The awe had worn off days ago, specifically after the full moon, when things in the strange forest on this stranger island proved much more dangerous than even the wolves of the Territory. Any time now, she was ready for this forsaken fever dream to be over, yet in the pit of her mind, Virginia was well aware she was not in the grips of some fever. Nor was this the result of too much peyote, or a bad mushroom slipped in with her stew.
The city especially, like nothing she had ever seen or imagined. Buildings were not supposed to scrape the sky. She avoided the inner roads for days, convinced they would topple with the wind. Now she was exploring, because there was little else she knew to do. It had been the right choice, this day, because the sound of horse shoes was familiar on any ground- even this unfamiliar pounded stone. In the middle of the wide black street, she turned to face the sound, using her hand to shield her eyes from the sun.