The girl draws the stolen blade strapped around her waist, outstretching her arm, pointing it at the tall boy in front of her. Behind the gang leader, a lanky boy wearing a wool beanie, next to him, an overweight boy, and the shortest of the group with the most muscle definition. None of them are intimidated by the girl pointing the sword at them.

“Fuck off, Ruth. This has nothing to do with you.” Snorts the gang leader.

“You fuck off.” Cleverly retorts the girl holding Barbara’s sword.

“Yeah, this is Alley Coyote turf. Go back to the other side of the river.” Asserts the short muscle head.

Above them, perched on the ledge, Barbara can tell by the bullies' body language that they aren’t leaving without a fight. She leaps down just as this Ruth girl had done before her, landing in between her sword and the gang.

“Give that back.” Barbara tells the girl.

“Later, stupid. Can’t you see I’m busy?” She retorts.

Barbara turns to give the four kids a quick look. “It doesn’t belong to you. And do you really need it to take on these jokers?”

Barbara can hear one of the boys spit on the ground behind her.

“Who the hell is this bitch?” Asks one of them.

“I just want my sword back.” Answers Barbara, eyes locked on Ruth.

Ruth leers back through piercing blue eyes, her arm remaining outstretched, pointing the sword now at Barbara.

“Don’t you ignore me.” The gang leader grabs Barbara by the shoulder, turning her to face him. His expression slowly turns to panic, his eyes on something behind the girl.

“Looks like I found me a nest full of little rats.” Barbara recognizes Demitrio’s bassy voice behind her, observing how the courage of the Alley Coyote gang disappears.

Demitrio cracks his knuckles, the sudden sound shaking the boys out of their paralysis, they make a run for it, out of the alley, back into the city's busy streets.

Barbara turns around, they have the thieves surrounded, but she knows these kids can climb up to the rooftops with ease. Demitrio grabs them both by the collar, picking them up to look at them both in the eyes.

“Got something that doesn’t belong to you?” He asks the girl.

The girl elbows Demitrio hard on the face, he lets go of them both as he holds on to his nose.

“Run, Pepito!” Yells the girl, sheathing the sword and jumping wall to wall back to the rooftops.

The boy attempts to make a run for it, but is stopped by Demitrio’s grip around his ankle.

“Don’t let him go.” Instructs Barbara as she pursues the girl.

By the time Barbara reaches the roof, the girl is already widening the gap between them. Barbara follows her as she makes her way south, towards the bridge. Once the buildings end and the walkway next to the river begins, the blonde jumps down, grabs onto a lamp post, sliding down, and pushes her way through the crowd towards the bridge.

Barbara struggles to keep up, her moves not as fluid as the girl’s. She slides down the same lamp post, also pushing through the crowd. The thief, to avoid the dense crowd on the bridge, jumps on the railing of the bridge, sacrificing none of her speed as she efficiently makes it to the other side. Barbara, on the other hand, struggles to keep herself balanced on the bridge’s narrow railings, eventually making it to the other side as well.

As the crowds funnel out of the bridge, spreading out into the various directions each person or group is heading towards, the thief takes the opportunity to lose herself amongst the multitude. Determined not to lose sight of her this time, Barbara runs towards the buildings facing the river, sure that the thief's blonde hair will stand out in a crowd full of generally dark haired people.

Once on the roof, Barbara turns to the crowd below, hoping to catch a sight of the girl, through the corner she spots the girl jump up to the rooftops a few houses away, already darting further south into the city.

Barbara chases after her, unable to keep up, the girl seems smaller and smaller, zigzagging from one building to another, deftly jumping over taller buildings, Barbara barely keeps pace. The paved roads below turn to dirt as the conditions of the building get worse and worse the further south they run. Panting and wheezing Barbara halts to a stop, not conditioned for this type exercise, losing sight of the thief. Again, Barbara curses at the sky.

Having made her way back to the northern side of the bridge, Barbara returns to where she confronted the girl, hoping to find Demitrio and the little thief still there. Instead, scraped on the wall in the exact spot where she left them, Demitrio left a message to meet him back at the cattle ranchers guild with Lupe.

Leaving the bustling crowds of the city, Barbara makes her way back to the white house at the cattle ranchers guild where Lupe and her had split ways. She walks up to the door, knocking. Demitrio lets her in, leading her to the kitchen where Lupe is found heating tortillas on the stove as the boy devours a plate of food in front of him. The boy sees Barbara enter and panics, turning to Lupe who gives him a reassuring look.

“You’re really good at making friends, I see.” She says to Barbara.

“Where’d your friend go?” Barbara leers at the boy.

The boy gulps, not responding.

“Where did she go?” Barbara slams a fist on the table.

“Take it easy. He’s agreed to help us get your sword back.” Lupe puts a comforting hand on Barbara’s shoulder. “This boy is an orphan. Kids like him have no other choice than to rob unwitting outsiders to get their daily bread.”

“Well eat up, and don’t choke.” Barbara storms off to the lodge’s living room.

She’s soon joined by the boy, Lupe following behind to make sure there isn’t a scuffle.

“Sorry for taking your sword.” He looks down at his dirty feet. “I thought you were some rich girl. Not a lot of kids walk around with a sword in their waist, so I didn’t think much of you.”

Arms folded across her chest, Barbara does her best to pretend she isn’t listening. “You ready to take me to your friend so I can get my sword back?”

“There’s no hurry.” Affirms Lupe. “Why don’t you have a bite to eat as well?”

Before Barbara can protest, her stomach lets out a cry at the offer of food. Not having eaten anything to eat but thick cow milk and cheese since she left her home, Barbara accepts the offer, the sun already making its way down the horizon.

“I can take you to our base tomorrow. Lupe said I could stay the night.” Says the boy. “My name is Jose, but my friends call me Pepito.”

“Tomorrow?” Her mouth full of the vegetable broth Lupe made.

Lupe gives her a look she had only seen her give to the twins, Barbara doesn’t take Lupe for a killer, even so, she hesitates to push the elder woman.

“Fine, but if you so much as think of making a run for it, I’ll feed you to the cows.”

“Cows don’t eat meat.” States the boy, rolling up a tortilla to bite on.

Demitrio continues the conversation he was having with Lupe before Barbara arrived, filling her in on what had happened since they split in the desert.

“Is it true you’re the man in the mountains disciple?” Pepito asks Barbara, sitting adjacent to her, biting into another rolled up tortilla.

“That’s none of your business.” Answers Barbara, lifting the bowl to drink its remains.

“Let’s be a little more civil.” Pleads Lupe.

“This little shit stole my-” Barbara stops, Lupe’s look intimidating her to silence.

“No cursing at the table.” Adds the woman calmly.

Demitrio chuckles, Barbara gulps, surprised to be on the receiving end of Lupe’s deathly aura.

“We’ll all go to get your little sword back, we can stop by and visit Celso on the way.” Says Lupe, taking a seat on the sofa in front of Barbara. “Pepito says he was quite impressed at how fast you learned to make your way through Pillotlan’s rooftops.”

Barbara begrudgingly thanks the kid, he returns a crooked tooth smile.

The sun sets, the city lights like fireflies in the distance give the night sky an orange hue. If it weren’t for the restless bellowing from the cattle, they probably wouldn't have noticed the fire outside the lodge getting out of control. Demitrio is the first to notice the growing flames, everyone exits the house, intent on taking care of the fire before they are stopped by the silhouette of a girl standing in front of the flames.

“Ruth!” Cries the boy. “What are you doing?”

The girl draws the blade from her waist, challenging Barbara. “Let’s settle this.”