Cora listened as the songstress got more money out of the gnome to be split among hired help. It seemed like a good idea, the roads were often dangerous and just one or two people would have trouble guarding a convoy from a bandit ambush. She had some time while Kitra went out in search of more help, so she busied herself with the cocoa and the fire until she was warmed up. Just as she paid, she heard the screaming from outside. Drawn to trouble like a moth to flame, Cora darted outside back into the cold and rain.

Running toward the sounds of screams, she found Kitra fleeing from four armed thugs. [color=palegreen]"Shit,"[/color] she cursed to herself. This town was as bad as it looked. She reached for her sword, and... it was gone. She looked down, finding that the sheath had been cut from her sword belt entirely. [color=palegreen]"What the...?"[/color]

There was no time to think about it. She drew her knife instead and raised it defensively in a reverse grip. [u][color=palegreen]"Back off!"[/color] she shouted. [color=palegreen]"This isn't worth risking your life over!"[/color][/u]

If that didn't convince them, Cora would just have to [u]fight them as best she could[/u], and maybe hope help came quickly.