Shame

Ruiz sat at the bar, waiting patiently for the innkeeper to come back from the stockroom. He'd not had the canned peaches behind the counter, and had to go grab them from the back. He'd already taken Ruiz' money and deposited it into the register, so now it was just a matter of patience.

"Money problems, seen-yor?" belted out a gryphon, grabbing Ruiz by the shoulder and sitting down on his opposite side. "If you're short on your dough, me an' the boys can help ya out."

Ruiz reached up and brushed the Gryphon's claw off his shoulder. "I don't take charity, señor, and I am no beggar."

"Call it a gift then," laughed the gryphon. "We're ah-mee-goes, ain't we? We help each other out of jams and such? You scratch my back, I scratch yours?"

"What work are you proposing, señor?"

The gryphon once more placed his claw firmly on Ruiz' shoulder. "Me an' the boys were lookin' for some entertainment for the evenin'. That'll earn ya a hot meal, a warm bed, an' a chance to join the Ravens in pleasant company."

Ruiz took a deep breath. While a hot meal and a warm bed sounded luxurious at this point, what they were asking was not something he was willing to do. As soon as the innkeeper came back, he brushed off the gryphon's claw once more and accepted the canned peaches, tucking them into his belt. They were conveniently keyed, meaning he would not need anypony to open them for him. He could take them on the road with him.

"Barkeep," barked the gryphon, "Set up my friend here with a hot meal and a room. Now!"

"That won't be needed, señor," huffed Ruiz, standing up. "It is kind of you to offer, but I must be moving on."

Leaving the saloon, he went out into the town proper, cutting his way down side streets and ducking into alleyways until he was sure he wasn't being followed. All the way, he saw hoof pumps for the well water that had been dismantled and capped off. Those that used to live here had been competent enough to set up multiple wells throughout the town, meaning they didn't need to all come to the center to collect their water. Under martial law, however, the water was controlled. The common citizen could not draw water without the express permission of the sheriff.

He found a shady spot to sit in a location so out-of-the-way that nopony would think to look for him here, but not so hidden that onlookers would find him to be out of place. He wouldn't be staying long, just enough to eat and be on his way. There was no free water, and he wasn't looking to become a whore for his dinner. This place would not have him.

As he opened the first can of peaches, he heard a pained whining behind him. He turned and looked, and there sat a dog of medium size. She looked at him with her big brown eyes, her tail between her legs. A large bruise adorned her left side, just behind her ribs. But it was not her that had whined at him. Trailing behind her were two pups, following their mother as if their lives depended on it, which they likely did.

With a heavy sigh, Ruiz stood up and dumped the peaches onto a large flat rock in front of them. While he rather liked his neighbor's dogs, he'd never had his own due to his little brother's severe allergies. This trio was in a bad way, and he didn't like seeing it. At the very least, he could do something nice for them.

Having given up one can, he opened the other. This one had to be his. The dogs were already polishing off the first can, and he hadn't eaten anything yet. As he lifted the can up to his lips, a mare burst through the alley behind him, knocking the can to the ground. A quartet of gryphons followed her, trampling his meal into the dirt. What was left was inedible. Even the metal can had been crushed.

Ruiz let out a groan of frustration. All he'd wanted was something to eat and drink. Was that so much to ask? The dog didn't think so, coming over to lick his hoof in thanks. "Were those tasty, perrita?" he said, patting her neck. Her coat was ragged, and filled with knots, likely formed around stickers. If he had the time, energy, and shelter to take care of her, he'd have gladly given her a good brushing, a trim if necessary, and something more substantial to eat than a small can of peaches. Also a bed to rest off that bruise. "Scamper off, now. Find somewhere safe for those pups."

At his command, she limped her way across the road, her pups following behind. He wished her well on her journey, a notion that he was sure she wished on him, as well. Perhaps a local farmer would take her in and clean her up. One could only hope.

It was time to go. It was no use sticking around here any longer. Still tired and still hungry, he would just have to suffer his growling stomach until the next town, wherever that was. He followed the alleys and backroads north. That was the direction he'd been running off to, and that was the direction he would continue to go until he escaped.

Just as he moved around a large crate, he spotted the mare that had cost him his meal skidding around a corner. He could hear the gryphons calling out behind her, ordering her to stop. From the names he was hearing them say, she'd likely been given the same job offer they'd given him, and they were tired of taking no for an answer.

He reached out and grabbed her shoulder as she rushed passed, dragging her into the alley he'd just come out of. He pressed his hoof over her mouth, wrapped his leg around her waist, and pulled her tightly toward the wall, keeping her behind the crate, squirming in his lap and trying to shout through his hoof.

A moment later, the gryphons blew past them. He was about to release his grip when he felt her elbow slam against his ribs, and her teeth biting down on his wrist. He immediately released his grip with a quiet wince, so as not to give away their position, and she ran off the way he'd originally come from. Perhaps she thought he was involved with the gryphons, and was holding her down so they could have their way with her. He wouldn't begrudge her fear.

As he picked himself up and made his way out into the street, one of the gryphons doubled back. "Hey! Pendejo!"

Ruiz stopped and turned. The gryphon was much closer than he sounded, and quite large. On top of that, the other three were nearby. A fight would undoubtedly end in their favour under these circumstances.

"You seen a palomino mare come through here?"

Ruiz raised his hoof, the one with the bite mark, and pointed to the alley opposite of the one she'd run down. "That way, señor."

"Not so dumb after all," the gryphon smiled, tousling Ruiz's mane. "Let's go, boys!"

Ruiz pulled his sombrero back over the top of his head. His assessment coming in was wrong. This place was dead, and he needed to be gone before night fell.