Forlas - 02

Forlas walked the exterior of the building, a strange affair of concrete and glass, an ugly mass compared to the swath of sitka trees it was surrounded by. The signage was faded after years of rainfall and lack of upkeep, she could make out enough words to spell out "Library." She stopped in front of the hastily fabricated door made of the same sitka. Abreast of the door was a pair of guards; The heavy rain ran down their Spangenhelms and into their doulbets, and without a signal fire, was surely soaking them to the bone.

Despite the weather, they stood at rigid attention, eyes slowly moving back and forth along the permitier, as to pick out the possible hurried movement of an invader. Luckily for Forlas, they were told of her arrival, and recognized the crest of house Taber. The left guard shouted "Vi apertos!" and the roughly carved gate marked with a shield flanked by two cresent moons was pushed open, and Forlas walked inside.

She shook herself violently, water splattering all over the plain concrete floor from her hooded cloak of greased wool. It stank of wet lanolin, and the perculiar smell of chilly mud. There was mud spattered up her legs as well, cold and gelid, and her suit of plated mail was performing its usual miracle of being as shivering-miserable in cold weather as it ws sweating-miserable in hot. At least she possessed stainless steel, not as likely to rust. All that was familiar enough; the Winter Months were like this, except when they were honestly frigid and you got snow.