gwyn had paused at the sight of him, appearing from the darkness like a beckoning specter. he shouldn't have been there at this hour, but whatever protests she held died at the sight of the wares he'd brought. she smiled, resisting the urge to run her hand over the buttery leather and peered at azriel with a look closest to approval.
it was then she noticed his shadows, drifting close as they always did. for a spymaster that always held himself at a distance, they were remarkably sociable –– at least when gwyn was close by, though she didn't dare ask what that meant.
that one, curling like a tendril of smoke in the wind, seemed to her the most curious of the bunch. gwyn absently nudged her calf against it, and couldn't help her smile as it seemed to respond well, winding like a ribbon around her leg. trell, she decided to call it, as it danced its way up her legs as ivy would a trellis. and then there were its companion, a nearly see-through shadow that seemed almost shy as it hovered by her slipper; bashful, gwyn named it, for reasons that were obvious. and the third, which seemed boldest loped right up to her, and like a dog might, nudged up at her palm. that one, she named darling, because she'd always wanted a hound. she said none of this aloud, but when she glanced back up at azriel, gwyn's teal eyes were bright with noticeable delight.
❝ the others will surely appreciate the option, ❞ she finally said in response, straightening up as she took his measure again. the shadowsinger seemed almost... gwyn hesitated to say boyish, but that was the word that sprung to mind. there was an indulgent part of her that enjoyed seeing him this way, as if gwyn understood implicitly how rare it might be to see him upended. she enjoyed it more than she cared to admit. ❝ normally it is. I couldn't sleep. I thought I might come train. or at the least, watch for the sunrise. ❞
she drifted past him to the window and gazed out at the still-dark sky, peppered with twinkling, ancient stars. ❝ your mother sounds great. ❞ she hesitated, uncertain, but her curiosity won out over any attempt at politeness. she had to wonder at any female who'd known azriel as a child. the thought made her smile. ❝ what is she like? ❞