[Flashback] A Poor First Experience (Closed)

[Adalia]

Fourth of Spring, 510 AV

So big! So filled with life! Adalia's step was light as she navigated the crowds of Syliras, her eyes dancing from person to person like a child's eyes danced from candy to candy in a candy store. She had never seen so many people in one place! How did they all fit? Her blue eyes absorbed every little detail, while her ears listened to every little sound. Oh, the sights! How wondrous!

She was broken from her enamored state by a passerby bumping into her shoulder. Subconsciously, she apologized in Kontinese before she remembered her location. By the time she had remembered where she was, and spoken it once more in Common, the man was gone. and her Ivaski went off. A series of barks from Tempest's muzzle. As Adalia's eyes watched the dog curiously, she felt something odd...

Her purse. It was lighter than it had been moments ago. Her hand drifted to her hip, only to discover the worst. The purse wasn't *lighter*. It was *gone*. Her face flushed red with rage as she wheeled around, trying to shove her way back through the crowd to find the thief and... and...!

She didn't know what she'd do, but by the Goddess herself, she would do something! She pushed her way through the busy streets of Syliras, but it was no use. The man was gone. Adalia stomped her foot in a rare show of frustration, and the Ivaski beside her simply watched, a disappointed look on it's face.

The furious healer stomped over to the nearest armored man who looked like he had some authority, and angered words flew from her lips. "I was just robbed, and the pig-fucker got away! So why don't you bastards do anything about it? Huh!? City of Peace my ass!" she was absolutely livid, her face red with rage. Only after the words left her lips did the normally level woman realize what she was saying, and ever so slightly began to calm down. Deep breaths. Then, she spoke again, her head more rational, her face less red. "I apologize for my outburst," she said it quietly but certainly, bowing her head in shame.

[Markus Andres]

Markus Andres stood near a wall and looked mighty bored. He had been out training with his master outside the walls. Something with learning to fight with different ground under their feet. Needless to say, Markus had lost every time the two had crossed blades. Because of that he had ordered the young squire to stand there keeping a watch out for ... hell if Markus knew. But he always followed orders so he stood there, watching as the people just walked about, doing their daily business. So he stood there, wearing some pretty heavy armor and holding a steel shield in his left arm and his right hand resting against his waist. His family blade strapped to his waist. Markus had been standing there for a full bell, if not more, when something interesting finally happened. Markus was in the process of looking straight into the air and was picturing him far far away from this guard spot. Somewhere with some action. An enraged woman approached him and yelled him directly in the face, startling the poor young squire. Markus was normally a nice guy and all, but at that moment he wanted to shield bash the pale haired woman and kick her dog far far away. But his good nature won the battle and he didn't horribly mutilate the woman. Probably wouldn't look good to his superiors either. Especially not when she also apologized. Her little problem was none of Markus' business, he wasn't a knight nor was he on guard duty. The right thing to do was to point her in the direction of someone on duty. But, the girl was rather attractive and if he could be portrayed as a hero in her books. And besides, Markus was bored and it didn't look like his master was coming back any time soon. Or perhaps. This was his masters test to him? Seemed a bit far fetched. "Don't mention it." He responded to her excuse. "Did you get a good look of who did it? And where did it happen?"

[Adalia]

"No, sadly," Adalia commented, a deep sigh leaving her lips. Her right arm rose, a single finger pointing over into the crowd she had just emerged from. "A man bumped into me in that crowd, and then hurried off. I only noticed when Tempest here barked at him. I couldn't follow him, the crowds blocked my path," The Konti's words were quiet and deliberate. "I didn't get much more than he was taller than me, perhaps yay tall," she held a hand about five inches above her head, nodding to herself as she decided that this was indeed the height he had been at. "Looked like every other person in the crowd."

A sigh left Adalia's lips as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Disappointment was apparent in both her tone and her stance. Her mind told her she wouldn't be encountering that purse anytime soon, but hell, any chance of acquiring her lost mizas was better than giving up. And if anyone could find it in this giant city, it was most likely one of the Knights. She would just be lost in its corridors for hours on end, and likely miss her boat. A hand found its way to Tempest's head, who simply sat loyally by her side, watching the Knight levelly.

"I apologize for wasting your time, Ser Knight, though I need help in tracking this man down. Maybe Tempest here could track him some how. I do not know. May I request your aide?" he voice was calm and level, her blue eyes glittering ever so slightly as she looked up at the Knight. "I am Adalia Sae'elp, of the Opal Order of Mura,"

[Markus Andres]

Markus listened to her description, it was vague and it could fit almost anyone inside the castle. It was pretty obvious to Markus when she was done describing the man and where it had taken place, that their odds of finding the thief were pretty non-existant. It would take an amazing stroke of luck for them to find him. Especially just with the two of them, three if you counted the dog. He was tempted to tell her this straight to her face, but she wasn't done talking yet and she requested his help in tracking down the man. Probably not because she thought he was any good at tracking, but because if she did track him down, she would be forced to confront him alone. A grim sight. - Also one of the reasons Markus decided to help the girl. He couldn't live with himself if he later heard of her demise because she had succeeded in her mission. "- Markus Andres. I wish we could have met under other circumstances, and I will aid you. Oh, and I am not a knight" He knew he would be in trouble if his master found him, but helping someone from the Opal Order, Healers, as far as he understood, might save him from being smacked across the face when he got back. "Tell me, miss Adalia" Calling her by the first name since he would probably mispronounce the last name "what was stolen from you?"

[Adalia]

"A coin purse, it's contents totaling at twenty gold rimmed mizas," Adalia said softly, brushing some hair from her face. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her scaled hands, frowning ever so slightly. There was almost no chance they were going to find her purse. She might as well mark the twenty mizas off as a loss... but she was not going to give up that easily. She was not going to let her first time in this city be remembered as the time she lost twenty mizas to a cutpurse. No, she would at least try to find the gold. If she failed, then she failed, but at least she tried.

"Knight or no, you are with them. To be blunt, I could care less about your rank," she said honestly. "Let us be off, then. We only let him get farther away if we wait," she grabbed him by the forearm and yanked him into the moving crowd, letting go once they were safely in its hustle and bustle. "He went this way, that is all I know," she commented, pointing a scaled finger in the direction he had fled. With an air of confidence, Adalia made her way through the crowd, finding openings between people that she could ease herself through. The Ivaski followed right behind her, skirting through the crowd with the same grace as her.

[Markus Andres]

Markus was a little taken aback by the amount of money this girl had been carrying around with her. Such a heavy purse would also have attracted some dirty eyes looking for an easy coin. That certainly changed Markus' mindset. He had thought it far less she had lost. 20 gm was a small fortune. Especially to a poor squire who had no steady income. The Konti grabbed Markus and dragged him after her, something she probably couldn't have done if he hadn't followed willingly. He sent a single thought back to his master, wondering how he would react to Markus leaving his 'post'. But the grip around his forearm told him he was needed elsewhere. Surely his master would understand that. Except, Markus knew better. But that didn't matter to him. It was time for him to help the Konti get her money back. The Konti stopped and pointed in a direction telling he had gone that way. The Konti didn't stop for long though, soon moving through the crowd gracefully. Markus, even if he was only 17 years old, was too buff to even attempt such maneuvers. Instead, he went in the direct path, his 6 feet and 180 some pounds was enough to make people move out of his way when they saw him and if they didn't, then they'd feel him either brush or bump past them. Muttering an apology or saying something with knight business. "Adalia, does your dog have his scent?" Markus yelled to the Konti girl. Catching up to her again and putting a gloved hand on her shoulder.

[Chevalier]

Hear Ye Hear Ye, Thou Hast Been Awarded... Markus +2 Interrogation Lores: No Good News? Hold Your Tongue, Politeness in the Face of Anger How Hath This Occurred? : Interrogation definitely seemed to fit the bill better than Intelligence.