Brottor rode Vallond through the streets of Thebes, drawing a lot of attention as he approached the marketplace. He found a shop that sold the exotic bit, bridle and saddle that he would need for Vallond, masterwork quality of course. The gnomish shopkeep was excited upon seeing Brottor's feathered mount, yammering on and on in both gnomish and common, calling Vallond a "deinonychus", supposedly a gnomish portmanteau meaning "terrible claw". Brottor had to sigh loudly four times to get the gnome to leave him and Vall alone, though the shopkeep insisted that Brottor take a bag of six salted and preserved chickens that the gnome claimed was the best food for the "dinosaur" (another gnomish word, apparently meaning "terrible lizard" despite Vallond's bird-like appearance).
Shaking his head and leading Vall (who was happily chewing on one of the chickens) back into the crowd, Brottor had an uncharacteristic lapse of attention and bumped into a young human woman.
"I am so sorry..." she said, wandering back into the crowd before Brottor could apologize. The woman appeared very disoriented, and her apparent confusion seemed to increase as she passed a smithy and then rushed down an alleyway as if she were being chased. Brottor followed the woman, concerned about her health, both physical and mental.
Turning the corner into the alley, the dwarven paladin arrived just in time to witness the young woman envelop herself in a layer of water. A mage.
Brottor approached cautiously, one could never be too wary around a strange mage, particularly one under duress. He reached out his hand, gesturing as if to help her to her feet.
"Lass? Lassie, are ye well? Can I aid ye?"