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[Arcana]

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It was late, nearly midnight, when Arcana reached the Lodge. The cozy three-story building was well outside Luna, and few traveled out this far at this time of night. Arcana checked the sign before dismounting Starfall by tossing her right leg over the animal's neck as she hopped down. As she bade the unicorn stay, she mused, An appropriate name, for I am less the knight and more the huntress than ever before.

She approached the door and knocked softly, hardly expecting to find anyone up at this hour in such a respectable establishment. But to her pleasant surprise, the mistress of the house answered the door. The woman, Maggy, bade her welcome and invited her to enter.

Arcana dragged her features into what she hoped resembled a smile and pushed the hood of her dark cloak back and let it fall, turning slowly to take in the cozy tavern room in which she stood. She and Maggy were the only ones there.

The woman was friendly and showed her the extent of the Lodge and its civilized comforts. They were joined by a man named Walter, apparently a night owl who frequented the place. She'd heard the name in connection with Greypawn's lackeys, years ago, but wasn't sure if this was the same man. Her politics were rather out of date.

They finished the brief tour by taking seats adjacent to a small pool on the roof top garden. Arcana listened to the conversation with half an ear and peered into the pool, hoping perhaps for a glimpse of a colorful fish.

"Does the Lady Molly Willow ever frequent this place?" Arcana interjected during a lull in the conversation.

"Yes, Milady. She was here just tonight, in fact," Maggy answered cheerfully, adding helpfully, "If you like, I could send to see if she is available?"

Tempting to get it over with, no more delays, Arcana thought. But no, she was too weary tonight to begin what would assuredly be an extremely long, painful conversation. She shook her head. "Tis all right, no need to distrub her rest. I am weary myself and would like to take a room here."

Maggy smiled. "Of course. The larger room downstairs is available. Twenty-five gold a night."

Arcana nodded absently and sketched a brief goodnight wave to the pair before heading downstairs. She wouldn't have cared if the cost had been twenty-five hundred gold a night... money meant nothing these days, and she'd always had plenty. Before reaching the teleporter tile, she stopped and turned. As she spoke she felt the cold dispair and undirected fury fury reaching back up from where she'd tucked them away in order to function, "I will bring my trunk from outside myself. No one is to touch it under any circumstances. No one."