When last we left off (or when last I left off. I don’t know if you, Good and Gentle Reader, are still reading this), Ronda (reminder: all names here are place names. You know I am better than this for names) and Danny had met while Danny’s body had been hijacked by Auntie. Ronda strikes a deal with the discorporate Danny: she’ll help him get his body back if he helps her track down and grab Black Bart – notorious highwayman menacing the Trade Roads between two major cities. Danny agrees to it and the pair head off in the direction that Black Bart was last seen. Ronda tells Danny to get inside the horse for the trip, stating that she can get another one in town. Danny approaches the horse and puts his hand on it. The horse rears and Danny backs off. Ronda tells him not to be gentle – he’s stepping into an animal, not try to get between a woman’s legs (we’re trying to paint Ronda as someone who has little time for the trappings of society). Danny pushes harder, getting his hand inside the beast and he’s pulled in.

Now inside the animal, he sees the horse’s soul looking around rather confused. Ronda tells Danny to get moving; otherwise the horse will wise up and try to nudge him out. Danny starts walking and Ronda nudges him in the ribs: he needs to get moving if he’s going to both get away from the horse that’s seen him and get her to Black Bart. Danny starts jogging and comments that there is something odd about her voice – there’s some sort of echo to it that he didn’t notice before. She mentions that’s it part of her Touched heritage, in the other world (what Ronda calls ‘over there’) she has a presence that marks her as being different. The upside is that the other Rahsaya can recognize her and a majority of them are at least kind enough to not try to take over her body (she also knows how to defend herself from the minority that aren’t). Some of them are even considered friends – one of them might be able to help Danny out. They travel to a small town and Ronda tells Danny to stay inside the horse while she gets a new one. While Danny waits for the pair to haggle over what’s going to soon be a major part of the dinner menu, Danny sees several wraiths prowling about… and he sees his body buying a horse. He tries to move to knock his body off of the horse, but he’s tied to the hitching post. So, Danny leaps out of the horse and chases down his body just seconds before Ronda and the man shake on the deal… and the horse falls over dead and the deal is cancelled. Danny attracts the attention of the wraiths as he’s yelling at that thing to get out of his body. Ronda curses and tries to get Danny to calm down (keep in mind she’s the only one who can see Danny). She gets a horse (a little miffed that she is going to have to pay out of the pocket for this one) and chases after Danny who is chasing after the horse with his body on it… who is in turn being chased by the wraiths.

Ronda rides down a couple of wraiths and picks up Danny, putting him on the saddle. She slows down while Danny complains that his body is getting away. She turns around and smacks him a couple of times – telling him that chasing after him like some dog is not going to get him his body back any sooner. If they’re going to do this and do it right – they need to take him when he’s not looking or being chased. Now – she puts an ultimatum to him: either follow with her, help her and when all is said and done, she’ll help out with getting his body back, or he can hop off the horse and become wraith chow. Danny looks over his options and goes with the former. Ronda says good and now they head off to catch Black Bart.

At this point we’re about halfway through the second act, I am going to keep spitballing this thing here until it’s done, or someone says enough.

Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Seething Apathy