Gloria winced as she shifted her weight from one leg to another, eyeing the saddle with weary skepticism. "My legs hurt. How am I supposed to get back on that thing?"
They had just purchased three clay jars of heavy liquor, and their return to the stall where Rail had let the horses rest was briefly interrupted when Ren suddenly halted in front of the Herbarium shop. A wicked light flickered in her eyes, this was her key to the Historian Tower.
"You need to learn how to ride properly," she said, turning to Gloria. "I'll teach you myself. You're smart. I've taught you six letters of the alphabet, and you've already started recognizing them in words."
Ren had been watching her closely, more than Gloria likely realized. In a land where humans were little more than servants, knowledge was her most valuable weapon, and she intended for Gloria to wield it well.
