John
It was a bright, sunny morning and the people in the market chittered around her, as though they were curious little birds. Sun filtered down upon the city in the sky, basking the series of produce stands in a warm light. The goddess Solaris surely shone down upon her. Perhaps, if Rory was lucky, she would bless her travel far from home, keeping her safe in such a time of turmoil. 

Despite being a far cry from her normal 'work' attire, Rory hadn't dressed in anything extravagant for her forced-social outing. Wrapped in a bare shawl and casual dress, she didn't stand out in the crowd. If anything, she seemed to blend perfectly in, well, as much as a foreigner could. Paranoid eyes scanned the crowd around her, both looking for her friend and attempting to prevent what seemed to be inevitable. 

It was not the first time that the letters had arrived ridden with disease. The words hopped from one sentence to another, grabbing and shaking the blank paper left between them. They did not match any language Rory was accustomed to, only one sentence legible underneath all of the madness. 

Do not hesitate to run. 

The simple phrase had managed to bury itself underneath Rory's skin, scratching and biting itself into foreign and uncomfortable places. *Do not hesitate to run*. But from what? What was she meant to run from? Her father? She had already done that, so what more could he want? There was little that forced Rory to hesitate in her actions, yet this seemed to have brought a halt to even more pressing matters. 
_ _

When plagued by her father's persistent attempts at scaring her, Rory quite struggled with focusing on the present situation, something she was normally so adept at. He had seemingly taken over the control panel of her mind, unscrewing plugs and hooking up random wires. The result seemed to be something of a bards tale, a frazzled, young woman peering nervously around to stare at passersby, jumping every time someone brushed past. Perhaps next she would walk into a bar, accompanied by a talking donkey and a priest. 

Finally, regardless of her current fears, she spotted a familiar, yet loving face. Standing just ever so slightly taller than herself, Maliki made his way toward her through the crowd. The two of them had met during Rory's training. He had quickly asserted himself as a friend, rather than foe, and allowed Rory to observe him, following his lead as she grew accustomed to not only her new job but her new life. Though he knew little of her past, he treated her with respect regardless and had been stable when everything seemed to be changing. 

When Maliki had invited Rory to the market, she couldn't particularly refuse. Despite her previous failed attempts to become accustomed to normal life in Bartaya, she still felt as though she were a fish out of water. The city was known to be one of the most welcoming to foreigners in the sky kingdom, yet she still felt suspicious eyes trailing her when she passed. Unused to being so out of place, she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. 

"Maliki." She greeted, smiling briefly as she gathered her wrap around herself. If only she could disappear into it, a blissful fate.
Peggy
Maliki regarded Bartaya square with reserved fondness. It seemed almost a living entity at times, with the masses blending together into one big chattering being. Ebbing and flowing with activity and fervor, as fluctuating as any living creature. Despite this he made it a point to not be sucked into the crowd, while he was here for the same activities as them, he carried his duty close to his chest. Even his days off consisted of vigilance, set shoulders, and even breathing, sword strapped to his back.

Guilt bubbled in his gut, an ugly coiled emotion. This was more for Ivorys sake than his own, he had justified the outing to himself in that way. A recent letter having set her off in some way, leaving her actions and words robotic and stiff these past few days. 

He'd cursed himself for it, having been too preoccupied with the prince to catch the twins mail that day, leaving Ivory susceptible to her own demons. Of which had sunk their claws into her almost instantly. He huffs to himself, as much as he hates to admit it, self control is one thing he hadn't yet been able to teach the newer knight

Despite this abandoning his post had never been an easy job for Maliki, especially now when he had a specific face to tie to his job. Migraine already forming behind his eyes at the mere thought of what he'll be walking into come tomorrow morning, despite his seemingly rational demeanor Lulani had proven himself a problem of his own caliber. Almost a second job ontop of Maliki's sworn duty to protect the people.

He wonders which staff member will be pounding on his door come morning with a misguided confession, penned for Maliki's own personal delivery. Lulani had an *Annoyingly* Good knack for making anyone feel as if they were special, despite knowing their face was just as forgettable as any other to someone so important.

He marches down the cracked cobble, well worn paths containing an overwhelming amount of memory. Swerving around children chased after mothers and merchants stepping out to display their wares, scanning the crowds for a specific face, visibly relaxing as he hears her call out from somewhere nearby. He has to bite his tongue to keep the impulse of reprimanding her from leaving him, momentarily forgetting they were not on duty and she should not have to be armed. "You're early." He settles for, voice gentle with surprise. "Thank you again, for coming with. I haven't had the time to restock in... Ages, it would be too much for me to carry." As he speaks he reaches into one of his pockets, unfurling a crumpled paper, ingredient list scrawled across it in a late night haze. "With the route I have planned and the crowd conditions today we should be able to make it back to your house by noon, Aeden can wait to eat until then, correct?"
John
"Aeden is at work, so he shouldn't even arrive home until around then." A constant thorn in her side, Aeden never failed to surprise her with what he was getting up to. With a sly grin and pale eyes, he was easily the identical twin of Rory, though the two could not be more different. Where she felt a deep, unnerving fear and sadness from her fathers threats, Aeden only felt anger. It was hard to argue with his rage, having watched him be torn from his bed in the dead of the night. 

The fear that flooded his eyes when he learned what the commotion that night was about was a difficult nightmare to forget. The way that his entire body had seized with despair as their father shook him, as if to force the truth to fall out of his mouth. It, like many other things, followed Rory. 

Shaking the memories from her head with a huff, her eyes rose to meet his. Craving control, a gentle hand reached out, asking for the list. 

"You don't need to give me that look, Mal. I am okay." It's true, all things considered she was *Okay*. A little fright was nothing detrimental, and nothing to cause concern. "I will tell you when my skin becomes porcelain, then you may worry." She teased, winking at him as she adjusted her hair, focusing back on the topic at hand. 

"You should fold things neatly before you put them in your pockets. If they are crumpled up it is easier for them to slip out." She reprimanded, smiling as the messily written list registered before her. Familiarity seeped from the page, illuminating the sudden brightness of the market. 

Why had she ever been so nervous? Gesturing towards the nearest stall, she led the two of them forward, avoiding Maliki's delicate tone. The two weaved themselves through the sea of people, riding the waves of traffic until they arrived at Ivory's planned destination. 
_ _

There was nothing that stood out about the stall necessary, a dozen identical ones surrounding it, instead the product of the stall itself drawing the curious Elf in. With a soft, dull colored lace trim and drawings of red-colored berries, it was easy to tell what the small stall was selling. Ivory flashed a smile, taking her time to glance over the display. 

Fruit had always been a favorite of both her and Aedens. On the best, and worst days, the two of them seemed to always end up sitting with a bowl of freshly washed and dried produce. They never seemed to say much, but perhaps it was for the best. After all, it had given Ivory some of her most peaceful memories. 

"How much for these?" She questioned, gesturing to one of the more appealing sets. Even if Aeden insisted, once again, that he was not hungry, she knew that he would not be able to resist those. Gathering up her things and paying with haste, she turned back to Maliki. 

"I know they weren't on your list, but I needed to get them for the two of us. Aeden and I, I mean. I'm afraid he won't indulge in a large meal. He's had a difficult time with..." She trailed off, staring at the ripe berries, before forcing a brief smile and turning to look around the square. No use in rehashing something so frequently discussed between the two of them. Maliki dealt with enough of their dramatic despair; he had been put through enough of the burden. 

"Where to next?"