Maelie leans against the railing of the Water Walk looking across the river towards the parade on the bridge and the bright lights of the manor parties on the Island. Despite having the wealth and connections needed to attend, there was something bittersweet about it all to her that she couldn't put her finger on. Standing in her leather breeches, boots, a vest, and dark red coat, she had decided it was safer to be as far from that as she could.
She'd been doing fine until the crowds got busier, the nobles in their floats and carriages, and, out of the corner of your eye, an army of Rooks looking for anyone causing trouble. Eventually, she was constantly looking over her shoulder, watching people reaching into coats or bags, and she’d jumped when a child had pointed a toy crossbow at her.
Giving up, she returned to the Inn to change back to her drab clothes for the evening and slip back out into the night. Avoiding the brightly coloured crowds, she stuck to the shadows, her eyes adjusting to darkvision as she got further from the light and found her way to the black waters, observing the brightly coloured celebrations with both a sense of longing and dread.
'Celebrating the formation of their country…Oh…' She thinks in a moment of realization. 'It reminds me of Hero's Night.'
Stepping away from the railing she takes one last look at the bright Island of nobles and turns South for the evening.
'I'll take my chances by the docks.'