The rain let up. Over an hour of downpour the ferocity of the downpour gave way to a waning trickle, gently misting the cool north-western air. The ground churned and melted away into a muddy paste. The clouds overhead still rolled and heaved around themselves. But between the fists and clumps it parted opening brief windows into the light-filled sky above. The beams of golden light spotlighted the brown soup. They traveled across the hills and the ruins of centuries passed before closing and fading.

In the northern distance a clump of blackened and charred hills rose in the haze. Signaling of clearer skies in the future bands of leaves of gold very clearly traveled across the slick shell. Bands of warm rays poured across the wasteland as the golden filly led the merchant towards that patch of wasteland. In tow Rusted's brahmin mooed rudely as it was pulled through cold oily puddles of rainwater and through mud. The few patches of grass and vegetation that existed helped to keep much of the wasteland firm, but did little more than create firm floats in an otherwise soupy guagmire.

Gilded Wonder trotted far head, bounding across the barren wasteland with light-hoofed ease. Though her golden coat was slathered with mud from fetlock to mane, the bright yellow of her back was a clear flag to Rusted who slogged heavily through the post-rain mud, grumpily pulling along his Brahmin with a sour expression. He was already regretting deeply his decision to follow through with this. He thought if he had just shrugged her off and ignored her presence he would by now by traveling along the barren highway, clear of the thick off-road mud and slippery rocks that pecked the way like landmines.

The nimble movements of the small unicorn filly across the hillside was a source of much jealousy to Rusted. Being either light, or perhaps casting some freaky unicorn spell on her hooves she was more than capable of moving along. Something that bit and dug at Rusted, a fire that smothered the generosity he had played earlier that afternoon to take this. As he lagged behind with the grumbling pack animal, she stood ahead, looking back at him and looking ahead to where they had to go yet. She looked unsure, for sure. But that didn't change much when he had yet to come back the same way to hit the road. There was a nibbling sort of rat at the back of his head, working at what the jealousy hadn't bothered when it manifested that told him that by the time he did get back a whole day would had been lost. And did he really want to travel these hills at night?

As he crested the hill Gilded Wonder stayed put, not moving ahead further. He could only assume they had made it.

“This is it!” she said gleefully, “Or, I think.” she added doubtfully, looking down the hillside.

At the bottom of the gully sat a complex of concrete structures, laid out in a squared. Rusting fenced marked a parameter. “You think?” Rusted replied, baffled, “You were sure when we left.”

“Well I don't know, they could have gone further!” she snapped bitterly, her bark was certainly larger than her bite. Even Rusted rose a brow it startled surprise for the aggressive squeak that came from her mouth. “But I got this far before they found me.” she pouted, drumming a hoof against the soaked ground.

“Fine, suppose it is.” Rusted mumbled, looking back down. At the center of the complex the remains of what looked like a factory or a larger warehouse lay. Half of one side had fell in on itself. Spilling chunks of cement and bricks in a field of boulders among trunks of twisted steel beams. It was funny how in this world all the largest of the old world's structures collapsed, all its testaments to its strength eroded or burned. While often times the simplest and innumerable country houses weathered the rot and decay.

“There's a road over there.” the filly pointed out, waving a hoof down below. Twisting among the hills and below metal gate a paved road made its way, so beaten the asphalt was little more than gravel. The remains of wagons and other vehicles lay scattered on the shoulder. “I got about that far before they found me.”

For a landscape so gray and brown, it was a wonder she got that far, Rusted Bits thought. “How many?” he asked.

“About ten.” she said confidently, then bit her lip. “E-eight.” she corrected.

“We'll say ten.” Rusted groaned. Ten was bad. But maybe they'd have dispersed and separated. After all, they haven't been spotted yet for standing in the open. Though raiders being raiders, they were no doubt getting high or rutting in celebration of the score. Or recovering.

“I want you to stay behind.” he ordered, turning to the filly. Her eyes went wide with shock.

“No!” she demanded, “I want to go too! I can re-activate Entourage!” she huffed.

“You'll just get in the way!” Rusted demanded, “And I can handle your robot. If not I'll come get you when it's all clear. But I don't need any extra hooves getting in the way.”

“Am I not good enough?” she sneered.

“No, no.” the merchant sighed, “You are. But I also need someone to take care of the pack Brahmin.” he added, nodding to the mud-caked cow lower on the hill. Both its heads staring up at them with a worried expectant look.

“If I'm going to collect the end pay I need something to get it out.” he argued, “I paid good caps for her, she's a heavy investment, and she has another good one on her. So take it, and hide. Wait for me to finish.”

He couldn't believe he was doing this. The concept screamed insanely at him. It rang in his ears like a bell. But he had dealt with raiders before. Either managing to buy them off, or shooting away. They weren't the straightest shots in the world, but a danger enough for him to be well acquainted.

And despite the internal cries to not, there was a side of him that wanted to play out a revenge fantasy. Something to account for the death of his kin.

“You're staying here.” he spoke softly, “I'll get it done.”