Grall led them onto one of the main roads in the area, and Izzy trembled - nowhere except right in the village could the danger of being seen by someone be greater than here. But on this morning the road was empty, no one was to be seen until the horizon, only the clop-clop of her hooves accompanied them on their journey. For Izzy, however, this was little consolation; the experiences of the morning were still stirring her up too much. The cold metal of the tax stamp rubbed against her thigh and reminded her with every step that something important had changed.
She hadn't missed the change in Grall either, he was taking her more and more for granted as a ponygirl, and this ride was a good example. She had only got involved in this whole thing so that she could explore the forests and ruins together with him, but now she was simply his horse, and even had to go for a ride with him so that he could pay for her - and no one had asked her if she even wanted that. But then, you didn't ask a horse where it wanted to be ridden, did you? She snorted discontentedly.
To make matters worse, she'd been a ponygirl for days, and it didn't look like that was going to change any time soon. If she wasn't careful, he would surely put her in the stable every day just so she would be available when he needed her. She was happy to help her friend, but this was beyond the pale!
A small kick snapped her out of her thoughts. "You're slowing down, Buttercup. We'll never get there like this." He put her into a fast trot. She grumbled.
After half an hour, it dawned on Izzy that something was different from the last few rides. Her poor sense of direction had struck again, and it was only the strong clues that put her on the right track: there were no goblins or ponygirls to be seen anywhere, and the houses were bigger than usual ... they were human houses, and they were on their way to a human town! She neighed unhappily.
"What's going on?" asked Grall, confused. He followed her gaze and understood. "Malsator is a human blacksmith, I thought you knew that. He's one of the very few people who make things for ponygirls. One of the best in his field. You don't have to worry; he works and lives in Udamos, it's such a big town you won't stand out." Izzy wasn't thrilled though. While it wasn't their first ride into the human world, it was the first time she would be seen by other humans nearly naked with a tax stamp and in full ponygirl gear, with a rider on her back guiding her with her reins. It was humiliating. With the goblins it was part of everyday life, but with humans she would be seen as a disgrace. How could he ask her to go there as a ponygirl? When exactly had the alternatives been swept off the table? She would have carried him in her arms a hundred times rather than humiliate herself like that!
But what choice did she have? If she resisted the reins, she would probably have to walk back alone, and she didn't have any spare clothes - without a saddle she would be even more naked than she already was now. Besides, Grall wouldn't be able to make the journey without her. And despite the terrible insolence of the morning - again she felt the cold metal between her legs - he was still her friend, and she didn't want to abandon him without a conversation.
"I know what you're thinking, but if I put something on you, people will look at you even more. But if you're a normal ponygirl, you won't stand out at all. Who pays attention to the horses that someone rides through the streets? You must be inconspicuous, and as a ponygirl you must be almost naked. Nobody will recognise you; nobody even knows you there. The town is so big that most people don't even know their own neighbours. Stay a ponygirl and you're as good as invisible."
She grumbled, but he was probably right. Only if she blended in would she be overlooked. And it certainly wouldn't be that different from the goblins; hardly anyone noticed her there either. And she was a little curious about the city; she had only known small villages before, but real cities were new to her.
Two hours later, the impressive city wall of Udamos emerged from between the trees. Izzy stared open-mouthed -- which was well filled by the bit - at the marvel that grew into the sky before them on the horizon. It was almost as high as the houses behind it and was only interrupted by a mighty gate that was currently raised. Carts and pedestrians gathered in front of it and waited for the gatekeepers to let them into the city one by one. It was a slow process, everything was inspected and, where possible, taxes were collected for entry. It was the usual bustle of a trading town and Izzy was about to become a part of it - but hopefully only as a visitor and not as a commodity, she thought and shuddered. They lined up at the end of the row under the suspicious gaze of the people, and to Izzy's horror, she was the only ponygirl for miles around. All around her were men and women in modest and loose clothing that hid everything but their hands and faces under colourless and thick wool. She, on the other hand, showed almost everything that nature had given her, and it was obvious that she would not make any friends in this town this way; only a few of the men allowed themselves a few furtive glances.
The queue made slow progress, but after almost half an hour it was finally their turn. A guard scrutinised them both critically before raising his voice: "Are you planning to sell this animal here, or are you taking it out of the city again?"
Grall shrugged. "She's my mount, I'm taking her back with me."
"Good, then you'll have to pay a deposit for her. An animal of her quality costs...", he thought for a moment, "100 thalers."
Izzy raised an eyebrow; that was more than her father and she spent on food in a month, and it was only the deposit! Grall gulped too, but handed the money to the man, who in return slapped a stamp hard on Izzy's bum, leaving a deposit number on her bottom. "Come back with the animal and I'll give you your money back. I see you taxed her properly." To Izzy's horror, he reached between her legs and held the tax stamp. "Not that we care about that here, the taxes are for the goblins. But we don't want any trouble with them. Don't bring any horse or livestock into town that doesn't have a valid tax stamp." Grall was about to urge Izzy on when the man raised his hand once more. "But remember, this is a clean town. If your pet goes anywhere, you'll clean it up and pay a fine!" Izzy turned bright red, who did this guy think she was? Oh yeah, a ponygirl... "And stay on this side of the river. The town is divided in two. Because you goblins are disturbing the real animals, you can't cross the bridge!" At the word "real" he looked at Izzy patronisingly, which was the first time he'd ever looked her in the eyes. Even for humans in this form, she was just an animal that didn't need to be talked to.
Grall nodded and drove Izzy through the gate. The city was crowded, noisy and very dirty - even if the guard had said otherwise. Izzy wasn't used to this crowdedness, on all sides the houses rose two or three storeys into the sky and hid the sun better than the canopies of the trees in the forest. It was an impressive atmosphere, full of life and disorder that Izzy had never seen before. There was no quiet corner anywhere, and every house had a shop selling something different. There were cups, vegetables, chairs, weapons, books and anything else a girl - or horse - could imagine. But although there were a few goblins to be seen here, Izzy remained the only ponygirl; not even a cart was pulled by one, instead the humans did it themselves. And contrary to what Grall had claimed, she was the centre of attention. People turned to look at her and whispered behind their backs. It was humiliating and one of the worst things Izzy had experienced in her short career as a ponygirl. The children in particular pointed at her and many laughed, the boys were especially cruel, while the girls stared at her almost angrily, like a traitor to her own kind.
