The Sword-Saint

She is a small woman, birdlike, with coloring like that of a sparrow. Her clothes, thick linen and intricately tooled leather, obscure her gender, but the low alto of her voice is unmistakable. The first thing you notice about her is the mask, pale wood and lightweight. Sometimes she is wearing it, other times it disappears into the depths of her cloak, a deep green drape of fabric with shifting, intricate embroideries. After the mask, you notice the sword. It is delicate, almost ornamental in its fineness, but the worn leather grip suggests long use. After the mask, the sword, the cloak, you might notice her face, unexceptional. Her mouth is full, prone to smiling, and her nose is strong and down-turned–again reminiscent of a bird, though less a sparrow and more a hawk. Her eyes are a light brown, almost amber in the right light, and her thick, dark hair is swept up in thick crown braids. She always moves carefully, intentionally, and listens more than she speaks.

On Samudra:

The coat: A coat in something like a flowing linen, practical but elegant as well, light blue with green trim. Despite its airiness and lightness, it feels sturdy, with a sparrow motif above the chest pocket.

Then: The coat Archie made for her hangs over her shoulders, held in place by three chains of intricately-knotted azure-and-pearl ribbon. Underneath the coat, she’s wearing a loose, translucent blouse gathered at the wrists that leaves her collarbone and shoulders bare. She’s saved from immodesty by a light blue band that covers her chest and midriff. She’s traded out her practical pants for a dark blue skirt that looks pleated at first, but when she moves it becomes clear that it’s different panels of heavy, silken fabric. She’s wearing sandals, and when she shifts her weight to one hip, the panels of the divided skirt part and it becomes clear the sandals lace rather high up her leg. Her hair is pulled back into a low bun and braided with azure ribbon and strings of pearls. She’s wearing earrings, delicate carved abalone in the shape of a bird in flight.