Passing farms there were almost at Cromerth. Hopefully our pursers will not see us so the guards will not give us away. Do they know what we look like? Hector looked sick to enter a large city and Safiya, well she didn’t talk for a while so i have no idea what's she is thinking. she pulled on the reins to slow her moa to a walk. We don't want to seem to be in a hurry or running from someone. The guards raised their eyebrows at them as they passed through we were in the city

"Jezebel don’t touch our supplies we need to save them” Hector said as she was reaching for the pachmoa

“What are we supposed to eat then?” Jezebel asked

“we can beg” Safiya suggested

“I have some dignity” Jezebel sniffed

“I don’t” Safiya replied

“fine but only when we have to. where is the best place” why is everyone staring at me? people on the streets took notice

“You grew up on the streets. of a large city where should we go?” looking at the same looking streets

“um... I don’t know” people began pointing at us. Why did we think we could hide here? Why aren't we near any forests?

“Well what's a good place to beg?”

“the marketplace?” They seemed to take that as a good enough place to beg for supplies and hopefully our pursers will not see us there or that is the first place they search. They followed Hector since he’s the only one to have been here before. children started pointing at me. one screamed running back to their parents well we're going to be noticed. Jezebel sighed it hurt being one of a kind there mothers trying to sooth their children

“I hope we don’t cause a riot” Jezebel said

“it’s a possibility” Hector’s voice cracked a bit

“We have to leave today,” everyone agreed. The marketplace was really crowded today with people buying food from merchants selling goods. They found a empty alleyway and tied their moas to a heavy crate

“we should name them” Jezebel said “what should we name them” Jezebel went on

“but we don’t know if there boys or girls”

“Name them later” Hector scowled sitting at the entrance. why? we left the begging to Safiya she’s the only one good at this she knew all the tricks pleading to rich people who could afford a few coppers no problem she also knew how to go about it looking poorer than she was if that was possible simple she was a master at it she got more then both of us combined Jezebel thought bitterly

“I’ll get the supplies with our money” Hector went and looking as if he hasn't been to a city in twenty years he knew how to ague for prices soon there poor packmoa was so full of supplies that she had to put some of it on her riding moa

Jezebel left them to it as she went hunting for rats. There's always rats in cities. big ones and they taste way better than that dried beef. Passing the moas. deeper in the alleyway checking barrels, under crates filled with nasty spoiled food she found one and when you find one there's twelve more nearby it ran off towards a crack in the wall but she was faster it wiggled in her hand before biting it’s head off and spiting out such a nasty flavor using her long knife to skin it and soon nothing was left but bones and skin. I need more. She looked around and soon found another one and caught it. A man with greasy hair came out a door near me and he froze.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“what are you supposed to be?”

“Nobody” Jezebel said mid bite he drew a sword

“We don't like your kind here” Another guy passed him with a blond beard and was taller than the first guy with his own sword. When Jezebel stood up and they saw her true height they hesitated. She pulled out her long knife and held it steady then they charged with fury in their eyes. dodging one but got hit in the thigh by the other. She thrust her knife into his shoulder and threw him off. the blond one tried to slash at her kicked him in the leg before he could and he fell then slashed with her long knife across the face of the shorter one he dropped his sword clutching his face then plunged the long knife in the falling man neck as he tried to get up she got tackled from behind

“I’ll kill you for that!” he screamed , slashing my back with his knife. Used all my strength to throw him off and he went flying then slashed his throat open with her claws. pulling my other long knife from the dead man’s neck Everything happened so fast leaving the gruesome sight crying.

Then she noticed her hip bleeding and my wing had a gash. limping back to the market, holding her thigh trying to stop the bleeding. They were waiting for her at the same spot.

“What happened?” Safiya cried as Hector inspected her wounds which were begging to throb with pain

“their deep” Hector said “we need to get you to a herbalist” Hector said before slinging me over my moa and rode down a street.

“Do you know where it is?” Jezebel said It was a little awkward because of her height but didn't complain she was too busy bleeding to death after leaving a trail of blood for their pursuers to follow Hector stopped at the herbalist at least she hoped

“just where I remember” Hector said as he carried me inside

“We need a herbalist!” Hector called a short man short black hair in a white shirt and pants and woman shoulder length brown hair with a pointy nose rushed over with shocked in their eyes as Hector set her down on the table and turning her onto stomach in the next room over

“Just stop the bleeding, we can't afford herbs” Hector said from the doorway Safiya came close to me

“You'll be alright,” Safiya assured. The herbalist didn’t waste any time cleaning and bandaging around her thigh and back. Then back on her stomach for her wing

“it’s not too deep and no organs were hit I think but only time will tell” the woman said those thugs. I didn't even finish hunting. I'm still hungry.

“Do you have any rats?” the herbalist blinked

“no we keep this place very clean”

“she eats them” Safiya clarified

“We don't have any here” the herbalist said with a frown as she left the room. she just noticed Hector was nowhere in Sight only Jezebel and Safiya she sat closer

“we need to leave today” Jezebel said oh it’s going to hurt riding nothing to be done now

“no you need to rest you are in no condition to travel” Safiya insisted handing her a tin cup of water taking a sip was a bit tricky

“besides we might get more coin and that means more supplies”

“Fine” I guess a few more coppers wouldn't hurt her back started to feel like fire and my leg with nothing to do but wait.

After four days of waiting a blizzard came, covering the city in snow and ice. Safiya didn’t have much luck begging and she laid at the herbalist resting.

Hector left the city. Finally I will have to be well enough to travel. The guards will be looking for us and our pursuers will be no doubt. I felt groggily like my mind is a slug with back pain.

When the blizzard subsided they left the city as fast as they could, picking up Hector outside of the city eating road food on the go and hoping that their pursuers had given up. The landscape was covered in thick snow. The wind cut through the bone but had to get there. The sky promised more storms but Falkner is ahead of us. It's now or never Jezebel thought as she galloped. her back in agony.