Out of the Darkness and Into the Sun [open!]

[Rhindeer]

The sun had only just crested the horizon when Niamh went out into the market, dressed in the clothing Speaker had lent her. It was traditional Solisi garb: a syrma--a skirt that tied at the waist and came just above her knees--and a sleeveless top that tied at the neck. Her blond hair was messy, for she hadn't bothered to tame it, but though most of the town was still sleeping, she felt rather perky. The sunlight energized her--so she had always been one hell of an obnoxious morning person.

She didn't have much coin left, but she needed new clothes, because even though Speaker was letting her stay with him, she didn't want to burden him too much. He'd given her new clothes, but she didn't want to take advantage of his hospitality, so she felt she may as well make herself useful. Get herself new clothes, and maybe look around and see about getting a job, even if it was just a temporary one.

Yeah. A job.

How exactly did one go about finding one of those?

Browsing the wares that were already set up in the market, she was in a good enough mood that she made a dangerous mistake--she let down her guard.

And so it was that while she was looking over a weapon's display and trying to work up the nerve to ask around for work (it was so humbling to do that, and humility had never been her strength) a man bumped into her hard as he passed, nearly knocking her over.

Whirling around with a curse on her lips, Niamh glared at his back. "Hey! Watch where you're going! Uncivilized heathen..." She grumbled the last bit and turned back to the display with a sigh--only to realize, then, that she didn't feel the familiar pressure of her coin pouch at her hip.

With a start, she felt at her hips, and found it was gone, the purse strings still attached.

A cut-purse! Seriously?! WHY!

"Hey! Hey, come back!" she shouted, turning and charging after him, pushing people aside as she raced after him. "Get back here, you asshole!"

[nahash]

Nykole wandered quite marketplace enjoying the fresh morning air.  She wasn't normally up this early but after a week on the road she had crashed at the inn right after finishing the evening meal.  Now she was up with nothing to do.  Her companion Lucas was back at the inn still sleeping and likely would not rise till the noon time meal.  She was between jobs and hadn't heard of any good bounties so she was traveling for town to town checking with guards and officers to see what they had.

She wore her normal traveling gear minus the greaves and vambraces.  She had on knee high boots and tan trousers. At her waist she had a decorative loin cloth held up by a thick leather belt.  In the small of her back she had her fighting knives but had opted to leave the pole arm at the inn. For a top she wore a leather vest that was laced up the sides and the front.

"Hey! Hey, come back!" she shouted, turning and charging after him, pushing people aside as she raced after him. "Get back here, you asshole!"

Hearing a commotion from the far side of the market Nykole turned to see a young lady chasing after a man.

Cut purse, this early, that's unusual.

She marked his path; it looked like he made for a narrow ally. With an audible sigh she moved to intercept.  Taking up position near the entrance to the ally she leaned against the wall.  As she waited she pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes.  She hadn't bothered to bride it so it hung lose and fell to her waist.

I wonder if I can get a reward for him, only one way to find out.

As the thief approached Nykole pushed of the wall and stepped into his path.  The thief tried to push past and as he did Nykole caught his arm and delivered a powerful knee to the groin. As the mad went down she was over him with a knife to his throat.

"hey mr. asshole it's not nice to run when a pretty lady is trying to talk to you" she said with a grin.

[JackieCat]

Faelis swore as he heard the shout behind him.  He was hardly ever caught, and when he was he always escaped.

He quickened his step and shoved past another woman.   Then the woman proceeded to grab his arm and, well, attack.

"Gods, woman!" Faelis doubled over in pain as she delivered an extremely painful blow to one of the more. . . sensitive, areas of a man's body.  He sighed and grimaced as she brought her knife to his throat. 

He held up his hands, his rings glinting in the light.  "Okay! Okay," he said, now on his knees, his hands still raised, "chill out!"

There were a few ways he probably could have escaped, but it wasn't worth it.  If he could give back what he stole, and then escape in a time when, perhaps, a knife wasn't to his neck, it would be all the better for him, 'cause there was no way he was going to let these people take him to jail.  Rather than try to escape now and risk getting a long and fatal slit drawn across his throat.

[Rhindeer]

It was more difficult to run in sandals than boots after wearing boots for so long, and the distance between Niamh and the thief increased rapidly, until catching up with him was clearly hopeless as he blended into the crowd. Still she ran, panting breathlessly, and finally came to a stop when she lost him completely.

"Shit!" she hissed, kicking the ground, and she was about to throw her hands up in frustration when:

Gods, woman!

It was a pained sound--very pained--and Niamh spun around and jogged in that direction, picking up her pace as the same voice took on a pleading tone. Her eyes narrowed, lips twisting into a scowl. It was a long shot, but...

...But it was spot on.

There just in the entrance of an alley was her thief--who was currently being held at knife point by a woman.

Fuck, not another thief, please don't be another thief, she thought as she strode over and planted herself near the two, hands on her hips and feet spaced apart. "I think you've got something of mine," she interjected, and held out her hand. "Toss it over."

[JackieCat]

"Okay, okay!" Faelis slowly reached down towards his belt.  If he wanted, he could've grabbed a dagger and probably stabbed the woman holding the knife to his throat and then made his escape, but instead he grabbed the money pouch that hung there and tossed it at its owner.

"There," the elf said, trying to look as innocent as possible. "Now will you let me go?"

[nahash]

Nykole kept a close eye on the thief as she wait for his victim to catch up.  She had the upper hand at the moment but any good thief was quick and she knew the tables could quickly turn if she let down her guard.

She had to fight the urge to look up when the new girl walked up.

"I think you've got something of mine,"

She pressed the knife into the throat hard enough that it pressed into the skin and was a hairs breath away from cutting flesh.  "Nice and slow or you'll be tasting steel" she said as he reach for his belt.

"Sweetie now that you have your coin can you get the guards.  I would end this guy but blood is so hard to get out of leather." She said ignoring the thief's request to go free.

[JackieCat]

"Oh, come on," Faelis sighed. "I really didn't want to fight, blood is so hard to get out of leather.  And I don't want to have to wash all my clothes.  Just let me go, will you?" there was no hint of pleading in his voice, just cool indifference. "I know I'll be able to escape the guards, but wouldn't just setting me free right now be easier?  Then no lives will be lost.  I'll try not to kill the guards, but with them trying to kill me after I start to run, it'll be hard to make sure there are no deaths."

[nahash]

"sorry but i think not. if I let you go, best case scenario  you go to ground for a few day and then you would be back preying on unsuspecting people. or if you are grudge holding type I'll have to worry about you following and slitting my throat if I let my guard down. so no." she shook her head for emphasis "no I think you'll just wait here for the guard"

((ooc: so for the wait was hoping Rhi Rhi would reply))

[JackieCat]

"Oh, please. . ." Faelis sighed.  He really didn't want to get out of this the hard way. "First off, I'm not one to hold a grudge against something like this, second, I said I'd escape from the guards very quickly, which is true, though I understand your need to satisfy yourself by not letting me go, and third, you really think a jail will hold me?  Not likely, I've escaped many different jails in my years, so far, not one has been able to hold me."

[nahash]

"I really don't want to keep you but it just feels wrong to let you go".  She ran her free hand through her platinum blonde hair.  "I must think on this" Nykole said with long sigh. 

"I could kill him, it would be easy but hmm I don't know not very sportsman like and what if he carries a bounty. They fetch so much more when they are alive, would hate to waste a pay day because I was bored and hungry".  Thou she spoke aloud Nykole's words were not directed at the thief or anyone for that matter so just had a habit of thinking aloud.  "I am so very hungry that is why I'm in the market this early."

As she pondered she twisted her hair around the fingers of her free hand and let the pressure of the dagger slacken.

[JackieCat]

Faelis felt the dagger drop a bit, he wondered if he should make a run for it, this was getting dreadfully boring.

So with that thought, the elf reached up swiftly and grabbed Nikole's wrist, simultaneously, he drew his head back and away from he dagger.  He spun to his feet and straightened, pushing Nikole away from him and turning away, bolting down the street.  Halfway down he turned back to them.

"Oh, yes, and if you were wondering, there is a fairly large bounty on my head!"  He gave a jaunty wave and took off again.