Strangely enough, Silver didn't feel like her usual self when she woke up - she felt invigorated. Awake. Alive. She hadn't woken up feeling this jaunty in a long time - particularly without coffee. It had to have been the wonderful experience they'd had last night - and she was so glad she got to see it.
The stars were still there when Silver opened her eyes.
But, Selena said it was time to wake up... why are the stars out?
Then she glanced around and laughed; they were the painted-on stars of Dax's room. They were still laying on the palette in the floor - according to the clock on the dresser, it was indeed morning. She gave a languid stretch, a long yawn, then snuck a look over at Illiad.
He is SO handsome... and intelligent... and brave... and now? Going home. To HIS home. Dax is so lucky, and he doesn't even know it. Speaking of which...
She looked over to the other side of their makeshift bed, on the other side of the lantern.
Dax's eyes were open, but to different levels, with one at three-quarters open, and the other about a third. The green glisten of his irises stood out even further from the veins of bright red, and he made a sound like a zombie freshly-risen from the grave.
"MmmmmMmMmmMMMrrRRGH..."
He sort-of blinked; it didn't help.
"Dax? Are you... okay?"
Aparently, Selena's warning about overdoing things and Illiad's comment about being tired the next day were exactly as they'd said; there was indeed a downside to building an entire universe in a single night.
"Poor Daxie," she grinned, "guess you overdid it a bit, huh?"
He gave her a red-eyed glare... then a small chuckle and smile.
"... guess so."
He slowly began to stretch as Silver leaned over and nuzzled lightly against Illiad's cheek.
"Good mooooorrrrrrniiiiiing..." she purred into his ear, her eyes on Dax to make sure he wasn't paying attention; she might have been bold in her dreams, but Silver was still quite shy in the waking hours.
Illiad gave a deep yawn as he rose from the blankets at Silver's words in his ear. He gave her a quick kiss before he too looked to the clock, "Good morning to you too. Well, it looks like we have just enough time to finish packing and such before we should get on the carriage and get going."
He stood fully up from the bed, a shiver running through him as he contacted the cooler air outside the blankets. He inspected his robe and grimaced, "Yeah, this is going to need to be washed when I get home, and speaking of which, Dax, it would be a good idea to wash up before we leave if you weren't planning to already, we'll be on the train for a few hours and it is definitely more comfortable the more recently you've been cleaned."
He started to make his way top the door before turning back to give Silver one last hug, "I'm really going to miss you, take care of yourself you hear? I fully intend to see you again even if it won't be very soon."
Silver gave a slight sniffle, but returned the hug, smiling sweetly as the Trojan bid his farewells.
"I'll be here, Illiad; not so much as right in this spot... but more like you'll know where to look for me."
Right here in the quarry... inventing, creating, building... and now, yearning. Take care, love.
... she wished she could say, but she got the idea he felt that from her already, so she waved and smiled instead.
Dax murmured and gathered himself up like a bundle of dirty clothes, stumbling for his bathroom. He bumped into the door, but only grunted - no harm, no foul. The door shut, and he started getting the warm water ready.
And tried not to fall back to sleep.
With that, Illiad retrieved Selena’s diamond from where it had come to rest on the floor and made his way out the door and back to his room to pack himself up for the trip. He shed and rolled both of his robes, the one he had been wearing and the one that Havoc had damaged, and placed them in his luggage along with the book Dax have him and the fancy outfit Vylia provided. He set out the cloak Dax had got him as he quickly bathed himself, putting it on soon after drying and being pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it was.
He did one last check of the room to ensure he hadn't missed anything, packing up all of his belongings while straightening the things that weren't his. He pulled the police report and Taps’ letters out, placing them within his robes with the diamond so he would have them on the train.
The room cleared, he grabbed his bags and proceeded in search of one of the Ons do they could be put on the carriage.
In the grand entrance hall, Beck stood off to one side, stacking some light luggage by himself; through the windows, Illiad could see Call outside with the harness, rigging it up even as Vylia Blackwater herself, in a charming sun hat and matching dress, pointed and spoke, giving directions.
At the front walk that circled the steps, towards the side where the path began that led down to the yard, Luther stood there with Chuck, Redd, and Slapper, talking to them. It looked serious; Luther ALWAYS looked serious, so it wasn't that big of a shock. For what it was worth, the other three were all listening intently.
They were so very different, yet they had their own way of working together. Chuck was good at keeping his head and did a lot of the thinking. Knee was certainly a voice of conscience and had a few tricks up his sleeve. Even Redd had a purpose and kept the workers in line in his own way. Between them, they handled the quarry like a rather squeaky, yet efficient machine.
Knee glanced right at him, once, through the window. He subtly winked, then went right back to the conversation.
Luther finished, they all spoke, then the three foreponies of the Blackwater Quarry headed back into the yard proper; the visitor was leaving, the excitement over, back to business as usual.
Though now, Illiad got the distinct impression that it wouldn't be long before the next adventure showed up - the place was too special to stay boring for long. And that was its own magic.
Luther made his way back to the carriage. He looked at its frilly frou-frou-ness... and his muzzle momentarily wrinkled in disgust. Then, almost comically, his eyes darted over to Vylia - and seeing her involved in talking to Call, he relaxed.
Beck, seeing Illiad headed his way, smiled and stood straight. "Sir Easle, might I help you with whatever bags you may have?"
Illiad nodded to Beck as he passed the bags magically over towards him. "It just occurred to me that transferring all of the Blackwater's gifts on our train transfer is going to be a bit difficult with just me and Dax to do it. Maybe they should just caravan the goods down, though it would take a bit longer and be less secure than the train." He shook his head and sighed, "I'll figure that out later, it shouldn't be too much trouble. And really once we get to Troy they'll be taken care of and I won't have to worry about them any longer."
He sighed as he looked over at Beck more directly, "Oh! I'm sorry I didn't address you directly, yes I would like some help with my bags if you're offering." He set them down so Beck could collect and arrange them in whatever way he saw fit. He made his way over to Luther, "Good morning."
He momentarily thought about adding a bit of small talk to the end of his greeting but decided he would let the stoic stallion decide whether a conversation was warranted at this time.
Luther looked at the Trojan with his usual scowl, but his eyes said he wasn't at all disappointed to see him.
"Illiad."
He stepped over to him, standing tall and thick next to Illiad's frame.
"Arrangements have been made - all luggage and deliveries have been secured and paid for, and the porters know this. What we discussed will be onboard; it left here early this morning, and is already on the train."
He looked at the fellow stallion for a moment, then cleared his throat.
"I had doubts when Daxter originally came to me with news of your arrival. I no longer do. You have proven worthy of the trust he has put in you... and I thank you for that. I will be able to rest knowing my child is safe with you."
Illiad was impressed once again at Luther's efficiency, though really he should have expected it by now. "I appreciate your confidence in me Luther, I hope I'll never give you any reason to think it misplaced."
At this point, Vylia turned and saw them. "Illiad, dearie! Glad to see you're ready to go... but where is Daxter? It's very unlike him to be late for this - he's been going on about it for SO long, I would have almost thought he'd have been here before the TWINS!"
She sauntered over, and gave Luther a light nuzzle as she made her way next to him.
"You two boys... are you talking about me behind my flank?" She smiled teasingly at her husband.
Luther, completely poker-faced, replied, "Always."
It was the right response. She giggled and kissed Luther's cheek... and he almost smiled. Almost.
Illiad turned to Vylia as she approached, "Last I saw him, Dax was getting himself prepped and finalizing his packing for the trip, I'm surprised though that he didn't beat me out here, we were up late last night, though, so he may have accidentally fallen back asleep, someone ought to go check on him if he isn't out here soon."
Oglevy's head poked out of the carriage. "ILLIAD!"
Suddenly, there was a small blue cyclone swirling around him as the colt zipped out of his seat and flew rapid circles around the unicorn.
"You can sit between Dax and I! Have you seen the Canterlot Castle from the pathway? Is the train from Troy? Will it look different? Will there be Trojans there waiting for you? How long will the trip be? Are you and Dax sitting together? Are you homesick? Why can't you stay another week? Can I come too, next time?"
Illiad looked over at Oglevy and smiled, though a brief bit of surprise crossed his features at his words, he had assumed that it would only be him and Dax up to the train, with the farewell being here at the manor rather than at the train station, but he supposed this would work too. "I have seen the castle from the pathway yes, the train we'll be boarding in Canterlot is a standard Equestrian train and it will only be taking us as far as Dodge where we'll transfer to a Trojan train which does look quite different from the Equestrian ones. From what I've heard they look similar to the crystal engines, though made of metal, I expect at least one Trojan will be waiting for us when we arrive in Troy, the trip is about four hours from Canterlot to Dodge and another hour from there to Troy, after which it will be another hour to Deltrot. Yes, Dax and I will be sitting together on the train, I'm not homesick, and I can't stay another week because then I wouldn't have time to show Dax around Troy before my other obligations interfere with my schedule. Perhaps you could come visit at some point in the future, but we'll see."
Beck came out with the luggage, carrying it all on his back, save the valise he held in his mouth. He trotted over to the carriage, and Call started helping him pack everything onboard.
Vylia turned to tell one of them to go fetch her son when Dax came barreling out of the manor. He had a small suitcase in his teeth and a light traveling coat on his back. His mane was still a bit wet from his bath, but he looked otherwise ready to go - and wide awake, as well.
"Sorry sorry sorry! I needed to wake up - but I'm okay now! I'm ready!"
He made his way over to the rest of them and stood there panting.
"Okay... shall we?"
"Of course!"
"Lets."
"Come on!"
Beck and Call were loaded and strapped in; they were ready to go.
Illiad smiled at how quickly everything fell into place once they were all gathered. He gave a nod as he proceeded towards the carriage, boarding and taking a seat in the middle of one of the benches given those that wanted to sit next to him. He poked his head back out the window, "Let's get going then, shall we?"
As the carriage left the Blackwater Quarry, there were a number of workers who waved and smiled at its' passing; they knew who was inside, and they all wished him a fond farewell.
As he got a last look at the gates, he saw Taps on top of the gate. Satchel behind her, she gave them a salute as they passed below... then, her wings unfurled, and she returned to the quarry yard.
On the other side, the gates closed behind them with a solemn thud. This trip, for Illiad, had come to a close... but his adventure with Dax was nowhere near complete.
Luther sat with Vylia on one side, Oglevy and Dax flanking Illiad on the other. The matron gabbed, the patriarch sat there vigilant, the colt talked where his mother didn't... yet Dax was quiet.
He spent much of the trip just looking out across the view from up here in the mountains. The Empathic could feel his excitement, nervousness, and melancholy at his possible future...
There's a lot ahead of me. I have a vague idea of what I'll be seeing and doing, but... well, am I going to have the kind of adventures I keep reading about in books and scrolls? Will I have the kind of adventures Illiad has experienced? Will I see or do something completely unexpected?
He sighed softly as they traveled, not in sadness... but in thought.
But an entirely different world? Sure, they're not so hard to imagine... but to actually experience one?
THAT would be something totally different.
Illiad interjected to the conversation whenever he could get a word in edgewise, occasionally a subtle verbal prod in Dax's direction to see if he wanted to join in, but otherwise he left him alone to his thoughts.
They arrived at a reasonable pace, and the train was still a good ten minutes before departure. Stopping in front of the station, the gaudy carriage once again became the center of attention as the twins parked it at the curb. Unhitching each other, they began offloading the luggage as everypony stepped out into the sunshine.
The station was not super-busy, but there were a number of others already there; the train wouldn't be packed, but Illiad and Dax would hardly be the only two on the train.
One they arrived Illiad carefully, yet quickly, extracted himself from the carriage. He took a deep breath of the Canterlot mountain air before turning back towards the assembled Blackwaters, "Well, I'll leave you all to your farewells while I find us a good seat on the train."
To be honest, the family dynamic in the carriage ride was starting to feel a bit awkward to him, in some absurd way he felt like he was getting too close to them. He wondered if perhaps they were trying to use him to fill the hole left by Harcourt, and thought it best to give them a little more distance to bid a more cheerful farewell to this Blackwater. He went and secured from the Ons Dax's travel documents, while they wouldn't be necessary until they boarded in Dodge, it would be a good idea to have them on hoof rather than packed away in the massive array of luggage. In turn, he passed off the signed police report so they could deliver it to the station on the way out. As much as he would love to see how long they would hold the culprit while they waited, he wanted justice to come swiftly.
That done he moved to survey the train cars for one that would be mostly empty, the Equestrian trains had always seemed to be a bit more comfort oriented given the typically longer rides while the Trojan trains had always been much more utilitarian, prioritizing a faster ride over a comfortable one.
As Illiad boarded the train, Dax turned to his family.
"Well... uhm, this is-"
Vylia suddenly leaped out and wrapped her forelegs around him, and started bawling.
"Ohhh, DAXTER! Oh, I almost can't bear it - an entire week! Oh, my little one... how are ou going to survive out there!? So far from us... from me...oh, Daxter are you SURE about this?"
"Mother!" He yelped, but he was still rather happy that his mother was going to miss him. Besides, what Mother wouldn't? "It's okay, Mother - I'm just going for a single week; I'll be home before you know it."
She nodded and stepped back from him, but the look on her face said that she might try to grab him again if he wasn't vigilant. He then turned to Oglevy, who was standing there, trying to look aloof... but his eyes betrayed him, a world of concern in them as he locked sight with his older brother.
"Brat." Dax said.
"Pansy." Oglevy said.
They both smiled at each other, entire worlds spoken between those two small words.
Dax then turned to Luther.
"Father, I swear to you that I will do everything in my power to provide a good example to the population of Troy; I'll show everyone the kind of ponies the Blackwaters are, and I promise I'll not embarrass us."
Luther looked down on his son.
"Daxter... be yourself. Do that, and I know the rest will follow."
Dax stared at his father for a moment more, then leaned over and hugged him. Luther didn't seem to budge... except for the single hoof he raised and put on his child's back. They both closed their eyes, and stood there for just a moment. Then, they parted.
Dax looked past his mother. "Beck? Call? Hold the fort, you two!"
They both smiled. "But of course, sir." they answered in unison.
He smiled at them all, waved slightly, then boarded the train after a deep, supposedly-calming breath.
He'd been on a train before - Mother had made a few stops in Manehattan and Baltimare before - but this would be the longest he'd ever been away from the rest of his family.
And he could hardly wait.
He walked up and down the aisles, simply full of excitement for the oncoming journey... and what might await them when they reached Troy. THAT, he was smiling about. To actually have a chance to be elsewhere, to explore...
Best of all? NOBODY knows who the Blackwaters are there! Without the social stigma of my family name, I've got the potential for making LOTS of friends!
He paused in his thoughts.
There could be danger, too. I mean, I have no idea what I'm stepping into on Illiad's end. He's politically involved, so there might be a chance that I could get swept up in it. Maybe-
He closed his eyes and shook his head.
No - no involvement. I can't afford to get Illiad in any kind of trouble... besides, he's probably already got plenty of stuff in mind to keep me out of the limelight.
Granted, as the young were wont to do, there'd been a slight hope at the back of his mind that he'd be able to help Illiad out somehow, to maybe make some kind of speech or some sort of show...
But he knew better; Illiad's world was HIS world. Dax was only a passing ship in the night; when it was all over, it was pretty certain that this trip - though it would mean the world to Dax - wouldn't even rate a footnote in Troy's history.
Besides, who am I to make history? I need to just relax, have myself a good time, and try to not make too many mistakes.
The thought, though meant to help bring him out of his doldrums, wasn't doing a very good job.
Illiad waved to Dax as the colt boarded the train so he would know where they were sitting, but he otherwise left Dax to his explorations.
He seems ready enough, am I? Was it really a good idea to try and host a guest at this time? Sure the elections still a few month's off, but no doubt this could cause problems if things go badly.
He sighed and shook his head, turning to look out the window,
No, I shouldn't think like that. This past week has been an amazing experience for the both of us, and I'm sure this next week, while not likely to be even better, could still be an amazing experience in its own right.
A slight smile came to his face as he thought of what he had planned,
So much that Dax will get to experience for the first time, will he be ready for it? Will I be ready to show him what it's like? It's too late to second guess this now, I'll just have to trust that my friends will be able to support me where I lack in showing Dax all the amazing things that Troy has to offer.
He turned back towards Dax, an idle thought crossing his mind.
I wonder if he'll sit down before the train starts moving.