When Faint first read the letter that had appeared at her room’s doorstep, she had had to suppress her first instinct to gather the few belongings she had with her and leave the town. 

Faint had arrived at the town of Forsaken less than a week ago, the last in a series of towns and cities she had passed in her bid to put as much distance between herself and the life she had known until then. The difference between this town and the previous ones was that this was the farthest she could head west without delving completely into the wilderness. When she realized she had been singled out, her first thought was that someone who knew her previous occupation had managed to track her down.

Another moment’s consideration, however, made that seem unlikely. If the pursuers she feared did appear, she very much doubted they would introduce themselves with a job offer. Before the letter had arrived, she had indeed been asking about the kind of employment that could be found in Forsaken. This, paired with the fact that she had first arrived at the town with her weapons at her belt, and that she regularly kept tabs on the bounties posted in the town’s newsletters, may have given someone certain ideas about her.

She was still worried. Even if someone had taken her for a bounty hunter or mercenary, it made little sense for her to be sought out when she had no reputation to speak of in these parts. Meeting the so called “A.G.” and asking directly seemed like the surest way to dispel her suspicions. In the best case, they would simply turn out to be the owner of a silk farm dissatisfied with the progress made by the authorities in solving the string of bizarre crimes outlined in the papers. Glancing down at her dwindling coin purse, she reflected that there were more practical matters to consider, too. 

Faint looked back to the newspaper in her hands, her breathing relaxed, her focus on the sounds and conversations that surrounded her. Largely by virtue of the boisterous otter traipsing over a nearby table, her gaze kept flitting to towards its occupants as she idly listened to their conversation.

The place where she was staying was at the opposite end of Forsaken, but ever since receiving the letter, she had made excuses to visit the east part of town. However, with only two days before the meeting date, and reluctant as she was to directly approach the innkeep with her questions, she had learned nothing of use. This was the first time she had dared to enter the building. She had walked into Caraway Inn early in the morning, at that time before sunrise when the only ones awake were those races most active in the night, or those who sleep had trouble finding. Given the sheer diversity of the inhabitants of Forsaken, she was glad to find several tables already occupied. No one looked at her askance as she quietly took a seat and resolved to keep watch for anyone who appeared to be at the inn for the sake of the meeting described in the letter. The waiters ignored her, and she made no move to call their attention.

She blinked as she caught the sound of the inn’s door, and glanced towards the bar just as a Genasi woman approached the barkeep. She tuned out the surrounding noise, listening to the brief exchange with sharpened senses. A moment later, something was given to the woman, and she walked away towards the stairs. 

It was likely not the one who had called them there. The woman’s clothes looked fit for travel, and the air about her was not what she expected from the sender of the contract letter. [i]One of us talented[/i] creatures[i], then.[/i]

Faint paused for a moment, seeing if any others had chosen to wait as she had, to ensure that this was not a trap meant only for her. She was rewarded by the sight of the otter clambering off the table to follow after the woman. 

It seemed it was her turn. Faint had dressed simply for the occasion, leaving her cloak and her more obvious weapons in her room. She had quickly come to realize that the pair of long knives would draw even more attention in this town than a six-shooter. She always kept multiple blades concealed on her person, however, even without counting the single survival knife she had left visibly strapped to her thigh as a kind of warning, so she did not feel defenseless in case of foul play. She nodded quietly to herself and rose, folding the newspaper and stuffing it inside her vest before climbing the stairs herself, footfalls eerily silent.

She had to pause at the sight that waited for her at the top. Right in front of room 310, the otter from before was adorably scratching at the doorknob, growing more visibly frustrated with every second. She covered her mouth to keep too wide a smile from spreading over her lips as she approached.

Faint coughed conspicuously as she approached, giving the otter a kind smile from her vantage point. “Do you need some help?” 

She didn’t wait for an answer before she knocked on the door, announcing their presence. She paused for a moment, glancing down at the otter, then opened the door. To her disappointment, only the Genasi woman waited inside, sitting by a window.

Faint hesitated for a moment before walking into the room. “Good morning,” she said, deeply aware that her accent made it obvious that she was new to the frontier. She produced an envelope from one of her pockets. “I don’t suppose either of you sent this.”