Later that evening, Cloud found himself at a bar and inn much like Tifa's. It was cheap and close to the main road, and the bartender had sold him his favorite drink before he'd realized that he'd ordered something he'd thought only existed in Nibelheim. As he sipped the familiar brew, he let himself relax in the hum of conversation. He listened in to a few close to him for a while, before ordering himself another pint and moving to a seat by the window. From there, he watched people passing, most of them on foot or on horseback.
"I swear, she is the loveliest thing," a drunken voice sang out, breaking through the regular din of the bar. Cloud didn't turn his head, but listened in for a moment. He remembered when he'd thought Tifa was the loveliest thing he'd ever laid eyes on.
"Hush, Ronnie, you scarin' customers."
"But they need to know," Ronnie bawled. "The boss' daughter is so…" he searched for a word for a moment, and despite himself, Cloud chuckled. "Nice," Ronnie finished. "Such a sweet thing. Always lookin' out for me, makin' sure I got me some water, and some grub when it's hot. Why, yesterday, she even helped me get that nag a' hers under control."
"Sure sounds sweet, Ron."
"Damn straight," Ronnie hollered, and Cloud heard him shuffling around nearby. "And if any a'yuh try anything. Anything. I bite'cha leg off, ya'hear?"
"Sure, Ronnie. We won't try nothin'," someone else offered. Cloud, who'd twisted to watch the scene for a moment, turned back to the window just in time to see someone ride up. The animal was at least sixteen hands, with a light dusty brown coat and black mane and tail. It halted right in front of Cloud's space of window, and he watched as a suspiciously feminine rider dismounted. A moment later she strode in through the bar doors.
"Ms. Boss!" Ronnie wailed, falling off his seat. Cloud took a long sip from his mug, and turned just slightly to watch. He was glad he'd swallowed his drink before doing so, because the surprise of seeing Mariel Vice lugging the drunkard up from the ground would have made him spit it out.