Aehra pulled fiercely against the boy's grip, and when he suddenly let go of her hair, she was sent sprawling forward, barreling into the boy still in front of her. She threw her hands out in front of her and they collapsed on the ground in a tangle of limbs, with Aehra's hands and knees scraping the stone ground as they landed; since Aehra was on top, she had a rather distinct advantage and exploited it, pinning his arms to the ground with her hands and straddling his waist to pin him with her full weight. His eyes were wide and frightened, skittering all about without ever landing solidly on one target. With a shock, Aehra realized that the boy couldn't have been more than twelve years old. She growled in frustration and tightened her grip on his arms, and he cried out in pain. She sat back and grabbed a fistful of his dark hair, tugging hard enough that his eyes filled with tears (which Aehra tried her hardest to ignore). It took a moment of careful maneuvering, but she was able to stand up, dragging the boy with her. Turning around, Aehra paused in shock at the scene before her. The golden-haired boy that had been holding her only seconds before was kneeling on the ground, clutching at the back of his head and whining in pain. Arianne stood over him, her arm still in the air, her face slightly flushed. Good for a fight after all. A quiet groan brought her attention back to the ground, where the girl of the trio was beginning to get up, rubbing at her head and frowning confusedly. Aehra nudged her none-too-gently in the side, and the girl winced before looking up to meet Aehra's eyes. Aehra shook the younger boy's head slightly and jerked her chin towards him, all the while holding the blonde girl's stare. "He good fer you?" The thug didn't respond, but the flicker of fear in her eyes when she took in the boy's fearful expression was proof enough. "I'll cut you three a deal. You leave me alone, you don't take from nice bakers whatche can't pay for, an' in return, I leave him," she shook the boy again for emphasis, "with no more bruises than 'e got now." Without waiting for a response, she threw the boy at his companion, and he immediately dissolved into quiet sobs. The girl stood up slowly, wincing when she stood at her full height. She made a vague noise, and the older boy moved to stand beside her. The girl glanced between Aehra and Arianne once before pivoting and disappearing back around the corner, her entourage in tow. Aehra held her stance for a moment and then let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She turned to Arianne and grinned weakly. "Good for a fight after all, yeah?" The adrenaline from the fight was quickly dissipating, and an aching throb started up in her hands and knees where they'd scraped the ground. She collapsed against the side of the building, sucking in a sharp breath when the pain in her knees got to be too much, and she sank to the ground, clutching at her raw skin with shaking hands. |