AN: Thank you to those who are reading and/or reviewing! :D This is my first time doing chapters based on colors.
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The fire with the pig on the spit was bright.
The honey glazed meat filled the air with a smokey sweet smell, making Sora's stomach growl. Having been clapping her hands to the beat of the drum, she paused for a moment in her embarrassment. Hopefully no one heard that. She stole a glance at Leon who kept his hands still, but watched the performance with interest. Sophie's eyes were wide with childish excitement; she could barely contain herself as she enthusiastically clapped her small hands along with everyone else.
In noting these things, Sora forgot why she had stopped participating.
Shrugging it off, she felt out the rhythm and then joined in.
After a few more seconds, Leon's eyes slid over to her, taking in the way she enjoyed the intricate dances as much as the playful puppet show they saw several days ago. More like two weeks ago. He tilted his head thoughtfully. It felt like he had been meeting with her for longer than that.
The jingling of some bangles made him look forward.
While he was distracted, a dancer stopped in front of him and was offering her hands to him, pulling people from the crowd to come and dance with them. Sora giggled as Sophie tried to coax him to go.
"I'll come too," Sophie volunteered decisively.
Before he could tell her no, she stood up, grabbed his hand and then grabbed the dancer's. Seeing Leon's tall form being dragged out of his seat by a little girl was too much for Sora as she laughed and laughed.
"Enjoy yourselves!" Sora tittered, wiping the corners of her eyes from laughing so much.
Not even a whole second after saying that did she squeak as Leon's free hand gently, but firmly wrap around her wrist. She was suddenly pulled up and off of her seat
"If I go," he murmured, the firelight showing the humor in his eyes, "you go."
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Sometime during the dancing, the children huddled together in the center.
Leon kept his eyes on Sophie as he distractedly danced with Sora and the performer with them. He watched as her little dress swirled around her as she twirled as fast as she could. He shook his head as the other little girls mimicked her as well as a few boys.
"She's starting a new dance," he heard Sora's comment with underlining mirth.
"She tends to do that," he wiry replied before turning back to her. He gave a slow blink upon seeing that it was only Sora in front of him now. "Did you scare our host?"
She flicked her hair towards him as she did a half turn to the rhythm of the drums.
"Perhaps your negligence offended her," she chided with a smile playing on her lips.
He softly scoffed, but his eyes remained focused on her swaying form. "You're quite good," he complemented. "Perhaps you intimidated her."
Her cheeks were rosy. She decided to address the complement a little differently than what she had initially taken it as. "I should hope so. I would make a poor instructor if I were terrible at it."
He twirled her around. "You're a dancer?"
"Part of the time."
His eyes appreciatively watched her hair and skirts flutter around herself. When she stopped spinning, he brought his hand along her hip. He took in the pale gold pendent around her neck and the small disk earrings that were hidden in her hair. He smiled to himself upon his observation. I have seen this fashion amongst traveling groups.
With how close they were, she could see that his grey eyes were actually an intriguing mixture of the palest blue and grey. She swallowed as his hand on her hip stayed as he led her around the ground. Her eyes widened a little as he leaned forward, their foreheads almost touching.
"Does this mean," he rumbled with a quirk of his lips, "that you are a gypsy?"
In a moment of foolish inspiration, her hand went over his shoulder.
"Not necessarily," she murmured. She then bent her upper body backwards, her hand along his shoulder anchoring her as she extended her other arm out into the air. She smoothly brought herself back to him, though now they were touching in multiple places. "But I have traveled with gypsies before," she finished with a quirk of lips.
Her words fanned his face. His eyes lidded, liking her dancing and confidence.
"You're full of surprises," he murmured.
She let out a shaky breath as his hands traveled from her hips up her sides. His face was incredibly close, she could see the rings of pale blue in his eyes.
She liked them.
And as her lips touched his, she admitted to herself that there were a lot of things about him that she more than liked. If he had been surprised by her boldness, he did not show it. She felt him lightly brush back as her hand came up and touched the side of his face.
Their lips teased with feathery light touches, the action shooting shivers along their body. They had finally set their lips fully on each other's when a high shriek filled the night air.
Leon felt his blood run cold upon hearing it.
He pulled away from Sora. She seemed to have recognized the voice as her eyes darted over the place.
"Leon!" Sora called, pointing out Sophie on the ground.
He ran over before any other words were given. The crowd of children parted for him and he saw Sophie's fearful face. He kneeled down and looked over her form. Her dress was dusty and her knees scraped; tears ran down her face. He frowned, not knowing if her fall was the only thing that had made her cry.
He picked her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"They're here," she whimpered in his ear, "I saw the wolves."
He stiffened, but then relaxed, trying not to give his apprehension away. He was glad she remembered what he told her about them and her understanding of not saying it out loud for all to hear.
Sora came over with her handkerchief. "It's ok, Sophie," she softly said as she wiped the girl's face.
He was grateful for her comfort. "Let's go."
They walked away from the festivities. Leon murmured things to Sophie that Sora could not hear, but she didn't pry. She busied herself with dusting off Sophie's dress.
Her hand paused as she caught Sophie whimpering in another language, but then continued with the dusting.
SL
They were close to the alley where the inn was when Leon stopped.
Sora blinked as Leon adjusted Sophie to one arm in order to wrap another around her waist. She flushed a little as he embraced her. If things weren't dire, he would have enjoyed seeing her blush.
"Could you do something for me?" he murmured into her ear.
"Of course," came her ready response.
He could kiss her for that, especially since he had felt her lips earlier; but he withheld the urge. "Can you stay with Sophie at the inn for a while? There's something I need to take care of."
Her face turned towards him, wanting to ask what it was, but the steel blue glint of his eyes told her that he needed her answer right now, not her curiosity.
"Alright," she said, holding her arms out for the girl.
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Leon made sure that they got into the inn safely and then he backtracked to the alleyways before the inn.
He had asked Sophie how many of them she had seen. By the low number, he could tell that they were only a scouting group. There was nothing to be alarmed about as of right now, but only if he took care of them.
His steps were quiet as he walked.
Two daggers were in his hands, but hidden in his sleeves, having pulled them from his boots.
What I wouldn't give for my sword. Such a weapon had been left behind and traded for cloak-able ones. Discretion and caution were vital; the sword would have drawn too much attention.
If all else failed, there was hand to hand combat.
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AN: Secret things about!