Jezebel was impressed at what Hector got for their journey: dried meat, cheese, bread all good for traveling soap so they could bathe in the river ice cold bath but a bath nonetheless. At least we won’t suffocate each other on our journey.
Safiya doesn't trust Hector with the knowledge. but we need him and I'm prepared to fight him off while Safiya claims it. They sat against the hospital wall with no one in sight. At least They didn't throw us out but they implied that we were staying too long so now we beg on the streets and save what we could for our journey. which was not much.
They sat looking at each other and their small haul for the journey. Safiya looking at Hector as if he might pull a knife any moment
“we can’t beat lord Falkner without moas of are own” Jezebel pointed out
“We can't buy them, I barely got what I could from lord Charles for supplies”
“you didn't tell us where they came from” Safiya said
“can we stay on topic” Jezebel said “how can we get some?” Jezebel asked
“we don’t unless we steal them and that we make us being hunted and trying to beat Falkner to mount Iroswell“
“What if we wear masks?” Jezebel said
“um I hate to break this to you but the two of us stand out even with masks”
"Safiya’s right, a half demon and a half avian kind stand out to any one not blind
“Hector can”
“not four of them”
“three” Jezebel said
“We need one to hold all our food” Safiya started gnawing on a biscuit until she noticed their stairs
“what?”
“We need that” Jezebel said, ripping it out of her hand and placing it back on the rag. We only had a few biscuits and a half a loaf of bread, not bad considering we have to eat most of it and one had a bite mark a beak mark?
“what about finding wild moas?” Safiya asked Hector looked at her as if she was crazy
“good luck finding them and if you do and if they don’t run off and if you get on it’s back there is no guarantee that we could make it go where we want to go”
he’s right and it would take far to long Jezebel thought rubbing her face in despair there's too many ifs
“So stealing?” Safiya said “we are going to resort to stealing?”
“you have a better idea without us getting lost looking for moas we can’t tame” Hector challenged
“enough! We are going to steal them unfortunately but I see no other way so me and Hector we get them once we come up with a plan” Safiya got up and let loose a string of curses before sitting back down.
“fine” She grumbled
“we’re waiting for night besides Jezebel can pass for a man in the dark with her height” Hector said
“a man! But I have a woman’s figure, good sir!” Jezebel said offended. Hector’s eyes went wide
“I meant in the dark you could mask your identity and most human women aren't as tall as you” Hector said as she got up and walked away behind the hospital. I have muscle to be sure but not enough to be mistaken for a man. mother said I could never attract a man that I would become an old woman who never kissed a man. My height doesn't help either but if people are willing to mate with lizardmen and avians and merfolk. But would I want a man like that? They are sick. just like mother! I wish I was normal than I could be with someone. She sat there crying for a time then she noticed the sun setting. I need to eat something. I need to check the traps that Hector found in town. At least he got that right. Some are at the grain exchange. rats love it there if their cats don’t get them first she walked over to the middle of the village people notice her but they won't judgmental stairs but of acceptance.
I'm I really? leaving this for a race to maybe become a goddess. but can I really be so selfish? The other halfbreeds need Safiya to be a goddess or me not Hector. There is something weird about him and not just because he said I look like a man. I reached the trap stashed under one of the merchants' wagons and found three fat rats in a cage the bait had worked for this one crawling under and grabbing the cage then crawled out.
people were in the streets lighting lamps and candles. People aren't going to bed just yet. It seems there will be more eye witnesses but we need to leave now. nothing to do about it now. nine feet away from her other trap found one rat now with two rats in each hand. she walked back to where her friends near the hospital Hector and Safiya where sitting and talking
“Here skin theses'' handing them to Hector he muttered under his breath. but he pulled out his knife and took the rats.
Safiya handed her cracked horse mask and her long knife she got from the siege, with even a sheath attached to a belt tying it around her waist. “We don't have another option” Jezebel said
“No we don’t but I don’t have to like it,” Safiya replied.
“Wait, you need a weapon for this journey here” Jezebel said, handing her a sling Safiya put it in her little pouch.
They moved in between some houses to hide. Hector came by with the skinned rats shortly after he’s fast! she ate while waiting for darkness. The only sound was Jezebel munching on her rats until there was only bones tossing away the bones then they moved to the stable with masks on except Safiya her break got in the way.
slowly they crept to the stable wasn’t large but it had plenty of moas Hector moved silently all that time sneaking on animals Paid off. There was no one but a young stable man about seventeen focused on the night. Hector sprang with ax in hand and placed a hand over his mouth before he could scream
“I won’t hurt you if you cooperate” Hector whispered he nodded without a pause he must be so scared “get me four of your best moa’s and quickly” he hurried to get them all ready when he was done Hector gaged him and tied him to one of the posts with some rope laying around poor boy. Safiya awkwardly got in the saddle as did Jezebel. She must not have rode one before I hadn't. They rode out into the night leaving him there. The whole ordeal left a sour taste in Jezebel’s mouth Hector wouldn't have killed him right? ya he was just being scary to protect us almost no one was in the streets except some guards and a drunk or two they made their way back to an old wagon covered with an old blanket where their supplies were. Loading them onto their new packmoas as fast as they could. dreading that someone is going to notice them dreading might would happen if they were caught after they were done
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“don’t mount we walk out of here” Hector said Jezebel put her leg down
“Why?” Safiya asked “because we don’t want to look like were in a hurry let’s go” walking towards the gate no matter how much she wanted to run it felt like a crawl the gates were are not closed thank the gods but the two guards where alert “halt what are you doing so close to dark?” the gourd on the left asked then without warning Hector booked it past the gate as did Jezebel and Safiya there cries of alarm fading into the distance mounting as fast as they could
“Hurry, they will be back!” Hector called great a chase
“we need a place to hide” Safiya said there's trees to the right but it will slow us down Falkner already left by now
“no we can out run them” Safiya didn’t reply to that they rode on without looking back but after a time Hector slowed to a trot and we followed “we don’t want to ride them to death” Hector said
“Of course I get the one keeps trying to turn around and make funny faces at me” funny faces how can you tell with their bird faces” oh never mind “bird brains” Jezebel muttered “we should at least get off the road” Jezebel said veering to the left. There won’t be many places to hide for days if I remember my mother's map correctly. they trotted off the road somewhere they could sleep behind a hill. the best place to hide available.
“I’ll keep watch” Jezebel announced there could be monsters tying up their moas to a rock so they could rest. Hector and Safiya got out blankets and went to sleep under them without anything on top of them. There wasn't enough to go around and winter was just around the corner, another problem to solve later.
The air got chilly but with the whole moa thief thing she didn't notice as much. How can we survive in the wild and beat Lord Falkner to mount Iroswell? It's not possible! She sat there for hours trying to stay awake, nothing happened until giving up and shook Hector awake so she could finally sleep. she crashed on his blanket and fell asleep immediately.
when Safiya shook her awake, her eagle head weary, she probably slept the whole night. eating what breakfast they could dried meat for Jezebel which tasted like tree bark. but it was the only meat then continued off road south. They rode in silence with nothing to do but look back to see if any knights came over the next hill seeing none. But it did not reassure her in the least. they will come and Falkner will become a god
“how did you sleep” Safiya asked putting her thoughts aside
“Good but too little” Jezebel replied, turning to look behind her and saw nothing
“same I had watched just before the sun rose” so she had to watch as well
“I had first watch”
“I know” they didn't have much to say. they traveled until they stopped for lunch. eating was a chore. their new moas ate what they could, which wasn't a lot. Just almost dead plants and whatever was on the ground Hector built a campfire and melted snow for the moas and to fill their water skins.
Then a dozen riders came over the horizon barely visible. they hurried finished then mounted her hooves got caught on the stirrup before hooking it and galloping off hopefully they didn’t see us plains where there is nowhere to hide. The snow gave away tracks. they didn't push them that hard. but these birds can run even not at full speed they still had a big lead.
“we need to hide” Safiya said,
“working on it” Hector said
“we do have the best moas right?” Jezebel asked
“how should I know? they all look the same to me” Hector replied he sounds so calm not at all like the coward who barricaded himself in during the battle and he kept his calm during the chase of the same goblins and timberwolves without help. If it isn’t cowardice then what could it be?
“How are you feeling?” Jezebel asked,
“trying not to get caught.” Safiya replied she didn't turn to look at me as she spoke. The riders got closer now you could tell there were soldiers of some kind. The faint shine off their mail and helmets. her hand gripped her long knife I hope I don’t have to use this. Hector knows what he's doing. I hope
“there isn't any where to hide south of here is mostly plans” Hector cursed
“Now what?” Safiya asked
“we out run them” Jezebel said “that’s the only thing we can do”
“very well we can hide in Cromerth it’s a big city where we can hide”
“That's days away!” Safiya said with panic in her voice
“we can make it” Who is Hector? How does he know the geography had he traveled or does he have a map
on and on they rode the riders got closer but not by much once the sun was beginning to set. they stopped for dinner and for the night the moas must be exhausted.
“I’ll take the first watch tonight” Hector said
“Great” Jezebel said not paying much attention but how I'm going to sleep it’s so cold! The wind picked up blowing with an icy chill at least our pursuers stopped as well. Jezebel went over to Safiya and huddled next to her to share warmth
“I wish we left in spring” Safiya said
“me to” they fell asleep hulled together Hector woke her in the middle of the night for her turn to watch. Jezebel could barely keep her eyes open. at least are moas are getting enough sleep she thought bitterly she paced to stay awake watching north towards their pursuers if I can even see them before it’s too late the sky started snowing lightly snowflakes falling she hugged myself folding her wings around herself and wrapped tail around my right leg to conserve warmth she couldn't stop myself shivering Safiya and Hector where curled up with one another anything for warmth. After she couldn't stay awake another minute shaking Safiya up and laid on top of Hector and pulled the blanket over her.
she woke up to Hector shaking her cheek
“Can you get off me?” He looked embarrassed. she got off of him embarrassed, what was I thinking! Sleeping right on top of him!
“We should eat and leave” Safiya said, looking north the pursuers riding towards them
“we’ll eat as we ride” Hector said great, pulling some jerky out of her sack and mounting as did the others the race to Cromerth is on. kicking her moa in the ribs to a gollop with Jezebel at the lead Hector behind her and Safiya in the back to keep lookout since she has the best eyesight. Why didn't I realize this before
“How do we find Cromerth off road?”
“I’ve been there before when I was younger” he doesn't seem old, maybe late thirties early forties. Why does this woodsman who hated being a small village go to such a large city Hector is becoming a puzzle and one I don’t like. could Safiya be right about him or does she not trust anyone anymore? Roding on and on with no end just speed which they went but had to stop to feed and let the moas drink. when night came. their pursuers were gaming on them at this rate. They will catch us tomorrow or the day and the leg cramps. Why did no one tell me about the leg cramps? they all dismounted stiffly. her last thoughts before falling asleep were that I hope we can hide as she fell asleep.