[IRP] The First of Many

[Lavi]

The townspeople didn't require any persuasion to go to the schoolhouse, which worked out well for Neil. Although the people were hurrying one way, he had to go the other. Mina was still at the stables and it would be completely awful if someone tried to flee the town with her.

"Well, I might as well grab the rest of my stuff while I'm here..." Neil muttered as he jogged down the abandoned street.

As he approached the stables, he could hear Mina neighing, presumably in protest against something. Coming around the corner, he found a brigand trying to put a saddle onto Mina's back. There is a reason why Neil doesn't do so on Mina: she hates saddles. He learned that the painful, agonizing way (involving two hooves).

"Hey, back off!" he shouted at the man, shoving the potential thief away from Mina.

"Blasted..." the thief scowled at Neil and took off without a fight.

"Did he do anything to you, Mina?" Neil asked his horse, to which Mina gave a grumbley response.

Nope.

After collecting his bow and arrows, Neil took off back towards the schoolhouse, wrapping his scarf around his neck as he rode. The fighting seemed to have mostly died down as he made his way to the abandoned building, though he kept an eye out for any of Glass' men along the way.

He ran into Kalin and Paige, the latter getting to her feet after the defeat of the latest bandit to attack her.

"I suppose the two of you are all right?" Neil said, half-questioningly.