At the Main Gate:
The 10th day of Spring, 510 AV
Sighing, Kanya studied the gate before her, attempting to find another way she might enter the city. Several long weeks traveling the plains and Wildlands between her home and Syliras had visibly exhausted the poor girl. She stepped to one side of the road, unaware of the crowd parting around her. No one wanted to risk infection or having their fine clothes dirtied. She wasn’t ill, of course, but she certainly looked it.
Picking at the layers of dirt that covered her bare stomach, she frowned. Everything she owned was dusty and even her cloak looked more grey than green. That didn’t bother her though. Her skin was chafing, rubbed raw by the dried mud, and it itched horribly in the spring sun. If only she could get inside…
The last time she’d attempted to enter the city, the guards had refused to let her within five feet of them. They took one look at her hair, now matted with mud and various grasses, and told her to bathe or scram. The only issue was that she hardly found the city gates without getting lost and she had no idea where a stream or lake might be.
Sighing again, she sat down on her small pack, looking at the city gates. Now what?
Unbeknownst to Kanya, the guards were starting to become uneasy with her presence. She stank like the sewers, her skin was covered in filth, and her hair looked like a harpy’s nest; not exactly a picture of good health. One of them signaled to a page inside the gate. “We need some help here… We’ve got a woman on the outer road who might diseased. She isn’t leaving, and no one is willing to walk over and get rid of her.” The young boy nodded, then ran off to inform his superiors.
Somewhat relieved, the guard glanced back at the woman. It took a moment for the sight to hit him properly. Looking alarmed, he turned toward the spot again, swearing. “Collin, where did that girl go?”
“I wasn’t paying attention. Maybe she left?”
The older man shook his head, grimacing. She had been determined to get inside. There was no way the bratt had given up that easily.
“Alert the knights, son. There’s a good possibility we’ve now got an afflicted running around either in the city or somewhere nearby.”
Above them, a spotted tail disappeared over the rough wall.
A few minutes later...
A small brown feline, not much larger than your average housecat, wove along the edges of the crowded main street. Most people were busy rushing through the gate and off to whatever business had drawn them here, so no one seemed to find it odd that the cat was dragging a small grey bag behind it. In fact, most didn’t even pause long enough to realize there was an unusual odor in the air.
Kanya hissed softly, darting from under a large merchant’s feet. The idiot had almost trampled her in his haste to get moving. If she had been in any other situation, she would have bit him. As it was, she couldn’t afford to draw attention to herself. Guards and knights were already starting to gather in the square, exchanging information before setting out search parties for the strange girl who’d disappeared. Thankfully, neither of the main gate’s guards had noticed her race due to the distance they’d forced her to keep. Small blessings, indeed…
Turning to take her cloak between her teeth again, she slowly worked her way toward a rather dark alley. Carrying her belongings in the makeshift sling was difficult, especially on the uneven roads, but it was the only way to move without exposing herself. She ignored the dull aching of her teeth.
Finally, the shadows of the surrounding buildings fell around her. Kanya grinned, happy to finally be out of the sun. Now maybe she could find a place to bathe and throw those guards off her trail… She pawed at her necklace out of habit, thinking.
