Later, though Polly wasn’t sure how long it really was—long enough that she went through a gambit of emotions—the door to her cell opened.
This time, it was the female Charro who had the braided hair. Her eyes were softer than Breal’s, though. She looked like she might be at least a little sympathetic to the situation.
Maybe?
Or was Polly just reading her own hope? Because that’s all she had at this point. Hope that she was going to get out of this and see Erzo again. If that wasn’t possible, she would even go back to Earth if she had to.
Heartbroken, but she’d go.
She determined that if she couldn't be with Erzo, she would rather leave and go home than stay here. The thought made her sick, but it was what she’d rather do.
If she got a choice, anyway.
“Come on,” the Charro female said, gesturing for Polly to exit.
“Where are we going?” Polly asked.
She didn’t answer as they started walking through the ship—at least, that’s what Polly assumed they were on.
Unlike Disguised Serenity, this place didn’t seem to have walls. Not really, anyway. Everything was open stairs and metal railings. Charro literally leaping and swinging from landing to landing all around her. They would use their tails to catapult them from one spot to another.
Almost like watching comic book characters or a circus performance. She’d not seen Erzo do anything like that since she’d met him. If this was how he usually lived, then wow. How would she ever keep up with him?
She didn’t know how she’d get up to the top in a place like this. “Are we on the bottom of the ship?” Polly asked, as she stared up at others moving around.
“Generally speaking.”
They walked on, weaving up and down short sets of stairs, Polly practically jogging after her and her long legs.
She glanced back at her at one point. “Keeping up?”
“You’re trusting that I won’t run away,” Polly said through pants.
She chuckled. “You’d be lost before you got anywhere.”
True enough, Polly thought. They went up a few more stairs, and Polly’s thighs were burning from muscle fatigue. Man, she needed to get into better shape. Or just start climbing more stairs.
A lot more.
“Got a name?” Polly asked.
The female glanced back at her. “Why?”
“So I know who to yell for when I fall.”
“You fall, then we go to the backup plan.”
“Great,” Polly said.
She chuckled again. “Carvassa. Child of Artin, Clan Kovat.”
Polly blinked. “You’re in the same clan as Erzo?”
“Clans are large. This is Clan Kovat’s ship.”
Polly considered that as they kept moving. She wondered if all the Charro she saw were in some way related to Erzo.
They finally reached a landing, and instead of going up through the maze of open stairs, she led Polly down a more substantial hallway. One with walls and doors.
