The throng of children clamored around them more fervently. Cries for generosity and mercy filled the little alleyway as the two of them swam through the sea of youngsters, each trying to get a handout from these two adults. Some of them were genuine, but most were only looking to pilfer their purse strings. The Stranger shot a glance at his companion; the look on her face said it all.
"If they can find my coin, they certainly deserve it," he said both to her and to the children, giving a particularly skinny little boy a gentle pat on the top of the head. That statement only intensified the press of children as they all grabbed at his thick swathe of robes, looking for where the man might hide his money. One of two of them even produced hidden blades to try and surreptitiously cut holes in his fabric to find their treasure.
Some of them were good, and he could not tell if they'd reached into his clothing without him noticing. Others were obviously in the process of honing their pickpocketing talents. The Stranger's hand shot out and grabbed one particular boy whose subtlety was a bit lacking. As soon as his hand grasped around his wrist, the other children scattered, though they remained fairly close by in case the two of them let their guard down.
"If you've lost your coin, I apologize," he said quietly to Tiraris, before peering down at the boy struggling in his grip. "It will not have been this one though, I'm afraid."