A beautiful elfin maiden made her way through the streets of the town, her cloaks hood down to reveal her beauty. Large turquoise eyes, soft, fair skin, full, rosy red lips. But her most noticeable aspect was her luscious, curly red hair that was left loosely draping over her bosom. The clothes she wore were nothing special, suggesting that she wasn’t exactly wealthy. But her fine figure, and well kept appearance made it clear that she wasn’t really struggling either. 

She wandered through the town, taking in the sights it had to offer, and looking in the occasional shops, though never buying anything. It was new to her, since she was a traveler, and it had lots of souvenirs, but she wasn’t looking for something to help remind her of this trip. Actually, she was looking to stay. After traveling as long and far as she had, Nelanna finally decided she should buy somewhere to stay and settle down permanently. But a town or city…it didn’t seem to suit her. She didn’t mind being around people, but she didn’t want to be around them all the time. A place just outside of town where she can live on her own and have privacy fit her the best.

As she was walking by, another store had caught her attention. She looked up at the sign and noticed it was a clothing store, then she looked down at herself. Perhaps a new set of clothing would do her some good. She had more money now than when she initially did the time she got her current clothing, and she wished to look nicer than she did now. So, why not? But before she could set foot in the shop a voice stopped her, and she felt someone’s hand grip her wrist. Startled, she turned around to see a large bearded man in common clothing. Normally she wouldn’t be troubled by this. She had a dagger and could handle herself for the most part. But she was troubled now. Because with him, were two other men, one on either side of him.

All three wore common clothing, noting they were just normal townsfolk. But the look in their eyes were far from friendly. They were dangerous and hungry, like wolves who had just caught sight of their prey. She knew where this was going to go. And she didn’t like it.

“Hey there pretty lady,” said the one man whom was gripping her arm. “You look like a girl who likes adventures. Why don’t you come with us and we’ll show you a good time?” With a grunt, Nelanna attempted to pull her arm from the man’s grip. But he only tightened it like iron; so much so she felt it would begin to bruise. “Unhand me. I have no desire to go with any of you.” 

The man snickered and began dragging her away from the shop and towards an empty alleyway, despite all of her attempts to pull away and her cries of protest. She was beginning to become afraid, knowing where this was going and for once, finding herself completely defenseless. The other two men followed, all snickering at her attempts to free herself and discussing their plans amongst themselves. The one whom held her arm forced her against the alley wall, so roughly she was sure she’d be bruised. And just before she could scream for help, he placed his free hand over her mouth. 

“Now now, we won’t hurt you. I promise we’ll make it worth your while.” The man whispered deeply in her ear. And as he pulled away and released her wrist from his one hand she felt her blood freeze with fear from seeing the evil smile on his face, and feeling his hand slide its way up her arm and towards her chest.

Mamlak was one of Bonifaz's favorite cities, both for its obvious beauty and its gullible citizens. Not that he wanted to be rude, but the rich city-folk were much less sneaky and much more reckless than the pirates of his home, so that made gambling a practical breeze. He went from tavern to tavern across the town, cleaning the big-spenders of all of their silver, occasionally throwing in a loss in order to keep up the appearance that he was just a lucky man. Fights would draw attention, so he simply avoided looking like a cheat. To be fair, Baz wasn't a cheat. His perceptiveness and basic knowledge of each game allowed him a pretty much guaranteed win no matter who he was playing. Luck had absolutely nothing to do with it.

It was early in the night when he was leaving the third tavern, only a bit buzzed from the ale he'd drank. The leather bag strapped across his chest jingled with his winnings. Blue-gray eyes scanned the sparkling streets in the evening light. A few people mulled around the shops, leisurely chatting about new clothes or other trivial things. Honestly, Baz could not have cared less about his clothing, as long as it wasn't in tatters. Common trousers and thin shirts were enough to cover his lanky limbs; they even gave him a rustic charm that many women found endearing. Freckles dotted the entirety of his skin, matching his bright ginger hair. This made disappearing into a crowd difficult, but he didn't mind. After all, he was clever enough to avoid getting into trouble with the authorities.

Reflecting on his past misconduct (most notably, murder), distracted him for a moment as he reached a hand into his pocket and felt the picture of his daughter. "What would you think of me now?" Baz mused aloud, though his thoughts were soon interrupted by some movement to his right.

He lifted his head to see a woman clearly being harassed by three scruffy-looking men. She looked helpless, and Baz glanced around to see if any of the town's guards intended to help her. Instead, he saw a them turn away from the situation, even snickering at her predicament. No one was going to do anything, and that's when his conscience decided to kick in.

Carefully, he followed the group into the alleyway, drawing his bow as he did. The moment the ringleader began to make a move on her, Baz aimed an arrow at his neck and loosed it. A sick gargling sound came as the man stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, clutching his throat. The other two looked at his with furious expressions, but his was stone. "You gentlemen need to learn how to treat a lady," he called out jokingly. They might have been able to overpower a single defenseless elf, but they were clearly untrained. The ginger nodded towards their leader. "He'll survive, but only if you lads get him to a healer." For a moment, they seemed to debate it, glancing at each other nervously before finally rushing over to the wounded man and lifting him up, dragging him out from the alley. 

Baz turned his attention to the woman, slinging his bow back around his shoulder as he approached her. "You alright, Miss…?" He noticed her natural beauty, but otherwise just observed her for injuries. Aside from a bruise on her wrist, she seemed to be okay. 

Nelanna was on the verge of tears as the man’s hand inched closer to her bosom. She knew struggling was hopeless. The man had two others there to hold her down if she was too much trouble. She couldn’t go for her dagger, and his hand over her mouth was keeping her from whispering the incantations for any of her spells. She closed her eyes, completely helpless, and on the verge of giving up. 

Then suddenly, she felt something warm and wet splatter across her face, and then the man was no longer there. Her eyes flew open to see him on the ground, clutching his own throat. His hands were covered with his blood, and then she noticed the iron arrowhead sticking out of his flesh. She stared at him, wide eyed and frozen at the sight. But she was free. And he didn’t even touch her yet. Someone had shot that arrow through the man’s throat and scared the other two into taking the injured and leaving. But, who had saved her?

She glanced up just as she was approached by a man with bright ginger heair. And at his words, she realized he was her savior. She was almost driven to tears, and somewhat desired to embrace him with gratitude. Most people didn’t understand what it meant to a woman when a man forces himself on her body. They take something from them, the one thing they value the most aside from their very lives. And though she had the heart and spirit of a warrior, one whom didn’t back down and never feared man, she was reminded that she was still a woman. And women were always weaker than men. 

Once she finally managed to regain herself and calm her quivering body, she offered the man a smile of gratitude. “Thank you…thank you so much, good sir. I wouldn’t imagine the horrid things they might’ve done to me if you hadn’t come along.”

Baz scratched the back of his neck, shaking his head. "I'm not a great person, but I can't stand by and see a lady hurt," he replied, flashing a grin at her. Now that he was able to study her more closely, he noticed the plain clothing she wore, which was quite the contrast to her well-mannered nature. She probably had some money, but it was likely newly acquired. Trying to swindle her wouldn't gain him anything, but he couldn't just leave her alone. Knowing the scoundrels in this town, they would be on the lookout for her. As far as the elf was concerned, she was now a hunted target.

Extending a freckly hand, the ginger's smile slightly softened. He'd made good money for the day, so going back to the taverns wasn't necessary, especially since it was getting dark fairly quickly. "Name's Bonifaz, Baz for short," he greeted, blue eyes studying her, trying to figure her out. Blood still speckled her face, but it somehow emphasized her prettiness. Briefly, he wondered whether it was her elfin nature or just incredible genes that were responsible for her good looks. A slow whistle absently left his lips before he directed his gaze elsewhere. Pretty women were his one weakness, though he had been avoiding them as of late. Last thing he wanted was to get stuck with another "Thea". "I can see why they picked you."

He gestured back towards the street, hoping to get out of the shadows before an actual threat showed up that he couldn't fight. "You might wanna put up your hood, lass, at least until you get somewhere a little less…" Baz glanced back to the street, wondering what to call this part of town. It wasn't necessarily bad, just notably more scum-infested than the other parts of town. It had plenty of gambling operations going on, so that tended to draw the less desirables alongside the nobles. "Where are you staying? I could accompany you there. Or were you shopping for something?" He had nothing better to do, so he might as well spend some time with her. Protection, he supposed, was required in the city.

    Now free from the man’s grasp, Nelanna pulled away from the alley wall and wiped the blood from her face. She would need to bathe so that the stench and stains were removed. She could only imagine how frightening it might be to others if someone was seen walking around with blood on them. When she could no longer feel the warmth and wetness, she looked back up the man and gathered her skirts and bowed in greeting. “Sir Baz, it is a pleasure to meet you. And I humbly thank you for saving me,” she said, then introduced herself, regaining her posture, “I am Nelanna Rey Fox, but you may call me Fox.”

Truly she could not have been more grateful to anyone, aside from her adoptive parents. And how he couldn’t be a good person as he claimed and save her, she could not see. But despite her gratitude, she began to feel a little uneasy when he started to wistle at her and said “he could understand why they picked her”. Those were far from the words a woman wanted to hear just after being harassed. But she decided not to think too much of it. Many men treated her that way; she was practically used to it by now.

“I was only wandering around and enjoying the sights, so I haven’t checked in to an inn or anything yet.” At those words, she drew up the hood of her cloak which cast a shadow that hid her face well, but it couldn’t hide her red hair that was still draped over her bosom. “Do you perhaps know of any safe place where I can stay? And, if you wouldn’t mind, I believe I would feel much safer if you remained with me until then.”

Chuckling smoothly, Baz fell into step next to her, taking smaller than usual steps to match her pace. "Fox, hm?" Fitting. She possessed a rather ladylike nature, making him think that she likely had some noble background, whereas he'd been raised in a city of thieves and violence. He probably came off as rude to her, but he wasn't worried about impressing anyone. Besides, if she felt uncomfortable around him, she wouldn't have asked him to walk with her. "Pleasure to meet you and whatnot," he answered dismissively, keeping a watchful eye out for any troublemakers.

"Well, you certainly chose a place to wander." His voice was clear and bright when he motioned around at the golden lions decorating the streets. They stood as yet another symbol of the overflowing wealth of the city. It also served as a reminder of the vanity of Mamlak's people. "I know a few nice places that'll give me a room for cheap. I can pay for yours," he casually suggested, knowing he could easily regain the money spent. Uncertainty flickered in his gaze, and his eyes flicked down to Fox. Would she see his act as making a move on her? That was almost assuredly the last thing she wanted to deal with. Strangely, Baz felt his cheeks grow warm, indicating a childish blush, one he hadn't felt since his time in Sularia. The woman probably had that effect on many men, so he shook his head and thought nothing more of it.

"You'll want to stick to well-lit areas until the morning, and I wouldn't wander too far from the inn," he instructed, leading her through increasingly-crowded streets towards a lively inn he knew quite well. The innkeeper was a kindly old woman who had a fondness for the ginger, so he'd definitely get a discount on a room. Since Fox was with him, the kindness would extend to her as well. A playful grin crossed his lips as he recalled the simple tavern within the inn. It was one of the few places he could gamble for fun instead of money, and the rabbit stew was delicious. "There's a little tavern there, too," Baz stated. "If you're hungry, I mean."

    Nelanna was sure to keep close the Baz as they walked down the street together, though, she was still wary enough to keep her distance. She listened well to what he had to say, and nodded in agreement to the mention of food. The maiden hadn’t eaten since earlier that day, so of course, she was hungry.

“I would like that very much, thank you,” she said in reply, offering him a grateful smile. “Although, I appreciate your offer to pay for my room as well, I must decline. I may not look it but I can pay my own way.” Her smile then became one of amusement. It was sometimes entertaining when others assumed by the look of her that she was perhaps struggling financially, when really she was far from it. Sure, she wasn’t the richest girl around, but she certainly wasn’t poor. She was a traveler, an adventurer, so many might question how she gets her money if she doesn’t stay in one place with a job. But she had found that she can make quite a lot of money buying and selling things as she goes. In one town she’ll buy a souvenir that’s common, and sell it elsewhere if the price is higher. She was not a liar, nor a cheat; she made sure she went by the rules and made her money honestly.

After that long moment of silence she looked back up ahead and started examining the stores and businesses as they walked past. She still needed a new set of clothes. Thanks to those men earlier she didn’t even get to see what that store had to offer. But now she wasn’t even sure about shopping anymore. Not if she was going to be attacked by men again. Part of her said that the town was just too dangerous to remain any longer. But she wasn’t a quitter, and she wouldn’t turn tail and run when she hadn’t the chance to see what good the town had to offer. 

This is when she finally looked back at Baz, a more curious look in her eyes now. “Sir Baz, is there perhaps a place where I may get myself a new set of clothing and not get attacked again?” She asked.

Baz laughed dryly to himself at her protesting. It was just like a fearless woman to deny assistance, and he didn't blame her. He was really just looking for a way to spend his silver before it burned a hole in his bag. They neared the inn, the smell of freshly cooked meat drifting outside. Breathing in the scent, Baz smiled lazily at her. "Oh yeah, the shops 'round here are mostly safe. Just gotta be extra cautious," he explained, leading her through the crowd. "The nobles here don't like to get their hands dirty, and the guards," a slight pause was there for him to chuckle dryly, "Well, they're not very good at guarding people." The soldiers' negligence came in handy when he was trying to make some cash, but it wasn't a great system for those in danger.

The ginger held open the door to the inn/tavern, allowing Nelanna to pass through first. Inside, a dull hum of conversation filled the room, partnered with the melodic whistling of a flautist in the corner. Looking up from her book behind the bar, the Innkeeper beamed once she saw Baz. "Bonifaz! Where've you been, boy?" The woman's voice was warm and sounded far too young for her age. Her green eyes sparkled with as much youth as if she was still in her twenties. 

"You know where I've been, Gret," he responded, leaning across the counter to give her a small hug before she pulled away and slapped him across the face. "Ow…" he mumbled, rubbing the red mark left on his cheek. "I told you not to bring another woman here," Gretta scolded, narrowing her eyes at him. Baz widened his blue eyes, vigorously shaking his head as he looked down at the elf next to him. "No, no. This is Fox. She's just gonna buy a room, Gret." Her expression quickly changed to one of enthusiasm as she turned to face the woman. 

"Oh, of course dear! What were you looking for?" As the two of them spoke, Baz walked over to the bartender and ordered a mug of ale while he waited.

    Nelanna smiled and followed Baz into the tavern. Inside, she kept her head down, hoping no troublesome men saw her and start more trouble. As they approached the bar and Baz talked with the innkeeper, Nelanna waited patiently. And with the two so close by she couldn’t help but overhear a bit of their conversation, despite her eyes wandering around the tavern and her mind a little busy. She examined her surroundings and glanced at each and every person she saw. Some looked a little shady, some were being loud with their buddies, and some were just getting drunk. At the sound of her last name she snapped out of her wandering thoughts and looked at Baz and the innkeeper.

She smiled at the woman and reached her hand out for a handshake. “I’m pleased to meet you, Miss,” said she as she dipped her head in greeting. “All I need is a room for one, please. It doesn’t need to be anything special. Anything will do.” She pulled out a small pouch that had been hiding beneath her cloak and opened it. Inside were jewels, coins, and stones. Anything she found had some value. “How much will it be?” she asked, looking up from the pouch and at the innkeeper. But briefly, her eyes wandered over to Baz and shrugged, looking back at Gret. “And a glass of wine if you have it.” She figured she might as well join the man for a drink. It was the least she could do after what he’d done for her.