Back at the tack stall, Bobinko checks the second horse again, the white scar of old branding now hidden under fresh dye. The shape, the gait, the stubborn set of the neck, it all fits. This is Iron-Hoof, his former stallion, given over to King Tryar as a token and now dressed up for the race.
Bobinko Kozlov
Iron-Hoof.
The stallion shifts in the straw beside him, calm but watchful, while lantern light trembles across the muddy boards. From the shadows by the stall posts, a woman steps out where there was no one a breath ago.
The Barmaid
You finally looked close enough.
Her tavern smile is gone. In its place is a cool, counting stare, and the easy hands of a listener are now folded like a clerk's. She has not been tending bar at all. She has been tending the Tryars.
The Barmaid
I have watched every word you give away, Bobinko Kozlov. The investment stays secure if you stay predictable.
Behind her, the mare stamps once, and the stall rope creaks. The fairground lane feels suddenly narrower, as if the mud itself is listening for what Bobinko does next.
✓ Quest Accepted
Confront the barmaid's betrayal
✓ Quest Accepted
Turn the tables on the Tryars using Iron Hoof
“I recognize that horse. Truly a Kozlov Stallion he is. Given in good faith to a new neighbor, now used against me”
SUCCESS (Superb Animal Handling, rolled -2)
Bobinko Kozlov
Iron-Hoof. You were sold once, then turned out for Tryar coin.
The barmaid’s eyes flick to the mare, then back to Bobinko, and her mouth tightens at the name he gives the horse.
The Barmaid
So you know her history now. That was the point of hiding it.
Bobinko Kozlov
The dye sits over the old brand, but it cannot fool the stance.
Bobinko’s hand drops from the rail. The stallion breathes out through its nose, steady, as if the yard itself has gone still around the accusation.
The Barmaid
I kept the investment secure. I kept it away from fools who would lose it.
Her words land hard, but the mare’s shifting hoof scrapes a bright line in the mud, and the nearby handler turns his head toward the stall.
The Barmaid
If you want the truth, Bobinko Kozlov, now you have it. What do you do with it?
Quest Complete
Confront the barmaid's betrayal