[@Arthanus][@stoneString]
[center][u][color=00aeef][h2]Xia[/h2][/color][/u][/center]

Xia was armed and ready before she was even awake. Her trained body glides through a silent rehearsed ritual with a cold innate efficiency. While her hands danced a swift and familiar dance, loading her weapons and tools into their designated holdings, her eyes and ears readily scanned her surroundings.

She cursed herself for not being the first to awaken.

Alert and ready she drank in the situation as others started to arise. She listened intently as her father spoke. An eager excitement arose within her along with the growing opportunity to prove herself. 

A sky-eyed northerner spoke to her as he passed, while Xia cared little of who she was teamed with she couldn't deny the faint hint of - relief- he added to the situation. 
They understood each other on the battlefield and she considered him neither a hinderance nor distraction. But perhaps... competition.

As Frier past her, Xia slipped into his shadow. She read his hips, with his cowl blocking his peripheral and the commotion covering her gentle steps she slid past him as he turned to look for her. Without pause or hesitation she began to move with some haste towards their destination. One hand held the sheathed sword on her back at her hips while the other carried her naginata on her right shoulder. 
Looking back she flashed a taunting playful smile at Frier. It was her shy, silent subtle way to tell him that he wasn't taking the lead on this one.

She ran towards the western district in search of Alm.