People respected people that were rich. Now it was only a matter of crossing over again. Personally, I was not really that concerned about it. I had spent the whole week scoping out the portal while going after the stashes. The guards stationed there were pretty lax. Even weighed down by the 2 duffel bags, I was able to slip past them with no problems at all. Without the sirens and the helicopter support, I was practically invisible when I wanted to be. I had some tools and throwing knives from the intact stashes as well. That was what being a phantom thief was about. I was now back in the new world. The guards over here were even less lively. Lower tech as well. They did not even notice me as I made my way over to the inn from the center of the town. It was still nighttime. My father was right. Entering the stables, the 3 centaurs were confused. For then, not even 15 minutes had passed. There was a lot to tell them about. As I told them the story, I could tell that they were all sympathetic towards me. I was denied by my father. Just like they were scared of being rejected by a tribe.
Quickly, it was time to move this along. "In the morning, we can move out. The Swifthearts are waiting for us. Casone, you'll come with us to the capital too, right!?" I had offered. He was quick to agree. He had been very lonely in the town we had left him in. When he was on his own, he had no real friends. People saw him as a noisy and low class barbarian. They used him for all the labor he could do and then let him go off on his own. Both Petras and Jeran were very pleased to have someone they considered a brother joining them again. It was tough on them as well. They had resigned themselves on never seeing anyone from their tribe ever again. I then went in the inn. After eating dinner inside at the tavern, I went upstairs to get some deep sleep. I would need it. In the morning, I got on Petras's back and we set off together. The trip was not going to be that quick. I still was not really that comfortable sitting on him. We did not use a saddle with him. Both of us agreed that it would be demeaning to do that with either centaur. They were not just animals. Both were my friends.
Really thinking about it, they were actually super close with me after fighting to the death against that centauress. That was a bonding experience. I guess men of many species had that in common. Casone did most of the big talking. He had a lot to catch up on. He wanted to know everything that happened after we left him. We had not talked much about it on the way there. Going to the town, we had talked mostly on what he had been through. The conversation was free form. We brought up everything and anything that came to mind. It was the most fun for me when I got off of Petras. Since I was riding him raw, I was chaffing and sore all over after a few hours. I could stick through the pain for a full day, but it meant that the morning after consisted of about a couple hours of limping along near them. Just like before, they were totally laughing at me and making fun at my expense. I did not care for it much, but that was part of moving along with 3 centaurs. It also kept my mind off the pain. I made sure to stock up on supplies and food before leaving the town to make it on through.
