The height was a little awkward, Rhocanth realized, as he felt Thais's hand on his upper arm. Not really what he intended, but he stuck his arm out to help with that. It still felt good to be escorting a lady -- and Thais did look very much like a lady. Secretly, he was quite pleased with her demeanor, her air of nobility, as she looked down at the drunken man. It spoke to something that had been habitual for him since birth and that he found a darker part of his heart missed. It wasn't just about browbeating people, of course. It was bloodline as well, fidelity, duty. Yes, a sworn duty to give sloppy, rude commoners the stink-eye. Oh, for once upon a time, when he wore silks and surface furs and dressed his hair with scented pomade. For the nostalgia of it, he lifted his chin away from the drunk as well.
At any rate, Thais moved with grace and dignity he had not seen in some time, and looked gorgeous as well. He wondered then if it was something she had learned in the Tower, or in her previous life. The beads adorning her hair were alluringly glittery, such that anyone might want to reach out and touch one of her blonde tendrils.
"By the by," he began, trying to sound a little more casual. Lifting his chin, he began to look for a suitable seat for them. "You look very fetching this eve. Will this suit you?" Rhocanth lifted his other hand to indicate a table under the stairs, somewhat out of the way of the rest of the crowd. The others were rapidly filling, and soon this shaded spot would be the only one left without a sweaty press of bodies disturbing it. Upstairs was probably not a good choice, as it would be so hard to get back down if it filled up. If that was fine for Thais, he moved quickly to pull out a chair for her.
Under the landing that way, and with his attention on his companion, Rhocanth didn't notice Constans working the room. It wasn't until the crack of mugs on the floor that he even looked over his shoulder, and was just in time to watch a fist fly right into the tranquil's face.
Completely unacceptable.
Rhocanth's expression soured considerably, mouth pinching into a line. "Please excuse me," he managed to say quickly before marching toward the fray. It had worsened rapidly, with the drunk's friends getting in on the action, and even... who was that? Another dwarf?! There was a dwarf fighting the drunkards with Constans! A skip of excitement fluttered in his chest, and his pace quickened. As he made it to the edge of the throng, he saw a girl ducking past in the opposite direction. Rhocanth made way for her and nodded that she should head for the opposite edge of the room. He was about to speak to her when unfortunately that gave time for someone's elbow to lift and, at his height disadvantage, hit him in the eye.
"Agh!" he growled. His rage was quickly rising. How dare he?! Turning to the man and lifting his own arm, he let his elbow crash down against his back, right in the kidney. It was not fortuitous to mess with short people. They had a way with getting at one's center of balance easily. A wall of sweat and fleshy scents battered at his face now and he barreled into it fists-first, slowly picking through the web towards Constans.
"Constans!" he tried to shout over the din. "Over here!" If they worked together, perhaps they could make an exit from the fray?