think of TK as it was their shared love of the rich, fiery drink that had sparked a friendship between them. That friendship had grown into something much more since then, but every time she sipped the drink, her mind went back to those early days when he gave her a tour of his vast collection of brandies and other rare drinks.
When she was finished, she gathered up her things and headed outside, attaching her purchases securely to Starr’s saddle. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled again and this time she noticed a stranger nearby. She hadn’t seen her around before, but that did not mean anything. She was not a peasant as she carried herself too proudly to be of that simple folk. She was dressed plainly in tunic and trousers of simple weave, but her clothing was too clean to be that of a field worker. The woman seemed to be studying her, the fiery red hair that framed her face hanging loose about her shoulders. Nikola smiled and nodded to acknowledge her. The woman just stared and then turned away. “Odd,” Nikola thought as she mounted her mare.
She and Starr took a leisurely pace as they left the noise and smells of a crowded city behind them. She was nearly halfway to Firestorm Manor when that prickling sensation came again. She looked back down the road she had just traveled, but all that could be seen were the ramparts of the Fenian castle in the distance. The road seemed deserted but as she turned back and urged Starr forward, she thought she caught a glimpse of fiery red hair hidden amongst the trees. She frowned, wondering how the woman could have kept pace with Starr on foot. Surely, she was mistaken, Nikola told herself, but the prickly sensation did not abate.
She pulled back gently on the reins and turned Starr around to better determine what she thought she had seen. At first, nothing seemed out of place, but then she saw it. Red hair in amongst the trees. Unsure why this stranger was following her, or how she had managed to keep up, she urged Starr back toward where the woman seemed to be trying to blend in with the trees. As she drew near, the woman stepped out from the trees and appeared to be waiting for her at the side of the road. Nikola studied her as Starr came to a halt beside the woman. Nikola carried only her diamond dagger with her, but she was never truly unarmed, yet she did not sense danger from the woman. Nevertheless, she remained alert.
“Who are you and why are you following me?” she asked. Her tone was neutral, neither welcoming nor dangerous as she asked the question.