The gates of Grotora opened with a dull groan as the merchant carriage rolled out of the town. Morning fog clung to the road, thinning only when the wheels crushed through it.
Inside the shaded cabin, Felicity sat between two crates overflowing with dried herbs. A plain brown cloak wrapped around her shoulders, hood pulled low enough that even her bright eyes were dimmed. Her hair, once an almost surefire giveaway of her identity, had been braided tight and hidden under a scarf.
Opposite her sat Feng, already leaning halfway out the window to breathe in the cold air. Their driver glanced back at her with a grin.
The woman looked like any cheerful coach you'd meet on a countryside road. Blonde hair tied in a messy loop behind her head, cheeks lightly flushed, posture relaxed as she held the reins. But beneath the loose jacket she wore, thin glints of metal peeked through whenever the wind shifted.
