A pair of toughs moved in from the main plaza as some unseen signal, blocking off the only exit to the narrow alleyway as the remainder of the gang circled the girl in the doorway, their knives and clubs drawn. The girl was not an imposing figure, delicate floral patterns embroidered on the front of her simple black dress, the even more diaphanous lace coiffe atop her head doing little to add to any physical threat she may have imposed. The thieves, for their part, were 5 in number, ranging from wiry to bulky in frame, but all muscled from lives of physical labour. They grinned and feinted lunges, none of which seemed to phase Antoinette, who calmly placed the large burlap sack against the door jamb.

"All right, girly" the leader said with a sneer "We seen your coin. Hand over the purse and we'll let you leave alive."
Antoinette rose, careful not to tip over the bag and turned to face the leader, her eyes flashing with excited defiance.
"These coins belong to my mistress, so you shall not be getting any of them." She responded, glancing at the sack. "Unless you happen to have a bushel of Landreger leeks for sale. I still need those."
"Do we look like vegetable merchants?" The leader lunged, his feint again ignored.
"No." Antoinette admitted "Vegetable merchants bathe before market days. You lot should know better than to harass young maidens in alleyways. For shame." Antoinette reproached the leader as if addressing a younger child, seemingly oblivious to him being a good head taller than her. "Still, fair is fair. If you turn around now, I will let you leave without further need for violence."
"Perhaps you ain't figured this out, girly. This is a robbery. If yer lucky, it will just be a robbery."
"I find that hard to believe. I have you surrounded."
"All that rich food has rotted your brain." the leader scoffed. "There's five of us, one of you."
"I fight with the strength of 6 men!" The girl shot back "The passion of a knight guides my blow to strike true. My code of chivalry requires that I be fair to my opponents, even those who deserve no such mercies. At present, I don't see this ending well for you."
This elicited a laugh from the thieves.
"And, though it pains me to use such leverage, I am not alone." she admitted "Perhaps you have had dealings with the Formorians of Tevenn Du, the smoking island in the icy sea of Mor Marv, veritable giants who can rend a man's bones with their bare hands, as if they were small twigs. Their great fangs and tusks can rip into flesh and bone. Even here, in the city of Alan, the skill and strength of the Formorian is well known. Never will you find a more skilled and bloodthirsty warrior of such great strength."
Antoinette gesticulated with each description, waving her arms with growing excitement.
"Behind this door is the greatest Formorian warrior you will encounter. The great Azelma, born of the Fires of Taranis himself, a traveler not from the fields and rivers of Normandi, but the smoking island itself. I have seen her kill without mercy, grinding her enemies like bugs beneath a pestle to use their blood in her foul concoctions! I have seen her lift a horse over her heads and throw it 3 metres as a casual toss. While I can take on all of you at once, she doesn't like people attacking me with weapons, so I will not be able to stop her from joining the fray. I give you one last chance to turn and walk away."
The thieves laughed, the leader turning his head to spit "You ain't got nothing girly. This is going to be fun, smacking some...."
The door opened once more and a hulking figure stood in the doorway, their mass blocking the entryway. Their head was above the frame and they began to duck underneath, revealing a giant green figure with tusk-like teeth. Even crouched, Azelma stood high above Antoinette, the small girl and short doorway making the Formorian seem impossibly large, the dark shadows of the alleyway making her features seem feral and hungry. The thieves turn and ran, vanishing down the alley in a stumbling panic.
Antoinette watched them go and turned, beaming to Azelma.
"The merchant thinks we can get the leeks at his friend's stall in Place du Vin." Azelma said, checking her list. "But I'd like to get some Samarobriva Bleu while we're here. What was that all about?"
"Some local ruffians." Antoinette replied "I scared them off though."
"Oh good. I don't know what I would do if someone started a fight." Azelma admitted "Good thing you were here. I would have just run away. I'm no good at fighting."
"That's why Lady Enora authorized me as your bodyguard." Antoinette said proudly.
"Thank Brigid for that." Azelma sighed "I also need a new mortar and pestle"
"To grind your enemies like bugs for your foul concoctions!" Antoinette added
"Well, I wouldn't call the bugs my enemies." Azelma's green skin seemed to blanche "No, bugs are just ingredients. And I'm sorry you didn't like the medicine. It wasn't made for taste. If you want, I can make something tastier tonight."
"We should have Far! We can get some Akitanian Cognac when we get the leeks... and some candied prunes... and fresh eggs..."

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Azelma an Diuid is a Formorian, a race of oceangoing giants from the far North, renowned for their great strength and bravery, but an often contentious relationship with the other peoples of Avlez. Exiled from her home of Tevenn Du, Azelma arrived in the company of Enora de Chinon, serving as the quartermaster and healer of the Windship Radiant Dawn, a member of Enora de Chinon's inner circle. Despite her massive size and imposing frame, she is actually quite gentle, preferring to spend her time in her kitchen or apothecary workshop rather than the battlefield. Her quiet and reserved nature is a stark contrast to the bombastically energetic Antoinette, Enora's lady-in-waiting/squire, who has eagerly claimed the position of Azelma's best friend

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