Snippet #2817170

Samyan rubbed the back of her head and scowled at the sharp-toothed brat. “You can’t rush important decisions in life, boy,” she said wisely, turning back to the stall. “Adopting is always a big commitment. It’s important to think carefully so you don’t make any mistakes.”

A vein throbbed in the Yunish man’s temple. “THEY’RE SCROGGING DOLLS!!”

“Is that what they’re for?” Samyan asked, eyebrows raising slightly. She put a finger thoughtfully to her chin. “What a thing to sell at a festival.”

Dark red shot across one of the man’s eyes as a vein burst from apoplexy. His lips curled in a snarl around clenched yellow teeth, and the curled fingers of his left hand hovered by Samyan’s shoulder, making an impressive show of restraint to throw her into the river. “Just take one of the festival souvenir dolls, please,” he hissed.

“Or just get both!” the woman chimed in, ever the master of de-escalation.

“They might not get along, though?” Samyan picked them both up gingerly, bringing them close to her face to examine them. “I should take a bit of time to consider this.”

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Samyan bolted around the corner of the crowded festival streets as a variety of souvenirs and snack foods were hurled through the air behind her, accompanied by a howl of rage and bloodlust.

”DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLS!!!!”

She darted through the crowds, shaft of her scythe bouncing against her shoulder and face impassive as she absconded swiftly from the man seeking her truly unjust demise. Her feet made a light tap tap tap tap sound in the dirt as she went past a crowd of guards who seemed to be investigating a stall that had been wrecked by two drunk women, her back keeping straight and only one arm pumping along at her side as if she were on a brisk morning jog.

“A man is trying to kill me,” she said in passing to the Yunish prefect, not bothering to stop and elaborate before disappearing into the throngs of revellers at the other end of the street.