A slim, athletic young woman stands rigidly upright even when exhausted, as if relaxing would let the whole street collapse through her. Her pale ivory skin is dusted with warm freckles across her nose, shoulders, and collarbones. Uneven dark-brown hair hangs to her jaw and repeatedly falls across one eye, which she ignores until someone points it out. Her deep brown eyes hold a small amber warmth near the pupils, softened by compassion but sharpened by constant appraisal. Her hands are narrow and strong, with faint bowstring calluses, cracked knuckles, and a permanent dark crescent beneath each thumbnail from repairing tack and weapons. She moves with the economical balance of a hunter, taking up less space than her confidence suggests. The unexpected contradiction is her smile, which is broad, crooked, and almost girlish when it appears, making her severe face briefly look much younger.