Chapter 8
(Laura’s P.O.V.)
I left right at dawn, grabbing Melody from the stables. It was perfect, and no one noticed my absence as Chris still thought I was unaware of the whole plot, and everyone was distracted with their departure.
I only brought a few things, a bad of food, one sword, a drinking cup, and a white cloak. Though I would have preferred a less obvious color, I didn’t realize it was white at the time, and when I finally did, I knew I had no chance to go back without being caught.
So I took the cloak and things to the stable, and had to practically beg Melody to get up and let me ride her, but once I did, we were off. I followed the Bandits for three sometimes walking or riding on Melody before I ran out of food, and when I did, I knew I needed more soon.
I couldn’t steal, for the bandits would notice missing stock, but I wasn’t quite ready to reveal myself to them yet when it was still so easy for them to send me home… err… back to Shanty Town.
For a moment, I felt stuck unsure of what to do, and then it hit me. I could go ahead of the bandits.
You see the bandits were traveling a large group which was fairly slow, and taking it’s time due to the size, a fact that they could not help, where as I was only one person with a horse as fast as the wind.
Of course, there was always the prospect that I could lose the bandits, which would be quite unfortunate. But I had always camped near them (but out of sight) so I knew where they were going, a wealthy mining town called Shaleand… it was only a question of how long I’d have until they got there.
But a town with food and warm beds would be a nice change of pace for me, and I was longing to see this kind of environment so… I would go. Of course, I truly had no choice in the matter as it was starve, or go (or get in trouble with Chris, but I had never really considered that as an option anyway) so I was absolutely going to head out for it.
Thank goodness, someone had left a map in Melody’s saddlebag, or I might have gotten completely lost. After I passed the bandits (carefully and out of their sight of course) the forest grew intensely thicker.
Somehow with one day of smooth travel I managed to arrive at Shaleand, and as I wandered around town after harnessing Melody to a tree in the forest a ways away, a thought came to me. Though I may need to buy food, and get a place to stay I had no money for which to pay for that privilege.
How could I be so dumb? Money was what made the world go round, and I had none. But the people in this town sure did. Houses so tall they sparkled, with crisp, clean yards.
Children and People mulled around, heading to markets, shopping, wearing extravagant clothes and jewels. No wonder the Cross Bandits wished to attack this town, they were swimming in wealth, and prosperity to the point at which it made me sick.
What also made me sick was how quickly the wealth and glamour dropped away the minute you set foot outside of the cities thick protective walls. The people out there lived in complete poverty, houses being no more than whatever they could find and throw together.
In a way, I could understand why Chris wanted to attack this town. He wanted to burst it’s protective and innocent bubble and make life change for these rich, spoiled people and put them on the same level as the rest of the people that surrounded them.
I couldn’t agree more. But even though I hated these people… I needed a job. I was most likely going to have to beg for one, which I would, besides as much as I disliked these people it wouldn’t be long before Chris arrived. Two days at most since the fork in the road with the path to this town was only a few hours ride away from where I had last camped.
