//------------------------------// // Rat Piss and Crepes part 2 // Story: Hornets and Tricks // by Yuri Fanatic //------------------------------// Bloodied, unforgiven souls, sold like simple crops and showcased on tattered rags woven out of hair that reminds you far too much of your own. Mares, marked and scarred by the relentless claws of gaffer time tend to them and make sure that they stay in their ethereal prisons with spells older than Celestia herself. Only the foolish would enter such climes in search for power they clearly don't deserve. And yet her- Well... That was an interesting read. At least for a random, torn page of some book you found on the ground. "Did you already figure out where he have to go?" "Not yet!", she hisses, "Give Trixie some more time... She isn't good with maps and this one isn't particularly well drawn." "Maybe I should take a lo-" "No! Trixie will figure this out by herself!", she barks and faces herself away from you. "Geez, okay. But hurry up please. It's getting progressively darker." "She will. Don't worry." Man... She's handling this whole 'one night without alcohol' thing pretty badly. Better save your breath and stay on her good side for the time being. Kicking your reading matter into the gutter, you sit down on your haunches and take a look at your surroundings while Trixie continues to mutter various profanities at the map. That mare knows some seriously dirty words... Almost as dirty as those houses here. Many of them look pretty run down or outright abandoned... Windows nailed up and all. Hopefully this isn't the western part of Hagshoof the guard spoke of, or you might be in serious trouble once night falls. Trixie is admittedly somewhat proficient in combat magic, heck... You saw her hurling a blazing boulder at a timberwolf once, but you doubt that she would be able to fend off multiple attackers. "Hmm..." "Made any progress?" "Yes... Trixie thinks so." "Wonderful!", you chirp and get up again, "Where do we have to go?" "If this is the eastern keep...", she says and points at a tower in the distance, "And this the celestial church...", her hooves wanders westwards to a gothic looking building, "Then we have to take this street." "Bloodberry Lane?" "Exactly. If Trixie is right, we should be there in ten minutes or so." "Okay, let's waste no time then! I'm as hungry as a horse!" "What did Trixie tell you about your language?!", she snarls. "W-What? I didn't swear!" "You said 'horse'." "That's an insult?" "Yes, and a very bad one at that. Sometimes Trixie thinks you are doing this on purpose..." "I didn't even know that thi-" "Come now.", she shushes you and rolls up the scroll again, "Trixie wants to be there before the sun has fully set." "Yeah... Sorry." Your apology goes unrecognised and a very familiar feeling begins spread in your guts, one that didn't feel ever since you have left Ponyville. It is one of misery and sadness that you wished to never feel again... Nevertheless you follow her as you trot the sombre street down wordlessly, pondering about how to deal with this situation. As much as you like the thought of a sober Trixie, albeit for just one night, you hate how she acts while being so, or even worse... How she acts due to the mere thought of being so. Scurrying to her side, you sneak a peek at her face before shifting your gaze back at the road before you again. What you saw didn't exactly amuse you... She looked troubled and agitated, constantly biting on her lower lip while her eyes couldn't seem to stand still. You know that her dependency on alcohol was bad, but never would you have thought that it was that severe. It looks like it's the only thing on her mind right now, completely overwriting every other thoughts. Even those of you... And you hate that. You will have to think of a way to get it off it. But how? ... That's the real question... She never really talked with you about her problem, so you don't have a single clue on how to approach this. Maybe you will have thought of something once you are at the inn or whatever it is the guard has sent you to. Until then you are going to limit your interactions with the azure mare to an absolute minimum, since she seems to take offence at everything you say right now. Not that she or you accidentally say something that can't be taken back and will be regretted forever... That happened once and it doesn't need to happen ever again... Especially not with her. Old memories of accusations and unjust blame that you believed to be long forgotten flood your mind and allow this ever gnawing feeling in your stomach to grow stronger. Your steps slow down as it gradually begins to overwhelm you, and inducing you to wonder if this is the beginning of yet another end. What if this is the case? You just can't start over once again. Not for a third time. No... As you come to a dead stop, your eyes vacantly staring at the paved road, Trixie notices your absence from her side and shoots you a somewhat annoyed look over her withers, which immediately grows softer once she sees the stricken expression on your face. Before you can even realize that she is rapidly moving towards you, two slender hooves have already wrapped themselves around your shaking form and press you against something warm and soft. In an instant the dark fog that hazed your mind and the wrenching sensation in your guts fade away as this sudden closeness pulls you back into reality. "Trixie is sorry for lashing out." "H-Huh?" "It's just...", she sniffs, "Something is nagging her something fierce and makes her say all those things she doesn't really mean." "Trixie..." "She is incredibly sorry and she hopes that you can forgive her." You mumble an "Of course" into the fluffy tuft of fur on her chest and return her embrace, your forelegs barely able to encompass her girth. "Thank you." For a short while longer you stay like this, her hooves keeping you firmly pressed against her and rubbing your back as she thanks you countless times for forgiving her. And during this you suddenly realize something. Something you should have realized a long time ago. This whole situation... No... Everything is completely different. Her included. She embraces you for what you are and not for what you have been... Well... She can't help it, she only knows you this way, but still... You know now that you can't allow your past to repeat itself. For that, you have grown far too fond of her. And you plan to keep it that way. Luckily, Trixie was right in her assumption and you reached the address in roughly the time she predicted, now standing before a rather odd looking building. Well... It's not exactly odd looking, but... It just doesn't seem to fit in with the houses that surround it. While it very well reminds you of something a pony could have built, some details of it, like its bronze framing and the weird wooden protrusions on its walls, just let it stand out somewhat awful. Also... Why are its upper windows so damn big? Almost looks like they were made to be used like doors... Why don't they have balconies then, though? Seems a bit dangerous. "There we are." "Eeyup." "If you would ask Trixie, she would think that this doesn't look particularly trustworthy...", she groans, "But what other choice do we have? Let's head inside." Sighing, she approaches the iron-bound door and puts a hoof on its handle, filling your mind with thoughts of warmth and comfort as she pulls it down. Trixie's wagon might be quite comfy and it has all the necessities a pony could ask for, but to claim that it has any kind of heating would be an outright lie. And it has gotten fairly chilly over the last few days... So a "warm from the get-go" bed would be a welcome change. The familiar sound of a lock snapping into place rings and you dart to Trixie's side in anticipation of that promised resting place. But once you hear it resound over and over again, this notion quickly dissolves into thin air and you shoot the azure mare a confused look. "What's wrong?" "It seems to be locked..." "What?! Aww naw! Try knocking!" One of her hooves finds its way to your head and gently delivers a soft bop on it, making you flinch in surprise. "Eh! Not on my head, silly!" "You don't say?", she replies with a snicker. "Heh, sorry... Just knock, I'm freezing my flanks off." "Already on it.", she says and knocks three times at the oaken plankings, taking a step back as she does so. At first it doesn't seem like anyone's at home, but after a short moment you can hear the distinct sounds of hooves trotting on wooden floor in your ears. It sounds a lot more matted, though... Not the typical "clip clop" of pony hooves... Uh... You have a bad feeling about this. "Yeah?" A muffled, raspy and female sounding voice states. "Uhm... A guard said that we should come here if we need shelter. We can't go back to our camp because of those marsh hags.", Trixie answers. "Oh, I see. How many?" "Two. A filly and a mare." "Ponies, huh? Okay then... Let m' get the key real quick." "Thank you..." And with that said the voice behind the door vanishes again, hopefully only to return soon and allow you two inside. "Uhm... She sounded nice?", you chuckle. "If you think so... Trixie thought her voice had something unsettling to it." "Ah, don't be like that. I'm sure she just smokes a lot!" "Trixie sure do hopes so... She could do with a fag right now." You open your mouth to remark that she technically just swore, but before any words could have left it, a quick hoof is already placed over it. "You know what Trixie meant." "But yo-" "No buts.", she interrupts you, "Trixie wonders why you would even know the second meaning of this word." "There was a stallion back in Ponyville who got called that a lot." "Really? Who?" "Davenport." "The guy who owns that sofa and quill store?" "I think so, yes." "So that's why he didn't notice Trixie...", she mumbles into her hoof. Did you hear that right just now? Not that this would be any of your concern, but you find the notion that Trixie was interested in Davenport quite adorable. "Huh? What didn't he do?" "Oh? Nothing, dear. Don't worry about it." "Did Trixie have a crush on ol' Davy?" "What?! Of c-course not! Don't be s-silly, dear.", she stammers and averts her eyes from you, her cheeks slowly turning rosy. "He was so obviously gay and Trixie fully knew that." "Heh, okay then." Strike two~ She murmurs something that you can't quite understand, but you think you heard her saying something about 'wasted money' and 'flowers'. Well... Love's not always easy. You know that from experience. As you both wait in silence for the lady to get the key, your mind wanders to times long past and a deep sigh escapes you once it reminisces about the mare that once caught your heart. It even looked kind of promising back then... Nothing serious yet, but she was on the point of warming up to you and even said yes when you asked her if she would like to visit the Summer Sun Celebration with you. But then... You look at your hooves and mindlessly kick a small pebble away... This happened. And nothing was ever the same. You were declared missing and of course your romantic endeavours were forcefully halted. Another sigh escapes you and you banish those memories back to whichever corner of your mind they came from. "It's no use crying over spilled milk, huh?", a familiar, once and still beloved voice resounds in your head. "Alas..." You wonder how she is doing nowadays. "Alack what, Hornet?" "Nothing, just wallowing in old memories." Hopefully she's well. "Nice ones?" "Bittersweet, like most things in life." "Do you want to talk about it?" "Later perhaps. For now I just want to warm myself up." "Okay... But don't forget that Trixie always has an open ear for you." "I would never.", you say and beam her a smile. She returns it and lets a hoof run through your mane, which quickly returns to the stone ground once she hears the lock turning. "Finally." As the door slowly opens you can see how the smile on her face gradually falters as it reveals more and more who unlocked it. "Hello there. M' name's Grimfeather, prithee come inside m' humble abode. It's awfully cold tonight." A gryphon. A mother fucking gryphon. "O-O-Of c-course.", Trixie stammers, sweating quite profusely despite the current temperature, "T-Thank y-y-you" "Don't mention it, deary. I will heat something up for y' right away. Y' look like y' didn't eat for days!", the gryphon titters and heads inside. Here's hoping that Trixie isn't actually racist or... Or this formerly difficult night might have just become a hellish one. "Annelies, the axe of my beloved husband Karranak Ironhorn. His sacrifice shall be remembered forever more.", a golden plaque reads. Above it hangs an almost absurdly long poleaxe, its handle easily four feet long and its chipped, but razor-sharp looking blade gleaming in a faint orange light. For whatever reason, you just can't seem to peel your eyes off it... Everything about it just fascinates you. The way its handle is wrapped in black leather and the small blade that protrudes from its lower end... The countless details of the engravings on its axehead... And of course the mystical glow that it emits. Surely it must be enchanted or at least made out of some magical metal. While you stare at the weapon, Trixie, who was standing beside you the whole time, suddenly takes a few steps back as you hear something approaching you. A leathery appendage settles upon your head and ruffles through your mane, ripping you out of your trance. "Huh?" "Eh, I see y've taken an interest in m' gallant's axe.", the gryphoness says, "A fine piece it is." She sighs and places a three taloned claw on the axe's blade, tracing a runic engraving with one of them before reluctantly retrieving her arm again. Wait... Aren't gryphons supposed to have four talons? "Much blood it has seen... But never has it ever slew an innocent soul. Welladay... May he rest peacefully in his ancestor's halls." Shooting the weapon a last sentimental look, she faces you and you can't help but to squeak in surprise when you see her face in all its glory. Not that she's ugly or something... No... You would say that she is quite attractive for a gryphon of her age, but... "Did m' scars scare y', little filly?", she cackles, "Sorry, but I don't bother with coverin' them up any more." Her whole face is strewn with scars of different sizes and depth, an especially large one running through her left eye seems to have robbed her of her vision there. You wonder what kind of life she has lived... "S-Sorry...", you stammer. "Ah, don't be, young'un. I know what I look like and it doesn't bother m'. Didn't bother him either, back in the days.", she laughs, "But enough of that. I'm sure y' and yer mother want to eat something." "Yes please... I only had a crepe today." "Well! That's certainly not enough for a filly to grow strong! Just make y'selves comfortable over there...", she points at a table in the adjacent room, "While I light the oven." "Thank you." "Don't mention it.", she says and looks at Trixie who now nearly stands at the door again, "And tell yer mother that I'm not going to eat her." What's gotten into her? You never saw her act like that... She's like a scared kitten. "Will do..." And with that said and another quick ruffle through your mane, Grimfeather vanishes into what you assume is the kitchen and leaves Trixie and you to yourselves. Trixie visibly relaxes once she's gone and she slowly walks up to you, her eyes firmly locked on the doorway the gryphoness has left through. "Is everything all right?" "Of course it is, dear... Trixie just doesn't like gryphons very much.", she mutters and beams you a nervous smile, "Don't let it trouble you." "Why, though? Grimfeather is really nice... And she isn't going to eat you!" "Trixie heard and knows that, but... Ehrm... She will tell you later, okay?" "Okay..." "Let's rest for a bit. Trixie's legs are killing her.", she says and leads you into the room you were told to wait in. With a strange feeling in your guts, you follow her, pondering how you could get to the ground of her aversion to gryphons somewhat subtly. Because Trixie tends to avoid questions that make her feel uncomfortable... So subtlety is key here. That she's scared of them is beyond debate, but you want to know why. "Hmm..." Maybe if... No... Still too direct... Then maybe... No, that would require her being drunk, so that's out of the question... That's harder than you thought it would be. Perhaps something will come to you when your belly is full. "Wew!" "Oh wow...", Trixie and you marvel at the same time. What a room to make yourself comfortable it is! Pillows of both the small and large variety are arranged before a crackling fire and just scream at you to plant your plot on them and sleep the night away. Right next to them stands the aforementioned table, surrounded by a few rustic looking chairs and laid with wooden bowls and a large crock. On its walls hang several bows, spears, traps and other tools a hunter might need and of course the trophies that were obtained with them. Especially the massive, boar-like skull over the fireplace is impressive. You wonder to what beast it once must have belonged to. But you can ask that Grimfeather later, for now you make a bee-line for the pillows and jump on the largest and softest looking one. "Pomf!" Trixie giggles at the silly sound you made and joins you, now seeming much more at ease as she lets the softness of the pillow she chose engulf her. "Ah... Just like a cloud." "A cloud?" "Mhm. Never sat on one?" "Couldn't say that I ever did.", you say and lie down on your side, "But can't only pegasi stand on clouds?" "Normally that's the case, but there are a few spells that allow other ponies to stand and even walk on them." "Really? That's fu... Neat." "Trixie will pretend that she didn't hear that.", she lets out a content sigh and holds a hoof out to you. Unsure of what she wants, you just let your own bump against hers, eliciting another soft giggle from her. "That was cute. Trixie likes it when you act like a filly for a change." "Pah! I act plenty like a filly." "Maybe in her sleep... But..." "Hmm?" "You wanna sit on a cloud some time? Trixie could pull one down and cast a cloud walking spell on you." "Now that would be really neat! Thanks!" An almost childlike sense of joy washes over you and in it you reach for Trixie's still outstretched hoof and pull it to you, embracing and nuzzling it with all your might. It takes a few seconds before you realize what you just did and you immediately release it once this realization hits you, feeling your cheeks heating up. "Well...", she giggles, "That was certainly a first." It was... You usually never get that physical with the azure mare, at least not on your own initiative... But that's beside the point. What in all seventy hells made you do that? Something certainly is happening inside of you... Somewhere in your brain. Slowly but ever so surely changing you against your will and you can't do a single thing about it. Fuck... "Uhh...", you mutter and bury yourself deeper into your pillow in a somewhat silly attempt to avoid Trixie's eyes. "Hornet..." Trixie raises from her fluffy seat and slowly walks up to you, bopping you gently on the withers to get your attention. "Hornet." Another bop, this time a bit stronger and in your sides, making you jump a little. "Eep!" "Come on now... There is no need to feel ashamed. In fact..." Yet another poke beneath your ribcage... She's not playing fair. "Eep!" "Trixie rather liked that. She wouldn't mind if you would do that more often.". she says and plops down next to you. Two hooves wrap themselves around you and you feel how they slowly turn you around until you are lying face to face with Trixie. "Uhm...." She beams you a soft smile and rubs her forehead against yours, stoking the fire in your cheeks even more. "Trixie wanted that for a long time, you know? She waited for the day you would finally open yourself up to her and feel comfortable around her, because..." "B-Because?" "Well!", she chirps, "Trixie just isn't that good of a mother! She never even had planned to have foals of her own." "But you are..." "Let's be honest there for a second, okay?", she presses you closer to her, her muzzle tickling your ear, "Alone how she treated you beforehand speaks volumes." As she speaks, you feel her forelegs slowly running up and down on your barrel, giving you the same cocktail of mixed emotions as a few hours ago. It feels nice, but also so very, very wrong at the same time. You are an adult... You aren't supposed to be treated this way, but... "But th-" "No buts, my dearest Hornet. Let her just tell you that she is trying her hardest to get her things in order again and despite that she wonders why you are the way you are..." "Mmh?" "She greatly appreciates this... She knows that you understand her like no other foal or even pony would. Just be patient with her, okay?" But on the other hand... If it makes you feel this good, it can't be that bad for you, can it now? "I will." "Well!", a raspy voice bellows, "Wasn't that adorable?" "Whoa!" "Wha!" "Uhh...", you groan and plunge your spoon into the yellowish gunk that sloshes in your wooden bowl. What's that supposed to be? Looks like oatmeal gruel... But it has chunks floating in it and gruel isn't supposed to have chunks. Also gruel isn't supposed to waft that much... Almost looks like that green slime you wanted to tame two months ago... You had so many plans with "Blobby", but it turned out that slimes don't exactly make for good pets. Besides the obvious dissolving properties of their bodies, they are not really that intelligent and are pretty much unable to learn even the simplest of tricks. The latter you learned after several afternoons spent trying to make him expand on command and the former after you foolishly decided to carry him around on your back for a bit. It took weeks until you were able to show yourself in public without a cloak again... In the end you had to set him free when Trixie wanted to move on and you chose a nice, clear pond to do so. It wasn't really a heart moving farewell, but still you felt kinda sad when you had to abandon him. At least he made for a convenient way to dispose of all the alfalfa Trixie forces you to eat since she believes it's healthy for you, even if it tastes disgusting as hell. Sometimes you still wonder how he is doing. "I hope y' like it! It's m' famous bean mulligan! Usually I would serve it with a nice sausage or two, but since y'all are ponyfolk, I fished 'em out for ye." "Thanks...", Trixie mutters and dips her own spoon into the goo. "Yeah..." "Pfft!", she snorts, "I know that it doesn't look like much, but y' better try it first, before y' judge it!" "I'm not judging it, but it seems..." "But what?", Grimfeather retorts. "Uhm... How should I put this...", you chuckle and spoon an outstandingly gooey lump up, "So alive." "Eh.", she waves you off, "Those are just the ember lentils. They tend to wobble around a bit when hot. Just ignore them and stuff them in y' mouth." "Ember lentils, huh? Never heard of them." "Yeah. One of the few vegetables gryphons are willing to eat.", she says and ladles up a bowl of her own, "They are a bit spicy, but they really bring everything together." "Ehrm... Ms. Grimfeather?", Trixie says under her breath. "Aye?" "You s-said that you...", she gulps, "Fis-Fished them out?" "What?" "Trix-... I me-meant the s-sausages." "Ah, yes, I did." "So you cooked them in t-the stew?" "Well...", she blows a feather out of her face and sits down next to Trixie, who immediately tries to back off, "Only until they were done. I swear y' won't taste or even notice them ever being in the mulligan. Look!", she says and points at you, "Yer daughter doesn't seem to be bothered by it." And in fact you stare rather vacantly at your dinner, unsure if the fact that there once was meat in your stew should bother you or not. On one hand you are a pony now and ponies aren't supposed to eat and probably can't stomach meat, but on the other... It doesn't smell like meat at all. All that you can perceive is a lot of garlic, onions, coriander and something else that you cannot put your hoof on. Kinda reminds you of thyme or rosemary, though. Maybe that's the ember lentils. So you are fairly sure that it won't taste like meat either. "It will be fine, Trixie." "See?", Grimfeather says and shoots Trixie a reassuring smile, "And please drop the Misses. I'm far too old to be called that." "Okay then...", she meekly replies and scoops a few beans up, "Enjoy your meal." "Aye!" "Bon appétit!" Adjusting your spoon, which luckily has a strap for your ankle, you waste no time in filling it with the amber stew and bringing it to your awaiting maw. It might look a bit disgusting, but hunger makes hard beans sweet and maybe it even manages to do this with these slimy ones. So up your muzzle the spoon goes and you brace yourself for the worst. But surprisingly it doesn't taste all that bad, you might even call it good. Unlike all the beans you had before, those are buttery and smooth and taste not a single bit mealy. The ember lentils add some extra texture to the stew and are spicy in a well-rounded manner, giving it the zest it needs. Otherwise you think it would taste rather bland. All in all it's quite tasty, even if you would have used other herbs than coriander, since it tastes like fucking soap to you. It's bearable, though, and so you swallow and spoon some more of the stew up, aiming for a particularly large and wobbly looking chunk. "And how is it?", Grimfeather asks. "Good! Thank you, Grim!" "It really is... Thanks." "Ah, don't mention it! 'Tis just the simple cookery of a simple adventurer." "You were an adventurer?", you ask and blow on your spoon. "Aye. Back when m' visage didn't resemble a sinkhole of scarred flesh." "They look cool, tho!" "Eh, thank y', young'un. Y're the first one to say that.", she lets out a raspy laugh, "Most ponies just lie in 'm face and tell m' that I'm still beautiful." "I think you still kinda are.", you say and slurp some of the sauce, "Scars are just tattoos with better stories." Hearing your words, Grimfeather guffaws and slams her crippled claw on the table, making Trixie flinch something fierce, before she points at you. "Y're wise beyond yer years, small one. But y' could have left the "kinda" out." "I thought you don't like ponies that lie to you?", you giggle. "I certainly don't, but still...", she reaches at you and swats your mane, "I might not look like one, but I'm still a girl and girls like compliments. But let me tell y' something, kid, I like ye." "Heh, thanks." "Now that I come to think of it... We never properly introduced ourselves to each other. What's yer name?" "Green Hornet.", you chirp. "Lovely. So y' are probably Trixie then?", she says and looks at the mare in question. "Yes..." "Y' happen to be from Heartdenn?" The azure mare cringes and weakly shakes her head, the handle of her spoon suddenly becoming very interesting for her. "Uhm... No. Why are you asking?" "M' gallant and me used to travel through it a lot, and if m' memories don't betray m' right now, I recall a stallion living there who talked just like ye." "T-That must be a co-coincidence... Trix... I was born in Canterlot." "Are y' sure? Does the name "Crescent Moon" ring a bell for y'? "No!", Trixie blurts out and immediately averts her eyes from the gryphon, beginning to franticly stir her stew. Grimfeather shoots her a rather perplexed seeming look and then sighs. "I see. Y're probably right. Equestria is a large place after all." "Y-Yeah." "But Trixie?" Slowly she reaches a claw out to Trixie and settles it upon her shoulder once she sees that she doesn't duck away from it, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Y-Yes?" "Don't mince yer words fer m'. I really don't care how y' talk." "Thanks..." "It's alright. Let's eat now, though, before it gets cold. Believe m'...", she cackles, "Y' really don't want to eat it when it's cold." The rest of the dinner went by more or less event and conversationless. Maybe a few bits of small talk now and then, since Grimfeather really wasn't all that keen on chatting while eating. No wonder... There was almost never a moment in which her beak wasn't stuffed with food... Her weird... Fanged... Beak. You really had a hard time not to constantly stare at her sharp looking teeth, but this was the first time you ever were so close to a gryphon and so you couldn't help but to sneak a peek whenever you thought she wasn't looking. Whilst you neither found them intimidating nor frightening, they still seemed to hold a strange fascination over you. Like... Really strange. To such an extent that you wanted to touch and probe them. Of course you didn't do that, since this would have been more than inappropriate at table and probably wouldn't have shone an all too good light on you. Not that your entertainer thinks your are some kind of weirdo... Well... You are, but there is no reason why she would need to know this. Trixie never really fully unbent herself and always had one eye firmly locked on the gryphoness in case she tried to do something funny. Which, of course, never happened. And she even stopped to act like a total idiot and ceased to inspect every spoonful for potential poisons and pieces of meat after you've convinced her to do so with a gentle kick against her legs and a stern look. God... If Grimfeather would have seen her doing that... But at least she doesn't seem to fear for her life any more, or whatever other notions made her act so strangely, and even engaged in the rare bits of conversation without stuttering like Fluttershy who just found out sexual intercourse can involve more than penis in vagina. Heh... That were fun times. Anyway... All in all you saw the dinner as an improvement to the overall situation. What certainly wasn't an improvement, though, was the look on Trixie's face when she discovered that the ceramic crock only contained water and not wine as she surely had hoped. Man... The only time you've seen a pony more disappointed than her was your image in the mirror when you found out that your penis was gone. Hopefully she's able to keep her mind off alcohol for the remainder of the night... Shoving your now empty bowl away from you, you stretch yourself a bit and then pat your full belly, forcing a quiet belch out of you. The look Trixie shoots you in this very moment could kill, but you don't particularly care and just enjoy the content feeling. Certainly was some time since you last have felt like that. "Thank you, Grim. That really hit the spot." "It's quite alright, Horn'.", she chuckles and starts to collect the dishes, "Yer all full or do y' want seconds? 'Cause I still have some left in the kitchen." "I'm good. Thank you very much, Grimfeather.", Trixie says and levitates her bowl over to the gryphon. "Yep, me too." "Very well. How about something sweet then?" "Ye-" "You've done more than enough for us. Thank you.", Trixie cuts you off. "It's really no trouble at all. The cake's already been baked." "Come on, Trixie! Why would you even decline such an offer in the first place? It's free cake! You love cake!" "Well...", she coughs, "I... She doesn't want to overstay our welcome." "Ye really do not, Trixie. In fact I quite appreciate the company... It can get fairly lonely here." "We would love to keep you some more company! Especially over a slice of cake!", you look at Trixie with puppy eyes, "Isn't that right?" Trixie sighs and shoots you a defeated nod. "Trixie guesses that she could stay for a while longer." "Terrific!", Grim exclaims happily, "I will just get this cleaned up real quick." "Do you maybe need a hoof or four?" "Please don't...", Trixie nearly inaudibly mutters. "Naw, but thank ye, kid. Y' don't want to see the mess that is m' kitchen." "Are you sure?" "Aye." "Okay." Outstretching her right wing, she balances the bowls and mugs on it and takes the cauldron into her claw, before awkwardly walking towards the kitchen. You can't help but to notice how awfully ragged her wing looks... It misses so many feathers and the few that are still on it are bent or outright broken. If that's the case for her other one too, you doubt that she's still able to fly. Man... That must suck. The state of her wings seems to catch Trixie's eyes too and she almost looks compassionately at your entertainer as she slowly passes by her. "Y' all just focus on relaxing a bit more. 'Tis shall only be a matter of mere minutes." And indeed, she stays true to her word and returns only few minutes later, once again balancing various things on her wings. Thanks to your small stature, even with it sitting on a chair, you can't really make out what she's carrying, but it seems like she brought a lot more with her than just cake. "I'm back. Hope that y' didn't have to wait all too long." "Nah, not really. You really are quick with the dishes." "Eh, I couldn't be bothered to do the washing up tonight.", she says and places a plate with a large slice of brown cake on it right under your muzzle, "So I just let them soak and do them in the morning." Grim's last words go unheeded as you just have eyes now for the frosted pastry in front of you. Goodness! It's almost more glazing and frosting than cake itself... Not that you have an issue with that, of course. Reminds you of how Pinkie always used to decorate her cakes... Ten tons of frosting and more often than not a cherry on top of all of it. Oh dear... The memories. Quietly chuckling to yourself, you bring your muzzle to the cake and take a quick smell at it. Smells like carrot cake... Certainly looks like one too. Not exactly your favourite, but here's hoping that all this frosting and glazing will improve it. Also it would be plain rude to reject free sweets... Especially from your entertainer who was willing to give complete strangers a roof over their heads. Wresting yourself free from the vanilla-scented treat, you shoot Grimfeather a wide smile. "Thanks!", you chirp. "Don't mention it, young'un. Here y' go, Trixie." Thank you.", Trixie responds and takes her plate into her telekinetic grip, "It looks delicious." "Just plain, ol' carrot cake. I didn't even make it m'self.", she giggles and and reaches for something on her left wing, "Bought it at the market." "Nothing wrong with that." "We don't bake much either.", Trixie chimes in. "Yeah, because you can't bake, Trixie." "That's not true!" "Is! Remember the stuffed croissants you made back in Smallfair?" "They weren't that bad..." "They were the reason why we had to stay near a toilet for almost a full week!", you say and point a hoof at her. "You promised Trixie to never mention this again!", she states indignantly. Grimfeather watches your bickering back and forth in great amusement as she puts a large tankard and three small, ceramic bowls on the table ere she returns to her seat next to Trixie. "I saw you looking at the recipe again, so I thought you needed a reminder!" "Trixie repeats: They weren't that bad!", she barks and leans forward, "She will stuff them with something else this time!" "And I repeat: Diarrhoea!" A cackling laughter interrupts your argument and you turn to the source of the noise, which turns out to be a quite amused looking gryphon. "Y' two are cute together, y' know that?", Grimfeather says with a giggle, "Almost makes m' wish I had cubs of m' own." "I'm not cute..." The realization that she just stultified herself quite a bit in front of her host, hits Trixie suddenly and something fierce and she sits down again with burning cheeks. Instinctively she reaches for her trademark hat in an attempt hide her embarrassment, but her hoof just bumps against her forehead. And you shoot her your cockiest grin as it does so. "Damn... Trixie forgot...", she looks at Grimfeather, "Uhm... Trixie's sorry that you had to witness our foalish bickering, Grimfeather." "Don't be, Trixie. It has been quite some time since it was this lively here!", she titters and reaches for the tankard. "Grim?" "Aye?" "What's in this?" "Something special. I'm not sure if y're old enough for this, but I don't particularly care either." That doesn't sound good... Hopefully it is not what you think it is. Trixie on the other hand seems to think that this sounds wonderful and watches with sparkling eyes and a wide grin on her muzzle as Grimfeather fills each of the bowls with a clear liquid. "Is this claw?" "Aye! The best you can buy outside of the Gryphon kingdoms!" "What's claw?", you ask and take a careful sniff at your bowl. Oh my... Yep, this is booze alright. And it smells a lot worse than the cheap liquor that Trixie always buys. Sharp and stinging... Almost like the stuff you use to thin paints. You have a hard time believing that this is could to be "the best" of anything. "A traditional gryphon spirit made out of a special sort of grain. Don't ask m' what's it called, though." Sounds like vodka... Kinda. "Ever had some?" "No..." "Trixie can't say she ever did." "Then it's about time!", she bellows and raises her bowl, "To us!" "To us!", Trixie chirps, clinking bowls with your host. "To us..." With a bit of concern you watch as Trixie empties her bowl in one long chug, seemingly unfazed by the burn this concoction surely must have, before slamming it down again and wiping her muzzle with a content sounding sigh. One drink can't hurt, but Trixie tends to forget her limits and bounds rather quickly once she has started. "Not too bad!" Hopefully Grim possesses enough common sense to stop before this gets out of hand... Or hoof and respectively claw. "Ye sure y' never had any claw?", Grimfeather asks and sips at her own drink. "No. Why?" "Just asking. Most ponies have a coughing fit when they just nip at some." "Oh, really? Uhm... Trixie just has... Ehrm...", she stammers and fiddles with the bowl in her hooves. Shooting your surrogate mother an understanding nod, Grim refills her bowl. "I understand. A life lacking real roots is not an easy one to live." "Y-Yes, that's true...", Trixie mutters and brings the bowl to her mouth again. But before she can quench her thirst with the alcoholic liquid in it, a quick claw prevents her from doing so, its owner looking with stern, but friendly eyes at her. "But." "Y-Yeah?" "Don't forget about the important things in yer life, Trixie. It's all too easy to lose sight on them." "W-What?" "Ye heard m', Trixie, and I'm sure y' also understood m'." Taken completely aback, Trixie tries to wiggle her bowl out of Grim's clutch, but the gryphon stands firm and keeps staring into her eyes "Nobody has ever found salvation at the bottom of a bottle." Seems like Grim has some experiences with alcoholics... The look on her face speaks volumes. She wants Trixie to understand and is probably willing to make her do so by force. Maybe one of her close friends was one? Or perhaps even her husband? But whoever it was, she looks like she isn't willing to allow Trixie to make the same mistake. You decide to just let this play out naturally, since you feel that your opinions and notions about this aren't really needed right now. At least for the moment. If things go too awry you will intervene of course. So you keep your trap shut by stuffing it with the cake Grim gave you and continue to watch. "..." "Trixie knows that... She knows. You don't have to worry about her, Grim.", Trixie replies with a bit of a glare. Not too bad. Maybe a bit too much glazing, but the carrots in it kinda compensate for this. Releasing Trixie's drink from her grasp again, Grimfeather chuckles and shoots her a toothy grin. "That's all fine and dandy that y' know, Trixie. But do y' intend to do something against it?" You can literally hear Trixie's boast and pride cracking... There is nothing more that she hates than strangers trying to interfere with her life. Be it in a good way or not... Doesn't matter. That just gets her blood boiling good. "Of course she intends!", she barks, "What makes you think that this is any of your concern, though?" "Nothing makes m' think that.", Grim empties her bowl and points at Trixie, "I just felt like sharing the wisdom of a wintery gryphon with ye." Grimfeather helps herself to a refill, staying calm as ever, her eyes still fixated on Trixie. "If y' heed it or not...", the tankard finds it's way on the table again with a quiet clink, "Isn't her problem, it really isn't. But that doesn't mean she can't care. Just keep in mind that y' aren't alone." Trixie's mouth opens, but much to your, and perhaps even her surprise, not a single word comes out of it. Instead she seems to let Grim's words sink in for a moment and then returns Grim's gesture with a soft titter. "You... You can. Thank you, Grim. Sorry for lashing out." "It's all right." Exhaling deeply, Trixie swirls the contents of her bowl around, seemingly mesmerized by its content's movements, before smilingly looking at you. "This is just a sore spot for Trixie, but she knows that there is something to fix and she... No... We are already working on it." "Yep!", you chime in. A bit surprised that you know of Trixie's problem, Grim shoots you a confused look before chuckling and shaking her head. "Well then... I'm glad to hear this. Really am. I was just a bit worried, I guess." "Why, though? If Trixie may ask." "Y' may and... I don't know. Y' seem to have enough problems already and so I tried to prevent more from coming along." What now? "Huh? Why do we seem to have enough problems, Grim?" "Well...", her cheeks turn a bit rosy, "It's quite obvious, isn't it?" "No...?", Trixie raises an eyebrow and sips at her drink, "Care to elaborate?" "Do I really have to speak it out?" Oh, the elephant in the room... You already know where this is going. Nevertheless you shoot her a nod. "By the gods... Yer father, kid, yer father! He isn't with y'!" Called it. "Oh that...", Trixie giggles, "That's rather simple to explain." "It is?" "Uhu. You see... Trixie isn't my mother." Hearing this, the azure magician flinches something fierce and you are quick to correct yourself "At least not my biological one." "She isn't?" "No... Trixie isn't. Dear, sweet Hornet here just showed up at my wagon one day and..." "I kinda stuck around ever since.", you complete her sentence. "Yeah, one could put it like that. There's a bit more to that story, but it's really not that exciting." "Oh, I don't mind.", Grim says and drinks off her second bowl, "The night's still young and the tankard's still full. If y' don't mind telling me, I won't mind listening." "Okay then... Shall I or shall you, Hornet?" "I kinda wanna eat my cake, so go ahead. I couldn't retell it properly anyways.", you sigh, "So many words I am not allowed to say any more... Tzk, tzk, what a pity." "Ah, yes. Trixie totally forgot that you used to swear a lot more than you do today." "You probably suppressed that memory.", you giggle. "Probably.", she joins in your laughter, "Luckily Trixie managed to knock the nonsense out of you. Well... At least most of it." "Old habits die hard. I swore for most of my life." Mostly in written form, yelling at idiots on the internet... Tcha... Good old times. "Nothing wrong with a bit o' cussing.", Grim chimes in. "A bit? "Fuck" and any derivatives of it were her to go words.", Trixie groans and rubs the bridge of her muzzle, "And they sti-" "They still are and you fucking know it!", you cut her off. "Hornet!" "Sorry." Grimfeather gives a silvery laugh and jugs down the contents of her bowl. "Y're my kind of filly, squirt!" "Heh, thanks. Trixie seems to think otherwise, though." "She really does." "If y' keep that up, ye will catch yerself a special kind of stallion someday." "W-What?" "Aye. Not many lads like a gal that has a trap like yers! But the few that do are the ones who really take y' for what y' are and not just for what ye look like, kid." She cackles and quickly refills her bowl before pointing at you. "Just believe m'. When I first met m' gallant, I told him to fuck off and if he's looking fer a pair of legs to spread he needs to look somewhere else.", she sighs and peers at the empty space next to you, "Luckily, he turned out to be quite the persistent fella..." The refill she helped herself to finds its way just as quickly down her throat as she refreshed it, tinting her thinly feathered cheeks rosy. "Didn't even stop wooing me after I clawed him...", she says feebly, "By the gods... I miss the old bugger, I really do." The smile on her beak falters and she shakes her head, vacantly staring into her now empty bowl. "Grim..." "Sorry.", another sigh escapes her, "Didn't intend to get sentimental tonight. Must be the claw." "How was he?", Trixie asks. "Huh?" "How was he? Tell us about him." "Oh... Y' really want to listen to some crone swooning over her old love?" "Of course!", you chirp. "Why not? See it as a trade." "A trade?" "Yes. You tell us about your husband and Trixie will tell you about how she and Hornet met.", she says, beaming Grim a warm smile. "Well then... M' gallant... No, Karranak... Feathers! How long was it since I last took his name in m' beak? He was... He was..." "Yes?" "I need more alcohol for this." "No problem.", Trixie says and refills Grim's bowl using her magic, "There you go." "Thanks.", Grim empties it in one belch, "Ah... Better. Much better. It really burns nicely, doesn't it?" "It does." Trixie replies with a titter, "So how was he?" "Stubborn, always looking for a fight, a bit dull-witted and very fond of his beer... But beneath all that was the most caring and loveable minotaur y' would have ever met." "A m-minotaur?" "Aye? Karranak isn't a gryphon name. Neither is Ironhorn. I though ye would have worked that out by now?" "Trixie isn't that familiar with gryphon names..." "Yeah, me neither. But I had my conjectures." Grimfeather laughs lustily and holds out her bowl to Trixie, who immediately replenishes it. "I'm a weird one, aren't I? Countless rich suitors begged m' to marry them and I fell for the horned freak who hit on me in some sleazy bar. I don't even know what made m' give him a chance!" "What? Of course not, Grim. It might be not very ordinary to marry outside of your race, but it isn't weird." "M' parents surely thought differently... Disowned m' on the spot when I told them about him. Kicked m' out too." "That's harsh." "Might be, but I've never regretted it." She takes a slow sip, seemingly savouring the the taste, before running a claw through the large feathers on her forehead. "He showed m' so much... Places I never would have seen if he didn't drag m' sorry ass to them. Never mind the things he taught m'." A silent laugh leaves her and she brings her three taloned claw to her face, staring at the stump that adorns it. "We brought justice onto them who deserved it. Taught m' to fight and he did it good." Her sharp nails bare themselves and she lets one of them trace down her beak. "Can't say that what I did was right... But the guards didn't seem to care when we brought the heads in exchange fer the bits that were issued on them. One problem less in the world... That is what counts in the end." "Y-You killed?", Trixie asks with a shaky voice. "Aye. But be assured I never took down someone innocent. Just the ones that deserved it... Yes. They brought it down on themselves." "How? And why?" "That was his job... You see, Karranak was a bounty hunter. And I helped him. His strength and my speed... A devastating match." "Just with your claws?" "Of course not.", she cackles, "One of the first things Karranak bought m' was a set of daggers... Still have them, but I don't like to look at them any more. They bring forth too many memories." With another sigh, the clear alcoholic liquid vanishes into her maw and she moans deeply. "They are a fine piece of craftsmanship, made out of pure lifebane and costed a small fortune... Their blades cut even through the thickest of steels and y' don't even want to know what they did to bare flesh." The claw holding her bowl finds it way into the rough vicinity of Trixie and beckons for another refill, which the unicorn almost instantly grants. "Burns searing holes in it... I nearly threw up when I first saw its degenerating effects. But he told me that it was a painless death and I believed him." "This doesn't sound like it would be painless." "It really is. Believe m'. I tested it out on m'self...", she giggles, "Just a tiny cut of course, but it didn't hurt.", she shows off a blackish scar on her foreleg, "Took forever to heal, though... Anyway." She takes a long nip at her drink, throwing her head back as it runs down her throat before holding it in a claw. "He taught m' other things than fighting too. Like love... He was m' first and only one." "Uh.. Grim... Trixie doesn't think that this is appropri-" "Geez! Come on, Trixie! Hornet's almost a mare!" "Still...", Trixie mutters. "Y' can't shelter her from these things for ever! One day she will bring some colt to yer wagon and fool around with him." Trixie chortles and waves her off. "That is still a long way off. She didn't even have her first heat yet. Right, Hornet?" "Uhm... Not that I can tell, no.", you reply a bit embarrassed. "See?" "Aye, aye... I won't delve deeper into m' escapades with Karranak then. Gods... What his fingers were able to do, though." "Tell me more..." "Hornet!", Trixie blurts out. "What?" "That's none of your interest!" "I won't mind telling ye, squirt, but first..." "Huh? What first?" "Ye didn't even touch yer claw yet, kid, and I'm well into m' fourth of fifth." "I'm still a minor." Well... Technically you are. "And? When I was yer age, I got besotted every weekend!", Grim states and shoves your bowl closer to you, "How old are ye anyway?" "Thirteen." "Then y' will be fine." "Okay..." You didn't drink any alcohol since you were turned into a filly and you don't know how it affects a pony body, but it can't be that different, can it? "Take it slow, Hornet.", Trixie chimes in. No words of protest? That kinda surprises you... Well... Or it doesn't. You didn't expect any different from her. Tentatively you take the ceramic bowl into your hooves, taking another sniff at the clear liquid in it. Doesn't smell any better than before... "I know it smells like shit, but it tastes far better!", Grim says with a snicker, "Just don't let it linger for too long in yer mouth." "Grim, please don't swear so much." So you should chug it down, you guess? "From what y've told m', she probably can't learn anything new from m'." "Yeah, but still..." Well... Here goes nothing.