She had no intention of following the two idiots who had started this whole mess in the first place--although she supposed the barkeep did rather have something to do with it. If she had the time, she'd go back and deal with the ass herself.
Unfortunately, she did not have the time.
Or, apparently, any sort of luck.
She'd wheeled Ortec around, sort of trailing a beat behind the boy and the Duhjari man--there was really only one way out of town, after all--when a dagger whistled by her ear.
Riala growled, risking only a single glance back over her shoulder to see that four of the stumbling, brawling crowd from inside the tavern had grabbed horses of their own and were, evidently, in hot pursuit. For a second she thought she saw a fifth skidding to a halt in front of the stables, clearly looking for a horse that was no longer there. But she didn't exactly have the time or inclination to dwell on it, as another throwing knife nearly skimmed her ear.
"How the fuck are they even sober enough to throw straight?!" she exclaimed in blind frustration. Ortec shivered beneath her, the the thud of his hooves increased in tempo. He was nearly flat out--she didn't have the space to really open him up here, but he was moving as fast as he could given the circumstances.
Fast enough that they quickly caught up with the other two fleeing on horseback, and even started to overtake them. Adrenalin racing, Ortec snorted a challenge and snaked his neck toward the Duhjari's grey, clearly going for a bite on the other stallion, before Riala managed to jerk him back. Spitting curses in her native tongue under her breath, she tried to peel away from the other two. They were coming up on the edge of town, if she could just...
A sound she didn't recognize, but instinctively knew, rang out behind them. Gunfire. Her eyes widened and she leaned low over her horse's neck, sharply dragging him away from where they were shooting--which herded her closer to the two men and their mounts.
She'd heard that Connlaoth's newest weapons were devastating, but had shit aim, especially at a distance. If she could just keep her lead--
Another shot. Way too close that time. Hissing another curse, she jerked Ortec back, slowing his pace sharply, then urged him forward again so that he first fell behind, then sprang forward between the other two horses.
They could be good use as shields, if nothing else.