Escutcheon woke up some time in the middle of the night. He looked around never remembering falling asleep. The room was dark the half moon's light mostly blocked by the curtains over the bedroom window. He rolled out of bed and walked over to the curtains pulling them open. The moonlight and a few minutes for his eyes to adjust soon let him see everything in the room. Everything was more or less the same except for a plate of food left on his dresser. He didn't realize how hungry he was until he saw the plate of food and his stomach started to grumble. He went over and grabbed the plate in his magic sitting down on his bed he started to eat the salad he was nearly done when there was a knock at his door.
"Can I come in?" Escutcheon's ears shot up at Dusk's voice.
"Yeah," he answered. "You can come in." A moment later the bat filly opened his door and started walking in. "Where's Turkeylegs?" He asked as she sat down next to him.
"Still in my room." She put a wing around him and scooted as close as she could. "I, we, missed you at dinner today," she said hesitantly. "Red Wine said that you needed some time to think about things." He swallowed the last bite of his supper and floated it back to the dresser.
"Was that all they said?" She nuzzled him and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah that was all that they said," she answered. "But I know you. I don't know what happened, but I know it hurt you." She bit her lip trying to thing about the next thing she should say.
"I don't want to talk about it." He said nuzzling her back.
"I know, but I don't want you to hurt. Whenever anything is brought up, whenever you're not wearing your cloths. It's like. You remind me of me, when I was alone, and hurt, and scared, under the mountain. It's like you're alone, and I don't even exist to you anymore." her voice broke. The next thing she know Escutcheon pulled her into a hug, his sapphire lighting up the room. She could feel herself blush even as she was quietly crying.
"Dusk. No. I just want to move on." She returned the hug.
"Sometimes you have to take a few steps back before you can go forward. I don't know what hurt you, I don't know how. But please let me help okay." She felt him shaking like a leaf.
"I-" Escutcheon held her as close as he could, it was the only way to keep himself from running away. "When we're done with this." He said softly. "Come and talk to me. I-I'll tell you everything." He finished in a whisper the light of his sapphire had faded away into nothing.
"When we're done then. Until then. Just remember. You're not alone. You've got me. And your stuck with me." Dusk pulled back and wiped her eyes and then wiped his too. "And you're just going to have to deal with that."
"I wouldn't want it any other way." He smiled and lay down still holding her close. The two of them drifted away into sleep.
***
"Aw aren't they just adorable?" Myrrh asked as she pulled the covers off of the two of them. Already the sky was lit up by the muted colors of the sunrise. "The colt and filly are all grown up." She smiled. Dusk rolled over and stuck out her tongue. "Maybe a little to grown up." She said lifting them off of the bed with her magic and dropping them on their hooves. "Come on it's time for us to go."
"Us?" Dusk asked.
"Yes us. She's coming with us as an escort and guide." Red Wine looked in from the hallway. "Now hurry up we're already behind schedule."
"Right but we'll be able to make back a few hours if we can make a good days trot down the mountain." Myrrh says as she walks out of the room.
"Yeppie, another captain to be all paranoid and grumpy." Dusk follows her out with Escutcheon next to her.
"Only when I'm on my job." Myrrh looked behind her at the bat filly.
"Speaking of your job don't you have to stay here?" Escutcheon asked.
"Yeah stay here and guard the mayor, or duchess, or what ever she is?"
"No, I'm heading home, and back to my main post." She lead them out of the mansion and down the cobblestone streets going deeper into Slo. "My mom's a captain in the capital, she sent me here for something, I think it was to get you. And if it wasn't though, I'm not working under that bitch anymore."
"You know I change my mind I think I like her." Dusk says as she walks next to Escutcheon. "What are your thoughts?"
"She not bad I guess," he answered keeping his eyes down. Dusk leaned against them as they walked.
"Chin up the next stop is Altosa. The mayor of that city is a lot more likely to side with you. And it should get the bad taste of this place out of your mouth." Myrrh smiled, as she led them south. "We might even make it on time to the capital." Red Wine didn't answer he just continued his march south.