However, if he was out gallivanting then I could do the same.
Pulling on my coat and tucking the formulas into my pocket, I pulled open the door and headed outside. The midnight air was cool, but not unpleasantly so. The streets were empty, a quiet hanging in the air. Flipping my scarf over my shoulder, I headed toward the port.
Walking along the docks, the smell of brine overcame everything. A few drunken remnants of the night before were sprawled on doorsteps, unable to walk home after the bartenders kicked them out.
I spent a while staring out at the dark, star-flecked ocean. My ears twitched as something flew overhead, a white silhouette against the night sky.
Sighing, I knew that I needed sleep whether the dragon-kin was back or not. Despite my busy brain, I could not walk straight on the way back. My eyes watched my hooves as they traced a wavy path back to the inn. I was so distracted by the rhythmic motion that I almost ran into someone.
I lifted my head, muttering an apology, and then abruptly halted. The dirty-looking man in front of me was grinning, showing off his missing teeth. I quickly averted my eyes.
“Excuse me,” I said, trying to move around him.
He quickly stepped in my way. For a second, I gave a nervous laugh and moved the other way. Again, he stepped in front of me and stood like a wall.
“Excuse me,” I said again, more emphasis this time.
Then an arm wrapped around my neck and a hand clamped over my face. A sickeningly sweet smell wafted into my nostrils, and I suddenly felt like I had been drinking all night. I fought against my assailants as my consciousness slipped away in a fit of coughs. I would not remember falling unconscious.
I must have dreamed, because I was distinctly muddled when I woke up again. My headache increased in intensity sevenfold. I blinked, the lone lantern in the room producing enough light to make me squint. As I tried to move, I found myself tied to a chair.
“Hey!” I shouted, looking around.
It looked like I was being held in a wine cellar. The floor was dirt and there was one, tiny dusted-over window on top of the right wall. A rickety wooden staircase in front of me led to a wooden door.