Skaia shone bright that day in the market. Mara made her way from stall to stall, her outfit slightly subdued today, trying to avoid too much attention. As she approached the stall with the cloaks and clothing, she chatted with some of the local carapaces, keeping up with her locale as was her job. With a final nod and smile she approached the cloak stall, looking for something to help disguise her as she traveled to the low districts and beyond. A stiff breeze rattled the stalls and sent Mara's hair flying in all directions, with a yelp, she tries to contain it, failing miserably. Now a mess of blinded curly hair, she tries to right herself and regain her vision.

Just another stupid day in this stupid town filled with stupid people leading stupid aimless lives. This would be how Liza would have described her trip to the market, if there was anyone that would actually ask her. She blended in easily, just another person wandering about listening to the shouts from various sellers, hawking deals and making trades. She passed by a grocer's table and looked at the display from the corner of her eye, seeing a child's hand darting out to grab something. The owner saw this and stopped the thief but in his distraction he didn't see Liza's hand closing around an apple and vanishing into the crowd along with the rest of her.

It was bright, and other people might describe the weather as cheerful. The weather didn't have emotions though, so Liza only thought of it as not-raining as she took a bite from her apple. It was the closest thing to a meal she'd had in at least three days, her funds running low after having to lay low for quite a while. She needed to get back to work. A blast of wind shook tarps and messed up people's hair, but with Liza's all up in braids in a crown around her head she was uneffected. She was able to clearler see a girl, rich looking and younger than her, having trouble with the strong wind. She wouldn't miss a few bucks.

Pocketing the apple Liza broke into a sprint, coming up behind the girl and closing her hand around the strap of her bag. Not slowing down she pulled it from the girl, darting through the crowd with ease to lose her.

Oh darn your hair...gracious now it's all tangled, okay almost got it...oh gracious more wind...and there goes your bag. The silly thing is always falling out of your hands, more your fault than you'd like to admit. Finally Skaia decides that wind is overrated and the wind stops, leaving hair all over, but mostly in Mara's face. Finally able to see clearly, the noble looks around, hoping to find her bag on the ground or near the stand somewhere, but when she starts to survey she sees only golden bricks and a little dirt. Suddenly worried her eyebrows furrow and with a quick glance, caught the fleeting image of someone...a human, darting through the crowd, a small flash of bright red drowning in a dull gold pocket and, there!

Her bag, tucked away as soon as she saw it, leaving only the faint wondering if it was real or not. Mara's mouth flopped open, surely others standing by would compare it to a fish, her eyebrows drew inwards, and one hand pushed at her bangs, trying to see more clearly what happened. But oh by Skaia while she was dillydallying the person was already quickly fading, leaving barely a gap in the crowd, only their head bobbing slightly over the others.

With slight agitation, Mara took a step, and then another and another until she was hastily twisting and turning through the crowds, saying a quick "pardon me." or "excuse me, I'm sorry." to whomever she collided with. Eventually they all got the message and began to part before her, making her way easier. However her mind was not really on her surroundings, not even on the cloak she had seen in the stall, or the meeting she had later that day, or how much money she had just lost. In her bag was something important, and by Skaia if she lost that she was as good as dead.

Panic welled in the young girl's throat. It must be found, it must be found, it must be found. The words ran through her head over and over and over. It was a letter. A tiny little letter, written with tiny little words, tucked in a tiny little pouch, that carried a very very big purpose.

The crowd thinned and parted, the dull gold flitted farther and farther away, tears nearly formed in Mara's eyes. And then, miraculously, by the names of all things holy and fortunate, a cart full of items for the market passed by the street where the figure was running, blocking her path.

Two more steps. Mara finally got closer, until suddenly the figure began to flee again, but not before Mara noticed something familiar about it. A strange sense of deja vu took over, and after a single strained breath (for she was not accustomed to running), something in the girl took over, and she ran and pushed with all her might until finally, finally, she managed to brush the wrist of the figure, the person who had taken her pouch. Mara's fingers wrapped around the wrist for mere seconds, and only just after they had left again, a single word burst from her chest, full of desperation and sadness, but mostly curiosity: "Wait!"

Oh hell no was she going to get caught that easily, by a noble no less. Liza had been sure she'd lost the girl, but the brat was presistant. She'd stopped a moment to try and see an alley she could sneak into or if she could just pull her hood up and blend into the seperating crowd. She snatched her wrist away from the girl, though not before a quick glance at her face, and started running now, not just blending through the crowd but a full sprint.

As well as one could sprint in the middle of a crowded market. Not bothering to apologize she elbowed and shoved her way through, trying her best to forget the look of dispare on that girl's face. Why the heck would a few coins matter to her? She had the complete air of a noble, even if her clothes were simple enough. Healthy hair, unmarked skin, and well fed. The worst she got when she lost all her pocket money when she was younger was a slap on the wrist, but then maybe this brat's parents gave a damn. That just made Liza feel colder to the girl. Slowing her pace she blended again as well as possible and slipped into the first alley that came close enough to the crowd.

She ran into the shadows of the alley and made sure that at least one dagger of her's wouldn't have a problem being drawn before turning to face the opening to the market, drawing her hood over her hair. If the brat still was on her tail maybe she wasn't a complete idiot as she seemed.

It wasn't hard following them at first, seeing as their violent running left a rift in the crowd. Mara, breath hitching in her chest, squeezed through the rift as it slowly closed. When she reached the end she was taken aback. Where to now? The crowd had already started moving again and all the streets and alleys around her seemed empty. Mara gently grabbed the arm of the closest person, asking them "Did you see the person running through here just seconds ago?" Her answer was a narrowing of the eyes and a violent no. She kept asking, at least four other figures she remembered around her when the rift in the crowd faded. The fourth and final person was a whim, a final hope, even though barely a minute had passed. "Please, did you see..." she asked, desperation filling her voice. The carapace didn't even look at her, just gestured in a direction. It was the best chance she had.

Looking up, Mara strode to the alley in which the carapace had gestured. Chances are the thief was long gone, the letter along with her. Two steps into the alley. Her hand went to her chest and she swallowed a lump in her throat. Two more. She had to do it. She had to try. "Please," she murmured, the word barely audible. Mara cleared her throat and tried again. "Please, you can keep the money...I...I only want my pouch back." She looked around, trying to see if anyone was there, but she saw only shadows.

It seemed she had completely lost her little tailer, almost a shame. Then again the first time she had been out on her own and someone tried stealing from her nanny of that time, she hadn't had a problem keeping up with them and she had been several years younger than the noble she'd just robbed. Her keeping up may have been the entire problem in the first place but already Liza had turned her attention from her thought to the purse in her hand. She opened it and upended it in her hand, inspecting her haul and what could be so precious. However, it was just coins!

The somewhat disappointed Liza dropped the coins into her own almost empty pouch and was about to just leave the empty purse on the ground when a sound came from the mouth of the alley she'd entered from. She smirked as the girl went further into the closed space, closer to her hiding place but didn't seem to see her. "Well, looks like the little rich girl was able to keep up." She said, her voice echoing off the walls and making it difficult to tell where exactly she was standing. The only clear thing about her voice was the condecending tone she used, and the deepened pitch so as to not sound like her usual self. "What could a little rich girl have that's so precious that she follows the big bad thief into the dark dangerous alley?"

Mara's shoulders stiffened as the booming voice echoed through the alley but she stood firm. "It's very important to me, it was given to me by someone I love." Her eyes narrowed and her hands slowly clenched into fists. "What does a common thief have to do with a little noble with no money left on her and no other force for ransom. Nothing else I have is worth anything to you, and I hold no animosity towards my sudden lack of money, just give me back what I care for, please." Her eyes swept the dark alley, trying to find the source of the voice, staring at multiple lumps of darkness for moments at a time.

Honestly, Mara felt as though she were setting herself up for being murdered, running into dark alleys and raising her voice at thieves and also being stupid enough to drop her purse in the first place. Whoever the thief was, she hoped they would have mercy on her and at least leave her alive if a beating came or hopefully leave her alone in the first place and give her back her pouch. Unfortunately she didn't feel a single twinge of optimism.