Raula hummed a low, tuneless melody to herself as she smoothed the sleek black fabric of her gloves over her knuckles. Dressed in a tight, dark fighting outfit that allowed for maximum mobility, she was ready to pay Selene a final, decisive visit. The ritual was always the same: a strenuous, secret workout in her private room to hone the strength she concealed from the world, followed by a cup of her specially blended calm tea to steady her nerves, then a bath, and finally, the dressing. A warrior preparing for battle.
"This is it," she whispered into the silence of her chamber. Then, with a fluid grace that defied her public persona, she slipped out of her window sill and leaped soundlessly into the embracing darkness of the trees.
