Excerpt: World Aright

Rosa slunk down to the pier, headed for the building that was home for her when she was Ghost, checking to make sure that there wasn’t anyone about when she slid in the door and up the stairs to her tiny room. Ryan had stopped following her home when he’d finally agreed that she was safe enough along the streets from the racetrack to the river pier, although it had taken some serious persuasion and frustration. She pulled the grey, slightly grubby shirt- it had once been white- over her head and let it fall to the floor, followed by the tightly- laced trews and the riding boots, both of a leather that was so abused and worn it was the same indeterminant shade of greyish brown. She picked up the shirt and looked it over carefully. It was getting pretty grubby, but it wasn’t dirty enough for her to be able to justify- as Ghost- washing it. She sighed and let it drop back to the floor. Her fingers picked at the leather wrapping that Ghost used to hold his chinlength hair back from his face until it released Rosa’s hair to fall to her shoulders, then wrapped the green scarf around her head. She mussed the pallet up and dropped a few of the crumpled waxed papers that every pie seller wrapped their wares in on the floor, further enhancing the idea that she slept and ate and lived here, then pulled on the loose cotton skirt and the long sleeved, slightly oversize shirt before sitting on the bed to pull on her boots. These were finer, but not too fine so as to attract attention in this area. Her vest, though, would stand out anywhere, and it marked her as an apprentice healer. She didn’t want any connection between Rosa-the-student and Ghost-the-brat/jockey/urchin, so the vest she rolled up and slid into the bottom of the canvas carryall that she slung around her shoulders, burying it under the two books and the loaf of bread, bit of cheese, and slightly-bruised apple that were wrapped in still more waxed paper. Looking around, she judged the room sufficiently lived-in enough and slid back out the door.