I smiled, and thanked him in turn, raising a hoof to meet one of his. My loyalty remained with my mistress and our mission, but I knew that I had found in Sawtooth an enduring friendship, all the more remarkable for the brevity of our time together.

Our journey had brought us halfway across the world thusfar, and I knew that we had another half yet to go. But more than anything else, I had already discovered how even in the most unfamiliar and alien places, even with strange and occasionally fearsome creatures, we could still discover a commonality of spirit and understanding.

Should our journey take eighty days or one hundred and eighty, such a realization was nonetheless invaluable.

The sharkpony Princess returned a few days later...