Valerius strides into a tavern, his soft brown hair tied neatly back. The air is filled with the clinking of tankards, the buzz of conversation, and a faint whiff of smoke.

He moves toward an empty table, scanning the room with shrewd eyes before taking a seat. Orderly, collected, he rests a slender hand on a leather-bound tome that sits beside him.

As a serving lass approaches, he orders a goblet of smooth wine and sits back, his gaze flickering over the room's occupants.