Raine had been working with her sketches for weeks. She had copied the runes from the factory, and had been trying to figure out how they worked for the longest time. Every time she though she had it, something else became an issue. A misaligned edge, a rune that didn't exists, a mess of lines that broke everything. Her efforts hadn't been entirely in vain. She could very easily tell you what the runes weren't. Not that it helped.
She was still human, and had forgotten about trying to control her shapeshifting. Lynn assured her that it was not necessary for them to know exactly what they were for at this moment, but it gave her something to focus her energy into. And so, she did.
New year's eve came, and she took a break for a while to help downstairs, after Aidu had called for her. The afternoon was a flurry of serving drinks, food, and cleaning as hundreds of Templars came and went, treating the tavern like their own personal catering service. Aidu was furious by the end of the afternoon, and eventually shouted over the noise to tell all the Templars to get out. Though there was a great deal of grumbling and even some threats to attack her, Aidu was a large woman. Even the mighty Templar soldiers cowered before her when she was truly mad. She looked like she could scare even a dragon in that moment, and with that, the night became much, much quieter.
It was dusk, and the tavern was still full of people, though there was not a Templar in sight. Local residents raised toasts to Aidu and her courage, to countless drinks, to well cooked food, and to anything else they could think of. Raine sighed, shaking her head. "Is it like this every new year?"
"Oh, not just every new year. Every holiday you can think of, I get so busy I buy extra mead weeks in advance. Sadly, a lot of my usuals got pressed into service and left, but we've still got quite the crowd. They used to drink me dry, and while that may sound sad, I always made a pretty penny. I'll pay every one of you triple for your work tonight. Ya'll've all more than earned it." The sound of the door opening drew their attention, and a cloaked figure walked in, going straight to the bar. "Seems like not everyone is having a happy new year right now." Aidu walked over, and Raine followed. "What can I do for you?"
"I need a room. Just for tonight, and I'll be out before dawn." The small voice of a woman came from below the tightly pulled cloak.
"Hmm… Well, I don't have any rooms readily available. I'm booked pretty solid for tonight, it's one of my busiest nights of the year. Though, you may be able to share with someone else if you-"
"No. Not an option." Aidu was quiet, her eyes squinting as she looked this girl up and down. She looked to be no taller than Raine, but the shape of her cloak was odd. Like there was a tail that wouldn't stay down.
"Sorry honey, but I don't have any rooms like that to offer you."
"I know you don't want to have anyone else, but I'd be happy to let you stay in our room. If it's just for tonight, we can make some space. My friends have a habit of not even coming to bed most nights." The girl looked over, and in the dim light that went into the cloak, Raine saw gleaming eyes of violet. "I promise, you will be safe."
The girl thought for a minute. "Alright. But no questions." Her cloak moved, and a single gold coin appeared on the counter, bearing a Templar seal. She hadn't even shown her hands. Aidu raised an eyebrow, but pulled the coin over.
"Enjoy your stay honey. I'll be up when you leave with a cup of coffee ready for the road." The girl glanced over, but followed Raine up the stairs. Raine vaguely heard Aidu telling Maren and Karen to stay in the library for the night, and to keep an eye out for Madelyn. Leading the girl to their room, Raine let her in and closed the door.
"It locks from the inside, so no one will just barge in in the middle of the night. Don't you have a bag?"
From within the folds of the cloak, two finely crafted suitcases hit the floor. "Please, leave. I can't… I… No one can know." Raine's heart melted. This was the voice of someone who was hurting.
"Hey, it's alright. My name is Raine, by the way, and no one will hurt you here. You're a wolf, aren't you?" The girl's head whipped around. "I see how your cloak rests on you. You have a tail, and you are clearly trying to hide who you are. I won't judge. In fact, one of my best friends is-"
"I'm not a wolf."
"Oh! A fox perhaps? Or a Basitin, or-"
"No. You would be better to not know."
"I'm sorry, but I'm trying to help you. I know what it's like to not have anyone to talk to. For years I was alone. Just having a friend can make a world of difference though."
The girl sighed, and slowly loosened her grip on the cloak. Reaching up, she pulled the hood down. There was not a hair on her head, no fur grew. Scales of violet and purple covered her, with hints of blue at the edge of her head that appeared like small horns. A similarly colored tail hung down below the bed, and Raine gasped as she stood to her full height of six and a half feet tall. "I'm not a Keidran. I'm what's called an Ishtaer. Dragon-folk. My name is Haelith [Hay-lith]."