53rd Spring, 515AV
Bouncebackability.
Was that a real word? Shakune presumed not, but she'd heard it a lot recently. Many people told her that she had demonstrated real bouncebackability since the start of the new year, and she found it hard to disagree. In those fifty-or-so days, she had overcome an infected wound, undergone painful therapy, and finally resumed a somewhat normal life. Her leg still felt stiff at times, particularly in the morning. And after a long day out and about, the courier would panic whenever she felt that whisper of pain in her muscles. Perhaps her injury would never heal completely, and she would forever start her day with a slight limp.
She could deal with that; a temporary limp was better than being dead.
Thankfully, business had almost returned to normal as well, though Shakune had lost a few clients since her injury. Baker's Butchery and Bakeshop, for example, had sent a letter stating that they no longer had need for her courier services, thankyouverymuch. The message had stung, even after Shakune had thrown it into the fire in a fit of rage and frustration. So petch them, then. I hope their new courier puts maggots in the meat and shits in the pies.
But all was not lost. Thanks to her unique appearance and service, most of Shakune's clients had remained loyal. Some had even visited her, though at the time the courier had been embraced by fever and infection, so she hadn't truly appreciated their kindness. But she valued such loyalty all the same.
And tonight, she had a particularly important job. She was to deliver a letter to the Knife in the Dark. The genderless individual was the greatest mysteries of Sunberth, and Shakune had only socialized with him once before. At the time, their meeting had been cut short when a group of drunks had shown up. When Shakune had glanced to the drunkards back to the masked individual, Knife had simply disappeared, leaving no trail behind her.
Shakune hoped the meeting tonight would go better than this previous experience. But there was no promise. For starters, Knife's location was purely rumor. There was no definitive promise that he would show up, or even that she would acknowledge Shakune's presence and allow himself to be seen. If the situation was not right, or if Knife suspected Shakune of foul play, the courier would end up wasting her entire night standing on street corners and in shadows.
There was no point dilly-dallying any longer, though. Shakune left her home cloaked in darkness, thanks to the clouds that concealed Leth and his moonlight. Discretion was not necessary for this job - it was compulsory. If Shakune went about her business in a casual manner, her night would be a wasted one. She would need to head towards the location of Knife's apparent arrival as stealthily as possible. Any attention Shakune drew to herself would be unwanted.
Was that a real word? Shakune presumed not, but she'd heard it a lot recently. Many people told her that she had demonstrated real bouncebackability since the start of the new year, and she found it hard to disagree. In those fifty-or-so days, she had overcome an infected wound, undergone painful therapy, and finally resumed a somewhat normal life. Her leg still felt stiff at times, particularly in the morning. And after a long day out and about, the courier would panic whenever she felt that whisper of pain in her muscles. Perhaps her injury would never heal completely, and she would forever start her day with a slight limp.
She could deal with that; a temporary limp was better than being dead.
Thankfully, business had almost returned to normal as well, though Shakune had lost a few clients since her injury. Baker's Butchery and Bakeshop, for example, had sent a letter stating that they no longer had need for her courier services, thankyouverymuch. The message had stung, even after Shakune had thrown it into the fire in a fit of rage and frustration. So petch them, then. I hope their new courier puts maggots in the meat and shits in the pies.
But all was not lost. Thanks to her unique appearance and service, most of Shakune's clients had remained loyal. Some had even visited her, though at the time the courier had been embraced by fever and infection, so she hadn't truly appreciated their kindness. But she valued such loyalty all the same.
And tonight, she had a particularly important job. She was to deliver a letter to the Knife in the Dark. The genderless individual was the greatest mysteries of Sunberth, and Shakune had only socialized with him once before. At the time, their meeting had been cut short when a group of drunks had shown up. When Shakune had glanced to the drunkards back to the masked individual, Knife had simply disappeared, leaving no trail behind her.
Shakune hoped the meeting tonight would go better than this previous experience. But there was no promise. For starters, Knife's location was purely rumor. There was no definitive promise that he would show up, or even that she would acknowledge Shakune's presence and allow himself to be seen. If the situation was not right, or if Knife suspected Shakune of foul play, the courier would end up wasting her entire night standing on street corners and in shadows.
There was no point dilly-dallying any longer, though. Shakune left her home cloaked in darkness, thanks to the clouds that concealed Leth and his moonlight. Discretion was not necessary for this job - it was compulsory. If Shakune went about her business in a casual manner, her night would be a wasted one. She would need to head towards the location of Knife's apparent arrival as stealthily as possible. Any attention Shakune drew to herself would be unwanted.
