[h2][color=salmon]Akilah Darwish[/color][/h2]
[hr]
It had been early morning when The Peregrine docked after five days at sea, its crew proudly exhausted after nearly a week of grueling work. The merchant ship was almost a full day ahead of schedule and the Captain was so ecstatic that he paid the sorceress double what was agreed upon. He had thought he hired some lower to mid-ranking mage when she offered to take the job back in Taranis Port off the coastline of the Seven Cities, not a master worth the highest ranking the College had to offer. Akilah had actually just turned down the proposal to appoint her as a black robe after several years of travel and learning before she boarded his vessel. 

The robe system in the college was used to categorize mages based on their power and knowledge. White robes are novices, yellow is for adepts who are then free to travel from the college walls with the master’s permission, red-robed mages were masters of their craft, and black was reserved for those who stood above all else. While many were surprised that she turned down the offer, those who knew her best among the masters had known her answer and simply felt compelled to try. They knew that she was a traveler to her core, going where ever the winds decided to take her and learning all that she could of the world. Accepting the black robe would have changed her current lifestyle and she simply wasn’t ready for that yet.

The vessel itself was pretty impressive for something outside of royal navies or larger more well-known merchant companies with its three masts and sturdy framing. The Peregrine and her crew had stood strong against the limits Akilah had pushed them to. They deserved the pride she saw in their faces as she departed. Captain Salamin had tried his best to keep her on his roster and when she refused he helped to carry her trunk to the nearest reputable lodging called the Tacklerock Tavern.

[color=6495ED][b]“It’s not a high society dining house but the food is good, the ale is strong, and the lodging is reasonably priced. If you pay extra, they’ll guarantee you some privacy”[/b][/color] he told her as they had walked the short trip to the building. They were just opening up shop for breakfast when they arrived and the Captain put in a good word for her. 

[color=6495ED][b]“Keep your wits about you here mistress mage. This port allows all walks of life to conduct their business here, some of which is business you are better off not knowing.”[/b][/color] He warned her, genuinely concerned for her well-being. Akilah had thanked him for his concern for her and sent him along his way.

It was now nearly noon according to the periodic [i]pops[/i] from time candles and she was finishing rearranging herself after a much-needed bath. Akilah had used the hours since early morning to bathe her salty sweaty body and recharge herself. Five days of nearly nonstop channeling a wind spell was a taxing job, even for her. Her stomach rumbled loudly as she detangled and manipulated her hair into a smooth braid once more while she sat on a stool in front of the mirror. It was time to eat. 

The small room she occupied was plain but nicely done with dark wooden floors, matching colored wood trimming, and white plastered walls. It matched the rest of the tavern where they spent more of their coin on ornate decorations than parts of the building that required regular maintenance. It was practical and she liked it. The space itself only contained a single body bed, a small desk with a matching chair, a body-length mirror, and the stool she currently sat on outside of the adjoining washroom. Underneath her bare feet was an Izryian rug with an ornate pattern depicting a golden sun sitting within a royal blue sky, a touch of home which was probably why she was given the room to begin with. 

Akilah stood, having finished her hair, to inspect herself in the mirror before crossing the rest of the room to slip into her shoes, arrange her cape across her bare shoulders, and collect her staff. Her stomach spoke again as she stepped out the door, but she couldn’t make a run for the stairs just yet. Bending towards the lock she whispered a spell into the mechanism as she turned the key, placing a ward on the device to help protect it from those who would try to pick the lock. She didn’t expect anyone who would be trying to steal from the rooms to be motivated enough to break down the heavy door if they failed to open it. Once satisfied, Akilah made her way down the hallway to the stairs, her staff filling the air with soft chimes as she walked. 

The chimes caught the attention of the bartender, a plump older woman who looked like she handled her fair share of tavern brawls. 

[color=6495ED][b]“I was wondering when you’d emerge again to put some food in that tiny frame of yours! How was the bathwater I sent up? Hot enough?”[/b][/color] She asked, unapologetic of her questioning.

Akilah couldn’t help but smile as she took a seat at the currently empty bar and rested her staff against her chest. The woman spoke like her mother. [color=Salmon][b]“It was perfect, thank you. Just what I needed after the sail over. Is lunch being served yet?”[/b][/color]

[color=6495ED][b]“Aye. Most of it is ready. We have a fish stew made from the first catch of the morning, freshly baked bread, meat pasties, and a mix of roasted vegetables. The cook is still working on desserts and will soon get started on the dinner roasts. If you want porridge, it may take them a bit to whip that up for you.”[/b][/color]

[color=salmon][b]“I’ll take a bit of everything you have ready now and the lightest mead you have available? No need to trouble your cooks with extra work.”[/b][/color]

[color=6495ED][b]“Would you have it here at the bar or do you want a table?”[/b][/color] The barkeep asked as she reached underneath the thick wooden counter to grab a metallic cup.

[color=salmon][b]“I’ll seat myself at the booth in the corner?”[/b][/color] Akilah motioned towards a table that she noticed earlier that sat facing both the door and the stairs to the second floor. It allowed her to eat in peace without being taken by surprise even though the tavern currently didn’t have many occupants. That was subject to change at any time.

[color=6495ED][b]“Help yourself. I’ll bring you food and drink in a few minutes.”[/b][/color]

[color=salmon][b]“Thank you”[/b][/color] Akilah spoke to the woman’s back as she already turned to collect what the Izryian had asked for and probably take additional orders from people who started to walk through the door, starving after a hard morning’s work. Not wanting to lose the booth, Akilah rose from her perch on the stool to go make herself comfortable in the corner booth.