Playtime|Aegestrom, Maelstrom

[Northen Light36]

"Aries! Catch!" Barely waiting until she's caught her brother's attention, Bas tosses a ball to Aries, throwing it over Pas' head as Pas attempts to steal it.

"Wanna play!" Letha annouces to her siblings. Bas frowns slightly. As much as she loves the little twins, they're too small to play monkey in the middle and it'll just make them end up crying. And the last thing Bas wants is for her mother to come back from the market to find the little twins crying.

"Okay, we'll just play catch. Letha, you catch the ball when Aries throws it. Robin, you go stand with Pas and we'll make a circle," Bas orders her siblings, deciding that a simple game of catch is something they can all play.

[Kender Bard]

Aries repressed a sigh - he liked monkey in the middle. Oh well. He tossed the ball gently to Letha.

A woman watched from a cautious difference, clutching her doll gently to her chest. Did she recognize these children? No, no... It should be safe to begin with them. Yes.

She stepped forward, bit her lip, then called out softly, "Children... Oh children!"

[Northen Light36]

Bas and Pas look over curiously as the woman calls to them, as do Letha and Robin. Seeing nothing more then a stranger, Robin turns his attention back to the far more important game. Letha however spots the doll and instantly drops the ball in favour of running over to the woman. "Can I see your dolly?" she asks hopefully.

"Letha, don't run off!" Bas scolds, running after her sister and taking the little girl's hand. "Can we help you?" Bas adds politely, looking curiously at the woman.

[Kender Bard]

The woman kept the doll clutched closely.

Aries, interested as well, wandered over to have a look. The woman smiled wanly at all three. "I've lost my daughter," she said very quietly. "Have any of you seen her? She looks just like this." The woman showed the doll to the three of them, holding it tightly in case Letha decided to be grabby.

Aries shook his head.

[Northen Light36]

Letha pouted and Bas, spotting her little sister's lower lip starting to tremble, cut in quickly with, "Letha, you can play with my dolls if you want." To the woman she added, "No, sorry. I don't know anyone who looks like that. Pas! Robin!" The two boys come over to see what's doing on and Bas explains about the lost daughter.

"No, sorry," Pas says after looking at the doll. "Robin?"

"Nuh-uh," Robin replies, shaking his head.

[Kender Bard]

With all the children gathered, the Clear loosened her hold on her aura and let it spread out. "I miss her so terribly," she murmured, tears in her voice. And she did, so very much. "My Amadie!" A tear slipped out of her eye. "You children would be kind enough to help..." She exerted a little force behind the words.

"Of course," Aries agreed as his will became ensnared.

[Northen Light36]

Even with so elementals in a group, the children never had a chance against the Clear. Their wills were ensared before they could even entertain the thought that they probably shouldn't be talking to strangers.

"How can we help?" Pas asked.

[Kender Bard]

"Come with me and call out for my Amadie," the woman suggested eagerly. "We'll take a little stroll. If we don't find her then I will ask the master to help me again." She beckoned and began to call out, "Amadie! Amadie!!"

[Northen Light36]

The children followed willingly enough, not that it would have mattered if they hadn't been willing. "Who's master?" Bas asks curriously between calls.

"I bet Mama would know where we should look. We could ask her?" Pas suggests.

[Kender Bard]

"No, no, Amadie loved to play with other children but was quite shy with adults," Simona replied. "Only other children would probably know. Let's not ask your mother. Master is master. He is warm and loving and helps me find Amadie. He promised me we would, someday. Do any of you know other children that might help us find her?"

Aries glanced at Pas and mouthed, "Luminous?"

[Northen Light36]

Pas nods in agreement, smiling. "Our friend Lumi might know," he suggests. "She lives over there," he adds, pointing to where Brightmore Manor can be seen above the other buildings in the city.

"Yeah, Lumi might know," Bas agrees.

[Kender Bard]

"Are any of you children clever enough to know a way to speak with her without drawing attention?" Simona asked. "I really do not want to be harassed by the guards. They might know you, but they don't know me, and may not allow me to speak with her. But I must ask, I must! And I must show her my doll so she knows what Amadie looks like. Can any of you help me with this?"

[Northen Light36]

Pas looks a little uncertain. "We've got a secret way in," he admits. "I could go get Lumi, but uncle Vortai might wanna come too. He's Lumi's body guard cause Lumi's a princess." The young boy swells slightly with pride as he annouces his uncle's important job.

[Kender Bard]

I think I'll need Master to speak with the princess, Simona thought. "Oh well I don't want to trouble them," the Clear replied. "Let's keep looking a bit longer and then we'll ask her and her friend."

Along the way, Simona picked up a few more children - ranging from commoners to more well-born children. All submitted eagerly to Simona's plea to find her lost daughter. Rather than seem conspicuous with so many children, however, Simona instructed most of them to spread out and look - and to return later at an appointed time in an appointed place.

Once she'd ensnared several more children, Simona stopped and sighed quietly. "It seems we must ask the master for help," she declared. And, as though conjured by magic, a man strode forth from where he had been shadowing the woman and her children companions. "Master!"

"Mother," he greeted Simona. "Oh I see you've found some companions to assist you. Hello children."

[Northen Light36]

"Hello," Bas replied. She wasn't particularly interrested in the man at the moment, since her attention was taken up by the way Robin and Letha were starting to whimper and whine.

"The little twins are tired," Pas points out. "And Muma's probably wondering where we are. I'm sorry miss, but we really should be getting home."