"Well, in that case we may be seeing more of each other," K'taana murmured. She tugged back on Slate's reins, digging her elbow into his chest so that he would back farther from the other woman's horse, then set off down the road. The farther she walked, the more anxious she grew. Shady figures milled around her, glaring at her. People gambled at the side of the road, singing and drunks drifted out of taverns, and she could see down alleys where the occasional brawl was happening. She pulled Slate to a stop, flipped the reins over his head, held the stirrup steady for her left foot, then bounced lightly into the saddle, settling herself before giving a firm squeeze to move onward. Somehow she felt safer on Slate's back. At least she could move faster than on foot. She ambled on for a while longer, the sky growing orange as the sun set. She came to the outskirts, where the Slums lay. They were larger than she expected. She pulled Slate to a stop, and stared out over the town of rickety houses. Despite the safety that camping there seemed to bring, she knew that she would be robbed blind before dawn. She turned left and urged Slate into a trot, though it was more sluggish and lazy than she would like, and skirted the border of the slums. There was no where safe in Sunberth, and if she wished to keep her life and her belongings, she was bound to have a very sleepless night. "Maybe I should have stayed with the other woman, Slate. We could have kept watch for each other." She patted the dark horse on the neck as they trotted on, past the testimony to poverty. |