The woman smiled. "And you. Now, my dear. It's best you be on your way."
The woman rose from the table, taking with her the money and the orders. She stepped into the back where she would be secluded, then called for a messenger. The young man was one of theirs, a Nightshade initiate, one who could be trusted with important and confidential correspondence. The boy was swift and quiet, and he didn't ask questions, which was why he had been chosen for such an assignment.
She held up her hand in a signal to wait. She went to her desk, pulled out a parchment, an ink well, and a quill, then began to write. When she was finished, she sealed the parchment and handed it and the bag of coins to the boy. She captured his chin in an iron grip, holding him tight so she could look into his eyes and impress upon him the importance of this assignment.
"This is to go to our base in Serendipity. Move quickly and without much delay. When you reach it, you know whom to deliver these to. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good." Releasing him and returning to her desk, she pulled out a thin wallet, which she then handed to the boy. "This is for your expenses. If there's any left, you may keep it. Now, go."
She watched the boy leave, and leaned against her desk, her arms crossed over her chest. It was out of her hands now.
The boy traveled from Essyrn to Serendipity as fast as he could. He barely stopped, knowing that what he was carrying was far too important to let fall into the hands of the enemies or anyone, really. When he reached the inn run by the guild, he was dirty and tired, but he wasn't about to stop until he had completed his mission. He walked in with more swagger than he felt and sat at the bar, where he slid the bag of coins and sealed parchment across the counter toward the barkeep, who quickly exchanged the objects for a plate of warm food and a stein of mulled cider. The switch was so quick, any onlookers would have barely seen anything take place.
The barkeep then headed away from the bar and the common room, through the back rooms until he reached one in particular and knocked once, twice, paused, and once more. After a minute, the door opened, admitting the pale face of a woman.
Wordlessly, the barkeep handed over the parchment and the bag of coins to her, then turned on his heel and walked away. Quietly, the door shut and the woman returned to the table where she had been sitting, a table laden with parchment and writing tools. She opened the newest parchment, and let her eyes travel over the script. Her lips twitched into a smile.
It didn't take her long to gather her partner and the supplies they would need for the journey. She and her partner had been chosen to accept this mission, and though they would be gone, many operatives worked and lived out of that inn when they were here, and so even though one set was gone, there would be another to take care of whatever job came in.
Ready, Masiel set her eyes toward the Wester Highlands and began walking.