...and back again

She hadn't taken much with her for the festival, and did't bring much back other than the fresh scars on her upper right arm, and some few other wounds less proudly displayed. Her pride, certainly had taken a beating. In truth, though she'd heard rumours before she arrived, coming directly from the monastery and seeing the city in its current state had shaken her. Whether victory had been achieved, or been achievable at all, was questionable. And she'd missed it all regardless. All around her Highmark's denizens scurried about in their reconstruction efforts. She didn't feel up to meeting their expectations of assistance. It was too demoralizing... But this was her destination, broken as it might be for the moment. There was a spark of indistinct frustration, and she clung to it like she was drowning.

Her shared room had been taken over by refugee who stared at her ill-humoured countenance as if she too might be some horrid demon come to strike them down. She turned on her heel with a muttered expletive, and headed back out to see if she could track down someone or something familiar...