"Is this really the Capital of Nohr?" Hinoka wondered out loud. In Shirazaki, the markets and streets were filled with people weaving in and out of crowds, the sound of all those voices was almost impossible to hear one's own thoughts over. For the past hour the only sound Hinoka heard was Haru's hooves clopping against the cobblestone streets and the whistling wind. The sun was as high as it could get in Nohr, but Hinoka had not passed a single soul. Did Nohrians simply fear daylight? Even with her vendetta against them, Hinoka doubted that could be the case.
She let out a breath and looked up and around herself. The houses were built of bricks, wood, and stone, the entire city a gray and rust tone. If windows were not boarded up every curtain and shutter were pulled shut. Hinoka returned her focus to the road ahead of her. The street sloped further downward. Windmire was built in a crater with Castle Krakenburg at its heart. Corrin was most likely there.
Hinoka smiled as she imagined herself heading directly to Krakenburg and demanding King Garon return her sister that very moment. The smile transitioned into a frown. That fantasy was as far from reality as when she was a little girl sneaking out at night intent on walking to Nohr. Garon had killed her father, the ruler of a powerful nation under the pretense of a peace talk. There was no reason to expect he would be more humane to a daughter who was not even first in line.
Hinoka gripped the reins until her knuckles turned white as Haru's coat. The growing buildings shaded the area and the houses seemed to fall into greater states of disrepair with loose stones and dark brown brittle vines clinging tightly to cracked stones. She continued down the main road for another hour studying each doorway searching for a sign that advertised an inn or at least some sort of business. Why exactly were the Nohrians staying inside in their own capitol, the height of their culture? Perhaps just this section of the city was uninhabited?
The thought offered less comfort the further she traveled. It was probably nearing sunset, but with the taller buildings blocking what remained of the light, it was difficult to tell. However, Hinoka was almost stopped in her tracks when she saw a door of a stone house several yards away open. A woman with graying stepped out into the doorway and unfurled a heavy rug.
Hinoka snapped the reins and hurried Haru forward. "Excuse me?" Hinoka called. The woman froze where she stood and slowly turned her head towards Hinoka. She quickly rerolled the rug and began to retreat back inside her house.
"Wait, I am sorry," Hinoka repeated as she reached the house.
With wide yellow eyes, the woman stared at Hinoka. "You must be a mercenary here for the Bond Festival," she said, her voice stiff. "Here to prove your worth at one of the tournaments."
Bond Festival? They had that holiday back in Hoshido, a day to celebrate the growth of children, but it was celebrated in the spring, not mid-autumn. The Nohrians must have their own version of the holiday. "I am," Hinoka said, making a mental note, to look into the tournaments the woman mentioned. "But first I need a place to rest for the night." She paused and the woman's gaze shifted to Haru. How likely was it that the woman had seen a pegasus before. Hinoka cleared her throat. "Do you know any inns?" After a pause she added. "That are nearby."
The woman shook her head. "There is the Bear Paw," she said, her voice low. "I do not go there often; I have no reason to." She pointed further down the road, "I believe you will find it three streets down and then on your right. It has a sleeping bear painted on the sign if you cannot read."
That comment stung. Hinoka prided herself in her ability to read both Hoshidan and phonetic languages like Nohr. However, there was no way someone who was illiterate could possibly be a princess, so in that respect she appreciated the comment. So far the disguise was working. "Thank you, ma'am," Hinoka said, surprised at her automatic politeness to a Nohrian.
The woman swallowed and pressed her lips together. "In case you didn't know, the tournament is at Castle Krakenburg, but do not ask me when it is because I am not certain. Never cared for that kind of excitement." she shook her head a final time and closed the door behind her leaving the street once again in an uncomfortable silence.
"Well, Haru," Hinoka said after several moments. "Let's go find that Bear Paw Inn."
She guided the pegasus down three streets that counted to three. Gently tugging on the reins, Hinoka signaled for Haru to stop. "A map would be helpful," she said. In front of her the main road continued downward until hopefully it reached Krakenburg. There were also two side streets branching off on either side of her.
"Come on, Haru," Hinoka said. "You will be able to rest soon." She guided him to the side street and focused on the houses that seemed to sink into their foundations. Not a single one had even a faded and broken down sign, much less one with a painted bear. The street continued like this until all in front of Hinoka was a steep wall. Hinoka stared up at the dusty stones rising up about ten feet or more until she looked onto the red sunset. "Well Haru," she said with a sigh. "I suppose I went the wrong way."
She pulled on the reins until Haru slowly stepped backwards and started to turn. However, she quickly tugged at the reins signaling Haru to stop. At the entrance of the ally stood five Nohrian men dressed in ill-fitting, torn, and stained clothes. All were much larger than Hinoka and two of them carried bows aimed at her.
The largest of the men was bald with a nasty scar running down his face and an even nastier looking ax in his hands. "You are such a tiny waif of a woman to be traveling alone" he said stepping ahead of his companions. "Although that fairy horse of yours is mighty pretty."
Keeping her eyes on the bald man, Hinoka felt the side of her saddle for her lance and remembered it was stuck under the body of a faceless back at the swamp. Damn! If Setsuna were here, each man would already have an arrow in his chest. She was without a weapon and companions. If she were to fly away, she and Haru might be struck with an arrow, but she did not want to think what would happen if she were to stay. Pressing her lips together, Hinoka snapped the reins and dug her heels into Haru's side and leaned forward against him. The pegasus snorted, but he still ran forward and jumped.
An iron grip latched around Hinoka's ankle and tore her down. She shoved her elbow back striking what felt to be a man's stomach. Her left side hit the ground. Pain spread through her muscle and skin. With a cry, Hinoka scurried to her feet. The bald man smiled at her. Just behind him, his companions latched onto Haru's saddle and reins. "Get your hands off him!" Hinoka shrieked.
The bald man growled, swinging his ax down. Hinoka leapt back. She kicked the man's leg. He cursed and reached for her. Hinoka dodge again, but the movement pulled her further away from Haru who winnied in distress. "I'm coming!" she called. The bald man took a hold of Hinoka's shoulders and shoved her into the wall. Hinoka's breath halted halfway up her throat. "You lasted longer than most," the bald man said before he slammed the ax's handle against her head.
A ringing like a serrated blade against granite awoke her. The ground was cold and her shoulder and back ached, but it was a pinch compared to her head. Hinoka pressed the heel of her right hand to her forehead. Warm blood slid from her nose and into her mouth. She could not smell or taste anything but iron.
Why was she out on the road? How long had she laid there? It could have been minutes or maybe hours. Slowly, like clearing away grime to uncover a picture, Hinoka recalled walking for hours through the streets of Windmire with Haru and then taking a wrong turn…
She was knocked down by those thieves. Her second encounter with Nohrans in the city and they attempted to rob her. She was not certain what else she would have expected from them. Nohr was so bent on taking over Hoshido they sent unnatural creatures into the borders to fight not caring if the faceless broke free and killed the mages controlling them. Of Course they would attack a young woman because they envied her pretty "fairy horse".
"I'm sorry, Haru," she said into the grimy cobblestone. The sun was lowering and she did not wish to imagine what night would bring. With her good arm she forced herself to sit up. The cobblestones still glowed red from the sunset, although not as brightly. Hinoka stared down the street, but it was empty. Bracing her hand against the rough wall she stood on her trembling legs. Despite her best efforts she cried out. The last time Hinoka had experienced that kind of pain, she was an apprentice sky-night and had fallen from Haru's back. She had been even closer to death then, but Azama was there to assist.
Hinoka stumbled forward cautious of each step, fearful that if she fell, she would be unable to get up again. She reached where the ally merged onto the street. Directly across from her a white feather rested on the ground. There was not a clue where they had gone. Hinoka exhaled and moved near it. Before she reached the feather a frosty wind blew through and swept it up into the sun sinking further and further behind the roofs. Hinoka squeezed her eyes shut as a single tear slid down her cheek.
Now she needed to find a missing pegasus and a missing sister. Hinoka brushed the tear away with the sleeve of her coat. The woman she spoke to early told her about the Bear Paw Inn was nearby. Opening her eyes, Hinoka lifted her head and continued slowly down the street.
A half moon and its entourage of stars were high in the sky by the time she happened upon a doorway with chipped paint and a rusted doorknob. Above it was a wooden sign with a painting of a bear curled up on a bed. Like all the other houses the shutters were closed. Hinoka grasped the copper knocker and pounded it as loud as she could. For several moments there was silence. Tears returned to Hinoka's eyes as she imagined spending the night outside when the door swung inward.
"Oh!" came a stifled gasp. A young woman with a messy bun and a dirty apron stood at the doorway. Pressing her hand over her mouth, she shook her head and looked over Hinoka. "What happened to you?" Hinoka opened her mouth to respond, as the woman reached for Hinoka's hand. "Never mind that, come in, come in," she said, turning so that the doorway was open. With no other options, Hinonka stepped inside.
