"Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured."
-Mark Twain
Twilight was in a dour mood as she and Morenth made their way through the many side streets of Hollodrum towards an inn that her friend had a room reserved in.
She hadn't asked for, or even wanted the equipment Morenth had ordered for her, however in the face of his generosity and the smith's unexpected enthusiasm she had no choice but to relent, relegating herself to casting uncomfortable looks at her friend while the massive armorer took her sizes. Thankfully the smith had accepted her input on the design, asking at least for something light and easy to move in. He'd promised she'd be pleased with the results, but that hadn't relieved the mare of her reluctance.
"Hmm, we might have to forgo any upscale lodgings on the road for a while," Morenth said next to her as he rattled his coin pouch in the cup of his hand, listening to the tinkling sound of the noticeably emptier sack. "The price that smith asked for was practically extortion."
"Then why did you agree to it?" Twilight asked, slightly frustrated by the knight's apparent ignorance of her apprehension.
"Because, no matter the price, you'll need protection when we travel the path to Kaldoon," Morenth replied, staring out over the wooden walls of Hollodrum to the west with a distant expression.
"Kaldoon? Since when did we decide to go there? Wherever there is," the lavender mare asked heatedly, "Were you even going to ask my opinion before we left!?"
"I was planning on telling you once we possessed the privacy of a room, but yes, Kaldoon is our destination. I know someone of import there who might be able to assist in finding out how you arrived on Soulis, and more importantly, how to send you back home."
"Really?!" Twilight asked with sudden elation, completely forgetting her annoyance at Morenth's exclusion of her in his planning.
"Yes," Morenth affirmed, pausing for a moment with a pensive look, "The Archduke, Daius, is a good man, and one of the foremost practitioners of the arcane despite his youth. If he can't help you there's always the great archives of Kaldoon to explore. It houses one of the largest reservoirs of knowledge in Soulis."
The knight looked about to continue when he caught the expression on the lavender mare's face.
"T-the largest archive of knowledge on the continent?!"
Twilight swooned at the prospect of delving into a metaphorical sea of books and tomes, swimming through a deluge of daydreams before Morenth snapped her out of it.
"-Twilight?... Twilight are you listening?"
"What? Oh, sorry I kinda let myself zone out for a moment. What were you saying?" Twilight apologized, earning her a look of exasperation from her companion.
"I was saying that the road to Kaldoon is a hard one, and that we'll need as much protection and supplies as possible if we plan on crossing the Grey Flats," the knight explained, noticing the question forming in the mare's eyes, "Nothing grows there but Hyphlis grass. It spans hundreds of leagues, taking many fortnights to cross. During that time there will be no food or water to forage."
"Morenth, you know I can eat grass, right?" Twilight deadpanned, drawing a groan from her companion.
"Fine, no water then," Morenth amended grudgingly, "But the flats are also home to dangerous predators called Krath."
"Let me guess, they're not particularly aggressive bunnies are they," the lavender mare quipped sarcastically as they rounded a side-street onto the main road.
"They're a species of giant caecilians that swallow wagons whole with very little warning," Morenth answered, his eyes narrowing as a well lit and noise filled building came into view.
When the two companions were close enough to make out individual voices the knight held out his hand in front of Twilight, stopping the mare as he crouched down next to her.
"What?" Twilight asked, eager to rest and organize her thoughts after the disheartening discovery that she'd been displaced from her world entirely. The night they'd camped in the Bloodwood had been spent forming all her questions for Morenth the following morning, finding little in the way of respite as her mind worked feverishly over her expected inquiries. "Aren't we going inside?"
"Yes, but first I need you to agree not to speak while there are crowds of people around us," Morenth said as the lavender mare's brow furrowed, opening her mouth to argue before the knight cut her off. "Your presence alone will cause enough confusion without a crowd of reactions like the gate sentry's, and I'm not in the mood for a barroom brawl."
Twilights lips pursed shut in agitation, but nodded her assent, not willing to deal with anything else that day either.
"Twilight, do you know how to communicate telepathically with your magic? Some of our war mages have used it to great effect in the past," the knight asked in an attempt to mollify her, "If so, now is the time to use it."
The lavender mare's horn began to glow with a faint pink aura as Morenth finished voicing his question.
"Yes, but I can't hide my horn's magical signature as it registers in the visible spectrum," Twilight answered as she projected her thoughts through the magical connection she'd established with her companions mind.
"It should be fine," Morenth intoned, looking at her reassuringly, "Those not practiced in the arcane shouldn't be able to recognize it as anything more than a parlor trick."
With the agreement in place they moved through the heavy doors containing the cacophony of boisterous bar patrons. The inn was practicably full to bursting with noisy creatures yelling various obscenities at each other while they drank what looked like the Apple family's cider. It reeked of sweat and other, less savory odors as the two companions pushed through the throng of moving bodies toward the bar where the innkeeper was hurrying to keep up with the shouted orders of his clients.
The innkeeper himself was a portly man with short legs and a ruddy face. His apron was heavily stained from sweat and grease, becoming further drenched as he hastened to and fro behind the bar. Twilight felt a twinge of sadness as she imagined what Rarity might have done if she'd seen such a wardrobe, probably tear the inn apart in a rage of scissors and thread as she made suitable outfits for all of them to wear.
By some miracle, Twilight went mostly unnoticed, trotting after Morenth as he cut a path through the crowd. Her profile was too low for the inebriated townspeople to note her passing as she cautiously avoided thrown mugs and flagons from the out of control festivities.
Her companion took a seat at the bar, waiting for the innkeeper to take notice before immediately loosing all patience.
"Barkeep, service!" Morenth shouted as he slammed his fist on the bar, competing with other patrons too lost in merriment to control their voices.
The innkeeper inspected the bar for the source of the shouting with a look of mild annoyance as he slid a mug along its surface to a group at the far end, eliciting more cheers and slurred toasts to the barkeep. When he spotted Morenth beckoning from his seat the innkeeper's annoyance was replaced by what Twilight thought was an obviously fake smile, hanging the rag he'd been carrying on a hook next to him as he walked at an easy pace to where Morenth sat.
"I see you're back, good sir!" the innkeeper yelled over the den, "Might you be needin' the key to your lodgings?"
"Yes, and a second if you can spare the room!" her companion answered, motioning to Twilight as she propped her forehooves on the bar for a better look at the innkeeper.
It took a moment for the barkeep to recover from the sudden appearance of a unicorn staring at him, but fixed Morenth with an remorseful look.
"My apologies sir, but I don't rent out rooms for pets," the innkeeper said at normal volume as he leaned over the bar into the conversation.
Morenth's hand shot out and grabbed the portly man by the collar, dragging his face down to meet the angry knight's eyes.
Twilight's heart jumped in her throat as Morenth manhandled the innkeeper, missing her companions wince of pain as she frantically formed a connection to the knight's mind.
"What are you doing?!" the lavender mare yelled mentally, halting Morenth immediately with the sheer volume of her astral voice, "I thought we were trying NOT to draw attention to ourselves!"
Her telepathic tongue lashing had the desired effect as her companion glanced around the bar to the fierce faces of many wrathful bar patrons. They were rapidly sobering at the sight of their favored barkeep being assaulted by a stranger, several standing from their stools as they prepared to remove the knight by force.
"Fair enough..." Morenth intoned loud enough for the agitated party to hear. "Just the one room then."
The knight let go of the flustered innkeeper who withdrew a key ring from his aprons pocket and placed it on the bar. Grabbing the keys, Morenth turned and stormed out of the throng of bar patrons who were already back to their boisterous merriment as Twilight trotted hastily after him.
"Morenth what's wrong?"
The knight didn't answer, fuming as he paced down the stone corridor to their room.
Morenth stormed into the room without pausing to check if Twilight had followed him, slumping into a solid wooden chair next to the window. The Paladin heaved a tired sigh as he went over the events in the gathering hall, trying to piece together how he could have been so foolish.
"Morenth?"
The Paladin startled at the sudden voice as the lavender mare hopped onto the bed across from him, sitting down on her haunches with a look of concern gracing her features.
Morenth didn't know what to say to her. He had no answer to give himself for his behavior. The Paladin was possessed of a quick temper, but he'd never let it control him outside of battle before now.
The chair creaked as Morenth adjusted his posture, rubbing his temples in a failing attempt to stave off an emerging headache.
"Forgive me Twilight, I need a moment to myself." The Paladin sighed and lifted himself out of the chair as he made for the hallway. He could hear the lavender mare move from the bed, trotting up behind him into the corridor.
"The innkeeper should bring a tub of hot water for a bath soon," Morenth said suddenly, deflecting whatever she might have told him as he walked out the door, "I'll leave you to it."
He strided down the hallway with purpose while in his mind he possessed anything but, crossing the threshold to the gathering hall and out into the darkening streets.
Guards walked the main street, lighting lanterns in preparation of the coming night. The cobbled stone below Morenth's feet clicked loudly as he strode to nowhere in particular, matching the subtle rhythm of his mind as he attempted to calm himself. He needed to be alone for a while. matters tended to become more facile for the Paladin with solitude, secluded from outside influences.
The sun cast it's last lancing rays of light across the blackening sky as it sought rest over the horizon, leaving behind the mixing hues of relucent pink and deep purples of twilight.
'Twilight.'
The lavender mare was truly a mystery. She had saved his life when many others would have fled, and treated it like it was a decision as natural to her as breathing. When he'd threatened to slay her for the practice of dark magic, she'd trusted and forgiven him without a second thought. But she'd done something far simpler that even now, cast murky clouds across the Paladin's mind.
'Friend.'
Morenth forced down the emotions that came with the troublesome word, stopping at the corner of the main street and leaning his back against the door of a shop. Too much had been lost in the name of that simple word. He flinched as memories of hamlets, villages, towns, and even cities flashed through his mind, their names now forgotten and useless to all but the few who'd fought, and failed to defend them. Sadness was quickly consumed by mounting rage at those responsible for the destruction as Morenth battled for control of himself with a discipline he'd spent his whole life mastering.
With a concerted effort his boiling blood eased down to a simmer, taking in even breaths as twilight gave way to night.
The Paladin watched the day come to a close, holding his pendant while softly intoning a prayer of thanks to Yuelith for her gift of light and to watch over Soulis with the coming daybreak. His faith in the goddess went a long way to restoring his peace of mind, reigning in the last fragments of his anger.
The walk back to the inn was by far more pleasant than his abrupt departure, the newly risen moon casting pale spindles of luminance over Hollodrum. He steeled himself for whatever Twilight would ask about his outburst, preparing to answer endless strings of questions from the ever-curious mare.
To his luck, Morenth found her asleep when he returned, curled up in a ball under the sheets of the room's only bed. By the look of her expertly groomed mane, and the contented look on her face, she'd taken his advice on the bath.
The Paladin collapsed in the chair by the window once again, wondering at how he'd come to this point, the unicorn sleeping in his bed aside.
"The squire grew up, I guess," Morenth mumbled to himself as he began to drift off, remembering the peaceful days before his knighthood as the embrace of sleep took him.