//------------------------------// // Chapter Three: These boots are made for walking... but I'd rather fly... // Story: Sisu // by Ebony Gryphon //------------------------------// Shadow covered her head with a wing, squinting against the glare that the rays that leaked through her feathers as she regarded the corpse before. The beast seemed to be similar to that of those of Saddle Arabia, albeit decidedly larger, its eyes smaller then the people of the west. As her eyes roamed over the prose form, the resemblance to her own people was uncanny, and caused a shiver to run through her spine. Ears flicking towards to the sound of crunching earth and grass, she regarded the young human as he walked up. "Boy... seems your mounts have joined the well of souls..." Nodding, the human crossed his arms as he stood next to the mare. "Quite... the same blight that befell yon gelding did come upon all our horses..." Looking down at Shadow, the human tilted his head, and reaching over, gently placed a hand on the ponies wither, his brows knitting together from the flinch he felt against his palm. "Lady Shadow, are..." his hand snapped back as the pegasi's wing jerked back in an attempt to move the hand. Teeth bared, Shadow snapped "Don't..." Brows unknitting, the human gave a shrug, and knelt down next to the body. Sighing, Shadow face hoofed. "Cry pardon child. I am... unused to touch outside of cuts or beatings. Your kindness gladens me, but... your touch is distracting..." Chuckling, the Assassin pulled back the lips of the horse, inspecting it. "Thy reluctance seemed to give no bearing on your exercises the day before with Ruth..." Shadow face hoofed, giving a groan. "Celestia's sake... you know about that?" Nodding, the assassin pulled the eyelid of the horse open. "Surprised it took her a few hours... she and her husband usually are quicker..." Shadow rolled her eyes, thanking the Maker her fur hid her blush. "I'm not even into mares, let alone maids of another kind... but Ruth is very..." "Charming? Convincing? So good with her tongue she could entice a Rabbi to consume a boar?" Scowling, Shadow swatted the back of the assassin's head. "I see the winds did not blow yon apple Erik when he fell from thy tree, boy..." Snickering, the assassin stood. Looking up, Shadow tilted her head. "If I have... caused thee pain, child, for my taking of fair Ruth..." Waving his hand, the human snorted. "She's free to warm the bed of any she chooses, as is her husband. The only one she ever swore fidelity for was me, and as a Master, I foreswor that oath for loyalty to the Creed." "While thy name is kept from me, I surely cannot call thee boy till Canterlot. Whats thy handle, good man?" The human rubbed his chin thoughtfully a moment, then as he walked away, said "Carpenter. If thy needst to give me a name, thy may call me Carpenter." Shadow nodded, then turning, followed the human back to the keep. .................................... Gale hummed softly to herself as she braided her mothers mane, the mare flinching as a comb was worked the golden fur. Hissing as a particularly bad tangle was straightened, she glared over her shoulder. "Gale! Cease thy nonsense! I..." Rolling her eyes, Gale pushed a hoof against her mothers muzzle. "Eye's forward please..." Scrunching her muzzle, Shadow relented, wincing as the grooming continued. Nodding with satisfaction, Gale laid the comb down, then nudged her mothers side. "Right one..." Snorting, Shadow lifted her wing, and shivered as her daughter began working over the primaries. "Really Gale... this isn't, ahh! Needed..." Rolling her eyes, the mare continued her work as her mother grumbled. "Now now, mother... You used to do the same for me..." Wincing as a loose primary was pulled, Shadow looked over her shoulder, her expression softening. "Thy wast such a fair little foal... Father was furious I went against his wishes when he found out..." Spitting out a feather, Gale raised a brow. "Found... you mean you didn't..." Snickering, Shadow stuck out her tongue. "Mother said I was trying to kill him... He practically spit his bit when I got back... Looked ready to kill when I brought to his home..." Gale leaned forward, hmming thoughtfully. "Odd... he was sweet when we met... what changed his mind..." Snickering, Shadow looked up out of the corner of her eye. "A lesson as old as time, my jewel: the stallion is the head of the house, but his mare is the neck, and they can turn the head anywhere they want. Wise words for you and your fiance." Gale flinched, and pulling away, rubbed her foreleg. Frowning, Shadow looked back again. "Gale...?" Sniffling, Gale looked away from the mare. "He... rejected me. I failed as his wing keeper... and when I refused his demands of laying with him in recompense... I'm sorry mother. I failed as a mare." Shadows jaw dropped. In the past, warrior or not, a mare was judged most often by the care of her stallions wing. To fail as such in the past constituted a grave insult, to the point a stallion could demand the mares to share his bed in such an event. In recent years, as more mares joined the Guard, the practice had been mostly abolished. While a mare could refuse such requests, it looked bad on her and her family. Feeling her blood beginning to boil, Shadow thought Once my task is done here, I'm going to geld that basterd... Gale made a choking sound, and in horror, Shadown realized her little girl was in tears, and for the moment, her fury left. Gale needed her mother now, not her superior or a comrade, just her mother. Smiling, Shadow scooted next to the mare, and drawing her close, rested her head on top of her daughters. Pressing her face to her mothers neck, Gale whimpered. "And... and he's told everyone... the clan, all the noble Houses... of how I failed, mother... No mare or stallion will call on me with this one me..." Tightening her wings grip, Shadow nuzzled the top of her daughters head. "I... I should have yielded... He had foal staying potions, and was fair to behold... If I hadn't..." Shadow lifted her daughters head, and narrowing her eyes as her daughter looked at her, said "Bullshit." Gale shook her head. "But... but mother..." Pressing a hoof to her lips, Shadow scowled. "None of that! That... brute, is the failure. To simply reject you over such a thing... well, fie on him and his sire and dam!" Drawing back, Gale gave a gasp. "Mother!" Snorting, Shadow drew away, and walked to the water canter on the other side of the room. "Your grandfather put me through that nonsense when I was thy years, child... And I failed too. And I was blessed with such a failure! To be saddled as the... bearer of that layabouts foals brings me no end of dark dreams. Of course, I didn't think it at the time. When I refused his... desires, he tried the same deeds." Wiping her nose, Gale asked "What happened?" Grinning, Shadow took a drink. "Your grandfather. I never questioned his love after he personally dragged the basterd to our home and made him grovel. But his broken pride was not enough. "Oh?" Smirking, Shadow turned back. "He made him wear a dress, and other gradsire taught him to sew and cook." Gale fell into a fit of snickers. Chuckling herself, Shadow joined Gale back on the bed. "And then he had him be his wing keeper..." Gale gasped, her hoof covering her muzzle. "He didn't!" Shadow nodded sagely. "Your grandsire was pissed... he did a better job then he does..." Gale giggled again. "Thy needn't worry of thy loss, my precious Gale. If he can't see you as anything but a servant or a box in which to shove his no doubt miniscule cock, he isn't worth your time." Smiling, Shadow leaned forward, and gently kissed the top of her daughters head. "And if any stallion or mare has half a brain in their head, they'll see you as the treasure you are, and will think themselves blessed to have you as theirs." Gale whimpered, then bawling, wrapped her forelegs around her mother. Looking down, Shadow sighed. "Sweet stars child, my words weren't all that bad were they?"