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Residual senses from post transformation stuck with her awhile, which was both a blessing and a curse. While the wolf mind is formulated to understand a constant stream of scent information, the human mind is more keyed into visual context making it rather overwhelming at times to have both powerful sight and smell. The result was a massive headache. Colin looked from place to place, searching for a tavern, alcohol could generally dull at least one set of her senses making it easier for her to see.

A little to her left she could smell a combination of stale urine (either human or horse), weak alcohol, and stagnant sweat. She sighed in relief and made her way across the street as fast as possible. Stepping through the door she found that the smell inside was surprisingly better than the odor outside. Despite the deep purple half-moons beneath her eyes she was still receiving The Look from several of the tavern's male inhabitants. She smiled to herself, Good she thought, the alcohol is stronger than it smells.

Colin sat down at a stool on the bar and ran her hand through her hair. Something was sticking up in the back, she pulled on it and a chicken feather came out in her hand. Tucking it in her pocket she caught the barman's eye.
"Whiskey." she said once she'd got the his attention. "Straight up."
"Isn't it a bit early for that miss?" he asked.
"Pour it." she growled, slapping the money on the table.

The drink was handed to her and she sighed. Back home they at least gave you a proper mug full... she thought eyeing the shot with distrust before tipping it back in one glug to the surprise and semi-horror of the other tavern occupants. She smiled once and headed out the door, sneezing.

Once back in the light she could feel the alcohol begin to attack her senses. It went for the human ones first, but that was good because it sort of turned off half the information reaching her brain. Something smelled funny: coppery in a way, like a combination of metal and flowers at the same time. Lavender and tin? Apple and silver? She sneezed and her eyes began to water. Colin finally recognized the smell. Magic. she thought with contempt sneezing again, her inner wolf had always seemed somewhat allergic to it. The sneezing got stronger as she approached an alleyway that was nearby. Her eyes were streaming by now and she could barely see the young man who was standing nearby. She bumped into him sneezing violently again.

Noru glanced back and sighed. Here's where it would begin to get difficult. As Hock decided to drag the rest of village society into this little escapade, her task became more difficult. Shifting her weight so that the sword settled lightly against her hip, Noru took off. A man reached out to try to grab her and she smacked his hand away as she slid through the thick crowd in the market.

Looking ahead of her, she saw a heavy group in marketsquare. Carts lined the circular market and several allies branched off from this area. Glancing back to make sure that Hock followed her, Noru paused just a moment to decide which way to go. Several of the allies took U-turns back to Hock's store. Perhaps if she could lead Hock back to the store and show him that she hadn't actually stolen the sword, but rather, had been in a hurry and had simply paid for it and left, she could scrounge up an efficient excuse and give the other's time to escape.

She glanced down the longest route and made her decision before Hock caught up to her. Dashing down the alley, she knew that this was the longest way back to Hock's store. That would give the other's more time. Out of curiousity, she would find them later. Or catch up rather. She wanted to know more about the sword, especially considering her history . . . it might come in handy.

"Whooo...." uttered Keldan as Vivian performed her transformation. It was quite facinating to watch, but not the reason for her speaking. It was because she suddenly felt a bit dizzy. The bard leaned against the wall for a little while looking at the sword, turning her this way and that.

"Huh. Well that's a neat trick." Keldan then carefully tucked the sword through her belt. Holding a sword in one's hand while walking down a street seemed a little... noticable. "I suppose I should've stolen a sheath too," Keldan mused as she started to walk again, based on Vivian's directions.

The flow of traffic pushed Colin into the small alleyway. It was already inhabited. She blinked a few times trying to clear her eyes, and even tried rubbing them a bit. Someone was in the alley as well, and from his scent, he was getting increasingly nervous by the second. He was barely taller than her and had ear length black hair.

She sneezed once more and looked in him in the eye.
"Yes I'm alright." Colin said finally. "And what about you? What's all this business with thieves?" she asked, inhaling to try and prevent a sneeze. It was getting better, they were farther spaced and less violent.

Noru glanced back, saw Hock fling his fingers out and immediately stumbled against the alley's wall. Her arms were heavy and her legs no longer wanted to move. She cursed under her breath and dropped the sword that she had been carrying. Curse the gods, she should've been smart enough to duck or dash out of the way when somebody began using magic. Quite frankly, she hated it. It was a cheap way of fighting.

She tried her best to move but to no avail. Glancing up at Hock, who was catching his breath, she shouted. "I paid for your damn sword you blumbering lunatic. Now let me go! If you weren't so stingy you'd think you'd notice the bag of coins I'd left on your counter!" She decided that now was time to play the unhappy angry customer and threaten not to provide Hock with her business any longer. "Never again will I buy from your store! Ah! Blasted fools! This is what I get trying to avoid trouble and trying to get away from all the commotion."

Taking a breath, she harumphed her displeasure and leaned uncomfortably against the wall, waiting for Hock to stand straight and ponder her angry string of words.

Jarrick started as the girl stumbled into the alley, at first afraid that it was Hock, there to make him explain why he had broken out of the store. "Umm, I'm not too sure what's going on out there. And bless you." Jarrick said this as he inched further into the alley, resisting the urge to look back over his shoulder. "Are you alright though? You look really out of it." Jarrick made a move to reach forward and help her steady herself, thinking something may really be wrong, but stopped himself at the last second. Though it went against his nature, he wasn't really in a position to walk her down the open street, besides; she could easily take offense and land him in even more trouble.

Hock wheezed at the woman for several moments, internally debating her claim as he tried to breathe. "Paid for it you say? Paid for that sword, maybe,"--he didn't really think there was much chance of even that--"but I saw all your little companions running off the other way while I chased after you." Hock stopped to catch his breath again, loudly trying to clear his throat and lungs. He was also all too aware of the small crowd they had attracted. "I daresay if your claim happens to be true we can settle it back at my shop," he continued stiffly, setting his hands on his hips. "And if you'd rather not accompany me, I believe the police would escort you properly."

Nice name, Vivian replied, amused. We'll have to tell all the bards to use the long version when they record all of this. Though if you end up being the bard in question, I daresay you can pick the names and the facts both, as you like them. She reflected for a moment. Remind me to tell you some of the real versions of the stories you people are always repeating. For example, did you know that Gwwynfer the Magnificent never fought a dragon? It was actually a very territorial and rather mangy rat lizard...