Thomas set his jaw and spun around to face Adelaide. He regarded her with a steely look before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Alright," he muttered, allowing her to wriggle out of his grasp. He still remained very close to her, well close enough that she wouldn't kick him in the balls in a heartbeat. When she sped ahead, Thomas let out his own frustrated noise as he made to keep up with her. They were quite the angry pair. Whatever level of understanding and mutual companionship they had shared back in the pub was quickly diminishing.
Thomas' frustration quickly disappeared. Where on earth did the Princess think she was going? His eyes gleamed with amusement as he watched her dart through the alleyways, her stubbornness refusing to accept defeat. If he had been paying attention, not wrapped up in his silent laughter at the Princess, he might have sensed something was up. He probably would've heard them or seen them even. She was just out of his reach, a few metres up ahead and she had dissapeared around the corner. Then he ran right into something, a bulky man who could not be up to any good. There were two others one had a dirty hand, tightly clasped around Adelaide's arm. Like a flip of a switch, Thomas was in his fighting mode, his limbs light and ready for combat. They were in far too close of range for Thomas to use his preferred weapon of choice. But he was a trained member of the Kingsguard, he didn't like to carry a heavy longsword around on his belt but he had several knives if it had to come to that. "Unhand her!" he spoke, his voice laden with authority, the thugs only continued to sneer. The other two men stood like a barrier between him and the man who now had his hands securely wrapped around Adelaide's waist.  In seconds he had knocked one of the men's legs from beneath him, sending him in a heap of dirt to the ground. The third was now launching himself onto Thomas' back. Thomas grunted but rammed back into the wall behind him. He had a few seconds advantage as the man attempted to seize his bearings. Thomas' leg was in the man's gut, swinging a fist squarley in his jaw, ducking to avoid a blow. He swiftly pulled a knife from his belt and brought the hilt firmly down upon his head sending him in a unconscious heap to the floor.
He spun around to find the man he had firstly sent to the ground rising to his feet. Thomas threw punches and kicks, blocking the occasional punch. He grabbed the man's right arm and yanked it around his back. The satisfying crack of a broken bone ringing through the alleyway, only muffled by his cry of pain. Thomas only stood back to appreciate the sight for a few seconds before he looked up only to find Adelaide thrown over the last thug's shoulder who was now quickly retreating down the empty road. Thomas groaned and pursued them. The thug was quickly scaling the side of the building by a ladder, Thomas was quickly after them. He had to do this in a way that the Princess wouldn't get hurt. Knives was out of the question. He had been able to gain time on his feet and even on scaling. Despite his muscle bulk, Thomas was lithe and fast. Once upon the roof, he already had an arrow knocked on his bow, it held out infront of him. He steadied his breathing, holding it still....3,2,1. And with the always satisfying whistle, the arrow travelled through the air and lodged in his target, the retreating thug's leg bringing him down. Thomas carefully made his way over to where the man was moaning. He quickly pulled Adelaide away from the man and onto a more secure surface before he went back to the man. He held a knife to the man's throat, "Who are you and what business do you have with her," he jerked his head at Adelaide, his eyes filled with contempt. The man grinned, his voice gruff and wheezing from the arrow still lodged in his leg, "What man wouldn't want a go at that?" Disgusted, Thomas firmly slammed his foot in his stomach. That would shut him up.
With the man's feint groans and moans Thomas clambered back to where he had left Adelaide. He dimly registered a dull throbbing pain upon his right cheekbone, but other than that he was ok. He reached out to hold her shoulders, "Are you ok? Did he hurt you?" he asked in a flourish of questions as he quickly scanned her face for any sign of pain. That had been close too too close.
