//------------------------------// // Marsh // Story: Expedition to the Cloudbreak Islands // by Starglider //------------------------------// Cloud Cutter found herself alone, beating her wings to hover in the sky just above the edge of the floating swamp. Beneath her water from the central lake poured over the cliff, dissipated into spray and disappeared, in defiance of everything she knew about metrology and hydrology. She wasted no time pondering how this was possible; soon she was diving down through the mist, hoping to locate her team-mates flying below or perhaps clinging to the cliff. Instead she found no trace; not even falling pieces of the rickety raft. Her expression became more and more concerned as she widened her search pattern to the surrounding area. What kind of game were those fish creatures playing? After ten minutes searching for any clue to what had happened, the purple pegasus flapped back up over the rim of the island. She decided to head straight back for the hamlet, where some creature would have to explain... and fast. Elsewhere, a raft, two screaming (or in Reef's case screeching) passengers, two gillfolk wondering what all the fuss is about, and one unicorn now finding herself overboard and trying to swim in churning water, all appeared in a dark, gloomy, echoing underground space. Set Sail landed cheek-first against the boards as the raft abruptly bobbed up and ceased to be in freefall about 10 centimetres from her face. With a grumbling moan, she moved her hoof against her other hoof, until the rope fells off of it. "-...waaah!" Summer Scribe yelped out as she was teleported, gasping for air as she surfaced again. She paddled desperately in the general direction of the raft, looking a bit sheepish as she managed to get her front hooves onto the deck. "OK, so we're not dead. What just happened?!" "Summer!" Reef shouted, relieved to see the unicorn. He offered her a claw and pulled her up onto the platform; her fur was sopping wet. "Teleportation, at a guess? In all honesty you're better equipped to speculate than I." he said morosely, gesturing with a claw at Summer's horn. The two gillfolk were just staring at them, apparently wondering what all the fuss was about. Summer took the claw thankfully, hauled up with his help then shaking to clear some of the water from her coat. "Yeah, I guess we teleported here." She squinted around at the damp, underground environment. "Teleportation... Do all the waterfalls-into-nothingness do this? It'd explain the water cycle..." Oh no, she was thinking about the water cycle again; something had better happen to distract her! She peered around again, focusing on the rapidly growing light of the approaching cave mouth. "So where ARE we now? Is this where the elder lives?" Presently the raft emerged out of the natural tunnel into bright sunlight, which streamed down on the rocky, mountainous surroundings. It seemed they were in the bowl of a large crater, heading rapidly for a lake filling its centre, considerably smaller than the placid swamp-fringed body of water they'd seen earlier. Despite the mid-day sun there was a chill in the air here, but at least it smelled fresh and invigorating after the musk of the swamp. "I gotta say I'm sorry if I gave you folks a shock there," Scalesbrook said sheepishly, "guess I gone done this business so many times it couldn't occur to an old gilly that some folks might not be so comfortable with the trip back to the source and all. But, uh, you seem fine, uh... weren't there four of ya?" "..." Summer Scribe glanced around the raft. "Cloud Cutter got left behind." Her eyes narrowed. "Umm. So worst case scenario, she thinks we're dead and she's going to seek revenge," the unicorn thought out loud. "That sounds slightly bad. Can we get in touch with her?" "The spooky one did jump off right before the lip." Sliptail piped up. "Saw her flyin' with those birdie wings, she must've missed the falls and be still flapping around down near Rushweed Hollow!" Set Sail struggled to a standing position, stammering "S-she can k-ki—" before falling silent and giving the fishy biped a panicked look, then just saying, "We have to find her!" "Uh, say that's the case, we ain't got no fancy radios nor nothing like that here in the marsh." the older gillman said uncomfortably. "She ain't gonna steal no one's soul is she?" "Of course not! Haha no of course she can't do anything like that, ha ha," Set Sail replied with a very broad, toothy smile. With a few splashes and jostles the raft emerged from the rushing stream and started drifting placidly across the crystal-clear waters of the crater-lake, heading slowly but inexorably for the source of the main river. "Uh, well then, that's good," Scalesbrook began. "Don't want no more zombies causing trouble 'round these parts, last time it took-" Sliptail wasn't able to employ her eblows this time because the big hippogriff was in the way, but her glare was enough to make her uncle shut up. Summer Scribe blink-blinked. "Anyway, more importantly... we'd like to speed up this conversation, if we can, since we need to let Cloud Cutter know we're not disintegrated somehow!" "I'm sure your friend is fine, she got those wings after all, wish I had wings..." Sliptail said wistfully. "Eh heh, yeah now if you folks'll look to the right, that there is Granite Peak Croft, where Splashway does tend the only flock 'o sheep we got in these isles." The 'croft' was a cluster of rough stone, thatched roof cottages near the mouth of the river. "Now we'll be heading down the river proper in just a minute." "Wish you had wings too, miss," Set Sail said honestly. "I didn't want anyone coming on this expedition who couldn't fly. But I'm not the uh... wasn't the captain. Still, you seem to be doing okay for a creature without wings who just fell off the edge of one of these islands. There must be other ways you get along." "Look little po-knee, it's too bad your friend didn't come with y'all, but we ain't got no quicker way to get back there than ride the river to the bottom." Scalesbrook explained, nervously adjusting his hat again. "'less you feel like taking off I 'spose." he added, looking at Reef Skimmer's wings. Reef followed the gillman's gaze and opened his wing a bit, staring at it for a second before looking to Set Sail. "What say you, Captain, shall one go round up our missing pegasus?" Blinking, Set Sail blurted out, "O-of course! You're the fastest, Reef. Go find her, and hurry!" Reef dipped his head to the brown pegasus. "No sooner said than done. Do take care, Sails... err, Captain." With that faux-pas he looked away and awkwardly rose to his feet, before leaping up into the air and flapping away. The raft bounced and bobbed as his weight was removed, and the strong downdraft rustled the manes of the two mares left onboard. The rickety vessel was speeding up again now as it was drawn into the first part of the river proper, once again rushing towards the edge of the island. This time though there was no waterfall; the river simply continued, an impossible ribbon of water flowing through space, suspended in the air by some unknown force. "He's heavy, but he's fast," Set Sail said with nervous relief, staring fondly up after the departing hippogriff, "He'll get there before..." She winced and looked nervously at the gillfolk. "...she uh, gets too worried. About us. Wouldn't want her to worry." "You don't suppose that hippo-griffon'd let me ride on his back, do you? Ya know, just for a quick fly around the neighbourhood." Sliptail asked, watching Reef flying away before glancing at Set Sail. "Oh, well you'd have to ask but I don't think he'd mind," Set Sail said curiously to the female fish-creature, "You like flying, huh?" "Can't say I've ever had the chance." Sliptail looked down. "None-na the traders would take me on their ship, not like we see many of them these days ya know, and those who do come a calling wanna just get business done and clear out, 'fore the drow have a chance to rumble 'em." She stared at Set Sail's folded pinions. "Always thought it must be nice, though." "Well it's..." Set Sail briefly spread a brown wing, looking back at it, "It's like walking for me. Or swimming for you, I suppose. It can be fun when you get into a good dive, but mostly it's just..." she blushed self-consciously, "N-not to sound ungrateful or anything. You have um..." Set Sail took a long look at the gillman's forelegs, "...hends I think they're called. Do you think a lot about how nice they are?" "Uh." Sliptail spread her webbed fingers and stared at them. The webbing was as decayed and sickly as her fins: spotted with tears, holes and discolouration. "They're just hands. For holding stuff. I guess we gill folk got hands suited for swimming, maybe trolls have an easier time with the holding, but... they're just hands right? Haven't just been a might sore though, these last few years." "Now don't go complaining to our guests, Slippy." Scalesbrook said. "We're coming up here on one of the greatest sights to see on our river, the statue of the greatest hero that ever did come out of the marsh, Gill Grunt!" he proclaimed in a reverent tone. Sure enough, the river widened out into another fair-sized lake, this one mostly suspended in mid-air with only one side abutting a strip of land. A huge stone plinth rose out of the trees there, topped with an enormous statue about the size of the EAS Harmony's balloon. The details were weathered away and covered in moss and lichen, but it was unmistakably one of the fish creatures, holding a barrel with a trident sticking out of it. "Oh no, it's fine!" Set Sail said to Scalesbrook, "Doesn't bother me a bit." Back to Sliptail, she says, "I'm just saying I feel like you could appreciate flying more than somepony who's born this way. Maybe you can get a ship someday, or a... companion to help get you up in the air. But for now let's just... oh my." She fell silent at the sight of the statue, looking up at the amazing sculpture, of such a heroic looking creature, and practically the size of a small town! Down on the lower island, Cloud Cutter closed rapidly on the gillfolk village, if the cluster of rusty shacks merited the term. With no sign of her team, the raft or their fishy hosts, along with no answers... a decent day had turned sour for the purple pegasus. She spied the would-be merchant Burbleweed still standing in the clearing, having an animated discussion with another of the gillmen, who kept gesturing with his trident. The other two are nowhere to be seen, presumably inside one of the buildings or returning to fishing. Cloud Cutter quickly and silently swooped down to a landing. Realising her obvious anger wasn't going to lend itself to asking for help, she tried to reign in her emotions as she trotted up to the pair of gillmen... "Oh hey, it's, uh... that spooky po-knee," Burbleweed said, stepping backwards and looking around as if about to make a run for it. "G-Guess you done worked out Burble's deals are just too good to pass up, right?" he stammered, "What can I get'cha?" Cloud Cutter shook her head at Burbleweed's ridiculous sales patter, frustration boiling just under the surface. "Now, I'm sure there's a reason behind this.... but I just watched my entire team and two of your people just... vanish at the bottom of a waterfall just now. There's... there's a reason for that... right? ...Right?!" The mix of anger and fear for the loss of her friends was stronger than any emotion she'd had since the crossing, stronger even than during the drow attack. As much as she was trying to hold it back, the sheer thought of having to go back to the Harmony and announce that she was the sole survivor of the diplomatic trip... it was too much for anypony to bear. "Uh, vanish.. well yeah, that's what happens... when you fall! Over the falls!" Burbleweed was shaking now as he backed away from Cloud Cutter, before his back came up against one of the huts with a thump. "Please po-knee, they're fine! They're at the source! That's what happens... you go back to the source!" The anger seemed to be replaced by absolute confusion: Cloud Cutter just sat down and shook her head. "...To the source? What... what do you mean?! I-I don't get it... I don't get much here." The hostility had evaporated, replaced by an absolutely confused pegasus that only seemed increasingly lost in a world she barely understood. "Ya know, the source! The source... of the river. You don't know? Well, you need Burbleweed's All-Inclusive Guide to Witchway Marsh, only... ten... gold... for-you-only-five!" the gillman finished, suddenly realising he might be pushing his luck... and there was no sign of his companion. And all the doors had been slammed shut and bolted. And he was unlikely to make it to the lake before the flying zombie deer swooped down and... "...Pass." Cloud Cutter said flatly, shaking her head. "They... they aren't dead, right? That's all I need to know..." she concluded, standing up again. At least she got half of her answer, the most important part, right? "Dead!?" the gillman gargled hysterically, misinterpreting her advance as a renewed attack. "Why would they be dead?! Of course they're not dead?! They just went to the source! You know, on the top island." "On the top- got it, thank you!" Cloud Cutter didn't waste another second feeling sorry for herself. She knew one of the advantages of her state was that she was nearly tireless in flight... and if she didn't waste time, she should be able to catch up and maybe even get the answers she wanted! Meanwhile Reef Skimmer had been flapping steadily down towards the team's initial landing site, crossing over the river again as it twisted and turned through a cluster of serpentine, floating ponds. Perhaps half way down, he spotted a tiny purple shape making its way up towards him; it had to be the pegasus, looking for them. He headed straight for her, then turned aside; Cloud had spotted him in turn and adjusted her own course until the big hippogriff stallion and smaller pegasus mare were gliding parallel to each other, a couple of wingspans apart. "Cloud Flutter! Cutter! Good to see you! On the way up to look for us, I see. I trust... everycreature is ok down here?" he called out uncertainly. Even if Cloud Cutter's eyes were unable to show emotion, the smile at seeing the hippogriff doctor flying right at her and coming alongside spoke volumes. "I'm glad to see you too, doctor... goodness, I'd feared the worst!" she admitted, as the two flew back towards the top island. "I'd looked for you at the bottom of the waterfall, the village, and when that merchant... gillman told me you were at the top island, I started flying immediately!" It took her a moment before the mare could reply to the other half of the question. "Every creature is fine. Scared, but fine. I didn't hurt any creature... at least, I don't think I did..." she reassured him. "Indeed, well, glad to hear it, glad to hear it." Reef said, relieved. "Some kind of teleportation, you'd have to ask Summer about the specifics, but yes... we all reappeared in a cave! Came out in a crater, up on that top island, that's where the river flows from. Sails and Summer are enjoying a lazy ride downriver right now in fact. Captain Sails, I mean. Captain Set Sail! So... if you'd like to follow me, we can join them?" Cloud Cutter chuckled a bit at Reef's fumbling of the Captain's name, but the response was immediate. "No questions asked, doctor, let's go find them! Lead the way!" It had been some time since Cloud Cutter had been this enthusiastic about anything. Then again, finding out your entire team isn't dead, and instead is fully healthy, well and concerned enough to send out somecreature to look for you, did tend to raise the spirits. Back on the raft, Summer Scribe gawked up at the statue. "Woaaah, cool. Is this a statue of a hero of yore? A 'Skylander', I think they're called? Perhaps even water elemental, descended from here...?" "Mayhaps you've heard the legend?" Scalesbook said. "Just like you said, he went away to join some big old army of creatures of all sorts, called themselves the Sky Landers. And Gill Grunt fought with the best of them, against all kinds o' vicious monsters and infernal machines and frightly spooks and... the worst o' the lot, the bringer of darkness, The Chaos Master! They say he was twenty feet tall and could kill a warrior just by glaring at them!" "Oooh..." Set Sail said appreciatively, her haunches planted as she gazed upward. Summer was enraptured. "The Chaos Master? Huh, that sounds kind of like..." She blink-blinked: Discord? Though killing people wasn't his style! Maybe this was a different Chaos Master... "So ya heard that one did ya?" Sliptail pipes up. "Bet ya haven't heard it two hundred times over, 'round each and every campfire plus when we gotta hide in the nexus, like old Scales here can't shut up about the one gilly who had the guts and gumption to break right out of this dump and make a real name for himself." She sighed, looking up at the statue adoringly. Summer Scribe waved her hoof dismissively. "Pfff, sorry, we're like, really new around here. And I'm still wide-eyed and taking everything in! So apologies if I'm all nosey about your lore. It's still exciting to me!" But it was clearly a bit of a sore spot to them: everyone else was stuck here living in fear of the drow, huh? The two flyers headed back up, catching up with the raft just as it was passing through a section of aerial rapids, the river splitting and winding and churning around a series of floating rocks. They paced the modest vessel, listening to Summer scream and 'woo-hoo' with excitement while Set Sail looked upward and gave a little wave of her wing at the sight of them, otherwise unwilling to extract her hooves from their tight grip on the platform. Soon enough the raft was out of the rapids and floating smoothly down the next part of the river; a long sweeping turn leading to the edge of the second island. Reef landed as gently as he could, the raft still bobbing and splashing as he settled onto it, while Cloud Cutter drifted down to a silent landing as if weightless. Summer Scribe waved over to Cloud Cutter and Reef as they returned. "That was fun! I mean, uhh, hey, welcome back! Sorry for the scare, Cloud Cutter; I had no idea any of that was going to happen. Everything is ok!" She nodded over to Reef as well, as thanks for the 'rescue', then steadied herself on the raft, looking downriver with anticipation. "You weren't lyin', that was fast." Sliptail said to Set Sail, assuming the hippogriff had been all the way to the Rushweed Hollow and back. The brown pegasus was too relieved to see her crewmate back to reply. "Oh thank Celestia, are you alright Cloud Cutter?" she asked, prying her hooves from their death grip as the river calmed, but hesitating before hugging the purple pegasus. "I should have noticed the raft was gonna fall sooner. I can't believe that rope dragged... but you were smart and flew free, and all you got for it was us making you worry." "It-it's fine, really... I'm sorry if I scared you..." Cloud Cutter replied, as she settled onto the boards before shaking her head. "Apologies to all of you and especially to, um... Sliptail? And... your uncle, forgive me for forgetting your name... I should have trusted more." She bowed her head. "I... may have scared your merchant, too, he was the one that told me where you were... and I have to apologize to him too." Summer Scribe chuckled! "Hey, no sweat: you didn't scare us, we scared you! I'm just glad everyone's on solid ground, so to speak." "Didn't steal no souls then? Heh." Scalesbrook said wryly."At least you won't be worrin' 'bout your friend and such when you get to meet the chieftess. Witchway Marsh is just ahead there." "You mean I didn't miss that?!" Cloud Cutter exclaimed. "Oh, thank Celestia..." Glowing blank eyes aside, the relief was absolutely clear from her posture. "Not doubting you gillmen again after that, I really do apologize!" "Don't think nothing of it Miss Po-knee." the gillman said, making a dismissive gesture with the hand that wasn't holding the punting pole. "Yeah, one of us shoulda warned ya." Sliptail added. "It's just... we don't get so many visitors these days, and like I said, those that come, they don't wanna stick around, much less take a tour down the river." "I can see why," Set Sail said with a stomp in frustration, "Those drow are a menace! I don't know what we can do against them that powerful creatures like you cannot, but if that's what it takes to deal with all this... then maybe ponies can find a way." "We've fought them, we've won against them. I'm sure Azure and Grenelda will want another round against them if asked... as will I." Cloud Cutter stated. "Even more so if I can figure out just... just what the heck is going on with me. It's not wrong, it's not right... it's just weird. Like... why can I fly two hours to this island, up to see this island, back to the village, up to the top island, and back on the raft and... not even feel tired? It just doesn't make any sense." Suspended in the sky, the impossible river twisted and turned its way down from a floating mountain to a swamp-fringed lake, its course passing through two more sizable islands as it descended. On the lazy curve of water approaching the largest island could be seen a makeshift, tube-based raft, laden with a cargo of two fishy humanoids, three colourful ponies and one grey and pink hippogriff. The ominous drop to each side gave way to muddy banks, choked with bright green plants. The terrain was a little drier than the swamp they'd fought through earlier by virtue of being less flat, with numerous hillocks poking up through the marsh. Scalesbrook worked his pole to keep the raft near the left bank, where signs of habitation began to show up; a pier, then a hut, then a mill with an undershot waterwheel. Set Sail was busily working her wings out, making sure every feather was sleek and presentable as possible, from their formerly flustered and bedraggled state. She didn't spend a lot of time looking at the burgeoning signs of civilization. Summer Scribe rubbed a hoof behind her horn. "Okay, here we are! After a bit of a teleporter fright - gonna have to remember that one for next time." She sweat-dropped, studying the village ahead. Looked a lot more impressive and built up than that first cluster of shacks, and unlike the castle, populated and in use! You didn't need to do any archaeology when you could just ask a local specimen about their customs and what they're up to! Of course, first things first, they had their hooves full with meeting the elder and asking for help! Cloud Cutter had remained quiet for the rest of the trip downriver, calming herself after getting so worried about losing the rest of her team. As civilization presented itself, she gave a quiet nod to Summer Scribe. Help for the ship was definitely top priority. She could only wish for answers about what happened to her in the crossing. Soon enough the river began to fork, splitting once, twice, thrice into smaller and smaller streams. The visitors found themselves watched by more and more scaly faces, as gillmen stopped their tasks and came out of their huts to regard the newcomers. A few more minutes downriver and the craft came to an actual dock, a sizable pool boarded by a wooden wharf with projected piers. Here were a couple more rafts, several rowboats and a modestly sized paddle-wheel steamer, all patched and worn and looking like they might sink at any moment. Indeed the prows of several wrecks stuck out of the water just outside the pool. Scalesbrook guided the raft up to the wharf, where Sliptail jumped ashore and fussed with a rope, securing it against the current. Behind her were a full-blown crowd of gillmen, a muted commotion going up as they speculated about the unfamiliar creatures that had suddenly appeared among them. Behind the crowd the village itself could be seen, several dozen ramshackle buildings of weathered wood broken by the odd bit of corrugated metal. Summer Scribe waited patiently for docking to complete before hopping off, tail flicking as she takes the village in in more detail; it definitely looked jury-rigged and thrown together from the scraps of civilisation. Given that airships are also about, she thought it likely that there's a variety of technology levels and things filtered down! She perked up as gillmen crowded around her field of view, giving a sheepish hoof wave. "Hi! We're not from around here," she correctly and helpfully pointed out. "Nice to meet you all!" The volume of the crowd increased, with the predictable "talking deer?" "no... sheep?" as well as "haven't seen a griffon since... "ya think they're here for..." "maybe they want..." A shoal of little fish-children ran out and skidded to a stop a few body lengths away from Summer, before pushing one of their number forward to go and pet her. "So here it be, Witchway Marsh, most substantial community you'll find about these parts, just the place for tradin' or eatin' or talkin' or whatever other foolin' around ya might wanna do, if I do say so." Scalesbrook said. Turning to the crowd, he shouted "Now see here, I know you be thinking, here's a griffon with some funny little pet deer, that be what we all assumed down in the hollow. But no these be po-knees, seem friendly like and smart as you or me, come to see our town and jaw with the chieftess." Summer Scribe... flushed a bit? Then accepted the pettings. This was a bit surprising, but her tail was flicking? It felt nice?? But at the chance to be dignified, she shook her head out and nod-nodded agreeably! "Yes indeed: we are Ponies, from Equestria, and we hope to forge good relations with you all!" Cloud Cutter seemed a little uneasy at first, then slumped again at the mention of sheep and deer. Again? What the heck was with every creature here? Thankfully, Scalesbrook put that confusion to rest quickly as Summer Scribe spoke again, and the winged purple pony regained her composure. Set Sail smiled at the enthusiastic unicorn, so helpful at making them known, which is nice when it's a good idea. "Thank you Scalesbrook!" she declared, fluttering up into the air, facing the crowd and adding, "Hope you all don't mind! We're just some travellers in a bit of trouble, and we could really use her advice." Most of the gillmen hung back, staring up at Set Sail and saying things like "would you look at that", "think that griff dyes 'em those colours" "never hearda no Quest-ria" and so on, while the more nervous individuals shot furtive looks at the eagle-faced hippogriff following behind the ponies. One did step forward, a dark green specimen wearing an apron. "Mayhap you folks will be wanting to park your butts in Pebbleskip Tavern, where good ol' Pebbleksip is serving up the most tastiest stew, the craziest moonshine an' the cosiest conversation you'll find hereabouts." he said hopefully. "Oh there you go again." Scalesbrook groaned. "I know you be hankering for fresh travellers ever since those ents stopped a-stopping 'round here 'Splish, but these po-knees wanna talk ta Smoothfin, and I'm betting she'll be burstin' to talk to them too, soon as she hears all this commotion." Summer Scribe chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I think we'll save the moonshine for later when we're not on business..." Lacking experience with moonshine in general and fish-folk brewing skills in particular, she wasn't sure how hard it would smash her. "But thank you for letting us know! We can check it out later!" Cloud Cutter, on the other hoof, quietly made a note. Moonshine? Sounded like a darn plan if ever there was one. Princess Luna would no doubt approve. After all... this trip has been far from fun and games, she wouldn't mind the opportunity to unwind a little. Reef Skimmer trotted behind, wings tightly folded, expression neutral, taking in the sights but letting the ponies do the talking. True to form, he was making mental notes about the anatomical variety on display and the development indicated by the juveniles; would have to confirm egg laying later. Seeing a whole crowd of the creatures it did strike him how bad the condition of their fins was, each and every one ragged and disintegrating. The little gill-girl had backed away from Summer as soon as the pony started talking. Not wanting to interfere with an adult conversation, she made for the other grounded pony: Cloud Cutter. "Um... can I pet you... um... miss... um... pony..." The little fish girl stood transfixed, staring into Cloud Cutter's featureless white eyes. Cloud Cutter couldn't help but tilt her head. Petting? Her? Far be it from her to decline such a thing, but... why her, she wondered idly, before snapping back to reality. "Petting? Um... sure?" She sounded a little dazed, as if surprised any creature would even ask her that. The girl slowly stretched out her hand, her arm shaking as she managed to break away from those eyes and look the other way. There was something... off, something terribly unsettling about this purple creature, cute as it had looked from a distance, but all her friends were watching, and... now her hand was in its mane, and it was incredibly soft and silky. "Oh, um, that's some lovely hair you got, miss pony." "Hope you do grace us with the pleasure o' your business, you won't be regretting it!" Pebbleskip managed before Scalesbrook shoed him away. Set Sail had to hide a giggle under a forehoof at the enthusiastic seller. She certainly didn't mind the attention, or the distraction from the task at hand. "Now you be followin' me close, I'll be taking ya straight up to ol' Smoothfin before she starts frettin' about what ya'll are up to here." he said to Summer, waving an arm at Set Sail in a 'come on' gesture before turning away and stomping deeper into the village, the crowd parting around him. Summer Scribe looked over at Cloud Cutter with a pleasant smile on her face. How adorable! But yes, they had work to do - she turned her head to follow Scalesbrook. For her part, Cloud Cutter chuckled slightly at the attention, but part of her is thankful for Scalesbrook bringing the group to the chieftess. At least... at least she won't be hurting this little fish creature. Bowing her head to the gill-girl, she turned away without a word and was soon following along behind Summer Scribe. "That'd be great. Sorry to drop in on you all like this," Set Sail told Scalesbrook, walking along behind him with much lighter more staccato clops of her hooves, falling in line behind Summer and Cloud Cutter, alongside the hippogriff doctor who saved everyone from a huge incident just earlier. The group made their way through the village, constructed as a series of boardwalks linking the buildings, some on raised stone foundations and others on stilts. On closer inspection it was clear that the general disrepair of the place was not so much through neglect, as from having to make constant repairs with improvised materials. Some of the patches were old and weathered, while here and there were freshly broken planks in a wall, or scorch marks on the shingles yet to be softened by rain. All the way more and more fishy faces could be seen watching through windows and standing in doorways; there must be at least a couple of hundred of the creatures living here, Reef thought. Eventually the group came to a round stone building, older and more substantial than the others, with a door of thick carved wood that looked like it had been made from a section of salvaged hull. Two burly gillmen stood to each side, bearing sizable bronze tridents and looking suspiciously at the newcomers; particularly the hippogriff. Summer Scribe peered around, taking note of the constant repairs the villagers must have to do in the wake of the drow attacks; it certainly meant they had some skill at building and crafts. She perked up at the standing guards, looking towards their tour guide and assuming they'd be given a pass once they talk. "Now these here visitors need to see the chief." Scalesbrook began "All o' them, these little ones be talking po-knees and they do got a lot to talk about, now I know what you'll be saying so I'll just go ahead and vouch for their good behaviour." Set Sail shrunk against Reef at the sight of the burly fish men and their unfriendly demeanour. Alas, she was not exactly the picture of an inspiring leader. Cloud Cutter, on the other hoof, didn't seem surprised to see the guards. After all, if they've got to deal with the Drow on a regular basis - this was the type of creature that could fight them off. If fact she gave them a little nod, standing against superior weapons and numbers deserved at least some respect... The guards looked from the gillman to the strange creatures and back again, trying to judge if these newcomers posed a threat. "You be known for some strange catches in yer time Scaly, 'corse half o' more o' them were tall tales an' all, but I do say this time you outdone yourself." said one of the guards. Turning to Summer, while still keeping a wary eye on the griff, he said "Alright little pokey, do your talkin', but we'll be watching close like with these here tridents a-ready so don't thinka trying no crazy magic nor nothin'." Summer Scribe sweat-dropped, but nodded her head. "You got it! We're just here to talk." She wasn't planning on trying anything fancy, but if she was, this would be an excellent deterrent! At the touch of Set Sail against his flank Reef Skimmer instinctively extends a wing over her, though catches himself before actually giving her a hug. He didn't want her to seem undignified, after all. The pegasus was subtly but frantically making cutting gestures with a forehoof under her chin, not that Summer seemed to notice. With that the other guard pushed the heavy door open and headed inside, her voice echoing back out "Chieftess! Four... creatures, they wanna talk, yeah they're... oh you heard, yeah... of course Chieftess, right away." That was apparently sufficient confirmation for Scalesbrook, who strode up the steps and into the dimly lit hall inside. Summer Scribe finally caught Set Sail's look and gave a bashful nod of understanding, saying no more. The brown pegasus didn't hesitate to leave Reef's protection in order to scurry up to Summer and be ready to elbow the little unicorn, on the off chance that she made any more efforts to chat with the guards on the way in. As usual, Cloud Cutter followed silently behind as the group made their way through a short hallway into the building proper. She could only hope answers were to be found here...