After their lunch, Larentia and Dagmar wandered the streets of Canterlot. The conversation was still fresh in their minds, but Larentia was the one pushing to forget it. Dagmar noticed this. She did not like it. Larentia chatted anyway. About the weather, about the birds, what the ponies were wearing. All the while, Dagmar grew more and more irritated and snippy. Finally, she had had enough.
"Larentia!" Dagmar snapped finally. Larentia halted in her tracks and tucked her tail. Dagmar looked around, spying some startled and wary ponies that had heard her rough outburst. She grabbed the griffon's tail and hauled her into a side alley. There, she confronted the griffon. "Enough of the games. Why are you acting like nothing is wrong?"
"Because nothing is wrong!" The griffon shot back. Her tail throbbed where the dragon had pulled. She pouted and rubbed her tail, her feathers ruffled.
"Bullshit," Dagmar hissed softly. "You know something about that griffon, don't you?" Larentia flinched involuntarily, but it was all Dagmar needed. "Tell me, Tia," She growled, "Tell me so I can help you."
"I don't need help! I was probably over-" She didn't get to finish her sentence.
"Do not tell me you were just overreacting, Larentia," Dagmar growled harshly. "I know you don't overreact. Otherwise I wouldn't have found you half-starved and scared to fucking death that day out on the border. The exact same spot you found those tracks, and those feathers, did you not?" Larentia's eyes widened, and the griffon looked down, ashamed. Of course Dagmar had already been contacted to track the griffon. She was a bounty hunter; she had probably been tracking him for weeks. A thought struck her then.
"Dagmar," Her tone grew hard, and Larentia looked her friend directly in the eye. "Did you intentionally set me up to find that?" Her friend nodded. Her heart sank to her belly. It felt like a punch to the gut, winding her. "Why?" She rasped.
"Because I recognized the scent of the other birds. It was the same scent you had when you first arrived to Equestria. Older, male by the scent of musk. But the same regional scent. That scent lingers on you, even now. When I first smelled the feathers, I couldn't place it, but it was so familiar to me. But then I realized I had just gotten used to it on a different bird." Dagmar's eye narrowed. The dragon sighed and looked very tired. Larentia looked away again, guilt pricking at her heart. "I'm not ready...Dagmar... I-I can't talk about it..."
Dagmar snorted and rolled her eye. "Alright then. Keep your secrets, but don't come crying to me when they come around and bite the hell outta you."
For some strange reason, Larentia felt like Dagmar had just relayed some sort of prophecy or omen. Like she knew something more than she let on, or maybe she didn't even realize she knew. The sinking feeling worsened, and Larentia's eyes grew wide and worried. Dagmar made no motion to comfort Larentia; She wasn't that kind of friend. She didn't give false reassurance for others, much less herself. If Dagmar felt it was important, there was no getting her to lighten up. Or give up.
Larentia sighed, but before she could speak, a voice interrupted them. "I'm looking for Lance Corporal Larentia?" Both Dagmar and Larentia turned to look at the intruder. A unicorn stood in the entrance of the alley, looking nervous and fidgeting. "I'm sorry to interrupt," He cleared his throat and stuck out his chin. It wasn't his best impression, but both creatures were vastly bigger than him. "The Captain's asked you to cut your day off a little early. We're suddenly short on guards and..." He didn't get to finish his sentence.
"Wait," Larentia blinked, "How are you suddenly short on guards? When I last checked, there were at least twelve other guards on standby!"
The unicorn shifted nervously. He looked frightened, or at least, unwilling to talk about it. "Please, Larentia..." He pleaded. "We are short and we don't have anyone else who can do the palace night shift. Princess Twilight has a big council with her friends tonight too."
"How convenient..." Larentia sighed. She got up and began to walk out of the alley until Dagmar placed her hand on Larentia's shoulder. "Hold on a minute," Dagmar said with a look of determination. Turning to the stallion, she narrowed her eye. "Name."
"Uh...Oh! Silver Steel!" He replied in confusion. Dagmar nodded. "Hello,Silver Steel. I am Dagmar, and I am going to help guard the palace with Larentia." It wasn't a request, or even a question if she could. It was a statement. A fact. The pony seemed taken aback by Dagmar's words.
"I-I will have to ask-" He was cut off again. "I will deal with it later," Dagmar said with a growl. "I will be helping Tia, and I will guard the palace. Your lieutenant knows who I am, and they know I am reliable."
"Yes, but we can't just have any dragon waltzing about the palace! If something goes missing..." He didn't finish the thought. Dagmar suddenly looked furious. Insulted. She loomed over him, flames flickering from her maw. Her teeth were bared, and she looked downright murderous. "Did you just insinuate that because I am a dragon that I am greedy and treacherous?" He hesitated, then nodded meekly. "How dare you," She hissed. "I am no thief! I have never stolen in my life!" Silver Steel gulped and took a step back. Dagmar leaned away and spat in his direction. "Disgusting." She swept past him with a heavy step. Larentia noticed that she subtly, but oh so intentionally whipped her tail to hit the pony on the nose. He yelped and stumbled back. He rubbed his nose as Larentia approached.
"That's Dagmar?" He whispered, terrified she might hear him. "I heard stories about her, but she is a right fearsome beast."
"Dagmar's just...sensitive." Larentia murmured. She gently took Silver's face and examined his nose. "No open wounds, but you do have a nasty welt forming on the bridge."
"Sensitive?" Silver scoffed. That was hard to believe.
Larentia nodded and went on. "She's got her reasons. Plus, I would feel a lot better with her helping me tonight. Dagmar's a really good dragon, and she never fails at the jobs she takes. Trust me," Larentia smiled at Silver, who shrugged and sighed. "I suppose...but you better get going. Captain wants you on post in three hours."
"Alright," Larentia sighed too. They parted ways, and Larentia rushed to track down Dagmar.
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Three hours later, Larentia walked the empty hallways of the palace. She wore her armor...formerly used for the Lunar Guard, the private branch that was once dedicated to Luna. It was the only set that fit the massive griffon, even though there was some modifications to be done for it. She had her crossbow secured to her hip. tucked, with its quiver of bolts, snugly out of sight under her wing.
She was patrolling the east wing of the castle. Dagmar had taken the west and central wings. Once in a while Larentia could hear Dagmar's claws clicking almost silently on the marble floor. It was much quieter than her own steps. Suddenly, she felt heavy and cumbersome. Dagmar could sneak up on a cat without making so much as a noise. Larentia chalked it up to the fact that Dagmar made her living tracking and hunting wild animals. Larentia did not need such stealth. Thinking back, she remembered hungry days where such skills had been needed to find food. It had been a long time since she had last hunted for a meal. Larentia felt a bit jealous of Dagmar, who probably hunted her food, as well as the beasts she was paid to kill.
Larentia turned to head down an empty hallway, only to find that it wasn't empty at all. A cloaked figure stood in front of an open window. A window that Larentia knew had been closed. The figure was huge but slender, almost thin. Whoever it was, their dark eyes gleamed as they spotted Larentia. Like they had recognized her. As Larentia started to call out a warning, the figure turned and hurtled down the left corridor.
"Hey!" Larentia called to them. She took off at a bound, stopping in front of the window. Larentia looked down, and saw a ebony black feather settled on the windowsill. She picked it up and squinted. The scent had been masked, but it was griffon. Narrowing her gaze, she closed the window and gave chase to the cloaked intruder. She turned the corner, only to run smack into Dagmar. The two collided and sprawled out on the floor, groaning.
"Aw...damn it Tia," Dagmar huffed and sat up. "What the hell got into you?" She got to her feet and shook her head to clear it. "I heard you call,"
"I-I'm sorry Dagmar!" Larentia jumped to her paws and looked around. "There was someone here! They came in through the window! Did you see where they went? They came this way!" She looked both ways, checking the rooms on the corridor, but saw nothing.
"No, Tia, I saw no one. Just a big white goofy bird who ran me over." Dagmar frowned. "Did you find a scent?"
"Yes! Griffon! But I can't place it."
"Did you see the intruder?"
"Uh, duh! It was standing right in front of the window, looking at me!" Larentia paced, growing more and more flustered. Dagmar let out a frustrated growl and looked up. Without looking, Dagmar gently took her friend's neck, pinched it, angled her beak upward, then released. Larentia was dazed for a moment, but when her focus sharpened, she gasped. "Found em." Dagmar murmured.
The cloaked being was hiding in the rafters high above them. A long tufted tail swept down, and Larentia's suspicions grew deeper. Without waiting, the intruder rushed them, knocking them down before sprinting the opposite direction.
"Gah!" Dagmar and Larentia stumbled back, but Dagmar hadn't lost her footing. She took off after the intruder, hard on their tail. "They're heading to the throne room!" She snarled, "Halt!" She barked the order at the fleeing figure.
Larentia scrambled to her paws and bounded after. Whoever it was, they were fast. Faster than either of them! By the time she caught up, she was panting softly. She arrived just in time to see the cloaked figure disappearing into the throne room.
"The Princess and her friends are in there!" Larentia gasped. She drew her crossbow and loaded it while Dagmar pulled her longsword from its sheathe. They charged the throne room together, and Larentia's eyes fell on the stranger. She pulled the trigger. The bolt flew.
But it never made it to the target. A magenta colored magic shield came to life in front of the figure. Princess Twilight had stopped the bolt. Larentia was confused, but as Princess Twilight lowered her shield, she smiled calmly at Larentia and Dagmar. Her friends were with her, all looking startled and worried.
"I'm so sorry for the confusion," the Princess murmured to Larentia and Dagmar. "I forgot to mention I had a guest coming tonight. She didn't feel comfortable using the main gates, so I gave her permission to come in through the east wing." The lavender alicorn walked up to the towering figure, and she looked deep into their eyes before her gaze roamed to Larentia. "I see the resemblance,"
"What?" Larentia blinked. She put her crossbow away with a worried glance to Dagmar. But the words that came next took her breath away.
"Now now, my child..." The cloaked figure cooed in a silky sweet voice, "Is that any way to greet your mother?"