Anaera watched Susanne walk away and shrugged. She didn’t feel like fighting and Orpheus was more company than she wanted. She glanced over at the other girl and then headed away from the psycho chick’s bar. She pulled the string back out of her Hammerspace™ and tied Orpheus’ mouth shut before he could say anything. “I want some quiet time to reflect you gossipy little squeaker!” she told him. She saw a hay cart passing on the road. How convenient! She made sure the driver wasn’t looking and hopped on board. She was glad her skin was covered because she was sure the hay was itchy. Now, to think.

She HAD to fight? She really preferred avoiding fights because it was usually the people who least deserved it who got hurt. Well, maybe she’d fight the psycho because she kind of bugged her, but those others? They were so young! This bore very serious consideration. She needed to—

“Hey girlie! Get off my cart!”

Anaera finally noticed that the cart had stopped and an angry man was menacing a horsewhip at her. How rude! Weren’t hay cart drivers supposed to be polite and oblivious? Guess her free ride was over. She hopped off the cart and dashed away before the driver spewed any truly unpleasant language out. Anaera looked around and was not pleased. “Looks like we ended up in the bad part of town, eh Orphy.”

“Mmmph.”

“Oh yeah!” Anaera remembered and removed the gag.

“Arigato,” he hissed at her. “Of course we ended up in the bad part of town. It’s just your luck. And look who else ended up here?”

Anaera surveyed the streets. In one corner, she had some street toughs and in the other, she had the Beatles-girl. Well, it was typical that that girl ended up here, too. If the street toughs noticed Susanne, they’d have to contend with the tiger. If the toughs noticed Anaera, they’d have to deal with Aneara. There were about a dozen of the louts, though, so she’d give the tiger better odds. “Orphy,” she whispered, “I think WE, at least should go somewhere else before—“

“Too late!” the mouse squeaked.

And it was, because the toughs were headed straight for her. She drew her katana and moved into her fighter’s stance. She couldn’t win, but there seemed no alternative to fighting…