Grace was above average height for a female human, which had been the only outstanding factor for her, and suited her just fine.

Nothing would have been worse for her then catching someones attention. She was a versatile make up artist, and her hair color was ever changing, though blond by nature. Over shoulder length, she usually wore it in a braid, or hidden under a hood or cap. Slender and lean like a whipcord, her hands were fine and long, and not a sign of callus and scars was visible. Her long legs were made for fast running and higher jumping.

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Born to the Very Noble Lady Melanie Foxrun and Lord Hugon Falconsflight over twenty-one years ago in a small village in the realm of Norre'say, Grace was well cared for since the moment she was born, with plenty of nannies and play dates she could wish for. Her parents though she never got to see, and she grew tired of the well protected life of a noble-born child eventually. She appreciated her teachers though, and was a willing student. She knows how to read and write, and can draw as well.

Grace had an aura of importance around her if needed. Her natural eye color was hazel, but she learned to conceal the true color by applying different eye make up; everything about her was shady, hazy, foggy.

If a group of people would have been asked to describe her, there would have been as many different answers as there were people in the group. With the right equipment she got away with nearly everything. Naturally, she possessed the right equipment.

Grace was reclusive and did not trust people per se. Nor could she be trusted. She would smile in someone's face while reaching for their coin purse, and they would not notice it until they were ready to pay their tap.

She was a trickster through and through, looking extremely innocent and easily underestimated, which worked perfectly for her and her profession.

Grace did not know of loyalty or honor in her, and all that matters to her was her own welfare and survival, though she had no real need for luxuries. It was the thrill of getting caught that made her sell her skills as a thief or messenger to the highest bidder, and at times she would work against two parties rivaling each other at the same time, just because she could.

In the long run,.... well she never thought far ahead. With her lifestyle, every day could have been her very last.

Her goal was to never get caught, and though she did not care too much for other people, the weak and poor always had a soft spot in her heart.

Whenever possible, she gave her accumulated wealth to the less fortune, thereby opening the secret tunnels and ways of the local thieves and thugs. She was one of them, and she felt very proud of it.

On the way to the top she wanted to see the world and learn from other cultures. Her ear for languages and her art of masquerade and disguise were tools to make it possible for her to blend into any crowd.

One thing that she was definitely not thriving for was to settle down and have servants and peasants to see to her daily needs, like her parents were used to.

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Whenever possible, she sneaked out and walked the village in disguise, and was intrigued by the thrills of the slums. Often she would compete with the village thugs and thieves, and when ask to join the local group of thieves she did not hesitate a second. She was ten, and had learned the life of thieves for 5 years by then. She never regretted her decision, and her “dual” education made it possible to advance in the rank of thieves rather quickly. Her parents sent out for help to find her, but no one ever got a hold of her. Eventually they gave up, and the reward for finding her was never paid out and eventually was revoked. But five years into the lifestyle of a local “Master thief”, she grew wary. She had seen every house inside out, and new every lock and nook and cranny by heart.
She needed to advance and there was no chance for her to do so in this little town, so one night she sneaked out of the town, with nothing more then a backpack with few belongings and a silver dagger, a family heirloom. For six years she wandered around the realm, learning and observing, never staying longer then at most a year at one place. So far she never saw a prison from the inside, and when discovery was imminent, she left the town or village in question. She is on her travels now, wondering where the path in front of her will lead her.

Her last contract had her steal an ancient amulet. Unfortunately when she was about to deliver it the new "owner" was murdered right in front of her eyes. He chanted a few words in a foreign language and after what felt like an eternity she found herself in a new place, with the strangest creatures around. She hid in the nearby woods and slowly observed a nearby camp...

Grace woke up confused. She closed her eyes rapidly and still found herself on some hard cobblestones. Somehow she realized she was not in Nni' Da anymore. Getting up slowly, she saw movement all over the place and figured that lying here in a public place was not the smartest thing to do, She rubbed her head, and moaned. All the bones in her body ached. She felt like every part of her body was shifting around, rearranging itself to the right places. What just happened? Then she felt the amulet in her hand and she remembered. A groan escaped her mouth, and a violent headache attack approached her. Overall she was not too happy .....

After another careful look around, she decided she would hide behind some broken pieces of ... what is was she was not sure,all she could see it would give her cover and time to think - those creatures, dark and bloody - she had never seen those at home. They looked like they had escaped out of the stories her nanny used to tell her at night to give her a good fright. Was she in a dream? She wondered - but that could not be! She never felt that kind of pain in a dream. Fortunately none of her bones were broken, and she was trying to figure out the next steps. She needed food, and shelter...some clothes, and "Ahh" By the Lady’s hairy warts

! What in the name of Thieves was that? A giant something was limping past her, and he smelled like rotten flesh. Grace gagged violently and her midday meal escaped her. Where and what did she just got herself in?

It had gotten dark quickly, and when she entered the house in front of her she was greeted with bright light. Squinting her eyes, she adjusted to the brightness and looked around. Fairly normal. Settees, mosaic tiled floor, depicting a .... there she blushed and squinted her eyes again. The image on the floor was a pan and an elfish female intertwined.... closely. Very closely.  Grace choked a bit and was about to turn, when a dark skinned female entered. Her facial expression showed as much surprise then her own, but it seemed the female caught herself quickly.

"Welcome to Tári Vanimedlë's’s Bath House.  You seem tired and weary, traveler" she said with a dark voice, fitting with her skin.

Grace shivered slightly, she was not sure if it was due to the husky voice, her weariness or the picture on the floor - most likely all of it together. Then she paled some more: She had just noticed the pointy ears of the woman! Where the heck was she? Monsters outside, pointy eared people, she must be dreaming. A very vivid dream, but dream nonetheless. Oh well, she would just go with it, she had weirder dreams before.
The dark one looked her up, and nodded to another female behind a curtain, she whispered softly, smiled a bit and turned back to Grace.

"It seems a bath is in order, some refreshments and maybe a massage as well?"

Grace shrugged, it was her dream, so she might as well take it all. "Sure. Ma'am, that would be a pleasure."

The dark one giggled softly. "Oh, but the pleasure would be all ours, believe me, dear. Please follow me, your bath will be readied as we speak."

Carefully and slowly, Grace followed the dark one. She noticed that all the lights where dimmed, and overall it was a very soothing atmosphere. As promised, a huge clawed  tub filled to the rim with milky white, opaque water, scented lightly with rose petals. She sighed, it had been quite a while since she had drawn a hot bath. She looked around to find a spot and to give the room maids time to leave, but to her surprise, they stayed. They even helped her undress. With the dark one two more women, girls more, had arrived, scantily dressed in gossamer shifts, that revealed more then they hid. Grace blushed slightly, but then she remembered, it was all a dream. Her clothes were taken away, but she held on to belt and pack, which she dropped close by on a stool. The maidens helped her stepping into the bath, which was just exactly the right temperature (then again, it was a dream) and they started to undo her long, now ashen colored hair. They sighed, and Grace blushed again. She knew her hair was in a mess, dyed for her latest mission and overall in a huge mass. Fast and tender finger went through her hair, and her scalp started to tingle - that tingle slowly spread down her spine all the way to her toes.

A soft moan escaped her mouth. The girls giggled, and went on with their work.

They entangled the mess, combed it all straight and spread it over the rim of the tub, cleaned it with a combination of chamomile and lavender oils and massaged her scalp and neck some more. Another moan collected in her throat, when she realized that one of the girls climbed into the tub, her gossamer dress, not wet, clinging to her. She had a sponge in her hands and started to clean Grace long and shapely legs. She was barely able to stifle a moan. Embarrassed, she covered her breasts.

Grace was glad that the water was still milky white opaque, and she tried to hide as much under the water as possible. Sure, she was used to being pampered when she was still living with her parents, but she was a child then and never had any of those..... feelings? She could not quite put the finger on it. Oh darned!

Closing her eyes, she soaked in the sensation. Her hair was carefully taken care of, and after it had been cleaned it was softly toweled dry. A whisper went through the room and Grace heard someone else enter. The girls all vanished in a heartbeat and she opened her eyes. And closed them quickly. And slowly opened them again.

Entering the room was a tall, more then handsome male creature. Slightly pointed ears, slanted eyes and a lightly tanned skin. Wiry and lithe, with broad shoulders and big hands. Very big hands. All he was wearing was a gossamer loincloth barely covering his maleness. Grace gasped and was very well aware that she was not dressed at all. And the water had gone clear.

The man chuckled and came closer. Grace squinted her eyes and swallowed hard. Then she noticed him holding a towel in his hands.

“It is time for your special treatment, Grace.... just the finest will do, I believe", he said with a deep voice, a slight husky tone to it. She shuddered over the way he lightly rolled the "r" in her name - as if the human language was not his natural tongue. "And fine it is indeed" she murmured to herself.

He came closer, and helped her out of the tub. She reached for the towel and wrapped herself in it, well aware of his eyes gliding over her body. Appreciative, as it looked like. She could feel heat rushing through her body, pooling between her legs.

Again she was wondering about the real feel in her dream...

The girls rushed back in, helping Grace on the table bringing with them some silk, for modesty apparently - yet just like the other items it barely covered. It was better then nothing, though.

"Ready, little one?"

Grace swallowed hard again, licked her lips and just nodded. Again, the man chuckled, and opened a few flasks of oil.

"It contains Jojoba oil, which I have mixed with aromatic blends, especially mixed for your needs."

She could smell an intensely floral, citrus scent, mixed with some fruity essences. "And what do you think I need?" she whispered softly.

"I have mixed Neroli with Ylang Ylang, because you seemed a bit out if this world, and well a bit timid. This shall help you to relax and calm.... and then we will see" His smile made his lips curve up slightly, while he splashed a bit of the oil into his huge hands. He then grabbed a few polished, palm size stones and placed the first one at the base of her neck. The stone was hot, and it felt wonderful - the heat radiating down her spine and made her sigh deeply. He placed another one on the left shoulder blade, always massaging the spot first, before he moved one, putting one stone after another down her spine, her hip bones and along her legs. She felt like in heaven. The warmth of the stones heated her through and through, a welcoming heat. It made her drowsy, and she fell asleep. Sleeping in a dream - now that was a first. She wondered if she would dream in her dream as well. His hands worked wonders on her, her tense muscles and mind loosening up -" just what the doctored ordered" she mumbled. When his hands moved down her spine, reaching her hips, she barely was able to suppress a moan. He laughed. "No worries, little one, just relax and enjoy"

"I don't even know your name" she whispered hoarsely.
He stopped for a moment, as in thought, and replied: "Just call me Myarn, little one"

"Myarn.... how ....unusual" she whispered again, before she dozed of. She woke, when Myarn removed the stones from her back, making her feel bare and unprotected, but just a second later she could feel his hands gliding slowly down her body again, from the nape of her back all the way to her toes and back, lingering ever just slightly at her pressure points. She moaned and groaned again - never had she felt any better. His thumb would press lightly into her deep tissues, and she could feel her muscles relax.

"Now.." she heard Myarn whisper softly into her ear, "here starts the really relaxing part"

She arched when next she felt lips tracing where his hands just had been.

Grace never wanted to wake up out of this dream. She was a bit unsure about her own body reactions at first, but Myarn's hands and lips where just too much to shy away from. Whenever he found another pressure point she moaned in pleasure and delight. In the background she could hear the other girls giggle, and while she was not much for an open display of feelings, she did not care much anymore. She was sure at the end of the dream she had molten into the sheets. It was sheer delight, and it seemed to never end.

In between lips and hands she caught glimpses of strange images, tapestries with unicorns and fae-like creatures, and her nose was overwhelmed with scents she never smelled before. It was a dream, alright.

How much time had passed since she fell asleep? And where exactly was she sleeping? She could not remember much - the fall, the horrible creatures, the dying towns people - maybe that was all part of the dream as well? Maybe she had hit her head hard enough after one of her stints - but then she remembered the pendant, and her client, stabbed to death in front of her.

Something was not right, and she stirred under her masterful hands of the dark elf. "You are alright, Mylady? - Do not stiffen up, or I have to redo the whole procedure. On second thought, that might not be such a bad idea!" Myarn smiled wickedly at Grace.

She was about to turn and face him, when she remembered that all she was wearing, - had been wearing half an hour or so ago - was a tiny towel. She thought better of it and talked into the pillow in front of her: "Myarn, pardon my confusion, but where exactly am I? Surely I am dreaming, right?"

She rolled her eyes at herself. What a silly question!!! She was in as dream, unicorns and all. Why did she ask him? Of course he would tell her she was dreaming, since he was part of it!

But to her surprise, he did answer, and that confused her even more.

"No, Mylady, this is not at all a dream. What a pity THAT would be, with such soft skin of yours...

I am not sure where you hail from, but at the moment you are at my mother’s Bath House, getting a real massage from a real half elf. You are in Noriande, the Pilgrim's Fair, to be precise. The main market and trading place in the capital of the realm of Valloriand ."

Grace swallowed hard. "Noriande? Valloriand?" Never heard of such names before. Not her homeland then. She turned her head slightly and caught a glimpse at the rising sun outside. Just HOW long had she been here, enjoying the bath and the massage?

Raising herself from the table, sheets draped around her, she took a closer look. At Myarn, the unicorn tapestries, the giggling girls in the back. She pinched herself, for good measure. She felt the pain, real pain, but they stayed in place. No, he was right. This was not a dream at all.
Grace shivered, but declined the offered blanket that the elf - half elf - was handing to her. She was not cold, she was.... alone, in a strange place, with nothing more to her then her knapsack and her clothes on her body. On the stool. That amulet! She needed to find out more about it, but where could she get answers?

"Myarn, what exactly happened here? The place outside was a mess just hours ago. Like civil war - just more ... exotic?" She nearly fainted when she thought at the slain creatures outside, but Myarn was there to catch her. Fortunately her sheet was staying in place. She needed to get dressed, find food, real food, and answers. And a way out of here. Soon. With her sheet tucked around her, she reached for her clothes on the stool and vanished behind a screen. She knew he had seen quite a bit of her bare skin, but she was a modest woman, after all. A thief, yes, but with some degree of modesty.

Myarn looked at the little woman while she reached for her bag and clothes. So fragile. And yet, so strong. Unlike most women he had encountered in his long life. Human. But unlike the humans he had met here. Sure, he had seen his fare of Realm Travelers, or , how they had been called here, but most of them were well versed in time and portal travels. This little one seemed unused to portal travel - and other realms. She needed guidance, but he was unsure whom he could ask. Nor was he sure Grace would appreciate the help. She seemed .... independent? Strong-willed? Well at the moment, she was lost. Tiding up the room, he watched her out of the corners of his eyes until she reached the screen to get dressed. He did not want to give her the impression he was interested in her. Not more than in a professional way, anyway. He would send her to Barnacles, with some coin to spend. Obviously, she came unprepared, without money.

He turned towards her, when she spoke to him again, fully dressed now : "Myarn, I do have no money, but I have items of" - here she blushed deeply - "of some value, I hope. Do you know a place where I could .... maybe trade them? For coin, or whatever you people use here?" She saw the elf raising his eyebrows and hoped she had not insulted him. "I mean.... you do have money here? " Oh my, not much better!! The man now smirked at her: "Yes, Little One, we are a civilized place. We do have coin, gold, silver .... even paper and shells to trade with. I will make arrangements with some people I know to make a fair deal, but in the meantime" - here he reached to his belt and took a pouch off it- take this and have some breakfast at The Goblin's Fist. You need some real food, and maybe you are lucky to get some more information regarding your travels. You can't miss it, it is the liveliest place around here, especially after the latest mess. It is quite safe, too, even if the patrons might look a bit .... strange...." He reached out to Grace, who reluctantly took the pouch. It was heavy with coin. She could not, should not take it, but he looked into her eyes, and something in there urged her to take it. no question asked. She shivered, and clipped the pouch to her own belt. The amulet was still there too, still warm, still glowing lightly green. She dared not show it openly, her customer died for it... who knows why? She needed to find out.

She thanked the elf again for the hospitality -here she blushed again - and that damned man responded with a wicked smile and the response that the pleasure was all his. Grace knew she had to find a way to repay him sooner or later. She disliked handouts, and felt like she owed him. Not good. Especially not towards the fey. Thanking him again, she finally turned and bolted out of the house.

Following the noise of laughter and music, it was not hard to find The Goblin's Fist. Miraculously it has not suffered any damage, and it seemed the market place had been cleaned and repaired thoroughly while she was tended to.

Reaching the huge doors of the inn, she hesitated, then gave herself a mental push and stepped in.

Grace opened the door slowly, surprised to hear such jolly at this early morning. It seemed some people had never left this place, while others were here to break their fast, probably to strengthen them before their work at market. Most of the mess at the Fair and the adjacent smaller markets had been removed, but some ruins where still visible, and the early morning sky was still filled with smoke and ashes from burned buildings. Yet, the people in the inn seemed upbeat.
Maybe they were used to it?

Grace was shaking her head. Elves? Magical creatures? In one corner of the tavern, close to stairs that led to an upstairs area, she thought she spied a centaur on a small stool at a high table. She blinked several times ... and indeed, a four legged creature with a human top. She swallowed hard. It seemed easier to believe she was still dreaming, but the knot in her stomach and the smell in her nose seemed very real to her. She was still debating, when a tall man entered the inn behind her and pushed her closer into the room. He mumbled an excuse and hurried towards a free table. Eyes where now upon her, and she realized that she was the only female guest within here.

Grace straightened her shoulder and looked for the bar keep. He was a human looking person, even if bald, but he had a friendly smile on his face and that made her relax a bit more.

"Good morning, good Sir, Myarn send me, telling me you make the finest breakfast money can buy?"

The barkeeps smile grew even wider, and bright white teeth flashed at her. "Teeth - not fangs. A good sign, right?" she tried to calm herself.
"Then he did not lie to you, my good lady. The Goblin's Fist is indeed worlds famous for its food. And Ale. And entertainment. And lodgings... But I digress. I will ask Adele to lead you to a fine table, and breakfast will be served immediately. Tea with it, perhaps?"

"Tea would be fine, chamomile maybe? - And may I ask for a private table? I ... well .... I am a wee bit tired and not fit for company, I am afraid..." Grace swallowed again. She wished she would be home, where she knew how to handle situations like this. Then she smiled - did she not asked for a challenge? A change in scenery? Well she got exactly what she asked for, and now she just had to deal with it. Maybe the breakfast would help her to ease into her situation. Adele arrived only a few heartbeats later and led her to a booth that separated a bit from the rest of the Tavern. There were a few of those booths available, and a few had a closed curtain. She dared not to ask, but when a loud snore came out of one of them she smiled again.

Her table was bright and she had a view out of a window, which was actually clean. Overall, the place seemed very well frequented, and the usual smell of ale and food was everywhere, but the place was not dirty nor dingy. The wench, Adele, was dressed in a clean and bright blouse and skirt, and her apron seemed freshly pressed. She had not much time to scan the area more, for Adele came back, followed by two young lads, age twelve and eight maybe? All of them balancing plates and platters laden with food. The youngest brought her a huge pot of tea. A big smile covered most of his face, and she noticed his two front teeth missing. The boys helped Adele eagerly to set the table in front of Grace, and when finished, Grace gave them all some extra coin. She was rewarded with some more smiles, and then was left alone to break her fast. She sighed heavily. Back at home this would easily feed a family of six and more. Well a poor family, anyway. She always hated the feasts in her parents’ house, where most of the food went untouched and thrown away. Too good for the poor, even the servants. More than once would she sneak out to the kitchen and pack up the food, giving it to her fellow thieves and poor. The servants got their parts too, and her parents were none the wiser.

This food was... HEAVENLY! The eggs extra fluffy, the most exotic fruit, fresh milk and the bread ohhhhhhhh never had she tasted any better. It was still hot, and the creamy butter melted into every pore of it, dripping over her long fingers. The marmalade seemed homemade too. She was just about to refill her cup of tea, when she noticed a small creature at her table. All she could see was the top of his head, and she assumed it was on of the lads, asking if everything was alright, when a dark voice asked her if she minded if he joined her. No, not a child at all, the voice was too grown up. Too surprised, she invited that person top join her, and then she saw .... it was a dwarf. It must have been! That beard, the grim eyes... he was way beyond the age of as child, even a normal mortal man! Wisdom and pain shone out of his eyes.

He paused. The silence felt heavy on Grace. "Here, I have a proposition for you. We dwarves need your help as a thief....."Grace inhaled sharply. She did not know this ... dwarf, and what he said about magic, her having none, but instead kind of stealing it - this was not easily digested. Not even after such a hearty breakfast. She pushed away the plate and looked at the dwarf. He looked expectantly back, waiting for an answer... any answer it seemed.

"I don't even know you, and while I feel flattered that I am needed, I would need some more information before I agree to anything," she said with a shaky voice. By the maker, she did not sound very professional at all! But she needed to know more, and somehow her curiosity was getting the better of her, as usual. Seemed that her nickname Cat within the thieves guild was chosen wisely, curiosity had gotten her into thievery, and into the ownership of the amulet as well. She was good at stealth and slicing people with sharp blades instead of claws, but curiosity .... it was her downfall, she could feel it already. Her mind said: Stay away!, but her thief voice was leaning forward and whispered softly that she should at least listen to the proposal.

"What would you want me to do? Is it dangerous? Is anything else but this magic involved? Do I work alone? How soon?"

The dwarf smirked at the onslaught of questions. He knew he nearly had her. At least she was interested.

He leaned forward and whispered: "Not here, poppet. While this is a fairly safe place to eat, it is not safe to discuss business here. Where do you stay? I will sent a messenger to you when I am ready to tell you more. In the meantime, you should buy yourself some gear, and new clothes, and maybe ...." He paused. "What?" Grace wanted to smile, that dwarf was so eager to get her interested. But a deep frown appeared instead of the smile. "I have no place to stay. I just got here, I don't even know this .... town? I have little money, and how would I know whom to trust?