Chasing Shadows (Skull612)

[EmmaliaChan]

This is a private RolePlay between myself and Skull612.
Feel free to read along, but please do not post in this thread without permission.
Thank you for your understanding.

The City of Taba was a bustling, noisy place on even the somberest days. The market stalls buzzed with people buying gifts for their lovers or foodstuffs for their family, the taverns and eateries filled with the clanking of dishes and socializing patrons, and the shady alleyways positively overflowing with suspicious activity by both the impoverished and the criminally inclined. On a sunny day like this one, nearly every window had a line strung with the days laundry airing out in the sun to catch the freshness of the spring air, residential streets the utmost place to chat up neighbors regarding the latest gossip, like the activity of the gaudy royal family up in the castle on the hill.


Cheerful days like this brought endless opportunity for certain scoundrels, however. One such scoundrel, a swift-handed thief by the name of Miri had been prowling since daybreak. What a cliché it was for a thief to try to hide in the night; she knew better than to try. The guards were too active, and the citizens too wary for such things. If you went out at night alone in this sprawling castle town, you were brave, armed, or with someone else who fit those descriptors. But the sunlight and floral spring breeze brought a sense of stupidity and security to Taba's denizens and made them damn easy targets for her long, slender fingers.


Miri pulled a thick, large golden medallion from her pocket, one adorned with a bright red stone that she'd swiped from a merchant stall earlier that morning. She impulsively bit it, just for the satisfaction of doing so, feeling the unyielding metal against her teeth. It felt expensive. It felt good. More than that, it felt like it would keep her fed for a solid week once she fenced it off, and boy, her stomach grumbled at the thought of a good meal. But! It wasn't enough. The day was young, and it was time for one final score to finish off her workday. Pushing strands of long, dark hair out of her face, she hid away the medallion and slinked out of the alley she'd been in.

Snaking through streets and alleys down to the less fortunate cityfolk in the Ancillaries, she returned to her favorite crime scene: the Bazaar. Auction prices being yelled out over stalls covered in fabrics and dried herbs and hung up meats, people shoving past each other to shout their bets, the smell of sweat and heat and desperation, and completely lacking of the poise that could be found amongst the market stalls of Upper City. Poor, rich, smart or stupid, this was the place to go to find unique treasures and suspicious food (rumors of human meat ran rampant), and her favorite place to snag a hot commodity or three. Or five. It depended how lucky she was feeling.

Today's target? The odd old man shrouded in a hood, claiming to have a magical artifact of unknown ancient powers. To the naked eye, it looked like a shiny, copper-colored rock with a face carved into it by a child. Still, if it was powerful, it could only be helpful to her, no? The bets were aggressive and fast, there was no way she could snag it amid the auction. She would have to wait.

"Seven-hundred gold pieces!"

"Seven-fifty, and my bracelet, it's surely worth so much more!"

"Nine-hundred!" The man shouting this clapped his hands together with authority, sure he'd win - but another offer was immediately yelled over him.

It went so fast she couldn't even hear the final bet's total. Not that it mattered... She wouldn't be paying. The tall, aristocratic-looking man who it was handed to footed her bill for her, tucked it away into a hidden pocket in his cloak, and headed swiftly off. No doubt his plan was to make it to the "safety" of Upper City before someone attacked him for his prize down in the shadowy Ancillaries. Miri spent her time sizing him up as she quietly stalked him from a distance, noting his grace and slight figure. Not a fighter, for certain.

"M'lord," She called, piling on as much of a delicate lilt as she could muster so as not to scare him. As he turned to face her, "I think you dropped this," She held out the medallion to him.

His brow furrowed. "Thank you, but that must be someone else's," The man said softly, then smiled and bowed slightly. "Perhaps its owner is near -"

"No, no, I saw it fall from your cloak," She sidled up to him and gently grabbed the closure of his cloak, suggestively positioning her body close to his and noting the intense aversion of his gaze as she pressed her chest against his. "Here, Sir, let me put it back," After tucking away the medallion, she reached into his cloak, into the pocket she knew the artifact was in, and slipped it out. The noble, too distracted to notice his lightened load, didn't react at all. Once she'd committed her crime, she patted his chest and smiled up at him. "Safe and sound, don't drop it again!"

She turned to leave, nearly missing the stuttered 'thank you' behind her, heading deeper into the Ancillaries. Next to the lowest point of the city's canal were multiple abandoned houses, left so after flooding years prior and the fear it would happen again to the poorest residents of Taba. Climbing through an upper window, she flopped onto an old mattress to wait for darkness. Hunger gnawed at her stomach, but it wasn't safe to show her face until the moon rose. For now, she enjoyed rolling her prizes between her hands and being grateful for such a successful haul that day.

[Skull612]

His city. It was, perhaps a vain thought, but no less true to how he felt every time the occasion came up that he could visit. Taba, always active, always in motion. Always his home. It served a constant reminder how far he'd come, to remember where he'd come from. The hooves of his steed clamor impatiently beneath, followed by an aggravated snort from the beasts nostrils. "Fine, fine, here is close enough. But do let me take a short walk along first." He answered his reliable travel companion, not as a beast of burden, but an old friend. Such was Lyall.

The bustling city hadn't changed. The faces, the voices calling out various wares, sure. But the mercantile spirit of the city remained much the same, particularly here in the Bazaar. People from all walks of like mingled, all seeking opportunity. An an opportunity that might come following a swiped coin purse, were one to no keep hold of thëeirs well enough. But all knew to tighten their grips around the alleyways, at least all those with common sense. Braised meats, herbs and spices, the air was rife with all sorts of tantalizing scents, but the real show, was always the auctions. Family treasures, mystic artifacts, all manner of items were showcased and sold within instants, wealth passing hands as often as candied treats between children.

Today's item? Hard to tell. Already a crowd gathered around, numbers constantly shouted out, a price range growing higher and more exorbitant with each yell. A price like that...this smelled of magic all over it. As if to answer his query, he heard it's description repeated, alongside the moat recent bid. Unknown ancient powers he said? Ah. So then absolutely something valuable...or some trinket easily excitable sorts could be fooled into purchasing exorbitantly. Hmm, he figured it amusing enough to keep an eye on, at least.

Just as he figured, the highest bidder was the exact sort he'd expect. A tall man, on the slimmer side. More well-off than your typical merchant...an aristocrat of sorts? Now, why exactly would he need a magical item, assuming it even was magical and just not some tastelessly carved trinket? Lyall's able to keep a watchful gaze on the man as he prepares to depart, under the guise of being just another shopper. Oh, but a more interesting development would occur, long before the man could make it to his gilded home, likely in the upper side of the city.

A classic, but very well pulled off bait and switch, that's exactly what he'd witness, when another figure stepped up to the poor sap. A girl, and one who knew full well how to make use of her feminine wiles, if her performance was anything to go by. She had the chump eating out of her hands with as little as a touch and a bump, but she didn't know that other pairs of eyes followed her prize. Others than even his own.

Another man, much shorter and rounder in appearance, also seemed to witness the trade-off. As soon as the girl was turned to guy, Lyall caught him ushering over one of the local town guardsmen. Not a friend of the original man's then...maybe another man from the auction? Whatever his purpose, the intent was clear once he'd made the guard aware of the thief slinking off with what she believed her successful acquisition. Technically...Lyall didn't particularly see any reason to further stick his nose into things. Personal feelings however, told him different.

This situation unfolding before him...a part of him found itself wanting to involve himself further. So he'd do just that. From a distance, he'd follow and observe, all the while pondering. What magic, if any did the artifact possess? The girl definitely hadn't been part of the auction...he believed he'd recalled catching a glimpse of her watching the proceedings earlier, probably already deciding to rob whatever wealthy sod that won it. So then who was she? A petty thief would be his first guess...although petty seemed an unfair way to regard her skills at the art, criminal as it was.

Keeping his own cloak close to him, he continues to follow, blending in with the crowd the whole while. When he at last arrives at the final corner, he's met with the unmistakably loud crash of a boot kicking in a wooden door. "Give yourself up thief! There's no escape for you now." peeking around the corner, he finds a number of men huddled around the doorway of the building Miri had disappeared into. Many of them press on into the building, the sounds of boots on wood apparent even to Lyall outside, while the guards began an interior search. Outside two men remained, eyeing an open window on the upper floor. Lyall...decides on inaction for now. He wants to see how it all plays out. After all, who's he to interfere with guard business?

[EmmaliaChan]

The sound of pattering feet outside had her off the dusty mattress like a streak of lightning across the sky, her medallion tumbling from her fingers onto it with a plop. "Gods damn it," She muttered, darting for the hallway as the door was kicked down. Being on the second floor gave her a small window of time to react - and a window was, in fact, her reaction. Sliding to a stop on the wooden floor, she flung the broken frame open and leapt out with little regard to height, leaning into the landing with a tuck and roll to break the fall.

Putting every ounce of her own determination into her legs, she ran as hard as her hungry body would let her. The muscle cramps came fast and hard, but she knew these streets better than anyone; the Ancillaries had housed her since she popped out of her momma, spending every waking hour of her childhood scampering down the cobbled paths greeting friends and creating mischief.

The men were hot on her trail, stampeding just a few paces behind, but she was slippery. A hop, a skip, and a blink later, they'd completely lost track of the wily thief. With the precious last bits of her energy, she'd clambered up an old cast iron pipe onto the roof of a beat down building, the action gaining her just enough height to conceal her from view. Belly flat against the shabby wooden shingles, she watched as they searched down surrounding routes, clueless to where she'd gone.

But... Her pockets were so light. She'd left that hefty prize behind, and there was an ache in her chest thinking of the gold it would've fetched. Tasty meals, or a warm, soft bed, maybe a comfy new outfit - or a pretty necklace, if she was feeling impractical. Or a book, or a few drinks at a nice bar, or a pastry at the expensive bakery down the street from the old schoolhouse. So many options, and not nearly enough thick medallion weighing her down.

She had to go back. They were off in the distance without a clue where she was, if she was fast and quiet, they'd be none the wiser. Back down the pipe and into the shadows she went, headed back towards her drafty home base of the week, all the while silently praying the guards hadn't confiscated it during their pursuit. Slowly, her wobbly legs got her back, and she slipped in exactly the way she had on first entry. Shockingly, there on the stained, frameless bed, was her prize, right where she'd left it. Miri snatched it up and held it to her chest, half tempted to collapse onto the lumpy thing to rest for a while, now that it was safe.

"Don't. Move," She felt the tip of a blade threateningly pressed into the small of her back, its sharp poke stiffening her posture instantly. The hairs on her neck stood like a row of knights waiting to charge. Blinded by greed, she'd never noticed the man standing in wait behind the door frame. Waves of nausea rolled over her, sweat forming on her forehead and in all of the feminine creases of her slight frame. Well, the old adage that a culprit always returns to the scene of the crime rang true enough here, and he'd earned outwitting her, in this case, after she'd made such a foolish move. "Knew you'd come back for that bauble, Kitten," His breath on her ear felt grossly warm and wet, and smelled of spoiled meat. Cold steel traced a line on her throat as he grabbed a handful of her hair. Instinctively, as well as fearfully, she dropped her prize, which he didn't hesitate to pick up.

Could she fight him? Maybe, but not this tired. Before she knew it, her hands were bound behind her, and he still had clumps of her long locks twisted between his gnarled, sausage-like fingers, forcing her downstairs and out the door. Miri was silent, outside of a few pained yelps, as he repeatedly shoved her forward by roughly popping her in the back with the pommel of his short sword. "I know you," He grumbled. "Not the first time you've put me on chase," Roughly changing their direction by forcefully gripping the back of her neck and physically turning her, he continued, "Empty head behind that pretty face, yeah?"

"Better than an empty head behind a nose large enough to stable a horse," She quipped, earning her another bout of being led by her hair, which is how she would spend the rest of the trip to the jail.

"Think you're funny, do ya?" He snickered. "You know the new punishment for thieves, right? Under the new Queen?" Miri squinted in thought, but her eyes widened almost immediately and she started trying to fight against his grasp, her hair stinging at the scalp as she pulled and squirmed. Rumors had been flying of career thieves ending up handless, and this sadistic bastard... She knew he'd get off on taking them both. Her fruitless escape attempts made him bellow with laughter, and eventually, she was tossed to the cold, hard floor of a damp and moldy prison cell. Tauntingly, he held up the oversized golden coin, its sparkling red gem reflecting the flickering torches on the walls. "So! We'll investigate this supposed 'Magical Artifact', then you'll get processed and maybe - just maybe - I'll let you do me some favors and I'll let you keep your hands. No promises though, Kitten."

[Skull612]

A large gathering of guards wasn't a particularly difficult threat to hear coming. Sure enough, Lyall watched one guards dirt-stained boot splinter the lock barely holding the decrepit lock secure, only to finally catch a better glimpse of the thief as she fled from her hideout out the window. Oh? That look in her eyes, he knew it well. They incurred memories in him, not necessarily of better times, but nostalgic ones all the same. Memories of himself running through these streets, the same bas need fueling him that compelled her to steal now, survival. And by her reaction, he knew she would not get caught so easily. A better reaction than her would-be captors for sure, as she was off and running before they'd so much as finished awkwardly turning to give chase.

So as they went, he found his opportunity to slip inside. It was...not too different to what he would have figured. Water damage marred much of the decrepit wood...flooding from the canals nearby? That would explain it being abandoned, and the general lack of upkeep. Not exactly a cozy little hideaway, by any means. Trudging on, he reaches steps so worn, it appears only by some miracle they hold his heft, but past that his investigation started to bear fruit. This room...the one she'd fled from no doubt. There atop a musty mattress, laid a shimmering artifact of gold, a sight that stood out against the cobwebs and wear of every other object cluttered about the room. The so-called magic artifact. Well, if he'd come this far, he figured he may as well get a sense of what all the fuss was about he rationalized. He stuck his hand out, and was immediately surprised to feel a faint buzz of sorcerous energy answer in kind, but his attention immediately went elsewhere. Voices...the guards were coming back already?

"Was-..he...ong. Mi...back." Still too far to make out what they were saying. He frowns, getting recognized so soon off on his journey wasn't exactly a very high priority on his list. Sure he had much less to lose being caught here than the prior occupant. But...news of his departure likely hadn't even circulated yet. Right...he'd probably gotten himself involved enough. Whatever magic this talisman held, it was soon to be in the possession of the town guard so long as he just left it where it was and went on his way. So it'd be safe...well as safe as any mystical artifact left in the hands of oft bumbling local enforcers of the law could be.

So everyone would be safe and secure-

"Look! Just like I said, it's here. Hoho...that Kitten forgot something awful important eh? Perfect...no way that pretty little thing will resist the urge to come back for it. And when she does...I'll be waiting.

Lyall slipped out the house, much the same way as the young lass from just a few minutes ago. So they indeed hadn't caught her...but instead of immediately taking the artifact away, they planned to entice her back with it as bait. He knew he ought ignore it, knew it wasn't any of his business from here on, just the town guard, doing thier job. Any thief getting caught at the scene of the crime, probably deserved being caught even. But he couldn't help the feeling that he ought to stick by, just a while longer. That girl, her situation was much like his all those years ago...and he wasn't exactly getting a great feeling off of that guard. This wasn't something he could just ignore.

Sure enough, the guard prediction proved right as well. As the lithe form of the thief returned to her hideaway, only to find it no longer such a haven. He would hear and watch it all unfold from nearby, following along the pair from a safe distance behind, the crowded streets once more providing ample cover. Though all the chatter made it difficult to hear, one phrase struck him all the same. "You know the new punishment for thieves, right? Under the new Queen?" His eyes narrow beneath his hood, knowing at once what the man refers to. The Queen...and the reform of new harsh rules striking down on people across the land. 'That isn't...she's not like that though.' he inwardly tells himself. That did it, he was now sure of his course of action. Enters the prison after the guard and his captive, just to witness the latter tossed onto the unforgiving stone floor of a cell. While the guards makes some rather crude and disgusting remarks. He was sure there was an expression a friend of his would bring up about people that enjoy their jobs. This wouldn't be the first time Lyall thought to himself that a guard should never be of that sort.

Though, he would enjoy humbling the man, as he at last stepped forward to reveal himself. "Or, you can just turn that artifact, and prisoner over to me. And I'll forget all about that little 'bargain' you were just offering her. Or perhaps you think it wise to explain how your base urges are more important than her Majesty's law to the Knights Captain of this land?" He lowers his cloak, making certain the man knows well and good that he is who he says.

[EmmaliaChan]

The stranger caught her eye before the guard noticed him, her gaze focusing first on his interesting uniform he wore. What was a Knight Captain doing here, and why? Just what exactly was this strange artifact, anyway, and why did neither of these two know that the medallion was a worthless bauble she stole to pawn for gold? It had made a great decoy to 'pick up off the ground' for that noble, for sure, but magical it wasn't. If it was so valuable that a Knight Captain was becoming involved, shouldn't someone know what they were protecting? Well, at least it was amusing.

"Ha," The guard's face twisted into a sadistic grin, eyebrow raised incredulously at the new arrival. "You don't know a damn thing about what's going on, do you?" Running a hand through his greasy hair, he laughed out loud, flippantly gesturing to the thief behind him. "When a petty criminal is dumb enough to steal from Marquis Bertrand's son," He spit the word like bitter leaves. "And when that Marquis is currently in Her Majesty's palace as an esteemed guest," A step towards Miri and he again grabbed her by her hair like a mother scruffing her kitten, yanking her harshly to her feet. "Well... She does far worse to prisoners who embarrass her than I've ever even thought of doing."

Queen Mariote was possibly the harshest hands in history to reign the country of Rendelle; the era of peace she'd swiftly ushered in made her beloved by the people, but hated by those who wished to live dishonestly. A serious and fair, but stubbornly vain, ruler, she worked hard to be taken seriously by those who wished to diminish her adeptness at ruling or her right to the throne. It meant that the few who'd dare to tarnish her reputation, even in the most superficial or modest ways, had been made an example of. It said a lot to surrounding territories that might decide to poke the bear that was the colloquially-known Peafowl Queen.

Yanking her head around like a puppet, as if she were saying the words coming from his mouth, he added, "So, you really want stop me? Remove a prisoner Mariote will want to personally march through the streets with her bleeding stumps on display?" But the woman had already had enough of this treatment and her flexible leg suddenly rose, knocking her precious medallion from the guard's hand. "Y-you bitch!" Though he brought back an arm to bring the back of his hand across her face, she dodged and pulled the potato-like carving from where it was tucked in her overshirt, hoping that if there was any hidden power inside that it would activate.

But, alas, it seemed her best course of action was to bring it down with her full body weight over his fat, round head. If she couldn't cast spells, then she'd have to make her own magic.

With the sinister guard heaped on the cobbled jail floor, she had one more enemy to face to escape. Miri wasn't much of a fighter, preferring to use charisma and wit to avoid trouble before it happened, but she could definitely hit. Spending her life running, climbing, fleeing, and sneaking had built up muscles and dexterity enough to defend her if it came down to fists - and besides, if you were enjoying a choice beverage in a pub and didn't get to a bar fight, were you even drinking? Weighing her options, though, a Knight's Captain was going to outclass her regardless. If she was going to free herself, charm was her only option.

"So, Big Guy," Sultrily, she tucked away her 'magic artifact' and leaned down to pick up the golden coin she'd so coveted as to end up here in the first place. Maybe the real sorcery this thing held was a curse, as it didn't seem to be bringing anyone who held it luck. First getting her caught stealing, then getting her detained as she swiped it from the bed, and now it had earned her captor a proper goose egg and maybe a bit of memory loss. At this thought, it was tempting to smash it against the metal bars behind her before it could foil her escape. If she could seduce this man enough for him to take her home, she could slip into darkness the moment night fell without so much as touching him. However, a man of his status would be too smart for simple flirting. "What's a pretty lady have to do to ornament your bed for the night?" Slinking up to him, she combed her slender fingers through her messy black hair and whispered, "I can guarantee I'll make it worth the risk..."

[Skull612]

Lyall found himself at somewhat of an impasse. By the tone spoken towards him, by this boorish guard, he could surmise his identity hadn't entirely been discovered. But...well, frankly at the same time it was rather insulting. He thought himself rather well known, after all. Must be the cloak, he finally settled on, as he returned the register the words being spoken to him. Ah, so the dupe that the young lady of the hour had stolen from earlier was the Marquis' son. Guess that would explain the free reign this cur thought he held over his pretty little prisoner. Under new laws, he might actually be right.

Unfortunate for him then, that Lyall hadn't exactly accepted those new laws yet. Again he invoked the queens name, perchance to unnerve Lyall, but only further proving his ignorance. "Well, you can just let me worry about Mari..." He'd started, but then it made very little sense to carry on conversing with an unconscious man. The guard in question being suddenly dealt with by the same 'prisoner' he'd been so ready to chop the arms off of...with whatever other wretched thoughts he'd likely had planned now spilling from his head in a liquid red.

For his part, Lyall made no effort to intervene, if anything the girl had beaten him to the punch. He had a feeling persuasion wasn't going to get him anywhere with that lout. He sighs, lamenting the position tarnished by this sort, those who let their power go to their head. Well, onwards to more interesting occurrences. He'd scarcely had to direct his attention back towards the young thief, before she was upon him. Her intentions...didn't seem combative though. "Oh? I witnessed much of your escapades earlier. You've got a good head on your shoulders. Good enough...that you ought to realize the severity of your situation. The rank of the man you stole from, and now the assault on a guard. Tell me, 'pretty lady', suppose you do get by me. What then is your plan?" It wasn't hard to guess her intentions, the girl had likely been surviving off these streets the better part of her life if he could fancy a guess. Her seductive tone, the way she drew her body close to his, she just sought an escape. But he has to wonder, if she truly knew what that would entail now.

"You're a wanted criminal now, darlin'. However far you'd get, when this cur wakes up, you'll have the law upon you. And I've no doubt he'll remain very motivated to inflict every wrath he promised upon you. 'In the name of the queen', and all that. However...I could keep you safe " He extends this offer alongside a gesture, removing his cloaks hood from atop his head. Surely now, his face would be recognizable. Not just any Knight Captain, but Lyall, former direct guard of the princess turned queen and present Knights General. Or so he hoped, his ego would really take a dive if he couldn't be recognized by a citizen of his own former home town. "You'll find, you have to do very little to accompany me, certainly not anything so provocative. I want you, to become my squire."

[EmmaliaChan]

His challenging tone was to be expected; a man skilled enough to be his rank would see through the antics of a career criminal like he were peering through a windowpane. Plus, if his looks didn't have high-caliber women swarming him, his prestige surely had their bloomers dropping. No doubt, there was hefty competition in sweeping this fellow off his feet.

Attacking a guard wasn't the darkest mark on her criminal record, but stealing from that dainty pretty boy? Eh. Worst she'd been caught for, certainly. She might not have risked it if she'd known his name and rank. Perhaps she should've been clued in by the garb far too extravagant to be the type who traditionally patronized the Bazaar, but it wasn't that unusual. Far too many an impetuous noble chose to seek statues, spells, and salves for all manner of ills that befell their daily lives, and the black market was where you went when behind that cure, your reputation was on the line. Heavens forbid fellow exorbitantly-wealthy human beings find out you've got fungus of the foot! Your invitation to every shining golden gala would certainly be revoked - perish the thought!

She had no desire to explain herself, though. Run-ins with the law were an every day occurrence, and she'd already learned an important lesson. Her current poverty had gotten the better of her, and after... Being foolish with her money, so to speak, the spoils promised by that shiny, jeweled coin sounded like just the way to top off her funds and quiet her grumbling belly. If a similar future situation arose, though, she'd cut her losses in a heartbeat. Miri didn't get where she was in life by making the same mistakes twice.

...Squire? Was he joking? After catching her stealing and her presenting herself to him to seduce him, he asks her to...
Unless he was into roleplaying. This option made more sense to Miri, especially with this air of expectation she sensed as he lowered his cloak. As someone who took painstaking care to avoid the law, she had no recognition of the dark-haired man. Well, if it got her safely away from these musty cells, she could put on whatever show got his rocks off, and she'd do a damn good job of it, too. The sultry persona wouldn't get her anywhere here, if that was his thing. Time to switch it up and play into the power fantasy he must be going for, even if it was a little late to play a different character. "Well consider your squire," She took a step back and struck a determined pose, giving him a wink as she ended with, "A-cquired," Playing the innocent damsel, she poked her cheek, looking pleased with her incredible (translation: dumb, but that was her point) wordplay. "I'm more of a lover than a fighter, but I'm sure you could teach me anything," Fearful the lump of a man she'd knocked out might start stirring, in the same cutesy tone she also suggested, "Maybe we should go somewhere a little safer though?"

Wherever he decided to lead her, she would follow, for now, even though he surely must be insane. Why someone who'd dedicated their life to serving would throw it away for a street rat was beyond her, but he'd been the catalyst that prevented her being maimed and manhandled by that guard, so regardless of how preposterous his reasoning might be, he appeared to be an ally. Let this batty fool get his own head detached protecting an enemy of the queen if it meant saving her skin, it was no sweat off her back. Unfortunately, the more she calculated her odds, the clearer her options - or rather, option - became. Miri didn't need a magic artifact to know her time in this city was over; once his back was turned and the moon turned its cold gaze onto the citizens of Taba, she would have to flee.

[Skull612]

Well, as unexpected as the result of this entire detour had been, there was one small wonder. The young lady sure seemed to have taken things in stride. Unless or course she simply hadn't absorbed the entirety of how dire her situation had almost become. And he believed her far too clever for that. No...her words spoke of acceptance, but he'd bet a hefty sum of silver her thoughts told only of survival.
Well, he'd been that stubborn once too. He saw much of his youth in the plucky young thief, that was sure. "Rather cheery, aren't you? Well, that's good to hear. If you can so easily forget the severity of what nearly happened here, well you're sure tough enough for the job. Ah, here I thought you found some comfort in remaining at the scene of your crimes, after falling for this curs' simple trap. You're learning, then!" Well, if jovial was the mood of the hour, then jovial he could be as well, as he smirked down at Miri. His back was still to the door, there was no way out beyond him. By her haste, he figured she worried of the guard she'd struck regaining his consciousness. No, that hit would have him sleep for a few hours yet, Lyall reckoned. So he had time to spare, and little reason to share the same worries as Miri regardless. But before they departed, he sought one thing from the girl, honesty.

"This man spoke truth in one regard, by the queens decree he would have taken your hands. Likely, by the sound of it, he would have done much more had I not intervened. Is my new squire so incapable of gratitude that I remain thankless for this? I've not even heard your name. Well, if you're so eager to learn, then let this be the first lesson I impart upon you." His tone gradually grew more rigid, almost stern, alongside the grim reminder of what her capture had nearly cost her. Then, with a sudden quick step, he was upon her, arm raised. By all appearances he looked ready to strike the girl, but no blow ever came. Instead the knights palm came to rest atop her head, with the softest of touch. "My name is Lyall. You are safe with me. By that I swear. I know these streets, I understand the struggles you've likely had. You can be honest with me, though I'd imagine it's not the simplest thing for you to trust another. But if you're to join me, I'll need no less than honesty. Your name?"

More than that, the task ahead of him would no doubt depend on it. Allies that trusted him would be just as valuable as the opposite, considering the nature of his investigations. It didn't matter if her reasons for accepting his request were only to save her own skin, she'd accepted nonetheless. And he was determined to put up with any number of facades he had to, to get to the person underneath. To see that she understood what it meant to become his charge. "Things must be desperate for you, to have returned so readily after that prize of yours from earlier. We've time, tell me how much so. Of yourself." He added, as he drew his hand back from her scruffy locks and stepped back. He would lean back against the iron door, his signal to her that they wouldn't be going anywhere until she answered his questions.

[EmmaliaChan]

The attempt to please by shifting her personality seemed to go unnoticed, and better yet, his positive tone seemed to indicate a successful ploy. Excellent. 'I've still got it,' Miri mused silently, quite pleased her cutesy act appeared to successfully softened the mood, as well as his demeanor towards her. Made sense that the man foolish enough to rescue a random miscreant was into the damsel type.

Her next surprise was this man's long-windedness. Her sense of haste clearly didn't impart to him, much to her chagrin, and she eyed the body on the floor with a quick side glance. Fully knocked out, for now. But there had been many other guards looking for her who had potentially already returned, their footsteps those occasionally echoing audibly within the prison, able to walk in at any time. Lyall might have been blocking the exit, but there were hallways and doors leading to much larger areas of the prison where staff could be stationed, as well as rows of other cells. Well, if he wanted to stay for a chat, the roguish robber had little choice. He claimed she was safe... Hopefully he'd keep heat off of her should they get caught.

Sensing no hostility, she didn't flinch at Lyall's sudden movements, accepting the headpat with a fake, but well-practiced, smile. Truthfully, she already found him exhausting, the pompously arrogant air he displayed thoroughly reminiscent of the degenerate nobles she most enjoyed stealing from. His dramatics, combined with the sudden change to a stern tone and the tacky speech he gave, was further evidence to Miri that this situation was a bit of a fetish for him. As such, she continued to play her role and eagerly responded, "Name's Esme," She hadn't skipped a beat, this alias one of a handful she regularly rotated through. Cutely pushing her cheek into her shoulder, she added, "I just went back for it because it was sooo pretty, I'd never seen a gem so big," Her eyelashes fluttered at the thought of the gleaming jewel. It was somewhat the truth. A half-truth! "Girls and their weakness for jewels, y'know?" She added, playing up her dumb persona with a girlish giggle.

A sudden, loud clanging a few cells down made her jump a bit. "Escape! Escaaaape! Guards, guards! Guards, there's an escaaaape!" A voice sounding as though water hadn't graced the throat it came from in decades groaned out more unintelligible words amid calling for the wardens.

"Shut up in there, will ya? The sound of a thick, wooden baton harshly whacking against the hollow metal bars echoed down the hallways. No indications of pain, so apparently just a warning, Miri noted. Still, worried she'd be seen, she moved to hide her slight frame behind Lyall's much larger figure. "There's no escapees," The prisoner continued to argue as the footsteps retreated further into the prison.

Tugging at his cloak, the thief softly encouraged, "So... Escape time, or...?"

[Skull612]

Esme...well it was certainly a start. Though the rest of her answer wasn't quite so satisfactory to the elder knight. Her personality harkened his memory back to her theft earlier in the day, the way she'd so cheerfully swiped from the Marquis' son with him being none the wiser. A practiced and well-worn facade. But he could be overthinking things...for now, he would trust. "Esme, is it? Well, a lovely name it is. Alright, lets-" Lyall cuts himself off, a quick response to sounds coming from further in the dungeon. Of course there were more guards, but this one certainly didn't seem interested in patrolling all the way down to their end of the place, not even with the promise of catching escapees. That prisoner who yelled out to expose their escapade...the poor sod. His voice sounded parched. Perhaps he expected selling them out might earn him a drink as a reward. Or perhaps he simply did this often, that might warrant the guards quick dismissal. Either way though, it served only to fuel Lyall's belief that the guardsmen of this town needed to see a reform. Incompetence, corruption, greed. It was far too easy for those who found themselves in power to fall to these, and it was apparent that many of the men sworn to protect the citizenry of this town had done just that.

He lays a hand on Esme's shoulder, a calming gesture as he waits for the footsteps to fade before his answer. "Right, just one more thing, I promise." Comes his swift answer, as he takes steps towards the unconscious heap of a man his new charge had left on the floor. With a steady hand and little exertion he grips the corrupt guard by his petticoat, and tosses him into the same cell he'd planned for Esme. "The law is the law, but I can't stand those in positions of power who enjoy abusing the people they're meant to protect. This law goes too far as it is...this man belongs in there, it should buy us more time as well." He explains, while ensuring the cell is locked tightly behind him before rejoining his squire at the door.

He takes a moment to pull his hood back over his head, despite how meaningless the gesture had ultimately been. He'd probably be embarrassed, were it not somewhat refreshing that he wasn't recognized. After all, he never seemed to be wanting for attention back at the castle. But here? Where most kept to themselves, going about their lives, he actually had some room to breath. With a quick smile, he returns his attention to Esme herself, giving a quick nod in her direction. "Let's go, but just one matter first. I expect you to keep that 'weakness for jewels' in check. Don't let me catch you stealing anymore while we go through the city. Now, I've a camp just a little ways outside the city. We can stop there and rest, before we head out in the morning." His plan in mind, Lyall at last swings open the entrance door, to quickly usher Esme through. Right out into fresh air. Well, moreso the smell of cooked meats and various spices really, but that was about as fresh as the air got in a bustling city like Taba.

Once more, Lyall found himself wading through crowds, surrounded on all sides by various merchants peddling their wares. Their time in the prison had meant little to all the citizens out here, the capture of a thief barely even a thing they'd register. Lyall doubted he'd need to worry about Esme getting recognized. Besides, the girl was remarkably good at what she did, she certainly knew how to wade through a crowd without attracting attention. Speaking of, one vender in particular catches Lyall's eye, an elderly woman selling various fruits and vegetables. He leads Esme that way, stopping in front of the stand to admire the ruby red apples. He makes a selection of two apples, then tosses some coin in the sellers basket. She smiles at the pair in gratitude, as Lyall turns to his new companion and tosses her an apple in much the same way. Grinning like a fool, the elder knight takes a large bite of his apple, savoring the refreshingly sweet juices that travel down his throat. For Lyall, the best way to fit in, is of course to look like you belong. Unfortunately, that does come with the caveat of sometimes interacting with the crowd more than he'd like. "You there! The tall gentleman with the cloak, come over, come, come!" Lyall found himself the target of a particularly avaricious merchants eye, as he walked over to the man who'd called him whilst still enjoying his apple. Before him, all manner of jewelry was hung up on the table. All sorts of fashionable gold, adorned with sparkling jewels. "Heyyy, we have much to offer. A necklace, for the pretty lady, eh? No good? Rings too, and bracelets. Your girl, she could match the queen herself with the right gems. What do you say? Lyall's quick to politely turn the man down, shaking his head while taking another bite of his apple. Of course he's nowhere near as quick as the merchant himself, who immediately shifts his focus to some other woman he spots out in the crowd. Professionalism, at its finest, Lyall supposes. These merchants often reminded him of sharks he'd seen at sea, they smell blood and immediately swim for the kill. Greed was a powerful motivator indeed.