Kora was losing her temper. She had been hiding, hunched over in the muck and
slime that was the back ally, for over an hour. Even more than the muck that had
plastered its self to her feet, she was angry at herself. She should have know this would
happen. No, it wasn't just that. She should have done something to prevent it. The clanking of armor interrupted her thoughts.
Guards patrolling.
"More likely looking for you." She told herself angrily.
Quickly, she shape-changed into an old crone. Looking into a dirty puddle she examined her features. She frowned. The wrinkles did not hide her features as well as she would have hoped. Her hair still had some of it's original peach color and her eyes still shone a brilliant blue. For the hundredth time today she wished her features were not so noticeable. She wrapped a tattered cloth around her eyes and pulled the dirty cloak closer to her. The clanking sound was louder now, the guards were almost on top of her. She shuffled forward, calling
"Alms for the poor. Alms for the poor." Hopefully the guards would fall for her get-up and just dismiss her as the blind beggar that she appeared to be. This was not to be.
"Wait this could be her." One guard said.
"You say that every time we meet a beggar on the street." A second one said.
"Well if it's not her, she must be in league with her." The first guard argued.
"Just because she's a beggar doesn't mean that she's in league with thieves." Guard number two countered.
"Just because your parents-"
"My parents had nothing to do with it! I-"
"Shut up! Both of you!" This was the third guard. "You sound like a couple of school boys!" There was some mumbling that Kora couldn't make out.
Then the third guard said, "Well you can ask her but don't expect a useful response." Then there was more clanking as the guards approached her.
"You! Beggar!" Number one shouted.
"I may be old but my ears work just fine." Kora replied in her old lady voice.
"Don't talk back to me! We're looking for someone. Have you seen any one run past here?"
"Well no I haven't. I'm blind." Kora smiled inwardly. This was going rather well.
"Well then have you HEARD any one pass through here." Kora could tell the guard was speaking through gritted teeth.
She turned her face towards his, "For a gold coin I might remember."
That was a mistake. It wasn't her question that got the guard it was her face. She was so worn out from shape-changing all day that her powers had given up. At the crucial moment, her powers had turned off.
"It's you!" The guard exclaimed . A hand grabbed the cloak and tore it off her. Such was the force of it, she was thrown backwards. She slid on the slime and struggled to regain her footing. She took off the headband. The three guards easily blocked the entrance to the ally, her only exit. She backed up against the wall. She pulled one dagger from each of her boots. If she was going down, she wouldn't do it with out a fight.

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