Escutcheon slowly woke up as morning sunlight filtered into the bedroom. He yawned and rolled out of the soft bed onto the apple wood floor. His horn lit up as the bed he had just gotten out of remade itself. "Good morning Escutcheon, did you sleep well?" Atlas asked from his bed.
"I'm fine," he answered rubbing his eyes. "Just still a little tired."
"That was a very interesting tracking spell that you cast. We would have been up all night without it." Atlas looked up from the book that he was reading. "It didn't look like a spell that your mother would have taught you. From what you've told me she was a lot more focused on her books and scrolls."
Escutcheon shook his head. "That was a spell that Father taught me."
"Your father?" Atlas closed the book that he was reading and sat up. "Is he a scholar like your mother?"
Again Escutcheon shook his head. "No Father is the captain of the guard."
"You must have had an interesting life back home, but that must have been hard to spend time with them."
"It was." Escutcheon said softly. "I wish." Escutcheon started shacking.
"I'm sorry." Atlas' ears flopped back. "I know you're very home sick."
"It's okay." Escutcheon tried to calm down. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
"I'll get that." Atlas' horn lit up the door opened in his white aura. Kettle nodded to Escutcheon and the professor. Behind him Dusk and Turkeylegs were already out of their room.
"Breakfast is ready. I was sent to fetch you, and inform you that Chief Officer Red Wine and Blueberry Kompot would not be dinning with us. Are you ready to be escorted to the breakfast nook."
"Yes please," Atlas answered. Kettle nodded again and led the group to a beautifully decorated breakfast nook.
"Good morning I was wanting to send you off on a full stomach. I hope that this spread is to your liking." Baroness Flower said. Kettle took this as his cue to lift the lids of half a dozen platters. Revealing an entire spread of fruits, buttered breads, freshly baked pastries, and a few fresh meats. "Please eat your fill." She sat down. "That will be all Kettle."
"Yes ma'am." Kettle bowed his head and left the room. with the kettle lids.
"I hope that this spread is to your liking. She looked between the two foals who happily took to the fruits and pastries. Escutcheon a lot more reserved and formal, Dusk who happily took a plate full of pastries and fruits first. She smiled as she found a point of polite breakfast conversation. "Escutcheon I would like to ask a question."
"Yes Baroness Flower." Escutcheon looked up from his plate. Dusk deftly snuck a mango slice off of his plate Atlas grabbed a plateful of fruit, meat, and buttered bread. He floated a few pieces of meat to Turkeylegs who gladly devoured the slices of meat.
"I was wondering why it was that you're wearing cloths and Dusk is not?" Escutcheon froze as all eyes focused on him. He looked down.
"Escutcheon never told me what happened." Dusk said softly.
"I-I don't want to talk about it." He swallowed hard trying to calm down. He felt dirty with all of them looking at him. He felt just as worthless as he did back in the jungle. Just a piece of meat no different from the food on the table.
"Was that a faux pas. I'm sorry."
"He's rather touchy about that. He's not having a good morning right now." Atlas answered.
"It's fine, I'm fine." He tried to calm down. He grabbed some food off of his plate, and took a few small bites. "I'm fine." Dusk leaned close to him. Turkeylegs looked of from eating another piece of meat.
"Escutcheon." Dusk said softly.
"I'm fine." He didn't look away from his plate. She gave him a sad smile and quick nuzzle. Resolving to talk to him about it later. When the two of them were alone. He wasn't fine, but this wasn't this the place. A few minutes of silence Escutcheon looked up from his plate. "Baroness Flower. May I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
"Lock or Hobbles? Both of them are in your library. Which one do you agree with most?" Flower leaned back in her chair thinking the question over for a moment.
"Lock. Completely with Lock. I know that that sounds odd given, I'm an aristocrat, with servants in my employ, but they are in my employment. And I care for them, each of them very much." She looked over her food. "And before you ask your next question which do you agree with?"
"I'm fifty/fifty on them." Flower raised an eyebrow.
"Well I'd love to read a political theory written by you." She gave him a soft smile. "I assume that you had a follow up question?" He nodded.
"How can we deal with the aristocrats that are war hawking to keep the Colony safe."
"If I knew that I would have done it a long time ago." She gave Escutcheon and Dusk a sad smile. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine. We'll figure something out. I know Escutcheon will. He's always done the impossible." She smiled back Escutcheon's cheeks glowed a rosy red. After half an hour breakfast was finished, and taken off of the table.
"Well I'd love to send your off now, but I think Blueberry would like a little more time with his grandfather. Do you mind taking a bath, and buy him a little more time."
"A bath would be nice," Dusk said. "And I don't mind letting Blueberry take as long as he wants."
"Thank you all of you. I have a gift for the two of you. It'll be in your rooms when you get out of your baths. Atlas, can we talk?"
"Of course," Atlas answered as Kettle came back in and lead Dusk and Escutcheon to their separate bathrooms. Escutcheon sighed with content as he climbed into the tub of hot water. Half an hour later he dried of and put back on his old cloths before going back to his guest bedroom. On the bed was a well made saddle bag with three pairs of clothes laid out on the bed. He changed into a one of the cleaner sets, and put the others into his bag just as Dusk came in wearing a beautiful, simple, white dress.
"How do I look?" she asked excitedly.
"Beautiful." Dusk giggled at Escutcheon's reaction.
"I love it." She spun around.
"I'm glad that you like it. It was one of my old casual dresses. I'm glad that it's going to be worn again. It hurt me to see it just collect dust in my closet," Flower said from the door. "Red Wine, Atlas, and your bird are waiting for you at the door. Both of you be safe, and good luck." She gave them a small sad smile. The two expressed their gratitude and said their good-byes. Before joining the others and returning to their mission.