Spoiled Plans

Standing out of her crouch, Rhea eyed the stone before giving a quick nod and setting it into the pouch on her belt. Cinching the small bag, she tucked the ties behind her belt and grinned. The pond shimmered in the sun before her, and with a final glance down its shore she turned and stuffed her hands into her pockets. There was a bounce in her step as she left the park and started down the road toward the jeweler's. Reaching for another pouch on her belt, the gnome slipped her fingers in and withdrew a handful of coins. Eyeing them, she nodded to herself. That should be enough, she figured, slipping them back into the pouch. A few gemstones, a few painted stones, and she would have the makings for another of her creations. She thought of making it mechanical this time, a toy for the children she had seen roaming the Sunite hall. Back in her room she had the metal she would need, but she didn't have the colors of gems she wanted. Turning down an alley as a shortcut, she started to reach for her tablet to prepare her request. With a grin, she let her arms drop back to her sides; she didn't need it any more. The creation Icehawk had given her allowed her thoughtspeech, and she still marveled at such a large gift from a virtual stranger. Little did he know how much it meant -- Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed her from behind, pulling her into the shadows of the alley. There was a flash of motion in front of her and a hand clasped her choker, removing it before she could call out. She struggled, kicking backward and meeting only air as the grip on her tightened. A cloth was pressed over her nose and mouth; instinctively, she took a deep breath, inhaling a strange scent deeply. She coughed, pulling her head backward, and the cloth was pressed closer to her face. Silently she cursed herself for not carrying her dagger, for thinking herself safe without it. Twisting, she tried to pull away, one of her pouches catching and ripping open. The stones she'd collected spilled out onto the ground around her. With a fast motion, her head was pressed forward into the cloth, and she took another deep breath of the strange substance. The alley around her began to spin, and she slumped backward into her captive's grasp as she fell unconscious.