//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: The long way around (Revised) // by RisuUmbra //------------------------------//     The walk back to the town was in silence but not the awkward kind of silence, just a mutually tired and annoyed kind of silence. Triton’s feathers were still a bit ruffled and had a bit of wood fragments in his … well everywhere and i’m pretty sure I look similar along with some new scratches and holes in my clothes from slashing and falling down onto the ground twice. We exited the forest edge showing us the bright almost noon sky over the town, I looked to Triton as we walk in.     “Meet back up at the center?” He looked up at me and nodded then held up a claw for a fist bump for which I reciprocated then we split up to finish our respective requests. I walked straight to the tailor which wasn’t far while walking past the inhabitants who also avoided me from the irritated look on my face and the trail of wood chips trail behind me from my clothes. By the time I reached the tailor I was in full don’t give a fuck mode and didn’t care for manners at the moment so I just walked into tailor without knocking with the bell ringing overhead and continued to the side room where he is most likely at. I opened the side room showing a sparse work area with sewing tools everywhere with the unicorn owner in the corner sorting through fabrics     “Oh! Back already?” He put the fabrics down and started towards me “I didn’t hear you come in”     “Here” I sat the bag down on the nearest desk and waited for his response which would hopefully include giving me my new clothes NOW! Sensing my irritation the tailor who’s name I still haven’t asked levitated over my clothes including the armor in a neat bundle tied together by a leather belt     “Thank you for your help and if you take out the dye and mortar then you can keep the bag also I have too many extras” he waved me off and returned to sorting through the pile of fabrics, I just sighed at this and took a hold of the clothes and the bag after dumping it out onto the table and leaving with it in slightly better spirits but still wanting to shower so I went down to the blacksmith I saw earlier to see if Triton is done and we can get some food and water for the trip. ______________________________________________________________________________ Happening at the same time Triton POV:     I split up from Michael after agreeing to meet up at the center of town and started my way over to the blacksmith through the crowd and ending up in front of the aforementioned building but this time the older dragon was not at his station hammering away at something on the anvil so I just continued into the building and I saw that instead of Pitch waiting for me her brother was standing at the counter with a bored look on his face that livened up a bit when he saw me.     “Ah, you must be the griffin my sister told me about” his voice had the standard deep baritone most older dragons had and he grinned at me and started to turn around and walk into a room in the back then swiftly returned while holding a medium sized burlap sack, while he walked back I moved closed to the counter.     “This contains your standard survival gear including a few collapsible pots and pans along with the items you chose” He handed me the bag which I happily grabbed and set to the side then reached into my bag to retrieve the handful of light shards the sat them onto the counter leaving his to inspect them to his own leisure.     “Hmm Perfect this should last us a few weeks until the traders finally arrives” He nodded in satisfaction at the sight but what he said caught my attention.     “Are the traders late or something?” I was slightly alarmed by that because the trade route leads through the next town that we have to travel to.     “Yeah, lately the usual traders that come through the area have been either going missing or just up and giving up before they even reach our town so I hope they make it this time” He just shrugged his shoulders and turned away from me to walk into the store room from before leaving me with some slightly alarming news that might mean something is wrong white the next town, I grabbed the bag and turned an hurried to exit the building. “I have to tell Michael” ______________________________________________________________________________ Third Person POV:     Michael had reached the center of town by the time Triton had left the blacksmith in a hurry to find his new companion and tell him what he just learned. They met at the town square that was still full of small stalls selling trinkets and produce to the remaining populace     “Hey I think we may have a slight problem and by slight I mean roadblock sized” Triton said worrying slightly upon meeting up with his friend while only slightly registering his attire who looked slightly concerned from his tone and raised an eyebrow at his behavior but realized that facial expression is lost on beings that doesn’t have eyebrows too he said     “Whats up?”     “I just found out that anyone who has crossed through the next town never makes it to this town even the local traveling merchants which wouldn’t make sense because traveling is their livelihood”     “Can’t we just go around the next town?” Michael was confused from the urgency in his tone.     “We can’t just go around because the next town is the only actual town in a twenty mile radius that has a train station that leads into equestria proper and not around the edge according to the map” the two would slap whoever thought to build only one train station if they weren’t already dead for the sheer short sightedness of their design.     “So what your telling me is we have to walk straight into what is probably a bandit base camp that no one has returned from with only our bare hands to fight with and my sword” Mychael asked rhetorically while giving the most deadpan look ever witnessed,     “Yes”     “Fan-fucking-tastic let’s get the food and leave” Michael turned away from Triton and walked to one of the stalls filled with different produce like herbs and spices     “What do you recommend for traveling long distances” Michael asked the brown earth pony tending the stall who stopped to think for a moment     “Besides fruit and vegetables of your choosing I recommend buying salt and other spices along with fish as a meat for you two as we enchant out fish here to preserve it” the earth pony nodded to himself after giving his opinion then turned a bit to the left and pointed to another stall tended by a teal unicorn mare and another griffon smaller than Triton. “You’ll find the fish there”     “Thank you” Michael said and the pony nodding in return and after purchasing some spices and vegetables with some prepaid bits they walked over to the fish stall and bought two full fish minus the heads and wrapped them in paper before stowing them away in our respective bags all that costing about 40 bits which sounds a bit expensive to me but I don’t know the exchange rates here so I can’t complain. We then went to a fruit stall a got some apples and smaller nuts and berries for snacks and some tomatoes for dinner which all added up to 100 bits exactly, again very pricy but it probably has something to do with the traders not able to come here anymore. After we finished shopping we sat down at a bench at the side of the road to discuss what we’re gonna do.     “The walk is probably gonna be long and tedious but well get there within two days of walking or if we speed up we can make it by evening of tomorrow” Triton said pulling out his map to which Michael nodded along with understanding and not looking forward to the walk but slightly looking forward to practicing with his sword.     “Also I got you these” said Triton while pulling out the bedrolls from his sack and dropping one in his bag and clawing the other over to Michael along with the fire starter and a compass and him keeping the knife and collapsible pots and pans.     “I think we’re ready to go what about you?” said Michael which looking through his bag incase anything was missing.     “Speaking of being ready, nice clothes dude” Triton acknowledged Michael’s new clothes, with a nod. His jacket was still on and went over the leather armor unzipped showing the armor and his pants and boots fit perfectly together     “Thanks, they’re pretty comfortable to wear honestly but I hope getting new clothes and armor won’t be a hassle in the future” Michael stood after he finish speaking and fixed his bag on his shoulder and his sword comfortably before speaking again     “We should probably hit the road before it gets dark and get their sooner than later” Triton nodded in agreement and stood as well before turning along with Michael in the direction of the next town and heading off.