Once the caravan had gotten down the mountain, the road from Ridgeback was easier to walk, if less well maintained. Here, the light from Cestel was even fainter than it was on the mountain; the world was dark and somber.
Around them, thick conifer trees grew tall enough to block out the stars, and the company walked in silence though the snowy landscape. They were mostly silent, and Spec kept herself occupied by scouting ahead of the group, keeping an eye out for anything that might cause them trouble. She doubted that they would find bandits or thieves so close to Ridgeback, but it was always best to make sure.
When she had been a filly, Spec’s father had told her stories of the evergreens that surrounded Ridgeback. Ponies would get lost in them and go mad, or worse. Goblins and spirits inhabited them, waiting for just the right moment to snap up a pony and use them for a snack. Spec was too old for such tales now, but they whispered at the corner of her mind just the same, and she found herself prepping her blades more often than she would like.
They met no other travelers on the road; Axel said it was because of the time of the month; Elu was not in the sky to provide extra light, and most journeymares would wait until she was there to show the way. Privately, Spec thought it might also have to do with the new airships that were becoming popular. In any case, the absolute silence around them transferred itself to their own interactions, and any conversation that tried to start quickly died.
After many hours of walking, Axel called the first stop. “We’ll break here,” she said, motioning to a clearing somewhat off the road. “I’ve used it before.”
“Great!” Spec said, dropping her back by the root of a tree. “It’s about time we had some rest. She sat down under the tree, where the needles had blocked most of the snow, and stretched her arms back. The branches above her blocked out most of the sky, but within the tree she could see a whole tiny world. She wondered if little creatures had lived in the tree their whole lives—
“Get out from there, Spectrum,” Axel said. “You need to help set up camp.”
Spec made a face. “Roger boss,” she said, pulling herself out from under the tree. “What do you need me to do?”
“Cesar is getting wood and Capricorn is prepping the fire pit. Set up our tent.”
“On it.”
Spec returned to their bags, pulling out a large canvas tarp. Spying two worthy looking trees, she strung a line between them and set the tarp up, pounding stakes into the frozen ground to keep it taught. When it was finished, she used her wings to brush out as much snow as she could, and set up the team’s array of blankets and bedrolls to cover the floor. The finished product could easily house the four ponies in Axel’s group, and the small space kept as much body heat in as possible. Spec wiped her brow.
“I can’t wait until its warm enough to sleep outside,” she muttered.
She turned to see what the rest of the camp was doing and stopped, staring at the monstrosity that the Andalusians were erecting. It appeared to be a tent, but it was like no tent that Spec had ever seen. The cloth was dyed a faint purple, and little gilded florals and flourishes climbed up the sides. It was enormous, towering over Jade and Noble, who were hammering the last few posts into place. On the side, next to a small fire, Amber and her sister sat on what appeared to be a fold-up couch, watching the proceedings.
“There you go, dears!” Amber said as Noble and Jade finished with the last post. “Wonderful work! Not let’s get these accessories inside and we can call it a night.”
“Yes ma’am,” Jade said. The two guards walked back to where the bags were set in the snow, and moved them inside. Amber and her sister followed next, stepping daintily through the snow before vanishing into the tent.
Cesar walked back out of the woods, carrying an assortment of sticks. He dropped them next to Capricorn, who nodded a grunt of thanks, and came up to sit beside Spec.
“Looks like they’ve got a whole other camp,” he said.
“Yeah,” Spec said. “I don’t like it. Why don’t they just make camp with us?”
“They’re allowed to do that if they wish,” Cesar said. “I don’t know what sort of stories your father used to tell you, but the few times I’ve moved Andalusians they’ve always made separate camp. It’s just their way.”
“I bet Axel loves it.”
“She won’t say anything unless she thinks there’s an actual threat along the way. She’ll probably pull them in at that point, but for now we’re so close to Ridgeback that nothing will happen. Probably.”
“Probably.”
There was the sound of hissing tinder and a whoop. Spec turned to see a small flame rise up from the middle of the fire pit. Capricorn leaned in and began to blow on it, providing smaller sticks when necessary, and soon it was large enough to handle proper firewood. He put a few logs on it and sat back with satisfaction.
“There, my friends,” he said. “Let no one tell you that a city boy can’t make a fire.”
“No one’s calling you a city boy, Cap,” Axel said, walking up and sitting next to the fire.
“Military boy, if anything,” Cesar said.
Axel brought her pack around and began distributing food; dried alfalfa and carrots, with a piece of bread for each pony. It was modest fare but filling, and they munched in silence for a while.
“Hey Capricorn,” Spec said, “you got that string thing on your pack?”
“You mean my lute? Of course.”
“How about playing us a song, then?”
Capricorn was silent for a moment, chewing thoughtfully. “If you can stand my dulcet tones, I would oblige you,” he said at last.
“Capricorn’s been making his coin as a bard,” Cesar said. “I found him the other day trying to woo some lass with his ‘foreign accent and exotic looks.’”
“Which I have both!”
“You aren’t that exotic,” Axel said. “Astrals and Sagittarians are like cousins. Maybe if you were an Andalusian or a Camargue…”
“I said exotic, not alien!” Capricorn said, pulling his lute out of his bag and checking the tuning. “Astral mares love Sagittarians because they’re different, but not too different. It’s all relative. Hmm, a bit out of tune. Hold on…” He fiddled with the knobs at the top of the instrument, his tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth in concentration. “Right… right… got it. Here goes:
“The mountain hath turn the dice
And upends their avarice
For told is twixt the hills and clicks
And fight the never ending vice
and tho behold our memory
we dance as though we cannot see
forever I live and never I give
fighting towards the eldest tree”
“Capricorn, what the hell are you singing?”
“I don’t know. It’s a warm-up. Improv singing and the like. The goal is to make the words rhyme, it doesn’t matter much what they are actually saying.”
“Well play something that actually makes sense. I’m not paying you for warm-ups.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
this is a tale as old as time itself
about a mare who left the earthly shelf
she spotted a whale
and went for a sail
braving the oceans for fame and wealth
of the many adventures that she braved
only a few have graced the annals’ page
and of these few
I think it true
the sailor’s birthday speaks best of the age
it was in the summer of here and there
before sea monsters slept in wat’ry dens
a great host was called
and the sailor was hauled
to a party that had been thrown for her
all of the sailors did show up to cheer
the cook, the mate, the brigadier
but all hell broke loose
when they drank too much juice
and realized the captain failed to appear
the sailors ran to the top of the deck
concerned for their leader; they had to check
then the chief gave a groan
when he saw they had blown
far off the course of their planned trek
“i'm afraid it’s far worse than that, old chap”
his friend said as he gave his back a clap
“we’ve wandered too far
and don’t know where we are
and now we’ve crossed off the edge of the map”
The music stopped and the company sat in silence. Capricorn fiddled with his instrument, looking pleased with himself.
“That’s it?” Spec said after she could contain herself no longer. “What happened next?”
“I don’t know,” Capricorn said. “There aren’t any more verses.”
“That’s the end of the poem? That can’t be the end.”
Capricorn shrugged. “Hey, don’t look at me. I didn’t write it. It’s just something that was taught to me a long time ago. I’ve never even seen the sea.”
“Yeah, well if you’re a bard, write a new ending!”
Capricorn shrugged. “There are a few other endings, but I don’t like them.”
“Why not?”
“Because they end.”
“Capricorn,” Axel said, “stop philosophizing. You’re going to give Spec a headache.”
“Hey!”
Capricorn raised his hooves. “I like it to end like that. Maybe the sailors just died at sea. Maybe they’re still out there, floating endlessly towards a shore that might not even be there anymore.”
“Maybe you should get some better songs to play,” Spec said.
“We should all get some sleep,” Axel said. “That’s an order. Capricorn, find songs with endings.”
“Right, boss. I know how it is. All art must bend to the patron.”
“That’s right, and I’m patronizing you right now. Get in the tent.”
“That’s not how you’re supposed to use that word.” Capricorn stowed his lyre in his bags and stood up, dusting the snow from his coat.
“Who’s the native speaker here, you or me? I’ll use those words how I damn well please. Get in the tent.”
Spec stood, stretching her hooves and shaking herself to remove the snow. She glanced over towards the other campsite. There appeared to be no movement. She supposed they had already gone to sleep. However, just before she ducked in the tent, the wind blew the campfire in just the right way that she could see Amber, sitting outside in the snow, gazing off into the forest. For some reason this gave Spec the creeps, and she got in the tent and tried to push it from her mind.
In her dreams, she was flying over a green pasture that seemed to have no end. Above her, the sun shone bright, warming the backs of her wings and sending her into a pleasant updraft. Her mane whipped around her head and she let out a wild laugh, daring the elements to test her….
After the crew had slept for eight hours, they were back on the road again. Axel had determined that they were to ride on Ridgeback time, eight hours of rest and twelve hours of activity in a cycle. The Andalusians were most comfortable with that schedule, and since Axel’s crew was fine with a number of different day-lengths, they shifted to whatever made the client most comfortable. Capricorn grumbled some about the “superiority of the three shift system” employed by Hub City, but Axel would not be swayed.
By the end of the second day, Spec was bored stiff. She had forgotten how dull and monotonous caravanning could be. Axel was no help; the pony had matured to become even more professional and less laconic than before, a feat Spec would not have said was possible. Cesar, while friendly enough, never really had much to say, and the Andalusians were a total enigma.
That left Capricorn.
“So Cap,” she said one day, dropping into step next to him. “How’s life been treating you since your caravan days with my dad?”
“Life has been a cruel mistress, as it always is,” Capricorn said. “She does not care for my woes, and the finer, more delicate aspects of my sensibilities are not nourished in her harsh ground.”
“You certainly got better at speaking Ridgetongue,” she said.
“For sooth,” he replied, winking at her. “It turns out that the denizens of Ridgeback taverns respond much better to my songs and stories if they can understand what I’m saying.”
“Who would’ve thought?”
“I know, right? In any case, the life paid the bills.”
“Did you ever try Hub City taverns? Seems like you’d fit in there much better.”
He shook his head. “Hub City doesn’t like taverns,” he said. “The economic machine that we Sagittarians have created doesn’t have a lot of room for vice. Plus it’s just so far. I can’t afford an airship, and crossing the salt flats alone is suicide. I tried for a while to join other caravans, see if I could keep the dream alive. Axel offered me a spot once herself, but…” He shrugged. “It just didn’t feel the same.”
“So why did you get back into this one?”
Capricorn looked away. “I’m not sure,” he said. “Just… felt like it was time to get back on the road.”
Spec didn’t really have anything to say about that, since it was the same sort of feeling that got her off Ridgeback as well. They walked in silence for a while, until Axel called a halt.
In front of them, about one hundred feet away and down a narrow bank, a large river was flowing. It was partially covered in ice, with little ice banks and rocks covered in snow popping up like miniature islands. The Andalusians stopped and stared at it.
“This,” Axel said, “is the Whinnypeake River. It’s the edge of Ridgeback territory. We’ll be in the wilderness proper after this.”
“So soon?” Amber said. “I did not know that Ridgeback had so little land.”
“Hey, we’ve got plenty of land,” Spec said. “It’s just not in this direction. We’ve got the whole mountain range that Ridgeback sits on, for one. All the peaks.”
“Yes, yes, of course. It’s just… surprising.”
“Cesar, you’re up first,” Axel said. “Spec and Capricorn follow. Let’s do this easy, team, single file.”
“What about the ladies?” one of the guards asked. It took Spec a minute to remember his name. Noble.
“What about them?”
“You can’t expect them to walk in that,” Jade said. Axel raised an eyebrow.
“Why not?” she said. “There are plenty more rivers like it where this one comes from.”
Amber was looking at the river with no small amount of nervousness. “It’s alright, dears,” she said to the guards. “We knew that there would have to be some roughing it on this trip, after all. I suppose we all will have to make our sacrifices.”
“Right,” Spec muttered.
The crew crossed the river as Axel instructed, one at a time, in single file. Cesar, the most surefooted of them, went first, followed by Capricorn and Spec, who was able to use her wings to help balance. Following them went Noble, then Amber, her sister riding on her back. Jade and Axel came last.
“That was not so bad,” Amber said. “I had feared the cold would be dreadful.” Her sister said nothing, jumping off Amber’s back and returning to her place under her legs. Spec frowned at the little filly; she’d barely said a word since they left Ridgeback.
“We should get going,” Axel said. “I’d like to put some distance between us and the river. All sorts of things come here for water, and most of them I’d rather not meet.” She glanced at a tree by the bank, where something had torn nearly all of the bark off. It littered the ground around the tree, partially covered with snow.
“Looks like Axel is afraid of a little warg,” Capricorn said.
“Cool it, Capricorn,” Axel said. “I’m afraid of big wargs, and there are plenty around here. We need to keep moving.”
They walked back into the forest again, winding through the dark evergreens. By the time Axel called a stop again, the river was far behind them. Spec dropped her pack with a thump on the hard ground, brushing some snow away and rummaging around for the tent.
“Hold up on the tent,” Axel said. “I’ll take care of it. Help Cesar gather wood for a fire.”
“Roger that, captain.” Spec got up and walked into the woods where she had seen Cesar leave. Here, the evergreens were even more close together than on the path, and they blocked out nearly all light from above. If it weren’t for her trail in the snow behind her, Spec would have feared getting lost.
“Cesar?” she called, her words feeling almost comically small in the darkness. “Cesar? I’m here to help gather wood.”
There was no reply. Spec decided that the best thing to do would be to gather wood herself. She could still have a large amount to bring back, even if she didn’t gather it with Cesar. She began to pick up sticks from the ground, wiping the snow off of them as best she could to keep it from melting down into her back. As she worked, a tune came to her, a memory of a song her father had sung on the trail a long time ago. She hummed it, picking up sticks and putting them on her back.
A snap of a tree branch nearby made her freeze. She flicked her ears, turning a fraction in the direction the sound had come from. Slowly, she placed the bundle of sticks back down on the ground again.
Another snap, slightly closer this time. Spec moved now, slowly, turning towards the noise and bending down into a crouch. Under her jacket, she fitted her wings into the slots on her blades, feeling them snap into place. She bit down on a string by her neck, unclasping her jacket. There were more snaps now, and she could hear the snow crunch beneath something big. With speed that would leave most other ponies in the dust, Spec bounded out from between the trees, crashing through brush and landing on something warm and soft. As she did so, she spread her wings, her jacket coming undone as she pulled the blades into the proper position. She brought them around, so that the tips of the wings were pointed towards her target beneath her, which twitched.
Then two very powerful hooves kicked her in the stomach, and she flew off, using her wings to right herself. She stabbed the right blade into the ground and twirled around it, skidding to a stop, her blades in defensive position. Her opponent had attacked her, which meant that she was going to come again for another strike, and Spec had to be ready. She looked up, blinking the snow out of her eyes, and glared at her opponent.
Then she stopped, staring. Her opponent likewise stopped, the blade that had appeared in her hoof sliding back up her sleeve.
“What the hay are you doing out here?” Spec asked.
“I could ask you the same question,” Amber said.
“I’m out here getting firewood,” Spec said, “You aren’t supposed to leave the campsite. So, again, what are you doing out here?”
Amber brushed off her outfit. “Just looking around,” she said, examining one hoof. “I fear you might have chipped the finish on my hoof.”
“Looking around?” Spec said blinking. She couldn’t believe it. “Why the hay are you looking around? You shouldn’t be going anywhere without an escort.”
“And why is that? It seems from our previous altercation that I am quite capable of taking care of myself.”
“Doubtful,” Spec said. “We’re getting you back to the campsite. I still don’t know why you wandered off in the first place, but if you get killed on my watch, Axel probably won’t pay me.”
Amber stuck out her lip. “But I’ve only just slipped away! Ivy has drifted to sleep, and those guards outside the front, while they offer lovely company, are a bit too stoic for my tastes.”
“Are you saying you snuck away?”
“I’m saying it can get a little drab back there.” Her large eyes were wide and pleading, but Spec caught a hint of steel deep within them. “And I don’t intend to go on this whole trip coddled like some filly.”
“Well, then,” Spec said, “you’ll have to take that up with Axel, or your guards. Don’t look at me.”
“How about I just accompany you on your little firewood trip?” Amber said. “That’s all.”
“Well…” Spec thought about it, then shook her head. “No way. I’ll get in enough trouble as it is. If you get scratched or something we’re all going to be feeling it.”
“What part of not wanting to be ‘coddled like some filly,’ did you not understand?”
Spec stared at her for a long time. Amber held her gaze without blinking.
“Well, alright,” Spec said at last. “But you’ll have to carry wood also. I’m not just having you tag along and not do anything. Also, have you seen Cesar?”
“You mean the large green stallion that is with your group? I’m afraid I have not.”
“Hmm,” Spec said. “Whatever. He’ll turn back up. He always does. Here, I left my sticks back over there.” Amber followed her as she walked back through the brush. She retrieved her jacket and tucked her wings back under it, detaching the blades and making sure the jacket secured everything. Amber watched this display with interest.
“You are quite good with those things, aren’t you?” she said.
“You kidding?” Spec said. “I’m the best there is.”
“Well, I’m not sure if I can agree with that. The Andalusian wingbladers are quite impressive, and I haven’t really seen you in action just yet…”
Spec looked at her, eyebrow cocked. Then, with a flourish, she spun around tugging the string again to let the jacket fall. Her wings came out, and with expert precision she sliced into a nearby tree, moving so fast her wings were a blur. In seconds she had carved her own name.
Pieces of wood fell to the ground. Spec tucked her wings back under her. “There’s more where that came from too,” she said.
“Hmm, I will admit you seem to know your way around them, but that does not a good fighter make. Perhaps you should spar with Jade some time; I’m sure she would welcome the practice.”
“I’m sure. Grab that branch, by the way. We can break it down back at camp.”
Amber picked it up, breaking it in two and roughly balancing them on her back. “This is more difficult than I would have thought,” she said.
“You’ll get the hang of it. It’s just balancing.”
“Indeed, I just thought—“
Amber was interrupted as a howl sounded out through the forest. Spec’s blood ran cold. She tensed, dropping the wood. Amber looked at her with surprised, and she had just enough time to open her mouth to scream a warning before something enormous crashed through the clearing, throwing them to the side like they weighed nothing. Spec crashed into the side of a tree, the world briefly going white as her head exploded in pain. She pulled herself to her feet, blinking hard to restore her vision.
In the middle of the clearing stood a massive white warg. It stood thrice her size, enormous front paws making it look like a cross between a bear and a wolf. Its back was to Spec, roaring over the prone body of Amber. Spec didn’t stop to think.
“Hey!” she shouted, “get away from her!”
The warg didn’t even glance over his shoulder, and Spec realized it was going in for the kill strike. She tore across the clearing, leaping into the air, her blades at the ready. She landed on the warg’s back, sinking the blades in as deep as she could.
The warg let out a roar and jerked, shaking like a dog to dislodge her. She slipped, coming within inches of its mouth. She leaped out of the way, but one of the warg’s claws was too long, nicking Spec in the side and throwing her momentum off. She crashed to the ground, hot pain lancing up her leg. It was not deep, though, and she dove to the side, missing the warg’s swipe by inches.
It was facing her now, its cold eyes alive with rage. Blood spattered its muzzle and shoulders, although she wasn’t sure how much of it was Cesar’s and how much was its own. She stood, her wounded leg burning, and bared her teeth at the warg.
“You want a piece of me? Come and get it.”
The warg roared and charged, but Spec was too fast. Diving to one side, she missed the claws by inches, driving her right wing into its arm. The momentum picked her up and spun her, her wing burning as it strained in its socket. Spec used the momentum to her advantage, however, holding out her other wing to stabilize her path and swinging around to put herself between Amber and the warg. She glanced behind her and blinked; Amber had vanished.
In any case, she had more pressing matters.
The back of the warg was slick with blood, but Spec knew better than to think herself the victor. Wounds like that would only enrage a creature of this size, and her blades were simply not strong enough to inflict mortal wounds anywhere but the head and neck. The warg whipped around, and Spec was reminded of just how difficult a challenge that would be.
It began charging again, and Spec readied her blades for another feint. This time, however, the warg was ready for her, opening its claws earlier, too wide for her to block. Its massive paw caught her in the side, and she felt her flank sear with pain as the claws pushed through her skin. The impact sent her flying. She tried to maneuver with her blades but it was no use; she crashed full on into a tree. There was a cracking noise, and she fell to the ground, dazed.
She tried to get up, to ready her blades, to do anything, but her head wouldn’t stop throbbing and she couldn’t see far past her nose. Her side was on fire with pain; she could feel the warm blood running down her side. The warg knew she was down, it took its time walking over. She turned around and pointed the blades at the attacker, but in her state it would do no use. The warg sniffed at her, cocking its head. It raised its hand for the fatal strike.
There was a shout, and suddenly the warg roared, wheeling around again. Spec caught a flash of steel buried in its shoulder, shaped like a diamond. Across the clearing, her mane in a mess and her clothes torn, was Amber. She was holding another steel piece in her mouth, glaring at the beast. Taking the blade and fitting into a specialized slot on her glove, she turned her eyes to Spec.
“Are you all right, darling?”
“I’m managing,” Spec ground out. “Just… um, distract it for a sec, while I get my bearings.”
“Of course,” Amber said. She dove forward, pulling herself into a sort of half cartwheel. Spec saw the flash of steel transfer itself to a spot on her boot and shoot forward, as if shot from a bow, straight into the face of the warg.
The warg reared back, pawing at the wound on its face. The star had struck it on the bridge of its nose, sinking into the skin. It charged at Amber, blood now covering its face, trying to get a lock on her position.
Amber had vanished back into the woods. The warg charged at where she had gone, but it could not find her; it twisted around, roaring at the woods around them. Spec managed to stand, although her back hind leg was not strong enough to put weight on.
“Looks like your toys are fighting back, eh?” she said, trying to draw the warg’s attention again. “Maybe you should just give up, go home. We’re not some casual meal.”
The warg turned back to him with a roar, but Spec was ready. She caught the telltale glimpse of steel out of the corner of her eye. Amber had gotten back into position. Half blinded by blood and rage, the warg charged at Spec again. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to duck fast enough to block it, but that was okay. She had backup.
A third star hissed through the air, burying itself deep in the fatty flesh at the warg’s neck. The warg jerked to the side, throwing its momentum off, running just a little too close to Spec’s right blade. With a yell, Spec jumped, right into the waiting claws. The warg wasn’t prepared, and so it missed its strike, bringing Spec in close. She drove both of her wingblades right into its neck, cutting through skin and muscle.
The warg tried to roar, but it came out as a rasp. Spec detached the blades from her wings, pushing off with her left hind leg. The detachment was sloppy, but she was tired. The warg swiped at where she had been, but came up with nothing but air.
Spec crashed into the snow, skidding for a few feet before stopping. She blinked the sweat and blood from her eyes and readied herself to move again.
She didn’t have to worry.
The warg stood on its hind legs, pawing at the two blades that stuck out like needles in its throat. It gurgled, tried to right itself, to attack Spec again. But instead it fell to the side, crashing into the ground in a great cloud of snow. Spec grinned.
“That’s right,” she rasped. “Don’t mess with Spectrum Tempest.”
There was a scuffle of hooves, and then Amber was at her side. “Your injuries—“ she began, but Spec cut her off. Limping over to the form of the beast, she grasped her blades in her teeth and pulled them out with a squelch. Ignoring the blood, she fit them back onto her wings and gave them a stretch.
"Yeah," she said. "They're going to need a wash."
Amber looked at her. She looked back. A smile cracked her face.
Then they were both laughing, Spec hunched over, pounding at the ground, Amber higher and more dainty, but full of mirth. Spec’s ribs hurt but she didn’t care. Something about the scene, about fighting alongside this pony, felt so right.
“Don’t think you’ll be able to pull a stunt like this again,” she said, wiping imaginary tears from her eyes. “I doubt Jade and that stallion are going to let you out of their sight again.”
“Oh, I do what I want, darling,” Amber said. “After all, they work for me, not the other way around. Come. I’m sure the others will be wondering where we’ve gone.”
“You did what?”
Spec leaned back, grimacing, at Axel’s expression. Her boss was beyond furious; the tendons in her neck strained as she clenched her teeth.
“Hey,” she said, raising a hoof to calm the angered mare, “it was dangerous, but okay, see? We’re both back in one piece, and Amber’s unharmed.”
“You look like hell though,” Capricorn said from his place by the fire.
“Thanks, Cap.”
“No problem.”
“That is not the issue,” Axel said. “You found out that she’d snuck away from camp and you didn’t bring her back at once?”
Spec shrugged. “I’m not her babysitter. I felt that the mission you gave me was more important.”
“The—“ Axel broke off and composed herself. “No matter how vital your ‘mission’ to gather firewood was, you should have come back at once.”
Spec glanced over to the other side of camp, where Jade was similarly chewing into Amber, who looked bored. She caught her eye. Spec winked.
“Look, Axel, I’m sorry,” she said, turning back towards her boss. “I should have come back, alright? Is that what you wanted me to say?”
“What I want you to say is that you won’t do it again,” Axel said.
“Won’t get firewood again? Sounds great. Cap can take over.”
“Nah, I’m good,” Capricorn said.
“To hell with the firewood,” Axel said. “I want you to promise me you won’t put our charges –the ponies who, need I remind you, are paying us for this trip—in danger again, at least not on purpose. Got it?”
“Sure thing boss,” Spec said, saluting. “Playing it safe from now on.”
Axel narrowed her eyes at her. Spec tried to look innocent.
“It’s probably the best you can do,” Cesar said from his place by the fire.
“Quit doing my job.”
“I thought I was second in command,” Cesar said.
“I thought I was second in command,” Spec said.
“Neither of you are going to be second in command if you don’t shut up,” Axel said. She closed her eyes again. “Spec, just don’t do it again, okay?”
“Roger that.”
“One of us has to be second in command,” Cesar said, “because there isn’t anyone else.”
“What about me?” Capricorn said.
“You don’t count.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Both of you, shut up,” Axel said. Her eyes turned towards Spec’s injuries. “You need that bound?”
“Uh, yeah, actually.”
“I’ll get the first-aid kid,” Capricorn said, standing walking into the tent.
“Uh, Axel,” Spec said, “I don’t know if Capricorn is the best choice….”
Axel grinned at her like a snake. “Well, I didn’t say you were going to get off scot-free, now did I?”
Spec sighed. “No,” she said, “I guess you didn’t.”