Another brief afternoon lunch in the museum courtyard (where the fountains danced in artistic patterns and columns of cobalt and crimson metal rose from a blanket of richly fertilized grass) had concluded with a brisk walk back to the downtown shop where Sophie was employed. Moderately high-heeled shoes beat against the stone walkways and the sway of her step made the water bottle in her cotton cloth shoulder bag gurgle a bit without much rhythm as she strolled through the square. From two blocks away she had began to hear the commotion. Even with traders and shoppers haggling over wares, it wasn't very common for the voices of the crowd to rise with such volume. Turning the corner to the scene where groups of people were gathering, Sophie was surprised to see a good twenty people already joining in the fray.

The entanglement caused her to pause mid-step and reconsider this path back to the upscale boutique. While clouded blues were widened and pupils dilating with interest a hard, jarring motion caught her off balance. The mirrored locket that hug from a beaded chain around her neck shot forward and then popped against her chest like a pendulum being thrown into an awkward swing. Ankles threatened to buckle and loose the burden of the weight they carried, but were able to shift and twist well enough to keep the girl upright.

During the short length of time where her eyes were diverted, a good ten or fifteen more people had joined in the argument ahead. Sophie balked at the display. Teeth pressed against her bottom lip in concern and she began to wheel away from the crowded street. This was going to make her late back to the shop, but she wasn't going to risk strolling through the brawl for the sake of mere minutes. Another group of men rushed passed her and Sophie turned to head back the way she had come.