Renata Arc
“I spy, with my little eye… something… striped.”
Essenta looked around for what Loress had described. It took her a minute, but she saw them. And she smiled at their busyness.
“Honeybees. Over there.”
Indeed, there were bees flying around some of the later-summer flowers that had appeared. It was a warm, pleasant, and peaceful day. A week had passed since the day at the bridge. For the last few days, they had the great pleasure of walking through some very pretty meadows. Having left the forests around the mountains, they would soon enter another.
It was only a small patch of forest though, keeping from their immediate view the town of Renata. They didn’t plan to stop in Renata, as their supplies were adequate. The trip would take no less than half a day, and if they didn’t need to go, it would be better to wait another day or two before stopping. There were towns dotting the road they traveled.
Loress, in addition to being a joyous addition to their little party, was a fine cook. She’d been able to stretch their food, which was good, as they hadn’t seen a town since they took her along. They’d only seen a few ponies, with little food to spare. The mares still had trouble finding wild fruit and some of the flora didn’t agree with their stomachs, so Loress was indeed lovely to have around. She also added… an unpretentious element to the party.
To pass the time, Zyra had gotten them started on the “I Spy” game a while back, and in spite of initially thinking it stupid, they had come to enjoy it. Ama had never even heard of the game and she was giddy as a filly with a bag of sweets.
The rest hadn’t played the game since they were fillies themselves. But sometimes reaching back can be fun. It gave them something to look at besides the rump in front of them.
Zyra giggled, walking in the middle, “I spy, with my little eye… something… pretty white.”
They were baffled. Looking around, there was nothing obvious. Loress, walking behind Essenta, who was walking point, turned to look.
She was enjoying the game very much, “I give up, Zyra… What do you spy?”
Zyra grinned fiendishly, “Your pretty, white ass!”
Loress squealed, running up alongside Essenta a moment. The rest of them laughed uproariously.
Loress flushed, “That’s not nice, Zyra. My coat’s vanilla, anyway…”
Essenta shook with laughter, “Zyra… lay off it. Just play the game.”
The little mage grumbled, “Fine… I spy, with my little eye, something… delicate.”
Ama, walking in the back, spoke up at once, “Butterflies.”
There were a few of them flying over the company. Dechaa grumbled.
“What is wrong, Dechaa?” Ama called from behind. “Are you feeling alright?”
“Yeah… I’m… just no good at this game. Never have been…”
Ama was somewhat unconcerned with this, “Dechaa, it is all in good fun… I spy, with my little eye, something… what is that?”
Essenta had noticed first. A Pegasus was darting about a treeline, just a short distance ahead. Using both her wings and legs, she was apparently working on her agility. Just a moment of watching her told them she was rather spry. Getting closer, they noticed her move over to a space of vertical logs, embedded in the soil. She was jumping from log to log, a staff held in the crook of her front leg. With the staff, she was knocking around swinging targets. Her hoofwork, jumping around without the use of her wings, was most impressive.
The party continued to watch, and the Pegasus didn’t notice them at first. Ama was most impressed by her good technique, while Dechaa couldn’t believe her dexterity. Loress saw while the Pegasus wasn’t as fast as she was, she was more agile. Essenta and Zyra just thought it was cool.
But the little Pegasus wasn’t perfect: she missed a swinging log with her staff and got knocked off her hooves. Rather than fall upon her little log setup, she unfurled her wings, flying off to the side. She sat there, panting and holding her side where the log swung into her.
Essenta addressed her, now close enough to make out the young mare’s features. Her pink coat and blonde mane were easy to see, but her eyes, a soft brown, were a most interesting thing. The Pegasus rounded quickly, obviously surprised by her visitors. She was rather pretty.
“Good morning, miss,” Essenta smiled at her. “How are you doing, this fine day?”
Essenta’s friends eyed each other; the princess didn’t normally act this way. Why did the princess have such a grin pasted?
The pink mare eyed Essenta’s goofy smile, “Uh… I’m… fine, I guess.”
Essenta looked around at the setup, “What are you working on?”
“I’m… training?”
Ama pushed Essenta aside; Ama knew what Essenta’s issue was. She smiled more genuinely.
“Forgive my friend… she… appears to be under the impression you are quite young. But I see you are not much younger than any of us.”
Ama looked around at the Pegasus’s training yard in the woods, specifically at the hoofwork area, “The log floor is a most useful tool. I admit… it was something I never fully mastered. But you appear to have a pretty good grasp.”
The little Pegasus’s eyes widened, “Wow… you’re a Mazan, aren’t you?”
Ama grinned, “Yes. My name is Ama, of the clan Waterfall. I am with my friends on a journey. We just happened to walk nearby and saw you.”
The pink mare wiggled in her excitement and flashed a toothy smile, “It’s so cool to meet you! I’m Wilka… Wilka Starling. Just call me Wilka!”
Wilka considered the company, again addressing Ama, “So… where are you taking your group?”
Ama chuckled, “Oh, I am afraid I am not the one in charge… she is.”
Ama pointed to the princess, now smiling nervously. Was it really safe to say who she was?
Wilka did a take. Some Earth pony? It wasn’t that she was an Earth pony, it’s that… she appeared most unremarkable. There were two unicorns, one an obvious mage, with a Mazan, and then another Earth pony that… was not only beautiful, but radiated something she could quite identify.
All Wilka could get out was, “…Okay…”
Zyra and Loress laughed hard at this. It wasn’t the first time somepony found it hard to believe this crazy looking group would follow such a mare. Dechaa felt a little more sympathy… she knew what it was like to be judged as less than she was.
But Ama came to her defense, “It is no laughing matter. I chose to follow this mare because I believe in her cause. And because she has become my friend.”
This was good enough for Wilka; she approached the princess, “I’m sorry. It’s good to meet you. I know I look young… but I turn 17 in about a week. Where are you going? Who are you?”
Essenta was taken aback by the young one’s enthusiasm. But something about her seemed… off. Spending years with Dechaa taught her what fear looked like in a pony, even if it was well hidden. Something about this little pink Pegasus was… just off. Essenta decided to take a gamble. Her friends might not like it, but she had a feeling.
“I’m Essenta. We’re traveling south.”
Wilka considered, “That doesn’t tell me much.”
“This is Princess Essenta of the Dale.”
Essenta jumped, as did the others. Dechaa, of all ponies, had spoken. She’d been considering this new mare for a time and could see a few things. A lot of her was muddled, but it was clear there was little wrong in her.
Wilka was still nonplussed, “Never heard of the Dale. Where’s that?”
Dechaa smiled pleasantly, “It’s surprising to run into somepony that’s never at least heard of the Dale. Still… it’s about a thousand miles north of us. We’ve been traveling almost a month. We’re going to the southern jungles.”
Still, Wilka was flummoxed, “Why in the world would you want to go down there? There’s nothing much there… Not since the plague swept Salvatrix…”
It was apparent the subject was upsetting to Wilka. Dechaa noticed.
“That’s where we’re going… I’m sorry, Wilka. Did you… have any ties to Salvatrix?”
Wilka looked at her sadly, “No… but I know what it is to watch a place I love fall…”
Deciding to avoid the subject, Dechaa switched gears, “I was hoping you might be willing to trade. We’d rather not head into Renata if we can avoid it… sort of out of the way. But it would be a relief to add to our food supply, rather than wait for the next town.”
Wilka shook her head, “I don’t have much in the way of food. I live just outside of Renata, actually. I only have a lunch packed with me. I just set up my training ground out here because there’s space.”
Ama addressed Wilka again, “You appear to have some skill, but why are you training? I have been through these parts before, and there is no army for a hundred miles.”
Wilka looked up to her, “I… just want to be stronger. I don’t want to join any army… It’s for me.”
Ama considered Wilka. Nopony trained as such without a reason. Wilka’s soft brown eyes betrayed a fear Ama couldn’t quite place… but it was powerful. It may not have been her place, but Ama saw something in the young one.
Ama gave an all-in smile, “I know we have just met, but… would you be interested in traveling with us?
Essenta and Dechaa performed the horsey snort, what?! Essenta wasn’t pleased. She didn’t want some kid along on their trip. Sure… they weren’t more than kids themselves, but Wilka was very much a filly. Dechaa was also skeptical.
Loress and Zyra, having learned to trust Ama’s judgement, were much less at odds with the idea. Wilka may have been something of a child, but with the crew they’d assembled… it was hard to criticize any idea without testing the waters first.
Wilka’s eyes shined. Essenta realized she was very touched. Wilka looked at the ground a moment.
“I… uh…”
Ama smiled sadly at Wilka. She knew what was going on. She herself only joined Essenta because she was impressed with Essenta’s ambition. Wilka needed to be proven she was wanted. They had to gain her trust. She was now determined for her to come along with them.
“I see you are quite skilled in practice, but… how are you in sparring?”
Wilka looked up, a sudden happiness on her face, “I’m… pretty good. At least amongst anypony around here.”
Ama, now almost giddy, could tell the little one was being humble, “I have an idea. Lunch is soon. We should have a few sparring matches! There are six of us now. It has been a good week since we sparred, and it would be most enjoyable. When we are done, we could all sit down and fix ourselves a nice lunch... Then we can talk about our journey.”
The company had to admit… this sounded fun.
Loress walked up to Wilka, “I suppose we should finish introducing ourselves. I’m Loress Claystable. That’s Zyra Argon and Dechaa Beiran… they’ve been with the princess from the start.”
Wilka still couldn’t figure out what was going on with Loress. But she didn’t look like much of a fighter. Considering the company, Wilka decided.
“Okay! Whatever weapons you prefer, I probably have some sparring weapon to match it.”
Ama was pleased, “I suggest we draw lots to see our pairings. Please-”
Wilka didn’t mean to interrupt, “Uh… I was hoping to take on all of you… one at a time…”
The company did a collective take. All of them? That sounded gonzo, considering what a couple of them could do! But regarding Wilka, she wasn’t underestimating them, exactly, from what they could tell. She had something up her sleeve.
Ama laughed heartily, “It is now very clear to me there is more to you than meets the eye! We will spar as you request… I only ask that I choose the order of your matches.”
Ama had an idea of her own. Perhaps she would be proven right.
Wilka beamed, “I’m okay with that!”
She ran off to a large trunk she had in a thicket. She dragged it over. Hoofing open the box, the company saw Wilka indeed had about everything they might want. Some were wood and some were steel, but all appeared non-lethal… unless one had the inkling to make it otherwise.
Essenta pulled Ama and her friends to the side, “Ama! What’s your game? And what’s Wilka’s game? We just met this mare!”
Ama hoofed Essenta’s shoulder, “Trust me, Essenta. How long did we know each other before I followed you? What about Loress?”
Essenta supposed, “I-”
“Please, Essenta… There is something you must not see in this Pegasus. But I see it… Perhaps Dechaa and Zyra can… Maybe Loress too.”
All three of these mares looked at each other, and then to Essenta and Ama. They nodded.
“Ama’s right, Captain…” Zyra began. “She has a strange magic about her.”
Essenta couldn’t believe this, “Other than her normal Pegasus magic, there’s no way she could have anything else.”
Dechaa looked nervous, “All the same… it’s there.”
Loress hoofed Essenta’s shoulder, “I think we should see what happens…”
Essenta looked up, “Okay… Ama… Set up an order.”
After about half an hour, Ama had an order set up. Dechaa first, Zyra second, herself third, Loress fourth, and Essenta last. Nopony wanted to say anything, but… why put Essenta last? She… wasn’t the best warrior. For that matter, why have Zyra fight at all? But Ama quelled their misgivings.
“Just spar with her. And watch. If I am correct… it will prove most interesting,” Ama had the same visceral grin they’d seen when she was about to fight Loress.
This wasn’t a bad sign, and they resigned to the idea.
Each mare would fight Wilka, choosing the weapons for the match. Dechaa was up first, choosing a single short sword. Wilka had hers clamped between her teeth, while Dechaa carried hers in a magic aura.
The company cheered their friend. Dechaa stood nervously. She knew something was up with their new acquaintance, but it was unclear to her what it might be. Before she was even ready, Ama called for the fight to start.
Wilka moved so quickly, she may as well have disappeared. Dechaa teleported back, catching Wilka’s sword.
Wilka grinned, “Teleportation… nice. I’ve never fought anypony that could do that.”
Barely pausing, Wilka went after Dechaa. It was much like the fight Loress had with Dechaa, expect Dechaa didn’t have any tricks up her sleeve as she did with the cesti. And Wilka was more agile than the Terran, despite lacking in her speed. It was simply a matter of wearing Dechaa out. She couldn’t keep up her defense, her teleporting to safety, and Wilka’s swift and unpredictable movement.
Dechaa tripped up, Wilka standing over her, “I yield, Wilka.”
The company clapped. It had been a good showing on both parts. Wilka smiled at Dechaa, who returned one, and helped her to her hooves.
“Dechaa… your efficiency is most impressive! I think if you worked on your endurance and tried fighting two or three ponies at a time, there’d be no beating you!”
Two or three ponies sounded like a lot to Dechaa, but she smiled and shook hooves with the Pegasus. She may have been the first to notice: Wilka wasn’t even winded a moment after the fight. It was clear the fight wore her out a bit, but she was fine now. Dechaa had an inkling of just what they may have been dealing with, but it was too farfetched to consider.
Ama pointed to Zyra, “You’re up, little mage.”
Zyra chose the staff; it was the closest thing there was to her own magic staff. But what Wilka didn’t know was Zyra had no skill in the staff. She could barely use any weapons. Wilka was in for a little surprise.
Ama, not suspecting what was about to happen, shouted, “Begin!”
Wilka came barreling in, swinging the staff with purpose. Loress gasped and Ama was suddenly concerned; Zyra was just standing there, as a statue. But Zyra hadn’t shown either of them most of her tricks… there hadn’t been opportunity. But Essenta and Dechaa, her oldest friends, new what was going on. They tried to hide their glee.
Wilka spun through the air, flying at Zyra. Instead of raising the staff, Zyra moved a few inches, grabbing Wilka as she was about to hit. Locking her hooves around Wilka, she pulled her to the ground, and applied a little pressure.
Wilka started howling, “Oooooow! Yield! Yield! Yield!”
Zyra let her up at once. She smirked at Wilka, staring back at her in disbelief, trying to regain her hooves.
“What was that?”
Zyra sniffed, “Just a little deception. I thought I’d surprise you. I’m not much for hoof-to-hoof, but even I know a few locks.”
Indeed, she did. Essenta and Dechaa remembered with fondness and agony just how good Wilka was at grappling. She’d grown tired of being picked on, with only magic to defend herself, so she learned how to react to other foals when magic failed her.
Ama and Loress, surprised but pleased, cheered for their friend.
Wilka smiled humbly, “I… didn’t really mean to underestimate you, Zyra, but… Wow! You really got me!”
Zyra shook hooves with her, “It was a gamble. Half the time, it doesn’t work…”
Wilka laughed, “Well, sometimes it does. That was fun!”
Dechaa noticed Wilka was again the same, but it told her nothing. All the locks applied did was elevate her heart-rate and get her attention. It would be a little while before anything else was clear. Zyra, though, had noticed what Dechaa had. She sat next to the other unicorn, both exchanging knowing looks. Dechaa was unsure, but Zyra was grinning. Ama would definitely expose Wilka’s technique.
Ama would have preferred something larger, but she settled on the staff. It would be a fair match, but unlike Zyra, she was skilled in the staff. It would be interesting.
Wilka, apparently not too worried about previous opponents, was aghast at facing a Mazan… especially one radiating the kind of strength Ama did.
Ama considered, and chuckled good-naturedly, “Do not worry, Wilka. We are simply having a sparring match. I am rather accomplished with the staff, but it is not my forte. Perhaps we will surprise each other.”
Wilka felt at ease, “Let’s just begin when we wish… no starting call.”
Wilka made a stance, while Ama answered with her own, smiling at her.
Ama mused, “That is alright with me.”
But it may not have been alright. Wilka went poof before Ama’s eyes. She’d blinked, and the little Pegasus was gone. But she wasn’t gone. Wilka brought down the staff, right onto Ama’s head. Ama’s lights went out and she collapsed in a heap, her eyes rolling back.
It was so fast, nopony knew just what to do. Wilka stood there, eyes darting from the growing lump on Ama’s forehead to her shattered staff.
Wilka screamed, looking at her new hero, “Ahhhhh!! I didn’t mean to do that!”
Dechaa rushed over to Ama, checking her out. Wilka was fretting, twiddling her broken weapon. Essenta and Loress cringed at the sight of all this. Zyra, however, was trying not to laugh, a mixture of horror and amusement evident in her voice. She looked down, a pained expression creeping across her face.
“Oh, wow! That sure was a surprise.”
Loress scowled at her, concerned over Wilka’s unease, “Oh! Hush now! And help Ama.”
Zyra threw her hooves up, “Fine…”
She knelt next to Ama, working alongside Dechaa.
Wilka looked close to tears, and Loress patted her shoulder, “She’ll be alright, Wilka. It may sound strange, but I don’t think she’ll be mad when she wakes up.”
It took a moment for Ama to come around, but she did. She sat up quickly, holding her head as she felt a jolt of pain run through her. She sat up so quickly, Wilka yelped.
Wilka didn’t know what to expect. She certainly didn’t expect Ama to joyfully embrace her, laughing fit to bust.
“Wilka! That was amazing! I blinked, and that was it. You are indeed skilled! I just wish I could have seen it!”
Wilka was a little confused, but glad the Mazan didn’t up and give her an ass-whupping. The other girls had seen her attack Ama… it had been something to see. Ama ruffled Wilka’s voluminous mane, jostling her good-humoredly.
The Mazan couldn’t stop grinning, “Well, you still have two of us to go. Loress! Show her what you can do!”
Loress smiled, getting Ama’s idea, “Okay.”
Loress stood with no weapons. Wilka took up across from her, unsure of what was going on.
“Uh… Loress? No weapons?”
Loress smiled innocently, “Just my hooves…”
“Very well. Let’s see what happens…”
Wilka stared across to Loress. She wasn’t underestimating her, but… Loress was just some Earth pony, right? Still… Ama put her second to last. Was this mare hiding something? And what did the princess have hidden, going last? It was silly to put somepony last in a fight just because she was the leader. Something was going on…
But Wilka shook her head. Overthinking wouldn’t help her. She just had to fight Loress, as she would anypony. Go in, test the waters, and try to win.
Ama, sitting with an icepack on her head cooked up by Dechaa, called, “Begin.”
Wilka didn’t charge in. She circled the beautiful Loress, trying to size things up. Loress, in turn, turned slowly in place, continuing to face her. Wilka was very unsettled. She had a feeling, deep in her gut, that if she made the first move… she’d be smeared… Loress continued to look at her, pleasantly.
The company looked on. Zyra was disappointed Ama didn’t draw out Wilka’s little secret, whatever it may have been. Dechaa was fretting over Ama’s bump on the head than the fight. Essenta sat, more nervous than she expected; she just hoped Loress didn’t mess her up too badly…
Loress eyed Wilka playfully, “It seems I will have to make the first move.”
In a flash, Loress shot towards Wilka. Wilka had only seen a couple ponies move this fast on the ground. But… while Loress was very fast, she lacked the quickness to make the most of it against an opponent like Wilka. Wilka dodged, leaping wildly out of the way. Loress could still turn around quickly and began to chase Wilka.
Wilka led her through the forest. The company suspected Loress would simply barrel through everything, as if the trees were kindling, but she skillfully weaved her way around the obstacles. Maybe it was that she didn’t have her probably indestructible suit of armor she’d chased Dechaa with. Splintering all those trees would hurt… or maybe she had some other game.
Wilka made it back out to open ground. She took flight, panting. Loress smiled up to her.
“A little tuckered out, Wilka?”
Wilka gasped; if her own endurance was impressive… Loress’s was out of this world, “I… can’t see… how anypony can run like you!”
Loress chuckled, “Well… that’s a secret for now. Will you come back down and play with me?”
The company looked on; it was unlike Loress to taunt anypony. Wilka wasn’t taking the bait but didn’t want to come down just yet. She was in between a rock and a hard place. There was no way she could keep out of reach much longer… She had to… recover.
After a moment, Wilka surprised the group by bolting down, fresh as a daisy, continuing to lead Loress around the forest and open ground with renewed ferocity. It wasn’t just a case of catching her breath… it was more than that.
Ama gasped. The rest looked to her. Zyra smiled at her. Essenta was confused, but Dechaa understood as well.
Ama shook her head wonderingly, “I have never heard of a Pegasus with this ability. In fact, only a unicorn should be able to do this…”
Essenta felt lost, “What are you all going on about?”
Zyra, kneaded their beloved leader’s shoulder, “Wilka’s a regenerator, Cap. It takes some doing to achieve that! Theoretically… anypony can do it, Ama. It’s a magic more than just unicorns can achieve. Still… I’ve never seen one… period. Nopony in my guild was able to do this…”
Dechaa nodded, marveling, “I wonder… just how far she’s made it…”
They would learn in a moment, and it wouldn’t be fun to see…
Wilka felt herself getting tired again. She still knew nothing of this mare, other than she was fast and had seemingly bottomless reserves of energy. She had to end this fast! Seeing an opportunity, she did a sidestep, and punched Loress as hard as she could in the mouth. A knockout was all she could figure to try for.
Only… Loress wasn’t concussed. She didn’t even budge. Wilka looked on in horror as Loress, cringing a little, opened her eyes. Wilka sank to her knees, astonished. She was done with this fight.
“Loress… you’re not just some Earth pony, are you?”
Loress, a trickle of blood issuing from her mouth, smirked, “No, I’m not.”
The two fighters heard Dechaa cry out. Looking over, everypony looked shocked.
Wilka, noting Ama’s jaw drop, “…Ama? What’s wrong?”
Essenta answered, voice wavering, “Wilka…! Your leg!”
Wilka and Loress noted the leg used for the punch. Wilka lifted it. It was broken. Loress jumped back in revulsion.
“Oh, Wilka! I’m sorry! Oh, what do we do? Dechaa!”
Wilka looked at it with disgust, “Ahhh! Ow! Gross!”
Loress was dancing backwards, when Dechaa ran up, “Wilka… let me see.”
But Wilka held her off with her good leg, “Stop… I’ve got this.”
Dechaa, Zyra, and Ama had suspected she had the power to regenerate, but what they saw was a little more than they bargained for.
Wilka appeared to concentrate very hard. The company heard popping and snapping… Wilka’s leg was… straightening out… on its own! With many more a snap and a pop and even a crunch, it was as good as new.
A cry of disgust rose up from the party. Essenta turned away and threw up what remained of her breakfast. Dechaa fainted. Loress and Ama looked on in astonishment, repelled by the act. Zyra was crying out in a mixture of surprise and aversion.
Zyra shook her head, “Never… never in my whole life did I think I would see this… Wilka… you’ve mastered regeneration magic!”
Wilka, looking quite ill herself, shook her head, “No… there’s still a lot for me to learn about it…”
Well… this impressed the company. Wilka did need more than a few minutes to recover, so they woke Dechaa, who did not appreciate what she had just witnessed. Even Zyra, ready for a good jibe about this, couldn’t bring herself to mock her friend. She had been just as shocked.
After a while, Wilka stood up, looking a little green behind the gills. Essenta grimaced.
“Wilka… are you sure you’re okay?”
She waved a hoof, “I haven’t been hurt like that in a while, but I’ll be fine in a few minutes. Really, keeping the blood pumping helps. Just gimme a couple minutes, and we can have our match…”
Essenta smiled, impressed by their new friend. At least… Essenta hoped Wilka would be their friend.
Despite their recent aversion to what they had seen, the company began to set up for lunch. Loress made a stew, which they were growing tired of eating, but it was always a good utility dish. Zyra had found some wild blueberries, so she helped Loress make scones, which would be ready at the end of their meal. The stew smelled good, and they began to regain their appetites.
But first, Essenta had to spar with Wilka. They company and Wilka both had two wins, so this would break the tie. They weren’t really keeping score. This was just how things stood.
Essenta, unsurprisingly, lent Wilka one of the cesti pairs she had. After explaining how to use them, they agreed to a match using the cesti on their front hooves. The company worried a little. Those cesti could cause some damage. But the girls agreed to not try to really hurt the other, as opposed to trying not to hurt the other. They would have a sparring match, pure and simple.
Too on edge to cheer for this fight, the company watched their leader face off with the little Pegasus. The two smiled to each other. Wilka knew Essenta was something special. She hadn’t seen her fight but suspected it. Essenta knew Wilka’s power. She’d seen enough to figure out things… But figuring out her opponent didn’t mean she’d win.
When Ama called for a start, the two mares immediately clashed. Wilka realized Essenta was much stronger, physically. Another clash told her she lacked both the speed and agility that set her friends apart. After a few clashes, each dodging the others punches and kicks, Wilka realized there was nothing remarkable about Essenta. There was something there, but it wasn’t apparent… until things heated up.
Essenta was… determined. She could take a hit like a champ, often bouncing back from hits that would have knocked the others, Wilka felt, right out. And Essenta could lay down quite a beating. The fight went a few minutes and was a miserable thing to watch… for the others. Essenta and Wilka were having a grand old time, laying into each other. They looked… content, brawling as they did. Knocking each other around, sprawling away, they had fun.
After a few more exchanges, both mares, bruised and battered, Essenta even missing a few teeth, both fell on their rumps.
Essenta gasped, “I’m… done… I can’t do anymore.”
Wilka was at the end of her rope as well, “Me too… I’m a little worn out… Can’t… fix my face…”
Essenta laughed at that; her own face was quite the mess, “I hate to call a draw, but… draw?”
Wilka leaned over and shook Essenta’s hoof, “Draw…”
Dechaa grimaced as she magicked the few teeth strewn about, while Zyra began to ease the damage the two mares had inflicted on the other. As it turned out, Wilka had kept her teeth; they were all Essenta’s. Dechaa was practically crying as she and the half-amused Zyra fixed her up. After a time, both mares, while still battered and bruised, each would be able to eat.
Essenta looked at her reflection in a steel pan, “Wow, Zyra! You and Dechaa did a good job! Remember that time when I was 13?”
Zyra shuddered, “The time you lost half your teeth? Don’t remind me…”
Dechaa cringed at the memory; the hoofful of times they’d fixed Essenta’s face were not the best of her memories.
So, the six mares sat down to lunch. The stew was good and the scones delicious. They told Wilka of their adventures thus far. Wilka was at once excited and aghast at some of the things they’d done and seen. But she had one burning question above all. It was something Ama and Loress had asked.
“Essenta,” the princess had insisted Wilka call her by name. “What’s your plan?”
Essenta’s answer had changed just a bit each time she was asked, “I’m going to prove my father wrong. We’ll achieve a name for ourselves, whether the Dragon Lance exists or not… And we’re sure to run into some more interesting things along the way.”
Wilka, from the bottom of her heart, smiled, “I’d like to come along with you if the offer stands. I'm tired of playing soldier in the woods.”
The others patted her back, welcoming her to their little company. But Wilka wasn’t done.
“I don’t know if she’d really want to come along, but I have a friend in Renata. I… think you should meet her.”
The other mares were at attention. It was apparent Wilka wasn’t joking around.
Essenta looked up from the last bite of her scone; a friend of Wilka’s must have been something, “What kind of mare is she?”
Wilka said evenly, “Orni’s a Knollwing.”