Things that go bump in the night

It had grown late, and outside the safe comfort of the Atheneum and the Loreseeker's guildhall, night had fallen. Her breath fogged in the cold air as Maea closed the door behind her and came down the steps to the street below. Frost sparkled on broken cobbles in the dim light of the stars, and though the farmer in her worried about what the cold might mean for the budding blooms on her fruit trees and the tender crops, she still smiled softly at the beauty of it. It should be cold. Dressed in a flimsy dress more suited for the balmy sunshine of the day, with only a shawl to cover her shoulders and onlylight shoes on her feet. But she was not, and as the white haired young woman began to walk the familiar path that would eventually lead her to the Outskirts and home, she thanked Ludo again for the precious gift. Though light as air and darker than the shadows between the ruins, tattered enough to make Evie Wordsworth wrinkle her perfect nose in disgust, the shawl staved off the chill and left her perfectly warm. Content, even. One might even say happy, and be surprised to know that she had lost every blood relative she'd ever had only half a season ago. Ludo had given her more than a shawl, in truth. Peace of mind might seem a strange thing to receivr from a child of Mort, and yet she had found it in a few simple words that tasted of truth. You're not as alone as you think. Maea wanted to believe it was the truth. Unfortunately, it also seemed to be the case in a more literal sense this evening. As she made her way down the street, she became increasingly aware of a presence nearby. Whether following her or merely watching she couldn't tell, but it made the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. Unnerved, she picked up the pace. MAEA Sometimes darkness can show you the light