88th of Vhalar, 716
Fort Burhan, Rynmere
It had been six long days naked on the back of the horse. She had not stopped except to rest for a short time. Her anxiety kept her up for extended periods of time. She paused to drink from rivers and barter with a hunter along the way. He had been difficult, but the money that Vivian had left her was able to talk for her. Approximately 10 gn, a lofty sum for some cooked rabbit and a few slices of bread, were parted with for her to have several meals in her journey to Burhan. He must have taken her as an innocent woman, robbed of all her belongings. Did he think she had been raped? Beaten? The blood and been unexplainable, but the question never came up. Her next encounter with a river caused her to wash as much of the blood off as possible, to avoid the situation.Fort Burhan, Rynmere
She arrived in Burhan on the 88 of Vhalar. The cloak had come in handy to hide her appearance and rough appearance. Prior to entering the city, she had removed the tack from her mount and released the beast from her custody. It deserved that much for its service. She had immediately gone to the nearest seamstress, seeking clothing. When she entered the building, the woman seemed to think she was in the wrong place. She was clearly looking for a lesser quality establishment. This place would be too expensive for her. Without even asking if she had the coin, Zvezdana was shuttled out of the door. Standing in the street with bare, dirty feet beneath a militant cloak, Zvezdana looked around. Would this woman grovel before her if she made mention that she was a noblewoman? A Venoran by blood?
Zvezdana slipped into the crowd, pulling the hood tighter around her face. Could she really say that anymore? Was she truly a noblewoman anymore? She was naked beneath a scrap of fabric. No one knew her name and almost everyone saw her as a pauper. No. She could not be considered a noblewoman any longer. The only statement she could say with assurance was this: She was Venoran by blood. Despite the genetic material that flowed within her veins, she did not feel very Venoran. Venoran women were beautiful and dressed in colored silks with intricate embroidery. Their hair was soft and untangled. Their skin was milky, flawless, and scented with the flowers from their homeland. They touted their beauty and used it to their advantage. They found good husbands and accepted their place in this world. They were not meant to be rulers. They were meant to be trophies.
The next establishment welcomed her with a motherly voice. There was concern for her condition. Zvezdana wanted to cry, but the tears had long been shed. Instead, she was shuttled into the back for a fitting. She asked for the bare minimum, something that was in stock. “Of course dearie. I’ll be right back.”
Zvezdana was left to stand in the room, naked and alone. She peered up at the mirror to get a look at herself. Her hair was rat nested and wild. Her skin was covered in an abnormal distribution of dirt, some areas like her feet and hands being significantly dirtier than the rest of her. Hints of blood remained where she had missed it in the river. The bags around her eyes were unattractive and dark. These were accentuated by the puffy, red edges of her eyelids, where the tears had poured freely from intermittently during her journey. Her normally soft skin was tight in areas around her body, making the points of her skeleton push at her skin. The marks that Syroa had left on her were distinct, despite the blood and dirt. To top it off, her belly was swollen from her pregnancy. Stretch marks were beginning to form due to the lack of personal care.
The seamstress had come back a few moments before, catching Zvezdana looking critically at herself. When Zvezdana felt her presence, she turned to eye her. There was pity in her eyes. Pity? Is that how people would view her now? She turned away from the mirror and the woman, shame heavy on her shoulders.
“I don’t have much in stock at the moment, but I thought these might fit you. Here.”
So this was what jute felt like? The fabric was the worst quality that she had ever been placed in. It scratched her skin as she pulled it on. The woman had been kind enough to bring her some wool underwear, which was appreciated by her saddle worn nether regions. The blouse was the same jute material, but it was white. It was loose enough to hide her swollen belly. Zvezdana rubbed her belly, trying to pull some calming effect from her child.
“Thank you,” Zvezdana stated, following the woman out. She was still bare foot, but the seamstress fixed that quickly by providing a pair of heels. They had been set to the side until Zvezdana had finished dressing. Black and white. The colors of a peasant. She stood at the counter, pulling the make shift pouch of coin from the crumpled up red cloak.
“Oh dearie! You could afford something better with that kind of coin. Why did you not go to the other seamstress down the way? She could have dressed you in something more fitting.”
“She turned me away,” Zvezdana stated simply. There was a silent pause as Zvezdana continued to count the money. Then, the woman sighed. Clearly she knew what it was like to be seen as less than what she was.
“Please do come again if you need more clothes. You should seek the inn down the road. You can get cleaned up there and get a decent night’s rest.”
Zvezdana nodded, leaving the establishment with the remainder of her finances and the bundled up red cloak in hand. Once outside, people did not look at her oddly. They simply ignored her. Tucking her head down, she walked along the street towards the inn. A Venoran would have held their head high and people would have dodged out of the way. Instead, she was dodging other people, getting grimaces when she got in someone’s way.
I have fallen so far. I cannot even consider myself as Venoran. I am too far from the idea of a Venoran woman. No, that side of me. Zvezdana Venora is dead.
OOC
I have deducted 10 GN for the supplies she received from a miscellaneous hunter (she is shit for negotiation). I have also deducted the cost of the clothes. Similarly, to travel for 6 days at 5 SN, I have removed an additional 3 GN. That should cover her for this post.
