Mathais walked out of the guard house. There was a bit of mess going on in there as the locked up everyone they had just brought back. He didn't need to be in there though. now there were less guards on the street as the dealt with them all so he had been assigned to the poorer district. The foot guards were still at full capacity there but they always liked some mounted guard. He hadn't had to patrol for the last two years though and it was strange to be doing so again. He shouldn't run into any problems as the city folk liked him. But he knew that they still saw him as a guard and they wouldn't hesistate to turn against him for the chance of food or coin. He grabbed a horses bridle, a simple chesnut mare that he was still in the process of training.<br/><br/>As the horsemaster for the guard he was responsible for training all the horses and also for training their riders, a far more frustrating task. He usually wouldn't have sent one of the newbies, or even the experianced guards out with this mare because she was too new, but he could handle her and it would do her good to get the experiance. He pulled her out of the stable and jumped neatly onto her back, making sure her tack was all good and his weapons were loosened so her could grab them easily. Leading the mare out in a trot towards the poor distinct he silently greeted those he knew on the way with a polite nod. His friends werent friends when he was working. They knew it and they understood.<br/><br/>He wasn't in the poor district more then ten minutes before a young theif tried to grab a money bag off the belt of a fat, and obvious merchant. He stopped her with a sword on her shoulder and she looked at him in fear. He nodded a gesture and she tied the bag back on to the mans belt and ran like hell. Mat didn't agree with bringing in every person for small things like that. For large robberies and bad criminals yes. But the girl had been stick thin and bruised. He recognised the look and the desperation. People that stole to feed their families he sometimes over looked the punishment part of catching them.<br/><br/>He rode deeper into the district, making sure to keep the mare calm and under wraps and to keep an eagle eye out for other crimes.