Their footsteps echoed against the wooden stairs of the inn as the afternoon sun tilted westward. Sylvia walked in front, her black hair flowing over a thick cloak, while Alicia and Stacia followed behind with slower steps. Though their wounds had healed greatly thanks to the healing potions, both still carried remnants of weakness.
The moment they stepped outside the main door, dim evening light greeted them. The town's cobbled streets bustled with merchants packing up their stalls or dragging carts toward warehouses. Waiting at the front of the inn was a luxurious black carriage with silver trim, its steel wheels glinting in the last rays of sun.
A single old brown horse stood calmly at the front, its body rigid, its pale gray eyes vacant lifeless, yet utterly obedient.
Alicia halted for a moment, staring at the beast with mixed feelings. "I still can't believe you actually… turned a horse just for this carriage," she muttered.
