Age of Kings

by A bag of plums

73 - Back on the Road

“Ah still can’t believe ya set the whole forest on fire,” Golden Nugget shook his head. “We were awful worried about y’all once we saw the smoke.”

“Not my finest moment,” Nightfall Gleam admitted. “But everything worked out well in the end.”

“If by worked out well you meant almost dying, then yes…” Jewel Pin dusted her sleeves of soot. “That worked out well. And I have plenty of loot to show for it.”

“What’s a loot?” Honeygold asked.

“This thing!” Spectrum held out her new instrument proudly. “Tis a little different from my regular lute, but I am sure I can still work it.”

“Well, I’m glad that we all got out of that scrape more or less unharmed,” Posey commented. “How far is it till we get back onto the main road?”

Nightfall Gleam and Light Speckle poked their heads out of their carriage. “The maps don’t say, but the forest is starting to thin, which means we will be back in open ground soon. I just hope we don’t run into any bandits or other monsters.”

“I very much doubt we will meet anyone on the road,” Moon Tide remarked. “It is getting close to winter up north, and most Kievan clans will be settling in one place to live out the cold season. As for monsters, even the most fearsome of creatures dislike the chill. Many of them hibernate. We will keep on our guard, but I do not think we will be molested otherwise.”

---

And so it was as Moon Tide had predicted. They found their way back onto the road, but after three days of crossing the land, they met no one. It rained on the third day, a chilly but light drizzle that they took advantage of to refill their waterskins. With Gabriel flying sentinel overhead and Nightfall’s vigil with her spyglass, nobody and nothing managed to get the jump on them. Not that anyone or anything tried.

“Ah’m bored,” Honeygold said on the afternoon of the fourth day.

“Ain’t it good that no monsters have come out to attack us, dear?” Apple Bean asked, riding up alongside the carriage window. “Ah’d rather be bored than food anytime.”

“Speaking of food, how are we doing on supplies?” Spectrum asked, hoping to take her friend’s mind off her boredom. “Maybe we should do an inventory check.”

“Did someone say food?” Jewel Pin jerked upright from where she had been sleeping in the carriage.

Posey, who had been riding on the second carriage, groaned.

“On the bright side,” Guard Streak exclaimed, pointing. “Look! We can finally see the mountains!”

And it was true. Poking up on the horizon like new teeth, were the snow-capped peaks of the Coltcasus Mountains. A ragged cheer went up among the group. Surely Saddle Arabia, which had seemed such an impossible goal, was now within reach!

“It should be only three more days until we reach the Sallow Swamp,” Moon Tide called back. “And then it will be the foothills of the mountains.”

“Do ya think we’ll encounter anymore witches here?” Honeygold poked her head out of the carriage. “Their fairy tales speak of plenty of witches. Ah mean, we’ve already encountered one.”

“There better not be any more witches,” Moon Tide muttered. “I still have a score to settle with their kind because of what happened with Baba Yaga, and I don’t mind getting my hands dirty.”

“Well, they will have a hard time ambushing us out here,” Emerald observed. “It’s rather flat plains as far as I can tell.”

“Tundra,” Moon Tide clarified. “The Kievan lands are not known for their wide variety of environments. Good picking ground for certain herbs, though.”

They kept going in relative silence for another few hours until it was time to set up camp for the night. Fortunately, they had gathered a sizeable amount of firewood from the Baba Yaga’s forest, so starting a fire was no problem. Even the short, scraggy tundra grass burned quite well, which was just as well because the night wind made keeping a fire going somewhat of a challenge.

As they got out their bedrolls to get ready to sleep, Emerald went over to Posey, who was taking the first watch.

“Posey, I have a question.”

The archer turned around, lowering her bow and taking some arrows out of her quiver to stick into the ground where they would be within easy reach. “What is it, Emerald?”

“Do you think you could ask Gabriel to fly back toward Canterlot? Sir Morn is pursuing us, but I would like to know just how close behind he is. Is that possible?”

Posey glanced at her eagle, who was sleeping on top of the nearest carriage with his head under his wing. “I think I can make that happen,” she said. “To tell you the truth, I was considering doing so anyway. It is always prudent to know just how close a potential threat is. I shall send him out tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you, Posey,” Emerald sighed and looked back over the long and lonesome road that they had come along. “Was this what it was like before you were exonerated?” Emerald asked the archer. “Always moving, being pursued for reasons you knew were wrong?”

“I have never moved such great distance in my time at the Shetla- Everfree.” Posey adjusted her bandana. “But I suppose there is similarity to what we are facing. I had to always be ready, attentive to every sound and every movement, ready to either fight or fly when the situation calls for it. I must say, tis not a life I miss.”

“I am sorry to have, you know, brought this on you,” Emerald muttered, sitting down on the grass. “You were on your way to having a peaceful life, and all this has dragged you back into it.”

Posey gave Emerald a small, comforting smile. “Even if I wasn’t directly involved, I would have come with you anyway. That’s what friends do.”

“And tis good to have you and your abilities with us. And of course, Gabriel too.”

“Mhmm,” Posey said, putting some dirt on the fire so as to dampen it for the night. “You had best get some sleep, Emerald. I will watch over us.”

Tucking herself into her bedroll, Emerald was soon fast asleep, dreaming of what was to come, and what might have been.

---

Early the next morning, Emerald woke up to the smell of cooking food. Her stomach growled and she slipped out of the bedroll.

Moon Tide was awake, sitting around a pot that was mounted on a cookfire. There were a couple of open jars next to her and she stirred the contents of the pot pensively.

“Good morning, Moon Tide.” Emerald yawned as she moved closer to the heat of the fire.

“Good morning, Emerald,” Moon Tide replied. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like a log,” the former pegasus smiled. “What are you cooking?”

“Breakfast,” Moon Tide replied. “I thought we should use up some of our more perishable supplies before they go bad.”

“Good thinking,” Emerald nodded. “How are we doing on supplies?”

Moon Tide stopped stirring and glanced back at the carriages. “If you ration it out, you should have enough to reach the mountains. After that, I am unsure. You will be in uncharted territory, and I do not know how far it is to the next settlement.”

Emerald pondered this. She might be able to survive off vegetation, but this land did not give her much to work with. And then there were her companions, who would need actual food. She hoped that they would be able to easily procure supplies once they were in Saddle Arabia.

Moon Tide went back to stirring the contents of the pot. “In any case, the next big obstacle is the Sallow Swamp. It will not be easy to get the carriages through there.”

“Is there even a path through the swamp?” Golden Nugget walked over to join them. “If there ain’t, we’ll have to leave the carriages at the edge of the swamp.”

“There is a path through the swamp, certainly. It will take less than a day to get through it, at least it would if we were just on horses. With the carriages, maybe a full day. If we don’t encounter anything unpleasant.”

Soft footfalls signalled the arrival of Posey.

“Good morning, everyone,” she said. Then the archer turned to Emerald. “I’ve sent Gabriel back toward Canterlot. If he sees anything, he will report it back to us.”

Emerald nodded her thanks. “You have my gratitude, Posey. It is important to keep an eye on the enemy.”

The rest of the company soon joined them around the fire for breakfast, which was tasty, if not a little too soup-like for Emerald’s preference. As they ate, the former pegasus stared at the mountains in the distance, which were growing taller and wider with every day that passed. Could they really almost be within reach of their goal? It had seemed like such a nebulous task when they had been planning it at Avalon, but there they were, a sign that their journey had not been for nothing after all.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, with the horses carrying them on at a brisk pace. The air was growing slightly more humid and warm, Emerald noticed, and there was a little more greenery. They must be heading further south than before. With nothing but Spectrum practicing on her newly acquired lute to break the silence, Emerald was glad to see the shape of Gabriel returning once they stopped to make camp for the night.

The golden eagle landed on Posey’s shoulder, who fed the bird some scraps of meat as she stroked its neck. “Now, what did you see out there, Gabriel?”

The eagle squawked and spread its wings a few times, as though it had a great story to tell.

“Hmm…” Posey’s expression suddenly changed, becoming as though she was thinking really hard. “Gabriel says they are at Fort Hayward. Before the Prench territory. They are just… waiting there.”

“Waiting?” Emerald edged closer. “What in Equestria would Morn be waiting for?”

“Gabriel isn’t quite sure,” Posey frowned. “But this means that we have an amazing lead on them. Almost two weeks’ worth of a lead.”

“Surely Morn realizes that the longer he delays, the more we slip out of his grasp,” Jewel Pin said, unrolling her sleeping bag. “Morn may be evil, but he isn’t stupid.”

“No he is not.” Moon Tide shook her head. “My son might be misguided, yes, but his battle strategies will not have left him. He is planning something. As to what he might be waiting for, I too, do not know. Perhaps a chance for his strength to return. After all, he isn’t like you, Emerald. He is still… human.”

“Then we must make for Saddle Arabia with all speed,” Light Speckle said seriously. “I like not these developments. It would be prudent to take advantage of this lead we have and acquire the artifact as swiftly as we can.”

“Mhmm,” Emerald nodded. “Posey, tell Gabriel thank you from me. I don’t speak eagle, but I want him to know I appreciate his efforts.”

Posey looked at the bird and smiled. “You heard her. Now, go get some rest.”

She raised her arm and the bird took off onto the nearest carriage to sleep.

Emerald decided to take first watch as she sat there by the fire, thinking. She didn’t know what Morn was doing, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. She remembered the guards they had met at the fort. If Morn was already there, then they must’ve already been turned, or worse, killed. Then again, perhaps being killed was the more lenient path.

It had also been some time since they had been stopped by the local wildlife. The Kievan lands were surely home to more dangerous creatures than Canterlot, but at least none seemed to be out and about at the moment. She was hoping she wouldn’t have to face anymore of them.

All she could hear was the faint breath of the wind, and the rustling of the grass that was all around her. The fire crackled and spit, and Emerald added some more wood to it. A short distance away, Honeygold muttered something about apples in her sleep.

The former pegasus stirred at the flames with a stick. She disliked moments of quiet like this. It allowed her time to brood, and in spite of herself, she knew that it wasn’t good for her.

“If only Dawn Saber had been more accepting…” Emerald sighed as she stared into the flames. “Or if only someone had told Morn about his real family from the beginning… would things be different?”

She continued to mull this over in her mind, listening to the sounds of the wilderness around them. Why, if things had been different, she would not be here on this quest to begin with. Her friends might still be alive. She could have been safe and secure in her room in Canterlot instead of roughing it out here.

The creak of a carriage door being opened roused Emerald to her senses. She peered in the direction it had come from, her eyes adjusting to the dark of night. It was the small frame of Honeygold.

“Honeygold?” Emerald stood up and ambled over to the girl. “Why are you up?”

“Ah was thirsty,” Honeygold said quietly, pointing to a wooden cup in her hand that was half full of water.

Emerald smiled gently at the girl. “You should drink up then head back to sleep. We’ve got an early start tomorrow.”

“Ah know,” Honeygold sighed. “Ah just feel kinda homesick. Ah miss Avalon. Is… is this how ya felt when ya first came to our world?”

Emerald and Honeygold sat down by the fire. Its warmth made them huddle closer, and the former pegasus felt her heart lift a little as she felt the farm girl’s body next to her.

“I’m sorry I pulled you into this,” Emerald confessed quietly. “It’s because of your ties with me that your lives are in danger. If it wasn’t for that, you wouldn’t have had to leave Avalon.”

Honeygold sipped at her water. “Ah do miss Avalon,” she said slowly, also looking into the flames. “But you’re my friend, Em. Ah don’t regret that. ‘Sides, who coulda seen this coming? It ain’t your fault, Em.”

Emerald looked down. “I certainly did not. If you were to tell me the Knight of Kindness himself would kill his king, his own father and usurp the throne? I would have surely spat at that. But I could not, Honeygold. I could not side with him, even though I love him so… the path he is going on, tis not just.”

Honeygold snuggled closer to Emerald. The former pegasus draped an arm around the girl’s shoulders.

“Y’know, Em?” Honeygold said sleepily. “Ah always wanted to go on adventures since when Ah was a little girl. Spectrum told me about how knights go on them and won fortune an’ glory. But Ah reckon that fortune an’ glory ain’t much when compared to doin’ what’s right, y’know?”

Emerald smiled. “Spoken like a true knight,” she whispered.

Honeygold did not reply, except with a soft snore. Emerald took the empty cup from Honeygold’s limp hands and gently carried the girl off to her sleeping roll.

The night was long and dark, but somehow Emerald didn’t feel quite as alone as before.

---

The next day was a sunny day, with nothing but a cool wind to keep the sun’s heat from scorching them to the bones. Emerald Edge kept her hood low over her eyes as she rode at the head of the pack, following closely beside Moon Tide.

According to the mage, they would be arriving at the Sallow Swamp by nightfall, and after that, they would be at the foot of the Coltcasus Mountains. She could already see much of it from here, a huge range of rock towering high above their heads, piercing the clouds.

Nightfall Gleam was entertaining the young ones by passing them her telescope so that they could look at the mountains in greater detail. Posey rode at the back of the convoy, with Gabriel circling overhead to watch for any potential threats. Jewel Pin ate happily in the other carriage with the Apple family and Light Speckle, but Posey didn’t bother to show her disdain for that. After all, they needed to lighten up on their cargo once they were at the mountains.

Gradually, the terrain around them grew more lush and trees began to appear on their path. Vegetation and occasional small animals could be seen. As the day wore on and the sun began to set, the shadows on the sides of their path made Emerald wary about what else might be lurking in the Kievan lands.

“We are getting close to the swamp,” Moon Tide told Emerald. “It would probably be best if we stopped here and tackled the swamp tomorrow. It would not do to get lost in there at night.”

Emerald agreed. She wanted to be ready for anything, and the darkness around them didn’t help with that. As they set up camp again, Speckle said the first watch would be hers. Emerald didn’t agree, nor did she disagree, but she knew that even without sword skills, the mages were formidable fighters with their magic.

Emerald was delighted to find bushes with berries growing on them close to their camp. After having been given the seal of approval by all three mages present, Emerald and the Apples set about collecting as many berries as they could to make some dessert with, as well as to dry some for later provisions. They couldn’t go very far in the dark, but after a while, Emerald had gotten a few handfuls, more than enough to have a small feast.

As they settled down and got ready to sleep, the group overheard some distant splashing and scratching sounds, coming from the direction of the swamp.

“W-What’s that sound?” Jewel Pin asked, looking about nervously.

“Tis probably nothing more than a fish,” Moon Tide assured them. “At most, a crocodile.”

“Wh-wh-what if it’s somethin’ worse?” Honeygold bit at her fingernails. “Like a vodyanoi? Or a… a chudo yudo? Or a leshy. O-Or an almas!”

“You’ve been listenin’ to too many a fairy’s tale, dear.” Apple Bean patted her daughter on the head. “Not every beast out there is true.”

“B-But there was the Baba Yaga earlier on. She kidnapped Spectrum.”

“Meh, I did get a great lute out of that.” The squire held out her instrument. “So not a complete loss. This lute plays better than anything I have ever had.”

“We will see tomorrow.” Moon Tide looked in the direction of the noises and sniffed. “Traveling alone, I have never encountered monsters in these lands. But with a bigger group, I cannot say we will not be undisturbed. But regardless, keep your wits and your guard up.”

Emerald looked on into the dark woods ahead. Whatever the swamp had in store for them, she wasn’t going to let anything get in their way to Saddle Arabia. Not when they were so close.

---

Comments

[Marcthelightspark2004]

Nice break chapter. The scene with honeygold was cute.

10/10

[MoonlightRift]

I'm sure nothing will go wrong and they'll get through completely unharmed! /s