Getting past Steiner that afternoon had not been easy. In the wake of the fiend infestation, she'd been hard-pressed to get out of the palace without a small entourage. On this particular afternoon, however, she did not wish to be followed so closely. The last thing she wanted was for everyone to see where she was going, or to observe the guard outside of her destination. She didn't need more rumors spread than already had.

So, on this cold winter afternoon, she'd pulled on her warmest traveling clothes; a pair of wool pants, and leather riding boots, with a white blouse. All of this was half obscured by the heavy white-mage robe she wore over it, the white and red hood pulled up to shield her ears from the cold. She'd been so preoccupied in making sure she wasn't being watched, that she didn't see the older gentleman until she bumped into him. that was the problem with hoods -- no peripheral vision.