The sun was low in the evening sky, painting the clouds with bright oranges and pinks. The sky seemed to pop behind the dark silhouettes of the tall stone buildings. An evening breeze picked up some remaining browned leaves from the cobblestone paths and twirled them in a simple dance to bid the cold winter months a farewell.
Of course, Shaeluris Silentleaf missed out on all of it as she rode backwards upon the back of her shaggy brown goat, Thomas. Her ears bounced with his motions and twitched with the sound of his hooves clicking against the cobblestone. She was leaned down, most of her head buried into one of her thick leather saddlebags as she rummaged around in it mumbling to herself.
Passerby stopped and stared, raising brows and tilting heads at the odd sight. Of course, there were those who were unphased, having seen Shae much like this before or perhaps had just seen stranger sights within the walls. She let their whispers pass through her ears carelessly.
Shae hadn't even noticed the sound of Thomas' steps change as he stepped onto wood or the up and down motion stop as he did. Her ears twitched with new sounds, sweeping, the clanking of dishes as they were prepared or washed, and the muffled talking of the few morning patrons at the Pig and Whistle as they enjoyed their breakfast.
Finally, Shae leaned up, holding her hand up triumphantly as she grasped a black stone statue. The statue was perhaps a foot tall, a well-carved replica of a sitting cat with Uldum stylization. It was still partially wrapped in sand-stained white cloth. "Here you are!" She shouted victoriously, then made a face as she took notice that most of the sound around her had stopped, all but the clanking from the kitchen.
Shae grinned and spun around on Thomas' back, the goat's front half inside the tavern and all eyes inside focused on her now after her small outburst. She chuckled, then threw up her other arm to match the one still holding the cat statue above her head. She slid from her saddle just like that and landed with a heavy clank from her arsenal of weaponry still fastened to her back, belt, thighs, and wherever else. No sooner did her heavy boots hit the floor that she shouted again. "Honey, I'm homeee!"
Two patrons seated at a small table in the corner of the tavern sighed and shook their heads as she started to approach. Another job done.
Night had fallen over Stormwind City. The bright hot clouds had turned to cold blues and soft grays as they lazily crawled over the almost full moon. The sounds of the city could still be heard in the distance and lights of the street lamps could be seen on the balcony that led back to the cobblestone. The wind was steady and cool.
Shaeluris Silentleaf sat by Olivia's Pond by a small fire. She rummaged again through a leather saddlebag and pulled out a roll of parchment tied with a hot pink bow. She tugged at the edge of the ribbon and rolled the parchment flat against the dirt. She rested small stones at the corners to keep it from rolling up again as she looked over the hand-drawn map.
Shae followed corridors and stairways with her fingertip, visions of her days in the tombs played in her mind behind open eyes. There were a number of colorful markings on the map, most were marks of traps and triggers, others were precious treasures that she'd left untouched. In the upper right corner of the parchment was a detailed drawing of markings she'd found in numerous places around the tombs.
Shae moved her finger away from the parchment and glanced to the fire as the wind picked up a moment. Her thin cloak whipped in the breeze and the flames danced and seemed as though to fight to keep alight. She looked to a metal pendant that swung from a thick chain, blocked by flame as it rested well within the fire.
The Kaldorei smiled to herself as she moved aside her cloak and unclasped her belt. She moved to her knees and slid her pants down until her belt rested on the dirt. Her thighs, like the rest of her, were tattooed with red ink. These tattoos were different than the geometric patterns and runes that covered the rest of her skin. These tattoos were marked over burns, brands, from objects taken from her trips all over Azeroth.
Shae took the pendant from the fire in her gloved hand and turned it so that the symbol, which matched the drawing at the corner of her map, was right-side-up. She took in a deep breath, then exhaled as she pressed the hot metal to her skin and held it for long moments. Her ears flicked with the hiss and sizzle of her burning flesh until she pulled the pendant away and set it aside to begin care for the new brand. She would tattoo the symbol the next day.
