;;Spiral, Spin, Ride the Whirlwind

[Kalani]

The jarring impact of the ruffian's sword against her own was uncomfortable, to say the least. Especially when Kalani had no experience at all using her left hand to wield a sword. The young merchantwoman was simply grateful that she did not lose her grip altogether, even if she came uncomfortably close to losing her footing as she staggered backward. Fortunately, there was the unwavering presence of Majid to her back and she was able to steady herself. She heard her name uttered in an alarmed whisper, but she could not risk so much as offering a verbal reassurance for fear that her adversary might take advantage of that one moment of distracted attention. Peripherally she did her best to keep track of everything going on around her, but the main focus of her attention remained upon the villain whose blade strove to push her own aside, to disarm her and leave her helpless to whatever he might intend. Yet the brunette held firm, somehow, trying to dislodge the pressure of her opponent's blade, perhaps even to strike back and drive the brutish man back. To get out of this with her friends in one piece was still the goal, and with the arrival of aid, perhaps it was not so farfetched a hope after all...

There were no words to describe Kalani's relief as the familiar voice of the Nomad's first mate thundered through the air, even if the young villain leering at her ignored the scolding, daring to increase the pressure against the sword she held. He should have been paying more attention to the threat, for shortly thereafter he was jerked sideways and away from her. The slim brunette nearly slumped with relief, both at the aid and at the release of pressure against her arm, but even she knew that there was not time for that, even now. Helped had come, true, but that did not mean they were in the clear just yet. She did respond to the quick smile and mirthful words uttered by the sailor with a slight smile of her own, adding with the very smallest of shrugs, 'Not in the slightest. In fact, I would appreciate it very much.' After all, from the stories the Nomad's crew had told her on various occasions, this sort of thing was not such a new experience as it was for her. They had been in scrapes where combat was required where she... well, the closest thing she had ever come to a fight was perhaps a battle of wits, if even that could be considered. Or perhaps those long-ago sparring matches between her foster brother and herself.

And then the foolish ruffian interrupted and Kalani winced. Not the most intelligent thing to say to the first mate, a lesson that, in addition to the other mistakes he had already made, he was likely to learn very soon never to repeat again. Realizing that she should be paying better attention to everything going on around her, the slim brunette swept her gaze to take in the chaos of the marketplace. It was hard to focus on surroundings with the throbbing of her right wrist, but she knew enough to be aware that there was no time for worrying about that. Or making it too obvious either. The blue-eyed merchantwoman knew that she was already a weak link in this skirmish, but making her injury too obvious would likely only invite more trouble, instead of making things easier. So instead of taking any heed to her wrist, she focused on taking stock of the enemy. There was the green-eyed ruffian Doubar was... educating. There was also some vagabond she could see Firouz standing near, apparently having just clouted the man. Wait... she did not recognize that fellow as one of those who had been with Baldy. Were others joining in the chaos, taking advantage of the mess to cause harm, instead of helping?

[Majid]

Although his muscles acted without conscious demand, yanking his blade up quickly, almost frantically, Majid knew that the attempt came too late. Even if he twirled his scimitar, used the momentum to parry one blow, there was still a second sword aimed at him and the angle they each came at didn’t allow for any move to counter them both at the same time. There was just no way for him to stand his ground, evading the attack the only option he had left. He knew this well, years of training feeding a thought process that was fast and yet felt way too slow to him. Because it left him with so little choice.

He couldn’t duck, couldn’t jump to the side as he would have normally done. It would leave Kalani unprotected and with her back turned towards the deadly weapons; the chance of the brutes taking advantage of the situation or hurting her just by leashing out for him anew and hitting her in the process too high as that he was willing to try. No, such change in position would make her too easy a target and with no other means of evading the attack there was only one way still open for him to go, one possiblity left - and that was going backwards.

In a far corner of his mind it registered that the move was risky, too, for he didn’t know just how close to her own adversary the young merchantwoman was but he just had to trust in that the newcomer had caused them to be at a reasonable distance from each other. Time was running out and so, watching how dull silver sped towards him, he pulled back, letting his spine crash against her form, pushing her while he struggled to keep his balance.

Turning ever so slightly, he angled his left arm, brought it behind himself as well as he could until he felt the soft fabric of her garment brush against his hand. Offering her what little support he could give in midst the hasty retreat, he tried to steady her when at the same time he fought to not trip over her feet that he could feel near to his own.

Blue and black mingled as he forced them both backwards, shoving her in a desperate attempt to save them both. The angry sound of metal against metal cursed through his body when the first sword clashed with the tip of his own, the other swooshing by, missing its target by mere inches. Accompanied by strained roars the two thugs swung their blades, not the least bit fazed and immediately adjusting them to strike once more.

The attack if carried out well, would serve its purpose.

Already they were straightening up again, hissing while Majid’s chest was caught in suspended movement, his own heartbeat like a thrumming thunder in his ears. They were so close, too close, his odds not better than before. But suddenly, and unexpected, there was a voice in the air that he knew. Someone was coming to his help, protecting him when for once he was at bay.

He had never been more terrified, and more relieved to hear her.

[everyone02]

Nuray

The morning air was warm as she circled high above the streets of Basra. Ruffling the fair feathers on her chest the west wind carried her, allowing her to watch over her master’s stall as she was taught to do.

Nuray’s keen gaze never strayed from the spot that seemed so tiny underneath her but which was so important to the human she belonged to. Cackling quietly, the small bird flapped her wings and soared, just a little more towards the skies but not too far to lose sight of what she was expected to protect.
Down, in the world of the two-legged ones, people were busily walking by, paying the covered booth no mind or just stealing a curious glance at it before going about their business and she thought how life on earth was always hectic; such a stark contrast to the calm up in the blue where the only sounds were the gentle whisper of the air against her small body and the faint voices on the wind.

Steering to complete another circle, Nuray cocked her head a little, listening to the hum that was the vibrant buzz of the city and cast another look towards the stall, making sure there was no eager hand reaching behind the thick linen cloth.
Among the whirring murmurs of men and chicken and the clattering thunder of hooves on the ground she could hear the tales of the wild desert wind that sometimes reached these lands together with the breeze, melting into the local songs before at last they faded into silence. It was a quiet tune she sought to discern and while normally she had no trouble following it, today there was something different about the sound: a voice that broke the melody and caught her attention. She had never heard it before but still it sent a thrill of danger through her veins.

Angling her wings Nuray stopped immediately in her flight, beating them rapidly so that she stood motionless in the air, searching for the source of the cries that were so familiar and yet foreign to her mind. Angry, frantic screams in the language of the birds of prey, surrounded by the sharp white screech of metal that was always painful to her sensitive ears.
She turned a little, shifted to a spot closer to where the call came from and finally she knew where it originated: Another part of the city, further up towards the harbours – territory that was always curious because the water winds were so very different from anything she knew.

Albeit her task was to stay with the stall, to guard and to watch, something in that voice was stronger than her duty and it drew her away. Even when the cries of the other bird quieted down somewhat they still tore through her, caused her small body to tremble. And thus she flew, quickly, in loops that became larger and larger so that she came closer to the brother but didn’t leave her master’s property fully behind.

When she was just about to finish the third circle, at last she spotted him: A hawk, brown and definitely bigger than her. He didn’t seem to notice her navigate above, dark eyes set on figures below him and mind disconnected from the world that she belonged to.
There was something decidedly peculiar about him but the moment she noticed she already forgot because another sight had her freeze in flight.

There was her keeper, dark and tall, braced with his shining metal that he only ever used for training or when there was no other choice. He stood back to back with the female human she had seen with him earlier, at the stall; both of them tense and engulfed by the sounds of battle and of fight.
But it wasn’t that what stilled her and set her nerves tingling. It was the fact that she saw biting silver cut the air like snakes – fast and furious. And aiming at him.

The falcon knew no second thought, no doubt or hesitance. There was no bird of prey among her master’s people that had not been raised to defend and so she did just that. Booth and weaponry at last forgotten, her mind was filled with commands that her muscles followed blindly – turning her into a star of white that hurtled down with talons twitching and a whistling cry torn from an agate grey break. To save him.

[Kalani]

Warily assessing their surroundings, taking in the help that had arrived to take on the enemy - and those who appeared to have decided to take advantage of the chaos that had unraveled the streets into a scene of absolute madness - Kalani failed to glance behind her. What need did she have for that, when there was Majid's stalwart frame between herself and any danger from behind? Thus it was that she was not at all expecting it when the slightest hint of pressure from behind that had been present throughout, reminding her that she was not alone in this fight, suddenly changed dramatically. The slim brunette was not at all prepared for the collision that sent her forward, staggering and trying very hard not to fall flat on her face. That would hardly be a good position to find herself in, given the madness all around. She was very grateful for the bit of support that her companion was able to offer. It was quite possibly the only thing that kept her from falling. Otherwise, she was not entirely sure how she would have remained upright, not when he was forcing her forward while he came backwards and the throbbing from her wrist was splintering her concentration.

Distantly, she heard the furious screech as steel clashed against steel, half convinced that she could feel the vibration herself through the merchant backing against her. The roars of what could only be one or two of the ruffians who had been part of the initial fight was heard and slowly, even while she strove to stay upright and trying to keep a forward momentum, she pieced together what must have happened. How her fellow merchant must have been placed in a position where there had been only one choice open for survival and that was the choice he had made. Frantically, Kalani struggled to think of what she could do to even the odds, to be of some help, instead of just being pushed along, feeling a tad useless at the moment. Being so inexperienced with combat was proving to be a serious issue, it seemed. Darting to the side herself, giving him space to move backward more quickly would be foolish, simply placing her in likely mortal danger. The chances of her being able to maneuver around to be of any use was practically nil. And she really needed to be paying attention to what was in front of her, just in case one of the thugs got away from the Nomad's crew and decided to come after her.

Kalani was aware of the whistling cry of a bird, but she did not understand the significance of the sound, caught up in trying to think through the haze created by the unfamiliar pain in her wrist.

[Majid]

The moment the screech cut through the noise of the lane Majid already saw his falcon rush down, talons stretched and wings pressed firmly to her body.

She hit the man closest to him with full force, the lad howling with pain as she left angry cuts in the tender skin of his face. Immediately he stopped the course of his assault, brought his free hand up towards the inflicted wounds and brandished his sword blindly with the other, causing his mate to stumble and lose his momentum, too.

The white of her feathered body spreading as soon as she had passed him by, Nuray flapped her wings rapidly, keeping herself from touching the ground and turning quickly as the biting silver sped past her head. Already she averted a blow and made to charge once more when a sudden frantic trill travelled the breeze and had her halt.

“Nuray,” Majid bellowed with a voice she had never heard him use before, “Fly!”

Only for a heartbeat she cocked her head, changed direction to look at him and the fierce determination in his dark eyes left no room for any doubt. He demanded she left although why he did she couldn’t understand. She was trained to fight, trained to hunt and it made no difference to her whether her prey held shining metal in their hands. Apparently though, it made a difference to him.

Releasing a sharp cry Nuray beat her wings to gain height, away from the danger and as she did her keeper’s gaze shifted back on the humans who had attacked him.

She had bought him time, and the opportunity to strike back.

Carefully gauging whether Kalani was secure on her feet, Majid loosened his grip on her just a little, content when he felt her remain upright and pressed against his back.

“Are you alright”, he called out to her but didn’t turn away from the lad who now clutched at his face, distracted by the moist red marks that ran through his skin and diverting his comrade’s attention, too, with his wailing.

[Doubar]

Green eyes glaring at his new opponent, the youngster seemed rather unconcerned by Doubar's shift in mood. Obviously, the lad thought himself skilled enough to challenge the Nomad's first mate like this. Well, either that or he let himself be fooled by the sailor's impressive stature and thought the other man to be only little capable when it came to a battle.

Doubar couldn't quite decide which of the two possibilities vexed him more.

Taking a bold step forwards, he swung his scimitar while letting out a low grumble, "Think it's about time someone taught you some manners." And without any further ado Doubar leashed out, knowing full well that this first strike would be blocked but wasn't that half of the fun?

Whereas his little brother preferred to assess his adverseries first, Doubar enjoyed pushing them and forcing a reaction from them lest they had time to think of a strategy.
As expected his blow was countered but before the lad could even consider using the successful parry to his advantage Doubar already yanked his arm sidewards and thus lowered both their swords - leading them in a semi-circle until his own blade was beneath the thug's. Then, suddenly, he ventured forward once more, pressed heavily against the dull silver until he sent the scowling boy careening backwards.

Not able to bite back a laugh that bubbled from his chest, Doubar was unaware of what happened behind him until the sharp cry of a bird of prey cut through the air and for a heartbeat he thought it had to be Dermott. But the animal's voice was clearer, higher and the name that followed it none that he had heard before. The terror, however, that was woven into the command to fly he recognised because he had heard a similar sort of fear from Maeve once when her brave hawk had flown into danger for his friends.

Lacking the opportunity to think further on the incident though Doubar merely stole a glance across his shoulder as someone wailed in pain and when he recognised it was one of the attackers Kalani's companion was dealing with he was content to return his focus on his own adversary again.
Just like him the man had briefly been distracted and even though he now regained his equilibrium Doubar saw his chance to deal out a well-aimed punch.

Sometimes, he really enjoyed locking horns with blighters like this one.

[Kalani]

Kalani found herself tempted to chance a glimpse behind, to try and see what was going on. However, as inexperienced in a skirmish such as this - or any kind of battle or fight, beyond friendly sparring years ago with her brother - even the young merchant knew that such a risk would likely be fatal. To look behind would mean she was not paying attention to what was going on in front of her. And while Doubar seemed to have the attention of a ruffian or two nearby, no others seemed to be paying her too much heed, distracted as they were by the crew of the Nomad arriving on the scene to aid in dealing with the villains who had started all this. Which was a relief to find herself thus mostly ignored at last, all things considered, yet Kalani did not think it would be particularly wise, even so, to chance that glance behind. So she did her best to keep track of what was happening simply by sound. Given the way her throbbing wrist tended towards robbing her of any kind of useful concentration, she was not picking up on too much... at least until she heard Majid's bellow.

How could she not hear it, given he was back to back with her? It took a moment to recall why the word "Nuray" seemed vaguely familiar, but the sound of rushing wings helped speed the merchantwoman towards the correct answer. Nuray... that was the falcon that Majid had left guarding his stall of wares. Apparently the bird had sensed he was in trouble, flying to his defense now. Except clearly her fellow merchant was not happy at this, given his tone of voice. There was terror interlaced with the command for the pale raptor, which she guessed was enough for Nuray, as nothing more was said, at least addressed to the falcon. It was just as well; Kalani could not imagine that combat against humans was safe for a bird. It was hardly safe for a human, as she could attest now. It would have been wonderful if the wretched thugs who had decided to start this chaos would now choose wisely, lay down their weapons and leave everyone in peace. Not that she really expected any such thing would happen. Clearly these men were addled by drink and adrenaline, and therefore the chances of any rational thought were slim and none. They would have to be defeated. At least there was a chance of that, now that the crew of the Nomad had arrived on the scene.

Hearing Majid's question, Kalani gave a nod of reassurance, then realized that he was not going to have been able to see the gesture, considering their circumstances. Ruefully, she added in vocal assurance, 'I'm fine. A bit surprised, but I'll survive.' Of course, her wrist hurt, but that was hardly fatal and he had far more important things to worry about right now. Like the ruffians in front of him who, though diverted in attention for the moment, no doubt would redouble their efforts soon enough.

[Firouz]

Firouz blinked as the last man he put down, tried to push himself up. He rushed into the man's personal space once more and rammed his knee into the man's chin. This time he did NOT get back up.

The fighting was slowing down a bit allowing him to catch his breath a bit and scan the area. The crowds seemed to have gained a small backbone for themselves and were fighting the ones responsible for this fight, he assumed, as there would be no other reason in his mind for the stall owners to fight otherwise.

There was Kalani standing back to back with someone, Doubar, Bryn, and a hawk, which reminded him of Dermott in its courage to fight side-by-side with it's human, when his eyes made the full circuit and sent the message to his mind,

"Where's Sinbad?!" he cried out as he ducked below a wildly swing young man's sword and used the boy's own strength to send it point first into the ground by his own sword.