A Light Ever-burning

[The Unreliable Narrator]

Aleida Farlight
Certified Inspector - House Lericyro
Shapeshifter - Female | 4' 9" - 108 lbs Aleida could feel the cool bite of winter tugging at the edges where her fur-lined jacket did not reach. She frowned and annoyance and knowledge there was little else she could manage to cover and still see. House Lericyro allowed its employees a great deal of time off in the winter months and its use was not in any way optional. In return, each of them was expected to perform their utmost when they were on duty. Business ventures, smuggling, tax preparations, and sudden changes in residency were all a part of the deluge of work that would suddenly arise when the chill mist began to weave its way through the winding streets of Fellsgard.

'Just need to finish the last bit of-' she thought to herself as she stepped through the heavy oaken door of the district office. She was brought up short by a towering presence of a man. Charles Domnt, her superior, and one who could give a galleon a run for size, frowned down at her with steely-eyed annoyance.

"I distinctly recall you being marked for relaxation today, Inspector," he snapped out in his powerful baritone, his eyebrow arching with the unspoken question.

"Yes, sir. I was hoping to just finalize a report so it could be-" Aleida started, but her words died in her throat as Mister Domnt's hand came to pinch his nose and his expression shifted to a parent once again confronted with his unruly well-meaning children.

"No, Aleida, you are going to turn around and go have a comfortable drink looking out over the lighthouses and I will see you on dawnday," he said through a deep sigh. Then he dropped his hand and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "If I see you again before that, I'll be sending you to work among the tax claims, do I make myself clear?"

Aleida could tell there was no real threat in the words, but she also felt the weight of his disappointment more heavily than a thousand hammer blows. "Yes, Mister Domnt," she offered a touch over eagerly as she straightened her back and just barely resisted saluting. Then, without another word, she turned and marched herself out of the office and back into the biting cold.

[The Unreliable Narrator]

She got a whole block away before she realized she was not certain where exactly she was supposed to be heading. This was extremely uncomfortable and she felt a creeping dread begin to form at the edges of her awareness. Everything Aleida Farlight did was regimented, orderly, considered. She was a Shapeshifter and had striven to ensure that nothing about her gave cause for suspicion or distrust. The only part she could not control were her pitch black irises and she found that thankfully most people failed to truly notice.

Knowing that her heritage could bring ire, Aleida had forced herself to master precision in movement and intent to ensure no one could find fault with her. Being strange because you seemed distant and over-concerned with protocol and procedure was enough to obscure the predator nature that rested inside her. When she had entered the academy on a grant the stakes had risen to heights anew.

She cultivated a persona of distance to overlay her precision. It was easier to ensure she wasn't under scrutiny if she focused on her studies. Aleida had intended for this to be a temporary measure, but there never seemed a moment she could relax and soon enough what had been a habit became a core of her sense of self. Things had a place, an order, and for them to fall outside this was something she would not abide.

She halted on the sidewalk and frowned fiercely for several seconds as she reviewed what she knew of locations near that could see the lighthouses. Disappointment bubbled to the surface when she realized she did not have enough information to choose her destination. Around her people shuffled aside entirely unnoticed, unwilling to interrupt or hassle someone so clearly of station. "Nothing for it," she murmured and her boots resumed their precise march across the cobble.

Before the irritation of the cold was able to cut through her sense of purpose, and the lingering dismay of disappointing her superior, she had reached a corner street filled with more people than carriages and horses. Here a pair of competing restaurants offered views of the nearby lighthouse and wildly different fare. She looked to each and found them both equal to her needs so she looked more. Just as she was beginning to feel frustrated, a large group entered the one to her left. Decided, she proceeded briskly to the right and entered the Silvermist Sommelier.

[The Unreliable Narrator]

The entry area immediately set the place apart from Aleida's usual haunts; taverns and food carts did not have entry areas, or a host's podium, and they certainly didn't mute the biting winds mournful howls so completely. Giving the comfortable and blessedly-warm space another frown of frustration, she quickly scanned the small area. 'No bell or other sound of entry- perhaps they always watch or-' she thought as she searched with only her eyes.

A pleasantly handsome young man came around the corner, his footfalls precise but faint on the thick carpet as he approached. "Ah welcome Miss, to the Silvermist Sommelier. How many are in your party?" he asked with a bright but not overly-eager smile that immediately made Aleida feel at ease with its familiarity.

'A man who is professional in manner and approach,' she silently lauded as the edge of her irritation faded away. "Only myself, and I am to see the lighthouses," she conveyed, affecting her own professional smile and conveying her instructions before she'd truly considered the manner of her words.

"Of course," the host said, seemingly unperturbed by her apparent demand. He scanned a chalk diagram and quickly made a mark on an outer edge before collecting a menu and turning his attention back to Aleida. "If you'll follow me please, we have a lovely booth with a perfect view this morning." He turned away from her, assuming her compliance as he continued, "The clouds are beginning to clear as well, so you should catch the morning sun across the waters."

Aleida followed, the action again feeling comfortably familiar. 'Just like a formal and unnecessary inspection,' she realized as she moved a few steps behind the man. They wove along a series of broad plush carpets, all far cleaner than they had any right to be in a place of food and drink, and Aleida marveled at the comfortable dark woods and plush velvet pillows lining the booths they passed. Next they went up an equally broad and polished stairwell.

At the top, she paused in her stride and let out a reflexive gasp. The host smiled and turned, looking to her with a grin that was now more pleased than professional. "It always catches people off guard I think, best part of the job," he offered before motioning towards a corner booth ahead of them. "Just here then, Miss."

Aleida blinked and marshalled her features, offering a nod and continuing onward to the offered table and bench. She settled in looking out towards the water, and the many lighthouses dotted about. 'As comfortable as they appear, impressive,' she noted as she rested against the cushioned seating.

"Your server will be with you in a moment, in the meantime here are today's wines," the host offered, placing a small placard lined with precise calligraphy before her. Then, before she could offer thanks, he gave her a brief bow and disappeared towards the stairs in the unobtrusive manner of waitstaff and servants.

[The Unreliable Narrator]

Aleida examined the placard before her for a moment, knowing well she'd have plenty of time for looking out the windows as she waited for food and drink. 'Hand-written, ink is fresh but dried, minimal splatter, good stock,' she noted as she ran her finger just above the piece. 'The drink selection is also broad, and each states a name and-'

The sudden clatter of cutlery and sense of motion in her periphery caused Aleida's focus to snap upwards. Her black eyes expanded and narrowed, taking in all of her surroundings in an instant. There were many scattered groups quietly eating and chatting spread about the room, though none immediately beside her current booth. Between them, carrying trays, menus, and bottles were uniformed staff all moving with professional purpose and quiet politeness.

Finishing her review of the room, her focus snapped to the woman before her. 'Same dress, holding menu, surprised, has noticed my eyes. Fear, interest, is not going to say anything,' she noted and forced a smile onto her lips despite knowing it would come out as a predatory smirk.

"H-hello, I'm Vera and I'll be your server today," the waitress said, having only needed a moment to suppress her surprise. "I see you've looked over the wine list, did anything spark your interest?" she asked, though the words lacked emotion.

"Hello Vera," Aleida offered and looked back to the paper much slower than she had snapped away from it. "I cannot decide. I am to view the lighthouses and relax, what would you recommend?" she asked, deflecting the fact she'd hardly considered her choices for the drinks themselves.

Vera gave herself a small shake and nodded, clearly finding the request familiar. "Ah, well I would recommend one of our white wines then. Perhaps a Blackbough Sauvignon Blanc made of the finest fruits from Ninraih with a touch of mint. Or, if you're looking for something a bit sweeter, we have a Fellsgard Riesling that has a lovely floral bouquet," the waitress explained, with clearly practiced encouragement and explanation blended together.

"I will have what you believe is best," Aleida answered almost before Vera finished speaking. "I trust your experience," she added with a nod as though affirming her choice. Vera blinked once before closing her mouth with a soft click. 'She's noticed my eyes again- there is less fear this time, more interest,' Aleida noted in the moment before Vera spoke again.

"I- find the Riesling is a lovely accompaniment for lunch, and has just the right sweetness for a pleasant meal," the waitress offered, again giving herself a small shake. "I will fetch the bottle then, please don't hesitate to call for-"

"Vera, thank you," Aleida finished, handing over the wine card with another smile that wasn't quite what she intended. Vera collected the paper and moved away, her footsteps drifting immediately into the background music of quite eating and serving.

[The Unreliable Narrator]

Then, as quick as it had come, Aleida's focus blurred back away from her surroundings and out towards the not-so-distant lighthouses. 'Need to look at the lighthouses,' she thought sharply, the last lingering bits of her superior's disappointment ensuring she would not waver in his guidance. So she stared, trying to relax and let other concerns drift away until finally she realized she was not thinking but merely staring at the structures.

'Shining symbols, each placed to ensure none would suffer an untimely doom at the rock's clutches,' she stated, refocusing her mind to active thought. 'Begin with an obvious purpose, then dig deeper,' she recited, the guidance of her training having long become innate to her thoughts. 'But why do they matter?' she questioned, pushing at her understanding the same way she did with every fact she encountered in her work.

She promptly considered and discarded several theories before settling onto a single question. 'What makes the lighthouses important beyond their common use?' she posed the question and let it settle into her thoughts. 'They were ignored, considered sufficient until they were truly needed to become something more,' she mused as she took in the recently cleaned stonework shining in the midday sun. She placed her head in her hand, watching the shifting waters past the nearest lighthouse, enjoying the metronomic rise and fade of the beacon within.

As the thought bounced about beneath her scrutiny, she felt the need to compare the concept to something she knew. Finding only herself, she reframed her consideration and surmised a profound point. 'There are those who would say we are not so different, these monoliths of stone and I. Both hide their nature, bringing it out only when truly needed,' Aleida mused quietly, idly tapping at her cheek with her well manicured fingers. 'But if they hadn't needed you, no one would ever have known what you could really do-' she laughed softly at the idea that she carried some hidden potential.

"Miss-" Vera said a touch louder than necessary, clearly having repeated the word several times. Aleida blinked, her large black eyes snapping to the server and a smile filling her face as she noticed a nervous blush creeping onto the other woman's cheeks. "-your wine and a bruschetta, compliments of the house," Vera finished as she looked away for an instant. "Would you like to see today's specials, or shall I recommend something?" she continued, clearly having marshalled herself.

Aleida held up a single finger and collected her wine glass, taking a slow appreciative sip before nodding. "This is lovely, and so I will trust you to select food as well. Thank you again, for being so helpful," she said and her smile brightened as she made sure to appreciate the service she was offered. 'Never mistreat those who handle your food, money, or clothing,' she affirmed silently, letting her smile fade to its usual relaxed disinterest.

"Of course, it will be just a bit then, please let me know if you need anything at all," Vera answered, affecting her own touch of positivity in response before offering a brief bow and fading away again. This time, Aleida watched her go, noting the practiced movement of near silence across the carpeted walkways. When Vera passed to the point Aleida would need to turn in her seat, she turned her focus back to the food and drink.

With a delicate touch, not unlike what she used to examine original documents, Aleida collected a piece of the finely toasted bread topped with vegetables and a sprinkling of baked cheese. She examined the food from several angles before taking a tentative bite. 'Flavorful- fresh- undercurrent of oils mix with the cheese- delicious,' she thought in a rapid series, instinctively humming faintly to herself as she returned the bruschetta to her plate with equal care.