Nella Pike is a sturdy, broad-shouldered human woman whose copper-brown hair is braided into a thick rope that swings against her back when she walks. Wisps of it perpetually escape around her temples, dusted with flour so often that the pale powder seems part of her coloring. Her hands are large, warm, and permanently roughened by ovens, salt, and winter work, yet she handles delicate pastries with the care of a jeweler. She moves with the efficient, rolling balance of someone accustomed to carrying full trays across uneven floors. Within a minute of meeting her, most people notice that she repeatedly touches the empty hole where her missing earring used to be, especially when listening to bad news. Her contradictory element is that, despite her formidable build and practical manner, she has an almost fragile stillness when kneading dough, holding her breath as if the loaf might hear her thoughts.