Serena felt calm. It was odd she had found something influencing her, yet felt what it said was so right. She decided to pay more attention to her thoughts in the future.

No one will control me, after all.

After the incident, Serena had taken a day off. Today however she planned to find the village and see if she could start trade. She had the Shadows pelt and some from the weird critters that her traps caught.

Assuming that the literal reflection part of the Shadowfell still held, the nearest town would be two hours flight away. About four hours walking. She decided to leave her armor, but take her sword. She might need to defend herself on the trip, but wanted to look as harmless as possible. Showing up in Light paladin gear would likely have the opposite effect she wanted.

Her sword in the other hand, was looking less like something a paladin would have, and more like something a Death Knight would every day. She had started practicing using her magic and the sword together, and the energy had darkened it's color to the point where it faded into the shadows.

And Serena couldn't see it, but parts of herself other then her wings had begun to change.

The flight was uneventful, other then Serena getting scared by a flock of rather normal looking ravens.

Looking down at the town, Serena saw it was mostly the same as the one she remembered. To the east a caravan was preparing to leave, the town itself was small, with only twenty buildings or so. Most of the population was Tiefling, followed by Drow, and a small number of humans.

The Adventurers guild was easy to identify, being one of two structures to have a proper second floor.

Serena had debated internally for awhile, but decided that walking in would be less likely to bring the guard down on her, as small as their presence was. It would bring less attention to her from the townspeople too, she would already be getting enough of that from her wings.

I wonder if i can pull just my wings into the shadows. No, experiment later.

Banking over to the road opposite the caravan she landed just out of sight of the town. Now on foot she walked up to the gate.

There where three guards on the wall, a Drow and two Tieflings. One of the Tiefling guards called out in the same language she had heard before. Stopping, Serena called out, "Do any of you speak common?"

They looked at each other for a moment, before the Drow stepped forward.

"Am speak small high common," she said, "why you do here?"

"For the Adventurers guild.", Serena responded. While there were other places to sell skins, the Adventurers guild would be more likely have someone fluent in a language she spoke.

The Drow turned to the others and conversed for a bit. Turning back she said, "Ok, in. Is big one there."

As she spoke the gate open. The people walking past glanced at her, then stared at her wings.

Hide! Pull into the shadows! Too many people!

Swallowing the sudden impulse to run, Serena continued into town. The months of solitude had made her forget how people always looked at her. The creatures she had encountered in the Shadowfell hadn't cared if she had wings or not. They treated her like everything else, food.

Ducking her head, and wishing she had the cloak she typically wore around town, Serena hurried to the guild. Pushing through the door she looked around. Some people looked at her, but most payed her little attention.

Moving to the counter, she said, "I have some things to sell" to the attendant, one of the few humans she had seen.

The man frowned, turned, and called into the back. A Draconian, the first in town, came out and spoke to her in a different language then everyone else had.

"Do you speak common?" Serena responded.

A different language again.

"How about celestial?"

"Draconic? I certainly hope so I'm running out."

" Yes! Sorry, I haven't spoke to anyone for months. I have some beast skins to sell. Also there were some people I met, a warrior and ranger. I think I scared them." Serena perked up, glad the professors had forced her to learn it.

"No problem. Come over to the side counter. Were you the one who Talsira and Hiemal where freaking out about? You don't look that scary. If you have that Shadow it would be good, they can't turn in the mission without proof it's dead. I'm Ragthur by the way. "

"Serena. I do have it. And I looked quite different when I meet them. " Serena pulled her bag off and began to unload it.

"Truly? Shape changes are rare. Do you want to speak with them? Talsira is learning draconic." Examining the various furs and skins, Ragthur began to tally up the cost. "Hmmm. I can give you a copper for each of these skitterling skins, and three for the warpers. The displacer Shadow is in excellent condition compared to how they normally come to us. Two silver."

Serena accepted the prices given without question. She didn't deal with money often when in the Hammers of Light, typically it was just a copper here or there for some food from a vendor, so she didn't have much of an idea of how much things cost.

"I would like to meet them. And I'm not a shape changer, I have powers similar to a Shadow."

"Really? We have a general testing orb if you want to try it. Those two usually show up a bell after lunch so if we do a full test..." Ragthur waved at the back room.

"Sure. Not even to sure what branch of magic it is."

And so they started moving to the back room.