*****
The ensuing days passed by in similar fashion. Gemmy knew where to stop and sleep every night -- and perhaps more importantly, she seemed to have an excellent sense of when trouble was approaching. More than once, she abruptly pulled Murdoch off the road and into a nearby hiding spot, only to have a brigand ride by, or some dangerous wilderness creature emerge.
Eventually, the scenery would become more familiar to Murdoch. The terrain became rougher and more hilly. Soon, the abandoned mines began to dot the ground, and the acrid smoke of the Slag Heap Fire was visible in the distance.
The city itself came into view, a misshapen aggregation of buildings thrown together in defiance of any organizing principle. Gemmy didn't stop to admire the view, quickening her pace instead as she descended into Sunberth.
There were a few people on the streets, but no one Murdoch would recognize -- or that would recognize him. Gemmy greeted several of them with a wave and a cheerful salutation -- exceptionally, for this town, everyone seemed to like her, as the return she got was invariably pleasant.
The building she stopped in front of bore the legend TALL JOHNNY'S CASINO & CAGE FIGHTS. As always, a pair of unsmiling Akalak guards flanked the entrance. It was a place Murdoch would know all too well, and it looked exactly the same as it had when he had last seen it.
"Here we are," Gemmy said, more quietly than was usual for her.
