The motel room wasn't anything to brag about, but it was serviceable and the beds looked reasonably clean. There were even small, complimentary chocolates on the pillows, just like some pony hotels provided! Celestia watched as Lake Frond and Rock Lichen went around the small room, examining the empty wardrobes and drawers. It was a new thing for them and they were excited, despite their uncertainty about the future. She joined Rawsthorne on one of the beds and he put an arm around her withers while they waited. His other hand lightly patted her chest fluff while Clestia leaned her aching head on his shoulder.
"One more day, right?"
"Yes. You can stop with the disguise for today. Wait," he said and stood up. Celestia was sorry to have him leave, but Rawsthorne just went to draw the curtains. "There," he told her.
Meanwhile the other two ponies had finished their inspection of the room and took the bed opposite. They both looked expectantly at Rawsthorne to tell them what to do next.
He shrugged a little. "I guess we rest for a few hours and then order some food in the afternoon?"
Lake Frond and Rock Lichen had slept a little during the drive, but Celestia guessed it hadn't done very much good, not with the engine noise and the motion and other cars passing them by. They looked tired. The room was a touch chillier than they were used to - Celestia assumed that the proprietors were saving on heating - but the blankets on the beds looked very thick and warm.
Since the other two ponies had opted to snuggle down under the covers, she looked at Rawsthorne instead. "Do you wish to shower first, or should I?" Who knew what hardships the following days would bring? Celestia wasn't about to give up what might be her last chance to take a hot shower!
"Go ahead," Rawsthorne said and reached instead for the TV remote. "Oh, you guys don't mind if I see what's on?"
Two sets of eyes peeked at him from under the sheet and Rock Lichen answered: "No, go ahead!"
The TV turned on and the noise gave Celestia an idea. She stood on the bed and reared up to grasp the man around his chest with her forelegs. That was enough for her to put her muzzle right next to his ear and whisper quietly: "Wait till they are asleep and join me in the shower!"
She winked at him and hurried away. She had remembered that rushing water could be used to cover up any 'unusual' sounds and maybe the ponies would sleep through it, which would be even better.
Still giggling a little to herself at Rawsthorne's expression, Celestia closed the bathroom door and let the disguise spell go. It vanished with a flash of light and took with it the strain which had just been starting to develop into an insidious headache. The glow around her flickered a little as it burned up bits of dry dye. That was a deliberate part of the spell she had hastily worked in after her first experiments, otherwise she would end up standing in a cloud of paint, which would settle in her white coat and take a lot of effort to wash out. Not to mention the mess it would make of the room. She heaved a sigh of relief then went to check on herself in the mirror.
A little disheveled, mane a little untidy and with noticeable bags under her eyes. Yes, a few hours of sleep would do her a world of good. Rawsthorne too, of course. Driving for more than six hours couldn't have been easy!
She turned her head this way and that, then smiled. Still very pretty. Of course the man wouldn't be able to resist. Her tail swished in anticipation as she stepped into the shower. She used a simple spell to open the tap and began gently humming to herself while she waited for the water to turn hot. As soon as it was pleasant, Celestia stepped in and began to wash her mane.
Her invitation had worked even better than she had hoped! Mere five minutes later Rawsthorne came into the bathroom and she motioned him to join her under the water stream.
"Lake Frond and Rock Lichen asleep already?" If so, the two were more tired than they let on.
Rawsthorne just shrugged. "No, Lake - that's the mare, right? - she told me to go so I don't keep you waiting. I guess they heard you, or guessed what you said."
Celestia barely stifled an embarrassed 'eep'. She had spent so much time among humans that she herself was forgetting how sensitive pony ears were! She should have guessed that those two wouldn't mind what she did with Rawsthorne in the shower. They didn't seem to care much about Heavy Hoof and his mistress, nor about Glitter Dust and Douglas Wilder, and they had never, ever mentioned anything about Celestia and Rawsthorne. Of course they would want her to have as much happiness as she could before being parted from the man. It was quite sweet of them! By the time she wrapped her mind around all that, Rawsthorne had stripped and was stepping into the cabin with her. It was a bit cramped, but neither of them minded.
Celestia turned and pressed her muzzle against Rawsthorne's lips just as his hands came around to caress her wings. A tiny whimper escaped her, but the roar of the water covered it nicely.
Then again, maybe it didn't. Celestia was beyond caring. All she could feel at that moment was the warmth of the body pressing against her and the feel of fingers on her feathers. The former sent a tingling sensation down her spine which made her swish the tail wildly, while the latter made her legs nearly buckle under her. She had missed Rawsthorne dearly, especially those magical fingers exploring every inch of her fur. It was strange how Rawsthorne didn't even need to apply much strength to turn her muscles to putty and her brain to jelly. She missed those endless mornings where they just lay on the bed in the soft afterglow of their love while he idly slid his hands through her mane, and played with her ears. Her favourite was when his fingers traced little circles against her belly. It was entirely unlike anything she had experienced before. Such precise dexterity!
It had been weeks since their last kiss and Celestia put everything she had into this one. Before, in the car and with their friends nearby, Celestia had kept her emotion firmly under control. Now that she had Rawsthorne alone, she let go of her restraint. Maybe she would even get him to preen her later!
"Mmmh!" The thought sent a fresh shiver down her spine and the mare withdrew her muzzle for a moment so she could take a lungful of air. "I missed you!" she said in a breathless whisper. The words didn't do justice to the emotion. She tried again. "I missed you!"
The world went soft...
It was quite some time later that Celestia and Rawsthorne emerged from the bathroom. They sneaked over to the bed, hoping they wouldn't wake up the other two. They needn't have bothered. As soon as Rawsthorne sat, Lake Frond freed herself from her blanket and jumped down from the bed. She was soon followed by her husband.
"Our turn!" the mare announced happily, and the pair trotted off to the bathroom. The stallion was limping a little, but Celestia didn't pay it much mind. She just watched them go, too tired to put two and two together.
Or, rather, one and one. Until Rawsthorne pointed it out: "They didn't even pretend. Just went, both of them, and Rock seemed pretty excited, too."
Celestia suddenly realized what she had seen and blushed. "Oh!" She didn't mind. How could she, after what she had just done with Rawsthorne? Instead, she joined the man on the bed and leaned against his side. For a moment she nuzzled him, then she kissed him on the cheek, and then licked his neck. As if she couldn't decide what to do. He couldn't follow her actions and she giggled at his expression.
"Sorry! I just want to do it all! I will have to go without you for a while, remember?"
Rawsthorne cupped her muzzle in his hand and led her to him for a very warm, passionate kiss. "We have until those two are done," he told her.
That reminded her of the thought she had had in the shower. "Preen my wings for me!"
Rawsthorne had always been very interested in her feathers, even from before they were a couple and she had always secretly liked it. Strange that she never thought to act on it, until now. Maybe the urgency of their departure was pushing her further, faster than she would go on her own? It was a sign of deep trust for a pony to let another fiddle with something as important as their wings. When that pony was Celestia, the act was even more exclusive. Even Luna didn't get that privilege.
Not that she didn't trust her sister fully, but preening was a very... 'sensitive' experience and normally only shared between lovers, or between a mother and a very young foal, until he or she could do it for themself.
"What?" Rawsthorne asked, stunned by the offer. He was aware of how important a step that was. She had let him explore her feathers in the past, gently, but always made sure he understood just what it meant for her. There was an important distinction between idly touching, like he had done in the shower, and actual preening!
"Yes! Come on, I'll guide you!" She turned her back to the human and fluffed out her wings a little. She knew the feathers were in a disarray, especially after the water and the... excitement. One or two were probably loose and ready to go.
Rawsthorne examined the panorama of white before him. "Okay, now what? Hold on, let me get the light."
Celestia flipped it on with magic before he could move and the human settled back down. "Put your hand on the joint - like elbow, except in a wing. Don't worry, you can grip there."
He did so, and the touch was enough to make her shudder a little. The pressure quickly vanished. "Oh, sorry! I didn't-"
"Hush! It's not you. I'm just not used to hands there. Try again." This time, the tremor was more subdued. "Good, now pull it out a little, so the feathers spread out. Don't worry, it's not fragile."
He was still overly cautious, but Celestia let the appendage go limp in his hand so he had to support it. That helped. "I see. So, what exactly should I do?" Rawsthorne asked quietly, still fascinated. He leaned closer to get a better look.
"It is easy, actually. See the big feathers right at the end? The ones that spread out to the side? They- ahh!"
She wasn't expecting it when Rawsthorne traced a finger down one of them. He pulled it away when she gasped, but then came back. It made her proud of his initiative.
"Okay?"
"Yes, those are called 'primaries'. They're the most important for flight. Next to them, closer to the body are the secondaries, and then a few more groups. Got that?"
"Primaries," the human repeated. "Okay. And secondaries." His finger shifted to the appropriate place, but this time Celestia was ready for it and didn't react beyond a slight shiver of pleasure.
"Very good. Now, above them, there is another row. Smaller feathers, but they cover the gaps between the large ones, and there's more layers above those, each getting smaller and smaller."
His finger moved, and this time she did gasp and jerked her wing a little. He let it go. "Sorry! What did I do wrong?"
Celestia needed a second to get her breath back. "Don't push your fingers against them! Never brush up! Always down, along the length from the quill to the tip, okay?"
"Yes," Rawsthorne confirmed. He sounded contrite. "Sorry."
Celestia wanted to take the sting out of her words. "I didn't mean to snap. I'm sorry, love. Just remember - they are very sensitive." She held out the wing again, and Rawsthorne took it. Then his finger ran the right way down her feathers. "Better. Now, see how some of the primaries and secondaries are overlapping, or stuck together. A few of them are twisted."
He examined her for a few moments, then touched a few places. "Here, and here?"
Celestia turned her head to look and nodded proudly. "Exactly right. The goal here is to align them. Each feather should be able to move on its own, but they should form - a 'canopy', if you will. A surface."
"Oh, that's all?" the man asked, relief obvious in his voice. He drew another finger down her wing.
"Almost. Sometimes there is a loose feather. We pull that one out, so that a new one can grow in its place, and if the feathers are too dry, we apply a bit of oil. Although I do not usually need that."
She was impressed how well Rawsthorne was absorbing her lesson. He was nodding to himself and gently touching here and there. They were all the right spots. She let him explore for a moment to get more familiar. Looking up at her face, Rawsthorne asked: "Okay, how do we do that?"
"Simple. Carefully tug on each feather so it becomes unstuck, then slide down the barbs to align them. It will snap in place almost by itself, you'll see."
He really was very gentle, Celestia had to admit that, and he had such remarkable, precise control in his fingers. With a bit of practice, a human could be a great time saver when it came to preening. She watched him work, mostly in silence, but guiding him sometimes. Until they came to the loose feather.
"Wait! Pull that one again. Do you feel how it moves?"
He did so. The feather was a lot less sensitive than the others. It was ready to come out. "Yes?" Rawsthorne said and looked at her in question.
"Yank it out. Do not worry, it does not hurt."
Again, Celestia was impressed. He trusted her word implicitly and he was not squeamish. Rawsthorne grasped the offending feather firmly and pulled it out with a single, smooth movement. She barely felt it!
"Ah! Good. That's good!" The look of worry at her small exclamation was heartwarming, but Celestia smiled. "I am fine. It is a strange feeling, but it does not hurt."
Rawsthorne examined the feather in his hand, turning it this way and that. "I'll keep this. To remember you by."
It was a very romantic gesture! "Aww, that is sweet, Greg. Should I take a lock of your hair in return?"
They both chuckled a little, but then the man shrugged. "If you'd like."
She suddenly decided to do exactly that, but they weren't finished yet with her wings.
"Okay, I think that is good. Now we do the exact same thing on the other wing. Try - I will not interfere, unless you are doing something wrong." She shifted to give Rawsthorne easier access to the other appendage, then brought her freshly preened wing around to her face and examined it. A bit amateurish - if she were doing it herself, she would not have been too pleased with the result, but a good job for someone who had never really seen pony wings up close.
Celestia smiled to herself. Rawsthorne would get plenty of chances to practice in the future, she was certain of it. For the moment, she folded it up. It would hurt his confidence if she went and corrected right after him. Besides, it felt a lot more comfortable than before. Meanwhile Rawsthorne grasped her other wing and began working. He tugged, and tucked and twisted, all with infinite care and a look of mixed fascination and determination. She committed his face to memory. While he was fiddling, Celestia sighed and let herself relax. It was perhaps the safest she had yet felt on Earth.
The excitement of this new thing they shared had prevented her from thinking about the future, but now that she calmed down it was rearing its ugly head again. "I am going to miss you so much, Greg. Will you remain faithful to me until we are together again?"
"Will you?" he countered.
"Of course. Between whatever messes my sister had created with our international diplomacy, and working to bring you into Canterlot, and pushing for pony rights on Earth, I will probably be too tired to do anything beside eat and sleep."
The man chuckled lightly. "Well, you should bathe. Diplomacy gets harder if the people don't want to be in the same room as you."
She laughed, but it turned into a sigh. She would even miss his little jabs and jokes at her expense. "Thank you, dear. I would not have thought of that myself."
His hand came to pat her head and she leaned into it gratefully. Then he answered her question: "I promise, Celly. No carousing with women while you're gone. I'll cancel all my wild house parties."
She sighed again with a mixture of pleasure and regret. The hours before they parted were few, but she would fill them with closeness and pillow-talk and - if fate was kind - another bout of lovemaking. Things to remember and cherish during the months in her cold, empty bed. Despite herself, a single tear slid down her muzzle. Rawsthorne saw it and understood.
"It is just a year, Celly. You'll be fine. Like you said, you'll be so busy it will pass in a jiffie."
The pony sniffed a little. "You will visit!" It wasn't a request, or a wish. It was a command. No! A Royal Decree! "Do you hear me, Greg? You will visit, at least one weekend every month! I do not care whom I will have to bribe or threaten! I will make it happen, and you will make time for it!"
He let her wing go for a moment as Celestia stood up on the bed and turned to face him. Rawsthorne cupped her face with his hands and guided it closer. He kissed her nose and smiled. "I promise."
That made it a lot easier to bear. She let her breath go and leaned forward, into Rawsthorne' chest with her head on his shoulder. "I love you."
"Celly?" The voice intruded in her cozy dream, so Celestia ignored it. Nothing could be as important as her warmth and comfort! The only problem was that it just wouldn't go away. "Wake up, sweetie!"
Rawsthorne! She recognized the voice. Besides, she had started to think. It was impossible to stay asleep. The mare opened one eye with some effort. The way her human was smiling woke her up.
"Whaa... 'zzit?"
Rawsthorne laid a gentle palm on her cheek. It was even better than the dream and she smiled back. "You're drooling a little, sweetie," he pointed out.
Her eyes tried to focus and she pulled her head away. She had been lying on Rawsthorne's arm and, indeed, there was a small puddle on his skin and the pillow under it.
"S'rry." Yawning, she laid her head down right beside the wet bit and closed her eyes again. A little drool wouldn't hurt anyone and Rawsthorne kept stroking her cheek with his thumb in a most pleasing manner.
"Come on," he said. "My arm is falling asleep."
Celestia wasn't about to relinquish it. "Good. Sos 'm I."
His laugh was pleasant and Celestia smiled as she snuggled down, back under the covers. When Rawsthorne pulled them off her again, her ears folded back in annoyance. "Aren't you hungry? Thirsty?"
That sounded somewhat better. She opened her eyes again. After their busy night and the wonderful, if exhausting, time in the shower, she was feeling a little undernourished and quite parched.
She smacked her lips a few times. "Water, please."
Unfortunately, that meant Rawsthorne had to withdraw his arm and leave her in the room, but it was okay, he left a big, enjoyable warm spot. She quickly slid into it and a small moan escaped her.
There was a giggle from across the room and Celestia remembered she wasn't alone with the man. She lifted her head up to look. "Oh. Sorry."
Lake Frond was watching from her bed. She was being sleep-hugged by a very happy-looking Rock Lichen. The two mares shared a smile. Celestia didn't remember when the couple had returned from their shower. It had been running for a while, nearly covering up the sounds they were making. Celestia hadn't begrudged them their fun and simply ignored it while she was cuddling with Rawsthorne, who didn't seem to hear anything out of the ordinary. She hadn't told him, either.
"Want me to do your mane?" the earth mare offered.
Glancing down at herself, Celestia saw that she really was quite disheveled, but then again, so was Lake Frond.
"Want me to do yours?"
Her face lit up and Lake Frond nodded happily. "Ooooh, yes please!" she answered. She prodded her husband lightly with her muzzle and explained: "Rock usually does it, but he's not very good. It takes a mare's touch."
The stallion muttered something, but didn't wake, even when Lake Frond slid from his grasp. He just flopped to his belly and sighed in disappointment. Celestia pushed the cover aside and sat up. Then she stretched a little and yawned again, extending all four hooves as far as they would go and fluffing out her wings. That got her blood flowing a bit better and lessened the stiffness she felt in her limbs.
Lake Frond rummaged in the saddlebags by the foot of her bed where Rock had dropped them when they arrived. She got out a brush and, holding it in her mouth, jumped on the bed behind Celestia. She spat it out for a moment. "Just relax. I haven't brushed a Princess yet, but I had plenty of practice on Rock!"
Celestia obediently sat still as Lake Frond brought the brush up. She began to drag it through the Royal Mane in long, even, gentle strokes. It was quite calming and the Princess closed her eyes.
Rawsthorne was soon back with several bottles of water and a few with soda. "Here we go. Some sugar to get us going. Would anyone like coffee?"
"Please!" She needed it, perhaps more than on any other day in her life. Although, Celestia thought guiltily, she felt like that every morning after she had stayed up late.
Lake Frond dropped her brush for a moment to agree: "Yes, me too, please, and some for Rock, if you would be so kind?"
Rawsthorne nodded. "Of course. Here, have some water while I fetch," he offered and placed a couple of his bottles on the bed with the mares. He also put one next to the still-sleeping Rock Lichen. "Guess you really tired him out?" he commented.
Celestia glanced back at Lake Frond just in time to see the mare blush a little. It was cute, but what she really wanted right at the moment was something to wet her tongue. The plastic bottle floated up in her magic and the cap unscrewed itself in her magical grip. She drank nearly half of it in one go, then she offered it to Lake Frond, who grasped it between her hooves to drink.
Before she took as swig she pointed the bottle at her husband and spoke up. "Oh, just prod him and he'll wake up," the mare said. "He's a sound sleeper."
Rawsthorne did just that. He laid his hand on the stallion's shoulder and rocked him a few times. "Wake up, sleepy!" he cooed.
Rock Lichen shifted again, but all he did was grab the human's arm with both hooves and nuzzled it. Then he licked it. His eyes fluttered open when it wasn't what he was expecting and the stallion looked up at the grinning, human face.
"Eep!" Rock Lichen said and quickly backed away. "Sorry! I thought you were-" he mumbled and looked around wildly for his mare. "Were... Lake?"
When he spotted her with the Princess, the pony just stared. "When did you get up?!"
Lake Frond just laughed at him a little. "As if you ever notice. If I didn't poke you out of bed each morning, Master would take a whip to your hide every day!"
Celestia and Rawsthorne glanced at each other, a bit uncomfortable with the topic, but the other two just chuckled at it. The man excused himself and went to fetch coffee, while Rock Lichen sat up and stretched.
"What time is it?" Rock asked.
Celestia felt for the Sun, forgetting that she had promised herself not to do it again. "A little past five in the afternoon. We should find something to eat and then get going."
Lake Frond held the water bottle out for Celestia, who just floated it over to Rock. The stallion greedily emptied it. Well, he would be thirsty, the Princess thought to herself. It had sounded as if he lost a lot of fluid last night. Before the thought could make her blush, Celestia focused on her wings. Just like she had feared, the bed was too soft and her cuddling with Rawsthorne had been a little too... enthusiastic. The feathers were, once again, in a disarray, but she really didn't have time to preen all over again.
They would vanish when she changed to Supple Branch anyway. One more night, and then with luck when she turned back to her usual shape, she would be in Canterlot and she would have the time. Surely Luna would be able to hold all things together for just one more day while Celestia rested from this tiring trip?
"So, what's for breakfast?" Rock Lichen asked. "Mr. Rawsthorne said something about pizza.
Both mares looked at him and Lake Frond spat out the brush. "Oh, I'd love pizza! When was the last time Master and Mistress ordered one? I can't even remember! Last year?"
Rock Lichen corrected her: "No, I think the last time was when Mistress made it at home. Remember? I think it was just after the holidays."
"Uh, you do not have to call them that anymore, you know?"
The ponies looked at Celestia for a few seconds, then hesitantly nodded and blushed in embarrassment. "You're right. It's just habit, you know?" Lake Frond explained. "After saying it for a while, you start thinking it." She sounded a little sad. "It'll take some time to break out of it."
Rock Lichen seemed to agree. "It'll pass. Besides," the stallion said slowly, "they weren't bad people. We didn't have it as bad as some others."
"Others?"
He shook his head. "Before the laws. It was pretty bad for some back then, but then a few humans ended up in prison for mistreating ponies and it got better. Ma- uh, Andrew Williams wasn't a bad sort."
Celestia felt obliged to point out the important bit. "They refused to let you have young. They threatened you..."
She was immediately sorry, because being reminded of it made Lake Frond sigh sadly. "Yes," the mare said, "there was that. We were like pets to them. Sure, we weren't beaten or worked, but it was still humiliating."
All three pairs of ears were flattened by sadness and Celestia thought furiously for a way to brighten the mood. Luckily, Rock Lichen beat her to it and said: "Well, I liked your big white bow."
"Come oooon! Will you let it go already?!" the mare called out with exasperation.
No, Celestia changed her mind. She was pretending to be exasperated and trying to hide the smile. It seemed Lake Frond liked being reminded of that particular event.
"What?!" the stallion countered. "I did! It was cute."
"Bow?"
Lake Frond drew a breath and focused on the Princess. "Yeah. On my birthday last year, Mary got me this huge, white bow to tie into my mane and then they took photos to put on Facebook. It was humiliating."
"The cake was good," Rock Lichen pointed out.
"Yeah," Lake Frond agreed at last, "the cake was good."
He went on, a bit more quietly and a lot more earnestly: "You really did look good in it. Maybe it was a bit too big, but you should consider getting a smaller one in that color. It suited you."
Celestia tried to imagine it. Yes, if she got a shade of white similar to her fur and tied it in her mane - which was rich and flowing - it would accentuate it nicely.
"I'll think about it," Lake Frond said quietly. Then she looked back at Celestia. "Okay, I think your mane is better. Want me to do the tail, too? Why aren't they flowing like they used to in Equestria? I saw you once, when my parents took me to Canterlot one year."
"Oh. I haven't thought about it much, but I assume this is because there is not as much natural magic on Earth as there is back home."
Lake Frond lifted a few strands and let them fall. "I think I like it better this way, to be honest. It looked a little too... flashy."
Celestia chuckled at that. It was the first time anypony said that. There had been endless questions about how she made it all wavy and flowy, but nopony had remarked she should try and make it less so. She decided to try when she was back and see what the ponies thought of it. She had gotten rather used to the mane being a bit more 'obedient' on Earth.
As for her tail, Celestia decided it wasn't too badly tangled. Besides, she would have to comb her mane and tail again anyway, after she dyed it. She picked up the brush in her magic and motioned the mare to face the other way. "It is your turn."
Lake Frond hesitated for a moment, then shuffled until she was showing her back to Celestia. "Wow, brushed by a Princess. It's an honor!"
Celestia smiled as she began. "Hush. You're making an old mare blush."
Rock watched them for a while, but then he jumped from the bed and headed for the bathroom. With just them left in the room, Celestia leaned her muzzle closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Did you two enjoy yourselves last night?"
Lake Frond froze and the blush on her muzzle was obvious. She shared Celestia's affliction of having white fur, which made any embarrassment so clear to see. For that matter, the Princess herself was a little red in the face, too.
"It was... nice. Uhm... you?" the mare asked, her voice only slightly nervous, but then curiosity got the better of her and Lake Frond turned her head around to look. "What is a human... you know... 'like'?"
Celestia thought back over the years and her various 'encounters'. "Different. Not bad, just different."
The way Lake Frond stared, wide-eyed, told Celestia that she had never had the experience. That was good. It meant she had never been molested on Earth, which was quite a relief. "Oh," she answered, sounding a little disappointed at the lack of details, but then she brightened up. "It sounded fun."
Despite her best efforts, Celestia couldn't keep her cheeks from glowing. She didn't answer. Luckily, Rawsthorne came to the rescue as he walked through the door bearing a small tray with coffee cups. The aroma immediately filled the room.
"Okay, brush later," Lake Frond said quickly and scooched forward to get hers. Rawsthorne obliged and held the cup so the mare could grasp it between her forehooves.
Celestia took hers in a magical grip and brought it to her lips for a quick sip. It was burning hot, exactly what she needed. The room wasn't as cold as when they had arrived, but it was still a little chilly.
Rawsthorne took his own coffee and left the last on one the other bed for the stallion. They sipped in silence, which was only broken by Rock Lichen when he joined them and murmured a heartfelt thank you to the human.
Then Celestia spoke up. "So, pizza?"