The sudden appearance of a woman so close to him gave Raln a start -- his immediate assumption was that she was one of the guards, or at least in league with the king that wanted him dead. He was about to attack her and push her to the ground when he was stopped by the flutter and rush of black wings.

[i]Wings?[/i]

In a lurching swirl of wind, his feet left the ground. Raln made a shocked choking noise and clung to her feverishly, his wide eyes watching the ground fall out from under them.

By the time his feet were again on something solid, Raln was soaked in a cold panicked sweat. He crouched low on the rooftop, grasping it and sucking in deep breaths. He didn't usually have a problem with heights -- but being suddenly whisked into the sky was not something he'd ever expected to endure.

His eyes snapped to her face as she drew close again. With a scowl he shifted away, his arm pressed into the wound on his chest, protective. He still didn't know her motive. "Who are you?" [i]What are you[/i] might have been the more appropriate question.

Below, the guards' shouts echoed up from the alleys. They spread out among the narrow streets, running like ants in a maze.