Leaf and Ryna watched the entire fight confused and shocked. Leaf had decided to fade into the shadows while they cared for Mia and the other dark elf. She hadn't known what to do. So instead of waiting around for someone to get better, she and Ryna left without a word. The others didn't seem to pay them any heed. "Now THAT was just strange! An' they didn't even see it comin'!"

"As if things haven't been weird enough in the last month. Today we see a schizophrenic were-wolf. And that elf, I guess somebody had to take her down a notch or two."

Ryna shook her head as they walked down the street. Looking at either side of the road, she saw refugees with blank eyes. Some seemed to have lost all hope. Mothers stood staring off blankly at passers-by while two children clung to her skirts, not even whimpering. Just staring at the ground. Ryna forced herself to look away. She hated that. She didn't want to see it, but somehow found it impossible to tear her eyes off those people. "Lets get out of here Leaf. I want to go to Raiden. Things have to be better there. They always are."

Naclia passed the two women, one half-elf, the other human. They stood out in the crowd with their clean clothes, proud stride. She found herself considering why they looked and acted the way they did and suddenly remembered the half-elf's face. She turned her horse and trotted up to the the pair, ignoring Talen's "Hey, where are you going?"

"Leaf?" she asked the half-elf. At second glance, she was certain of her identity. She had been raised in the Mirror Forest. While Leaf had trained to use Shamanist magic, Naclia was friends with her mentor. "Leaf," she smiled now. "It's been so long, what are you doing here? I heard from your aunt you are a hero now."

Ryna watched the elf inquistivly, but let Leaf talk to her. Instead, she took notice of the purple-haired man in armor behind them on horseback. She smiled brightly at him as she studied him. Nice. Lean, long hair....I dont know much about knights, but he looks like one. Ryna looked away from him to make sure her clothes were clean and straight, as well as her hair. She held herself a little straighter and nonchalantly tossed her pony tail back over her shoulder. Gracfully as any elf, with a little sway to her hips, she walked to him.

"Hello, I'm Ryna. I don't know if you'd recognize the name or not, but I'm a friend of Duke Spark. Where are you from? Are you a knight?" She spoke with a friendly smile and leaned against his leg, staring up into his eyes awaiting a reply. Though something cautioned her in the back of her mind. I really hope this isn't another Deedlit-Parn thing.

Leaf hadn't really seen the pair when they first rode by, but now she recognized Naclia. She grinned and bounced as she greeted her old friend. "'Clia! Wow! What are you doing? Oh yeah, me? I'm lookin' to be a hero again." She giggled and winked, then noticed Ryna was no longer by her side. Oh, this can't be good, She nearly said that out loud when she saw Ryna flirting with the knight. She looked up at Naclia glaring at the ex-theif and the knight who must be her boyfriend. If looks could kill...

Talen looked down at the woman and blushed, then looked to Naclia with a strangled look. "Uh...Yes, I am a knight, from Moss," he edged his horse away from her and brushed her hand off his leg. "Excuse me milady, but I am Naclia's knight," he finished with a touch of disgust in his voice and rode to Naclia's side. Taking her hand in his, he kissed her gently to make sure that Ryna got the point. Falis, red heads are so predictable. I wouldn't trust a woman dressed like that besides.

"Who's that?" Leaf asked when Talen was safely out of Ryna's reach. What was it with that woman and guys with weird hair colors?

"Well, I guess you could call us heroes as well," Naclia had replied Leaf stoically. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Ryna approach Talen as Naclia began to sum up some of the battles she had seen. She stopped in midsentence as Ryna rested against Talen's leg. Naclia's eyes fixed on the woman and her hands tightened on the reins, making the leather creak. Yet Talen brushed the woman away and came to Naclia. She was smiling again when she returned her attention to Leaf after being kissed.

"This is Talen," She introduced him to Leaf, still smiling. "We are searching for some friends here, I'm not sure who's all here, but if there's an elven woman named Mia, I'm in luck."

Minutes later, Naclia and Talen arrived at the Temple to Marfa where Mia's party rested.