Chapter 3: Border Wastes

Peace sighed wearily as Darkstar trotted up the the town gate. It wasn't an impressive structure, merely a couple large planks thrown together to ammount to the height of 12 feet and a width of roughly 10. Peace knew that despite its feeble appearence it had saved this town from more than its fair share of unfriendly company. Darkstar clomped solidly near the base of the gate, he and Peace had learned that the fastest way to get a gatekeepers attention was to have a large angry Friesian warhorse pounding on your door. Sure enough within seconds a sturdy older man was standing within the gate looking up at his visitors through a small looking hatch.
The sun was just starting to set, and he looked at them with a somewhat suspicious expression, but he didn't ask any questions, and simply opened the gate and allowed them to pass wishing them a good night. Peace was thankful that he wasn't as inquisitive as many, she didn't really need people asking what she was doing. Wearing the face mask again made her suspicious enough already. Not suspicious as in unusual, there were plenty of people who wore masks, it was just that most people who wore masks had something to hide. The real frightening thing was that most mask wearers were hiding their faces because they had done something terribly wrong or had the profession of an assassin or some such similar thing.
Peace reigned Darkstar to a halt near a small and rather run down inn, and dismounted. A young boy ran out to greet her.
"May I take your horse sir? We've got a beautiful little stable out back. And I'll unsaddle 'im and brush 'im and feed and water 'im. Little Yevish will take good care o' your horse sir."
Peace looked down at the young Yevish and noted that he barely came up to Darkstar's belly. She smiled nonetheless. "How about I help you with the unsaddling and brushing and let you handle the rest, aye?" Peace roughened her voice when she spoke. The boy had already mistaken her for a man, she needed to keep him and everyone else thinking that way. She had learned that speaking with as deep and rough a voice as possible helped out the masculine image.
Yevish nodded in agreement with the proposal and led Peace around to the back of the inn. Darkstar followed without having to be lead.

After Peace had finished helping Yevish she headed inside the humble building and paid for her room. She gratefully carried her things into the small room and dropped them on the floor. She quickly closed and locked the door behind her. It had been a hard five day ride, and she wasn't even completely out of the wastes yet. Peace sighed and knelt where she stood. She spent the next hour in silent prayer, asking her heavenly father for guidance, protection for her people, and strength. Strength to walk the country she had once called home, strength to keep going for those she loved.
It was quite late at night before the candles in her room went out.