The inn was livelier than earlier, and inside the teens could hear the hustle and bustle of several customers. They didn’t go inside, and instead went around the building. They found a door at the back leading into the kitchen, and stayed outside it, listening to the voices.
Inside they could hear the voices of six swine conversing, the couple that they had saved, and the voices of the four swine they had driven off earlier.
“Did you hear that?” Va’il asked, his ear next to the door.
“I did,” Ruby said. She leaned away and sighed. “The drunk was right. They are all in it together. I can’t listen anymore. To brag of such misdeeds is terrible.”
“Let’s go in and confront them. What they just said is terrible! And they may do it to others!” Va’il said.
“No. Leave them be. Let’s go to the next city and forget about them,” Ruby said. She stood and dusted off her clothes.
“But what about the money?” Va’il asked.
“Not my concern. It’s a trivial amount, really. Not a tenth of what I have left.”
“But they may take from others. We should do something to stop them from doing it again!”
“Va’il, how wonderful that would be. But still, I don’t think so. What can we do that will make them stop, permanently? Report them to an authority? Not us, we’re already on the run. And out here, they may even work for authority. Burn down the inn? Beat them up? Take all their money? So that instead of having money and stealing, they become poor and have an even greater reason to steal? Va’il, it would be great if there was something, anything we could do, that would stop them from harming others forever. But that’s just it, do you know of anything that will work continually?”
“I don’t know. But it’s wrong nonetheless.”
“It’s wrong. But I don’t know what to do that wouldn’t harm them, or somehow end up with them harming someone else in retribution down the line. We were swindled with words, not force. I fear if we do anything, their next victims will be forced.”
“Ruby, sometimes I dislike the way you think. It’s right. It’s sad, but right. I just wish there was something more. I need to do something. But you’re right. If I harm them in any way, they will just push that onto someone else, won’t they?” Va’il sighed and took a few steps back.
“Come on, it’s not so bad. They aren’t overflowing with money anyways, not with this kind of establishment. If my contribution was enough to save a traveler worse off than us a coin, then it’s a worthy loss,” Ruby said. She smiled at Va’il, who was wearing a pained expression.
“If only I had power, I could fix things,” Va’il said quietly. He then looked up at Ruby and smiled. “Do you always carry so much money when visiting inns? You’ve been using it pretty liberally for a while now.”
“Didn’t I say it before? Enough to buy a city,” Ruby said.
“You’re joking,” Va’il said, and laughed.
“A little. Hey, don’t forget just how powerful I am!”
“Yes, a powerful person. One of the top people in the nation, right? Still seems unreal. You don’t act enough like people in your kind of power should.”
“And how should I act?”
“A bit more snobby.” Ruby scoffed and turned away. She started walking towards the road. “Yes, like that, exactly!” Va’il followed her, laughing.
#
The teens reached the gates of the border city, expecting a thorough inquisition.
“Travelers, eh?” asked the swine guard.
“Yes, sir,” Ruby said. “My brother and I are just passing through.”
Va’il nodded, his tail and ears hidden under cloak and hood. The guard looked at them each in turn, but didn’t ask any further questions.
“All right. Just make sure to be quick on your journey. Best not to loiter when you’ve got places to go. Although, I do suggest you visit the Venus, it’s an inn on the corner of the fourth intersection if you go straight down this road. A nice inn, specifically catering to strangers and travelers,” the guard said.
“Thank you, we’ll take note of your words,” Ruby said. The guard then let them in the city, and gave them temporary transit papers.
“That was easy,” Va’il said.
“It was. He was pretty kind and helpful too,” Ruby said.
“Better than the last time we were in this land. Never got a break before, with any of the other swine cities. Keep it brief and move on, they all said.”
“Well, Va’il, nice and mean people are everywhere.”
“Sure. So do you want to shop or rest first?”
“Shop, then visit that inn.”
“Lead the way!”
The teens roamed about the city, filling their packs with food and drink items that the swine couple earlier were unable to provide, giving them enough to get them through Sounderthound, though they hoped they had enough now to last them the journey home. They had wanted to buy a map as well, but apparently the local maps didn’t put much detail into the western areas. The nation itself and some eastern lands were usually detailed enough, but the western areas were just general outlines and labels.
Their progress had been slower overall than Derlik’s original pace, making the teens wonder how Derlik managed it so well. They knew that he drove the cart late into each night, exchanged horses at every outpost or city he could, and ate while on the trail, but didn’t realize just how much time his meticulous efforts had saved them until now. Even with the slipskates, the teens knew they couldn’t match the persistent pace Derlik had first set, though they still made decent progress considering they had lost a great deal of time to the Laloo children’s antics.
Their shopping finished, they investigated the inn the guard had recommended. It was a lively establishment, three floors with the bottom one entirely devoted to dining. The diners were mostly swine, but the sight of a couple humans, avians, and a few other species set their minds at ease. The waiter sat them right away, and they ate and bathed before retiring to a room upstairs, on the third floor. Overall, everything had gone well and without incident. Their peaceful day at an end, they fell asleep.
