Early morning sunlight filtered through breaks in the clouds, casting bright, golden rays of light through the rain clouds that hung over Lothian City like a sodden blanket. In the outer courtyard of Lothian Manor, footsteps splashed through puddles on the cobblestone floor while servants bustled about, preparing horses and a carriage for a journey that looked like it might last several days.
Isabell watched over everything with a practiced eye as supplies and tools were loaded into the back of the carriage. She had no idea whether she would use any of these tools or not, after all, she had only informed Owain Lothian that she intended to survey the lands near the mouth of the Vale of Mists as a pretense for her departure. Whether or not she actually spent any time there would depend on what happened once she met up with Marcel in the village outside the city.
