It was all a little too peculiar for Lirssa's tastes, as she had been living in the streets of this city the length of her memory. "No, thanks, Liam. I'm gonna take a walk about. Stretch the legs an' all."

"Well, don't be so scarce. Val was askin" "bout ya. Might wanna take a walk about where he's cobbled." Liam cast over his shoulder as if he knew he really should but hadn't really wanted to.

Lirssa was not about to get into that, so just gave a noncommittal wave of her hand and opened the gate of High Spires House to step from its happy confines to the hustle of the street. It flowed like a happy stream, all making their way in the unspoken rules of passage. When Lirssa felt she had the rhythm, she slipped into that stream of people and walked along side a stoop backed woman who hobbled along more slowly than the rest but like a log floating a slower pace, all the leaves just twisted and weaved about her going on their faster way.

"What's the news, ma"am?" Lirssa gave the wrinkle faced woman a smile.

She smelled of molasses and mint, sweet and clean though her clothes looked worn and weathered. The bag she carried on a stick slung over her shoulder was thick. Tufts of plucked cotton like dirty clouds peeped from its corner ties. The skin of the woman's face was like died leather, green and tough. "What news you huntin" for, missy?" The teeth were an unsteady array of rounded points, what once must have been sharp.

"Seems a might busy street is all." With a shrug, Lirssa kept looking along the way as she went with the crowd that still had not thinned for all the side streets they had passed.

"Oh, that it is. That it is. Not likely gonna take the route once two streets over. Main thoroughfare's got company today." A chuckle like a kettle of bubbling soup sputtered out of the old woman's mouth.

"Company, eh?" Lirssa's smile broadened. "Wouldn't be thinkin" sparkers, were ya?"

"Oh, sparkers indeed. What's a well dressed miss like you knowin" sparkers" Can't say they was sparkers. Can't say right at all. Just knowin the creeps when I feels "em, eh' We folk of the town gets an itch. Best not be headin" that way."

Lirssa knew that itch. It wasn't really an itch, but street folks she knew, most of them the travelers of the tourneys, called it that. Just when you knew a place wasn't quite right. Sometimes it was the place itself. Sometimes it just got a notion to up and change somehow. Sometimes it was folks prowling the area. If you didn't learn the itch, you got in some strange predicaments, and not necessarily came out of them.

Still, with it so near High Spires House, Lirssa thought she had better get an idea of just what was up. If it was sparkers, what she had grown up calling folk with magical gifts, then they might get a notion to spread their trouble. Someone had to protect High Spires. In truth, she probably should let Mister Alain know, or maybe Sir Seamus. He had been a nice, friendly, sorta knightly sort. But, she really should find out for certain before troubling anyone.

"You be good-ish, ma"am." Lirssa grinned and slipped from the stream as easily as she joined.

The throng was beginning to thin by area, close to the bridges that joined the city over the river. Lirssa tied back her hair and ran back the direction she had come, but taking the side alleyways, slipping through back gardens, up back stairs, over rooftops, and back down to cross more alleyways and gardens.

As she rounded the corner of a squat brick house with tired shuttered windows and a sagging roof, she slowed her steps. The street was as quiet as a tomb, but she felt it. It was like smelling a storm coming or knowing there was sun behind the clouds. Lirssa kept close to the house, fingers running along its rough brick.

What birds had been bold enough to remain behind scattered in a fright of calls at the thunderous crash from down the street. From one of the houses a man flew out and hit the opposite house's half timber wall. What houses had shutters still open now were swift to close. Lirssa heard the lock of the door next to her.

The man shook his head, pressing himself up from where he had folded onto the hard cobbles of the street. His voice was weak, but in the empty silent street it carried enough for Lirssa to hear. "I will stop you. You cannot go on forever, villain."

Shrinking down to the ground, she crawled across the way to a nearer house, drawn to the confrontation as another stepped from the door. She could not see the face, but the shape beneath the blue robes, broad shoulders and narrow hips, was that of a man. He said nothing but flicked his hand: up, across, and down once more. Behind the man who had spoken a dark grey mist formed.

Fear began to tremble in the man's voice as he called once more. "No matter where you send me, I will find a way back and stop you!" He raised his hand in return, palm outward. No light, no great show of magical feat, but Lirssa felt a tingle along her body.

The blue robed man faltered, drawn to his knees, sucking in a breath. His voice growled out, soured and strong. "You will run out of strength eventually. Just give up, Justus. End this now. Do not make me destroy you. You should never have come seeking me."

It was hard to leave no matter how much Lirssa wanted to. She still was not sure just how much of this might cause trouble for High Spires. What if one of the sparkers after his victory went on some rampage" It didn't seem likely, but, as Mister Jolly would say, in Rhydin the unlikely was the most likely to happen. She thought of the key in her pocket that Mister Lucky had given her. It might take her to someone who could help end this. Still, she was not in danger, not at least that she could tell. The men seemed very intent on each other.

The blue robed man, muttered something, twisted his hand like turning a door knob, but the man called Justus cried out his own words in pain. Lirssa could not understand them, contorted and creaky as rusty hinges. The ground buckled beneath her, windows cracked and shattered. Screams from inside houses haunted the street.

Another clash of words, the street rumbled again. Lirssa looked down one way as far as she could and another way just as far. It seemed to be only three blocks that were affected. Cobblestones upturned, gates and fences cast awry. And there, down the far end of the street, was a young woman with a younger child, curled up in a corner of a building, rocking back and forth. No doubt she had not felt the itch.

There was nothing for it. Lirssa had to do something before innocent people got hurt because of the two sparkers. She couldn't abandon the woman and child. She just did not know who she should distract and who she should help. She could help, of course, with her gift. It made her suddenly very sick to her stomach.

a) Should Lirssa help Justus and distract the Blue Robe? b) Should Lirssa help the Blue Robe and distract Justus" c) Should Lirssa just leave it be and try to get the heck out of there" d) Should Lirssa try and protect the woman and child?