Wrye stood in front of Auri's stall like a boulder that decided to grow legs and pick a good spot to settle. He had his arms folded loosely across his chest, one boot planted just slightly forward, a solid wall of calm amid the storm.
From what Auri had gathered, the brawl had erupted over a few crates of bruised fruit, which was ridiculous. Someone claimed the vendor was cheating customers, and like clockwork, fists started flying.
A half-rotten apple sailed through the air and splattered near Wrye's boot. Wrye glanced down at it, then up at the cluster of shouting men, with the mild exasperation of a teacher catching children in a scuffle.
"Why don't you all settle down for a moment?" Wrye said finally, his voice carrying over the commotion in an almost lazy tone. "It's too early in the day for this nonsense."
For a moment, the weight of his presence made a few of the brawlers stop. They hesitated. Some shifted uncomfortably.
But anger was a stubborn thing.
