Nations on the Brink (storyline)/Secrets (vignette)

"Maybe I should put them on the pedestal instead of the shelf, what do you think?"

Feriae gazes down at the curious peahen, the feathered onlooker blinking twice at her before releasing an ear-piercing scream.

"Fine, fine, we'll leave them on the shelves then."

She meticulously dusts around the clumps of moss draped across the shelves, glancing at the crafts displayed upon them before stepping down from atop the bench, tossing the peahen a small handful of peas and berries from the nearby pedestal. As the female peacock trudges across the grass, Feriae notices an unfamiliar stone curtained by blades of grass.

She strides over, gathering the stone in her hands and notices smudges of ink upon her fingertips, lifting them briefly to see the letters "h d i t e l r " neatly pressed across her palm, the smooth surface covered in blurs of green mixed with the soil beneath her feet.

Feriae stands, carefully tucking the stone into her vasculum as she takes the stool back inside the arboretum, walking through the faenor gates as she approaches the copse of trees contained within the dome. As she leans the stool against the ashen oak, she spots an unfamiliar piece of bark against its surface, an unusual color combination melding into the tree, unnoticeable to those unfamiliar with the species but obvious to the student's well-trained eyes.

She carefully peels the bark-shaped note from the oak, the dried sap scraping against the trunk as she examines the replica. A single line of unfamiliar language scratches the back of the note, though the writing is written in graceful flourishes, a contrast to the crude writing paper.

She slowly stows away the bark, concealing her activity against the shaded boughs as she hurries back through the gate.

Feriae hurries down Glamesine Var, passing by the numerous posters of missing citizens. She stops for a moment, gazing at each in turn before making her way towards the Hall of Justice.