Konya whickered in disapproval as they headed south, along the dusty road. The warhorse was offended by a second rider and she kept pinning its ears back and baring its teeth to communicate her displeasure with this insult to her lofty station. Marius was in a fury of indecision, apparently having never ridden two to a horse before. He seemed unwilling to put his arms around her waist and was trying instead to grip the saddle with his hands and hang on to Konya with her knees. Natasha patted the warhorses neck. She sympathized but she couldn't leave the boy in the dirt with night falling.

By the time the reached the gates of the city faubourg the moon had risen. Cheery fires glowed in the windows of the neat houses that clustered outside the walls.

"Are zey not vwaried about rayders?" Natasha asked in surprise. This was her first time south to the Empire and to see so many houses beyond the protection of the walls seemed strange. In Kislev farmers fortified their homes and townsfolk lived inside palisaded ramparts. Marius shrugged and nearly fell of the horse for his troubles.

"Do not' do zat," Natasha advised.

"They take their chances I guess, this close to the city there aren't likely to be beastmen, if that's what you meant," the youth replied. It wasn't quite what she had meant but it conveyed the point. These Imperial's were crazy.

"Even' missus," a man said from beside one of the cottages. Natasha's hand went to the butt of the cavalry musket but she pulled it away before it was more than mildly embarassing.

"Dorrby v...ah gut avening," Natasha replied, getting a confused look from the man. He appeared to have been answering natures call against a tree stump when they road past. He peered back at her in shock.

"She says good evening," Marius translated having had time to make the mental shift to her accent at least somewhat. It amazed Natasha that people spoke such bad Riekspiel here. Perhaps when you got down to Riek it was better.

"If your looking to head into the city, they close the gates at sundown, ain't nothing short of the Reikmarshall himself that will get em to open up," the helpful man provided. Natasha frowned.

"Ve mast hav ladgings," she replied.

"What?" said the old man at the exact same moment as Marius. Natasha squeezed her eyes shut and then tried again.

"Loudgings," she said, drawing out both syllables.

"Oh, lodging," Marius said brightly.

"Is vat I sayed," Natasha replied.

"There is an in just before the walls yar ladyship," the man supplied helpfully. "Called the Last Stop!"

"Da, thank you," Natasha told him and road on.

"Well piss on you then!" the man shouted angrily.

"Why he want piss an may?" Natasha asked. She could see the inn ahead, a battered sign depicting what might have been a stagecoach hanging before a stone walled courtyard with a couple of sad looking pear trees in it.

"He probably wanted you to pay him for the information," Marius explained. Natasha shook her head, why would she pay for information she would have discovered herself in a matter of seconds.

"Vat you say, we drink, you vil tell me about about Golden Kettles da?" she told Marius, feeling expansive now that she had reached the end of her long ride. In the morning she could see to her fathers business in the city.

"Gold AND Kettle company," Marius corrected.

"Da, vat I say," Natasha agreed.