"The Meeting of Past and Present" Log Date: 12/4/99 Log Cast: Caioma, Elette, Richard, Moonsong, Listle, Haikar, Roki, Rory, Katri, Tybio, Katrana, Jenara, Moirae (NPC emitted by Jenara) Log Intro: Richard has discovered that he has a daughter -- Moirae Julia Nemeides -- and the shock of it has shaken him to his very core. Not once has the Rook ever imagined imagined that his disastrous tryst with Dulcinea in his youth could have resulted in progeny, and although he has begun to have a taste of fatherhood with the care of Roki and Elette, the fact that there exists a child of his very own blood has overturned his world. Enough that he has attempted for once to lose himself in drink and in the arms of the sympathetic Tara at the Siren's Song, once again trusting to the old seamstress Kate to look after the Mongrel youngsters for him. But Roki and Elette are resourceful youngsters, and it's often difficult to get them to stay put. Particularly on a day like today, when Richard has finally left the Song and is about to find his current charges have not stayed where he put them -- and, for that matter, that his newly discovered daughter is about to display a propensity similar to the young Mongrels for showing up where he least expects.... *===========================< In Character Time >==========================* Time of day: Noon Date on Aether: Friday, September 1, 3905. Year on Earth: 1505 A.D. Phase of the Moon: Waxing Crescent Season: Late Summer Weather: Clear Skies Temperature: Very Hot *==========================================================================* Having finished lunch at one of the food vendor stalls, Caioma wanders towards a fruit vendor, obvious intent upon dessert. Dressed in full Hound blacks, she's on duty even when she's off. Heading towards the fruit vendor, her dark eyes continually watch the Rialto. Elette enters the Rialto from the northwestern intersection of Fairway and Border. Elette has arrived. It is a haunted-eyed Richard who makes his way into the marketplace, his thoughts half elsewhere even as his feet carry him towards sources of sustenance his body knows he needs even if his mind is not actively considering the matter. His twilight gaze periodically flickers in the direction of Delphi -- and never mind the swirl of crowds or the tops of booths that stand between him and that impressive edifice. Tower as the Citadel does, it is impossible to really miss it, after all. Moving almost like a man in a dream, he wanders towards the food vendors as well, dark brows knit together in quiet consternation. Moonsong arrives right into the thick of the Rialto from the south. Moonsong has arrived. Moonsong moves into the Rialto, her eyes darting around the area. She trods along, before she sees some seal acessories off to the side, near the food. THAT gets her beak up... She begins to speak angrilly with the man. In the large people that mill about the marketplace, it is not so hard to miss a very small person. And very small she is, young Elette. The noon-time hour finds the girl-child strangely by herself, her large eyes rounded at all the sights. She scampers about the fringes, quick movements as she slides between people, trying to catch a good view of the food she can oh-so-easily smell. Reaching the fruit vendor, Caioma looks over his wares for a moment and makes a quick, decisive choice as she's usually wont to do. A rare, expensive orange is picked up and he's tossed a coin. That done, the woman turns to face the marketplace once more while peeling her orange and tossing the peels into a shallow drain ditch nearby. Moonsong frowns. "Bu...but those are my SISTERS!" She shrieks. Like the black-clad Hound, Richard is darkly garbed, a figure of midnight blue and ebon standing out against the noontime brightness. But unlike Caioma, he is visibly _not_ a Hound, if nothing else due to the general state of dishevelment about his person. Though he seems half-elsewhere in thought, haggard twilight eyes apparently as often directed inward as toward his surroundings, something in the vicinity _does_ catch his attention. A miniature shadow, perhaps. A glimpse of a mop of tousled hair. Whatever it is, it's on the very edge of his vision, and it makes him stop, uncertain but wary. Listle soars in from the skies above. Listle has arrived. Elette gets jostled a bit, by the clumsy big people. A malevolent glare directed upwards, before she ducks, scampering under someone's packages to get closer to the pastry booths. Ooooh - pastries. Her large, liquid gaze focuses, quite pathetically, on the booth vendor. Isn't she /cute/? And /tiny/? Looks like she could use some good pastries. Orange peeled and first piece broken off, Caioma pauses before eating as a shriek pierces the air. Dark eyes narrow and scan the crowd until they find Moonsong's confrontation of a vendor. Nothing is done yet, but the Hound is definitely watching. Elette Big eyes. Big innocent eyes. They are what is most noticeable about this girl-child, who in herself is rather unremarkable in appearance. Save those eyes. Big and liquid brown - reflections of the world around her and the emotions inside her. Her face is thin and pale, as the child overall is. Small dark circles underline her liquid depths of innocence, though not necessarily from lack of sleep. Her hair is surprisingly clean, though tangled and messy. It is light honey gold in color, and tied with a loose knot behind her neck. Clothes are big on her waiflike form. She wears a dark brown tunic, the heavy color making her seem even more pale. She's not seen much sunlight, this child. She wears a short-sleeved tunic, tied around her waist with a ratty-looking cord. It is long, to her knees, and since its still fairly warm, she wears no britches underneath. Her feet are covered with some dusty-looking boots, room for growth allowed, and definitely needed in the little body. Wait. There. That familiar mop of honey-colored hair. Richard freezes, and then frowns to himself, turning to alter the course that had been taking him towards a meat-seller towards that little figure across the way. If that's who he thinks it is -- what's that child doing _here_, alone? Moonsong mutters loudly and sighs... "Meanmeanmean!" Lazily flying in circles, Listle and her servant finally found a clearing to land in. With minimum dust disturbance, Listle makes a graceful landing. Her servant nods in approval, she remembers how Listle had managed to kick Thenomain in the shin while landing in the Rialto once. Since the woman just seems to be intent on screaming at the merchant, Caioma shifts her attention off of Moonsong. If it flares up again, she's not that far away and the merchant looks capable of dealing with things himself. Finally, she takes a bite of her orange. What is Elette doing in the Rialto? Currently, she's looking quite pathetic in front of a food booth. The vendor, however, doesn't seem to fall for the skinny little mongrel's child needy gaze. Heartless man. So Lettie moves on - turning quickly to scamper towards the next booth. Perhaps too quickly, as she spins right into a big package being hauled between two servants, knocking herself quite flat onto her backside. Moonsong turns over and looks down at the little child. "Are okay?" She speaks softly and a bit hoarsely. Tyche! Richard picks up the pace of his crossing this section of the market, seeing the child go down from afar just as Moonsong, closer by, calls out. A beat after that soft inquiry, his voice rings out from a little farther away, "Elette!" The tears have already started, welling up in her big brown eyes, spilling over and rolling down her cheeks. Not knowing the woman that asks her if she's okay makes the tears only roll forth faster. As she sits up, she hears Richard call out, but with her eyes blurred from the tears, she can't quite tell where he is. Meanwhile Listle is wondering how she can get rid of her servant that is following her around. She suspects the servant to be spying for the Deia, reporting on her how lady-like and seemly she is acting. Bah, she has been in Haven for a month already, she knows how to stay out of trouble. Lost in her ponderings, she almost walks over the child who is laying flat on the ground. Another piece of orange is bitten in half with juice dribbling down a bronzed finger. Caioma remains in her stiffly casual position, watching over towards Moonsong again as a new type of commotion erupts. Finishing off the orange section, she starts moving in the direction of the crying mongrel child. Moonsong looks over the girl and blinks. "Hey ehy, mean Empy.. watch you feet!" "Let me through," comes Richard's stern, gruff tenor, as he comes up behind Listle. "This child's mine. 'Scuse me, dom'na, lemme through!" Moonsong Rising only about four and a half feet from the floor, this young atlantean is a sight to see. She has long black hair, which is rare for one of her race. It frames her delicate face, which is a deep tanish colour with darker spots on her cheeks. Her eyes are very large and black.. completely...no pigment...just black on white. Her nose is tiny and she seems to wiggle it a lot. She's wearing typical garb of an Atlantean, a flowing robe that leaves room for her busty chest and well built shoulders. She has a coral necklace that rests between her bosom. The 'shirt' ends at her middriff. The spots dot across her sides and hips. Her skin seems a bit rough to the touch. She's wearing a thin sarong around her hips and upper legs. Her feet are bare and webbed, just like her fingers. Jerked into awareness, Listle manages to not step on the child and immediately tries to step back, of course she bumps right into Richard, stuffing his open mouth with white fluffy feathers. Listle Silvery white hair trails down the back of this young Empyrean and rests in curls between her wings. Her eyes are light blue and has a glint of mischievousness which seems a little bit out of place in her. She is slender and short for an Empyrean, with white wings that seem too fragile to fly her anywhere and feathers that flutters occasionally, even when there is no breeze around. Her skin is pale though a slight tan is beginning to appear as she spends more and more time outdoors. Like a typical member of her race, she wears a simple white toga which is loosely wrapped around her body and keeps one shoulder exposed. A blue pendant meticulously shaped in the form of a lyre adorns the hollow of her neck and looks to be a miniature of the wooden lyre that she is carrying with her. Even though she tries to keep a demeanor of confidence, you can detect some uncertainty from the way she moves herself. Moonsong giggles loudly at this, her hand covering her mouth and holding her side Not /only/ is she hungry, but now she's been knocked flat and almost had some birdie step on her. The tears just keep coming, the child's wan face streaked with lines of moisture from where they've rolled over. Reaching the small comedy of errors, Caioma clears her throat and asks in her husky voice, "Is everything alright here?" A gaze is sent towards each adult and then she squats down more towards the little girl's level, "Alright little one?" Richard's reflexes are _very_ good. Although he has only a scant second or two of warning before Listle abruptly staggers back into him, he somehow manages to fail to grab her by the feathers, instead shooting up a hand to connect gently but firmly with her bare shoulder, right between her outflung wings. For a fraction of an instant he can be seen to grimace as he jerks his face away from the snowy feathers that have smacked it; then, the expression vanishes beneath a veneer of stoic calm. "Pardon me, dom'na," he can be heard to mutter, dipping his head in a gesture that might be taken for subservience if the flash of ever so slightly impatient concern didn't contrast sharply with it. He steps back out of the range of those wings, giving Caioma time to reach the child first, and this time alters his course to go _around_ the young Empyrean. The sight of the Hound who's hunkered down by Elette does not noticeably improve his mood, though he sounds civil enough as he calls out, "'Scuse me, but I'm the bairn's uncle. I'll take 'er." Moonsong looks over at Caioma and smiles a bit. "Seem scared." Listle's servant turns her head from the goods that she was examining and groans. Not even five minutes in a public place and her mistress was already involved in some sort of commotion. No wonder the Deia had told her to keep on eye on the lady. Listle herself manages to keep upright and flinches at Richard's firm but steadying hand. She nods at Richard while her face turns slightly red, mumbling a soft apology that probably went unheard. The strange thing about the crying child surrounded by all these /big/ people - she's not made one single sound. Well, aside from the oof when she hit the ground. Now she rubs at her eyes with the back of one slightly grubby hand, "I-I w-w-wan' m-m-mommy...." And then the sobs start, as she looks up. She /heard/ Unca Richard, didn't she? Surprisingly gentle for such a stiff, rigid looking Hound, Caioma makes a shhhing sound and reaches out slowly and moves to pick up Elette off the ground and provide a little comfort. Richard's comment was heard, but he's still not in the gawking circle yet. Moonsong moves back away from that circle and sighs He's not exactly far away, though. Richard closes the distance between himself and Caioma and the upset waif in three quick strides, repeating rather more intently, "If ye dinnae mind, Reeve, gimme the bairn, eh? I'm 'er uncle. Elette, honey, I'm here, eh?" Ready to kneel on Elette's other side if he needs to, he holds out a hand to try to capture the girl's attention. Looking somewhat trite and wondering if she had caused the little child to cry harder, Listle leans towards the child and asks her, "Do you want a song?" She asks in her most friendly possible voice while fingering her lyre nervously. Her servant was close enough to hear this and frowns. Who does the lady think she is? A common minstrel? /There/ he is. /Finally/. Elette, not too keen on being picked up by the woman dressed in dark garb is only too happy to be picked up by the man in dark garb. She repeats only what she's said before, though perhaps it's clearer now. "I w-wan' m-mommommy." Her little hand reaches out to fit neatly in Richard's much larger one. Moonsong smiles at Listle. "Look like have heart after all." Straightening as Richard reaches the child anyway, Caioma gives a little nod. Instead of leaving, though, she stands there, waiting to see how things shake out. As Elette squirms out of Caioma's reach and towards his, Richard goes down on one knee to let the child come to his arms. Disreputable as his appearance might be -- and indeed, there's a sort of rakish, piratical look about him with his tousled hair and the shadow of a beard haunting his jawline, along with the knife stuck in his boot -- it's evident enough that he is not immune to the little girl's distress. A flicker of something that might be deep concern flashes across his twilight eyes, as he scoops the child up and croons into her ear, "Dinnae fret, sweetheart, dinnae fret. I'm here. I'm here..." Why is this Atlantean running a commentory on her behaviour? Listle turns around and gives an annoyed look to the woman before turning back to the child. Ah, the child seems to belong to this man who seems to be capable enough. Shrugging, she stands up again, careful to keep her wings away from the spectators that were watching with interest, though now, it seems they have been denied a show and begin to disperse. Moonsong grins over at Listle, her eyes shining a bit with mirth even if they are black. She winks at Listle. "Nice see you." Elette buries her tear-streaked face into Richard's chest, flinging her arms around his neck. Well, as close to that as she can come. She doesn't say anything else, and actually stops the sobbing. Just the soundless tears. Giles enters the Rialto from the western part of Main street. Giles has arrived. Giles travels east to the intersection of Main and Vicina. Giles has left. Brow furrowing faintly, Caioma recognizes Richard from the other evening at the Siren's Song. While there are quite a few pirate-like fellows in the city of Haven, none quite like this one. Nodding as Elette is securely 'rescued' from her fate, the Hound turns and starts heading back out into the square. Now that the waif's attached herself to his chest and neck, Richard gets about his lean pale face an ever so slightly awkward look -- the uncertain, vaguely unsettled look many a man gets in his life when confronted unexpectedly with a sobbing child. With extreme care not to jostle Elette, he pulls himself back up to his feet, freeing up a hand to pat tentatively at her fine mop of hair. "Shhh," he endeavors to soothe, "dinnae fret, amorita, shhh now. I'm here..." _She's not going to ask for her mother again, is she? Oh Tyche..._ Over the top of her head, though, he peers at Caioma; something prickles along the back of his neck at the way she's looking at him, but at the moment, his priority is the child. Listle stares hard at Moonsong and finally asks, "Do I know you? Who are you anyways?" Everytime she met the Atlantean, she was always accused of being a big meanie. At this point her servant had reached to where Listle is standing and she gives Listle a pointed look. Turning to the woman, Listle says, "Thera, why don't check with the seamstress and see if the dress is done." The servant narrows her eyes at Listle before nodding and leaving, muttering something under her breath. Moonsong grins. "Servant no like you." She smiles. "I Moonsong, meanie empy." No other mention of her mother, no other talking at all. Just soundless tears, as the little red bump begins to form at the edge of the girl's tangled hair. Elette keeps her head buried, though now it is closer to Richard's neck, her arms still tight about his neck. Haikar steps from the gates of Delphi and into the Rialto. Haikar has arrived. Moonsong moves out of the Rialto to the south Moonsong makes her way south, toward Seaside. Moonsong has left. "Ach..." This gutteral little exclamation comes out of Richard rather plaintively, and as he cranes his head around to peer down at the child in his arms he catches sight of that bump upon her tiny brow. "Lettie, honey, does your head hurt?" Haikar makes his way out of the Citadel and into the Railto. His hood is pulled low over his head and his hands are clamped behind his back. His gaze wanders from stall to stall, person to person, resting for an instant of Listle, then moving on... Elette's head bobs, the tears slowing at least but not, yet, completely stopped. One hand loosens its grasp on the back of Richard's rumpled shirt, moving to rub the bump on her head. Her big, brown eyes stay locked on Richard's face, complete trust shining on her pale, tear-streaked face. Listle watches Moonsong leave with bemusement. As she stares towards her leaving form, her servant returns and tells her, "Domina, the dress is not ready and we really should leave." She gives Listle a stubborn look. Sighing, Listle nods. Very well then, next time she'll make it a point to go to the Rialto alone. They both walk to the edge of the crowd before spreading their wings for the sky. Listle leaps into the air and takes flight, disappearing into the sky above Haven. Listle has left. All right, good, this is progress. The bairn's not sobbing anymore or calling for her mother or doing anything else with which Richard is not exactly prepared to deal. Something of the awkward look the man's wearing eases away, yielding to a charmingly sheepish crooked grin. "Aie, I just bet it smarts. I've hit me head before, y'know. Hurts each time, but it goes away, it does." Haikar watches the Empyrean take off, and decides he wants to see what she's getting into. Haikar follows after Moonsong, toward the beach, slipping by a few people in the market, along the way grabbing an apple and paying for it. Haikar makes his way south, toward Seaside. Haikar has left. Haikar arrives right into the thick of the Rialto from the south. Haikar has arrived. Haikar walks westward toward Main and Border. Haikar has left. Roki enters the Rialto from the northwestern intersection of Fairway and Border. Roki has arrived. Another wide-eyed nod from the little girl, as Lettie rubs at her eyes one more time, removing some of the tears that remain. The tears have finally stopped flowing, but she sniffles (just once) - in case Richard was thinking of putting her down. Not putting her down any time soon, no indeed. Just a hint of guilt colors Richard's twilight eyes; Elette's gotten her head bonked because _he_ wasn't around to keep watch over her, and the thought nags at him sharply even though he's keeping his demeanor gentle for the little girl. His voice pitched down to soothing cadences, aware that he's not really likely to get much in the way of audible feedback from her, he suggests while peering down at that trusting little face, "'Tis but a question o' findin' somethin' to help the ouch go awa', eh? An' I'm here now, an' I can suggest all kinds o' things, but I'll be needin' ye to tell me what ye'd like." He pretends to think. "Let me be seein' now... there's food..." "Lettie!" comes a call from somewhere in the vicinity of the various vendors grouped in the Rialto. "LEEEEEETTIE!?" There it is again, loud and shrill and young-sounding. Those closer to the voice have to deal with a figure darting past legs and around people standing still, murmurs of "'scuse me" or "Outta my way" or "Ye seen a girl 'round?" More calling then, nobody being of much help. "Ye out here, Lettie?" Another bob of the tousled child's head to Richard's words. "'m 'ungry." She's /always/ hungry, though, so that's really no surprise, now is it? Elette's head turns as she hears the squeal, and her eyes round. Uh. Oh. First he and Kate had to go do something and leave Elette alone. Then she disappeared. That's one problem. Then Kate didn't want to let him just go look for her, so naturally he snuck out. Could be a second problem, and Kate surely won't be pleased later. Then there's Richard. If he knew about this...well, Roki hopes he doesn't. He also hopes that perhaps Elette's here and all right and where he can find her. Ignoring a pair of people trying to eat, he hops up on a table that's close by and peers this way and that. "Elette..?" he calls again, before the scent of food hits his nostrils. Ooh. Rory steps from the gates of Delphi and into the Rialto. Rory has arrived. It comes simultaneously as a marginal relief and a bit of a surprise to hear Roki's strident young calls piping across the marketplace. Richard hadn't expected to get much information out of Elette as to what she was doing alone in the Rialto -- and now, it seems, her brother wasn't far behind. Swinging his attention in this direction and that over the top of the girl's head, he tries to get a bead on the anxious boy's location. Is that him, over there? It /might/ just be a guess, but Elette's rather sure she's going to get in trouble over this. Fairly certain. She points in the opposite direction that Richard appears to be looking, before her liquid gaze returns to Richard's face. "Roki." Seems she knows /exactly/ where he is. Katri is lured in from the north by the aroma of baked goods. Katri has arrived. Get in trouble? Probably, at least in one way or another. But it won't necessarily be out of any anger on Roki's part. Rather, he's concerned and worried. This is his younger sister we're talking about here, you know. But even on the table, it's tough for him to catch sight of anyone in particular, and the two people trying to eat ignore his calling and shoo him from the table. "Where, honey? Where'd ye see him?" Richard turns with Elette in his arms, his brow furrowing as he scans the milling early afternoon crowds. As Richard turns, so does Elette, her finger pointing back another direction as the little black bobbing head as it's shooed between purebreds and mongrels alike. She would yell, but - that's /so/ not her. "There." Isn't he perfectly obvious? About three feet tall, black hair, moving quickly? Roki issues a few harsh looks to a few people who brush him away, apparently too important to be bothered by him and his plight. He's making sure to get faces, too - if he spots them again sometime, he might just try to relieve them of a few pieces of coin for this. Maybe Richard'll help him learn a bit more about how to do it better. But so far, it seems to Roki that maybe Elette's not here after all. Nobody's answered his calls. Now what? He turns in place, a full circle and a half. Emerging from the Delphic Courtyard are a comely pair of lasses. One is Auvrey, her long legs towering her above many, including the small girl, whose hand connects within her own, gentle fingers. Each sport brassy manes, Rory's allowed to hang loose, past her rump this day. Finally, there! Richard espies the boy at last, and starts off on an intercept course to catch up with him. The tenor that usually lilts lightly upon the ear turns into a ringing bellow as he puts air behind his voice to fling out his call to the anxious lad: "Roki!" Tybio enters the Rialto from the western part of Main street. Tybio has arrived. Katri ambles along with Rory, her head high. Serious, quiet, her eyes looking at everyone but refusing to meet anyone's eyes, and edging away from any of the crowd that might come near to bumping into them. Tybio makes his way into the Rialto, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he goes trough the motions of waking up. He ambles tward the area where the food vendors have gathered without really paying much attention to the croud. Voice from behind, then. Guess Roki wound up facing the wrong way by the time he got done with things. Just about to head off to check somewhere else, like maybe the Siren's Song, he hears Richard. Quickly, he turns towards his guardian. "Unca Richard?" he answers, slapping a hand over his mouth after he finishes talking. He soooo did not want to see Richard right now, of all people. Towards a sweet vendor does this lovely pair of redheads traverse, Auvrey's efficient exchange of coin securing two scrumptious looking pastries, fruity scents wafting from therein. Crouching next to her charge, both are offered with a sweet smile. "Blueberry or strawberry, Katri luv?" is her husky mezzo, tone a soothing stream amongst this chaotic bazar. Katri watches the transaction, face still serious but eyes widening. She points to the strawberry, edging even closer. Perhaps if she just shrinks down pretty small, Roki won't be so mad. And when he sees the miniscule little bump on her head - there's always that hope, right? Her gaze looks away from her brother, and out across the marketplace. It's then that she sees red hair. Nobody else has hair that red. Well, not in Lettie's mind, at any rate. Her little hand tugs on Richard's shirt once again. Supporting Elette in one arm, Richard has come up behind her brother, his features still reflecting a bit of the worry he'd felt at the younger child's earlier mishap. "Lad, I've got 'er, an' now maybe the two o' ye'll be after explainin' t' me why ye're out here on your--eh?" This last comes at that little tugging on his black shirt, and his attention diverts to Elette once again. Tybio steps up to a vendor, and unlike the ladys...get's overlooked a good many times before he can get the attention of the man at the counter. Finaly he manages to convince the man that he's not as poor as he might look, and slides over a small coin for a steaming mug of somthing or other. Then this far less then lovely Mongrel turns and finaly begins to look the crouds over...this is not his normal haunt, but it's inbread to scope things out. A positively delighted grin encompasses the majority of Auvrey's features, bright eyes twinkling merrily as the pastry is handed dutifully over. "You might wish to be careful, Katri honey, for the filling tends to be hot so fresh as this one is." A nod towards the throng of the Rialto, and the serrogate mother offers, "What might you like to do this day?" Most obviously, the assistant to Haven's Provost has at least one blessed day off. Roki's attention's not on anyone else now, just Richard and Elette in his arms. Whew, she's safe at least. He heaves a sigh of relief, moving his hand from his mouth. Although one of the things he was worried about was that Richard would find Elette before him, it's not bad that he did in the end. "Hullo, Unca Richard..um, well.." he begins, booted feet scuffing at the ground beneath. When Richard's attention is diverted, he lifts his head up to look at Elette. "Why'd y'run off, Lettie..?" he asks, short on words for the moment. Katri says, "Yes'm." She starts to eat so quickly that her mouth's full when Rory's asked the question. "Ag mmf or?" A brief glance to her brother, before the little finger points once more, to the redheaded pair. "S'Auvrey." Child of few words, and good timing, it would seem. Her gaze returns to Roki, furrowing of her brow at her big brother. "S'hungry." Richard, at that brief but rather excellently timed observation of little Elette's, might be noted to go still for a moment or two. Though he still holds the little girl with no apparent effort, his attention shoots off across the way, over the top of her honey-hued mop, and settles upon the young woman there with a child of her own in her company. In those same moments, a distracted little smile softens Richard's otherwise tense countenance, and his eyes brighten ever so slightly. The question of Roki's to his sibling goes unheard. Featherlight amusement replaces the delight, and Auvrey confesses, "I cannot imagine what you said, but perhaps I shall save my question until you are finished, mmm?" So saying, her own stomache rumbles in protest at being ignored, a good enough prompt to take a bite of her cooling fare. Through the crowd her name is heard, silver eyes lifting to probe the crowds with strict attention. Too, they connect with Richard's, an unspoken greeting floating within. Tybio takes a sip from the mug, eyes passing over the groups slowly, Richard and his possy earn a slight smile and shakes his head before moving on, when finaly he does spot the mane of red which Richard has just takne note of aswell, he has the exactly opposit reaction, his lips curl down into a firm frown before he forces himself to turn away. Maybe the tugging at Richard's trousers won't go unnoticed, then. "Hey..." he pipes up. Can't see Auvrey or anyone else that's blocked by others. He talks to Elette again, though. "Hungry? Auntie Kate an' I was busy makin' some more stew in the other room..but when I came out again ye was gone. I ditched her t'come look for ye." His dark eyes narrow faintly, as if trying to figure something out. "Y'okay, at least?" He hopes. Katri nods agreeably and keeps eating, munching round the pastry and leaving the superior and squashy middle for last. Her eyes are steady on her protector, only looking away when she does, to see what's there, and even then the hand not holding the pastry reaches for a reassuring grip on Rory's sleeve. Still crouched in only a partially dignified manner, her own pastry disappearing in a bundle seconds without a crumb to spare, Auvrey's attention is redivided, the whole of which is directed at Katri. For now Tybio is unnoticed, her senses attuned to the little girl at her side. "It is well, Katri. The gentleman across the way is a friend of mine, a man by the name of Richard." A slight grin, as her reassuring words continue. "He is a father to two children, much like I am protecting you, little one. Roki and Elette are their names. Would you like to meet them someday?" As always, the choice is entirely her charges. Well, almost always. Katri thinks, through the last bite of pastry. When it's quite gone, Katri nods, wiping her fingers on her dress. "Yes'm." Another nod of Lettie's litlte head, as her wide gaze moves back to Richard's face. Then towards the red-head. Then back to Richard. "Uncle Rich'rd?" Hellooooo. "'M 'ungry." Richard starts as Roki tugs on his breeches, his dark head swivelling back around. Oh yes. The children. And if the boy's tug hadn't distracted him back again, Elette's plaintive statement would have done so. "Ach, right then," he murmurs gruffly. "Food, then. Roki..." Briefly, his attention drifts back across the way towards Auvrey, and he goes on, "Go ask Auvrey if we can join 'er, eh? I'll get ye and yer sister meat buns." Katrana arrives right into the thick of the Rialto from the southwest. Katrana has arrived. Oh dear. Well, Auvrey was quite a bit messier than Katri at her age, so chastisement is cast aside, and the lecture of neatness is put on hold for a later date. "Are you still hungry, lass? I know we had but a light breakfast," murmurs she softly. "Would you like something more substantial? Anything to drink?" Marginally worried, she is, as to whether or not Katri will ever pipe up and ask herself. Or speak, for that matter, without prompting. Tybio is making his way out of the Rialto, blinking blearily and wondering what he's doing awake in the afternoon. His steps are slightly heavy with his amazingly early morning as he begins his trek to find a nice pile of garabage to finish sleeping the afternoon away on. Roki looks back up at Richard and Elette again after trying to follow Richard's gaze towards Auvrey without success. His arms cross over his smallish chest and he shakes his head. "Uh-uh, Unca Richard...I ain't leavin' Lettie again, even if ye got her safe. She coulda got hurted because I didn't keep a good enough eye on her." To an extent, he wants Elette himself, to keep her closer to him in the market here. Katri's hand drifts toward that sleeve again, as she looks at the temptations around her. But her answer is, "Whatever you like, please." There's a slight commotion from the direction of the docks, the tangled sounds of children shrieking or laughing. A second later a gangly, scruffy kid in his very early teens bursts out from between a few tents, hand to his head. Close on his heels is Katrana -- bruised ankle or no, she's trying to catch up, and obviously furious. She nearly trips over a guy line and hobble-hops to a stop, hollaring after the fleeing boy, "An' /stay/ away, ye git!" She throws a final rock after him which misses and hops across the packed earth. As he peers down at Roki, Richard's gaze momentarily sharpens in displeasure at being defied. "Are ye suggestin'," he asks with a tone that might be just a trifle _too_ mild, "that Elette willnae be safe with me, lad?" Elette's gaze moves from her guardian to her brother, then back to her guardian. One the one hand, she could be near Roki. But she's already been knocked flat once in the busy lunchtime crowd. She stiffens a fraction at Richard's tone of voice, before her head turns once more towards Roki. Tybio pauses at the commotion, turning and blinking quickly as he finaly has reason to arouse his mind. After a moment he seems to get what's going on and laughs softly, calling out to the wounded girl giving chase, "Need some help imp?" Patience is one of Auvrey's many spoken virtues, one weilded easily even now. Artistic fingers reach out to smooth a stray lock of Katri's back, before Auvrey murmurs, "Sometimes my tastes differ from others. Whereas I might like pigbrains," which assuredly she does not, "You might with to eat chicken and potatoes. What things do you like to eat?" Relentless, mayhaps, but not without good intent. Roki's mouth opens in preparation to insist he get to be the one to keep Elette close, but maybe Richard's tone convinces him otherwise. "Where's Auvrey at?" he asks, suddenly pretty hip on finding her. Katri's face flashes more expression for a moment. Horror, to be exact - pigbrains?! The shock inspires a quick response, "Chicken. I like chicken." Hands on hips in a rather miniature version of a pissy fisherwife, Katrana glares after the fleeing boy until he's lost in the Rialto crowd, shoulders rising and falling as she tries to catch her breath. Tybio's voice registers as familiar in the ambient noise, and she turns that flushed-face glare on him. "I'm /no/ imp," she mutters hotly, setting her jaw after she says it. Go on. Argue with her. She double-dog dares you. Quick as it had appeared, the displeasure in Richard's countenance slips away, leaving him looking tired, strained... but only if one looks closely. He blows out a frustrated little sigh, both at the boy's abrupt about-face and at that little stiffening of the girl he's holding. Turning again, he points in the direction in which he'd spotted Auvrey, not too far away. "She's that way," he says, "sittin' down with another bairn. And look ye" -- again he turns, this time to point out one of the food booths close by, setting buns filled with meat and cheese. "'Tis right there I'll be, gettin' food for us. Jes' come ye right back and let me know what she says, aye?" Barely repressing the urge to laugh at such a face, Auvrey rises her hand easily finding Katri's once more. "I know just the vendor then, methinks. His chicken is incredible. You do not mind that we have dinner out this evening?" Instead of in Delphi? Where gormet food consists of week old peas and dried, salted meats? Tybio alters his path to head for the young gimp Mongrel girl while fighting not to smile. Once within easy speaking distance he states, "Yer an imp. One who be mean with a rock at that." Katri says, "No'm." She goes so far as to express an opinion: "It's nicer." She grips the hand firmly. A soft sigh, from the little girl in Richard's arms. She's close enough to see the strain on his face, so she tries to be ... supportive, so pats him lightly on the shoulder. It's what her mommy used to do. So she pats lightly, her little tummy rumbling all the while. Roki murmurs a quick affirmative response to Richard's words, uncharacteristically saying little this time around. Elette is spared a brief look of concern as it is before he trots off in the direction Richard pointed him towards. Auvrey'd *better* not have moved... Actually, she was just about to, but with her characteristic search of her surroundings, she pauses just before her first step. Roki. Unworried about his progress away from Richard, eyes sweep back, then forth to assure the child's safety. A habit well-honed from her life on the streets. "Katri," her velvety tone seeps downwards, gentle as a dove's protective wing, "The boy coming towards us is Roki, the boy I told you of earlier. Are you alright with the idea of meeting him?" "I'll be hittin' /you/ with one too, if'n ye don' stop callin' me imp," Katrana replies, eyes flashing in their frame of raggedy, mud-coloured hair. "I got a good aim," she threatens. Hopefully Tybio didn't see that last throw of hers. The...wind blew it off course. Yeah. Katri nods. "Yes'm." Straightening up as she eyes the boy. She looks ready for battle. Tybio grins and steps up before the young Mongrel, "Yea, yer gona risk yer incom' like that. Yer an imp, not a fool." After the statment his eyes wander once more, going back to the red haired Mongrel woman for a moment, then to the man, both bringing a small frown to his lips before he return his attention to the one who seems to note he still breaths and grins. As promised, Richard steps swiftly to the seller of the meat-buns, squeezing Elette a single time and murmuring to her, "How many buns would ye like, eh, honey? Two for ye, or just one?" He gets himself in line behind the busy merchant's current customer, and as he waits his turn he glances back in the direction he'd sent Elette's brother... looking for a glimpse of Roki as well as Auvrey's vibrant hair. Roki pauses as he spies someone else there with Auvrey, causing him to pause for a moment. As for Richard, he'd darn well better grab a couple buns for Roki or else...else...well, or else Roki won't have two, won't he? "Uh..Miss Auvrey?" he begins once he's close enough to talk in a normal voice. "I jus' found Unca Richard an' Lettie," Did he, now? "An' he was wonderin' if ye didn' mind us visitin' with ye for a bit o' time?" He blinks once at Katri then decides to introduce himself. "Hullo..I'm Roki. Who're ye?" "Jus' one." Elette keeps her arms tight about Richard's neck, so she won't get dropped, in case he's not used to carrying her. Even if she is tiny, she still can start to weigh a lot after a while. She keeps patting Richard's shoulder lightly, in her futile attempt to be soothing. It's still there, those fiery tresses of Auvrey's, and those of Katri's for that matter. Neither one of them have managed to shave their heads in the past few minutes, nor developed the will to do so, thankfully. As Roki sidles up to deliver his message, tenderness seeps into her gaze. "Of course, Roki. I would enjoy your company." Her gaze lowers to Katri's noggin' as she falls silent and awaits the girl's answer. Rrr. You asked for it, mister -- Katrana takes a quick step forward when Tybio looks away and shoves him hard as she can, then advances again and tries to hit him just beneath the breastbone with a grubby little fist. "I said I'm /no imp/!" she shouts at him, "so you /stop callin'/ me that!" Katri's eyes widen. _She'll_ have to answer? Herself? She blurts, "Katri." There. Even if Elette's weight might be growing burdensome, Richard isn't about to let on any such thing. Aware of those tiny little pats at his shoulder, he drops a kiss on the child's tiny brow and murmurs huskily, "One, then, ye got it." It's his turn, finally, and as Roki gets himself acquainted with the child in Auvrey's care, the self-elected guardian of Roki and Elette sets to buying five meat buns. Coins are offered, food given in exchange. Tybio blinks and falls back a step or two from the shove before the fist hits...any thoughts of the other skum in the market are pushed from his mind as he deals with the skum attacking him. Backing off a few steps and sprouting his best grin he returns, "Watch it imp, yer gettin close ta gettin me ta react..." "'Kay, then. Be right back." Just like that, Roki's gone again, back into the crowd that still moves about the Rialto. Off he goes to rendezvous with Richard and Elette and their five meat buns, and before long there he is, yanking at Richard's trousers again. "She says okay," he explains. "An' she's got someone else wit' her, calls hersel' Katri." Now, is the exchange between Tybio and the imp something that'd draw much notice from around the vendors? A minute smile appears on Elette's face, as she takes her meat bun, and some of the others too, so Richard doesn't have to juggle them all. Well, she might give a few to Roki. Mebbe. She's /awwwwwfully/ hungry. Either Tybio has balls of solid brass or Katrana doesn't look at all dangerous even when she's livid. Hell, it's probably both. Nevertheless, Katrana stomps forward -- which turns into a hobble as her lame leg comes down -- and swings again at Tybio. "You /stop callin' me that/, ye inbred sloplicker!" she shouts. She'll keep advancing, trying to grab hold of Tybio and beat the begeezus out of him. She can do it too, mister. Just you wait and see. Commotion is heard, one of a screeching harpy kind, and automatically Rory's grip tightens protectively around Katri's little hand, careful not to squish anything. Her pale gaze shifts through regular Rialto patterns to locate Tybio. Brows lower only slightly, interest and wariness and a bit of SuperRory caution intermingling. What is the scamp up to now? Katri watches the boy vanish, with just barely a smile. She still wears it when she looks back up to Rory, apparently oblivious of the commotion. Very quietly, "He's nice." He's nice. Those very distinct words are easily held to Auvrey's ears, pleasure found in Katri's quiet observation. "I am glad you like him. I have considered the idea of teaching all three of you some lessons during the evening time, but I wished for you to tell me what you thought after meeting the other children." Roki's return and his report bring a small crooked grin to Richard's slightly haggard visage. On impulse, he buys two more pies and hands four to the boy, asking, "Run those over to Auvrey and her bairn and share 'em, aye? Lettie an' I're comin'." Three pies for him and the little girl in his arms, one pie presented to the seemingly famished child for her to go ahead and begin munching; the other two are slid into a pouch for Richard to carry in his free hand. The spat between Tybio and Katrana does draw a glance, but only a brief one, as he's primarily interested in getting himself, his charges, and their food over there to join Auvrey. Tybio grins and dances back from the girl, clearly not feeling at all thretened by the situation as he moves backwards tward the group of scamps and shepards as he speaks, "Yer gona have ta do better then that imp...I ain't insultin ya...good ta be an imp when it's all ya got ta live on." Katri looks again to watch the boy's progress, but the mention of lessons brings her back. Worried? Excited? Something different, but hard to read. "Letters?" Katrana's starting to get red in the face, she's so furious -- and it only makes it worse that Tybio doesn't even have the grace to look concerned. "I'll cut ye open with a spike an' feed ye to the dogs for that!" she hollars -- and the chase is on. She may have a lame ankle, but she's still decently quick. Added to that, she's damnedably nimble, and her small size is handy for dodging around (and under) obstacles. Tybio -- and his brass adornments -- may just have to run for true. Roki more or less just ignores the argument going on not too far away. He's heard his fair share of them in spite of his youth. "I will, Unca." But along the way he scarfs down one of the four pies entrusted to him, hungry enough to be through with it by the time he gets back to Auvrey and Katri. "They're comin' over now. Here, I got three o' these for ye t'have." he explains, offering the morsels. "Well, yes, letters shall be part of your lessons, Katri. In life, if someone knows how to read, it can benefit them in so many ways." A pause of consideration, as Auvrey's gaze drops to her charge once more. "Were your parents teaching you, Katri?" The question is quietly placed, perhaps to lessen the reminder of death. To Roki her attention turns, blinking, before a tender smile flashes across her lips. "My thanks, Roki." One ink-stained hand motions for Katri to choose hers, first. Ooh. Katri reaches for a pie eagerly. She's about to take a bite, when Rory asks that question. She just shakes her head, without speaking. It doesn't take long for Richard and the girl he's got propped on one arm to come up behind Roki. "Auvrey-lass," greets the man, grinning a bit over the top of Elette's head while the somber little waif nibbles her way through the hot morsel with which she's been presented. The girl-child, even while occupied with the vital matter of eating the meat pie, nevertheless turns a silent liquid gaze upon Auvrey and the other girl. Roki gets from his guardian a murmured, "Thankee, lad." Tybio is not one to let anything truely bad come of this...in that vien he's off, running trough the croud with skill bread quickly in those from the streets of Haven. Dodging deftly around people, taking the chance when posible to check over his sholder and make sure that Kat is not getting to close...or perhaps making sure she's not in any truble. His path takes him tward the swarm of young and there shepards, ither ignoring there presance as they have his, or totaly uncaring. Katri looks up at the man, silently absorbed in studying him. But it doesn't stop her from taking a slow bite of pie. "Richard," huskily murmurs Auvrey, a warmth only partialy due to this day's sunshine spreading from head to toe, infusing her even her words. "This is Katri, the lass I told you about." Taking one meat pie into her left, cupped hand, she furthers to explain, "Katri, this is Roki's protector, Richard, and his sister Elette." Patiently, quietly the ex-naraki waits, watching each party introduced for visible reactions. Well, and using her time wisely to satisfy her continual gatro-intestinal protestations of starvation. Roki hands the remaining pies over to Auvrey after Katri gets hers away from his little hands..not that he didn't let her or anything. As Richard pulls up the rear along with Elette, he saddles up next to him, licking some of the flavor from his fingertips. "Yer welcome, Unca." he answers, quieting as Auvrey talks. He settles for keeping a close eye on Lettie. "You-" Around the Empyrean couple nose-in-the-air'ing their way towards the 'proper' food vendors. "Stop-" Under the arm of a towering Varati man reaching for a tankard of ale. "Right-" Skitter-hop-jump to avoid a wagon, then dodging around the back wheels. "There, you dung-for-brains!" Katrana's limping for real, but still chasing after Tybio with all the energy she's got. Katri swallows the bite she took and responds to this introduction much more formally than the first. She nods a formal little nod, saying seriously, "I'm pleased-to-meet-you, sir." And since 'sir' leaves out Elette, she nods to her, an extra nod. Tybio is slightly more deft then Kat, being he's got his health about him, so gains less comments, though just asmany looks of hate as he draws the attention of purebloods to the fact that Mongrels live. As he ducks past Rory and Richard he calls out, "Evenin' Slave woman, An Whoremonger." Katri's scrutiny can get her a tall, lean fellow with the beginnings of a beard darkening his jaw, and the hints of recent sleeplessness at the corners of his twilight eyes. As he sets Elette down next to her brother (and it might be noted that Lettie peeks liquidly at her older sibling while nibbling steadily away at her pie), Richard gives Katri a small crooked grin of greeting. "'Lo there, mite, Auvrey told me o'f ye." Then, he begins to give Auvrey a bit more of a greeting of her own -- before Tybio's call catches his attention. Tybio also manages to catch Auvrey's attention, and with an immeasurable amount of 'sigh' in reaction. "Hello, Tybio. Infinitely glad the streets have not managed to make you nice. I might not know how to react, then." Aye, Rory's past extends far back with this fleeting trouble-maker and full-time thief. Her own days were spent competing against him for treasures, up until two years ago. Half of her gifted food has managed to disappear, before she can even enact common courtesy. With an embarrassed smile turned towards Richard, she murmurs, "Thank you for the meal. It was greatly appreciated. Neither Katri nor I are much from the brains of farm animals." Katrana's hobble-sprinting slows a little at Tybio's, ah, sunshiny greetings. Slave woman? Well, that's nothing new -- plenty of slaves in Haven, though Rory's well-dressed and well-fed enough to get a fleetingly sullen look. How rude, that you can be healthier when you're owned than free! Hmf. Whore-monger, though...that brings Katrana's attention to Richard in full. She narrows her eyes at him, glowering with all the wariness she can muster. "Pfa," she informs him, hawking and spitting at his feet -- just a little phlegm to brighten your day, sir -- before regaining speed and continuing her pursuit. Katri returns a small smile of her own to Richard. At first. She draws closer to Rory when Tybio offers his pleasantries, and she looks after Katrana with a scandalized expression. Ah, good. Finally. As Elette's put down next to him, Roki attaches a hand to her own, a gentle tug keeping her close to his side, the look of a little protector evident in him. Seems unlike many older siblings, he's not the sort to go around bashing on his brothers or sisters. Other..things have happened to take precendence to that. He gives her a once-over with his eyes, not really catching her bump yet. "Ye okay, Lettie? I was worried 'bout where ye was at.." Attention on Elette is disrupted by Tybio, but he draws his sister ever closer just in case. A scowl fastens itself upon his face and he calls after Tybio, "Watch yer mouth, there's kids listening t'it!" Like that'll do a whole lot. Katrana's actions make him even more upset. "Hey! Ye git back over here an' apologize t'my unca, imp!" Heh... Richard gives Katrana a steady, unfazeable stare; apparently, being spit at is hardly enough to rattle his composure. The same can be said for Tybio's 'greeting', which gets the drawled reply of, "If ye're meanin' t' insult me, lad, I suggest ye try summat I'm actually liable to give a flyin' damn about." Tybio slows as Rory's responce registers, and turns to Rory once his feet are stilled fully, tilting his head slightly as he intones, "Ya don' know me Slave, an I don't know ya. Rory be dead, an fergoten Auvery." his attention then goes to Richard, "Ahhh, Yer night with Tara don' seem ta have improved yer mood old man." seemingly he's lost track of the fact that his life is in danger from the imp hot on his heals....which could be a very costly mistake indeed. Katri looks quite, _quite_ lost, between the boy and the girl and the man and the Language. Her gaze flies from one to the other until Tybio's last remark. At that one, she looks up to Rory, a question - several questions - in her face. An indifferent shrug is given Tybio as Auvrey turns away. Where one might feel the fire of anger, no such sparks within the free mongrel lass, especially when a few more important people happen to have entered her life. One of which stands at her side, confusion evident. To Katri is an encouraging smile, her empy hand reaching to stroke that glorious, matching head of red. "Ask, luv." Aye, she read correctly. Katri asks the most important, first, barely above a whisper. Rory'll have to read her lips, likely, rather than hearing the word: "Slave?" Comeuppance, thy name is Katrana. No pause for dramatic 'ha-ha, I have you now' statements -- she'll just plow into Tybio and knock him down to the packed earth, and do her best to climb on top of his chest and, like she threatened, beat the begeezus out of him. Grubby little fists to the nose, cheeks, lip, shoulders...the list goes on. All the while, she'll hollar, "Ye take it back, ye hear me? Ye /take it back/, git! An' I mean it!" Piff. Pow. Crack. Imagine the cartoon balloons, folks. Elette doesn't stop nibbling away on her meat pie, even as those two scruffy passers-by seem to think insulting her guardian is a good way to spend their time. Her little brows knit together in consternation even as she scoots as close as possible to her older brother. She doesn't say a single world -- but those eyes of hers take in everything, surprisingly alert for someone of her tender years. Richard, in the meantime, is also apparently entirely unfazed by being called 'old'. "It'd seem the whelp's a trifle jealous," he murmurs blandly as he turns and settles himself onto the edge of the table at which Auvrey and the children are seated. "Ye know that guttersnipe, Auvrey?" No, the Rook won't bother himself with petty revenge. Katrana's taking care of that quite nicely. Tybio does tumble, being taken totaly offguard bye the imp he lands on his back as she starts raning blows upon him. As soon as he can gather his wits about him he starts trying to grab the hands wich beat him, oddly enough not striking back at the Mongrel, just taking the beating. Roki eyes Tybio and Katrana, and being accustomed to seeing a good spat here and there, he chooses to ignore them in the interest of going back to keeping Elette from getting too uncomfortable if he can help it, wrapping his arms around her shoulders when she scoots closer to him. "S'okay, Lettie. I'm here." So is Richard of course, and though he's probably in a better position to keep Elette safe, Roki might not be totally willing to admit it. Most of the other talking is lost on him, though. "Aye, I know Tybio from my days upon the street." Richard is answered first, for that is by far the easiest question. Katri's, however, is addressed soon after, Auvrey's ivory skin continuing to smooth over the small girl's tresses. "About two years ago, Katri, I was drugged and sold into slavery. Tybio, the boy you saw, continues to mock me, because when I was freed, I had changed considerably. At one time, I was much worse in behavior than he." A gentle smile. "Does this upset you, lass?" Jenara arrives right into the thick of the Rialto from the southwest. Jenara has arrived. Katri half-closes her eyes, catlike, while Rory smooths her hair. Thinking about it. "Did they get you from here?" Roki pipes up, regardless of whether he's being asked his opinion or not, "That Tybio ain't got much room t'be mockin' anyone, bein' beat up by a girl." Okay, so maybe he's stealing a glance at the scuffling here and there. Katrana might have the advantage of position on Tybio, but it's not too hard for him to anticipate where her punches are going to land -- soon enough, he'll be able to grab her skinny little wrists and stop the assault. She'll struggle valiantly, but she needs strength rather than quickness to get free, and is sorely lacking in that. "Let me go! Ye /let me go/!" she hollers, tugging like she might pull her shoulders right from her sockets. "Ye let me go or I'll kick yer stones so hard ye'll go green in the face!" Jenara meanders into the Rialto in the company of a young Emyrean girl who excitedly looks this way and that,pointing and asking questions of the mongrel lass. Jenara for her part does her best to keep her charge as subdued as possible but when Moirae spies the fight going on she takes off into the crowd to get a closer look. Jenara hurries after her little Empyrean mistress with eyes raised to the heaves asking for patience and for the hand of Tyche to keep the young girl in one piece. "That'll have t' hurt," Richard drawls blandly to Roki, overhearing Katrana's last bellow. In the meantime, he scarfs up one of the remaining meat pies out of the bowl beside him on the table and begins nibbling at it idly. For a man of his disreputable appearance, he eats with a quick, sparing precision. Still casually perched there on the table's corner, he studies Auvrey and Katri as the two of them converse, his attention primarily upon the former, his gaze steady... but very full. "From Haven? Aye, I was here, within the city. I owed a great debt to a man who decided sending me to streets to thieve was not profitable enough, quick enough, so he tricked me. Sold me." Frank as usual, the truth is not spared from the child, though discretion is used on just what details Auvrey parts with. No good traumatizing Katri any further. A moment is taken to consider her change, before she queries, "Still hungry?" Tybio lets out a sigh as he manages to stop the imp from hitting him and says softly, "Calm down an I'll let ya go Kat." sporting a bloody nose, he manages to mostly conceal the look of hurt, which turns into pure anger at Auvreys words. Not bothering to explain how many times he tried to help her as a slave, not mentioning how it was she who scorend what she wonce was sith such venom that it's amazing she was not blackballed from her former people abjectly...he concentrates on the issue at hand, letting his last hopes for Rory drain away into the sewars where she came from. Katri's eyes open full and she twists to look more directly at Rory. She must have misunderstood. "Selling you was bad." The little empyrean girl with the black hair and white wings who is , ostensibly, in the company of Jenara edges her way around the scene of the fight with her saphire eyes huge and her mouth opened in a silent "O". She finds herself eventurally backed up against the counter at the food vendor's tents watching such a ...display with great enthusisasm. Roki finds his stomach is rumbling some more and after he nods once to Richard's comment about a kick in the stones hurting, he asks, "Ye got any more pies? I'm still hungry." He grows quiet again, still keeping Elette there with him as he listens to Auvrey talk about past things. Chances are when he's quiet like this, he's thinking. "Selling _anyone_ is bad," Richard puts in firmly to Katri's remark. He, like Tybio, is a thief -- if a somewhat different manner of thief than the Mongrel boy, perhaps -- but there are some things of which even Richard's admittedly slightly shadowy ethics do not approve. Slavery is one of them. Roki gets a glance and a small crooked smile, and with that, Richard slides him the bowl containing the remaining pie. "'Ere, lad," he murmurs. Between them, Elette, finally finishing off her own pie, peers at the last one with unmistakably wistful eyes. Katrana's small. She's only got so much room for steam, and it eventually runs out. When it does, she gives one final, stubborn yank-twist-tug, then slumps a little, flushed and breathing in huge gulping breaths. Looks about the same as she did when she entered the Rialto, actually. Her glare wobbles when she actually /looks/ at Tybio's bloodied nose, then her red-smudgy knuckles -- she's not actually concerned she hurt him, is she? -- then turns to a triumphant, smug smirk. "Ye take it back?" she huffs. Jenara hunts through the crowd for her errant charge..not payin' any mind t' the fists and insults bein' thrown. Obviously the food is forgotten. A wry smile greets Katri's statement, as well does a nod. "Aye, selling people is not good, just as Richard says. But many people - many cultures - use slavery to further their gains and ease their workloads." Still she addresses the gal that barely reaches her waist, though her gaze flitters upwards, kindness resonating within as silver glides over Richard's features. Katri nods sharply as Richard agrees with her. See? She looks back to listen as Rory continues, and insists, "But you said it was good. Didn't you?" She sets the remains of her pie down and wipes her hands, again on her skirt. Tybio looks up at Kat and nods, "For now, lets get outta here before one of us really gets outta hand." and lets go of her wrists as he wipes his nose on his sleeve. Now that the fight is winding down, Moirae starts looking for other things to entertain herself. She brushes at her white toga, well the toga that started out the day white, and straightens up looking around. Her bright blue gaze going wider and wider as she spots someone she knows near by just as her mouth opens to shout an excited hello Jenara appears hand on her hips on the other side of the tent raising her voice exasperatedly."Dom'na Moirae! Ye get back here..yer ma skin m'alive she knew I'd bein' takin' ye here...let alone lettin' ye get away from me!" "I ain't never gonna be nobody's slave, I know that much." Roki states flatly, once again putting in a comment just so Richard doesn't think he's lost his usually active voice. "Nobody owns me." He just lets Richard be his guardian..yeah. Really, there isn't anyone else he can think of that he'd rather have look after him than Richard. As for that pie and Elette, of coruse he notices her look and eyes. "Aww, don't ye give me *those* eyes, Lettie..I was gonna share anyway." He breaks the pie in half and pushes one handful into her hands. "See?" Confusion marrs Auvrey's brow, even as her head shakes from one side to the other in a negatory manner. "Nay, I did not say such Katri, darlin'. Where did you feel I said as much, luv?" Patient as always, the natural mothering that decorates Auvrey's heart with every child is even more strongly present with this cherub before her. Katrana tugs her hands back soon as Tybio releases them and nearly falls off his chest, catching herself on her elbow -- with a wince. She hops up to her feet, wobbling on her sore ankle, and indignantly dusts herself off. All Tybio's fault that she's so dirty, after all. She looks at her bloodied knuckles again, then sneezes and nods. "Yeah, I think there was a Houn' back there." And off she'll go, limping as fast as she can go, back towards the west side of town. Katri says, confused, "You said a debt. And you said you came back different. Like it was better.' Tybio slowly gets to his feet, shaking his head a bit to clear it from the recent endevor of the imp to induce blunt force trama. Once more he wipes his bleading nose on his sleeve and casts one look back at the two with the daycare and frowns, then moves off after Kat. Katrana walks westward toward Main and Border. Katrana has left. Tybio walks westward toward Main and Border. Tybio has left. Children hear the damndest things, some of which can be so highly accurate without even a breath of the word, while at other times sentences are easily misconstrued. "Ahhh, nay Katri, I did not mean it in such a manner. Slavery is not a good thing ever, lass. The debt I owed was a falsery constructed in order to deceive me into believing I owed him debt. When he sold me into slavery, I had a hard time surviving, but I finally came to understand many things. And, I think lass, that while many do not benefit from slavery, I ended up becoming a better person. I was educated and taught how to become self-sufficient." Though, granted, they had no clue exactly what they were teaching Rory at such a time. "I do not look upon my time as a slave fondly, but I did learn some valuable lessons. Lessons that you too will learn one day. Except I want you to learn the right way. The way without pain. This is why I wish to teach you. Do you understand, lass?" Jenara waits tapping a foot annoyedly as she waits as the now abject and downtrodden child drags her feet over to her murmuring a quiet and sullen "Yes Jenara" Elette doesn't exactly beam; that's not in her nature. But she does look a trifle less piteous as Roki promises to share with her what's left of the food. With one tiny hand she rubs at her brow where that red bump is still in evidence just below the line of her hair, and then she turns a hopeful glance to her sibling. Katri listens with her lips pressed together, frowning slightly. She doesn't look enlightened, really, at the end; her nod is obedient and polite, but her face is still puzzled. "Why'd they teach you?" Oh..so *that's* where the bump is. How the heck did Roki manage to miss it until now? "Oh.." he begins, in between bites of his handful of grub. "Y'fell..didn' ye? Are y'okay?" Gingerly, he extends a hand to lift some of the hair back and take a closer look. But what's that hopeful glance all about? And Auvrey? Don't think he's not listening all along. Richard neatly and quickly finishes off his own meat pie, his attention shifting between Auvrey and her little charge, and the two children in his own care. At Roki's anxious queries to his sister, their guardian sighs and speaks up again in soft and weary tones, "Bumped 'er head on someone's package, she did. She'll be all right after the knot goes down, I'm thinkin'. We can get 'er a bit of ice to put on it later if it's still hurtin'." Jenara walks across the area right in front of the food vendor's tents to met her charge..as she passes she spies Richard , nodding she offers a friendly.."Heyla there Richard" as the disgruntled Moirae finnaly makes her sad and sorry way to jenara's side. "So I could be of more use to them, Katri. So that I could read and write, send coorespondance, compute finances, and learn more about their culture. At that time, it was assumed I would be there for some time. But the man who was my master released me on agreement that I would continue to work for him. Shortly after, he was murdered, and so here I am. Free." Quirking her head slightly to the side, Auvrey awaits any more questions from this curious girl she's become so fond of. Katri's next question comes more quickly. Staring up at Auvrey, trying to read her face as well as her words, "Did you like him?" Tybio's calling him a whoremonger didn't faze him. Neither did Katrana spitting at his feet. But when Jenara and Moirae come into view, and when Jenara calls out to him, Richard freezes where he sits on the table's corner. His dark head spins swiftly around, his stare locking in not upon the Mongrel who's called his name -- but upon the black-haired, white-winged girl at her side. Quite abruptly, the seated man goes entirely white of face. Roki fusses over Elette's bump, being careful not to touch it directly and cause her any more discomfort than she may already be feeling. He still feels like it's his fault for this, since he didn't keep an eye on her the whole time. Maybe he can shift some of the blame onto Kate for telling him to help her with the stew. But..she's nice. Wouldn't be fair to her, would it? "I c'n go look for some ice right now if she needs some?" he offers, looking back to Richard at the idea. He pauses when Jenara greets him. Someone *else* Richard knows? He eyes the bird, too. Sadness lingers as the conversation draws deeper into her past, yet still Auvrey remains open and honest. "Nay, lass. I understood him and how he worked, but I did not like him." Pray to Khalid Atar, Rory, that the sharp thing does not ask -why-. The shift of atmosphere is felt, rather than seen, the fiery-tressed mongrel's gaze lifting to note Richard, then follow the direction distinctly. Katri asks, "Was he mean...?" The question trails off as Katri follows Rory's gaze. Jenara raises a brow at the white face that Richard presents but other than that she ignores his loss of composure. She smiles in her merry way and nods to the small group with him, briefly checking over her shoulder to make sure her charge hasn't slipped away again. Moirae for her part stands behind her mongrel caretaker with flaming cheeks and downcast eyes, apparently someone's neglected to teach her that Empy's always look down the nose at Mongrells..even if they're alot shorter. Bad move going so pale, Richard. Why? Roki's seen it. Though he doesn't broach the subject of just why Richard's face turned that nice ghostly shade, you can bet he's filing it away with other little oddities he's noticed around his guardian here and there. He'll probably figure it out sooner or later. Then what? Maybe a conversation like the one between Auvrey and Katri? As for that ice, he waits for Richard to say something about it one way or the other. A muscle twitches in Richard's cheek, just above the shadow of stubble that blurs the otherwise elegant line of his jaw. He might be noted to swallow hard, before he finds enough voice to answer the newly arrived Mongrel's greeting: "Jenara..." His voice comes out of him rather significantly more hoarse than normal, however, particularly when he appends, "Ave, Dom'na Moirae." Next to him, little Elette is actually startled enough that she pauses in inhaling a tidbit of meat pie. Her fingers still in her mouth, she blinks up at her Uncle Richard, and then at her brother. The young Empyrean girl peeks out from behind Jenara's elbows to smile broadly at Richard with huge bright eyes "Ave...Richard" she says impishly. Jenara glares down at her charge and seems to shake her head slightly with a narrowing of her eyes. Turning once again to the small group that surrounds the mongrel man she grins.."I see ye've found somethin' else t'eat than bread aye? " she says teasingly. Katri watches, now quietly picking up her pie to nibble. Her eyes mostly on Richard, though she glances now and then at the one with the wings. Katrana enters the Rialto from the western part of Main street. Katrana has arrived. (Re-)Enter Katrana, limping badly but looking rather smug. Her knuckles are still bloodied, though it's dried and cracking, and there's a smudge of reddish-brown across her cheek -- presumably from her rubbing her eye or nose. She's flipping a coin in one hand with deft, flicker-quick motions, silver sparking in the afternoon light. Roki's not too sure just how to handle this situation. He's not at all used to seeing an Empyrean so close that doesn't have his nose high to the sky, acting so much better than he and his kind. The Empyreans are the ones he's most enjoyed picking the pockets of, too. Odd that the one with Jenara doesn't seem to strike him as being as bad as the others. That's about the extent of his observations though, attention shifting quickly back to Elette and her bump, encouraging her to keep eating. "G'wan, finish yer pie Lettie.." He then waves a hand at Richard, asking again, "Should I try an' find her some ice?" "Aye... a bit more. Auvrey an' me an' th' bairns... we're sharin' a bite to eat." A wraithlike edition of Richard's usual lopsided grin flickers into being as he answers Jenara, and his tone lightens with a ghost of his normal charm. But both grin and voice seem almost... rote, perhaps, as he shifts slightly to keep both those with him and those before him in sight and to perform introductions. First the redheaded young woman at the table: "This is Auvrey, Assistant t' th' Provost." And then Jenara and her charge: "Jenara... works f'r House Nemea. An'... th' Dom'na Moirae..." There might be, just might be, a fractional pause where a middle name might normally go for an Empyrean maiden. "... Nemeides." And at last, the children: "Katri, Elette, Roki." And speaking of Roki, Richard casts the boy a strangely distracted glance, and a short, half-absent nod. Katri nods to Jenara. "Ma'am." Softly. She moves to sit up a little straighter, and see the woman better. And she glances at Rory, for some clue as to how to react to her. Moirae's a strange a little bird it's true. Bright eyes of saphire blue peek out at the world with interest and exceitment but also warily as if expecting some big hand to smack her enthusiasm down. Her wings are the softest, pureest white but the long hair that curls down her back is a gleaming blue-black. She seems content to stand in other's shadows so long as she can watch the going's on. At Richards introductions though she perks up popping in a soft "Moirae -Julia- Nemeides..." and then throwing in a belated "Ave" at an instructing glance from Jenara. The young mongrel woman smiles all around and nods.."Aye, tis pleased I'm t'be meetin ye all. We just be out fer a walk, afore the lass be drivin' m't'commit acts that would be making Tyche howl wit laughter wit her pesterin'" despite Jenara's complaint her voice is merry and it seems to be an ongoing joke between herself and the Empyrean child for they both laugh. Swagger-limp, swagger-limp. Katrana heads for the food vendors -- one of the booths with a wide awning for shade and wobbly wooden stools lining the counter, to be precise. She struggles up onto the wretchedly-tall stool, dirty feet swinging, and slaps down the silver bit as she orders, "Wan' some ale, an' a half loaf've bread." She squints at the man behind the counter as he turns, and complains, "Hey! Hey! Not the heel, I got silver for ye today." Chin up. Smug. "An' put some butter on't." Roki's eyes stay locked on Richard's face as he verbally fidgets perhaps more than he's ever known him to. Very odd..very odd indeed. Got to be some connection he's forgetting about right this minute with all the different things going on at once. He decides perhaps he *should* go find that ice now that Richard give him permission to do so, but not before his head tilts to one side, eyes on Moirae. "How come ye ain't called me some name yet? Ain't tha' what ye Empys do?" Thing is, he doesn't sound angry or upset. The question, while it may not be the first thing one would expect, is asked in total innocence. Katri looks to the winged one, with a small frown. _She_ could be angry, yes she could, if the girl were to take Roki up on it. Moirae blinks quietly as she is actually spoken to. That doesn't happen very often. Though the questoin might be construed as rude by some to Moirae it is simply confusing. Her eyebrows rise like black wings above her brow and she answers in a soft voice "Bu..but..why would I do that? My mother never calls any of the people who works for us by anyting except their names...wouldn't that be awfully mean of me??I..I..mean I only just met you and you haven't done anything nasty to me..yet?? Are you going to?? Should I start trying to think of something?? " she asks in all ernestness as if she's intrigued by the idea of verbal sparring. Katrana recieves her tankard and a half-loaf of warm, buttered-thank-you-very-much bread and turns around on her stool to study the myriad curiousities of the Rialto while she eats. Gulp of ale (using both hands). Chunk of bread. Repeat. After the third mouthful of ale, she looks over her shoulder and mutters, "Ye put enough water in this? Or just started sellin' swill 'stead've the real stuff?" She ducks her head, grinning into her tankard. She knows the man, seems -- he just grumbles and turns to another customer. A polite nod is given to those introduced, an odd thing about such a simple motion: Auvrey displays no emotion at all. Nothing cold. Nothing warm. No words. No chance of serenity. Just a strange sort of hovering underlying it all. A judging or sizing, perhaps, of those before her and the situation at hand. Speaking of hands, hers are entirely too empty, and just as a protective lion with her kit, so does this lithe mongrel woman swoop downwards to sweep Katri into her arms, balancing the girl upon one hip gently. Roki's definitely stalled by Moirae's answers to his question that was pretty much asked before he thought about whether he should've said it or not. Blinking quickly, he works on an answer. "Er..no, I wasn't gonna do anythin' mean or nothin' like that. I was just used t'most Empys actin' one way an' ye actin' diff'rent was..funny." He's quick to add, "But I don' mind it. I like it when people don' call me names. 'Scuse me..I gotta get some ice for m'sis." He hops off his seat and quickly scurries off to do just that, leaving Elette in Richard's care again until he gets back. He just happens to wind up at the same vendor Katrana's at, hoisting himself up onto one of the stools and rapping on the tabletop to get the vendor's attention. "..hey! Might y'have a bit o' ice I c'n borrow? M'sister's got a nasty bump on her head an' I wanna take care o' it for her.." If he needs to, he'll use The Look. The Look involves The Eyes. Katri squeaks with soft surprise, looking up at Rory. But she doesn't object, after that momentary startlement; she looks comfortably pleased, in fact. Katrana's eyes narrow a little as Roki approaches and she sits up a bit straighter, bloodied knuckles oh-so-accidently made more obvious. Better not be lookin' for trouble, bub. She already walloped one boy today. Once he's seated she relaxes fractionally and picks up her tankard in both hands, gulping from it again. She wipes her mouth with her hand -- smudging more reddish-brown across her cheek -- and asks Roki, "So's yer da really a pimp?" As Roki scampers off for that ice, Richard shakes himself as though awakening from a dream. The exchange between the Mongrel boy and Moirae seems to have made about as much impact upon him as though the two had been speaking gibberish; indeed, he's eyed the two youngsters as if not entirely believing what he's seeing before him. But now, remembering Elette's presence, he takes a moment to make sure she's still eating what's left of her share of the meat pie. She is, but she's peering up unsurely at him... and the return of tension in his face. "Eat up th' rest o' that, honey, and I'll get ye home again, eh?" he murmurs to her. The vendor at Katrana's and Roki's booth -- a burly, round-cheeked mongrel man -- suddenly coughs once and rubs at the corner of his mouth, then clears his throat. Once the grin is dispelled, he rumbles something about there being 'no "borrowing" ice' and heads to the back of the booth for the icebox. Jenara smiles at the child at Richard's side.."she your's then?" she asks curious. As moirae's eyes peer at the little girl as well. As Katri settles easily into her arms, an affectionate nuzzle is given the girl's cheek, even as Auvrey's feet glide a bit sideways gracefully. Her movement closes the distance between Richard and herself, in a fashion that very much mirrors her earlier dealings with Katri. Protective. Supportive. With Roki occupied, Elette scoots closer to Richard now; in fact, Richard reaches down to pull the child up off the bench at the table's side and into his lap. Casting Jenara a vaguely uneasy glance, he answers gruffly, "Roki an' Elette's ma and da died in th' plague. I'm takin' care of 'em now." Roki's gaze shifts to Katrana when she shows off her knuckles. He shrugs at her. Is that supposed to impress him? He's gotten into a few scrapes of his own, but has never gone looking for a fight. He's not exactly the sort to back down from something, though. "He ain't my da', he's my unca." he explains succinctly, though he doesn't very much appreciate the question. "He ain't a pimp either, but if y'took th' p away I think we'd have what ye are." A mischievous grin follows that, then he grins back at the vendor. "C'n I have some ice, then? I'll make it up somehow if y'need." Katri's face relaxes, resting and contented. No need to be sure Rory's there, now. She watches Richard and Jenara, vaguely. Never gone looking for a fight, huh? Watch how close you dally with that 'I' word, then, mister. Katrana narrows her eyes at Roki, going from cheeky to sullen in all of about two seconds. "Ye watch what ye say, there," she mutters. "I can hurt plenty've folks plenty bigger'n you." See? So she'd barely break a sweat, if she had to wallop you as well. She sniffs sharply and, warning issued, takes another gulp of ale and breaks off a chunk of bread with butter-shiny fingers. Jenara grins at the children and offers a friendly smile toward Auverry for good measure. "Ahh..bespeakn' well o'ye that ye care fer them Richard. Tis more'n many would do..." her words are interupted by another mongrel girl who pushing through the crowd hurries to her side and speaks quickly with her though only bits of what is said can be heard."..here...yes now...uproar..know..is." After a moment Jenara looks up with a worried countenance.."Can't /you/ take her??" the other mongrel woman shakes her head vehemently saying "and let the mistress b'thinkin' twas I that be takin' the lass in the first place..no way!". Jenara stares down at Moirae who's gone white as a sheet as she overhears the conversation. Jenara pleads once more with her fellow.."But we can't take her back there now!". Her fellow servant ignores her pleas and rushes off. "Iit no be m'problem 'nara. But ye best figure out somehin' fast and be gettin' back right quick". "...iceman's clear halfway 'cross town...wagon brings it here...half-melted...'spects me to..." And so the vendor grumbles while he's taking a blunt hatchet to the ice in the icebox to whittle off some smallish chunks. He'll emerge eventually, with the slush and melting chunks wrapped up in waxed burlap. "You bring me a few coppers for my trouble, sometime," he rumbles, as he pushes it across to Roki. "Soon," he adds. "Did I say it? I don't think I said it," Roki answers, looking back to Katrana again with a detectable lack of fear at her threats. It's just the way he is. He doesn't have a whole lot to be afraid of any more (yes, even at seven), and Elette and Richard are about the only ones he cares enough about to show much concern towards. Maybe Kate too, to an extent. "I saw ye limpin' earlier when ye wrestled with tha' other boy. I bet I could kick ye in th' shin or yer ankle an' be gone before ye could even get up." he adds, then shakes his head. "But why d'ye wanna just fight first?" He pauses to accept the small bag of ice from the vendor with a toothy grin and nod. "I will, promise. Thanks." He'll be good for it, too. Might have to pick an extra pocket, but it'd be good practice, no? "By th' way, I'm Roki." he tells Katrana before hopping off the stool, lingering to wait for any possible answers before heading back to the others. Hmf. Target her weak points. Like /that's/ fair. So what if she was going to try and knock Tybio's family jewels up to his throat? That was different. Honest. Katrana gives Roki another wary appraisal as she lowers her tankard -- it's too big for her to glare over the rim of it -- and sniffs sharply. Double hmf. "I'm no imp, that's why," she informs Roki, "an' if there was somethin' you didn't like bein' called an' I called you it, I'd 'spect you to wallop me for it, too." Another sniff. So there. A gulp of ale, then: "I'm Kat." Elette lets out a mighty yawn and then promptly wraps a tiny arm about as much as she can reach of Richard's black-clad chest... while licking every last little bit of crumbs from her meal off her miniscule fingers. Then she sticks her free thumb into her mouth. Richard, in the meantime, grunts in what might be rueful acknowledgement of Jenara's praise... but when another Mongrel arrives on the scene, the man might be seen to rock back slightly, as if bothered by having yet another representative of House Nemea on hand. His not-so-subtle rocking draws the attention of Auvrey once more. Butterfly fingers stroke Katri's back with continued affection, even as her crysttaline gaze fixates upon the mongrel man. Silence is maintained, as she remains outwardly impassive to the party of Nemea. Moirae tugs on Jenara's sleeve.'Jen...you can't take me back now. I don't want to see him..he'll /yell/ at me again." though from the tone in her voice yelling is the least of what will happen in the presence of the mysterious -him-. Jenara nods and pats the girl on the shoulder, Richard and his family forgotten for the moment as she rakes a hand through her hair and tries to think while assuring Moirae and patting her arm.."hush now..lemme think". Katri watches Elette's yawn, and blinks as she resists it and those stroking fingers. She's not sleepy. She's too old for naps. She's not a _baby_... She covers her mouth, her eyes crinkling half-shut, for a moment. But she's not sleepy. Well, of course you target someone's weak points if you get into a fight on the streets. Who says you have to fight fair, even when it might just be over a loaf of bread? Maybe an Empy'd have a thing like honor, but not most mongrels Roki knows. He flashes Katrana a grin as she eyes him, shrugging at her. "Sometimes y'gotta let some things go. If I got into a fight everytime someone called me a name I'd prob'ly be pretty busted up, 'specially if I was goin' after people bigger'n me." He begins to head back then pauses, glancing over his shoulder. "Nice t'meetcha anyway, Kat.." Breaking into a jog, he weaves past a few people on his way back to Richard, Elette, and company. "I got some ice, unca!" he calls out once his caretaker is in sight again. Hey..Katri's in Auvrey's lap. How cute. Katrana sniffs defensively again, and picks at the remains of her loaf of bread, finding a bit with butter on it to pop into her mouth. "Youmf." Whoops. Don't talk with your mouth full, Kat. "Yeah," she calls as Roki jogs away. "Ye keep safe." It's a kinder wish for streetsorts than having a 'nice day', that's for sure. Nice days are reserved for the highborns, don't you know? She watches Roki move away into the crowd, then goes back to finishing off her tankard and loaf of bread. "Thankee, Roki," Richard says in rough relief, now that the boy's come back. He accepts the slivers of ice provided him, and a handkerchief produced from one of his pockets makes for an impromptu compress for Elette's little brow. The child's face eases noticeably as her guardian lightly holds the kerchief-wrapped ice against her skin, and to her brother, Richard adds, "I should be gettin' ye two back t' Kate. What happened, anyway?" Though he's turned to the boy, he flicks a sidelong glance at Moirae and the arguing Mongrels; clearly, Richard's still only half here, when it comes to attention. Jenara glances down at Moirae and bends at bit to look the girl in the eye. "Do ye think ye could sneak in..fly up by one o' the balcony's and make it'to yer room wit out anyone a'seein' ye child?" she asked the whitefaced Moirae. The empyrean girl nods and swallows.'I can be awfully quiet if I have to Jen. You know that." The mongrel woman laughs humourlessly, apparenlty there is nothing funny abou this situation. "I know ye can as well child..now get ye gone. Fly straight home aye?? I'll check in on ye as soon as I can.". Moirae turns to go..but remembering her manners she bobs a little curtsey, unware of how terribly odd it looks..her curtseying to _mongerls_ and murmurs a soft "Vale" before she spreads her wings to start her awkward take off. Rory whispers "Visit me, when you have time and incliniation, Richard..." Roki nods once to Richard, keeping to himself the questions Katara had about his guardian. "S'no problem. Just gotta.." No, he'll keep that part to himself as well, about paying the vendor back. He wants to handle that himself. Trying to stifle a yawn, he murmurs, "Can't I tell ye later, Unca?" His body language, which Richard might figure out, suggests he'd like to go rest. He doesn't even seem to care about what Kate might have to say about this whole fiasco. Roki does rather stare at Moirae as she curseys and heads off, a faint smile following. With Katri half dozing on her lap, Auvrey pauses only to bid, "Have a good day, Roki, Richard, fair Elette. It is time for Katri and I return within." A long look at Richard, before she totes Katri in. Delphic Citadel, here they come! Rory steps through a tall set of gates and enters Delphi's grounds. Rory has left. Katri steps through a tall set of gates and enters Delphi's grounds. Katri has left. Richard's blue gaze flashes swiftly around to Rory -- and, for just a moment, he gives her a tiny, almost awkward nod before he must needs return his attention to the two children in his care. He rises up off the table, Elette cradled in his arms and his makeshift compress still held gently against her brow... but before he leads Roki away, before he vanishes into the marketplace crowds, he murmurs, "Vale, Moirae..." Did she hear? Anyone's guess... and Richard doesn't stay to check. [End log.]