As Aidan arrived at the outskirts of Woodchester Village, the bells of the neighborhood church pealed out two somber rings. The weather had turned harsh, with brisk winds and threatening storm clouds. Aidan was weary and famished. As she traveled through the gates of the town, she kept a sturdy hand on her leather riding crop and, with her customary understated elegance and confident air, carefully avoided confrontations with the usual array of pickpockets, drunken sots, gay women (prostitutes) and their fancy men (pimps), who frequently accosted unsuspecting travelers.
Monty had schooled her well in how to deal with common riff-raff and, as though expecting the kiss of the lash for their efforts, nary a one attempted to approach her. Alas, Aidan’s heart was touched by the squalor and the dirty-faces of the street children who amused themselves with games of “Tug-of-War” and “Marble Ring Taw,” played with tattered rags and rough pebbles. She would make certain to donate a sizeable contribution to the local vicar for the benefit of the wretched waifs.
Aidan rode on and soon came upon a row of neatly-arranged stores. She kept a keen eye out for the local merchantile, butcher shoppe, and Servants’ Registry. However, when she spied an inconspicuous tavern sign just ahead, her hollow tummy growled out a signal that she had better fill it before tending to the household matters. Just then, Aidan’s attention was diverted toward a vaguely familiar-looking young woman hurrying toward her. As the horse galloped closer, Aidan was certain that she knew the girl. So, she tugged Windy toward the girl to catch her attention.
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Gigi hurried down the street in the direction the barkeep told her to go. Muttering to herself about the nonsense he was warning her about, she wasn't really looking where she was going. She was concerned about her appearance and the hope that Lady Adian would remember her and the good work she did, not the dead bodies she found. Her thoughts elsewhere, and her eyes not on the road in front of her, she didn't hear the horse galloping down the street until too late, and she was knocked over by the animal. Getting up, grumbling, ready to curse out the fool who just knocked her down, messing up her last good dress, and probably ruining any good impression she wanted to make, she looked up, the curse words dying on her lips as she spotted the woman
rider. Gigi peered closer, there was something familiar about the woman. Ignoring the whinnying horse, she took one step closer and, with a look of disbelief on her face, she said "Lady McCody?"
