Tova Hedd is a compact dwarf woman with the dense, grounded presence of a sack of grain dropped onto a tavern bench. She moves with a courier's efficient economy, never taking two steps when one will do, yet her hands are perpetually careful, as if every object might contain something fragile. Her braided beard is short and neatly divided into three cords, an old-fashioned style among her relatives, while her cropped copper hair sticks up in soft, stubborn tufts. The unexpected thing about her is her delicacy: she handles cups, letters, and frightened animals with astonishing gentleness, even though she looks built to split firewood. Before speaking, she gives a slow nasal inhale and taps one thumb twice against the mug in her hands. People notice her stillness first, then realize she has already mapped every exit.