Branna Rootwright is a compact hill dwarf with a broad, work-hardened frame and a rolling gait that makes every step look deliberate, as if she is testing the floor for loose nails. Her skin is warm umber, roughened like old leather across the knuckles, while her beard is braided into six thick copper-red cords threaded with tiny living roots. Her left eyebrow is pinned by a brass leaf clasp, and one eye is a cloudy gray from an old workshop explosion. The other shines green-gold when she is excited or angry. She smells faintly of cedar smoke, hot oil, and rain on stone. Her hands are scarred and permanently stained with blue-black sap, yet she handles fragile glass charms with the delicacy of a midwife. The unexpected contradiction is her smile, which is bright, tender, and almost girlish despite the ironworker's build and intimidating collection of tools.