//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1. Goodbye, Hoofre 
// Story: The Chronicles of Captain Cebrastian 
// by Crindorada 
//------------------------------//

A two-mast tall-ship was carefully tiptoeing its way to the quay berth. Anyone with a practiced eye could identify a rakish schooner from a unicorn’s ship yard. The black and white striped flag, though, as well as the figurehead of a striped manticore, immobilized in its long leap, stated the real owners of the ship quickly, much quicker that the silver letters of the name. No doubt, it was Hippotigris of captain Cebrastian and his crew, thought to be as rakish as their ship. And now this very ship was mooring in the harborage of Hoofre.
“Tie down!” 
“Aye, captain, all’s done!” A loud cry rolled over the deck.
The habitants of a little seaport were gathering around with shy curiosity. Certainly, Ned Fishing was among them, staring in fascination at the legendary ship. This straw-coloured earthpony colt has been waiting for the pirate raid for about a week already, since the moment the first rumors appeared in taverns.
It was a chance to quit a boring life of an orphan fishing-colt. Ned paid a glance at the ship, planning if it would be possible to get on board. He was an experienced sailor, Ned Fishing, as he has made some risky sea voyages around the Hoofre Bay on board of his old sloop and even got caught in a real storm! Twice. It is high time to become a cabin colt on some real tall-ship otherwise he was doomed to fish here, in this paddling pool of Hoofre for his entire life. And – he sighed and glimpsed at his flank – never get a cutiemark. Ships came to Hoofre regularly and Ned tried to get on board of each one. At first he came straightforwardly and frankly spoke about his desire to join the crew, but no one would take a blank-flank seriously. For some reason nopony wanted to believe in his vocation and dream. Was it all only because no mark has appeared so far to prove his talent to long sea voyages? Ned even tried to get on board with the load of cargo, but was found with laughter every time and sent home before the ship even cast off. The sailors made light-hearted jokes, but to Ned they seemed bitter anyway. And the fisherponies also joked about it, although after the first failures Ned decided not to disclose his great plans to anypony. But they still knew why he was at the port any day a new ship came and, as he came back every evening with a clear upset on his face, they knew he had failed again.

But this time Ned had galloped to the port first of all because the tales about the incredible adventures of the zebra crew were only whispered in taverns like a greatest secret in the whole world. Of course, most of them must have been just silly tales of a bunch of boozers, but if at least one hundredth of those was true, it was already enough for Ned to think that captain Cebrastian was a living legend. And of course Ned wouldn’t dream of joining his crew but yesterday during the dinner the fisherponies asked him mischievously if he had guts to crack such a hard nut. Ned thought he had no troubles with his digestion system, so now he just could not quit without even trying. Even if now he was trembling, there was not only fear somewhere inside, but a thrill also. He was eager to try to sweep the deck today.
Meanwhile captain Cebrastian came ashore, looked somewhere through the crowd and, having noticed somepony, went towards the warehouses. Ned sneaked behind him with bated breath. The captain was exactly as been described, wearing a long black cape with silver lining and a hood, now casually thrown back, with a grin on his face and glare one could neither escape nor resist.
“Yes, captain, sure, captain! Ev’rything’s ready, will be stowed in two hours, no more!” 
Ned knew the owner of that voice, it was the forepony of the dockers, he often came to the fishers to have a talk with someone of the grown-ups.
Captain Cebrastian nodded slowly and so did the heavy pearl earring in his left ear.
The cargo, may it be real? The daring pirates, these zebras were collecting ransom right from this dull Hoofre? And a large one, as Ned saw with his own eyes all those huge containers with apples, carrots and fish. He pranced anxiously on a tiny spot, imagining how he would tell everypony about what he had seen when he got back to the fisherponies in the evening. So now he must be twice as attentive so that every minor detail would look trustworthy and nopony could call his story a stupid tale of a little colt.
“Okay, you, striped ones, go have some cider, if you wish. Goreb! Goreb, are you deaf, you, old mattress?” One-eyed boatswain leaned over the bulwark. “Take Mbizi and so that I shall see no cutie pies until you coming off the watch.”
Ned gave a low howl of despair: it was really stupid of him to think that a pirate captain could forget to post a sentry! Well, anyway he should try, as all the curious idlers were slowly going away, and the noisy zebras’ gang scattered around the port. Even their captain went somewhere so quickly that it could seem that he has disappeared just like a ghost from a legend! Of course there were those guards on watch, but he just had to give it a simple try? Or not?.. Ned broodingly touched the quarter line, lying peacefully on the bollard.

“Hey, Goreb! Gor! Are you stuck there or what? Come, quick! Look, there’s a colt trying to climb our line. Been his third try already?.. I think so. Bet he’s gonna reach the middle by the time cap returns.” One of the guards watched Ned with curiosity, while Ned was too busy to notice that little fact. “Come on, colt, you’re gonna do it! No-no-no, not there, it’s slippery there, don’t you see?” Goreb came closer to join Mbizi. He was silent, but Mbizi paid no attention to that and continued to make comments. “Nope. Guess he didn’t as he fell. He was feeble, don’t you think, Goreb? Bet he doesn’t like oatmeal.”

Ned climbed the berth being deeply frustrated. He had no strength to make another attempt now. And besides, those nasty pirates are laughing up there, on the unattainable stern. Surely, they may do that, they already are part of the crew, while Ned… he sobbed. May be it was a wrong decision to try to get on board of the zebras’ ship…
“Hey, colt! Yeah, you, the skinny pipsqueak one!” Ned looked up angrily, thinking if it was safe enough to waggle a hoof at the pirates. “Hey, we really do have the landing brow. It is just a few steps front of you.”
Ned snorted. On the other side, he was invited, wasn’t he? So he put his nose high in the air and started his way up the landing brow to meet his Destiny. Destiny, however, had quite a weird sense of humour to pick out two grinning zebras as its messengers. They were standing on the deck watching Ned. He was losing his courage with every little step, so now only his anger towards nasty zebras pushed him to move his legs. Finally having stepped on board of the legendary ship, Ned made himself look into the eyes of those who had invited him.
He had never seen zebras so close before. His father used to tell him to stay away from  “those striped ones”. He thought all zebras to be frauds and cheaters and often told Ned “They'll rob us blind, son. Or even ponynap and sell in slavery to Saddle Arabia.” But there were so many rumours about captain Cebrastian and his crew, that Ned just could not resist temptation to come on board. And the pirates did not look as if they wanted him to decline their invitation.
It was a great chance to add some details to the rumours. Ned looked at the pirates. One was quite young with a long lime-green forelock and a pair of dice on his flank. It should be Mbizi. Ned wondered, how he had got his cutiemark. Was that because the pirate liked to make bets? Or did he start to make them after getting such a cutiemark? The other was grey and his short-cut mane was salt-and-pepper. He was smoking a pipe, a real pirate boatswain! But his cutiemark was strange - a sea tortiose, why? Could a pirate boatswain be slow?
The pirates, obviously bored with their watch, returned Ned a long look. Obviously they did not want to be the first to start the conversation. Ned tried to grin bravely and murmured:
“Um… Good afternoon… Here I come.”
“And what for, if I may ask?” the boatswain asked tranquilly, taking his pipe out of the mouth. It was him, who was called “Goreb” by the captain.
“May be you are lacking desperately a cabin colt in you crew!” answered Ned defiantly, trying to allay anxiety, that made his heart pound.
“Well, usually it is Mbizi who polishes the tackle with his butt,” Goreb burst into laughter. “But may be he won’t mind a little help. What do you think, Mbizi?”
“I think your joke was as feeble as this skinny little colt,” the other guard snorted with offence and added, “I don’t really think we need polished tackle, to tell the striped truth. What we do need is polished deck so that cap stops nagging at me all the time.”
“Well, I can do that!” Ned said much more bravely. “I can do loads of things, honestly! I’ve been sailing on my own for ages, and I can fish, and I know how to keep a boat, and I can swab the deck…”
“…And you can find a bucket and a bear  over there, colt.”
Ned nearly gave a leap of joy and got down to business. Pirates or not, zebras at least invited him on board themselves, didn’t send him home and gave him such a brilliant opportunity to show captain Cebrastian as soon as he returns that Ned Fishing is not just a pipsqueak but quite a serious sailor-to-be. And in fact swabbing the deck of Hippotigris is far more than washing the floorboards of his old sloop. Mbizi tried to make a few jokes, but then he caught a glance from Goreb and stepped aside, just watching the strange colt work. Ned, however, hardly noticed any jokes from the sailor on watch as he was too busy polishing the golden laydeck. It seemed to him he would see his reflection soon. And then even captain Cebrastian himself would not be able to find any reason to refuse Ned join the crew. All he had to do is simply change the water as often as possible, he didn’t want to track any dirt or sand on the deck if the captain is so picky.
“You know, colt, if I were you I would splash the water from the starboard. Or at least make sure there isn’t any unlucky pony below.”
“Why, who is going to wander here at such a time!” Ned fobbed off carelessly and attached a rope to the bucket to get some clean water. Well, the cleanest that one could ever get here, in the port of Hoofre. Goreb puffed a light ring of smoke and said nothing more.


***

Cebrastian was on his way back to the ship. The sun was shining high and so was the spirit. At least, there was no sign of any fillies near the landing brow trying to understand who was the first to be asked on a wonderful ship cruise, which meant that Goreb was successful at keeping Mbizi on board and everything must be just fine. Whistling a frivolous tune caught somewhere in a tavern, the captain went to the brow to get on board.
Ned heard the melody just at the moment of splashing another bucket of dirty water off. It suddenly broke for a moment, giving way to a stream of sophisticated curses. Somepony there, at the berth, was elegantly playing with the words Ned knew and those he had never heard before, braiding them into a colourful and vivid text ending with the word “Mbizi”. The latter pricked up his ears and glanced down. 
With a nervous giggle he murmured, “Why if it isn’t the cap retuning, I’d better go check the cargo,” and disappeared in the lower hold.
Ned’s heart missed a beat as the colt tried to hide himself behind the mop. It seemed his dreams wouldn’t come true today, and he would be even more lucky if he could get away from the pirates’ schooner safe and sound…
“Where is this living dead?!” yelled the captain as soon as he galloped up the landing brow, as if he was answering the darkest thoughts of the poor colt.
The boatswain finished his pipe in silence, looked at the captain, wet and enraged, and keeping the same calm expression on his face, pointed to the colt trembling and trying to make himself as tiny as possible behind the mop. He sniffed when the captain looked at the direction of him, but Cebrastian took no notice of him, searching for somepony else.
“He was so kind not to bother me and threw himself overboard of his own free will?” said he quieter. The boatswain choked and coughed.
“No way, cap, this time it’s not my fault at all!” offended voice could be heard from the lower hold. “I’ve been here, downstairs all the time, checking the cargo, by the way!”
“I knew it was too good to be true. Get out of there, you, shamelor, and tell me more about the fault that is not yours at all.”
“How am I supposed to know anything about it, if it is not mine?” The sailor was a quick mind, indeed, but anyway he appeared again on the deck. “But your yell definitely didn’t mean you’re going to give me some nice and pleasant bonus today… Oops… Haven’t we told you, colt, to think before you splash? Better think twice next time,” he said that to Ned with the most sincere reproach.
Cebrastian turned his head finally having noticed that there was somepony else on the deck. A straw-coloured earthpony to be exact, definitely paler now than his regular colour. And he was starring at the zebras captain been ready to get any punishment for this mishap, mostly thinking of the capital one. So it was him to salute the captain with this waterfall today… Cebrastian signed – the working days on board this damn schooner never got dull and monotonous, so that one could get used to all the pranks that may occur.
“Mbizi, you did loads of stupid things being asked to stay on watch, but where, by ancestors, have you managed to buy a slave, here, in Hoofre, that would be so glad to swap the deck in your stead? In no time practically, I was absent for an hour or may be two.”
“That was offensive of you, you know, cap. I haven’t put a hoof off this deck today. He climbed himself.”
“Hey!” the colt stamped his hoof. “It was you who invited me!”
“Me?!”
Cebrastian clearly heard a cheerful fakeness in Mbizi’s voice, but the colt, who didn’t know the sailor as well as the captain did, got seriously offended.


***

So it has been a couple of minutes already that captain watched, trying not to give away a sign of smile, how the little colt, trembling with fear moments ago, now was trying to prove himself right, still trembling, yet with anger. Mbizi denied everything said with laughter and tried to hide behind the captain and boatswain from a little hoof, pointing to him. Soon Ned had no more arguments and now he was standing and looking angrily at the zebras, trying not to burst into tears.
“Yes, I poured a bucket of water on the captain, I did! But never sneaked on board, I was invited and I’m not gonna be responsible for that!”
“Listen, colt, it was not the worst salute ever in my life.” The captain grinned. “Nor the most original one also, though. That very shamelor has already helped me to take a sort of shower once.”
“That’s not fair to count that! I was at the “crow’s nest” then!” Mbizi interrupted him.
“I never had a chance to ask you, but… What were you doing there with a bucket of icy-cold dirty water?”
“What do you mean by “what I was doing”? I was swabbing the deck, as you had ordered.”
“At the topmast???”
“Well, there’s still a deck to be swabbed, isn’t there?” noticed Mbizi philosophically.
Cebrastian gave a sigh – outargueing Mbizi was a kind of art, which the captain seemed never to be able to master. Usually Goreb was much of a help in such situations, but today he seemed to be totally on Mbizi’s side. At least without his concern that strange colt could never have appeared on board of Hippotigris.
“I still cannot remember my permission to invite guests on board. Even the cleaning managers. As well as the cleaning managers-to-be,” The captain mentioned elegantly the lack of the cutiemark.
“Not exactly. You only said “so that I don’t see any cutie pies”. This one is certainly not a cutie pie, I swear!” Goreb slapped the sore colt gently with his tail. “He said he had been sailing for ages and knows the sea better that this town, Hoofre. Wants to become a cabin colt at Hippotigris.” 
“He’s gonna call for his mummy no later than comes the first wave!” joked one of the returning sailors and said bluntly what captain had only implied in his speech. “He even doesn’t have a cutiemark, what do we need this pipsqueak for?”
“Oh, yeah. And then his mummy gonna make a terrible fuss around evil zebras taken her precious little son. No way are we going in such a trouble,” somepony agreed.
Ned stamped his hoof angrily. His destiny was about to make a turn and if he was left back now, when he was almost there at the sea – not only the fisherponies, all Hoofre would die out of laughter! He took no notice of the fact that Hippotigris was a legend he never ever dared to dream of. Here and now he was standing on this “legend’s” deck in front of her captain, and no pony on earth could make him leave. And nor should be able the zebras. He had to say something very meaningful, immediately.
“If you didn’t know, I had been through a great storm once! And I never call mummy, I’m an orphan.”
Cebrastian smiled looking at this clumsy adolescent with large green eyes sparkling with rebel and challenge.
“Ok, you, blank flank, we’ll see what you’re worth. What’s your name, you’d said?”
“Ned Fishing, captain!”
“A lightsome name indeed. Well, Mbizi, as it was you to deliver such a kind invitation, you are going to be responsible for him. Yes, he’ll definitely join your watch crew tomorrow. And for now – show our new cabin colt around. And what are you all gazing at? Go get the others from the pubs, now! We’re ready to move.”
The sailor nodded quickly and lugged Ned away to the bunkroom.

“So look,” Mbizy unfolded the chart, but the cabin colt only glanced at it as he was much more interested in the interior of the place. “We’re going from your Hoofre here, to Uni-Cornwall. There we give those rhinoceroses their chow-down… I wanted to say, we shall deliver the unicorns their food, grab the magical stuff… um, take the magical items on board and go to Coltpenhagen, to earthponies again. And there we’ll see.”
“So that is how the pirates collect the ransom?” gasped Ned impatiently, having a break of the attempts to see all and everything in the bunkroom of a big real, the most pirateful tall-ship in the world.
“Pirates, um?” Mbizi opened his eyes widely.
“Why, there are so many rumors in all the taverns!” And Ned started to retell all the stories about the captain Cebrastian’s rampant horde one by one. He felt a little foolish at first telling the pirate about the very adventures he had been through, but then he decided that a good story always looks differently if told by a different narrator.
“And so the captain ordered to throw all the gold away, because otherwise…” Ned suddenly stopped, interrupted by a figure of that he had been talking for an hour or so at the doors of the bunkroom. Cebrastian was standing, leaning unto the door pillar, with a grin and desperate sadness somewhere deep in his dark-blue eyes.
“Continue please, sorry for having interrupted such a fascinating story. I adore listening to gossips our competitions invent. Unfortunately I guess I’ve learnt them all by heart so far, so I won’t hear anything new. What I do know, however, is that most dealers avoid our crew at all means. They say, one can never trust zebras…”
He shook his head and suddenly came up to Ned so close that the colt could feel his warm breath.
“So remember one key point if you want our… partnership to be long-lasting, colt. We are the best to play the seas in this world. We have this sea flowing in our veins, and Hippotigris means the quickest and safest delivery. But if just one damn farmer reports our failure – all our hard word will sink to the bottom in a moment. The only our protection is keeping standards higher than perfection. Not too difficult to understand, is it?”
Ned, struck by this unexpected discovery, nodded without saying a word.


***

The next morning, when the memories about the captain’s blunt words became smoother, Ned was again full of energy and impatient to stand his first real watch. He appeared here and there on the deck, loading everyone he could see with questions. The captain watched him from the bridge frowning. The cabin colt argued a lot, often had no patience to listen to the answers to his own questions and all in all created more fuss than was useful. It seemed that the yesterday’s speech about reputation completely slipped out of his mind. The captain went to his cabin and took a glance of the map, on which he himself bore the course yesterday. A sudden thought returned the smile to his face. He came out to the deck, and having noticed one of the sailors to stand Mbizi’s watch, he called him closer by a gesture to be able to whisper something to him. The sailor soon brought Ned to captain’s cabin and left them two alone closing the door firmly.
“So, this evening you are standing on watch as a member of my crew. I want to see exactly whom I got aboard. Here’s the chart. It must be studied, learnt and known for you to sail on your own.”
Ned’s heart missed a beat; he grabbed the chart ready to gallop to the bunkroom. A loud cry stopped him.
“Hey, wait. Are you sure you can understand the pilot?”
“Sure!” answered Ned carelessly. Eventually that’s the sea, what can one draw on the map except water and a line of the course from one port to another?

“Hey there,” it was the time to change the watch and the captain came up to the cabin colt, who was eating an apple. “Studied the chart, haven’t you?”
“Yes… Aye! Aye, captain!”
“Better that be truth. What are you waiting for then? To the wheel. Head to the lighthouse and then keep alignment in sight until you pass the cape. Call me when passed. Goreb, old fellow, what about having a pint of cider?”
“Um, Ceb, you are the captain, of course, but are you really so sure of the colt? Can he… Can he pass this part all alone? Such a narrow fairway…”
“Am I sure? Oh, yes, I am. One hundred percent,” The captain grinned. “I’ll tell you more, I will be deeply surprised if he passes. Don’t worry, I’ve chosen carefully the place, where mistake won’t be disgrace.”

Ned took the steering-wheel, sometimes calling out commands for the sailors. Yesterday he could hardly believe that he had been accepted to become a member of the crew on board this legendary schooner. But in his most daring dreams couldn’t he imagine to steer a trick at the wheel on his first day. The wheel was heavy, but Ned tried as he might to maintain the course. The cabin colt pursed his lips and half-closed his eyes to seem older and stronger. He hoped that his voice today was also the most appropriate to the situation, being deep and loud.
Mbizi was the watch officer this time and he smiled at Ned shrieking his commands and the sailors pretending that they really are “heaving around on one” or “cross the yards to go full and by”. Let the colt play a bit, the captain’s orders aren’t to be discussed. Well, he surely understands why he has put the colt at the wheel today.
A sudden bump put an end to the peaceful laziness of Mbizi’s thoughts. The ship hit the gravel bar with her stem post and, being pulled by the wind, slid forward and stopped a yard or two further, paralyzed in sand and gravel. Mbizi swored in a low voice, as it was his responsibility to watch over. Captain will certainly be not amused at all. And there he comes… The sailor-in-charge gulped.
“What the hay’s going on here?!” yelled Cebrastian.
Mbizi tried to invent a witty response to bear the brunt, but one of the sailors was quicker.
“Have run ground, captain!”
“Aye, that’s what I would never notice, surely! Why weren't the sails eased out immediately?!”
“We got no command, captain.” Somepony again was quicker than Mbizi.
“Mbizi, is that true? There really were no commands from our new little skipper?” the captain now looked as if he could kill with a single glance.
“Aye, cap, but…”
“So, there weren’t!” Cebrastian hid a smile deep in his eyes and rushed to the bridge where pale Ned was trembling at the wheel. “You said, you’d studied the chart, am I right, blank flank?”
Ned nodded in silence wondering if he’ll be flogged, left on a desert island or hung right away.
“But may be you happen to know, how to heave off?” The captain’s voice was still severe, but far less frightening already.
Ned nodded again, but the captain was waiting for a full answer, so he pulled himself together and whispered, “Aye, captain… one must seel, or try to pull from the water, or kedge. And if that doesn’t help, one should throw away the lastage to make the vessel not so heavy and try again…”
“Well then. All the lastage we have is the cargo for the unicorns. And I let you no more than six hours to fix the things, before I have to “throw away” the cargo and drown our reputation with it.” A light giggle was heard from the deck, and Cebrastian turned around immediately. “Anything funny there, shamelors? Why are you still standing there when you are supposed to help him? Move, now!”

The captain was standing at the bridge together with the boatswain watching the colt who was trying to row further from the ship to drop the anchor into the water.
“I guess, Ceb, next moment he’s gonna either drown himself, or our pinnace.”
“Hope he won’t, as I was planning to drag this kedging back on board. We have to admit, Gor, he did his best and we really got aback a tiny bit. Must be several feet or so, I suppose.”
Steaming, Ned was climbing up the ladder to the bridge as if it was his personal scaffold. Cebrastian looked at him trying with all his might to maintain the tragic majesty of the moment. Goreb was a great obstacle to it, as he was trembling with laughter, though he never made a single sound.
“So?”
Ned was silent. On the tip of his nose there gathered a drop of tears.
“What are you waiting for?” The captain’s severe voice promised all sorts of scourge. “To the wheel, now!” 
Ned looked at the laughing captain in great surprise. 
“Tide’s rising. Hey you, over there, come on, move! Set the sails! And you, colt, stop gazing around. Better hold this silly schooner tight, don't let her go rogue and straggle. Hippotigris adores playing pranks with her skippers, trust me. Steer the course,” He pressed Ned's hooves to the wheel to help him. “The wind is steady, we’ll come to Uni-Cornwall by midday tomorrow if it doesn’t change drastically. Now you see why the chart must be studied carefully before any voyage. And usually there are some tips of advice, added by the skipper. Nothing to sob and snivel, really, that’s where the answer could be found, so learn, not boast and you will never run aground.”


***

They did come to Uni-Cornwall right on time to deliver the supplies for the local fair. The unicorn’s governor being very content watched the unloading.
“As usual – perfect timing, captain! Not a bit of a rotten apple!”
The chain of levitated boxes went somewhere towards the warehouses. Suddenly their neat lines were disturbed by a pair of pegasi, trying to maintain control of a large container tied to a cloud.
“Was it your order on a thunderstorm with lightning?” One of them addressed the governor.
The latter shook his head in surprise.
“What does it mean if it isn’t yours? This must be New-Cornwall, is it?”
“No, I’m afraid it’s not. This – is Uni-Cornwall. New-Cornwall is to the north of the Rainbow lighthouse,” said Cebrastian to fill in the strange pause. The pegasi swored.
“How did it happen that you’ve missed the destination? Is it your chart that is not good enough?” Ned was omnipresent, of course.
“Nope, it’s just that somepony have stupid names for the settlements!” One of the pegasae answered mischievously. “Be it Uni-Cornwall or New – of course the couriers are always to blame, not those who have such close names…”
“Those poor ponies have never been to Zebrica, colt!” whispered Cebrastian to Ned, who gave a giggle. “It is not just “be it Tumba-mumba or Tampu-vampu” tribe, they’re also nomads. Well, taking into account the heat in the desert – by ancestors, that’s what I call a real delivery challenge! Lucky me, I never had real necessity to accept it. Zebras usually come at the coast on some special days to trade, so that I can get whatever I need without chasing them in the sands. Oh, and by the way, speaking of the trade days…” The last phrase he said louder and turned to the governor. 
“You’re going to Zebrica, captain? That would be much of a help, if you could…”
“Don’t think I am going there right now, but we may discuss it. But a voyage to Zebrica is always so risky…” There was a sly glare in his eyes for a moment.
“Yes, of course, I understand,” the unicorn answered a bit quicker than he should, and captain smiled. “I understand, this dry severe desert with unpredictable climate…”
“Unpredictable?!” The pegasi turned round. “A vast land depending on twists of nature, how dreadful! While we could…”
“As far as I know, we, zebras, are quite content with our climate,” noticed Cebrastian dryly. “However, if somepony has a desire to take it up… well, it is also may be discussed.” 
The pegasi whispered something to each other and one of them took off the harness.
“New horizons are always so interesting, aren’t they, captain?”
“No doubt. Well, why not having a talk then? Guys, you may have some free time, we’re going to stay for an hour or two. And Goreb, please, no more new members of the crew, aye? Nearly forgot you, colt. You may go enjoy some freedom till the time we set sails. But if you salute me again as you did it last time, I’ll be very disappointed with your imagination.” He winked to surprised Ned and, having gently slapped him on the back, followed the ponies.