Clara had purchased a horse with cash creds at Other Town. She spent the night there, paying cash for a room of little consequence. Not bad, exactly, but just unnoticed. The next morning, Clara rode west, in the general direction of Rocky, but also in the direction of a village called Rancher.

It was there that Clara had purchased a favor from the village’s mayor-lord with some small number of arms the day before. Clara left her horse with the mayor-lord’s people, expecting it to be well taken care of and to have it and another available in 24 hours.