As they approached Lordstown, Violetta decided to give some advice to Raeyn for entering the city. Raeyn was quick to adopt the instruction and try to match the stride and the pace of Violetta while following her directions.

   Violetta guided Raeyn to straighten her posture with a hand against her back,

  As they walked, Raeyn managed to walk more and more upright and proper, but it was not easy to keep that posture. A lifetime of living in a small tunnel made for bad habits, and the natural posture of a Gobbo was one that was focused on leaps, dodges and rolling into strikes that were impossible for a Mahn to mimic.

   Violetta smiled at her.

  A small wooden palisade lined a narrow pass to the town, a simple gate that used the steep cliffs as a natural barrier to protect the town. Forced into the path, the ground angled downwards as the natural rock face squeezed them into this old fissure to bring them before the five guards tasked with protecting the town.

  They were not like Cade or Huron. They wore thick leather armor that covered their huge bodies, they wore open faced helms with a loop of metal that protected the nose except the end of which was pointed like a spear with a raised hook on the end. In their right arms were spears, on the left were shields made of wood banded with iron, on their hips were sheathed swords. They were warriors. Raeyn felt gut twist and turn as she realized each one of them was a head or more over Violetta. The towering men had arms thicker than Violetta’s legs, and seeing as how Violetta was so much larger, she really did look like a child before them.

   One of them stepped forward, he had a long fur cape at his back that denoted his rank over the overs,

  Walking up to this muscular and powerful soldier, Violetta came face to face with him, her feet almost touching his. She looked up at him and declared by pointing at her,

   Came a gasp from one of the other four, but Raeyn did not see which.

   Marsol ordered as he turned to Raeyn, he was bald, but where the others had hair on their heads, he had it all on his mouth and chin. The black curly mass was braided with string and made into a strange facial bush of which was almost comical to a Gobbo.

  Violetta grabbed Marsol’s beard a little to pull his attention off Raeyn,

   Marsol stepped past Violetta and approached Raeyn and sniffed the air before kneeling to look her over closely,

  Violetta immediately said,

  <’Girl’.> Marsol addressed Raeyn,

   One of the other four spoke up,

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   Marsol stepped back and snorted in a huff,

   The other Mahn said and proceeded to follow Ryder on the summons. Was it a protest or firm agreement? Raeyn did not know.

  Raeyn inched closer to Violetta and gently reached out to hug her leg and give the appearance of being a nervous and scared lost child, but Marsol’s words had filled her with anger. She remembered what Violetta said about clothing. Was the fact she had none the reason why this Mahn hated her so? But why would the guard protest if his actions were in the right?

  
   Marsol felt the pressure mounting as Violetta glared up at him.

   Marsol spared them each a quick glance,

   Violetta gave a slight bow,

   Marsol pointed his large index finger at Violetta’s forehead,

   Cliff whined,

  Violetta smirked and traded one last barb,

  Marsol suddenly had his clenched hand an inch from Violetta’s neck, the veins in his neck bulging and his jaw tight. This huge beast of a Mahn knew that laying a finger on Violetta would have severe consequences and that was the only thing that kept him from strangling her. It was a dangerous game to play, but Violetta was confident. Too confident.

  Captain Marsol, in defeat, pulled his hand back and he looked to Cliff,

  Violetta crossed her arms and shot Cliff a look, but Cliff’s face was already turning red,

   Hunter, the smallest of the guards approached Raeyn,

  

   Violetta admitted,

  

  Raeyn’s ears twitched and she pressed into Violetta’s side.

   Violetta asked.

  

  Raeyn buried her head into Violetta’s legs and let out a little whimper. Violetta did not say anything at all. A group of five people were returning from town, of them was a woman clad in white robes and wearing a necklace with a sun-like medallion. Flanked to her sides were the guards. They had returned with Lady Hightower.