The darkness of the night had already blanketed the skies of Downtown district when the carriage which had arrived the district at late noon finally came to a stop outside Downtown Inn.

It had taken another few hours of travel to reach the inn, but that was already expected.

The day had been a busy one and had seen the arrival of many merchant troupes, as such, the streets had been filled up and carriage travel paths experienced high traffic.

They also had to go through the checkpoints set by the dragon guards of this district.

But finally, this carriage had arrived at it’s destination.

Downtown inn was situated in the very depths of the district, a quiet portion of downtown that was away from the bustling activities, trade routes and travel lanes.

The quietness of this part of the district was not a serene silence that one would find around high class business establishments, instead it was an eerie sort of silence.

A silence that foretold of danger and the kind that would turn many away from lurking around these parts.

Downtown inn was a renowned inn in the district, however it was known to have the patronage of some terrifying guilds and gangs in downtown district.

Only the most notoriously of the branded would dare frequent this inn. Even if the district was well regulated by the dragon guards, they simply could not cover up every loopholes.

It was why the streets around the inn were completely devoid of passersby, many steered clear of this inn so long as they were not seeking trouble.

Even so, loud and boisterous noises could still be heard from within the inn, interrupting the quietness of the atmosphere.

The inn was well lit up at this time of the night, as this was the time it gave services to the highest number of patrons.

It was a place where only those of downtown district who were daring enough could be caught around, it certainly was no place for a young lady.

As the carriage came to a halt, the carriage driver glanced around the lonely street, a wary look in his eyes.

"My Lady, we have arrived." The carriage driver said to Adrienne.

Adrienne pulled aside the curtains and peered out through the window, studying her environment.

This indeed was the downtown inn, Adrienne had never been here before but it was exactly as her aunt had described it,

An inn that appeared to be an ordinary resting place for traveling merchants and workers with hardly anything intriguing about it’s exterior, so it could always be easily ignored.

It was exactly the kind of place the Broken Blade would use as a front to cover up their true base as the dragons were always in favor of a honest business.

It was hard for such a luxurious carriage as Adrienne’s not to stand out next to the Downtown inn.

"Drive on and take the carriage into the dark alleyway, before anyone sees." Adrienne instructed, knowing it would not be in her favor if the carriage she arrived in was seen by too many people.

The carriage driver followed the instructions given and steered the carriage past the Downtown inn before turning into a dark alleyway where they disappeared completely from view.

Adrienne fetched her cloak and a veil with which she would conceal her visage.

Though Adrienne sought answers here, she knew just what kind of place the downtown inn was and she also knew she would have to take every precaution.

There were many things Adrienne did not want to happen here, amongst these, the most important were having her identity exposed or getting into one form of trouble or the other with any of the branded.

Adrienne quickly put on her attire, ensuring her wings stayed hidden beneath her cloak.

As much as Adrienne detested hiding them away in enclosed spaces, it was of utmost importance that she did not let it show that she was of the Fae tribe.

The branded of the downtown district each had their own agenda and back stories, who knew if there were those who held grudges against the Fae?

More than that, the dragon guards kept a close watch of this part of town, Adrienne would have it remain unknown to all that she had ever been here.

A woman in a cloak could not be easily identified if anyone came asking, but a woman with a cloak and wings would definitely drag the Fae clans into the mix.

This was Adrienne’s own personal task, it had nothing to do with her duties to her tribe and so it was unwise to get both intertwined.

Especially when Adrienne knew her sister and aunt had both figured out she was after the attendant and neither of them were in support of Adrienne’s actions.

"They do not understand... that leaving an obstacle for the future is the worst mistake one could ever make." Adrienne murmured to herself in distaste. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Every obstacle in Adrienne’s way had to be gotten rid off promptly and effectively, this was Adrienne’s believe.

"At first...it would have been just getting rid of an attendant, an insignificant life that no one would look twice at. But they prevented me."

"The obstacle was allowed to linger and so it grew... now, it becomes getting rid of a rider of the King’s guard. If left any longer, how much greater would this obstacle grow?" Adrienne continued.

Adrienne did not wish to wonder, she would not allow herself wonder and that was because Adrienne would put a stop to it before it ever got beyond this.

"Many have walked the walls of Dragon Keep and remained unknown, yet in only a few months...a mere wolf shifter is known even beyond keep walls."

"My people are to regain their place, we cannot let anyone break the present hierarchy but one of ours." Adrienne decided.

She could not understand why her sister Keila and their aunt could not see that Neveah was a variable they had not planned for and that was a great threat to their plans.

When Adrienne was certain she could not be picked out from the crowd, she pulled the large hood of the cloak over her head and stepped out.

Adrienne frowned slightly as her boots stepped right into a puddle of water the moment she stepped down to the ground.

There were filthy puddles of water filling up the uneven parts of the alleyway and Adrienne scrunched up her nose slightly before reminding herself that she would have to blend in.

To blend in, it would mean Adrienne could not act her status or it would be immediately noticed.

The branded were many things, but they certainly were not gullible. They could not have survived the tyranny of the previous dynasty to reach an age of freedom if they were.

Small droplets of rain drizzled down from the sky and the carriage driver fetched an umbrella but Adrienne lifted a hand to stop him.

"Stay out here, I will go in alone." Adrienne instructed the carriage driver.

"But My Lady, that is too dangerous!" The carriage driver reasoned in a low whisper.

"Do as you are told, I will return soon and we shall head back immediately." Adrienne replied as she ventured out of the alleyway, pulling her cloak tighter around herself.

It was a short walk back to the inn and Adrienne glanced around for a moment before she walked up to the doors and pushed it open, heading in.

The bell at the door dinged as Adrienne walked into the receiving hall which housed only the counter where one of the innkeepers welcomed guests.

On stepping in, Adrienne could hear the boisterous noises coming from the ale hall but she had no business there.

She headed straight to the counter instead where a young man dressed in a commoner’s attire greeted her.

"Welcome downtown. Would you like to sit for a drink or book a lodging?" The young innkeeper asked while making calculations with an abacus.

"None of that." Adrienne replied.

"Then would you be interested in..." The young innkeeper began again but Adrienne cut him off.

"I have come to consult with the Broken Blade." Adrienne said firmly.

Adrienne’s words were met with a brief silence as the young innkeeper glanced up, taking in Adrienne’s masked appearance before he laughed quietly.

"The merchant guild? They travel in and out of downtown, you should check with their warehouses. This is an inn." The young innkeeper replied, waving his hand dismissively.

"If I wanted regular goods...I would naturally go to their warehouse. But what I seek can only be gotten here, I will consult with the Broken Blade...at once." Adrienne said in a chilling cold tone, placing a money pouch on the table.

This caught the attention of the young innkeeper who finally placed down his abacus and picked up the money pouch, checking it’s weight.

"If you are here for them, then I suppose you know the rules... have you come alone?" The young innkeepers asked, his tone now serious.