frøm rîçhëš to ràgs {crystal only <3}

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Rylan smiled, but a second later three men stepped out of an alley. Two of them had wicked grins on his face. The other's eyes were dead and cold, his face hard. "What do we have here?" one of the grinning men said. "A nobleman and a pretty lady."

[~echo~]

Wren jumped but she kept her face steadfastly blank. "Please, sir. We do not want trouble." She looked over her shoulder and saw that two more men had come up behind them to block them off.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Rylan studied the men. They didn't seem to recognize him, which he could use to his advantage. If they knew he was Lord Rylan Dayne... well, that could be either good or bad. He weighed the possibilities in his mind. Tell them, and they might back out. Or the chance to rob a High Lord would encourage them. "You don't want to do this," he said. "Back out now and no one gets hurt."

[~echo~]

Wren clutched a knife that she had hidden in the folds of we skirt, so that it wasn't visible. She looked at the four men and swallowed. "Please leave. We don't want trouble from you."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

The man, presumably the leader, stepped forward, his eyes narrowing at Rylan. "Wait a second... I know you," he said. "You're Rylan Dayne." He guffawed and gestured toward the young lord with his knife. "Look, boys, we caught a big one!"

[~echo~]

Wren suddenly grabbed the knife from the folds of her skirt and swiped at the man's outstretched hand, hopefully at least making a deep gash in his wrist.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

The man jerked his hand back just in time to avoid any major injury. The distraction was the perfect opportunity for Rylan, though. He whipped out his own knife and whirled around, driving the knife into the chest of the man standing behind him. The man crumpled, the knife slipped out. Without a pause, he lunged at the next man and slit his throat.

[~echo~]

Wren grinned to herself and turned around, beginning to fight the next man. Another servant had once taught her how to fight decently with a knife.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Rylan dodged a third man's knife and cut a gash into his wrist, causing him to drop the knife. Then he stepped forward and plunged his own knife into the man's heart. He fell to the ground, his body spasming a little, but Rylan didn't pause to watch. He looked around to find himself facing off with the little gang's leader.

[~echo~]

Wren cut off the hand of the man she was fighting and then slit his throat. She went to Rylan's side immediately and wielded her knife, glaring at the gang leader.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

The man glared at the two of them and then spat at Rylan's feet. "You won't kill me as easily as you did my men."

"We'll see about that," Rylan said calmly.

[~echo~]

Wren looked at Rylan, letting him take the first move.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Rylan faked a step forward. When the man moved to block him, he whirled to the side, stepping around the man and driving his knife into the thug's back. Idiot, he thought as he yanked the knife out.

[~echo~]

The man yelled in anguish and swiftly died. Wren looked at Rylan and gave a small smile. "Shall we hurry along?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Rylan grimaced and glanced at the dead man. "While I doubt anyone else will bother us, I'd rather not kill more of my subjects tonight, no matter how vile a character they are."

[~echo~]

Wren nodded. "Yes."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Rylan took away the men's weapons--didn't want some poor stranger happening upon them--and started down the street again. "Not much farther now," he said.

[~echo~]

Wren nodded, continuing to look aroun carefully.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

They didn't run into anymore troubles on the way back. When they reached his palace, Rylan entered through the stables. He didn't like using the front door.

[~echo~]

Wren looked around, still in awe of his palace.