Walter examined his handiwork and smiled uncertainly. The pony’s saddle lay under the animal where it had landed after Walter had accidentally undone the wrong strap. Walter wasn’t actually sure it was the wrong strap, but the result of its undoing had definitely not been what he was after. And although the animal was successfully tethered to a hitching post, Walter wasn’t entirely satisfied with the means of attachment, as at some point in his fiddling the bridle had come off the animal’s head, and Walter had resorted to tying the reins loosely around its neck and hooking the bridle over part of the hitching post.

“I guess it’ll have to do for now,” he said. “And I’m on the ground, and you, big buddy, aren’t going anywhere.” He patted the pony on its flank. The pony dropped its head back to the side to examine Walter, and the reins slid off and fell to the ground.

Walter pursed his lips. After a moment, he looked the pony in the eyes. “Stay,” he said firmly.

The pony turned to stare straight ahead. Walter interpreted this as confirmation that the pony would do as commanded.

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Now, to catch up with Reeve, Walter thought.

“Cloaks for all weather!” A vendor shouted in a high voice that carried through the noise of the market.

“All weather…,” Walter said quietly.

“Cloaks for all weather!” The vendor cried again.

Walter looked up the steps to the doors of the town hall, back into the crowded market, up at the darkening sky which was nearly—but not entirely—cloudless, and then down at his completely exposed shirt, breeches, and suspenders. Walter concentrated on his User Interface and was pleased when he wavered only slightly as it zoomed into view. “Still got it!” He said, quite proud of how far he’d come in the game and how much he remembered from their extremely unexpected and quite harrowing adventure of the previous night. “Like riding a bike,” he said. His eyes scanned his Inventory, which remained fairly minimalist, despite his accumulated time in-game. Would he, he wondered, be able to buy or barter with any of these items? Perhaps with a bit of a discount…

“Cloaks for all weather!”

“Coming! Coming!” Walter said loudly as he dispelled the UI, swayed in place momentarily, and then turned and hastened between two carts and into the throng.