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((You and I kept posting when Tib wanted to post. 8D))

"You're not entirely wrong about that, but I gawk out of curiousity! Your apology is accepted!"

Lance had made money that day, he was not about to let some comments ruin his happy-happy time.

"Oh, oh! Jewelry! I'm something of a rookie jewelry expert myself! It comes with the profession, you could say! Let me tag along too!" the thief said as he followed the group. "Though, I'll just stay behind and watch, mostly."

He hadn't had a lot of chances to befriend people since he came here, but he was definitely not letting this chance go now.

((I'm off to bed now. I'd appreciate if we didn't get an explosion of posts so that I'll miss 4 pages or something. ;- wink )

Leon had noticed that he'd strayed from Anri's side in the process of making conversation. No good. He'd been using the horse as a crutch on his right side, where his steed normally walked, as that's where his injured leg was. He wouldn't dare have a cane. That was a huge indignity to him.

Luckily, no one seemed to noticed his slight limp towards his horse, as he grabbed the reins and walked with a steady pace. "Just a little bit further this a'way." he smiled. "That friend of mine... does the finest work with gems. She repaired this." He showed the group an amulet, with an odd Griffon crest encrusted inside of what looked to be a solid Amethyst. "It's my... 'coat of arms' so to say from my old home. Long story short, I ran away. It was thanks to Dan an' Ghis that I'm even here. Healer.. before we go.. since Leena's right up the street... can you tell me if they're okay? You see, the other members of the Guard, my division... they're my family. I'd just like to know if they're safe, though I'm prepared for otherwise."

"It's fine." Leon sighed, as if relieved to hear the news. Putting the griffon crest of amethyst away, his thoughts drifted to them. His division. Ghis, Dan, Clang, Chickenwire, Large, and even the members of the constablry.. all of them were safe. At least, that's the impression he got.

"I haven't seen Leena personally myself. We need to catch up. I'll go the rest of the way." he told Rhys. "You don't have to introduce yourself if you don't want. After all, we're both just doing our jobs here."

Just up the road, a nomad was racing far too fast to find something, and by the looks of it, she wasn't driving her steed very responsibly.

As the owner of the Sparkles jewelry store, the only specialty shop that sold magical staves and jewelry was walking out, she found herself right in the nomad's path.. and she wasn't slowing down. For some reason, she was unable to make her steed steady. "Andre, be still!" she commanded. The words meant nothing....

Out of desperation, instead of letting the vendor be trampled, Sue reached down, grabbing her wrist and hoisting her up onto Andre's back before he could crash into her. Of course, now they were into a fast pace of getting lost.

"Be still!" the nomad commanded again. This time... her mount listened. Andre stopped, but the two didn't know how far they went.

"Um..." The vendor girl looked up. "N-nomad? Are you gonna take me and my gems to your tribe?"

Blossom wasn't quite sure how she ended up zoning out, but she definitely did, arms folded loosely behind her back as she vaguely watched the proceedings before her, getting lost in her thoughts. She could remember sneaking to the back pew of a wedding, Adeline rushing off to stand with Jaylin, tossing aside that bouquet of flowers like it would hurt her to hold onto any longer, and then Blossom, in her dust and travel clothes and scruffy hair, and Aidan doing their rites right then and there.

The crowd was there, the rings were there, anyway; why make people leave and come back later?

Blossom put a hand for a moment against her left hand, where the simple silver wedding band soaked in the sunlight, glinting just slightly if she twisted her arm. It was nearly hidden by her bandages, but it was an unassuming ring, not something you'd expect of a wedding ring. But Blossom didn't mind at all. She liked simple jewelry better.

She paused as Ganon spoke up, and she tilted her head far back to see his long face above hers, the eyepatch and mouth concealing rows of sharp, sharp teeth. "Hm. Just think, Blossom. Here Rhys could be making an adventure out of it, and he's just going to the store. Well!"

"I guess he just doesn't have the energy for it? Though I can't imagine why he wouldn't. It'd be much more fun as an adventure," Blossom mused, putting her hands at her front. She had just located a blade of grass that was trapped between the collar of her vest and her shirt and plucked it free when Ganon's scaly hands, tipped with claws, went to her sides and lifted her up, making her squeal in surprise. She felt quite comfortable up on his shoulder, feeling tall and lofty there. Blossom put her arms around his head, making sure not to obstruct his sight or prevent him from moving his head, fingers curling around the thick red hair that made up one of his drooping quills.

"...I dunno," came Blossom's uncertain response. She looked around, then pointed down a cobblestone street that lead to the northeast. "Try that way."

Leon had certainly saw the sight before him in the wrong impression. His friend, Leena was captured by a nomad? He saw it happen just before they went barreling down into an old, broken-down part of Eyris. He knew that region, that's where he first went though the Door in. "Priest this is it but, Leena was snatched by a nomad! We have to save her, and then...surely, a ring will be yours! I can't believe they'd do this to us now. We're hurting as it is, and they continue their 'trades'." Leon said, with extreme disgust stinging in his words.

Oh how he wished to mount Anri and chase after his dear colleague, but his injury even prevented him from running.

"You... know her?" Leon now raised an eyebrow. "You even said her name. That must mean you're comrades..."

That was the first thing you did when you wanted to make friends. Learn their names, so you're not saying 'hey you!' all the time. He didn't learn that in Archanea, he learned it here, in Learania, where all soldiers were equal. Here, in his company, there were no nobles and commoners. There was one thing they all were: soldiers.

Was this nomad another soldier in Rhys's point of view? Maybe they weren't all about their illegal trades.

Just maybe.

"We have to go after them, regardless. That district's been abandoned for a while. I used to patrol there when I was a new recruit, as it's a favorite hideout for bandits." Leon stated. "Let's make as much haste as we can. If she slowed that horse down... then that nomad can't be far. They might even find their way back, I heard they track well."

~~~~

"I didn't snatch you on purpose, miss. It wasn't my intention. I was looking for someone, and my horse got too excited. I didn't want him trampling you." Sue explained to the vendor calmly. "Take a deep breath... and tell me your name now. That way, we can stop being enemies."

"I'm... Leena." she muttered timidly.

"Leena is it?" Sue replied. "I'm Susan of the Kutolah... but you can call me Sue. Everyone else does. Now. Stay on Andre's back, while I re-trace our steps. I can see his footprints easily." Her eyes scanned the ground, and she held up her reins, getting Andre going in a steady backtrack.

She thought she heard other footsteps, so she grabbed her killing edge. But who could it be? This area is abandoned. Still, her hand never eased off her weapon.

"Milord Rhys, please be careful!" Sue exclaimed, already drawing an arrow back and aiming it right between a bandit's eyes. Due to the extra weight on Andre though... it missed entirely. Cursing, she drew another arrow, but not before one of the knives nicked her in the cheek. This time, she hit right where it counted in the chest. "We're... terribly outnumbered."

Leena clung to Sue with fear. She feared nomads.. but she feared bandits even more. They truly were merciless... they killed people with no remorse, especially those who crafted precious gems like herself. "I... I think I can trust you... Sue of the Kutolah... please aim carefully!"

"What in the name of Falchion does he think he's doing?!" Leon shouted, and he motioned Anri's reigns to go faster. "Anri, my friend. Be our shield!" he commanded, and the armored horse rode ahead, blocking blows from arrows and knives with his thick armor.

Although unable to use his axe, as close-range fighting would surely break his right leg beyond repair, Leon took out his javelin, aiming from behind Anri's protection and watching it fly. The top ended up stabbing another bandit in the eye, but there were still eight more. Being careful to rerieve it quickly, Leon ducked behind his horse for armor once again. "She called him... her lord Rhys. He's a Lord?" he muttered. "Lord Rhys! Can you use light magic?" Leon asked.

All the while, hope lit up in Leena's thoughts. Her friend was here. Leon. He'd save them all, surely, with the others... Steely Dan, Ghis, Chickenwire, Clang, and Large. They'd all show up to protect their civilians whom they loved so much. She just knew it. I have faith in you.