About to turn away, Briar looked at her one last time; it pained him to see anyone brought so low undeservedly, and watching her whimpering, trying frantically to scramble upright, tugged at his heart strings. As much as he wished he could interfere, Briar knew he had no place to, despite the nightlife appearing lawless, a strict set of unwritten rules governed street peoples actions, and not interfering was one. Unfortunately, the struggle was clearly over personal matters, and therefore Briar could not justify getting involved. However, as the man drew back his foot, his intentions crystal clear, Briar snapped. Darting from the shadows, he placed himself between the man and his target, catching and deflecting the blow with his own ankle. The man stumbled back, fists at the ready, unsettled by the sudden interference. Knowing the man didn’t have nearly enough strength to beat him, after all, he couldn’t even defeat the girl without a considerable effort, Briar rose to the challenge. He ducked with plenty of time to spare as the aggressor swung a clumsy punch, retaliating swiftly with a sharp blow to the stomach. As the man doubled over in pain, groaning, Briar slammed a knee into his face, knocking him backwards, before crouching besides the prone man, dagger at his throat.

“You are to leave, now.” Briar growled softly, his blade drawing a drop of crimson from the now terrified gentleman lying in the dirt. He watched with a sense of satisfaction as the humiliated man fled the scene, then turned back to the girl, remembering to sheathe his dagger before offering his hand to her. She was still sitting bewildered where she fell, not able to believe her luck. Smiling gently he pulled her up, marvelling at the softness of her hands, watching her closely for any signs of shock. However she seemed unfazed by the events, and rose without stumbling, dusting off the red dirt from her clothes. Underneath her gaze, Briar began to feel self conscious, a feeling he was rather unused to, aware of his unwashed hair and ragged clothes. Regardless, she held out her hand confidently, a strange smile playing on her lips,

“I’m Rosemary May Fortescue, it’s a pleasure to meet you. And you would be?”

Briar raised an eyebrow, staring at her hand in amazement, then gently pressed his lips to her fingers and bowed mockingly,

“The names Briar, tis good to meet ya too!”