KamiKowa: That Time I Got Transmigrated With A Broken Goddess Chapter 116: [116] Rich Girls Buy Their Own Horses

They left the shop with their new gear, the heavy cloaks draped over their arms.

"We need horses," Xavier said, nodding toward the stable. "And supplies. Food, water, maybe a tent."

"Already ahead of you," Naomi replied. "I spoke to the stable master a few days ago. He has two horses for sale—nothing fancy, but sturdy enough for the journey."

Xavier glanced at her. "A few days? You were planning to leave even before I showed up?"

Naomi’s expression grew guarded. "This place... it doesn’t feel right. Being in soone else’s body, living soone else’s life. I needed to know I could leave if I wanted to."

Xavier wanted to say sothing comforting, but what was there to say to that?

"Now we’re leaving together."

Naomi turned to face him, her gaze dropped to his mouth, lingered there, then quickly darted away. She pressed her lips together and spun around.

"Co on. The stable’s this way."

He caught up in two strides. "You wanted to kiss just then."

"I did not." She quickened her pace.

"You absolutely did." He matched her stride easily. "You got that sa look you had last night right before you—"

"Shut up." She bumped him with her shoulder. "We’re in public."

"So if we weren’t in public..."

Naomi rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips—those full, beautiful coral lips that had been pressed against his skin hours earlier.

The constant headache that had plagued him since arriving in this world throbbed behind his eyes, but it felt different now—duller, more manageable. Naomi’s presence seed to buffer the pain sohow, like a shield between him and whatever force was pulling him toward Heartho.

The stable was a long wooden structure with a sloped roof where icicles hung like crystal daggers. Inside, the air was warm and heavy with the scent of hay, horse, and leather. A tall man with a graying beard looked up from where he was brushing down a chestnut mare, recognition lighting his weathered face when he spotted Naomi.

"Nessa! Co about those horses, have yeh?" His voice bood in the enclosed space, startling a nearby stable boy who nearly dropped his pitchfork.

"Morning, Tomas." Naomi slipped easily into her role as Nessa. "This is Xavien. We’re traveling to Heartho."

Tomas leaned his brush against a post and wiped his hands on his leather apron. "Heartho? Bliy, that’s near a fortnight’s journey through the passes, that is, assumin’ the weather holds." His gaze shifted to Xavier. "You’ve traveled the mountain roads before, have yeh?"

"Not these mountains," Xavier admitted, "but I know enough to respect them."

Tomas grunted. "Good answer, that. Too many fools think a strong arm’s enough against winter’s bite, don’ they?" He gestured for them to follow him deeper into the stable. "Got two that might suit yeh, I have. Not the prettiest, mind yeh, but mountain-bred an’ sure-footed, they are."

He stopped before two stalls. In the first stood a stocky gray gelding with intelligent eyes. The second held a smaller bay mare with a white blaze down her face.

"The gray’s called Smoke, he is. Stubborn as they co, that one, but he’ll carry yeh through a blizzard without complaint, he will." Tomas patted the horse’s muscular neck. "The bay’s Ember. Gentler disposition, that one, but don’ be fooled—she’s got spirit when it counts, she has."

Xavier approached Smoke carefully, extending his hand palm-up. The horse sniffed it, then nudged his fingers with a velvety muzzle.

"He likes yeh," Tomas observed.

"Animals have always liked ," Xavier murmured, stroking the gelding’s forehead. It wasn’t entirely true—in his previous life, animals had tended to sense the danger in him and keep their distance. Perhaps this body’s original owner had been good with horses.

Naomi stood beside Ember’s stall, speaking softly to the mare. The horse’s ears flicked forward attentively.

"How much for both?" Xavier asked.

"Hundred silvers each, with basic tack an’ all. Another fifty fer supplies—saddlebags, blankets, feed, the whole lot."

Naomi turned from the mare. "We discussed eighty each last week, Tomas."

"Tha’ was before I heard yeh were crossin’ the passes, wasn’ it? Better horses, better price, I can tell yeh that much!"

"Ninety each," she countered, "and we’ll put in a good word with the Fire Priests when we reach Heartho."

Tomas barked a laugh. "What makes yeh think I care what those fla-lovers think o’ ?"

"Because," Naomi said smoothly, "your sister’s son is studying at the temple there. Wouldn’t hurt to have soone ntion his uncle’s generosity to the High Burner’s household."

Tomas scratched his beard, considering. "Fine then. Ninety each, but I want full paynt now, I do—not that arrangent yeh ntioned."

"Done." Naomi reached into her pouch and counted out silver coins, placing them in the stable master’s calloused palm.

"We’ll need provisions too," Xavier added. "Food for at least a week, water skins, maybe a tent."

"The tanner across the way has good water skins, he does," Tomas said, pocketing the coins. "For food, try Maren’s, yeh should. She sells travel bread that keeps fer weeks. As fer shelter..." He shook his head. "No tent will help yeh if a real storm hits, I’m afraid. You’ll need ter know the waypoints—shelters built into the mountainside. I’ll mark ’em on a map fer yeh."

"That would be helpful," Xavier said.

Tomas nodded. "I’ll have the horses ready in an hour or two, I will. Gives yeh ti ter gather the rest of yer supplies."

They stepped back into the crisp morning air, the stable’s warmth quickly replaced by winter’s bite. Xavier pulled his cloak tighter as they walked past the other shops lining the street—the tanner’s with its pungent leather sll, the baker’s where bread scents made his stomach growl.

"I think we should split up for now," Xavier said as they paused near the fountain in the town’s center. The morning sun caught in his black hair as he turned to face Naomi. "I need to say goodbye to Rachel. She did save my life, after all."

Naomi’s shoulders stiffened. "Goodbye to the creepy seer woman? Why bother?"

"Because I owe her that much. Plus, I need to et with the caravan group Lukas arranged. They’ll have information about the mountain passes we’ll need for the journey to Heartho."

"And you can’t do that with there because...?" Naomi crossed her arms, her gray eyes narrowing.

"Because we still need other supplies."

Naomi considered this, tapping her boot against the packed snow. "Fine. But where should we et afterward? I don’t want to stand around freezing my ass off waiting for you."

"The stables. Two hours from now."

"Two hours? What could possibly take that long?"

Xavier’s lips quirked up at one corner. "Have you seen this city?"

"That’s exactly why I should co with you. We don’t want another incident like last night."

Xavier caught the way her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her cloak. "I’ll be fine. I have the map the fortune teller gave now."

"Oh, you trust mysterious tent won now?"

"Her directions got to your place, didn’t they?"

Naomi rolled her eyes. "Just... don’t talk to any more fortune tellers. Or mysterious won in tents. Or won in general."

"Jealous?"

"You wish." She shoved his shoulder. "Fine. Two hours. The stables. Don’t be late or I’m leaving without you."

"No, you won’t."

She glared at him. "Try ."

Xavier stepped closer and tucked a strand of purple hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering against her skin. "You’d miss too much."

Naomi batted his hand away, but not before he caught the slight catch in her breath. "Two hours," she repeated.

"And if you’re even one minute late, I’m telling everyone at the academy about how you cried at ’The Perks of being a Shrinking Violet.’"