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Involves:
- Anitra
- Booledaine (Spoofed by Jesmin.)
- Comsad
- Cunner
- Fenton
- Jesmin
- Ronan
- Singetail
- Tam
- Vladek

The whole city gleams in the light of warm, southern spring. The harbor is far busier than usual, with strange ships moored at the piers and a constant flow of beasts moving to and fro. The greatest congregation surrounds the auction platform where Singetail the stoat rocks back and forth on his boots, a smile on his face and a whip in his paw. He surveys the crowd, clears his throat of a hacking cough, and begins: "Ladies and gentlebeasts! Welcome to the one and only, the famed slave auction of Aclidia! Today we will be offering the very best merchandise the land has to offer, all at the lowest cost to you, my friends, so crowd 'round and clear your lungs!"

Fenton saunters in from the town square, with Jesmin in tow as usual. A careful ear might catch the stray notes of a song he sings half-aloud. He is interrupted by Singetail's introduction, and turns to tap Jesmin on the back. "I say, best hurry, my dear. Sounds as though they're ready to start."

Being the sort of cat that loves an ocean view but unwilling to get to near it Vladek is seated on the edge of the road upon a halved and half rotten barrel. Blowing out a smoke ring after several puffs of his pip his ears turn in the direction of the platform and his eyes soon follow "Hmm....".

In the pens behind the platform, Anitra waits with the rest of the slaves. Having secured a post at the bars, the mousemaid fights to keep her position, shoving back other curious slaves with a fierceness one would hardly expect from one so delicate.

Comsad is not half of 12 feet behind Fenton though he is not as open he sneaks against the buildings quickly with his fured money bag in the shape of Cunner infront of him. Keeping the point of his scimitar against the fox's back and his other paw secured tightly to a rope around Cunners he quickly starts for the slave auction.

The gaiety of the surrounding crowds and her own long-time captor are lost upon the Jesmin, who keeps timidly behind Fenton and dodges the gaze of beasts they pass. There's a solemn expression on the bat's face, and it shadows her dark eyes that blink wearily at the glare of daylight. She makes an effort to avoid glancing at the lines of slaves, and seems a little startled when Fenton taps her. "... Oh," she musters, ears turning towards the auction block.

Cunner moves forward with little resistance, thanks to the scimitar in his back. As he moves through the area toward the auction block, he looks at the snake-like stoat on the auction platform and shudders, then eyes the crowd, looking for a familiar face.

Locked in the cages with the rest of the slaves Tam is crouched in a corner timidly for internaly he cares not for what is happening outside, more just that it is happening.

Singetail glances at Cunner and Comsad. Instead of addressing the captor, he turns to a female weasel at his left and whispers into her ear. She slinks off the platform and up to Comsad. "Pardon me, Sir," she says in a sneering voice, "but we don't allow individual contractors to operate during an auction. That is unless you're interested in the use of our services."

Fenton and Jesmin take a position at the very edge of the crowd. Fenton hands Jesmin his cane while he lights his pipe.

Vladek grumbles something dreadfull and stands slowly. Bending down he picks up his half barrel of a seat, clenches his pipe in his fangs and begins to walk very slowly towards the platform. Once on the edge of the croud he drops the barrel and seats himself back on it once more.

Comsad spins Cunner roughly around and nudges him towards the female weasel "Take him then, and get him sold mind"

The weasel holds out her paw. "Fee, first. 10 silver bobs now, and one tenth of sales afterwards."

Seeing the wildcat take up a position nearby, Fenton nods to Vladek.

Cunner is dizzied by the spinning and loses his balance, barely avoiding stumbling back toward the she-weasel. Recollecting himself, he looks at Comsad's scimitar, feeling it's still too close to make an escape attempt, but ready to try once it moves away.

Jesmin thumbs anxiously at the cane's head as she peers at the cages, watching the captive beasts within through grave eyes. Her large ears fold back. Now that she's seen the poor wretches, she can't seem to look away.

Comsad growls lowly, curses and reaches into his money pouch he counts out 10 silver coins and drops them into the weasels paw.

Vladek catches Fenton's nod out of the corner of his eye and nods back.

The weasel grins with all her yellow teeth and snatches the lead from Comsad. "Thankee, Sir. Be sure to come 'round back of the platform afterwards and pay up the rest." With one jerk on the rope just for fun, she pulls Cunner towards the cages.

Anitra continually shifts positions in an attempt to examine the crowd outside. "Hmph. Just looks like a lot of ruffians to me." Her eyes meet Jesmin's, and her haughty expression melts away into a look of calm interest.

Fenton calls out to Vladek. "Topping day for an outdoor event, eh?"

Cunner wasn't expecting the jerk and stumbles with the she-weasel toward the cages but regains his footing and tries to bolt away from her and especially away from Comsad.

The weasel snarls and tugs the rope hard enough to pull her captive off his footpaws.

Comsad was half way sheathing his weapon when the fox tries to escape "Oi!"

Vladek nods slowly "Tis not bad weather."

Fenton says, "Sounds like a bit of a ruckus back there. This could be even more entertaining than usual."

Jesmin's eyes wander over the captives, stopping as they meet Anitra's. Those large ears perk slightly again.

Cunner falls, landing hard on his right arm. He carefully tries to rise to his footpaws again, glaring back at the weasel out of the corner of his eye.

Comsad checks himself from moving off to make sure that Cunner has not escaped before walking down towards the platform a new spring in his step.

Before Cunner can rise, the weasel jerks him again, deliberately dragging him over the pavement. The door to the slave pen is unlocked, and a burly fox comes up to kick Cunner inside. Meanwhile, Singetail ignores the struggle and continues to call out bids. "Twenty-five, twenty-five for a full-grown hare, a good strong lad, we can find more for this fellow, what'll it be?"

Vladek looks over his shoulder at what ferret is speaking about, chuckling dryly he takes a long draw from his pipe.

Anitra absently wipes her wet nose, still staring at Jesmin. She raises one paw, and then, barely perceptibly, without any change of expression at all, she waves.

Cunner winces and opens his mouth as if to cry out as he's kicked into the cell. He quickly moves to the back and is about to sit down, but changes his mind and tries to squeeze through the bars out the back. He can't get his head through.

The struggle put up by the fox and his new captors earns an incurious flick of Jesmin's ear. She watches the mouse maiden, then gives the beasts around herself an uncertain glance. She raises a bound wingpaw, returning the tiny gesture with a timid one of her own, along with the smallest hint of a sad smile.

Before Anitra can make any more signals to Jesmin, Singetail's weasel assistant grabs the mouse by the collar and hauls her out of the pen, up to the platform. "Here's a treat for you, ladies and gentlebeasts," Singetail shouts. "A nice pretty fieldmouse from the Northlands, brought up in a troupe of entertainers. She's served royalty, she dances, sings, plays the flute--we've only begun to find all that this little missy can do! We'll start the bidding at thirty, will I have thirty bob?"

Anitra hardly resists at all, but stands with her eyes closed and her nose in the air.

Vladek eyes the mouse wich consideration but shakes his head not exactly what he needs right now.

Fenton cranes his short neck to see beyond a particularly large fox. "Dash it all--ah, there she is. What you think, Jesmin dear? Seems rather spirited, anyway."

Comsad takes a stand in the crowd and watches the mouse go up for sale with indifferent eyes.

Isolated voices chime up in the crowd.

"Thirty!"

"Thirty-five!"

"Forty-five!"

Reality causes Jesmin to recoil a little when the mouse maiden is jerked from the bars. The bells of her glittering collar jingle a little as she avoids the shove of an eager stoat, and she loses sight of Anitra for a moment. She curls her thumbs around Fenton's cane and looks up at him. "Her, yes." She peers over the shoulders of those in front of her. "Fenton," she says pointedly, "I think she'd be a helpful paw."

Cunner slowly sits down, watching and listening as the bidding begins. His muscles are tensely bunched as he waits to be pulled up on the stage too.

Fenton chuckles. "I don't know about helpful. She doesn't quite seem the industrious, housemaid type, does she? Still, if you fancy her . . . fifty-five!"

"Sixty!"

"Sixty-five!"

Vladek shakes his head as the biding increases "Won't be to long till they start throwin punches" he murmers to himself.

Fenton snarls. "Hell's gates, I don't have all day for this," he says, his tone considerably less cultured than before. "Ninety!"

Singetail exclaims, "Sold to the hob in the black jacket!"

Jesmin grips the cane tightly, her face lighting up a little.

Tam too waits his turn alongside the fox his ears drooping even more that normal.

Cunner glances at the hare and grimaces, wondering just how he wound up ranked as low as a woodlander slave.

Anitra is hauled off the stage by the weasel and immediately replaced by Tam. "And here we have yet another hare--young, already trained--you can see just how obedient he would be to any master or mistress. Healthy and vibrant, strong enough to tend crops and genteel enough to wait at table. We'll start the bids at thirty-five, will I have thirty-five?"

Fenton gingerly accepts Anitra's grimy lead from the weasel. "Excellent. Well, what do you think up-close, Jesmin? Will she do, then?"

Vladek's eyes light up "Now that is what I bloody need, thirty-five!"

Cunner cringes and shuts his eyes when the cage door is open, but perks his ears at the bidding. He crawls toward the entrance of the cage and sits down again, watching closely for a last-ditch escape effort when the door opens again.

"Forty!"

"Forty-five!"

Anitra examines Fenton out of the corner of her eye. Her mouth twitches in what just might be an amused half-smirk.

Jesmin dips her head coyly, her expression placid as she examines Anitra from beneath the curl of her own lashes. "I think so," she replies softly, then adds, "They said she is musical."

Vladek "Bloody 'ell, Fifty!"

Fenton says, "We'll see. These fellows occassionally have a tendency to . . . exaggerate the accomplishments of their merchandise."

Vladek room-pages, "add a sighs in there by the way".

"Sixty!"

Anitra exclaims, "Hey! I can too sing, you big ugly lout!"

Grinding his teeth against his pipe Vladek growls to himself "Seventy!"

But Jesmin doesn't seem to pay mind to Fenton's doubt. She gives Anitra a paw-obscured smile, and even dares to chuckle lightly.

Fenton splutters and huffs in a manner that only accentuates the noted largeness of his figure. "Now see here, young lady! I'll thank you to address me with the proper respect. We'll have no impertinence here, if you please."

Anitra hunches up her shoulders and turns away from Fenton to hide the tongue she thrusts out.

"She's funny, too," Jesmin says, a twinkle in her violet eyes.

Ronan approaches the scene from the direction of the square with two brutish-looking weasels trailing behind him carting chains and shackles in a wheelbarrow. The feline glances about with a slightly disappointed look upon his face as he recognizes that he's probably arrived fairly late for the better buys.

Singetail exclaims, "Sold to the black cat back of the crowd!"

Anitra winks at Jesmin.

Cunner tenses in readiness.

Vladek nods in satisfaction to himself but still with a small frown "There goes a nights worth of 'ard work."

Cunner doesn't have long to wait. As Tam is brought to Vladek, another assistant drags Cunner out of the cages and out to the platform. "Here's a fine specimen--more than a cut above your average woodlander! A fine young fox lad, the perfect age for training. Look at that handsome, glossy coat. He's quite the little prince! For stock this good, bidding starts at no less than fifty!"

Fenton hmphs and snatches his cane from Jesmin. "We'll just see how long this comedic turn lasts. . . ." He glares at his newest possession with clear buyer's remorse.

Cunner struggles as he's dragged out, but doesn't find enough room to bolt past the beast in time. He grits his teeth and stands still on the stage, mindful of the auctioneer's whip and listens quietly to the pitch.

"Fifty!"

"Fifty-five!"

Ronan nears the group, shouldering his way past a few stragglers. He eyes Cunner upon the platform carefully, and then raising a paw, shouts "Seventy-Five."

Jesmin looks a little dejected for a moment, but it doesn't last. "My name is Jesmin," she offers to Anitra.

Cunner tries to find the beasts bidding on him to see if he likes the looks of them. As the white cat bids, he fixates on the chains the beast brought. One final idea strikes him and he begins trembling slightly.

Vladek looks round at Ronan and weather its his looks or the chains he seems extreamly har.

Singetail exclaims, "Seventy-five! Getting closer, but we can surely find more for this fine lad! Eighty, will I have eighty?"

Ronan glances around, looking for any who might challege his price. He notices Vladek looking in his direction, and twitches his whiskers, laying his ears back against his head briefly. After another moment, he returns his gaze to the little tod on the platform, brow furrowing.

"Eighty!" booms a voice from the crowd. Boole raises her paw.

Anitra tries to twirl and nearly strangles herself on her own lead. As it is, all her weight jerking on the rope might just be enough to bring down even Fenton. . . .

Cunner's eyes snap up toward the thick of the crowd at the sound of the familiar voice and widen eagerly. His trembling becomes more violent however and his eyes begin to roll some.

And down Fenton goes. "Curse you! Argh!"

Ronan's paw raises again. "Ninety," he calls out to the auctioneer and clasps his paws together, wringing them anxiously.

Anitra manages to dodge the massive weight that plops to the ground. She dusts the skirt of her dress. "I'm Anitra. Pleased to meet you."

Jesmin looks taken aback, her wingpaws pressed over her mouth as her captor tumbles. After a moment, the bat bursts into a fit of giggling.

There's agitation in Boole's muddled words, and she digs deep into her pouch. "Ninety-five!"

Fenton exclaims, "My poor back! Jesmin, darling, help me up! Let's have the cane--oooh!"

Cunner suddenly falls, writhing on the stage, eyes rolled almost completely into his head as he drools.

Jesmin takes a moment to giggle to herself a little more before she reaches to aid Fenton, returning his cane to him and offering support.

Ronan smirks, annoyed at the fox's tactics and at the wildcat's bartering. "There'll be another" he murmers, shoulders shrugging.

Singetail breaks out in another coughing fit. "Ah, excuse me, ladies and gentlebeasts. He's not quite used to the strain--rather a flighty fellow. But easily controlled, as you can see. It's no reflection on his health, you can be sure of that!"

Comsad is meanwhile dancing a jig after all he just sold the slave for 95 silver minus tax of course.

Singetail exclaims, "There we are! There's a lady what knows proper merchandise! Sold!"

Fenton rises with a great deal of blowing and gasping. "Ah, thank you, my darling, you're an absolute angel. And as for you--" turning to the mouse, "I think we've had quite enough of these antics. I hardly need this kind of strain on my health." He scans the crowd and catches sight of Ronan. "Hmm. . . ."

The wildcat bites her lip, her ears swiveling as she watches Cunner writhe. She waits, expecting bid, gripping her money pouch tightly until Singetail releases the bidding. "Hellgates," Boole curses, though it's clearly a mutter of relief.

Cunner has a remarkable recovery, jumping to his footpaws with an impish grin at the auctioneer and then at the crowd. He tugs forward, eager to get to Boole, but not hard lest it be seen as an escape.

Snarling, the weasel drags Cunner off the platform towards Boole. "There you are. Enjoy the little rotter!"

Vladek is still eyeing Ronan and his chains.

Jesmin's smile remains even after Fenton as righted himself. She gives Anitra an appreciating glance as she steps back from the ferret.

Singetail exclaims, "And that's all we have for you this morning, ladies and gentlebeasts! Many thanks to all for coming, and many congratulations to our winners!"

Anitra stands as far from Fenton as her leash will allow and examines her boots for any new scuffs.

Relief etches itself across Booledaine's otherwise hardened features, and she snatches the lead away from the weasel while giving her a hard look. The money is paid. "Ya alright there, Ears?" she murmurs to Cunner, while working the collar from around his neck.

Vladek finally looks around and eyes his newly bought Tam "Alrighty you bugger lets lets get outa here".

The weasel stops in the midst of the crowd, folds her arms, and eyes Comsad.

Cunner nods, grinning, and leans forward to let Booledaine take off the collar. His paws also strain at the ropes Comsad tied around them, eager to get it off so he can communicate again.

Comsad takes several deep breaths and hands over the amounted silver eyes narrows "Theif" he mumbers before starting off.

Ronan's eyes narrow upon the fox-slave and watches as he's transported from the platform to Booledaine's custody. He retreats a few steps to speak in a low voice to the accompanying weasels. All three of them chuckle briefly, and then the two assistants wander off with the wheelbarrow back in the direction of the town square. "Dang being late. Dang it."

The weasel snickers, flips one of the coins into the air and catches it.

Vladek attaches no lead to Tam as he begins to make his way back the town square. His eyes are once more afixed on Ronan but with less fire now that the chains have been carried off.

Fenton stares at Ronan for a few moments, then straightens his jacket and walks towards the cat. "Dear me. I assume you came hoping to make a purchase today?"

Booledaine gives Ronan a flat glance, her brows knit, as she cuts the tight bonds around Cunner's wrists. "Well, thanks t'you I'm flat broke, so I hope yer happy," she says, though affectionately.

Singetail hops down off the platform and huddles with a group of his assistants. A number of other beasts remain congregated around the platform, but the majority drift off towards the square.

Anitra frowns at Ronan and struggles against Fenton.

Cunner grins and nods, obviously very happy. He rubs his wrists, then gestures as if holding a cloth at neck level, a signal Booledaine should recognize as the scarf he gave her for safekeeping when he was kidnapped.

Jesmin tails Fenton, though she keeps a further distance than usual, with an eye on Anitra.

Ronan's ear flicks back as he hears a voice above the others. He turns around to face Fenton, and then notices the Wildcat. He opens the pouch attached to his belt and digs out a small handful of coins, offering them to Booledaine. "Pardon me, Miss. I was going to set him free m'self. A fox ain't the sort to be in servitude of another beast." With a paw still extended full of coinage (probably about 30-worth) to Boole, the cat turns to Fenton. "Perhaps I was."

Fenton says, "I see. Might I inquire as to what, in particular, you might have had in mind?"

Vladek has stoped and is now looking from ferret to cat and then back to ferret but himself remaining silent.

Ronan rolls his shoulders. "I'm a Trade-merchant. I run trade routes of goods from city to city, and the easiest way to transport materials is by caravans of wagons pulled by beasts. Strong beasts. Sometimes I can afford to feed and house and pay them all - if I can afford to, I do. If I can't.. I do what is necessary."

"Yea, of course," Booledaine says, pulling the item from her satchel, and offering it to the fox with a slight grin. Her ear flicks towards Ronan, and a slow frown curls across her lips. "What?... Well, that's very kind'a you..." She holds a paw up, as if she were going to reject the offer, but then thinks better of it and accepts. "That should help a little. You've got my thanks."

Cunner accepts the scarf eagerly and tucks it under the collar of his tunic, then watches wide-eyed as the coins are exchanged. After listening a bit to the white cat's conversation, however, his smile shifts to a distrustful frown.

Fenton looks down at Anitra with hooded eyes and a skeptically-raised brow. "Well . . . this one's stronger than she looks! She just pulled me right off my footpaws!"

Jesmin frowns at Ronan, then at Fenton. Her brows raise with concern.

Anitra trembles and hunches forward in an attempt to look as small and sickly as possible.

Vladek however seems to have found a loophole in the cat's story "Well if you are so worried about your cart pullers to feed adn pay them why bid so high?"

Ronan idly drops the pawful of coinage in Boole's open paw. "Cheers, then," a brief aside offered to the Wildcat. He's still facing Fenton. "To be honest my friend, at this point in time I'm either in the market to acquire a bunch trainable at once or none at all. I can afford my crew for now, but there are a few that are becoming too old for the work and I'm in the market for many replacements all at once, and a mouse can't quite serve me in that capacity." He looks to Vladek, and scowls, "I bid high on the fox because I became personally invested in his release. As I said before, a fox isn't one to be held in servitude."

Fenton's expression becomes almost desperate, even pitiful. "You're quite certain you've no use for her _at all_? I'm not looking to recoup my losses, naturally--one could hardly expect that!" He glares at the mouse.

Anitra chuckles with glee.

Vladek snorts "There was alot of chains in tthem weel-barrows for you only to just spend up to a hundred gold and to let him lose, or am I just insane from over working my self when I go do my semi-honoust job"

"Aye to that," Booledaine says, tipping the pawful in thanks. "Here," she says to Cunner, offering a few coins. "Just stay close, alright? Don't got the money t'be doin' this every day." She ruffles his ears as she drops the rest of the money into her pouch.

Cunner smiles as he accepts the coins and the ear-ruffling, resolving to be more careful the next time he decides to steal things.

Jesmin attempts to placate Fenton by touching his arm. "Oh, she can't be /that/ terrible."

Booledaine says, "Alright, Ears. Let's get outta 'ere." She gives Ronan another nod and turns. "You could prob'ly use a /bath/ after bein' in them stinkin' pens," she says dryly.

Anitra stands with her paws clasped behind her back and bats her eyelashes at Fenton.

Cunner nods, more than willing to leave, but frowns at the thought of the cat giving him a bath.

Ronan wheels on Vladek, temporarily unconcerned with Fenton's pleas, as they can be appeased momentarily. "Have you half a brain or just no sense of politeness? I just told this gentleman that I was looking for a large number of replacements or none at all, hence the quantity of chains. Obviously I came late, but at least I came prepared to assuage my needs in case there were enough.. When I noticed that there weren't, and noticed that the last from the cages to be on the platform was a /fox/, I bid high because /I can afford to/. When it's a matter of spending fifty a beast for fifteen beasts two or three times a season or a hundred for one." The cat's getting pretty snippy at this point. "You have no place to be questioning my works or the conditions of my wealth. If you have trouble making a living, it isn't my fault and it isn't my business."

Anitra grins at Ronan and Vladek, exposing a pair of rather protruding front teeth, then, very softly, murmurs, "Ooooh!"

Vladek flares up at being asked if he has half a brain "Listen you potbellied, sunken eyed, cowardly low breed never insult me in that way again if you like your head kept on your shoulders. And when it comes to wealth you might as well be glad it was not me you where biding against because I would have crushed you flat got it!" kind of an overstatment at the end for sure, after all he just spent a lumb of silver on Tam but the cat's anger seems to have muddled his calmer train of thought some.

Fenton pulls out his handkerchief, looks away, and covers his nose as the two shout at each other. "My word. . . ."

Jesmin shrinks as tempers start to boil. The bat steps behind Fenton, and easily vanishes from the sight of the bickering pair.

Ronan's brows dart upwards on his forehead at Vladek's temper. A paw strays instinctively to his hip. "I'm glad for you that you have no idea against whom you speak, or perhaps more sorry for you. I can only hope at least that you remember me for a long while to come, Wildcat, as I'm sure we'll meet again." He leaves it at that, and steps aside so that he can look at Fenton and also keep Vladek in his sights. "I'm sorry, my good fellow, for the interruption. Is it that you're looking to have this mouse bought off you, then?"

Fenton's eyes widen with new hope. "Well, actually, that was rather what I was hoping . . . that is, I suppose she's valuable, in her own way--I could hardly let her go for less than . . . 20 bob, perhaps? A fellow likes to keep his losses as low as possible, you know."

Anitra narrows her eyes at Fenton's boot. Her own toe twitches threateningly.

Vladek chuckles "That is a likewise comment cat and you better hope we never meet again". He heads off with that Tam in tow.

Ronan examines the mouse briefly, somewhat skeptical. He catches Vladek's last remark, but ignores it. "She seems very fond of you," he comments, "in fact I doubt she'd even run off if you set her loose."

Anitra reverts to her angelic, paws-behind-the-back pose of innocence.

Jesmin frowns gravely, peeking around Fenton to give Ronan a thoughtful look. She glances at Anitra.

Fenton says, "Fond, I assure you, is not the word. Unless you indicate the usage that denotes madness."

Ronan eyes the mouse for a while, glancing back and forth between her and Fenton in silence. "I do indeed suppose I'd have a use for her," chimes the Cat. He opens the leather pouch attached to his belt and examines it's contents. "How'll thirty do?"

Jesmin's eyes widen. She shakes her head at Ronan from around Fenton's great figure, frowning.

Fenton fairly salivates at the sight of the money. "How generous! How very generous of you, Sir! Yes, quite, more than sufficient. Thank you ever so much." He hands Ronan Anitra's rope. "I am in your debt, Sir." He glances at Jesmin almost sheepishly. "Sorry, old girl, but I just couldn't. We'll find you another little friend--one perhaps slightly more well-bred, eh?"

Anitra sadly watches Jesmin.

Jesmin stares at Ronan solemnly, neither looking at Anitra nor Fenton. Her jaw sets tight.

Ronan glances at Jesmin also, and tilts his head inquisitively. The curiosity is shaken off though as he takes the rope securely, winding it about his paw and wrist. He digs into the pouch and withdraws the correct coinage, depositing it in Fenton's grasp.

Fenton takes the money and stares at the ground. He is most certainly in the dog-house. "Well . . . best be heading back home. Dash it, but it's already getting hot out here." He twirls his cane in an attempt at nonchalance and leads the way back to the town square.

Anitra stares up at Ronan, all the fight gone out of her expression as she sizes up the great cat.

Jesmin gives Anitra a brief apologetic glance, then follows after the ferret, her bound wings trailing with her lavender robe.

Ronan watches as Fenton leaves with the bat and his brow furrows. "Remind me to introduce myself to him sometime," he remarks idly, his tone of voice somewhat jovial. He looks down to Anitra and pauses a moment before offering in a very low tone of voice, "You're worrying too much I think. My ideas for you might be much nicer than what you're expecting. You can get your hopes up a little bit, I think. Not too much, until I know a little more about what you're capable of, but a little bit." He chuckles. "I sure hope you're a beast of above-average intelligence." He begins to walk slowly towards the square.