Wandering the Streets [Tybalt]

[Elsa de la Noue]

The market wasn't too crowded, but it was certainly busy enough to appear a little overwhelming. This was one of the few times Elsa was grateful for her height. She could easily see over most people's heads and spot where she needed to go. Gwen had sent her off to get some nicer fabrics for dresses for herself; she now was the queen's handmaiden and needed to look the part. She had been given the day off to shop as well as help her family rebuild the new bakery. That was one of the nice things about being friends with the queen: she understood when family had to come first.

Since she had the entire day open -- she had spent the morning helping her family -- Elsa was wandering the market, searching for fabrics. She had found two that she liked so far, but wanted at least two more before she went to work on the dresses. She was a good enough seamstress that as long as she had the right fabrics, she could easily make her own dresses even if she was the queen's handmaiden. Stopping at a stall, the blonde woman fingered a flowery green cotton, studying the make. It was pretty, but she noticed that the pattern wasn't very well-made. It was sloppy and fraying.

With a sigh, Elsa moved on down the market. It was only moments later that she spotted a young girl standing on her own. Concerned, she cautiously approached the girl. "Hello," she greeted her warmly, smiling in a motherly fashion. "Are you lost?" It was certainly easy enough to get lost in the market.

[Tybalt]

Eleni had been so very excited to go the market with her papa. They had all moved to a new kingdom, and like their last home, they lived in the country. Tybalt had moved here due to a certain someone having spoken so highly of Camelot. And quite frankly, he'd not been disappointed thus far. Of course as a minstrel he may have to travel once more to find work; or maybe the kingdom would have something to offer. Regardless, today was a day to explore the city. The hustle and bustle of the market place. Tybalt loved crowds! He loved people! But unfortunately, the large crowd worked against him today. He had warned Eleni to stay close to him, but as a child, she was so easily distracted and wandered off. Sending her father into a frenzy as he weaved through the crowd, desperately calling her name. But with the loud chatter of the city, he was barley heard. Leaving Eleni terrified. She stood there, clutching to her doll as the tears were starting to well up in her eyes.

She felt scared, intimidated... she just wanted her papa! Holding onto the stuffed raggy doll so tight, her tiny body began to tremble with fear. The last time she had been separated from her papa, some men had tried to take her away. Kidnap! Put her in a smelly cage! And now...... she was scared and alone. Seeing a woman approach her, and hearing her speak to... her? Eleni's large eyes widened even more as she looked up at the tall lady. She was no evil man! But would she take her away too? Eleni was taught to be polite, but she was also taught not to talk to strangers! "N-no," she lied, her eyes falling to the ground, when the lady asked her if she was lost. Eleni had not been taught how to lie. The guilt of not telling the truth was what made her downcast her gaze, so slowly, she looked back up at the woman. She seemed nice! But... "M-my Papa tells me not to talk to strangers," she told her, but there was evident fear in being left alone again in her tone of voice.

[Elsa de la Noue]

It was obvious that the little girl was terrified. She was clutching onto her rag doll so hard her knuckles were white and her eyes were large and wet. Elsa wished that she could just scoop up the girl and hold her in her arms, comfort her, tell her everything would be alright. But the child had been taught not to talk to strangers, it seemed, and that was a good thing to know. So instead, so as not to frighten Eleni, the tall woman stepped over and stood next to her, crouching down so that she was at Eleni's height.

"Well, since I can see that you're scared, I will stand right here with you until your father finds us. I promise I will not take you anywhere; we will just stay here." Elsa smiled and straightened up, glancing around the market. If her father had lost the girl, then he was surely panicking and searching around. Maybe she would spot him -- one of the other good things about being tall. "My name is Elsa," she told the little girl, looking down at her with another warm smile. "Can you tell me yours? And what does your papa look like? Maybe I can find him in the crowd for you."

[Tybalt]

Eleni looked at the lady, who was seeming more and more nice. Surely, when her papa said not to talk to strangers, he meant scary men. But she was a lady! There was a difference. Right? It was why she didn't scream or object to the lady offering to wait with her. She was rather glad for the company, so could only stare at the woman with wide eyes. Not so much filled with fear anymore. When she said her name was Elsa , asking for her's in return, Eleni gave a small shy smile. "My name is Eleni," she revealed in a tiny voice. "My papa looks like... A papa!" She didn't know how to describe him. He just looked like how a papa was supposed to look like. "I look like him. But I look like my mama more." Or at least that was what she had been told from people.

Eleni slowly began to loosen the tight grasps he had on her doll. Relaxing some. But still scared that she would never find her father! The difference was, there was a nice lady now with her. Better than scary men anyway. She looked up at the tall pretty lady, slightly tilting her head to the side. "Are you an angel?" She blurted out. "My papa says that angels help us. And that they are pretty." She was told that her mama was up in heaven with them. "Do you know my Mama?" She added, not having realized how her questions were not fluent. Only in her mind were they remotely connected.

[Elsa de la Noue]

Elsa smiled at the little girl's words. She certainly was adorable. "Eleni," she repeated. "What a pretty name." She couldn't help but laugh softly before adding, "Well, I am sure your papa looks like a papa. After all, it would be odd if he did not look like one! I will try and see if I can find anyone around that looks a bit like you, though." Glancing back down at Eleni for a moment, Elsa smiled again softly. "Your mama must be beautiful if you look like her."

Then the girl was asking if Elsa was an angel and the woman couldn't help the light blush that came to her features. "No, I am not an angel," she replied, amused and flattered. "But I am here to help you, that much I can promise." She had never been asked if she was angel before. It was a pleasant change, Elsa decided, having a little girl assume she was an angel. "I might know your mama. What is her name? Where is she right now?" If Eleni was out in the market with her father then her mother had to be somewhere, right?

[Tybalt]

Eleni smiled brightly when the woman, Elsa, said that she had a nice name. It was clear that the fear was starting to ebb away, and that she was feeling more and more comfortable in the woman's presence. "Thank you!" She replied politely. She did not totally fail in remembering her manners after all. The nice lady seemed to totally understand that her papa looked like a papa! That he would look silly if he didn't. She understood her perfectly, and that only made Eleni more relaxed. Her enthusiasm only grew when she said that her mama must have been beautiful. "Thank you!" she said again, not having realized that she said the identical phrase, in almost the exact same tone. "What's your mama's name? Do you look like your mama?" Eleni had never met her mama, or well she had when she was little. But he papa talked about her often.

Eleni was slightly disappointed when she said that she wasn't an angel, but almost instantly perked up again when she promised to help her. "No, you don't know my mama," she concluded. Because her mama was an angel and if Elsa wasn't one... then she wouldn't have met her! Remembering her manners once more, Eleni suddenly realized something. She held her doll forward to show Elsa. "This is Maggie!" She introduced before looking at the dolls face. "Maggie, this is Missy Elsa." Because she was an adult, and it was best to be respectful. Eleni turned back to look at Elsa. "Maggie says she happy to meet you. And..." She held the doll's face to her ear, as if it was whispering something to her. "And she says thank you, for helping me find my Papa!" Even though they had not found him yet, she felt comforted and assured that they would!

[Elsa de la Noue]

The tall woman smiled; this girl was adorable and she really would feel sad when they found her papa because that meant Elsa would have to be on her way and leave Eleni. "My mama's name is Beatrice," she told the child. "I do look like her, but I'm much taller than she is. I got my papa's height." Eleni seemed to dismiss the questions about her mother with ease, knowing for certain that Elsa didn't know her. "How do you know that I don't know your mama?" That confused the woman, but she didn't press the girl any more than that one question; she would much rather keep Eleni happy and comfortable than push her for answers.

Then the child was holding her doll out to introduce to Elsa and the woman knelt down to Eleni's height, smiling and nodding at the doll politely. "Hello, Maggie," she replied. "I am very happy to meet you, too! Eleni is very lucky to have you here with her. And you are welcome; I couldn't just leave her to find her papa on her own in such a big place!" She then leaned in towards Eleni to whisper in a conspiring way, "Maggie is very nice. I like her." She then gave the girl a large smile before straightening up again. "Where did you get Maggie?"

[Tybalt]

Eleni's grin seemed to be unwavering as she couldn't stop smiling at the lady's friendliness! "You is very tall!" She said, pointing out the obvious. "I want to be tall too! I hope I get my papa's height like you got your papa's height!" She exclaimed, rather excited by the prospect of being tall. Then people wouldn't be so scary, and she wouldn't have to look up at them all the time. "My mama doesn't live here!" And she was an angel so if Elsa wasn't an angel she wouldn't know her! "Papa and my family, and me moved here from Gawenty," she said, obviously feeling it was alright to give her life story -- as well as not realizing the mispronunciation of the kingdom she was from.

"We live where theres more grass and trees." In the country. "This place smells funny!" She added, wrinkling her nose a bit, as she was not used to the city smell. She watched Elsa with a bright smile as she looked at her doll, even beaming when Elsa said that Maggie was lucky to have her! "Yous very polite! And a very nice lady!" She informed her. "Maggie likes you too!" And not just anyone got the doll's affection. "I got her from papa, when I was a baby. Some people still say I'm a baby, but I'm more grown up now than I was before you know!" Eleni could talk for hours and hours when in the right company; she most likely got that trait from her father.

She however she stopped only when she heard a familiar voice call her. "Eleni!" A frantic voice exclaimed and seconds later, a man's arms came around her, scooping her up in the air while Eleni wrapped her arms around the man's neck. "PAPA!" She exclaimed happily. Tybalt kissed her cheek repeatedly before looking at her, still holding her up in his arms. "What did I tell you about running off like that?" He said, his voice not to serious for it was filled with utter relief. He noticed that there was another woman standing there and when the relief had finally somewhat subsided, he turned to look at who she was. "Have you made a new friend?" He asked Eleni, though was looking at Elsa; and a very beautiful friend at that now that Tybalt was actually looking at her!

[Elsa de la Noue]

Elsa couldn't help but laugh at bit at the girl's obvious eagerness to be tall. She appreciated that Eleni liked her height, as most people didn't. It wasn't very desirable for a common woman to be as tall as she was. It was always nice to hear, though, when someone did like her height. "Well, maybe you will get your papa's height," she told the child. She was happy to listen as Eleni went on about her life, straightening back up to look for her father, but certainly not ignoring the girl. "Compared to where you live, I'm sure this place does smell funny! And thank you -- you are a very nice girl. I am very glad that Maggie likes me, too."

The girl's next words made her smile. "Yes, you certainly are more grown up than a baby, but you still have quite a ways to go before you aren't a child anymore!" Elsa was about to continue speaking to Eleni when she heard a man's voice shout the girl's name and suddenly the child was being picked up in a pair of arms and her cheek kissed over and over. By the way Eleni addressed him, this was obviously her father. She waited until he acknowledged her presence by asking Eleni if she'd made a new friend to speak. "My name is Elsa," she introduced herself. "I saw Eleni standing all alone and couldn't leave her like that, so I decided to stay with her until you came." The woman smiled kindly. "Eleni loves you very much, you know. She would not stop talking about you."