It was still only late afternoon when Kahriah had finished her treatment for the sailors, so she made her way to the lifts and decided to explore Onny’s topside. As she stepped out at the upper lift platform, she asked the operator for directions to the mountyards.

“Head to the northern part of town, and you’ll find the stables and horsemen.” The teenager said politely. Kahriah tossed him a lord for good measure.

Heading mostly north through Onny, the buildings got a little less crowded, and the smell of manure grew a little stronger. Turning a corner, she noticed a large barn-like building ahead with a steady stream of horses of all shapes and sizes coming and going, some ridden, some led. On her way to the barn, she stopped a friendly-looking woman leading a grey stallion.

“Who would I speak to about procuring a horse?”

“Well, my dear, you’ve come to the right place. Head over there to the right and down the path. Horses on offer today are all in those stalls there. Make note of the horse number, then see the horseman at the next tent. Match your horse to the seller and negotiate a price.” Kahriah nodded thanks and made her way across the path of horse traffic to the selling area.

“I knew you’d buy a horse for that husband of yours!” Kahriah turned around and saw Grelda shuffling towards her. Kahriah managed a half-hearted smile.

“Well, you made a good point, Grelda. Lohmen will need to be able to get around faster.” She agreed. “But he’s not my husband.”

“Yet!” Grelda said with boastful enthusiasm, and Kahriah feigned a laugh.

“Speaking of betrothals, where’s Marell?” Kahriah inquired.

“Oh, she’s gone off to watch some mummer’s shows. We were in the bazaar, and this gangly kid started talking to her, and then they were off.”

“You’ve gotta watch out for the gangly ones.” Kahriah joked. Grelda nodded excitedly and followed her toward the sale stalls.

They started down the pathway and admired the variety of horses among the rows of numbered stalls. Young boys and girls with charcoal chunks ran around and updated numbers as horses entered and exited. The pair slowed as they passed an impressive horse with a thick brown coat. Its back was much taller than Kahriah, and its hooves looked larger than her head. A remarkable beast but far better suited to farm duty than painter transportation. The woman who helped her earlier was further down the aisle and was feeding her stallion a handful of oats.

“Hello again, beautiful horse. Can you tell me about him?” Kahriah asked.

“Sure. He’s two years old and fast as the wind. A bit wild yet, but that’ll settle down with age.” The woman said as she patted him on the shoulder.

“And how much? I’ve never bought a horse, so I’m not sure of the going rate.” Kahriah said as Grelda kicked her. The scolding was obscured from the horsewoman’s view by the fence. Kahriah looked over at Grelda, who was subtly moving her head from side to side. The horsewoman hadn’t missed anything, however.

“This one’s 5000 lords; he’s a highborn steed. Some lord or lady will buy this lad and use him to galavant all over their lands. Then they’ll have him sire offspring and sell those too. This horse is more suited for investment. Are you looking for an investment?”

Kahriah smiled pleasantly, appreciating the question. “No, no... Just looking for a reliable mount for my husband’s painting adventures.”

“Head towards the end of the path, and you’ll find some suitable mounts there. 600 lords should get you a perfectly suitable horse for getting around.”