Fairlight - The Fortress of the Four Winds

by Bluespectre

Chapter Nine - Chasing Shadows

In the lamplit room, a very tired looking Tingles sat nursing a surprisingly hungry Lumin. The little fellow was feeding from her breast, his comically tiny tail swishing from side to side like a clock pendulum as he took his fill. His ears were so adorably cute I just wanted to squeeze him! Unfortunately though, that wasn’t going to happen. Both of us treated him as though he were made of porcelain, and no wonder. I’d missed out on Sparrow growing up for reasons that were too dark to dwell upon, but I was damned sure I wasn’t going to let that happen with my son. Agency work or no agency work, my family would have to come first. The down side to that line of reasoning however, was money didn’t grow on trees, and although we were currently flush with money it was only a matter of time before that merry old wellspring ran dry. The next time I saw Mitre I’d have to have a word with him and see if there was anything we could do that would allow me to work from Smiling Borders - or perhaps I could look for work in the village? There had to be something here, surely? I settled back to stretch my legs. Now that I thought about it, it was funny how unusually content I felt in myself today, especially considering the nightmarish roller-coaster of recent events. Tingles was right – Smiling Borders had such a noticeable calming effect on the nerves I simply couldn’t imagine leaving it all behind. A good part of me wanted nothing more than to stay here, the three of us, living out our lives in peace and good company. My familiar and all consuming thirst for revenge had been quenched by the realisation that I had something to protect that was a lot nearer to home. Tingles and Lumin were my priority now, not running off to fight only the gods-knew-what at the arse end of nowhere. Except…. that was exactly what I was about to do, wasn’t it? Shadow was a part of our family, and I would be damned if I left her behind. As much as my instinctive drive was to stay here and protect my mare and newborn foal, I couldn’t leave one of my loved ones to an unknown fate in another world. What sort of stallion would I be to do that? Could I really turn my back on Shadow so callously? No. No, of course not. I closed my eyes and steeled myself as the contradicting thoughts warred for dominance in my heart and my head. Either way however, I had to accept that despite my desire to find her there was always the chance it may simply prove to be impossible. After all, I was just one stallion, and even Luna hadn’t been able to to help me. Mind you, that was probably down to her sister’s interference as much as anything. And that was another problem, wasn’t it? The royal guard would be looking for me. This time I doubted they’d be as ‘gentle’ with me as they were when they’d originally collected me from the bowels of the fortress. No, they would really be out for blood now. Agency, Equus… None of that would mean a damn to them. All they would see would be a monster who had killed their comrades and escaped. I’d seen it happen in the watch. One of our relief had been killed intervening in a street brawl one Hearthswarming Eve. It had been bad luck as much as anything - a mis-placed kick knocking him onto the pavement where he cracked his head on the curb. Poor sod. The response however, was swift, and brutal. The whole watch forgot everything in their desire to find the one who’d done this to our colleague, and the result was all too predictable. He was taken alive of course, but only just. Gods, I remembered him being brought in too. What was left of him. What would happen to my family if something like that happened to me? What if I was killed? I doubt the agency would miraculously appear with a barrow-load of bits to take care of them then. No. The last thing I needed was to-

“Ow! Lumin! Ooooh…”

“What’s he done?” I asked curiously, pulled out of my revery.

“His teeth,” Tingles groaned. “He’s got a strong jaws on him, and every so often the little beggar has a good nip.”

“Ha!” I chuckled, “The revenge of the stallion! Now you know how my poor ears feel when you go chomping on them!”

Tingles glowered at me, clearly unimpressed. “My boobs are a hell of a lot more sensitive than your floppy old lugs… ‘Mister’ Salt.”

I sniffed loudly. “Don’t start that again, please! Gods, it’s bad enough with Grimble calling me ‘My Lord’ every five flippin’ minutes without you at it too.”

“Well… honestly…” She rolled her eyes at me.

“As you say, Lady Tingles.” I leaned across and kissed Tingles’ nose before returning my attention to the pendant hanging around my neck. It was an extraordinary thing to be sure, although I think what truly captured my imagination more than anything was how these things just seemed to ‘pop up’ whenever I needed them – the veritable ‘Deus ex machina’. I remembered the first time I’d heard that term too. In the ancient plays, a god or goddess would often ‘pop up’ out of a hatch in the stage floor or be winched in to magically resolve an otherwise pretty bland performance. The difference for me with these things however, was that the damnable pendants didn’t ‘resolve’ anything at all, rather they sent me right into the heart of what was quite likely going to turn my body into the next protein on some monster’s menu. How many of these had Star Swirl made anyway? One appears in the Withers courtesy of Meadow, then this one appears via Celestia’s own protégé. Coincidence? Yeah… I’m bloody sure it was. Still, ‘never look a gift-griffin in the mouth’ as they say. Ha! Like they existed! A meaner bunch of tight-wads I’d never met. Griffins didn’t do ‘gifts’, unless there was some kind of recompense at the end of the transaction. Birthdays must be a riot in the Griffin Kingdom. ‘Happy Birthday, son!’ ‘Thanks, dad!’ ‘Yeah! That’ll be twenty bits, please! Cash or charge?’. Perhaps I was being a bit harsh though, I mean, look at Grimble. He couldn’t do enough for me or my family, and so far there’d been no sign or even a hint of a bill either. I wonder what he was really after? Somehow I doubted my big bag of bits from Mitre was going to be mine much longer. I took a breath and sighed it out, watching how the pendant’s glow brightened as I turned it in place, levitating my old compass onto the bed as I did so. It was pointing due north, out across the Everfree and towards the mountains. I shouldn’t have been surprised really, should I? Damn it all, not again…

Tingles looked up at me, a sad look on her face. “You’re leaving soon, aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question. All I could do was nod in reply. “I want to come with you, love,” she added quietly.

I turned to look out the window at the darkening sky. It was going to rain today. “I know, I want you to as well.” I closed my eyes, knowing what was coming next.

“Lumin…”

I nodded, “He has to come first. He needs you.”

“He needs you too,” Tingles said softly. “You’re his dad”

I hung my head at her words. She was right. By all the gods, she was right. I wanted to stay, I wanted to do nothing more than care for my beloved family, but as always there was something that I had to take care of first. “Tingles, I want you with me, but to take him with us to the Wither World?” I shook my head. “It’s a terrible place, and not a place any sane pony would want to go, let alone take a foal.” I sighed, stretching my hind legs. “I don’t know much about little ones, love. Could we leave him here with somepony we can trust, perhaps? What about Heather?”

Tingles shook her head. “She’s lovely, Fairlight, but I’m worried about him, he’s so tiny and fragile.” She gave his back a rub to bring up any trapped wind from his feed. “He’s going to be nursing for while yet, and I can’t take that away from him.”

I sat next to her on the bed and snuggled in. “You’re his mother, love, the final decision is yours and I’ll stand by you whatever you decide.”

“I know...” She looked up and sniffed back a tear. “But with Lumin, he’s what we made together.” Tingles smiled wearily down at the fuzzy bundle. “I can’t risk him coming to harm.”

“What about Aunt Pewter?” I suggested.

“She’s a sweet old thing at heart, but I wouldn’t want to burden her at her age,” Tingles smiled sadly. “Besides, I don’t want him being brought up on formula milk - even if he does chew me sometimes.”

I certainly wouldn’t have called my mother’s sister a ‘sweet old thing’ by any stretch of the imagination. Auntie had always been as mad as a box of frogs as far as I was concerned. A wise and beloved member of the family she may be, but still, she had that nutty side which I think went hoof in hoof with living in a cottage surrounded by skulls and wall to wall cats.

“So, that’s decided,” I announced firmly. “The next leg of the adventures of the ‘Lord of the four winds’, a.k.a ‘Rock Salt’, will be a solo edition.”

“I’m sorry, love, are you okay with it?”

I chuckled. “Of course, just take care of yourself and Lumin. I’ll let Mitre know what’s happening and get ready for the trip. A few supplies, some snacks, and I’ll be good to go.”

Tingles kissed me and we settled back for a quick snooze before the next round of changing began: feeding, burping, and all the other good things that came with raising a young one. Good grief, would I ever get a full night’s sleep again? Suddenly going off on my recovery mission didn’t seem so bad! Unfortunately the morning only brought more work as I spent the rest of the day making arrangements for my departure. Trotting downstairs, shopping list in pocket, I slipped out before I was caught by the ever vigilant hosts of the tavern. As much as I enjoyed chatting with Grimble, I didn’t have time to stop this morning. There so much to do: Speak to Mitre, organise food, clothes, and so on and so on. Fortunately my old friend had already left me more flasks of the life-energy than I could feasibly use, which I was extremely grateful for too. Foraging for food was a little outside my skill set at the moment, though in truth I hadn’t used my wendigo magic since that night in the glade. By the gods, that had taken it out of me though! I chuckled to myself, picking up my hooves as I reached the first shop on my list – the bakery.

The cottage was little different from the others, only with a relatively large covered area out the back where the ovens were located. A sensible precaution considering the danger of thatched roofs catching light. Quaint they may be, but living in a tinder box certainly had its down side. I somehow I doubted they had much of an established fire brigade here either. Meadow had always wanted to live in a cottage though, one surrounded by hedges, white picket gates, and more flowers than you could shake the proverbial stick at. I’ll admit I could see the appeal, they did have the kind of ‘ye-olde’ charm that put me in mind of the sort of pictures you saw on biscuit tins every year at Hearthswarming. Not that it meant much living in the city surrounded by smoke and noise of course. The artist quite clearly hadn’t stayed in down-town Manehattan. If it wasn’t idyllic country scenes, it was kittens in buckets or some such silliness. Speaking of kittens, the obligatory village moggie was sat outside on a barrel cleaning itself as I approached. In fine old style it completely ignored me too, the miserable old flea-bag. I pushed open the door, finding myself in a very warm, dry room that was festooned with bread, pretzels, rolls, and goodness knows what else. Good grief, there were even locally made jams and pickles arranged on the shelves in jars next to bags of sweets, fudge, and all manner of delicious looking goodies! Now this was something I’d have to tell Tingles about when I got back to the tavern. The smell was amazing too: cinnamon, nutmeg, roasted nuts… Mmm… amazing! If they tasted half as good as the smelled, I’d have to watch my waistline living here. Speaking of which, there was no sign of life though.

“Hello?” I called. “Anypony home?”

“No ‘ponies’, here.” A large shadow filled the far doorway, immediately followed by a flour dusted creature so tall his horns near brushed the ceiling. Judging by the white hat and apron, I was apparently addressing the proprietor of this fine establishment. He snorted loudly. “Yes?”

I produced my list. “Can I have half a dozen flapjacks, please. A dozen-”

“You have a list?” the minotaur asked in surprisingly eloquent Equestrian.

I nodded. “Um… Yes.”

“Well, give it here then an’ we’ll see what we’ve got then, shall we?” I floated the sheet of paper towards the great creature who plucked it out of the air. “Neat handwriting,” he observed. “Good to see someone’s received an education at last.” The hulking beast turned away and commenced taking down items off his shelf. “We don’t have ‘Yearling Rolls’, whatever they are. Will cinnamon buns, do?” I nodded, watching in fascination as he worked.

“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure,” I said politely.

“Of course not,” the minotaur said levelly, “on account of the fact we haven’t met before, correct?”

I was a little taken aback by this, but held my own. “There’s a first time for everything, sir.”

“Indubitably.”

I cleared my throat. “My name is-”

“I know who you ‘claim’ you are,” the minotaur huffed. “An’ I have no doubt that many of my more… ‘educationally challenged’ brothers an’ sisters would believe such fairy tales without question.” He took a pair of tongs, placing several cakes into a muslin bag. “Myself, I prefer to base my assessments on empirical evidence rather than mere ‘intuition’, or other such fantastical claims.” He raised an eyebrow at me. “Barrick.”

“Pardon?”

He rolled his eyes with a sigh. “My name is Barrick.” He placed a loaf of bread into the bag. “I understand that many of your people like to proclaim their names on their posteriors, however my own race have no such pictorial adornment. Therefore, I fear you shall just have to rely upon your memory to absorb that fact.” “Should you wish to do so of course,” he added needlessly. Barrick passed me the bag. “Your order… sir.”

“Thank you, Barrick,” I said politely. “May I ask how much I owe you?”

“Thirty four bits.”

“THIRTY FOUR…?!” I nearly dropped my wallet. “Good gods, you’re not related to Dick Turnip are you?”

“Dick-?” He paused. “Ah, yes, the famous highway robber. Last stallion to be hanged for such a crime too, if I’m not mistaken. I presume you are attempting to make some form of analogy, yes?”

I stared at the bag and took the money from my pannier. “I meant that he was condemned for daylight bloody robbery!” I snorted, trying to contain my anger. “Luna’s backside! If these are the sorts of prices you charge around here then I’m going to have to re-think my plans to move to the village.” Damn it all, Tingles was going to go spare...

“Perhaps you should,” Barrick sniffed. “In case it had escaped your notice during your visit, we don’t exactly have a surplus of housing for city dwellers who fancy a holiday home in the country.”

“A holiday home?” Gods, I felt like throwing the damned bag of baked goods right back at the ignorant prig! I took a step towards the door as Barrick pocketed my bits. “Allow me to ask you something, Barrick.” He lifted his head curiously. “Are you always such a prick with newcomers to the village, or are you just making an exception in my case?”

“Well, that’s the question of the hour, isn’t it?” the great creature said with a half smile. “What do you think it is?”

“I ‘think’ you’re either doubtful of what you’ve been told,” I suggested levelly, “or that you hate ponies. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve come across a racist in my travels.”

“Really?” Barrick grinned broadly. “Quite a term to throw around so casually, isn’t it? Although it does lose its edge somewhat when used carelessly. Particularly when the one using such a term belongs to a race most noted for attempted genocide on-”

“Don’t you bucking dare finish that statement!” I hissed, dropping into a fighting stance. “My race? What the buck do you know about my race, eh? My people were butchered, Barrick, slaughtered in their hundreds, and now we’ve been reduced to this? One half-breed wendigo and a shit-hole of a village in the arse-end of nowhere, populated by self-important pricks who only want to fleece the innocent?”

“And are you?” he asked.

“Am I what?” I snapped.

Barrick raised his eyebrows in a way that made me want to kick him right in his stupid damned bull-face. “Why, ‘innocent’, of course.”

My lip curled, my magic starting to boil up inside me. “Believe me,” I rumbled, feeling my teeth beginning to itch, “you don’t want to go there...”

“But you do,” he said quietly. “Don’t you? You want to bring back the glorious days of yore?” He waved a hand casually as he walked nearer. “To rekindle the great flame of the tribe, to rebuild what your ancestors lost?”

I’d had enough of this. “What do you want me to say, Barrick? Five minutes ago I was just some slob from the city working his arse off to keep the streets safe from scum. Now I’m this ‘Lord of the four winds’? Give me a bloody break, will you. What the hell does it matter anyway? The wendigo are all dead, the fortress is destroyed, and that’s all there is to it. You can call me what you damned well like for all I care.”

That infuriatingly sly smile of his back. “So what do you care for, Lord Fairlight?”

I leaned my hoof against the door frame and took a deep breath, trying to keep my temper under control. “What do I care about?” I glowered back over my shoulder. “My family, Barrick, that’s who I care about. And if anypony, or any one, threatens them… then you’ll see what a wendigo can do.” I opened the door to leave. “I promise you that.” I slammed the door shut behind me. “Keep the change.”

Gods, what a start to the day! Thankfully the rest of my shopping expedition didn’t prove to be as blood pressure rising as my encounter with the delightful Barrick, but it was hardly what you’d call ‘better’ by any stretch of the imagination. I don’t know what Grimble had told the locals, as barely anypony spoke to me more than was absolutely necessary to complete our transaction. Honestly, I was glad of it too. My mood had soured after my trip to the bakery, ruining my previously buoyant spirits to point where all I wanted to do was get back to the tavern and forget this morning had ever happened. Some of the menagerie that passed as the local population of Smiling Borders stopped and stared at me, whilst others hurried away as though I were about to detonate in the middle of the blasted street at any moment. Bloody hell, maybe I was! It really would give them something to stare at then, wouldn’t it? The miserable, sodding… I huffed under my breath. I was seriously beginning to wonder whether moving here to Smiling Borders was such a good idea after all. I felt about as welcome as a chronic case of halitosis, with a good old case of mange thrown in for good measure. What truly concerned me though, was that if they felt this strongly about me, how did they feel about Tingles and Lumin? I don’t think they’d be in any danger of course, but the last thing I needed was to go on my trip to find Shadow, leaving Tingles and Lumin in a village of local yokels who treated them like undesirables. Damn them! Unfortunately my foul temper followed me back to the tavern too. I nearly took the old door off its hinges when I finally stalked inside, dumping my packs noisily on a table and dropped into a chair with a frustrated neigh.

Tingles looked up from her knitting, clucking her tongue at me in annoyance. “Do you have to make so much noise? I’ve just got him off to sleep!” She motioned towards the crib beside the table. Oh, great! I hadn’t noticed it at first, and now felt thoroughly guilty as well as miserable. I decided to say nothing. “Get everything you needed?” Tingles asked.

“An empty pocket?” I grumbled. “Yeah, I got it.”

“I take it your trip out was expensive, then?” she asked.

“Expensive?!” I hissed. “Luna’s arse, Tingles, the thieving bas-” I paused, noticing Lumin move in crib and quickly checked my language. “The thieving beggars charged me through the nose, Tingles! Thirty four bits for a few buns and some bread? That’s dearer than bloody Canterlot! Look at that old fart with the panniers. Remember her? A hundred bits for a scavenged, half knackered bag!”

“Tourist rates,” she said absently. “It happens.”

“Ah, I get it,” I replied. “One price for us and one for the regulars, eh?” Bloody thieves! I leaned back in my chair and sighed. “Goodbye bits...” I stared up at the ceiling. “I think we may need to look at our plans to move here again, love. If this continues we’ll be penniless before you know it.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that,” Tingles replied, adjusting her ball of wool. “If we moved here they’d get used to us eventually, and we’d blend right on in.”

“Huh!” I snorted. “You’re a lot more trusting than I am, I’ll say that. Do you really want to take that chance? They’d take us to the bloody cleaners.”

Tingles frowned at me. “Will you watch your language, around Lumin!”

“Bah! He can’t understand a word I’m saying,” I snorted. “Anyway, I think he’d be pissed off too if he found out his family had been turned into a paupers by a bunch of robbing country bumpkins.” I leaned down and rubbed my hind leg. “I don’t what Grimble’s been saying about us either. That lot treated me like I had leprosy or something. I mean, I know I’m not the most sociable guy in the world, but the way they leaped a mile whenever they saw me coming was really starting to get to me.”

The tangerine pegasus didn’t look up. “Are you surprised by that?” she asked. “You heard Grimble, they all know who you are now.”

“Ah, yes,” I said sarcastically, “this mysterious ‘bond’ that he likes to go on about. Ha! What a load of bollocks! The only ‘bond’ there is round here is the one they have to the contents of my bloody wallet! All this ‘Lord of the four winds’ guff is a right load of old tosh. I bet they flatter everypony who comes here like that... just before they fleece them and chase them out of the village at the end of a sharpened pitchfork!”

Tingles clucked her tongue. “Honestly, Fairlight, how can you say that? You are who you are, and there’s nothing you can do to change that. I’m sure the people here are just as confused about the whole situation as you are.”

“Confused about what?” I asked. “I may as well be the king of the Everfree for all the difference it makes. I’ve hardly got two bits to rub together, or at least I won’t have at this rate!” I picked at a knot in my tail. “You know what the gentry are like, love, they’re all born into it. They’re raised into a life of money, luxury, and hot and cold running servants. I’m the son of a couple of regular old ponies from a regular old village, I’ve hardly been born with a silver spoon up my bum.”

“No, but what difference does that make?”

“That’s what I’m asking!” I snorted in frustration.

Tingles rolled her eyes and put her knitting down to face me. “I’m saying that you can’t help being a wendigo the same way I can’t help being a pegasus. The title of ‘Lord of the four winds’ may not mean much to you, but it obviously does to the people here in the village. Remember what Grimble said: it’s up to you if want to take on this mantle of ‘Lord’ or not. If you don’t want to, just tell him. I doubt he’ll think any less of you for it.”

“I think he’d up the bill!” I winced as the knot pulled painfully. “Damn it all!”

Tingles clucked her tongue and knocked my hoof away, pulling her chair closer. Carefully, she lifted up my tail, taking out a small pack of combs from her satchel. “Look at the state of this,” she muttered. “One of these days you’ll pay more attention to your hair before it ends up full of mats.” I watched as she began to untangle the mess, my mind still reeling from this morning’s antics. It had promised to be such a lovely day too…

Tingles teased out another hair. “Fairlight?”

“Hmm?”

“You don’t like nobility, do you?”

“I…” I flopped back in my chair, trying to hold back my impending sarcasm. “No, love,” I said simply. “I never have.”

“Does that include Luna?”

“Of course not.” I closed my eyes.

“Why?”

“Because Luna’s more… ‘down to earth’, I suppose,” I explained. “She’s not full of all those pretentious airs and graces that the rest of that lot are. Nobbing around in gold plated carriages, blowing money like tap water and lording it over the peasantry as if we’re something nasty they’ve just stepped in.” I rolled my shoulders, feeling my muscles slowly relax. “I had to work with them in Canterlot, and the way they spoke to us was like we were dirt. Worse than dirt really. And yet we had to just stand there and take it all - ‘Yes, my lord. No, my lord. May I wipe your pampered arse for you, my lord?’” I let out a derisive snort. “I hated them for it.”

Tingles nodded, quietly brushing out my tail hairs. It was quite therapeutic really. “You don’t have to be like them,” she offered reasonably. “Maroc wasn’t like that, was he. From what you’ve told me, he was… more like you.”

“Like me?” I opened my eyes, and… Yes… Yes, I suppose he was really. He loved his wife, his son, and his people. He certainly didn’t give a toss about Celestia. He’d had some sort of relationship with Luna, although exactly what was something that I hadn’t discovered, nor had any desire to either. But… Maroc was hardly what you’d call your more ‘traditional’ nobility. Wendigo society seemed to a lot looser than I was used to. Social standing was still present of course, you were either a wendigo or you weren’t, though I didn’t pick up on anything that might suggest they looked down their muzzles at the rest of their society. Good grief, they even had races living there that could never be wendigo, like Grimble’s ancestors. Or could they? I didn’t know. Gods, there was so much I didn’t understand about my own people! I stared at a cobweb on the ceiling, one of the few that had miraculously avoided Heather’s usual morning feather-duster assault. A lone spider sat there, sitting… waiting. It was at the centre of the web, the strands radiating out from the single, central point. In some ways Maroc was like that web; the curious fellow sitting at the centre with his family with the wendigo surrounding him, and then from there were the rest of the populace that made up the tribe of the four winds. It didn’t matter whether they were pony, wendigo, minotaur, griffin, or whatever – they were all his people. My people. Tingles, Lumin, Shadow, Meadow, Sparrow… they were my herd. The people of this village were too, to some degree. I had inherited them, the way I had inherited the title of ‘Lord’. But what did it mean? They’d been waiting for a thousand years? For what? Barrick was right to be skeptical. Bond or no bond, he didn’t know me, nor did he know my true intentions. Goddesses above, I didn’t have any! Well, other than recovering Shadow and looking after my family. Keeping out of Celestia’s clutches would be nice too, of course. Agh! What a bloody life!

“Love?”

I sat up, blinking in surprise. “Huh? Sorry, I was miles away...”

Grimble was stood there next to Tingles. I must have been well away in own little world to not notice him walking in. The two of them were watching me expectantly. “Oh, good morning, Grimble. What’s up?”

The old griffin bobbed his head respectfully. “My lord, would you please accept this gift for the lady Tingles as a gesture of our good will? Grubber explained that you had expressed an interest in it, and we felt it would be appropriate to offer it to you as a token of our gratitude for all you have done for the village.”

I stared down at the things he’d placed on the table in front of me. Dear gods, I never thought I’d see them again. It was the panniers we’d seen for sale. The very same panniers from the fateful expedition to the fortress that had lead to the deaths of everypony there. “Grimble?” I said swallowing. “Do you know what these are?”

He looked surprised. “Panniers?”

I closed my eyes and tried to fight down the rising tide of alarm. “Yes. But… Can you tell me how they came to be here in the village?”

The old griffin frowned in surprise, “I’m not certain, my lord. Grubber noticed how much your good lady liked them and wanted to gift them to her. Other than that, or how she came to have them, I cannot say.”

Tingles looked at me, her expression conveying her own opinion on the subject. “Grubber…. I presume that’s the earth pony who sells odds and ends from her cottage?”

Grimble nodded. “She’s a little difficult to deal with at times, however she is respected in Smiling Borders as a wise and learned mare.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”

Was something wrong? Perhaps in his mind there wasn’t. In mine, however, this was setting off alarm bells like noponies business. I decided to err on the side of caution. “Nothing’s wrong at all, my friend,” I smiled. “Thank you for your kind gift. It means a great deal to us.”

Grimble visibly relaxed, letting out a relieved sigh. “It was my pleasure, Lord Fairlight, Lady Tingles.” He bowed formally, backed away a step and then lifted his head suddenly. “I nearly forgot!” Reaching back into his pouch, he produced a purse of coins that clinked on the table. “Barrick the baker sent this for you. He said that you’d overpaid him for what you’d bought earlier, and that he could not in all conscience let you pay him so much.” He chuckled. “You must have made quite the impression on him, my lord. Barrick is not noted for generosity.”

I didn’t know what to say. First the panniers, and now a returned overpayment from Barrick? I could understand the village wanting to show their thanks for what Tingles and I had done, but this felt so out of character, I wasn’t sure how to view it. It was time to roll the dice, and see what came up…

“Grimble, I’d like to pay the bill for our stay thus far,” I announced. “Since I’m going to be away for a while, I’d like to make sure that Tingles and Lumin are cared for in my absence. So, if you could arrange for that to be made up as soon as possible, I would be very grateful.” I smiled politely at the old griffin, and yet… he stood there and said absolutely nothing. His large avian eyes stared as me as though I’d just offered to have his family murdered and buried under the patio for shits and giggles. “Is that a problem?” I asked.

“Erm….” Grimble glanced from me to Tingles and back again. “I don’t understand.”

Tingles came to the rescue, thank the gods. “Grimble, we can’t stay here forever. Fairlight, Lumin and I are only on holiday from the agency for a short while. Sooner or later we will have to take our leave, and when we do we’ll also have to pay what we owe you for the rent of the room, food and so forth. You’ve been very kind to us, both you and Heather, however you must understand that we only have finite resources. None of us want to part here on anything other than the very best of terms and leave only the happiest of memories, for all of us.”

The griffin frowned in thought for a moment, then to my surprise began to laugh. It was a squawky, screeching sound that was more akin to nails down a chalkboard than an expression of humour. Mind you, since I wasn’t half bird how would I know, right?

“My lord!” Grimble chuckled, wiping his eyes. “Forgive me, but how can we charge you for staying in your own home? It is very generous of you, of course, however this is yours. In truth, it is Heather and I that should be paying you.”

“Mine?” I said, swallowing. “What do you mean, it’s mine? I’d never even heard of Smiling Borders until a few weeks ago!” I rubbed my forehead; I could feel a headache coming on. “I think I would have noticed if I’d become a landlord, Grimble. It’s not something you accidentally forget about, you know? No… No, I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick here, my friend. Maybe you-”

Grimble held up a claw, forestalling me. “My lord, your family own the land from the fortress in the mountains, across the Everfree, up to and including this very village. It has been in your family ever since the days of your ancestors. Forgive me, but… didn’t your aunt ever explain this to you?”

“No!” I gasped, “I think I would have remembered something like that! And besides, how can my family own it anyway? Maybe it’s been overlooked over the last thousand years, but hello, we lost the war? Ancient property rights or not, this is part of Equestria now, and I think the princess would have more than a few words to say about property claims from a defeated enemy popping up out of the blue. We’re hardly on good terms you know, and that’s putting it mildly!” I sat up, taking the drink Heather had just brought in. Good grief! This day was just getting weirder and… and… “Hang on, how do you know my aunt, Grimble?” Suddenly the conversation I’d had with Glow Bug, the taxi pegasus from Hackamore, flagged up in my mind like his bloody meter. “You knew we were coming here, didn’t you!” I stood up, my mane bristling. “That old bugger knew all along we’d be coming here, and she told you ahead of time, didn’t she!” I threw my hooves up in the air in exasperation. “All this ‘My Lord’ stuff, is all down to that old bugger sticking her muzzle into my business, isn’t it?!”

Grimble took a deep breath and backed up a step. “Hardly.” The doddery old griffin seemed to change before my very eyes, those two golden avian orbs locking onto me the way his kind had viewed prey animals since time began. I couldn’t look away. “I would appreciate it if you would not refer to Galena in such a course manner,” he said coolly. “Lord you may be, however there is no excuse for rudeness. Especially with one’s family.”

“One’s family?” My face must have been a picture. “Wait... You called her ‘Galena’?” My mouth hung open in shock. I’d only ever heard my mum call her that, and even then only in private. How the hell did he know her? Did he… Oh, gods. Somehow, this all made sense. “You and her...” I muttered.

“Indeed,” Grimble said calmly. “Galena… and I.”

“Fairlight?” Tingles asked, watching us. “What’s going on?”

“Grimble...” I began. “He’s my… He’s my uncle.”

“Of sorts,” Grimble replied, bobbing his head towards Tingles. “We were never actually married. Galena, that is, Lord Fairlight’s Aunt, lived with me for many years after I split from my wife Fast Feather. Over time however we drifted apart, but we never lost touch completely. She told me about your situation of course, but not in any detail.” He smiled wryly. “Galena liked to, um… ‘surprise’ others.”

He had that right! “I can’t believe this,” I mumbled. I stared helplessly into my drink, hoping that the insane roller coaster the world had strapped me to would stop and let me off before I lost my mind completely.

“Did you have any children?” Tingles enquired. She turned to glance up at Heather. I felt my heart drop into my stomach.

“Oh goodness, no!” Grimble replied quickly. “Sadly, we were never blessed with such joy. However, Galena was not one for hatchlings. She preferred to enjoy life simply, spending her time caring for others and crafting potions, remedies, and other such crafts from the old days.”

“I take it you two parted before Fairlight was born?”

Grimble shook his head. “No, I met him a few times when he was but a babe in his mother’s crib. Although, you have to understand that relationships between ponies and griffins aren’t always looked upon by others as…” He sighed sadly, “Natural?”

“Was that why she built her cottage away from the rest of the village?” Tingles asked.

Grimble nodded. “We wanted to avoid too much gossip from the rest of the ponies there, but alas, you know how small communities can be. Eventually it put a strain on our relationship and… well, here I am.” He bowed to me respectfully. “Lord Fairlight, forgive me. I did not wish for you to find out this way.”

“Uncle Grimble...” I mumbled.

The old griffin shook his head. “Just ‘Grimble’ will do, my lord. Strictly speaking I am little more than your aunt’s ex-lover. One, whom I hope you will understand, has nothing but the utmost respect for both you and your family.”

“So, Pewter is the owner of the village by inheritance?” Tingles asked. “Am I understanding this correctly?”

“She was,” Grimble explained. “That title was passed to her as the eldest direct descendent. When her nephew developed his wendigo magic and re-established the ancient bond of the tribe, all rights passed to him and his immediate family.” He motioned to Tingles and Lumin. “That would be the two of you. Although young Lumin would naturally be the successor should he come into his wendigo magic in the event of, forgive me my lord, your demise.”

What a comforting thought…

Tingles frowned in thought. “So… What you’re saying is that the tavern, the village, and all the land between here and the fortress, belongs to Fairlight?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Fairlight?” Tingles looked to me as though I had some magical bloody answer to all the madness unfolding before me. I didn’t.

I got up, chugged back my drink and picked up my cloak. “I’m going out.”

“What? Where are you going?!” Tingles sat up in surprise. “You’ve just got in!”

Clipping the cloak around my neck I strode for the door. “There somepony I need to see,” I called back. “Or some minotaur.”

“Can I help you?”

I closed the door behind me, flipping the ‘Open’ sign round to ‘Closed’. “That’s the big question, isn’t it?” I said turning to face him. “Would you like to start, or shall I?”

Barrick wiped his hands on his apron, that slight smile of his curling the corner of his mouth. “Ah, you wish for a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory.” He took lifted up a tray of rolls and placed them onto the cooling rack behind him. “Exposition, yes?”

“I know what exposition is, Barrick,” I huffed, “and I know what the dictionary definition of it is too. I’m not here for a grammar lesson.”

“Cinnamon rolls, perhaps?”

I gritted my teeth. “Don’t start with me, Barrick, I’m not in the damned mood for bullshit right now. You know things you’re not telling me, and I want answers.”

The large minotaur sighed softly under his breath and produced two plates. “I was merely asking if you would like a cinnamon roll.” He plucked a pot from under the counter along with a couple of cups. “Tea?”

I could my cheeks burning. Damn him, he’d outmanoeuvred me again! I had to try and regain the initiative or else I’d never-

“Lord Fairlight Loam, son of Tulip and Lamplight Loam, nephew of Galena, and last direct living descendant of the line of wendigo.” The minotaur poured the tea into the cups. “At least, you were before you had your son, of course.”

My hoof slowly slid towards the sword that wasn’t there. I’d latched the door behind myself too, like a fool. Damn... “Who are you?” I asked a lot more calmly than I felt. “Agency? Equus?” My mane bristled. “Royal Intelligence?”

The minotaur paused, only for a second, but I noticed it. He put down the pot. “Sugar?”

“One,” I replied.

“I can assure you, you have nothing to fear from me,” Barrick said absently. “It is incumbent upon those, such as myself, to… ‘understand’ those who would come into contact with our small community.” He passed me the tea and bun. “Why should the Celestian authorities have a monopoly on information?”

“Celestian authorities?” I asked. “A little out of date, aren’t we, Barrick?”

The minotaur raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of his tea. “Celestian, Equestrian… A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

He was sarcastic, I’d give him that. I took a bite of the bun and nearly shivered as the delicious pastry made my taste buds sing.

“Good?” he asked.

I nodded. “I thought you said you didn’t have any cinnamon buns.”

Barrick smiled that thin smile of his. “We all have our secrets, Lord Fairlight.” He brought over two chairs. “I would offer you somewhere more comfortable to sit, however my living quarters are somewhat spartan and not ideally suited for guests. Besides,” he smiled. “Here we have tea, food, and good company. What more could a fellow ask?”

“Good company?” It was my time to smile. “Forgive me, Barrick, I’m surprised to here you say that. I had the impression you were far from impressed that I had come to Smiling Borders.”

The curious baker nodded slowly. “True. Although, I’m certain you’ll appreciate that I would want to take the measure of a stranger appearing in our midst claiming to be the new lord.”

“I didn’t ‘claim’ to be anything,” I said levelly.

Barrick held up a hand. “Of course not, and it is for that reason, and that reason alone, that I put more stock in the reports I had about you.”

“You certainly know a lot more about me, than I do of you,” I pointed out.

The minotaur smiled, genuinely so this time. “True… true…” He looked up at me from his tea. “You must understand, Lord Fairlight, that our village has existed for a thousand years by virtue of the fact we are cautious. Ponies are by their very nature, inquisitive and capricious creatures. For years we simply sat here in isolation long after the memories of the war had faded from the public conscience, and peace, as the old saying goes ‘reigned’. Grimble has no doubt explained this to you?”

I nodded. “He told me you found the village abandoned after leaving the caves, then gradually began to open yourselves up to the tourist industry for additional income.”

“More so to avoid unnecessary attention from the authorities,” Barrick explained. “There were rumblings coming from the capital about ‘treasure’ of all things, out in the ruins of the old fortress. As we were the nearest village, it was inevitable that we would eventually become the last stop on the route for adventure seekers. To chase them away would have only brought undue attention to ourselves, so we decided to make ourselves known to the outside world as a welcoming and comfortable place to visit. Of course, that all worked well until the disaster with the archaeological expedition into the mountains. After that, and the incursions from the timberwolves, Smiling Borders once more slipped into the obscurity in which we now find ourselves.”

“About that,” I said, sipping my tea. “What happened to them?”

“The expedition?” Barrick shrugged. “Who can say for sure? The mountain is protected by alicorn magic placed there by Celestia to keep intruders away – very effective magic. I have no doubt you have already discovered as much?” I nodded as he continued. “Many such ponies came this way over the years, lured by the promise of fame and fortune. We let the adventurers go upon their way of course, it was good for our economy as well as diverting some of the more ‘unwanted’ attention. Some came back, others did not, though that is the way with such things.” He took a bite of his roll. “You may think that the risk of death would have put many off, but in fact the opposite proved to be the case. We had no real concerns about the fortress being discovered after all, an’ even if it was, I doubt there is much left of any note after such a long time. The celestians would have carried away most of what they could after their victory, doubtless looting the home of our ancestors until only their bones remained.”

That wasn’t strictly true. Yes, the fortress had been all but completely destroyed on the surface, however there were parts of it that lead further into the mountain itself, like the chamber I had discovered. Precisely why the celestian forces had left that place the way they had could be more down to their desire to get away from the cold of the mountains to enjoy their victory rather than superstition. But honestly, who can say for sure? I doubted Celestia would be giving up any information on her actions that day any time soon, and really, what did it matter anyway?

“Grubber sent my partner a set of panniers from the Celestian Society for Archaeological Research.” I watched his reaction carefully. “They’d been buried on the mountainside. All of them.”

“Ah...” Barrick nodded solemnly. “The last resting place of Professor Ernest Intent an’ his team.” He peered at me with his bullish eyes. “This appears to be troubling you, is it not?”

“More my curiosity than anything else,” I replied.

He raised an eyebrow. “Professional curiosity?”

“Maybe once,” I said with a smile. I held out a hoof, encouraging him to continue. “Please...”

Barrick put his cup down with a clink of china. “There’s not much to tell. As I told you, the expedition stopped off here for supplies, then headed off across the forest in an airship. They never returned.”

“So who buried them?” I asked. “The army?”

“No,” the minotaur said calmly. “We did.” He took a deep breath and turned to stare a painting of the wall. It was a young minotaur family by the looks of them. “It was the day after they left that we realised one of our young ones was missing. Clash, one of our…” He cleared his throat. “My nephew. He had gone with them.”

“Your nephew?” I sat up straight, listening intently. “Why?”

“Because he was young, foolish and headstrong, like all young males,” Barrick snorted. “We knew what had happened when his parents found him missing the next morning. He had supposedly been staying with friends, thereby delaying any suspicion on the part of his mother an’ father. The day before the expedition had been looking for a guide into the mountains, and Clash had been there in the market place, soaking in every word. As is the agreement in the village, none of us would go with them. Clash, however, decided otherwise.”

I took a breath. “I’m sorry, Barrick.”

“Sorry?” He huffed. “There is nothing to be sorry for, Lord Fairlight. You did not know him, nor should he have been so impetuous. His actions could very well have endangered us all. The princess never forgets, neither does she forgive.”

“You don’t refer to her as the ‘white witch’?” I asked.

Barrick barked out a laugh. “No! An’ why should I? To give something a different name does not change the essence of what it is. Oh, it may go some way to salve the bitterness many of our people feel even to this day to call her such a name. I, on the other hand, would rather call my enemy by their true name. Fear of a name breeds fear of the thing, an’ I do not fear her. In the end, death comes to us all eventually, rich or poor, minotaur, pony or alicorn.” He closed his eyes a moment before continuing. “But I digress. When we discovered Clash missing, a large party of our strongest warriors headed out into the mountains to find out what happened to him. Our more talented fliers went with us, scouting ahead. It didn’t take long to find the crash site. What we found when got there was little more than still smouldering wreckage, and the bodies of those killed in the crash. My nephew was among them. What was left of him.” He smiled sadly. “We found survivors too – yaks. There were two of them, feeding on the dead.”

“Dear gods...” I breathed. “They must have been the mercenaries the expedition took with them.”

Barrick nodded. “We brought them back with us to the village along with my nephew, after burying the dead.”

“I didn’t know there were any survivors,” I said quietly. “What happened to the yaks?”

The large minotaur shook his head. “They were dealt with.” He motioned towards a coat rack beside the door where a thick, hairy cloak hung beside a thinner one. Apparently it hadn’t been a good day to be a yak. “You have nothing to fear from us, Lord Fairlight.” Barrick said in answer to my expression. “I can assure you of that.”

I cleared my throat and took a quick sip of my tea. “You mentioned ‘unwanted attention’?”

Barrick nodded. “Naturally. Celestia has a considerable network of agents ranging far across the land, and even beyond our borders, all of them feeding information back to her. You worked for one such organisation yourself, correct?”

“We dealt with threats to Equestria,” I replied hoping not to sound defensive. “I wasn’t involved in intelligence gathering, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have had anything to do with spying.”

Barrick smiled. “Good.” Suddenly he slapped his thigh loudly. “Now then, enough of such matters. I have one question I would like to ask you.”

“Oh?”

That wry smile was back. “Are you going to take up the mantle of you ancestors an’ lead our people?”

“Blunt and to the point,” I observed drily. I finished my tea and polished off the delicious cinnamon bun. “You have been honest with me, Barrick, and it is only right that I am the same with you.” I tapped my chin with my hoof. “Truthfully… I don’t know. I wish I did, and I wish I could give you a more definitive answer too. But really, how can I? You know yourself what my background is. You know probably better than anypony else here that I only became a wendigo very recently and, more to the point, that I had inherited this village, a chunk of forest, a load of mountains and what’s left of the fortress, not even an hour ago.” I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Barrick. If I could give you an answer I would.”

Barrick chuckled. “Truly the great dilemma, is it not?” He sat back in his chair and scratched at his muzzle. “May I ask what your family thinks you should do?”

“Huh!” I let out a snort involuntarily. “They think I should just accept who I am.”

“Sound advice,” he replied.

“For you, maybe.” I leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. “I can’t lead ponies, Barrick. The last time I did it was a bloody massacre. I was out fought, out manoeuvred and way out of my depth. I don’t want that sort of responsibility again. Never again.”

“And yet you travelled to another world, successfully rescued innocent females, and have defeated your enemies time after time.” Barrick shrugged his shoulders and waved his tea cup at me. “Interesting that you should see that as an inability to lead. Is this a… pony viewpoint I’m not understanding.”

“Oh, come on,” I nickered. “You don’t know everything about me, Barrick. Have you been to the Wither World?”

“The home of the thestrals? No,” he said absently. “Although I would imagine it would take quite an extraordinary individual to survive there, let alone come back again.”

“Lucky, you mean.”

“I don’t care if a stallion is good, just tell me if he is lucky,” Barrick quoted.

I furrowed my brow in thought. “I’m not familiar with that quote.”

“Colonel Dray, later to become General Dray,” Barrick explained. “And excellent officer, and one who was, by all accounts, a humble and modest stallion.”

“Didn’t do the legion much good, did it?” I retorted.

Barrick smiled that infuriating smile of his. “I never said he was with the Legion,” he said softly. “He was-”

“The celestian armed forces commander at River Valley,” I cut in. “Yes, I know who he was.”

“An’ a student of history too.” Barrick nodded to himself with a wry smile. “There is one other quote which I believe you should know, Lord Fairlight.” I lifted my head as he continued. “‘Be more than you appear to be.’ I believe that is rather appropriate, don’t you?”

“And which sage figure from history is that pearl of wisdom from,” I asked bluntly.

He watched me carefully for a moment before answering. “I thought you’d know, he was your ancestor after all. Maroc, the lord of the four winds, an’ master of the land of Everwinter.” Barrick leaned forward, fixing me with his bullish eyes. “We ask nothing of you, though should you ask it of us, our people would gladly give their lives to protect you and your family. It is a grave responsibility to bear, naturally, however the choice of whether to become part of our world or not, is your choice. A choice that we will respect whatever you decide. Know, however, that wherever you go, no matter what you do, you will always be the lord of the four winds.”

“Changing the name does not change the thing, right?” I quoted back at him.

Barrick nodded.

I hung my head. What the hell was I supposed to make of all this? Damn it all, I needed a moment to myself to think. “You know I’m leaving tomorrow, don’t you?”

The minotaur bobbed his head. “I do.”

I should have guessed really, shouldn’t I? “Barrick, I need to think about this.” I lifted my hoof to the door latch and paused. “Whatever I decide...”

“We will know,” Barrick finished simply. “The bond will tell us. More than words ever could.”

I pulled the door open and stared out into the sunlight. “Barrick?”

“Yes, Lord Fairlight?”

“Thank you.”

Outside I stood and lifted my muzzle to the sky, closed my eyes, and took a long deep breath. Responsibility, duty, honour… all those good things. Nothing really changed, did it? Working for the watch, the agency, the tribe… I gave myself a shake and set off. I needed a drink. The walk back to the Wyvern’s Tail was a solemn one, my mind distracted by a mishmash of thoughts, memories and quandaries that would have taxed even the most experienced inspector of the watch. That said, wasn’t this more of a question of morality than practicality? For me, the watch was a thing of the past, as much as it would forever be a part of who I was now. The agency was… well, I wasn’t entirely sure to be honest. I can’t remember ever signing a contract, and besides, Equus had their hoof in whatever I did, irrespective of my wishes. Of course I did get paid, albeit sporadically, and money was something everypony needs to survive whether they like it or not. The tribe though, now that was another matter altogether, yet one that still carried that all pervasive requirement of servitude to ‘the greater good’, so to speak. The lord of the tribe may be more of a ceremonial title now than it was, probably something like that of a town mayor, but it was not something to take lightly all the same. These people took their history seriously, even if it was one that had, for all intents and purposes, come to a grinding halt a thousand years ago. It was tempting though. If my family owned Smiling Borders, then that meant I had a ready made home for my family, a people who would protect them when I wasn’t there, and a title that was, if I’m honest, pretty cool sounding. To think my son would grow up knowing his father was the ‘Lord of the four winds’ would be something that would fill him with pride – and me too for that matter. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I completely missed the sky carriage parked outside the Wyvern’s Tail, and walked in to a room full of patrons. Music rolled out, a jolly tune with a surprising mix of instruments I’d only ever seen in history books: bombards, hurdy-gurdy, crumhorns… Good grief! Well, at least I could say I’d paid some attention in history class! It was certainly the liveliest I’d ever seen the dusty old tavern since arriving here. Normally the lounge was more akin to a cemetery than the focal point of village life. Today for some reason, there were at least a couple of dozen or so in there - the usual blend of minotaur, griffin, pony, and… was that a hippogriff? I’d always wanted to see one! Half pony, half eagle, they were something like a griffin but with-

“Lord Fairlight!” a voice called anything but tactfully. “Can you come into the back, please?”

So much for being ‘low key’, then! I squeezed through the throng, dodging past the hairy mountains of bull headed creatures, smiling and greeting those who met my eye, until finally I managed to reach the relative sanctuary of the back room.

I’d never been in here before. It was quite spacious too, nicely panelled, with oil lamps, a few paintings adorning the walls, a long table in the centre, and an array of comfortable looking, if worn, chairs. A familiar blue stallion sat at the far end, with Tingles, Lumin, Grimble, Bingo, and even Heavy Hoof. They were all looking right at me as if I’d suddenly sprouted two heads. Impulsively I looked behind me, but no… it was most assuredly myself who was the focus of attention. I quickly took a seat, taking the offered brandy as though it were a life preserver in the middle of the ocean.

“Good to see you, boy,” Mitre announced in his usual dulcet tones. “We got your message and came as soon as we could.”

I looked at Tingles who gave me a nervous smile, no doubt a little embarrassed by the fact we had some very unannounced visitors. “Sorry, Chief, I thought when I left a message to say I was leaving soon, that would be it. I didn’t think you’d actually fly all the way out here to see me off.” I scrubbed my mane. “You’ve caught me on the hop a little, to be honest.”

“Always good to keep you on your toes, Captain.” Mitre grinned slyly. “Besides, I couldn’t properly wish you well without seeing you face to face first, could I? It wouldn’t be right. Anyway, I have a message to convey from the princess.”

“Princess?” My heart leaped into my throat. “Oh gods, it wasn’t from-”

“Luna,” Mitre assured me, noting my discomfort. “Don’t worry, her sister knows nothing of our visit.”

Huh! I wouldn’t be so sure about that. The local baker had known everything about me, and probably my bloody shoe size for good measure too. If some guy in the middle of nowhere knew who I was, where I was, and everything I’d been up to, it was a sure bet that old cake-breeches knew it too.

“What’s the message?” I asked.

By way of an answer, Mitre pushed a scroll across the table towards me. Carefully, I opened the midnight blue wax seal embossed with a crescent moon. I closed my eyes and began to read...

Fairlight,

Mitre has informed us of your current situation. We have therefore taken precautions to ensure the safety of your family during this trying time. Mitre will speak to you about this in my stead. Please be assured that we are doing everything we can to help you in your quest, and that we will continue to do so. We are reminded of the words you spoke when you addressed our sister.

‘There can be no sun without shadow. No light without darkness. No day without night. All come together as one in the passing of the veil.’

These words ring as true today as they did then. Know that in the trials to come, as night follows day and light succumbs to the darkness, that you are a child of both worlds. The darkness is your ally, the moon your guide, and the sun the light for the road ahead.

May the gods bless the path you tread and be with you all your days.

Luna.

She signed it. Her alter-ego as ‘The Mistress’ had been dropped in the light of her sister’s revelation that she’d known all along about Luna and Equus. How much she knew about me, and what I was planning however, remained to be seen. In any case, I couldn’t stay here and put my family in danger. Willing as this eclectic group may be to protect me, if it came down to a choice between sacrificing myself and a bloodbath in the village, there was no contest. I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair. The princess certainly had a sense for the dramatic. ‘A child of both worlds’? I suppose I was in some respects. I was born a regular old pony and then inhabited by a spirit from the Wither World. I was, for all intents and purposes, a wendigo. Barrick was right, calling myself something else or trying to deny that fact was counter intuitive. Mind you, a nice pep talk from Maroc’s old flame was nothing to be sniffed at, and her offer of help to look after my family whilst I was away was encouraging whichever way you looked at it. Whatever she was doing ‘behind the scenes’ however, would probably have to stay there. She hadn’t been specific, nor did I want her to be. This time, I had to rely on myself. A moment later the scroll vanished in a whuff of smoke and heat. Mitre, apparently, already had some idea as to its content...

“Grimble has assured me the villagers will be providing protection for Tingles and Lumin whilst you’re away.” The big stallion nodded to the old griffin who gave a single bob of his head in reply. “I’ve arranged for Bingo and six Equus agents to stay here for the duration, ostensibly on ‘recuperative leave’. After all, the hot springs here have some quite remarkable benefits do they not?” Mitre glanced at Grimble before adding, “They’ll come in useful if the royal guard appears snooping around.”

I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair. I’d been afraid of this. “I don’t want anypony to be hurt, Mitre. Not my family, nor anypony else in the village or elsewhere.”

“And they won’t be,” Mitre replied calmly. “I know how… ‘impulsive’, some can be, particularly when they are protecting young. However, that is precisely why Bingo will be here. He carries a lot of weight with the guard, and knows how to handle them better than most.”

I raised an eyebrow at the orange stallion. “You know how to deal with the royal guard?” I asked curiously.

Bingo nodded as Mitre replied, “Naturally. He was a Major with the Royal Inquisitorial Division before we recruited him.”

The R.I.D?! Good goddesses, those swines were the animals who investigated the watch. They’d become a kind of ‘bogie stallion’ to frighten us into keeping in line. Hadn’t done much to stop the latest lot of corruption though, had they? Still, from one of the big boys to the owner of a laundry working for Equus? In this crazy mixed up world it seemed almost inevitable somehow. Another round of drinks appeared, although I noted that it was limited to soft drinks this time. By the looks of it, we were going to be here for a while. I wasn’t disappointed either.

“Now, let’s discuss arrangements,” Mitre announced. “Heavy Hoof and his big boys are going to be working with us to set up patrols around the perimeter of Smiling Borders. Now, I’ve brought an ordnance survey map of...”

The discussions went on, long into the night. And I mean long. Tingles had gone to be bed hours ago, taking young Lumin up with her. The poor little guy had been fast asleep through most of it, and I’d begun to wish I’d been able to simply nod off without anypony noticing. These sorts of situations though, were Mitre’s speciality. Part of me suspected that his meticulous planning for any potential interference by the royal guard, was grounded in his feeling of guilt for what had happened at the safe house with myself and Meadow. If it was, then I wasn’t going to say anything. He was my friend, then as well as now. And here he was, overlooking nothing, looking for any advantage we could have should the worst happen. In some respects I glad Tingles wasn’t here to hear it, but then she was hardly some wilting flower. She would do whatever it took to protect our son, and was a lot stronger than her light pegasus frame would suggest. Even so, the words ‘Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst’ rang in my mind as clear as a bell.

“Boy? You alright?”

“Hmm?” I sat up and stretched my back. Gods, I was so stiff! “Yeah… Yeah, I’m good.”

Mitre clopped me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry yourself, your family are in safe hooves. Claws and hands for that matter.” He bobbed his head towards the door. “Come on, lets get some air.”

The lounge was empty, the evening revellers having gone home to their beds and leaving no more than the smell of tobacco and beer in their wake. Grimble and Heather had already turned in, the others going up to their rooms whilst my old friend and I made for the porch. A bottle of brandy, two glasses and a humidor awaited us. Good old Grimble.

“We wouldn’t have been able to do this until a few weeks ago,” I said, taking my seat.

“Bad weather?” Mitre asked.

“If only,” I said casually. “Timberwolves.”

“Mmm… I heard.” Mitre lifted his cigar and accepted a light from my magic. “Any trouble with them since?”

I shrugged. “Nope. And long may it continue.”

“Amen to that.” Mitre raised his glass and took a sip. “What about you though? I’ve known you long enough to recognise that look in your eyes. Something’s troubling you.”

I chuckled. “Am I that transparent?”

“Sometimes,” he replied. “I’ve always appreciated honesty in a pony, and that’s one of the things I like about you, Fairlight. Your father would be very proud of you.”

“Dad...” I sighed. “I don’t know about that. He could be a cranky old sod at the best of times.”

“Ha! He could that,” Mitre smiled. “You could always go and see him if you wanted, boy. He’s a grandfather now, and he doesn’t even know it yet.”

And there it was. I’d expected him to come out with something like this sooner or later. He probably couldn’t see any harm in it either. Simply up sticks, go and see my father, and act as if nothing had ever happened, right? So simple to say – just… go and see him. No. No, I couldn’t do that. At least… not yet. When mum had died, dad hadn’t even bothered to turn up at her funeral. I’d stood there like a fool, glancing towards the gate of the cemetery, waiting, watching, expecting him to roll up at any moment like he always had. Even as mum had been lowered into the ground, I held out hope. As the final shovelful of earth covered her from the sun high above, I waited. I stayed until the light had gone, the moon and stars filling the sky, yet of my father… there was no sign. No flowers, no letter, no visit, no nothing. I know they’d split up, I knew that their relationship had come to an end, but… I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly. There were some things you couldn’t forgive. Even if it did feel like a knife through my heart.

“They want me to be this ‘Lord of the four winds’,” I said, changing the subject.

There was a pause before Mitre answered. “And what do you want?”

“Honestly?” I sniffed loudly. “I want to be left alone! I just want a quiet life in a boring part of the world. No wendigo, no Celestia, no drug dealers or other assorted underworld scum. Just me, Tingles, Lumin, and a peaceful retirement.”

Mitre began to laugh. “You?!” He slapped his hind leg. “What a load of crap!”

I nickered, turning to face him. “You think that’s wrong? After everything I’ve been through? Gods almighty, Mitre, I thought you of all ponies would understand.”

“I do,” he replied, wiping the mirth from his eyes. “I’m sorry, boy, but I think I know you better than you know yourself.”

“Really?” I said sarcastically.

Mitre shook his head and slugged back his brandy. “I know you, Fairlight. You’re not the kind of stallion to give up on anything. You won’t turn your back on your mare, and you won’t turn your back on Equus either. You,” he said, pointing a hoof at me, “don’t leave loose ends. It’s not who you are, and as much as you may complain and gripe about your lot in life, you have more drive in you than a locomotive with a full head of steam.”

“You know me that well, do you?” I flicked my mane out of my eyes.

“Aye.” Mitre leaned towards and smiled broadly. “I know, because I was like you: a risk taker, a fighter, impetuous to the point of being foolhardy, and a pony who knows what it means to have honour. You, Captain Fairlight, live your life to values that many have forgotten in more recent years. It makes you… more than you appear.”

“Been speaking to Barrick, have you?” I retorted.

“Who?” Mitre gave a sly look as he leaned back in his chair. “Listen, boy, it’s entirely up to you what you do. Equus is there when you need us, and the goddesses know we need all the extra hooves we can get these days.”

“Any chance of a desk job?”

“Here is Smiling Borders?” Mitre shrugged. “Maybe… maybe...” He rubbed his muzzle in thought for a moment. “We don’t have many friends in the nobility, so it’s a definite possibility.”

“Huh!” I sniffed, “I’m sure it is. I never said I was going to take up the role, yet.”

“Didn’t you?” Mitre took a pull on his cigar. “Like I said, I know you, boy. And I know you’ve already made up your mind, even if you won’t admit to yourself.”

“And what if I did?” I said suddenly. “It means jack shit, Mitre! Lord of a pile of crap in the arse end of nowhere? All it’s like to do is attract Celestia and her goons like flies to turd, and what happens then? She’d think nothing of murdering everypony here and making the evidence vanish in a poof of smoke. We’d be dead, forgotten, and anypony else we knew would either disappear too or have their memories altered. You know it, and I know it. You can’t trust her!”

A bird flew past us, squawking noisily before vanishing into the forest. The tension in the air popped like a bottle of champagne. “Are you a threat to her?” Mitre asked.

“A threat?” I nearly laughed. “Come on! I nearly died breaking my neck for that old sow, and what good did it do me, eh? Answer me that?”

“A wendigo with a small army at his command could do a lot damage, Fairlight.” Mitre blew a smoke ring out into the cool night air. “I’ve seen Heavy Hoof and his lads. They’d be handy in a fight that lot. Put them all together with the rest of Grimble’s lot, and you’d have a sizeable force. The royal army would have their work cut out for them, I’d tell you that for nothing.”

My face must have been a picture. “You’re talking about an armed insurrection!” I blurted. “For the goddess’s sake, Chief, I swore an oath to protect Equestria, not destroy it!” I banged my hoof on the table. “Is that what these guys are thinking? What, they want to go out in a blaze of glory or something, is that it? Because I’ll tell you now, that’s what would happen alright. One zap from sun-butt’s horn and your a floating cloud of ash!”

Mitre shrugged his shoulder and let out a long, deep breath. “Well, there you go then.”

“There I go what?”

“Just be who you want to be,” he said simply. “If these people want somepony to lead them, then lead them. Not against Equestria, but for it. Make Celestia see that you aren’t some monster in her kingdom, but rather a protecting force for good.”

“You’ve been reading too many superhero comics,” I snorted. “She wanted me gone, Mitre.”

“True,” he said dismissively, “but even monarchy can change their mind.”

“Not her!” I laughed.

“You know her that well do you?” The big blue stallion sat up, knocking the ash from his cigar. “Let me explain something to you, boy.” His large eyes locked on to mine. “Celestia may be a lot of things, but she is still a mare, and if there is one thing I know about mares, it’s that they can change their mind like the wind.” He smiled quietly. “It may take some time, but she may.”

“I wish I had you confidence,” I groused.

“Many do, boy,” Mitre chuckled. “Many do.”

The morning was fresh and cool. Autumn was in the air and winter wouldn’t be far behind, bringing with it the shorter days and early snows to blanket the land of my ancestors. Being this close to the mountains, as well as being so far north, would be quite the experience compared to what I was used to in Manehattan. In the city snow rarely stuck at all, the salt water in the air and general heat generated by that compressed mass of life usually melted it before it even hit the ground. It was still dark outside, the pre-dawn light only just now beginning to colour the distant horizon with a faint hint of orange. I zipped up my flight suit and checked the goggles were clear and accessible. As much as I hated the blasted things, they had their place. Besides, Tingles had insisted on me wearing them, and if anypony knew about the perils of flight, it was her. One last check, one last look over everything to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. It didn’t look like it. All my packs, food, weapons and gear, were stowed and ready for the long flight to wherever the pendant would take me.

“All set, boy?”

I smiled at my old mentor. “Aye.”

Mitre nodded sagely, checking me over like a father with his son on his first day at school. Strangely, it didn’t feel unusual in the slightest. I trusted him, and that was something I didn’t do lightly. In fact, I was entrusting him and his team with the welfare of the most precious treasure I had in this world – my family. ‘My family’… So simple to say, yet those two words held so much meaning to me it made my heart sing. I’d lost one already, I wouldn’t lose the other. Shadow was a part of that very same family and she would be coming home soon, I’d make sure of that. She’d already waited too long by far.

“Good,” Mitre announced stepping back. “Make sure you keep that communicator close. If you need us, it’s on an encrypted channel straight mine.”

I nodded. “Understood.”

My cloak had been mended, cleaned and stashed in one of the packs. Mitre, goddess bless his hooves, had also managed to recover the rest of my gear from the agency, courtesy of Brandy. According to my old watch chief, it appeared that Luna had stood her ground against Celestia after all, and it looked like Equus would end up becoming officially recognised as Luna’s special operations ponies. I didn’t doubt Celestia would still have a hoof in it all, but you had to take what you could with that one. As for me, that was quite a different matter and the sisters had been in a quarrel about ‘The wendigo’ ever since. I felt terrible about being the cause of strife between two sisters, but Celestia was still ‘the great destroyer’ in my eyes - a creature of merciless death and destruction who was just as likely to finish me off as she was to stuff herself with a mountain of cupcakes. Maybe one day I could reconcile with her, but… well, who could say what the future held? Mitre clopped me on the shoulder and gave me a fatherly hug before letting Tingles trot up carrying Lumin. Those green eyes always made my eyes turn to jelly.

She gave me a peck on the cheek. “Take care out there, love. Keep safe and come back soon.”

“I will, my beautiful pegasus,” I gave her a hug. “Take care of our little guy. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“The harem continues to expand…” Mitre muttered rolling his eyes. I raised an eyebrow, turning to leave just as Grimble and a massive charcoal coloured minotaur walked in from outside.

Our griffin host held up a claw, “My lord, before you leave, please…”

Grimble reached into a bag slung over his shoulder, passing me a paper wrapped package, a bottle of brandy and a bag of his special tobacco. Thoughtfully he’d also included a pipe in a hard travelling case as well as a small box of cigars. I could have kissed him! I hid them in my pack quickly in case Tingles caught me with them. Thank the goddess she was too busy changing Lumin to notice my contraband.

“Thank you, my friend, this means a lot to me,” I smiled broadly to him.

We shook hooves, claws… Ah! Whatever! The giant minotaur was next. He snorted and rumbled something before handing me a large oil cloth wrapped package. What in Equestria was this? It was fairly heavy, and smelled of linseed oil and grease. I scrubbed my mane, “Er… thank you, mister…?”

“I am Vent!” The huge mountain of muscle thumped his chest and grinned, showing his large bull teeth.

“Thanks Vent, may I open it?” I asked.

The big minotaur nodded and smiled at Grimble conspiratorially. The older griffin leaned in to whisper to me, “Vent’s the local blacksmith. He’s a bit low on, um, you know… Deaf as a post too.”

I opened the package warily, the smell of wood and oil from within tugging at my imagination. Held in the glow of my magic, the string fell away, the cloth unfolding and… Oh gods... Inside was a very familiar folded construction of steel and wood. I gasped in surprise, “My scythe!”

Vent grinned, “Work well now! Vent work long days to fix.”

Discord’s scaly arse, he had too. The blade shone like a mirror, catching the early morning light along its length. The haft had been carefully re-tooled as well and the mechanism, cleaned, polished and tuned to perfection, worked like the finest clockwork. I pressed the release catch, watching the piece come to life before my very eyes. I could imagine it slicing the air in twain, gliding gracefully through the particles of existence as effortlessly as a salmon through a mountain stream. This unusual instrument of war sent a cold thrill of excitement through my body that I thought I had forgotten. By all the gods, who knew such big creatures could have so delicate a touch? I clopped Vent on the elbow as I couldn’t reach his shoulder. “You’ve excelled yourself Vent,” I said with a beaming grin. “Thank you so much.” I turned to face the others and bowed. “Thank you everyone, each and every one of you for everything you’ve done for me, and my family. I hope some day I will be able to repay you for all your kindness.” The all watched me in silence, their faces filling my heart with a sense of loss for having to part from them, but also hope for the future. I would back, and this time… this time it would be for good. I brushed my muzzle against Tingles, before addressing them all. “For now my friends, sadly, I’ll need to be on my way. I won’t say ‘goodbye’ though, just… ‘see you soon’.”

Smiles, well wishes and hugs lead me to the open front front door of the tavern. It was a cool morning, the fresh breeze making my fur tingle with anticipation. Steeling myself I took a step outside where I became aware of a large number of eyes focussed on me. A very large number! They were all around me, hundreds of them, accompanied by a variety of huffs, snorts and grunts. There were even some shining green, hidden in the darkness at the edge of the forest – not threatening, just… curious. It was all a bit unnerving to say the least. Had the whole village turned out to see me off? Normally I would have expected to be reaching for my magic, or at the very least slamming the door shut and expecting a mob with pitchforks to come barrelling in at any minute. And yet, as incredible as this scene was, I felt no fear whatsoever. Instead, I felt… pride? I could feel myself smiling, my mane bristling and hooves itching to be off. I was at home here. These were my people, my family.

My tribe.

A voice which had all the audible qualities of a landslide, called out from the throng, “Lord Fairlight! We have come to wish you well on your journey.” Silver Moss walked forward, the last echoes of moonlight mingling with the blood red of the sun catching on his polished horns and…armour? My goddesses, they were all in full armour! The curious light glinted upon the black and blue spiked battle gear, hi-lighting the edges of innumerable swords, spears and axes. He slammed his spear into the ground and stood tall. “Will you light the torch?”

He held out a long piece of wood with rags tied around the end that had been soaked in something that smelled very much like pitch. This held some sort of symbolic meaning, but exactly what I didn’t know. Still, there was that little part of me, call it a memory or just a gut feeling, that told me that this was the way of things. This, was the way of the tribe. Summoning a little magic, not much more than my party trick really, I held it to the torch and it rapidly burst into a rich, flickering flame. The minotaur bowed, walking off around the mass of creatures, passing the flame from one to another, to another. Before my eyes the flames rippled out like a fan, with me as its focus. They all looked so expectant! What the hell was I going to do now?! And yet… somewhere, inside of me, I could feel Maroc’s memories bubbling away, guiding me. This was as it should be. Our traditions, our ceremonies and festivals, had been kept alive by these people, passed down through all the countless generations until this moment. For this moment. These were my people, the remnants of the tribe of the four winds. There was no doubt, no question. The answer had been here all along. I closed my eyes and dipped into my memories, finding what was expected of me. But doing it myself? Well now, that was a different matter. So why was I smiling? Grimble walked up to stand next to me, grinning expansively. I wondered what his real role was here? I’d have to ask him next time I saw him. Right now though…

I began to release the power. Slowly, gradually, the ancient magic began to flow once more, filling my body from the wellspring deep within my soul. I felt a chill run through my veins as I allowed the changes to build. Too much too quickly could burn my reserves off needlessly. I’d learned a lot about my powers as I’d used them, and controlling the flow of energy and how it was released felt more natural to me now. To be honest, I thought it looked pretty cool too. Once, in the beginning, the changes had been frightening to me, whereas now they filled me with excitement, and a thrilling sense of anticipation of adventure to come. So much so, I began to laugh – a deep rumbling laugh that made the very ground beneath my hooves shake. My humour spilled out, rolling across those gathered as the sound of the wendigo echoed across the village for the first time in a millennia. By the goddess, it was good to be alive! There was a collective gasp and a shuffling from the crowd as those at the back tried to see my transformation. Some of the winged villagers were flying up to have a better view, and I could feel their eyes looking down upon me. Suddenly, I felt incredibly self-conscious; normally I didn’t like being the centre of attention at all, preferring to let others be in the spotlight. Was that the pony in me feeling that way? I neighed loudly, thumping my hoof down on the old decking. Even if it was my pony nature, such feelings of weakness were out of place here. I couldn’t be weak now. I wouldn’t be! Not for my family, nor my people! I huffed loudly, feeling my teeth itch as my wings pushed out from the slit in my flight suit. White mist wreathed my legs, shining in the pre-dawn light. I had to do what was expected of me, and I shook my mane, taking a deep calming breath to keep my composure.

“Brother and Sisters,” I began in my wendigo voice, “for a thousand years you have waited here, holding true to the oaths of your ancestors, remaining true to the family of the tribe of the four winds. I came to you as unknowing as a newborn foal, unsure of who I was and of my place in the world. Since that first meeting I have found new strengths and new friends, both among the Equestrians and the people of Smiling Borders. It is my hope that together, you and I, we will forge a new path, and restore the glory of our forefathers.” The very air around me felt electric, the throng hanging off me every word. I bowed, allowing the mist to flood out around me, swirling around the hooves, claws and feet of the assembled villagers. “My brothers and sisters… I salute you all.”

Silence.

It lasted for no more than a second, but had me worried I’d put my hoof right in it. It was like one of those scenes in the movies where the stranger walks into the saloon and all the music suddenly stops as the locals turn as one to stare. I knew so little about these people. Gods, I knew next to nothing about wendigo, and I was one! They were all staring at me, every single one of them, until Silver Moss broke the spell.

He bellowed at the top of his bullish voice, holding his battle axe in the air. “THE LORD OF THE FOUR WINDS HAS RETURNED!”

A brace of massive cheers filled the air, making my ears pop. “URRAH! URRAH! URRAH!”

Lead by Silver Moss the massed villagers went to one knee, bowing to me. And there I stood, my blue eyes burning brightly, the mist billowing around my hooves, the nobody pony from a nobody place. Now, I was the last of the wendigo, the lord of the four winds. If somepony had told me what I’d be seeing now a few years ago, I’d think they’d gone completely bonkers. And maybe I had. Perhaps this was all just some crazed fever dream and one day I’d wake up, back in that nowhere village where nopony gave a damn about wendigo, or criminal syndicates or corrupt officials. I’d thought that before though, hadn’t I? I’d even wished I could turn clock back and avoid ever joining the watch, or at least do something that would have put me on a different path in life. But would I change it now if I had the chance?

No. No way in hell.

Grimble stepped forward, speaking loud enough for all to hear. “My Lord, the winds of the mountains guide you safely upon your journey. May our prayers to the goddess of the moon protect you. May the stars light your path so that you may return to us again. As warriors of the tribe of the four winds, I vow that your wife and foal will be safe with us. We would gladly die to the last to defend your family, and your honour. SO SAY THE PEOPLE OF THE WINDS!”

The air boomed as hundreds of voices cried, “AYE!”

I nodded to Grimble and prepared my wings, stretching them out for a few experimental flaps. As weird as this all was to me, it still felt... ‘right’ somehow, as if I’d done this before and I was going through a ceremony of sorts. Perhaps I was. Only the gods knew where my words had come from when I’d addressed the people of the tribe. And now that was another thing, wasn’t it? I wasn’t really thinking of them as villagers any more, but rather as ‘the tribe’. A warm fuzzy feeling deep inside my chest, just on the edge of perception, made me shudder. I hadn’t particularly noticed it before, but there it was. The bond. Speaking of warm and fuzzy, Tingles suddenly lunged at me, grabbing me with her forelegs and kissed me passionately on the mouth.

“My lord of the four winds, eh?” she beamed. “That’ll take some getting used to. Be careful out there and bring Shadow back safely love, I’ll be waiting for you.” Tingles nodded towards Heather who was cradling a sleeping Lumin. “…we all will.”

A spontaneous cheer went up as Tingles kissed me again and, with a single leap, I took to the air. I had no idea where the crystal’s light would take me on my journey, but with a joyous heart, it was one I was genuinely excited to begin. Shadow would wait no longer. Behind me the light from the torches and the cheers of my people, followed me on the first leg of my journey. My spirits soared as I rose up, up and out into the brightening dawn sky.