Axle couldn't believe his luck.
Well, to call it 'luck' would be making light of how he and his brother were virtually stuck at the mill, but Axle certainly didn't consider that to be such a bad thing, all things considered. They had another few days before they would leave for sure, and that gave Axle time to get to know Limb Trimmer.
The question was, could one form a relationship in just three day's time?
Drawbar sure did, though I'm certain that Willow was a bit more receptive to the idea than Trimmer'll be.
There was no way to know if he didn't try, and Axle had every intention of making the best go of it as he could.
It was a morning like every other; warm, and Axle was currently standing in the guest room, looking out the window at the grand front yard, idly staring at the abundance of trees that shrouded the train tracks from view, lost in thought. Trimmer was at the mill, splitting the day's logs while Willow was off doing something else, though Axle didn't know the specifics. Drawbar was back at the train, so for all intents and purposes Axle and Trimmer were the only ones around.
After making his way down to the kitchen and eating a quick breakfast Axle ventured outside, trotting around and up to the mill. On his approach he watched Trimmer work, the Unicorn's expression as emotionless as ever as he repeatedly fed logs into the mill. Axle, for the life of him, couldn't figure out why Trimmer always looked so indifferent. He'd only seen the younger buck smile twice the entirety of the time he'd been at the mill, and outside of those two times his expression and demeanor had never changed. Even when Willow wasn't smiling he was still lively, with a spring in his step and an upbeat expression on his face(barring the other night when Axle'd seen the poor colt soaked to the bone after his near-drowning).
Getting on his way again Axle approached the mill proper, ascending the thick wood steps. As Trimmer reached out to grab another log he caught sight of Axle, pausing and turning to face the rail conductor. Axle nodded and smiled, but Trimmer remained unmoved.
Is he even a pony? He's got the tact of an automaton.
"Good morning, Axle Box. What can I do for you?" Trimmer asked. His inflection was that of a normal pony(there was even a subtle country twang), but Axle just couldn't get over how deadpan the Unicorn buck looked.
"Ain't got nothin' better to be doing, so I thought I'd come on up and see what ya'll were up to" Axle answered, leaning against one of the poles that held up the mill's roof. Trimmer resumed what he was doing before and dragged a log down from the rack, dropping it onto the tray and feeding it into the mill.
"Tending the mill, as you can see here" was all Trimmer had to offer by way of reply.
Axle rolled his eyes as Trimmer turned away to focus on the task at hoof. He was determined to get something out of the pony, one way or another. Maybe it was just a case of bad timing, and Trimmer was just too focused on the mill to be bothered with conversation.
He did offer me a tour of the manor yesterday. Perhaps I should take 'im up on that offer.
"Say, Trimmer, ya'll offered to show me 'round the house yesterday. Would ya be willing to do that today?" Axle asked.
Trimmer didn't look up, but he said "of course." Axle was certain he was just imagining things, but it sounded almost like the other buck perked up a bit by Axle changing his mind after previously turning him down for the tour. If he had, it was at least some manner of progress.
"Swell! So, wanna make some small-talk? Imagine it gets mighty boring being out here by yourself every day" Axle said.
Trimmer shrugged. "Just something that you get used to working on a lumber mill."
"Nice to break tha monotony every so often though, huh?"
Trimmer paused and craned his head up and around to look at Axle, his expression thoughtful. "Yes, I suppose it is" said, turning his attention back to the mill. "Forgive me, I don't talk very often. Not much to talk about when it's just Willow and I here on the mill, and we see and do all the same things. The unexpected arrival of you and your brother has brought some much needed excitement into our lives. Willow's especially, given what has transpired between him and Drawbar."
"Ain't that the truth. Bit of a stroke'a luck there for him and your brother" Axle commented.
"Oh yes, they both seem to be quite happy with the development. I'm very happy for my brother. I imagine you are as well for Drawbar."
More jealous than happy Axle thought. "That I am. Your brother's a fine buck."
Trimmer smirked. "Should I not know any better, I would think that you had eyes for Willow" the Unicorn teased, which made Axle roll his eyes bemusedly.
"Oh he's a looker to be sure, but he ain't who I got eyes for" Axle stated.
"Hmm? Who is it that you do have eyes for?" Trimmer asked, catching Axle off guard.
Axle pushed away from the pole, rubbing the back of his head. "Heh, w-well, nopony really" he lied. Badly. He knew it wasn't so convincing, but he figured Trimmer would either accept it or not press the issue.
"So you say" Trimmer replied, feeding another log into the mill. "So, I imagine you and your brother have seen quite a bit of Equestria over the years through your service in the RRS."
Axle nodded. "You don't know tha half of it. We've been up and down the entire country, from Canterlot to Appleloosa, Vanhoover to Baltimare, Manehattan to Ponyville. We've hauled all manner of things over the years for the Crown. Whatever's on the manifest, we take out" the conductor stallion explained.
"What manner of goods do you usually transport?"
"Depends on what's most in demand, and tha seasons. Naturally, during winter months, things like sweaters, blankets, and things like that get bought up a lot, so we'll haul new deliveries out to cities to be disseminated to the various retail chains. Some things don't change for tha seasons. Take Appleloosa for example; they need water year-round, so sometimes we get a manifest that's strictly water. That's just deliveries, the other half of our manifests pertains to what we're meant t' be recievin' from the destination. Again, a place like Appleloosa ships out apples, so usually we're scheduled to pick up a few crates once we offload the water" Axle explained.
"Ever haul lumber?" Trimmer inquired.
"'Course. From Baltimare to Canterlot, usually. Guessin' that's your lumber we've been haulin'."
"Could be. Interesting how logistics work, isn't it?" Trimmer said as he grabbed one of the last two logs on the rack and dropped them in the tray.
"Sure is. Why, I bet we've hauled the coal that ya'll have been buying in Baltimare."
Trimmer nodded, watching the log as it traveled down the mill and was slowly sawed in half. "I enjoy thinking about the various systems by which Equestrian society operates. It's akin to a machine, really, and each of us are just gears in that machine, propelling it along. We split the logs, daddy delivers them to Baltimare, you pick them up and take them where they're needed, the ponies who receive them use the wood to craft their goods, and then ponies buy those goods. And this occurs in every level of Equestrian society, for every product and material used to create that product."
"Ya'll like to think all philosophical-like about this sort'a thing, huh?" Axle said, more of a statement than a question.
"Yes, quite. I find it to be a rather invigorating topic. Of course, I never quite have anypony to discuss it with. Willow is smart enough, but I'm afraid he hasn't an interest in logistics. To him, it's just a matter of ponies delivering stuff. He doesn't much care for the nuances of it all. Of course, this isn't the only thing I have an interest in. I enjoy thinking and reading about all manner of things."
Here was where Axle knew they could establish common ground, and really get Trimmer to open up to him. "I enjoy reading too, actually. Most nights I'm up in the cabin, reading a novel of some kind long after Drawbar's gone t' bed."
Axle watched as Trimmer perked up and turned to face him, the last log split. "Really? Perhaps we could discuss the books you read."
"Sure thing, Trimmer. Before we do that, though, how 'bout the tour?"
Trimmer nodded. "Of course. Let me shave these logs and I'll be up at the manor in a few minutes."
Axle turned and cantered off the mill, across the lawn, and up to the manor's double doors, pushing them open and waiting inside. Trimmer was finally starting to open up to him, and he couldn't be more excited about the prospect of learning not only more about the house, but also the little Unicorn he was so smitten with, and spending some time with him.
He'd have to wait just a few more minutes.