Down the Streets of Andaris

[Liarra Picine]

Down the Streets of Andaris

26 Saun 716

When she first arrived at Rynmere, she was slightly taken aback. Liarra wasn’t sure what she was expecting but she certainly didn’t imagine the place was on the brink of war. Rylon’s entire caravan had trouble entering the city at first. The Naer wasn’t entirely sure what the merchant did, but it seemed like he had some connections into the city and after a day of being scrutinized, they were allowed into Andaris. The air was thick with tension and anxiousness, enough to make her feel uncomfortable. Every eyes seemed to follow her every movement, singling her out as an outsider.

To make things even worse, at least a third of the mercenaries Rylon hired decided to leave and offer their services to the war effort. Apparently they thought it was better pay. She had mentioned this to Kyeran, but he insisted that they keep the safer job with the merchant. He assured her that the pay wasn’t all that different and its worth a lot more to be able not to die. But that also means that they needed to work harder. Less people meant longer shifts and little rest. Liarra wasn’t even sure how sleep she had gotten the past week.

Yesterday had been an intense one. They all had spent the time huddled in the warehouse as chaos rampaged outside. A runner returned to tell them that Lowtown was seized. She wouldn’t waste more time trapped with all this stinking men. She needed some entertainment, truly. Unfortunately, just before she exited the building in which Rylon had been staying for a few days, Monk stood in her way.

“What?” she snapped, her pitch black eyes settling on the man.

“No one is allowed to walk around in the streets with weapons like that,” her fellow mercenary replied, pointedly looking at her whole getup.

Liarra glanced down at herself. She had always been heavily armed whenever she went out. More than one person had called it being an overkill, but the young woman never truly listened. Throwing knives strapped to her belt. Her swords on her back. A dagger strapped around her thigh. They made her feel ready and guarded. “Why not?”

“Rylon’s orders. I don’t care why. You are not going to leave.” To emphasize his point, Monk stepped directly in front of the door. He had always been the rule enforcer ever since she had been hired and she had learned enough to know that the man was not going to budge. “I’ll keep them safe.”

With a curse, the young woman began taking off all her weapons save the dagger and shoved them into the older man’s arms. “I’ll kill you if I found so much as a scratch on them.”

Stepping out into the streets, the incredible heat beating down on her certainly did not improve her mood. Even with the thinnest blouse she had, beads of sweat still precipitated across her skin. Typically, the skies should be dark during these hours, but this was Saun and the darkness was banished by the second sun. Liarra had always liked night time better.

At least the light allowed her to navigate and memorizing the streets with more ease. It had been a few days since she arrived and it’s about time she learned. This was a habit she had developed a long time ago, especially when she still had to rely on stealing not to starve. Liarra had never stayed in one city for too long, but knowing her way around it was paramount in order to make sure she wouldn’t get caught. With no particular destination in mind, the young woman noted things that caught her attention – a red door, rows of potted flowers sitting outside a house. People were tense, but were pretending that everything was alright. Eyes trained down, shoulders hunched as if wishing they could disappear.

It was her own fault that she was too absorbed in learning the streets and failed to notice as an arm wrapped around her waist. “How much gold do you need to entertain me for the night, darling?” Liarra was quickly pulled against a man who looked to be in his thirties. From the thick smell of alcohol clinging to him, she figured he was drunk. Drunk enough to think that a young woman clad in leather with a dagger on her was some kind of prostitute.

“Get your hands of me,” the Naer hissed. Her first instinct was too slam her fist on the man’s face, but even she knew that bursting into violence would get the guards to hone in on her. They were jumpy enough as they were. But at the same time, the Naer would not be content if this man goes unpunished. After a cursory glance, she immediately located a pouch secured on his belt, most likely where his gold was kept.

“Don’t be so cruel. I am sure I can make it worth your time.”

“I am not a whore. Now, get off before I scream.” Her fingers worked clumsily to unhook the pouch from his belt. She was out of practice. Fortunately, it came off just as she shoved him away and he was too drunk to notice the mild tug. Her body quickly turned to shield the fact that she was holding his money as she walked away as fast as her feet would take her. With her hunched shoulders, she hoped the man thought that she was merely flustered. Kyeran would be furious if he knew she was stealing for such a petty reason.

Carefully, Liarra scanned around her surroundings. She hadn’t make sure that there was no one around to witness her little act of crime. And she wasn’t entirely being discreet about it. There were a few people loitering around, but she couldn’t be sure that they had seen nothing. Anyone who paid close attention would be able to tell what she had done.

Rookie mistake, Liarra. If she was lucky, the security should be lax with the brewing war. Everyone should have more important matters to tend to other than catching a thief.

[Andráska Venora]

"My two natures had memory in common."

• 26th of Saun, 716 Arc

• "Do you see anything, my lord?"
  
  Andráska had stopped smoking and leaned forward where he sat perched on the edge of the roof. In truth, he had been playing hooky on his patrol, taking a break to roll a cigarette and cool off under all his black armor. The poor squire he had ordered to follow him was a young man named George, perhaps sixteen with a baby face and full cheeks. András turned, snapping his fingers for the boy to grab his things.
  
  George hurriedly went to collect the crossbow that sat leaning against a chimney stack, and gather the discarded pink cape and modified bolts he had been fussing with. The squire's face was extra flushed today, bright and rosie. Even without the heat, he would look just as red, as he had a mild case of rosacea. It had been the same reason Andráska had picked him to come along today. Being a knight from house Venora, and enjoying a play on words made the decision easy.
  
  Andráska took another drag from his cigarette and put it out on the roofing beside him, tucking the remainder of the stick into his pocket and watched the scene below unfurl. A dark haired woman with long black hair, clad in leather herself was being harassed by a drunk that looked strangely familiar to him. It was possible, at one point, the lord has coerced with him at a bar, but from his vantage point, it was hard to recognize the face. The woman, András was sure he hadn't seen before. She moved in a way he hadn't seen very often in a woman. It was confidence that many common women didn't quite have and that noble women shied away from. He liked it.
  
  It was interesting.
  
  Scooting back, András rose to his feet and moved away from ledge, just as the woman shoved the drunk away. She said a few things he couldn't quite hear, and angled her body. From the street, it was likely her movements would have been missed, but from his height, the coin purse was obvious in her hands. The dark haired noble grinned at the surprising turn of events and began running towards the chimney with purpose. George straightened up quickly, "My lord?"
  
  "Sticky fingers, George! Sticky fingers," András snatched the quiver of bolts and threw it on his hip, followed by the dark crossbow which he slung over his shoulder. The weapon was completely unnecessary, considering the knives and sword that he was clad in, but he was a better shot than a sword fighter, and with war coming, you could never be too prepared. Plus, he thought it made him look cool.
  
  Leaving the squire to scramble behind him, Andráska jogged to the edge of the building and began scaling down the side of it. More than once, his quick pace made him bang his knee against the wall, and nearly drop, but with a sharp curse, András reached the ground and tried not to limp coming around the corner. His green eyes searched for the woman among the crowd, his mind playing a number of witty approaches when he spotted his target. A smirk tugged at his lips and he straightened up to look like the dramatic figure he wanted to portray and started weaving through the people to approach her.
  
  Just when she was within a stone's throw, a strained voice shouted over the commotion of the street, "Halt, thief! By the law of Andaris, you are under arrest!" Eyes turned to the squire, out of breath and clutching a bright pink cloth as he pointed a finger at the pickpocket in question. The attention of onlookers snapped to the female being singled out, and then to the dark knight not far from her. András inwardly groaned and a curse slipped from his lips.
  
  "Thanks, George," he muttered, the tension of the street building. Not exactly the charming approach he had in mind.

[Liarra Picine]

For once in her life, it would seem like luck had finally taken her side. The young woman slipped into another alley with no incident. Humming with satisfaction, Liarra weighed the pouch in her hand. If she was lucky, she might finally be able to but a better sword. After days of traveling, her money was going thin and she worried that she would have to look for another job to increase her income. Money had never came easily to her and Kyeran, but their journey to Rynmere had cost more than they had expected.

The street soon opened up into a square of some sort, one that was packed with people. With a small smile, Liarra slipped through the throng with ease, making sure she slowed her pace and blended in. A crowd would be the last step for to disappear entirely. By now,

But of course, the universe just loved to prove her wrong.

“Halt, thief! By the law of Andaris, you are under arrest!”

Liarra cursed colorfully in her native tongue as she turned swiftly. Perhaps there was another thief loitering nearby. Playing innocent had allowed her to escape at more than one occasion and she was still willing to play that card for now. A young man, tall in stature with a collection of weaponry on him. A red-faced boy beside him was pointing directly at her, seemingly somewhat out of breath – hu must be the one who called her out.

With every eyes turning to her, Liarra’s whole body tensed for flight. An instinctive calm swept over her, taking over the place where fear should be – courtesy to her goddess’s blessing. People immediately parted their way, opening a path straight for her. There was no way she would let herself end up in jail.

Left with no other choice, the young woman took off with her feet her feet pumping hard. She had no destination in mind – she didn’t know the city’s layout well enough to have a solid plan. All the Naer could do was run without hesitation and pray for the best. People cried out as they jumped out of the way and the ones that weren’t fast enough she shoved unceremoniously out of the way.

Weighed down by their whole ensemble, Liarra should be able to outrun them. Still, the taller one might pose her some trouble. The first order of business was to separate them and then lose the other one. She wasn’t even sure how long they would try to pursue. She hadn’t been around the city long enough to be able to predict their reaction. Not to mention that it would take her a single wrong turn in this unfamiliar city for her to be caught.

By Audrae, this was precisely why she couldn’t wander around without Kyeran’s supervision. Too late to regret about it now.

Vaulting over a crate, Liarra took the brief moment trying to take a glimpse of her pursuers.

[Andráska Venora]

"My two natures had memory in common."

• 26th of Saun, 716 Arc

• And off she went.
  
  "Shit," András cursed, watching the lovely thief dart into the crowd. He shot a look at George behind him, took a deep breath, and pushed himself after her. His dark boots dug into the cobblestone and thudded against the uneven road as he ran. People tried jumping out of the way and hadn't it been for Andráska's height, perhaps the thief would have disappeared with more ease. The top of her dark head bobbed and he used his long legs to propel himself forward, weaving and stumbling behind her.
  
  She was fast and more agile, but the way she looked for exits, how her eyes darted for the possibilities of escape... it made András realize... she didn't know the city. A dull pain in his knee pulsed as he ran and the crossbow strapped to his back bounced and thudded against his shoulder as he ran, "Wait," András tried to yell, but nearly ran into an old woman who was meandering into his path. He jerked sideways to avoid slamming into her, and as a result, failed to catch himself before his hip collided the edge of stall table.
  
  He felt like he had been stabbed.
  
  Andras almost collapsed from the shooting pain that shocked his side, and he stumbled again, hobbling as he tried to keep moving. The girl took a sharp turn and his breathing was heavy and thick. The heat of the sun felt unbearable under all his armor, and he slowed, now limping. George would be behind him, and they needed to think of a game plan. She had disappeared around the corner, meaning...
  
  A mental map of the city formed in his mind, the knowledge reinforced by the daily patrol of the city and he struggled to follow behind. He pushed passed the pain, allowing it to dull with each step and turned down a different alley.
  
  George's voice sounded behind him, "My lord! She went this way!"
  
  "She's gonna end up on Baker's street," András snapped back, not pausing in his pursuit, a hand clutching the tender spot where the stall corner had drilled into his hip bone, "We go this way, we come out on third and we take a left, I think we can catch her." András was almost at the end of the thin alley, out of breath and wild eyed. He kicked an empty bottle out of his way.
  
  "What if we're wrong?"
  
  Andras spun on George, "Then you're gonna shut up, and let me handle it. No more yelling in crowds, got it?"
  
  He picked up his pace, his lungs protesting when he started jogging again, winding back into the public and taking his own directions. Down the street, take a left... When he spun on Baker's street, he looked for cover, diving behind a rather shabby cart and crouching. He tried to steady his breath and peeked out to scout the area, ready to spring if necessary. Now he waited, sweat building beneath the padded chest plate he wore, exhausted and sore.
  
  The chase was supposed to be the best part, right?
  
  ...Right?

[Liarra Picine]

Hair flying wildly in the wind, Liarra laughed lightly as she watched the tall one slam into a stall and doubled in pain. Her amusement did not last long. The young woman failed to notice the man right in front of her and slammed into him hard. As she tried not to fall, Liarra realized she made a stupid wrong step when pain shot up her left ankle. Shit. This was not the time for this.

Ignoring the man who called out angrily to her, Liarra shifted her balance so that she wasn’t leaning into her injured leg too much. It cost her some speed, but a quick glance back was enough assurance that they wouldn’t be able to catch her anytime soon.

The Naer didn’t even pay attention to where she was going. She made sure she didn’t travel with a pattern, choosing her turns somewhat randomly. Not the best escape plan ever, but it was the best she could do. Liarra wasn’t sure how long she had been running, but exhaustion came to her way too soon.

Slowing down, Liarra sucked in a deep breath and wiped her sweat away. It had been too long since had been running so hard. The guards were gone, at least as far as she could see. This was her chance to disappear in the crowd once again. Her eyes scanned the unfamiliar street as her hands twisted her hair into a ponytail, hoping to make her pursuers hesitate if they did see her again. Her whole body was still buzzing with the thrill of a chase and truth be told, the young woman was sort of enjoying it.

A part of her was hopeful, thinking that the guards had finally given up – it was a shame really, if it had ended so swiftly. But she had seen the look on their faces, especially the striking one. Something told her that they wouldn’t let her go so easily. It was rather a lot more worrying now that she couldn’t keep track of them. She needed to think of something fast. There was no way she could get arrested. Rylon would fire her and then what? She would be jobless and Kyeran would definitely murder her.

Despite her best effort, people were still giving her short glances. No doubt because she looked like a mess – her thin shirt nearly see-through with sweat and trying to catch her breath. But no one was stopping her, so that was good. With another look, she decided on a street situated behind a cart. Pretending not to notice the eyes on her, Liarra ducked her head and walked towards it.

Liarra winced as the dull pain returned now that she wasn’t preoccupied with running. Testing her ankle, the Naer figured she would still be able to run if she had to – but not for long. She was merely two steps from the cart when a woman, who must be its owner suddenly exclaimed, “Who are you?!”

The young woman saw the man perching behind the cart a little bit too late.

[Andráska Venora]

"My two natures had memory in common."

• 26th of Saun, 716 Arc

• Andras always had a problem staying still.
  
  Even as a child, his fingers tapped at the dinner table, he shifted too much, his leg jiggled. Now, crouched behind a cart on a scorching day in the pursuit of a dashing figure (literally), Andras barely contained his energy. More than once he dipped his head around the corner to watch the street, ignoring the creeping sensation he had to urinate. George sat hidden behind a barrel and cradled Andráska's pink cloak in his arms with a nervous expression. Excitement pumping through his veins, sweat rolled down his face and András used the back of his gauntlet to wipe at it.
  
  It took a while before she showed, and his impatience was evident. A few passerby's turned their heads and stared, the young noble shooing them with his hand, lest his target notice and his camping was for nothing. Always the luckiest of his siblings, the seven smiled upon him. Down the street the girl strolled, eyes darting around in search for him. Andráska was peeking from behind one of the boards, slowly shifting his body to spring with a hunter's grin. The closer she came, the better he could see her. Her hair was wild and dark, like raven's feathers. Her frame was petite, much smaller than his own, and that if they were friends perhaps he would have teased her about it. And then of course, there was her attire...
  
  Green eyes trailed over the thin fabric of her shirt, and how the sweat made it cling to her chest. Her legs strolled towards him, and he found himself watching the way she stepped, favoring one foot over the other. Had she gotten hurt in their pursuit? She was within reach and he leaned forward, digging his boots into the ground --
  
  "Who are you!?"
  
  Behind him stood a woman staring at him in incredulous shock. He briefly noticed her when the thief's eyes shot to the side and met his. He wasted no time and sprung, irritated by everyone always spoiling his fun. Twisting his body behind the female he had been pursuing, he wrapped his arms around her to keep her from running and tried to yank her away from the cart. And then his plan began to fall apart.
  
  The exotic woman in his arms began thrashing in all manner of directions, throwing her little weight around like a wildcat. Her attacks caught him off guard, and even with his armor, he felt the power of her blows pound against his body. Grunting, he stumbled, and she threw her weight, making him slam into a building and the breath flew from his lungs. His arms began to loosen, but steeled at the last second to keep her tightly held against him, "Calm," he tried to say, his voice barely audible without the lift of full lungs, "Calm down."
  
  He doubted she heard him, and if she did, she ignored his request. The owner of the cart also stepped in, deciding that a man clad in black with weapons wasn't supposed to leap out at young women. And she was right... except when she reached into one of the sacks on the back of her cart and began chucking fat potatoes at the Venora's back. Immediately, Andráska struggled, turning so that the produce thumped against his shoulders. One hit his crossbow and made the shooting string thrum and vibrate, "George!" Andráska yelled, unable to see how the teen squire would handle the situation.
  
  The potatoes ceased as two voices argued and with a deep breath, András leaned his head down so that it hovered over the thief's ear, "I'm not arresting you and you're hurt," he whispered quickly, heart pounding with adrenaline and his body sore, "So stop beating me up," he chuckled and loosening his grip to demonstrate his silent offer, "Please?"
  
  And then, in an act of trust, and because holding on to her was wearing him out, András let go.

[Liarra Picine]

Liarra immediately pivoted with her uninjured leg in an effort to escape, but the guard was faster. His arms were already constraining her before she could run and her heart rate flew up. With her legs unable to gain footing on the ground, the Naer thrashed around in an effort to loosen his hold on her as he dragged her away. Her captor was unsurprisingly stronger than her, but Liarra refused to end up in jail.

As she struggled, the young woman looked around desperately to find anything she could use. With her arms pinned by her sides, there was not much she could do. She could try throwing her head back, but he was probably too tall for that. Even she did free herself, there was still the other on to deal with and she doubted she had the ability to fight off two men at once. Liarra would worry about that later. Right now, she needed some way to get her off her.

When he suddenly stumbled, Liarra slammed both of her feet against the wall, pushing the guard back with her. She could hear as the wind was wheezed out of his chest. The guard faltered and she used the momentum to pull herself down.

Now that she was on the ground, her training finally kicked in. As hard as she could, the young woman slammed down her foot on his and tried to yank both of his arms away from her. Just as she was readying all her strength to fly out of his arms, he seemed to have read her mind and tightened his hold almost immediately. Liarra cursed as her trick failed, ignoring the man’s instructions for her to calm down.

“I’m not arresting you and you’re hurt. So stop beating me up. Please?”

It was certainly not the words she was expecting to hear. Did he think she was stupid? And will give herself willingly? Liarra found it incredulous that he had gone all through that trouble just to let her go. He even had the nerve to laugh. Yet, his vise-like grip slackened as if to proof his point. Was he the worse lawmen ever?

Whether he was truly letting her go or not, Liarra knew that she had little choice. With a sigh, she stopped struggling and carefully turned to look at her captor. It irritated her knowing that she had lost to a pair of human guards. Pathetic. Had she been uninjured, Liarra would have bolted without a thought once he gave her chance. But that last kick had gotten her ankle to start throbbing and she wasn’t about to risk permanent harm for stupid pouch of gold.

The man easily towered over her and forced her to look up at him, but Liarra refused to feel vulnerable. Now that they weren’t running, the Naer realized that he was younger than what she had expected. The first thought that came to her head was that he was far too fetching to be some sort of city guard. The next was that she had to find some way to escape any trouble.

“Am I supposed to just believe that you’re not arresting me?” Liarra finally asked somewhat sharply. She cocked her hip and rested a hand on it, trying to seem less injured despite everything. “So the chase was just for laughs, then?”

[Andráska Venora]

"My two natures had memory in common."

• 26th of Saun, 716 Arc

• "Well," Andráska mused, a mischievous smile curving the corner of his lips, "It's all fun and games till someone gets hurt," Pointing over his shoulder at the squire who was still trying to explain to the cart owner the situation, "Plus, my squire here is a little over zealous. He doesn't know how to approach women and I love a good chase. But I apologize for the... inconvenience." Although his words said sorry, his eyes still danced with playful interest.
  
  "My lord?"
  
  Andráska turned, his fingers deftly loosening the buckles to his gauntlets and he began to tug them off. His eyebrows rose in a silent, 'Yes?' and waited patiently as the cart owner bowed her head in shame and began to apologize. András only half listened, his dark eyes still trailing back to the actual criminal, "...Forgive me, I didn't realize your standing. I thought... I thought you were attacking her."
  
  A cheeky grin, "I was." Then a nonchalant shrug to indicate she was forgiven, "George, compensate this woman for her trouble."
  
  The squire's eyes widened in surprise and András turned his attention back to the raven haired woman with the twisted ankle, tucking his gauntlets under his arm. He began to undo the buckles of his chestpiece, "I believe I owe you as well,"
  
  "But, Andráska!" George interrupted, "She's a pickpocket, we need to... arrest her."
  
  "No can do, Georgie," the young noble said with a wistful sigh. He pointed a long finger skyward at the two suns standing high in the sky, "Morning patrol's over. It's lunch time." Then he tossed the gauntlets towards the squire's chest, and handed him the crossbow. His chest piece followed, yanked over his head and messing up his already unruly hair. Instantly he felt both lighter in weight and cooler, his black shirt sticking to his chest from sweat, "I was mistaken. She doesn't have the coin purse."
  
  "What? You searched her?"
  
  Andráska shrugged again, handing off the chest piece to the squire who stared at him in shock. Readjusting the crossbow back on his shoulder, he began to pat his pockets in search for the remainder of his cigarette, "I looked," he admitted, not exactly clarifying, "Wanna do a cavity search?"
  
  The squire's face was priceless and András laughed, "Good. Then it's settled. Take that back and clean it, won't you? I need to nurse my wounds and settle reparations," As he watched the back of the reluctant squire slink away, the dark haired noble finally cleared his throat, "Now, where were we?"

[Liarra Picine]

The Naer was still unsure what to think of the man who had seemed intent on capturing her and now was grinning at her like they shared some sort of inside joke. When he said squire, she immediately thought of knights – is that what he was then? Some sort of fancy-named, over-glorified city guard?

To add to her bewilderment, the older woman came up to them looking all flustered and guilty, calling him my lord. Her heart skipped as Liarra that the man standing in front of her might be nobility. He certainly will look the part if he hadn’t spent the last few bits chasing her across the streets. He might know about Decran or at least about his family. She was nearly drowning in her own excitement.

“I was mistaken. She doesn't have the coin purse.”

Her loot was shoved carelessly into the pocket of her pants and anyone standing as close as him would be able to see it. Liarra couldn’t understand why he outright lied to his own squire. Not that she was complaining – anything was better than incarceration, no matter how brief. Liarra probably should have done some research on the laws of the city before breaking said laws.

As the squire looked at her sulkily, Liarra gave him a charming smile and a mischievous wave. With him out of the way, all she needed was figure how to get the information she needed.

“Now, where were we?”

“The part where you tell me I am free to go?” Liarra asked hopefully, flashing an innocent smile at the tall man. As she watched him conversing with his so-called squire, the young woman slowly believed that he did have little intention to apprehend her. It was making her more and more curious. By now, she had no intention of leaving him until she found out what he might know. “Or am I still in trouble?”

Despite her aching leg, this day might turn out a lot better than she expected.

[Andráska Venora]

"My two natures had memory in common."

• 26th of Saun, 716 Arc

• "Free?" Andráska returned the woman's cheeky grin and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall that had previously assisted in knocking the breath from him moments ago, "Why would I let such enthralling company go?" Reaching into his pockets, he found a book of matches and broke one free, popping the stem between his teeth.
  
  "As for being in trouble," András leaned down a bit and looked the woman in the eye, a quick wink flashing, "He deserved it, didn't he? Grabbing such an obviously innocent woman," A small laugh, "No, you're not in trouble, love. Not with me. But..." András trailed off, eyes innocently breaking from hers to search the bright sky, "I think you are trouble."
  
  Even as he said the words, he liked the way they sounded. Meant as a compliment, of course, "No offense, intended. It's just.. A few," *Cough* All the noble houses *Cough*, "Would say I'm trouble too. So I think I have a pretty good idea of what to look for. Plus, ya' know, the pickpocketing helps."
  
  After being unable to relocate the half smoked tobacco stick from earlier, András huffed, plucking the match free from his mouth and tucking it behind his ear. His eyes lowered down her body to rest on her ankle and he frowned. He was convinced she was hurt, whether she pretended to be or not. He pushed himself off the wall to move before her and lowered himself to the ground. He patted his knee, waiting expectantly for her to offer her leg. "Now, because I'm so very troublesome, I'm going to have to demand a... forgiveness tax, if you will," he lowered his voice, "Lunch will do nicely," Two obvious winks, "I've never been bribed, but for you, I'll make an exception. But first, you can give me your name and let me see your ankle so I can see how much trouble I caused. And if it's terrible, you can be carried by the most dashing Venoran knight you've ever laid your eyes on. And if you're fine, you can carry me. The cart hurt, ya know? I saw you laughing."