Ari's attention was drawn by Brenden and his thuggish friends advancing on Xhol, and then, before she knew what had happened, there was a stick against her throat and her hand stung a little.  She remembered her papa telling her what to do if that ever happened, and really, she needed do help Xhol...  she thought about it too long, though, and by the time her knee was rising up, the bard had already sent her spinning into the mud where she landed face first with a large 'kerplop' that sent mud splashing up into the air and coating her with the filthy stuff.<br/><br/>She swore, using language that she wasn't supposed to know and, if her papa had heard her, he'd have taken her back out behind the woodshed for it, regardless of her age!  picking herself up, she scrambled for her lost stick, mud dripping off her face and hands and making her dress stick to her skin like a second coat.  Not that she noticed.  All her attention was on the men closing in on her friend.  Brows furrowed, she marched towards them, stick grasped firmly in one fist, the other hand balled up into another fist that boded ill for any who got in her way.<br/><br/>