#scumport

Another door slammed in their faces. The scraping sound of it grated on her mind like knives being drawn across cobblestones  - and Stella actually jumped as the noise startled the little creature. Turning to go, Soren’s sing-song voice cut through the now-muffled shouts of the elves that resided at the residence.  “ Soooo, ” he started, speaking over the colorful, cuss-filled language that was now emitting through the closed door, “how’d you find this place, anyway?” 

Rayla snorted at the question and Stella chitted her teeth, almost as if the cuddlemonkey knew it would strike a nerve. But the elf figured the Crown Guard would eventually be fishing for information about this place. “You’re the one who picked this house,” she joked, side-stepping the inquiry.

Soren wrinkled his nose in annoyance. “You know what I meant,” he responded, pursing his lips together in a pout. 

“Information gets around,” Rayla said vaguely, “and when I was on my own, I was… looking for something.” A clue that came from a tip that came from a whisper that a Dark Mage was making an illegal trade, who could have turned out to be your father but it wasn’t seemed liked too much to say, and she didn’t want to ruin Soren’s optimism with the mention of Viren anyway. “I got the lead and had to see for myself. It was actually my last stop before coming…” her words trailed off before she could properly finish the sentence. 

Going where, Rayla? To Katolis? To Callum? Home?

…Was Katolis even her home?

"I said you'd be back."

Rolling her eyes Rayla turns to look at the source of the familiar voice which was dripping with satisfaction. She had hoped not to run into her during her return trip to the pirate bay, but it seems those had been dashed much like the crates of cargo which would occasionally fall from ships arriving in town and could not be recovered in time to before smacking against the stone paved docks - and like the crews of those ill-fated vessels, she would have to grit her teeth and bare it.

"Not that it's any of your business Redfeather, but I'm just passing through."

As if to emphasise this statement, Stella crossses her four little arms and turns her head away in solidarity with Rayla.

Letting out a short snort, the eldar Moonshadow Elf crosses her much thicker arms and continues to speak.

"Really? Because you look just as lost as your last time here. C'mon girl there's no need to be prideful. If you need a hand you can always..."

"Rayla!"

A voice cries out drawing the Elves attention with Redfeather looking on befuddled as a young human lad in a red scarf runs up to Rayla, almost oblivious to the much taller woman, and inciting a smile from the younger woman. One caused by an unmistakable something Redfeather could recognize from miles away.

"Are you and Stella ready?" He asks.

"We are, Callum. Just waiting for Soren to make his move."

She scans the misty marketplace for a sign of the armoured blonde in question, who despite herself, she still had trouble imagining was now head of the Ezran's Crownguard, in spire of seeing his skills first hand. For some reason the notion, seemed absurd.

"Where is he anyway?"

Without hesitation Callum replies.

"He's looking for a fake mustache for his disguise."

That's why.

"But... They've never met before, why would he even need..?"

The mage holds up a hand.

"I tried saying that too, but he just kept insisting that 'Snort Longpocket' just isn't complete without it."

Rayla sighs, as unwilling to press the topic any further as Callum clearly was.

"Well I guess it couldn't be any less ridiculous than the smokebees."

"Probably. Anyway I gotta get ready with Villads."

Pulling out one of the blind man's spare hat's from his leather bag, which the old salt had loaned him for the upcoming caper, he places it over his perpetually windswept hair before declaring with a playful, exaggerated gesture and a wink.

"Arrr'll be seein' you."

As he backs up a few steps in the direction he came from before turning completely, to make his way to prepare for their upcoming plan, inciting a giggle from Rayla. But as soon as it stops she immediately notices the smile upon the older elf's face.

"What?" She states, a bit more defensively then she meant.

"Nothing. Just forget what I said before. Seems you're right where you want to be afterall."

After a second Rayla relaxes knowing what she meant by the parting words they had shared before.

"Yeah. I am."

----

Are the dragang gonna accidentally blow up Finnegrin's tower or something?

Rayla: You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!

In Tales of Xadia there is a non-binary Moonshadow elf character named Feathershawl and it's sounded like a name they chosen for themselves and not the name they were born with.

In the story about Rayla in Scumport we met a Moonshadow elf who calls herself Redfeather. She mentioned that it's a name she chosen for herself and not her real name.

yeah that was from the first time Astrid tried to snip my hair. I didn't let her near me with scissors for weeks.

Scumport and Finnegrin's tower concept art.