The park was her favorite place in the city, she decided. While normally brimming with people, the early evening and feasting at the front gates drew people away from the well-tended pathways … leaving no one to dodge or nod at as they made their way towards the Cathedral that could just be seen in the distance. If she was right, Adam should be there and the day would be wrapped up with plans and perhaps a drink.
“Elena, if we can just find -- ” Rosemarri stumbled, jerked by the chain girdle that hung at her hips before it snapped. The belt’s chain, as well as the small bags, attached lost to her. Rosemarri’s thoughts fogged with confusion and she noted the pain that bloomed from her hips and back before she realized she was in danger of falling forward, down the stairs. To compensate or too much so, she threw herself backward to save herself the fall and with a twist caught herself awkwardly with her hands on the steps. What... “Hey- stop!” Elena’s cry mingled with her own, they had just been… robbed?
Before she could wrap her mind around the fact that some hooligan was making away with her belt and coin bags (as well as a neatly wrapped cupcake!) Elena was up and running, chasing after the girl. Rosemarri groaned, this was bad. This was so bad. Gods damn it, Elena. She straightened herself, carefully pushing to a stand to see that others were gathering to see what the nonsense was about just as her newest sibling caught up with the thief. The pair grappling by the park’s low wall.
Elena hadn’t gone far - relief trickled down her spine. Now just to peel them apart and get out of here. She shifted her weight to move closer to the pair but as she took the step a skinny man appeared on the ledge behind where the raggamuffin and Elena fought. “LET HER GO OR I WILL MAUL YOU!” He shouted, his stare on Elena.
Titans. “She can be freed..” Rosemarri spoke up swiftly, raising her voice to be heard over the small crowd and the tussling girls. Look at me. Look at me. “As soon as she hands back to me what she stole.” His wild eyes turned to stare at her and she lifted her chin, brows ticking upwards. ‘There we go, look at me’ she mentally chanted.
“I didn’t steal anything!” Clearly, a lie for the girl held the broken girdle and coin bags in her hand, her arm swaying to keep the goods away from Elena’s grip.
“You will let her go!” The man yelled again, his voice morphed to something of a growl and Rosemarri lost his attention.
“I will let her go right to the guards unless she hands me back what is mine.” Rosemarri eased down another step, attempting to regain his attention as well as see if Elena was holding her own with the scrappy girl or.. -- the bag sailed overhead. Once more confusion found her, did the woman just huck the entire bag or -- Rosemarri’s confusion cleared as soon as her attention swept over the crowd. The crowd gathering wasn’t helping as per normal... they were watching. Waiting. The bag was caught by a redhead at the top of the stairs and the woman smirked.
They were neatly surrounded. A trap. Regardless of if Elena had given chase or not, their way was blocked and they were stuck on the stairs.
“Sunshields to me” Rosemarri screamed, a sliver of fear twisting through her spine. This was her fault, she hadn’t called ahead. She had taken the portal. She had picked the park when they could have walked through the trade district. A man moved to stand beside her and her entire body stiffened but she didn’t look at him. His hands weren’t on her so… a threat? How fast could she move? Did she dare let the shadows take her? She hadn’t practiced - her stare locked on her sister while she fought not only a scrappy girl now but the man, a druid, who had turned himself into a feline and threw his entire body forward to attack.
“I yield the bag, I yield the bag!” She called out, attempting to stop the fight since it was now two against one. Elena swung on the Druid and the raggamuffin peeled away from the fight, at first it looked as if she was going to scramble up the stairs but instead, she plowed right into Rosemarri and for the second time tonight, she went down on the stairs.
“HOLD!” For the second time tonight relief poured through her. Adam and the newly named squire Petra could be seen making their way through the onlookers. At the sight of a plated man and sword-wielding woman, they scattered like cockroaches, leaving only the three that had started the fight behind. The redhead that took off with the girdle and bags, the woman that clung to Rosemarri’s middle, and the Druid fighting Elena.
The woman that clung to her babbled, pressing closer. The hold wasn’t cruel but desperate … seeming. The girl smeared her dirty face and hands on Rosemarri’s clothes while she bubbled about being hungry and tired of the rags she wore. Fragmented, she didn’t see Lucius had arrived and promptly turned to chase down the redhead. Fragmented and trying to soak in the girl’s story, she didn’t see Petra charge nor Adam’s first call for a stand down to fail. She peered over the woman’s dirty head to see Elena on the ground and Adam’s sword drawn.
The man standing next to her mentioned something about the worth of the bag before he turned to coax the girl to let go. What were they saying? The woman spoke of consent and the man urged her to get moving before he held his hand out to help her to her feet.
The druid peeled away from the fallen Elena, his large head and beady stare locked on Rosemarri as he passed her and a flutter of anger beat within her chest. He was going to get away…
He was going to get away. While she stood she watched him, unblinking, as he mounted the steps. Both of his forms were known to her now… she could just.. her left hand trembled as another voice joined the chaos.
Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.
“I can help..” The man beside her spoke and she swung her angry gaze to him. She knew his face and at once her stomach dropped. The night was going to get worse? What had she done to deserve this shit? House Grouss was in the city? Move. “Alright.. Adamar -- I hear Lucius up the stairs.” Move. “Petra, join him. Let us get Elena mended enough to get her to the Cathedral.” Move. Move. Move.
“MOVE OUT.” Adam roared, sending move cockroaches scattering.
Perhaps the park wasn’t her favorite place in the city after all.
