Tincture awoke hours later, feeling rested. She looked down at Murky; still held close to her, and still asleep.
Tincture smiled gently, carefully sliding out of the bed to pack her cart. She had some extra things to pack; she hummed softly as she grabbed a blanket from the closet, as well as some pencils, paper, and a wooden cutting board for the filly to draw on. Tincture figured Murky would stay behind the cart most of the day.
She also snuck to the kitchen, carefully cutting a few cinnamon buns loose from the tray, wrapping them in wax paper.
Tincture tucked the buns away in her cart, smiling gently. She then turned to the fire, magicking a firestarter over to set some kindling alight to start a fire.
Hazy was asleep on the couch, so the unicorn worked as quietly as she could; Hazy would stir, however, from a particularly loud crackle of the growing flames.
"Mmm…? Oh, morning Tincture," Hazy mumbled, yawning groggily as she sat up.
Tincture smiled a bit, "Good morning, Hazy," She greeted, carefully tending to the fire.
Hazy gently plodded over and pulled Tincture into a hug, "You okay, hun? You were pretty rattled last night," Hazy expressed.
Tincture blinked, but leaned into the hug. "I'm alright; I think I just needed some sleep," She admitted.
Hazy smiled gently, "Good," She replied, "We were worried about you… You don't have a good track record with high-stress situations, hun."
Tincture sighed a little. "I know. I need to be strong for Murky," She expressed, "But I'm not alone. That makes it much easier," She added, giving Hazy a small smile.
Hazy Stupor giggled gently, "Seems like you actually did listen to us," She joked softly.
"I always listen, Haze. I just don't show it a lot," Tincture admitted.
Hazy nodded a little, "I know, I know, you're the quiet type…" She trailed off, giving Tincture a light kiss on the cheek, "Between you and me, it's adorable," She expressed.
Tincture blushed brightly, "H-huh?" She stammered.
Hazy giggled a little, "You're cute, Tincture. Murky got that from you," She explained.
Tincture gave an awkward smile, "If you say so, Hazy…" She replied gently.
Hazy giggled gently and stood up. "You want a cinnamon bun for breakfast, hun?" She asked.
Tincture nodded. "That sounds lovely," She replied softly.
Some time would pass in the morning; Angel would wake up, as would Bottle.
Tincture went to check on Murky; the filly was awake, looking around the room as she laid in bed.
"Good morning, Murky," Tincture greeted, gently rubbing Murky's head.
Murky took in a deep breath and stretched, nuzzling a bit into her mother's hoof, "Good morning, mom," She murmured.
"Did you sleep well?" Tincture asked.
Murky nodded.
"Good," Tincture replied with a soft smile, "Do you want to come have breakfast with us?" She asked.
Murky nodded again, slowly creeping out from under the thick cover of blankets, following Tincture out into the front room.
Breakfast wasn't particularly fancy; mostly leftovers from the night before, though there was toast on offer as well.
"Are you excited to go to the market, Murky?" Angel asked as they ate.
Murky blinked, "Aren't there a lot of ponies at the market?" She asked, ears pinning back slightly.
Tincture nodded a bit, "There can be; you can stay by the cart, if you want. You don't need to be out in the open," She explained.
Murky nodded hesitantly, "Well… Okay, mom," She replied gently.
Bottle smiled gently, "It's supposed to be a nice day out, at least," She said calmly.
Angel nodded, "Mhm! Supposed to be one of the warmest days of the month."
Hazy chuckled a bit and turned to Murky, "Don't worry, hun. I'm sure mom'll take care of you if you decide you don't like being out in public," She said warmly.
Murky nodded a little, "Okay, Ms. Hazy," She replied gently.
Tincture smiled, "I wasn't too fond of the market when I first started going there either; you'll warm up to it, don't worry," She promised, "I packed your drawing supplies so you have something to do."
Murky nodded a little.
The rest of breakfast was quiet, and passed with little issue; before long, the mares dispersed from the house.
Murky looked up at Tincture as they walked, her eyes gazing between Tincture and the cart hitched to her torso. "Is that cart heavy, mom?" She asked.
Tincture chuckled a bit, "It is, yes; I have to take good care of it to ensure I can pull it properly," She explained.
Murky blinked, "Could I try pulling it?" She asked.
Tincture smiled gently, "That's a very nice offer, Murky, but I don't want you to hurt yourself," She expressed, leaning down and gently nuzzling Murky.
Murky blinked, but nuzzled back into Tincture. "Okay, mom," She replied gently.
Murky looked around at the market as they arrived; there were only a few ponies there as early as Tincture usually was, so Murky had a chance to observe without being under too many watchful eyes.
Tincture hummed gently as she set up her cart, unpacking the blanket and setting it neatly at the edge of the cobblestones, so Murky would have somewhere comfortable to lay down.
Murky took some time to wander around the town square, looking at all the colourful awnings over the wooden stalls and the assorted ponies setting up their wares.
Murky always made sure she was within Tincture's line of sight; she didn't really feel safe out in the open by herself. Murky squeaked slightly as she heard a voice come from behind her.
"Are you lost, ma'am?" Asked a mare's voice.
Murky spun around to face the stranger; they were a pegasus, a bit taller than her.
"Oh, no," Murky replied softly, pointing a hoof at Tincture, "My mom's just over there."
The pegasus cocked a brow, "Your mother?" They asked, glancing over Murky for a long moment, "Ah, I'm sorry, little one; I mistook you for a full-grown mare," They admitted with a soft chuckle.
Murky shook her head, "I'm just a filly," She corrected softly, taking an uncomfortable step back from the pegasus.
"I see… Are you in school? You sound about my daughter's age," The pegasus asked.
Murky shook her head again, "N-no, I'm not…" She trailed off, her eyes becoming fearful at the thought of schooling and teachers; memories crept back into the front of her brain.
Tincture noticed the distress from her stand, and quickly walked over. "Murky? Murky, what's wrong?" She asked, gently pulling the filly into a hug.
Murky sobbed and whimpered weakly into Tincture's chest.
Tincture looked at the pegasus with a harsh gaze. "What did you say to her?" She asked, voice suddenly very cold.
The pegasus took a slight step back, "I just asked if she was enrolled in the school; she is your foal, is she not?" They asked.
Tincture sighed gently. "Our family has a rough history with education," She admitted, rubbing Murky's back. It was a simplification, but it worked fine enough as an explanation right now.
"It's okay, Murky… She's not here," Tincture whispered gently, nuzzling Murky's mane a bit.
Murky's whimpers subsided, but she stayed close to Tincture, holding onto her as if Tincture were the only thing keeping her head above turbulent water.
"Ah… I'm so, very sorry… I'm a teacher at the school; I had no idea your daughter was in such an odd straight," She expressed, "How long has Murky been away from a formal education?" The pegasus asked.
Tincture froze briefly. That was not a question she was prepared to answer; she would have to either lie and give a terrible answer, or tell the truth and give a terrible answer, "She's never been to a… Normal school," Tincture explained. That was a decent enough compromise, "Her last teacher was quite abusive, and I haven't had the will to make her go somewhere else," She admitted.
The pegasus lightly stamped their hoof on the cobblestones, giving a somewhat dejected look. "I… I see," She said, her eyes softening, "If you would like, I can introduce you two to some of the faculty… If Murky is ready, of course."
Tincture took a moment, and gently pulled Murky away from her, looking into her watery eyes with all of the gentleness she could muster. "Murky… The nice pegasus would like to introduce you to some other fillies and colts at the school; did you want to go see them?" She asked gently.
The pegasus briefly raised her hoof as if to correct Tincture, but remembered what she'd said about teachers.
Murky eventually hesitantly nodded, "O-okay, mom… You'll be there, right?" She asked weakly.
Tincture nodded. "Of course. And if you're not comfortable, you can come back to the market with me," She promises, nuzzling Murky gently.
Murky closed her eyes, "Okay…" She replied gently.
Tincture took a few more moments to comfort Murky, and then looked at the pegasus. "Alright. Please, lead the way, Miss…" Tincture trailed off.
"Syrup; Tinned Syrup," The pegasus introduced warmly, looking down at Murky, "It's very nice to meet you both."
Tincture and Murky would follow Tinned Syrup as she walked down the road, Murky staying close to Tincture's side.
The schoolhouse wasn't particularly large; it was a warm-looking building, painted a gentle red. It almost looked like it had been a small barn at some point, judging by the wooden post fences and squat form. Within the fence was a small playground, where a number of fillies and colts played among some basic climbing structures and small nets for soccer.
Tinned Syrup smiled gently, and pointed at a yellow pegasus filly who was sitting close to the fence, next to a couple bushes, "That's my daughter over there; you can go talk to her, if you'd like," She explains, her voice softened as she was speaking to Murky.
Murky looked up at Tincture expectantly.
Tincture smiled gently, "Would you like me to come with you?" She asked.
Murky nodded.
Tincture gently walked her over to the corner where the yellow filly was sitting.
Tinned Syrup walked along. "Honey, this is Murky. She's new to the school," She explains to the filly.
Honey looked at Murky with wide eyes, slowly standing up and smiling, "Hi Murky!" She greets, "I'm Honey Syrup!"
Murky leaned against Tincture a bit. "Hello," She greeted quietly.
Tincture gently nuzzled Murky, "It's okay, Murky, she won't hurt you. She's just a filly, like you," She cooed.
Murky blinked and took a hesitant step forward.
Honey Syrup giggled and stepped forward, wrapping her front legs around Murky in a hug.
Murky squeaked from the sudden proximity, but hesitantly hugged back once she realized she wasn't in any danger.
Tinned Syrup and Tincture both stepped back to allow the fillies to introduce each other.
Murky took a step back from Honey Syrup, gazing over the other filly. She had a bright, golden-yellow mane with warm, dark yellow fur. Her mane was done up in a somewhat messy braid, and her eyes were a gentle green.
"Hello," Murky repeated softly, sitting down with an anxious look on her face.
Honey didn't seem to mind Murky's lack of social experience, smiling up at the large filly. "What do you like to do for fun?" She asked, her tail lightly swishing with excitement.
"I… I like to draw," Murky answered gently, looking at the excitable filly before her, "I draw a lot…"
Honey giggled a little, "Oh! I like drawing too!" She said, "I'm not very good at it, though. All I can draw are flowers," She conceded.
Murky blinked, "I've never drawn a flower before," She admitted, "I mostly draw landscapes, mom, and her friends," She explained, fiddling lightly with her hooves.
Honey grinned, "That's okay! I can show you!" She said.
Tincture smiled warmly, "Seems like they've hit it off just fine… I was worried Murky would be a bit more closed off," She admitted.
Tinned Syrup giggled. "My little honey's just the sweetest little thing. The other foals don't like her much, though…" She admitted, frowning slightly.
"Why not?" Tincture inquired.
"She loves bees; there's a hive up in the tree, which is why none of the other foals come to this corner of the schoolyard," Tinned Syrup explained, pointing up.
Tincture nodded, "I'm sure that won't bother Murky. She hasn't had many bad experiences with animals; just other ponies," She explained.
Tinned Syrup nodded sympathetically. "Well, hopefully Honey will help her loosen up a bit," She expressed.
Their focus was broken as Honey called to them, "Mama, me and Murky are gonna go draw!" She explained.
Murky looked back at Tincture, who nodded. "You can go, Murky," She said gently, "I'll stay around the school for a bit longer with Miss Syrup; you just come and get me if you want to leave, okay?"
Murky nodded, and allowed Honey Syrup to lead her inside the school.
Murky looked around the warm interior of the schoolhouse. It didn't match her inherited memories of a school at all; the school she was used to was big, cold, and hewn from stone bricks. In contrast, the cozy barn with its soft straw flooring and warm wooden walls was like a second home.
Honey Syrup led Murky to a table with some pencils, paper, and crayons.
"So what kind of things can you draw, Murky?" She asked.
Murky took a piece of paper and a pencil wordlessly, sitting kitty-corner to Honey.
Honey blinked, watching as Murky began carefully sketching on the page.
Some time passed, and Murky pulled away from her paper. She had drawn a fairly accurate sketch of Honey; the proportions were a bit off here or there, but Honey could only gawk. "Woah! How did you draw that so quick!?" She squeaked.
Murky set her pencil down, "It's easier when you're sitting right in front of me," She explained gently, "I just looked at you, then the paper, over and over again."
Honey blinked. "Oh, okay. Can you draw things you're not looking at?" She asked.
Murky nodded a bit. "I can, but it takes a lot longer and it doesn't look as good," She admitted.
Honey nodded a little, grabbing her own piece of paper to draw a flower.
Murky watched with interest; she wasn't familiar with flowers. She didn't have much knowledge when it came to plants, so she didn't say anything.
Honey eventually backed away; it was a simple drawing of a flower, really. A circle with 5 plain petals growing out of it.
Murky blinked a little, "That's a flower?" She asked.
Honey nodded, "Mhm! Daisies are my favourite," She explained with a soft giggle.
Murky nodded simply, looking at the paper as she grabbed another of her own, drawing out the same basic shape, but adding some small details to illustrate some depth.
Honey watched her, and tried copying the technique.
Murky blinked, "You didn't have to change your drawing," She reasoned, "I just wanted to draw my own to show mom."
Honey smiled, "Yours looks better! I wanted to try copying it," She explained.
Murky nodded, "Oh, okay," She replied softly.
Murky's ear twitched as she thought she heard a buzzing sound.
She looked to Honey Syrup, who watched as a large bug landed on the tip of her snout.
"Oh, there you are, Harold! I thought you'd gone back home," Honey said, a smile on her face.
"Harold?" Murky asked, squinting a bit. She could make out a fat, fluffy body with black and yellow stripes.
Honey giggled. "Mhm! She's a bee. I take care of the bees at home, and Harold likes to hide in my mane and come to school with me," She explained.
Murky nodded a little, carefully stepping forward.
The bee rotated around to look at her, judging her with its big compound eyes.
"She's pretty," Murky said, nearly touching snouts with Honey as she tried to get a better look.
With the opportunity to bridge the now very short gap, Harold carefully crawled from one snout to another.
Murky blinked.
Honey smiles, "She likes you!" She exclaimed excitedly, watching as Harold settled on Murky's nose.
Murky nodded a little, "Oh, okay," She replied, smiling a small smile for the first time today, "Hello, Harold," She greeted.
The bee said nothing, simply sitting idly on Murky's snout for a few moments, before buzzing off outside.
"Ope, there she goes. The bees are usually extra busy just before the first frost," Honey explained with a giggle.
Murky nodded, allowing her mind to be occupied by Honey's abrupt rambling about taking care of bees. It wasn't a topic Murky was truly interested in, but she realized she enjoyed Honey's company more than anything, so Murky continued to listen.
Murky's focus was broken as Tincture, Tinned Syrup, and a third mare she didn't recognize walked in.
Tincture smiled gently at Murky, "Are you having a good time with your new friend, Murky?" She asked.
Murky stood to her feet, trotting over and hugging Tincture as she nodded. "Mhm," She replied softly.
Tincture smiled and hugged Murky back, "Good," She said softly, "Do you want to stay here, or did you want to come back to the market with me?" She asked.
Murky briefly looked back at Honey Syrup, then returned her gaze to Tincture, "I-I'd like to stay here, mom," She said, voice unsteady. Her ears drooped slightly, as if expecting punishment.
Tincture gently kissed Murky on the head. Truth be told, she was hesitant about leaving Murky in the care of others; after all, she wouldn't be there to protect the filly if something went wrong. However, Tincture also tried to think of what her friends would do in this situation, and she could practically hear Angel telling her that it was good for Murky to socialize with other fillies.
"Alright, Murky. I'll come get you when the school day's over," She said gently, "Be good for the faculty, okay?"
Murky nodded, "I will, mom," She promised, hugging Tincture tightly.
Tincture smiled gently, giving Murky a light squeeze before allowing the filly to return to the drawing table.
Tincture looked at Tinned Syrup and the other mare, "If she starts having an episode, please come and get me," She expressed.
The other mare smiled warmly at her. "We will, don't worry. Your daughter's in good hooves," She promised.
"Thank you, Miss…" Tincture briefly trailed off, "Hastily Writ, yes?"
The mare smiled, "Just 'Writ' is fine," She corrected.
Tincture nodded a bit, and with a bit of a push from Tinned Syrup, left the building.
Tincture sighed softly to herself. She had barely gotten to the edge of the schoolyard and already she was worried sick. "It's okay, Tincture," She muttered to herself, "These teachers are not her. They want to take care of Murky as much as you do. She's happy, has a friend…" Tincture trailed off. She hadn't done a good job convincing herself, but forced herself to walk to the market anyways, sitting behind her cart just in time for the first few patrons to make their way into the square. Tincture looked at the empty blanket, paper, and pencils next to her. This would be more difficult than she thought.