Southward to New Friends Arc
King Dale sat upon his throne. It was late. He pondered. Two weeks had passed since his troublesome daughter skipped town with her friends in tow… That strange, young mare the magic guild took in all those years ago… And that nervous wreck of a unicorn… the apothecary’s apprentice…
He was furious at his old friend and councilpony, Sir Beiren. It wasn’t the fact Tobit tried to talk the king and his council out of the now obviously foolish decision to “scare Princess Essenta straight” that had him fuming; he now wished he hadn’t had him removed during the meeting. What angered King Dale was the fact Tobit didn’t have a tight enough leash on his antsy daughter to keep her from following Essenta. Essenta now had two unicorns, both reasonably talented, to help conceal her.
For the last week-and-a-half, King Dale had been publicly praising his daughter and her friends for their willingness to go on the quest. His subjects were prouder than ever of their favored princess. And they missed her. The story the king cooked up about the “escaped convict” held water, and he was still “on the loose”. While publicly supporting his daughter, he attempted to track her in secret. He had no luck in that.
What little intelligence he employed hadn’t seen hide or hair of Essenta. Nopony in the valley or the surrounding lands had seen her either. He’d contacted old friends and fellow rulers, and they hadn’t heard a peep regarding her… other than she was on a quest. The self-loathing he felt was no small thing. His daughter was out there, somewhere… dead or alive, nopony seemed to know.
King Dale stood. His guards were at attention, but he waved them down. They remained where they were, while King Dale left his throne room. He walked to his private study. Inside, he kept his favorite things: war trophies, tributes, other treasures… Among his treasures was a crystal ball. Given to him years ago as thanks for a favor, his old comrades, running their own lands, had their own balls. It was how they kept in touch.
As the days went on, he reached further and further out, looking for any evidence of his daughter. He had to get her back. He wasn’t exactly sure what he’d do with her when he retrieved her, but it would be nothing pleasant. There was an old friend… a friend King Dale hadn’t spoken with in quite a few years. He was of… the most dubious kind.
Lord Aodh Radulf was a mercenary leader in his past. One of King Dale’s neighbors hired him and his crew in the last war. The Confederation of the Valley had more than the Kingdom of Joeh to fight, and they needed help. As payment, “Commander” Radulf, a unicorn of frightening talent, asked for a lordship.
In the aftermath of the war, there were plenty of lands needing tending, so King Dale and his compatriots made the questionable decision to give him a piece of land, upon completion of his services. The land was unimpressive but was good for farming. Radulf agreed to the deal, as did his ponies.
The horror Radulf and his “Fire Breathers” unleashed upon the east was something nopony had ever seen before. But King Dale, furious with the Kingdom of Joeh, was there, right alongside Radulf, taking part in the atrocities. If King Dale’s subjects knew some of the things he’d done alongside this lunatic… some of the things his soldiers had been ordered to do under threat of death to them and their families… things not even his closest guards and advisors knew… his own subjects would hang him in the town square and piss on his corpse.
After the war, King Dale and his leaders sent Radulf to his new land, where he prospered in fruit production, of all things. Radulf was unknown to much of the continent. His new subjects and neighbors had no idea what kind of monster was lording over their flourishing little corner of the world. King Dale lost every ounce of respect from the handful of soldiers that went along on one particular endeavor: some deserted, some resigned and left the Dale... the rest committed suicide. But with these gone, all it meant to King Dale was a better hold over anypony learning what he’d done.
Not ashamed, but certainly scared of his association with Radulf, King Dale would have been content to forget the demon even existed. But King Dale was desperate. Giving Essenta all the credit she may have been due, Lord Radulf’s domain wouldn’t be far off from where she might be.
Hating every second of this undertaking, King Dale tapped on his crystal ball. A few moments later, it glowed, clouds swirling about within its confines. A unicorn appeared: his mane was as fire, over his ashen coat; his eyes burned with a ferocity not normally seen in anypony’s eyes. Seeing the pony on the other end, Lord Radulf laughed in a way that may have sounded jolly, if King Dale didn’t know him so well…
“Ansgar Dale… How are you, old friend? I haven’t heard from you in… nine years.”
King Dale cringed at the silky venom in his voice, “Hello, Aodh.”
Lord Radulf simpered, “Well, Ansgar… I have a feeling this isn’t a social call. When we parted ways all those years ago, I was under the impression you valley folk didn’t want to see little, old me again.”
King Dale frowned, “…”
Lord Radulf shrugged, a nasty grin plastered on his face, “No matter. What do you need? You must need something. I… shiver at the thought of what it might be. I know this: it’s something big.”
King Dale was already regretting this, “With your network, you’ve no doubt heard about my daughter… Essenta is traveling to the south.”
Lord Radulf cackled, “I was wondering what all that fuss is about. A quest?! From you?! I knew it had to be a joke. I’m guessing your little plan fell through, though… And you want her back.”
“Have you heard anything about her?”
“No… but we haven’t exactly been looking or… listening very hard, either. What can you tell me?”
King Dale felt sick; he knew what this stallion was capable of, better than anypony, “She probably looks much the same… blue-gray coat, pastel orange mane. You remember.”
“Of course… she was… quite the little trooper. She still playing soldier?”
King Dale glowered at him and Lord Radulf shook his head, chuckling.
“Fine, fine… No more games. Can she fight?"
King Dale hated giving Essenta any credit, "She can fight as well as any of my soldiers... Only a few of my guards can best her in a fight."
"Understood... I doubt like Hell she’s alone. What kind of crazy ponies followed her away from your pretty little kingdom?”
“Only two… you’ll remember Sir Tobit Beiran…”
“Ha! Sure… that tightwad. He still married to that harpy?”
King Dale sighed; Tobit's wife was a Pegasus, and something of a... nag, “Yes, he’s still married to that harpy. But it’s one of his daughters that followed Essenta.”
“I didn’t know he had any daughters… Well, no matter. Tell me about her.”
“Well, like her father, she’s a unicorn… she’s not really a fighter. Her name’s Dechaa Beiran. She’s a healer. Until two weeks ago, she trained under the apothecary. She has… an ebony mane, sharp brown eyes, and a straw coat.”
Lord Radulf lounged, “What about the other?”
“Another unicorn mare… you’ll have to be careful of her. Her name’s Zyra Argon… She’s a fire mage.”
“Really? Is she skilled?”
King Dale considered his hoof, “I’ve seen her do things even your best mages couldn’t… But as for her resolve- it shouldn’t be much of a problem. She’s an odd little mare. She has this dull, sandy mane- she keeps it cropped- with a… light green coat. Her eyes are pretty dull, too.”
Lord Radulf leaned forward, “I’m guessing you want your daughter back, alive and in one piece… and ‘untouched’…”
King Dale fumed at his old fighting companion, “Don’t even joke about her that way!”
“Whoa, whoa… Fine! No harm will come to Essenta… What of the other two?”
At this, King Dale felt his dinner threaten a hasty exit back up his throat, “Whatever does end up happening, Essenta must never know. The mage… I don’t care what happens to her. She’s just a war orphan our magic guild took in… from the west. If she gets in the way… don’t hesitate. Just don’t underestimate her… she has… well, what the physicians call ‘battle fatigue’. She’s dangerous.”
Lord Radulf laughed, “So, she’s a little basket case, is she? Fine… What about Tobit’s pretty daughter?”
If sending death to Zyra bothered him, the prospect of ordering the same upon Dechaa had him reeling; still, his resolve hardened, “As I said… Essenta must never know! She is not to see your faces or find out who any of you are! Do what you see fit… or what your stallions see fit. Just make it quick… Neither unicorn must ever return to the Dale!”
Lord Radulf was in tears he was laughing so hard, “You were quick to change your tune, there. I didn’t think you had it in you anymore to order such a thing on two ‘innocent little mares’…”
King Dale’s face fell, and he glared daggers into the crystal ball.
“Oh, Ansgar… I guess I shouldn’t put it past you. You no doubt remember that Earth pony? The one from the Joeh village? What you did to his wife and little filly! With your own hooves! Right in front of him, while he begged... Even I’ve never seen that! It even shocked some of my worst stallions, and I’ve seen them do-”
King Dale roared, “NEVER SPEAK OF THAT TO ME! You would do well to watch yourself, Lord Radulf.”
Even King Dale, the mediocre leader he was, still commanded some respect… even from the very worst of ponies.
Lord Radulf wasn’t smiling now. He wasn’t cowed, but he still had some semblance of knowing his place in the world.
“Yes, Ansgar…”
King Dale calmed himself, “Let us discuss your payment. What is it you want?”
“I was going to ask for Tobit’s daughter since you don’t care so much, but you do care enough that you don’t want her to suffer. I won’t ask for the mage, either, in that case. There’s… really nothing you have that I want. I have gold… I have riches… and I have a stable of mares at my beck and call. My stallions certainly enjoy them, too…”
King Dale blanched, “You couldn’t be asking for Essenta?!”
“You have to consider… it would get her out of your mane. I’d keep her here, and she’d never trouble you again. I think I could even manage to hide our… relationship, and the things it entails.”
“I will not give you my daughter. I still need her.”
Lord Radulf chided him, “Gold, gold, gold… Is that all you think about? I know she’d command a handsome dowry, but gold’s not everything. Still… I’m not interested in her, anyway.”
King Dale grew tired of this, “Just tell me what you desire, already.”
Lord Radulf pondered, “How old’s Calleha, now?”
“Damnit, Aodh! Enough!”
“Very well… I’ll do it as a courtesy. You did secure me this land when your compatriots tried to shank me… You have my word: no harm will come to Essenta. She will not see her friends perish and we will not reveal ourselves to her. In the end, she’ll wake up in her own bed, with no memory of how she got there… She’ll fall asleep in her camp… and wake up in the Dale.”
King Dale sighed; the terms were good, “How will you find her and her friends? Even with your best trackers, it won’t be easy.”
“Let me worry about that. I’ll put my best three stallions on it. I will contact you when they find her, before I allow them to do anything. If she's out there, somewhere, we will find her. I promise.”
King Dale nodded, “Thank you, Aodh.”
Taking on a look of concern, real but unfitting for the Lord of the “Fire Breathers”, “No matter how well this goes off, your daughter will know whose order it was that brought her home. She will never forgive you. Or trust you again. She will know her friends perished… And your family… Tobit... Are you absolutely sure you’re willing to accept that?”
It was King Dale’s turn to scoff, “It’s odd, hearing you worry about such a thing. I will concern myself with my foolish daughter. All I need from her is to go off and make little colts and fillies for whomever wants her. I will break her. And fuck forgiveness… I’m not interested.”
Lord Radulf looked back at King Dale; it was hard to say which one of them was more of a monster, “I understand, Ansgar. It will be done.”
The crystal ball faded out. King Dale, no longer feeling sick about what he was having done, left the room and went back to his throne.
There he sat. He had little interest in sleeping. He just sat there, wondering what to do next.