It was the swishing sound that got Faolán's attention, along with the hushed whispers that began to travel through the crowd. Curious, he looked up from his inspection of the bracelets--and then just stared.
Ansgar's beard!
It had to be the most unusual thing he'd ever seen--aside from the beast that had gave him his wound. It was a woman dressed in...well...he wasn't actually sure what she was wearing, but she also had a sword which meant...uh...Mordecai? Had to be or she wouldn't be carrying a weapon, not so openly! The defense of home and fortress was one thing, but to be out in public like that? Totally Mordecai. But...what...?
Faolán reached up and rubbed at his eyes, but still the sight remained. A Mordecai, dressed so indecently! And in the garb of those Serenian witches! With like...steel...armor? Was that what was going over it? It went against the fabric of everything Faolán knew and, from the looks of the people who had stopped just to stare in horror, he wasn't alone there.
Maybe the poor Mordecai was just oblivious? Or a little...touched? He'd heard among the other soldiers that that happened sometimes, that some men who saw too much battle and blood and violence eventually went a little mad themselves, and Mordecai did have tough jobs! She looked a little scary, though...which was probably why no one had told her!
Biting his lip with indecision, Faolán finally decided that if no one else had the balls to do it, it would just have to be him. Abandoning the bracelets, he limped his way over to her and placed a hand lightly on her arm to get her attention. He realized too late that he had absolutely no idea how one addressed a lady-Mordecai, and then remembered that there was no special way to do it, for they were considered, for all intents and purposes, to be men. Would that mean they had no separate terms of respect?
"Um, sir?" he said, low so only she could hear, so he didn't embarrass her more. "D'ya need help finding something more, ah...appropriate? People are kinda talkin' and, well...I know this place pretty good!"