And just like that, we're all split up in this random… what is this? Valla's Ridge? Iris read the name off of a dangling sign, worn and weary from welcoming too many travelers. Though the mountains loomed in the distance, almost crushing the town, the bustling energy of the market suggested a never ending heart of culture and trade. The elf curiously approached a nearby stand. It was shielded with layers upon layers of canvases, all intent on blocking and outshining its neighbors. Each canvas displayed a portrait, sketched in a unique, cartoon-like style that disguised expertise with messy and smudged lines. In Medein a couple scrawled words offered travelers a slice of art for a pocket of money and ten minutes of their time. She lingered, observing an older man - evidently human - with clothes that hung from a thin but lean body, head bent and hunched over a wooden table. As the sun dipped just below the horizon, Iris slid into an opposing chair. "Hi, can I get a portrait?" Her offer was extended with a handful of bills and eyes that gleamed with an intent to finally get some knowledge on the whispers of war.
"Iris!" Azriel yelled desperately. She was starting to panic. She really didn't like being in this crowd. Quickly, she got out of the crowd and sat down on a bench, tapping her fingers anxiously.
Arabella pulled money from her pocket and gave it to the shopkeeper. “I’ll take these extensions! Thank you!” She grabbed the beautiful red locks and rushed to a reflective surface to put them on. After a bit of trial and error her hair was longer and more beautiful than before. She arranged it to her liking and looked around some more. She saw Iris and Azriel in a shop and went to them. “Hello! I was looking for you!” The happy girl chirped.
Iris and Azriel aren't together at the moment, but since you went to the shop I'm going to assume Iris is with Arabella?
Lazily her eyes drifted to Arabella. "So there you are." Her scan lingered for just a moment on the vibrant locks the girl sported, before she asked, "Do you know where the other half of our crew is?"
Arabella opened her mouth and closed it. “No. Clare got mad at me for stars knows what and ran off. I don’t even know what I did. But then I came across these beautiful hair extensions and bought them. So no. I don’t.”
“Stars know what, huh?” Iris mocked. “You sure you didn’t do anything impulsive, like try to run away, again?” She briefly returned her attention to the man before her. “We need our group back together. Then we need to get out of here - haven’t you heard all the rumors of incoming war?” This last part was added in almost a self-conscious whisper, as the elf fidgeted in her seat.
Clare tucked the last of her purchases into her bag and firmly tied the strip of leather around her waist. She wandered through the market place in the general direction of the Inn. A growing group of whispering people caught her eye and she joined the group, they were whispering in hushed tones glancing from something the the ground then back again. Clare finally caught sight of the attraction and hurriedly pushed her way forward, "Azriel! There you are where's Iris? Never mind that here you look cold." Clare pulled a simple cloak out of her bag and draped it over the girls shoulders. She glared daggers at the crowed that began to disperse once the front row got their eyebrows singed. "Cover." Clare said clumsily in the Angels own language, she had been paying close attention to Iris and Azriels conversation trying to pick up the language. "Safer Covered." She managed to say.
Arabella hugged herself. “I just asked for a pretzel. She had been buying pretzels. I miss pretzels.” Why had she been such a stupid girl. Why had she thought she was ready. “Stupid stupid stupid girl.” She muttered to herself.
Azriel flinched away from Clare, but nodded and pulled the cloak tighter around herself. "Iris?" She asked softly, keeping the word simple and clear.
Clare sighed, "We can look for her if you want, But she would probably be sensible enough to head back to the inn though, if we start back we might find her on our way." She knew Azriel wound't have understood a single thing she had just said so she gestured going back to the inn. Being out on the open like this worried her, if they were anywhere else in the world she would summon a Cat to give her comfort, she couldn't this close to home. Her magic to was to obvious, it was recognizable, the thing she was striving not to be.
Azriel sighed and nodded in understanding, standing up. She didn't want to go back to the inn, but Iris would surely meet them there sooner or later. She gestured for Clare to lead the way.
“We’ll find you some pretzels… after this entire fiasco,” Iris gave in with a sigh. The group did just escape a prison, after all. They couldn’t afford staying so long in such a busy place, in fact, where were they even heading?
Arabella perked up. “Really?!? Yay!!!!!!!” She smiled like it was the most wonderful thing on earth, but then again the simplest bits of happiness could be the best.
Clare stood and began to weave her way through the crowed streets, She knew where the Inn was the problem was getting there through the mass of bodies that was in her way. Not losing Azriel was also important. The Angel had no way to communicate if she were to get lost. Clare attempted to stay on the edge of the crowds far away from the thick of the masses. She glanced behind her to make sure the angel was still fallowing.
