Lord Francis's Solar, Stoatheart

[brigida]

Tristeza accepted the scrawled notes, and stood deliberately. She nodded once to Francis, something between gratitude and respect, and excused herself from their meeting. She crossed hurriedly to the door, eager not to lose a moment more.

[brigida]

Within an hour, Tristeza and Kardaine were headed for the coastline, to whence Francis had sent a messenger with orders that a ship (already set to sail) be made ready for their boarding. It was before the pale air of dusk was finished sulking into night that they were southbound for Starfall.