Sasha barely registered the pain in her heel as her feet pounded down the stairs and outside, around the corner. Blood rushed in her ears, and her hand curled around the handle of her sword as she pulled it from her sheath. Quiet shouting drifted from the inside of the barn, along with Driver's shrill, frightened shouts.

Someone shouted to him in a language she did not recognize. Sasha winced as she heard the crack of a whip, and the thudding of hooves. It took all her weight to move the rickety metal door. It fell off its hinges as it opened, revealing two men, their eyes wide like frogs caught in the glow of a lantern. 

"Het'a noi," one of them growled, his thick jowls quivering as he ordered her to make herself scarce. Her eyes locked onto Driver, his pupils mere pinpricks ringed with white. Lather foamed across his neck, flecked with specks of blood where it leaked from his mouth.

"Let him go!"

The innkeeper scowled at her, then let go of Driver and drew a knife from the waistband of his loose tunic. His eyes were harsh in the low light, and glinted like the gold coins he surely planned to trade her horse for. Sasha tried to steady the shaking of her hands, then pointed the blade at his neck. He laughed a dark, cruel laugh and brushed the knife away with his sword.

"I wonder if your friends will hear you scream for them."

His accent was clear and harsh, and held no tint of the broken Ascaran they'd spoken earlier. Sasha would not admit to herself that she was frightened. She pushed the blade of her weapon into his throat until it drew a fine line of blood, hands quivering. The man grabbed her wrist and bent her fingers back so far she shrieked and the sword clattered to the floor. 

The man folded her arms. She grabbed at it and took a step backwards, holding it out in front of her as a barrier, careful this time not to get too close. He let out another throaty laugh while Driver stomped his massive feet. The other man cracked a whip across his shoulder to keep him still.

"Run, little girl. There is no one to save you here. Run and maybe we won't tell your father we've seen you."

Sasha's heart dropped into her stomach.

"That's right, we know who you are. Bet you thought you were smart, running away from home. The news is all the way up through the mountains by now." He grinned a yellow grin that reminded her of tobacco and smoke.

She did not dare to look behind her to see whether her companions were coming. Driver gave another agonized shout as the man holding onto his face snatched at the reins, then tried to heave himself onto his back.

"No!"

Her hands moved automatically, as if they weren't really a part of her. The man's eyes widened, then rolled back as the sword pierced his side and then sank until it hit bone and stopped. His hands slid over the blade as the metal cut through his flesh, coating the edge slick with blood. The man screamed.

"You have made a mistake," he hissed, as his friend let go of the horse and took a heavy step toward her. Driver shot backwards and stuffed himself into the corner of the barn while Sasha pulled the sword free with a heavy sucking sound. Sasha swung the sword toward the innkeeper's friend, breathing heavily as it made contact with his face. A tassel of tissue hung from his cheek. He swore to himself and covered his hand with his eye as the innkeeper reached for her, clutching his side. 

"Sasha!"

She turned around just in time to see Rannok and Erean's shadows outlined through the door. She raised her sword again to strike. The innkeeper grabbed his friend's arm.

"Fuck the horses," he said. Both slipped out the side door as Erean ducked into the building. Sasha realized her hands were shaking. She tried to calm them along with her widened eyes and racing heartbeat. 

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, running the sword through her shirt to clean the blood off the blade. She watched Driver quiver in the back of the barn. He backed farther into the corner and let out a harried snort as she approached him.

"Shh," she soothed, taking the reins from him and leading him back out of the darkened corner. He planted all four feet as he locked eyes with Rannok, then backed up a few steps.

"Get the other horses," she said, turning to Rannok. "We need to get out of here."

"I agree," Erean said. He went to free Patches from her stall. "We will have to make do without the mule, and without the supplies. We can stop in the--"

"--No," Sasha said.

"But we need to replenish--"

"We don't know if the innkeeper has friends in the village."

Sasha couldn't help but wonder if he suspected. Her father had his mouths everywhere, in the treetops, in the town square. Even on the boats that came in and out of port. But she never imagined anyone would recognize her here, so far away from home. If they didn't get moving, the dogs would follow. And then the horses would come, and the constables with their cages. She'd never leave home again.

"He knows you're hiding something."

The crow's voice drifted into her head like a dream. Sasha glanced at Erean as she led Driver outside, but he was too busy with Patches to possibly be concerned with her. She tied Driver up to a post, then went back into the barn to gather Driver's saddle.

"It's gone," Rannok said as he picked up his own horse's saddle. "Along with all our saddlebags and money. You should have picked a less fancy one." He turned away without saying anything else to her and swung it onto Chesnut's back without another word, which she was at least grateful for.

She didn't try to argue back, because he wasn't worth the fight. She brushed the sweat off Driver's withers and swung onto his back. She'd have to put some salve in the corners of his mouth, when they had time to stop, and hope his back didn't get too sore in the meantime. If they had time to stop, before they disappeared up the rough mountain passes and into terrain even her father couldn't follow her across.