Spoiler: Hook; Spoiler for length
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"...and so everybody knows Jamis was caught sneaking out of the servants quarters in his underwear! He's barely shown his face for a week!" Kayla laughs, picking a blouse out of the market stall and posing with it as the merchant hovers hopefully. "How about this one?"
"Oh no!" Cordelia laughs, stroking Kitten's head as she sits patiently waiting for her people to move on. "And the week before there was the incident with the octopus... If I were him I think I'd give up and just hide forever! Yes, I think that suits you much better. I like the sleeves, and the the way the stitching is done round the neck."
"Ah! Well I think I'll buy it then. Here, two gold crowns?" Kayla places the coins on the stall, much to the merchant's obsequious thanking. "That just leaves a hat for this afternoon," she comments as the two resume strolling through the market, Kitten weaving delicately around their legs as they make their way through the Freeday crowds. "You should count yourself lucky Henry doesn't make you go to all of these things, Dee," Kayla laments.
"Haha, well he would if he could!" Cordelia laughs. "And I wouldn't mind being invited a bit more often, you know? I quite enjoy an afternoon tea occasionally. Oh! I think I see a hat stall over there!"
"Oh yes! Good spot. We should be done soon then, and we can meet Lorna at Best Bait for lunch." The two start to make their way in the direction of the stall, their progress slow through the heavy crowds. As they go Kayla picks up on Cordelia's compliant. "It's not fair though, Dee. I wish the others made more effort to include you. We were all so close at the academy. You'd think Ailuin at least-"
"Look, forget I said anything," Cordelia interrupts, hugging her stomach defensively. Kitten looks up, sensing the change in atmosphere. "I know it's difficult to be seen to fraternise with the help. Just ask Jamis," she finishes bitterly as Kayla puts an arm around her shoulders for a sympathetic hug. Suddenly out of the corner of her eye she gets the sense of something watching her. Behind a nearby animal-hide stall a tiny dog in the smallest cage imaginable and miserable conditions looks up at Cordelia with pleading eyes. Quickly glancing at the stallkeeper she confirms he's distracted with a customer.
"Hey. Kayla." Cordelia says, alerting her friend to the tiny watcher with a nod. "I'll catch up with you in a moment. I need to get this."
Kayla catches Cordelia's line of sight and squeezes her arm when she notices where she's looking. "Go for it Dee! Just be careful, it's busy. I'll see you at the hats."
As Kayla continues on with a nervous backwards glance, Cordelia waits for a break in the crowd before ducking into the gap between stalls, crouching in beside the tiny cage, Kitten slinking stealthily behind her.
"Hey... hey... look at you! Aren't you adorable!" she whispers quietly as the dog jumps up excitedly, and she fumbles with the cage's catch. "Shh! Shh! You'll get us both caught! Ok... there!"
The cage door releases and Cordelia opens it slowly, checking that the stall owner is occupied, but the dog is immediately out and jumping and licking her in the face! Kitten swishes her tail amusedly.
"Haha! There you go! Come on, let's get you... oh! You're still tied! Let me just get tha-"
Shhhnk!
As Cordelia reaches in to the back of the cage to unhook the dog a previously unnoticed trap mechanism springs shut, trapping her hand.
"OW!" She gives it an experimental tug, but her hand and the cage are stuck fast even as the grateful dog still jumps and licks her face. Looking up, she sees the stallholder is finishing with his customer and her blood runs cold. Discovery is just seconds away!