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Karigan momentarily blanked out beneath their vile stench as they tore at her greatcoat, tried to force the staff froive up

In another moment they were inexplicably off her She shook her head, the air freshened around her The predators scattered as a new presence swung a club and threw the only able to watch as the last thug loped away, the one who had fought the over her, a man, she observed, from the silhouette of his profile The shadows of his hood obscured his features, but she felt his gaze upon her Was he her savior or a new danger?

He tossed the club aside, and it clattered loudly on the paving He knelt beside her and helped her sit up He produced a nondescript cloak from nowhere and tossed it around her shoulders

"It is foolish to be out here at this hour unescorted," he said

"Who are you?" she asked

He did not answer but helped her to stand She’d kept a death grip on her staff and did not loosen it now

"Can you walk?" he asked

"Not very well"

"Lean on ?"

He made an impatient noise from beneath his hood "I a you to safety"

Karigan wanted to trust him, to pass the responsibility of her safety on to someone else, but could she trust this man? Really, at this point, how much of a choice did she have? With all her injuries, the lapse in her ability to fade, and not knowing this city and its ways, her choices had dinificantly So far theto a decision, she allowed hiht At least he did not smell offensive

He led her toward the alley’s outlet and paused to peer both ways down the street He hissed and suddenly pulled her back into the concealment of the shadows

"What is it?" she asked

"Shhh You ask too ue but held it when she heard footsteps out on the street and a curious metallic click-click-click sound When the footsteps paused so did the clicking, which was replaced by an odd purring huan and her rescuer were pressed hard enough against the brick wall that the light did not touch the on the paves is all," another answered "Rubbish collectors’ll pick ’em up later C’mon"

The footsteps continued on, and there was an odd toot, and the click-click-click started again

Her rescuer waited at length before peeling away frohed in irritation "Inspectors Now coht out"