//------------------------------// // Of Books & Oranges // Story: Beyond the Vale // by Slip Kid //------------------------------// Firebrand awoke to the dull clang of a hammer striking metal and the low roar of a blazing fire. His ears flicked back in annoyance and he clamped his hooves over his ears in a futile attempt to block out the sound. After a few seconds, an animalistic growl escaped his throat and he attempted to roll to one side. Of course, he forgot that he was lying on a hammock. With a pained grunt, he slammed into the cold stone floor below him. “Heh, perfect start to the day,” he mumbled through gritted teeth. He slowly staggered to his hooves and stumbled across the room, or at least attempted to. He found himself bumping into scattered pieces of equipment, getting scraped by half-finished blades and tripping over stacks of heavy ingots. Nevertheless, he started to come back to his senses. During his fateful journey across the perilous room, there was a slight spring in his step. The heavy bags under his eyes had all but disappeared, something he realised after absently staring at the shiny surface of a polished silver ingot for half a minute. After what seemed like centuries, he exited into a cloyingly hot, dimly lit hall. The grey stone was bathed in a muted orange glow. The ringing sounds of an active smithy that had provided the atmosphere to Firebrand’s escapade were suddenly brought into sharp focus. They blocked out any other noise in the building. Firebrand entered the forge and was immediately struck by the sweltering heat within. He felt distinctly at home within the boiling atmosphere. Blazing Forge could be seen striking a glowing length of metal, each hit bringing forth a wave of sound and sparks. Firebrand approached him slowly, and haltingly cleared his throat to get Blazing Forge’s attention. One of Forge’s ears cocked back at the noise, and he gently set down his hammer to turn towards his guest. “Ah, there ya are. I was thinkin’ I’d have to go in there and wake you up myself.” He paused to let out a rumbling chuckle. “Now, you’re probably starving, you can get some breakfast over there.” He nodded his head in the direction of a small doorway. “Thank you. What’s for breakfast?” Firebrand’s stomach rumbled as if to punctuate his statement. “Whatever you can cook lad,” Blazing Forge bellowed with a sly grin. Firebrand didn’t know how to take that, so he settled for some bastard amalgamation of a smile and a wince. He wandered over to the doorway, studiously trying to avoid the piles of armour and blacksmithing equipment littering the floor. He soon entered a medium sized kitchen with a stove at one end and walls lined with shelves and cupboards. “Okay, first thing on the agenda: porridge.” His eyes darted to a random shelf in the room. Not wasting any more time, he began methodically ransacking the kitchen, letting out a small groan every now and then. After a few minutes, he sat on his rump and closed his eyes. His search had been fruitless. When he opened his eyes, he found himself staring at a sack of oats… right next to the stove. The facehoof that resulted from the realisation created a sound loud enough to temporarily block out the sounds of Blazing Forge at work. After recovering from his self-inflicted bludgeoning, Firebrand set to work. He kindled a fire under the stove, poured the oats in a pot with some water and milk, and desperately tried to forget his hunger for a few minutes. His patience was rewarded with a steaming hot serving of porridge. He looked at the bowls on one of the high shelves across the room, and then back at the simmering pot. I don’t think so. With that, he yanked the pot off of the stove, stuck a spoon in it, and began eating. He was in the middle of savouring a spoonfull of his delicious meal when he trundled back into the forge proper. Blazing Forge’s ears perked up at Firebrands entrance and he moved to greet him. “Well, I see you’ve got breakfast sorted, though you took your sweet time about it. Now, after you finish, are ya ready ta make good on yer deal?” Blazing Forge raised one of his thick eyebrows. Realisation dawned on Firebrands face, which was swiftly followed by guilt. Firebrand cleared his throat. “Um, can I postpone that until a bit later? I’m sorry, but there’s something I really need to do. On a related note, do you know where the library is?” Blazing Forge rolled his eyes and smiled. “Oh fine, but I swear upon my reputation as a blacksmith I will get you ta do some work around here. Now, ta get to the library, yer gonna have to straight down the road opposite the entrance. It’s pretty easy to spot from there.” Firebrand nodded his head in gratitude and headed for the door, but stuttered to a stop just a few hooves away from it. He lowered his head and folded his ears back slightly in contemplation, before raising his head to gaze at Blazing Forge. “Listen, I really am grateful for you letting me stay here. And I’m trying not to take advantage of your hospitality. And, I’m… sorry if I was being abrasive yesterday, I’ve been having an unbelievably stressful week.” Firebrand gave a confident smile, he felt as though some weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Blazing Forge simply shrugged, smirked, and went right back to work. Without another word, Firebrand swung open the door and strode out into the unknown. After gathering his bearings, he was consumed by the heaving mass of ponies crowding the streets. Although he was in a place unknown to him, in an Equestria that was not his own, he couldn’t help feeling that he was in his element. The sounds of city life, nobles with their noses pointing towards the sky and ponies going about their business… it was all very familiar. Yet it wasn’t. Despite how much he wanted to believe he was back in Canterlot, he was acutely aware of the fact that he was a complete outsider. He had no knowledge of the city, who lived there or even where he was. He had been wandering aimlessly for quite some time before he realised where he was supposed to be heading, by which time the sun was already shining high in the sky. He was forcefully brought out of his musing when he collided with something. Something hard. He stumbled back in a daze. He half-heartedly rubbed his sore head. He panned his eyes upwards to catch a glimpse of the offending obstacle, only to be almost blinded by the slab of shining metal before him. He had crashed into a Royal Guard. The armoured pegasus looked down on Firebrand with a slight glare. Firebrand at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed. “Ah, terribly sorry about that. I’ve been… distracted as of late.” The blindingly white guard lessened his glare after the apology, but he was obviously still agitated. “Just watch where you’re going next time, civilian.” With that, the guard walked off with his head held high. Oh, so it’s one of those guards. The I’m-so-high-and-mightier-than-you, self-entitled jerks who think they’re better than everypony just because they wear some shiny metal and get to parade around like glorified guard-dogs. Or maybe it’s because I kinda ran into him. Shrugging off the experience, he once again set out to find the elusive library. He couldn’t help but note that nopony had really noticed his altercation with the guard. Just like home… Before he could advance any further, he was interrupted by a tremendous growling coming from his stomach. He’d clearly been navigating the streets for longer than he thought. He was, however, painfully aware of the fact that he was short of bits. After spotting a cart selling oranges, he put a hasty plan into motion. He sidled up to the deep orange earth pony mare at the cart, pretending to peruse her orangey wares whilst subtly glancing at her from the corner of his eye. Deciding he had been there long enough, he spoke. “You know, I can’t help but notice that there aren’t too many customers about. I could help you sell these oranges, for a small fee, of course.” The orange mare quirked a brow at his suggestion, silently mulling it over for a few seconds. “Depends what the fee is,” she responded in a pleasant tone, her accent was very similar to those of ponies from Canterlot. “Let’s say… if I sell ten oranges, I get one free.” She lowered her gaze to think about his proposal before speaking. “Twenty.” “Fifteen.” “Twenty.” “Then you and I have nothing more to discuss.” Firebrand turned on his hooves in mock offense and prepared to leave, making sure his acting was as bad as possible. He was stopped by the orange mare, her voice heavily tinged with annoyance. “Ugh, fine, fifteen and you’ll get your stupid orange.” She rolled her eyes to punctuate her statement. “Thank you, ma’am.” Firebrand wore a bright smile, and performed a short bow for the mare before quickly clambering up onto the wooden cart. He loudly cleared his throat before speaking in a booming voice. “Come one, come all! I see you passing by this humble stall without a second glance. You know not what you are missing! These delightful oranges are the best you will find all of Equis! Yes, indeed the fine produce of…” He briefly paused to look at the orange merchant, who mouthed her name to him before he could lose the crowd that was slowly gathering. ”Orange Blossom will put a spring in your step. Perfect for the tired guard wanting to recover, a refreshing snack for busy wizards, an amazing alchemical ingredient! These oranges have travelled leagues for you fine ponies, enduring sieges by griffons, dragon attacks! All for the orangey goodness produced by this beautiful mare.” He gestured to Orange Blossom, who was blushing fiercely from all the attention. The crowd was much larger than it was previously. Firebrands bombastic speech had even attracted the attention of a select few nobleponies. “So, if you want to miss out on a once in a life-time opportunity like this, walk away knowing that your life will be incomplete hereafter!” Breathing deeply, he hopped off of the cart, which was being swarmed by crowds of ponies. He approached Orange Blossom, who was struggling to keep up with the sudden demand for her oranges. “Where did you learn to do that?” she asked, while desperately trying to keep up with the demands of the crowd. “My father was a respected merchant. I suppose I just picked it up after so long. I think it finally clicked when he bartered the Griffonian Spice King to the point where the griffon would be losing money.” His face was contorted in thought and rivulets of sweat ran down it. Orange Blossom nodded sedately and threw two oranges over to Firebrand. He smirked at her while she watched him leave the scene with a small smile. Unpeeling one of the oranges as he walked, he set his sights on a gargantuan grey stone building in the distance, most likely the fabled library. The late morning sun beat down on him as he steadily ate the fruits of his labour; the oranges were pretty good. He entered the massive library, squeezing past the gigantic wooden doors and beholding the contents within. His eyes bugged out when he saw what awaited him inside. There were countless rows of mahogany bookshelves, each stacked to the brim with colourful tomes of all different sizes and ages, books on every subject imaginable. Slowly, he recovered from his shocked bemusement and steadily cantered into the building. Now, where’s the history section? Taking a guess and wandering down a random aisle, he quickly spotted somepony who looked like they worked at the library. Adjusting his course, he greeted the grey unicorn mare with a friendly smile. “Excuse me, ma’am, but might you be able to tell me where I might find books relating to history?” The librarian spared him one uninterested glance before speaking. “Three aisles over and four shelves down.” Firebrand quickly thanked her, receiving a frosty look in return. He set off at a light canter. He was soon confronted by a bookshelf bogged down by massive books, some larger than Firebrands head. Searching through the gold-embroidered titles for a few minutes, he pulled out a suitable looking tome. He set it down on a near-by wooden table, which creaked under its massive weight. The cover was blacker than black, and History and Folklore of the Equestrian Sovereignty could be seen shining in gold print. Well, this promises to be an exciting read. Firebrand made a sour face as he opened the dusty book, he planned to skim most of it anyway. He muttered under his breath whilst scanning the book. “Hmm, Discordian Rule, no… Pact of Vaeryn, no… Diamond Dog relocation, no… and nothing about Nightmare Moon… brilliant.” His tone became one of disbelief when he found no mention of the event. His eyes became unfocused as he mulled over the new development. “Not good, not good at all.” Firebrand morosely meandered down the streets of Hoofens with his head held low, however his face showed intense concentration. He had been mulling over the additions to the spell matrix and the implications thereof. The streets were far less crowded than before and the hot mid-afternoon sun warmed Firebrands back. He had just started walking on the cobbled street that led to the forge when he heard several hushed voices in the distance. His ears perked up, but he still couldn’t make out what they were saying. Cautiously, he moved towards the voices, one of them was the distinct bass voice of Blazing Forge. “Listen, I’m gettin’ the armour out as fast I can an’ I don’t need the likes of you comin’ down here when I’m tryin’ ta work.” A new voice answered Blazing Forge, one that seemed vaguely familiar to Firebrand. “I don’t care, work faster.” Firebrand turned the corner separating him from the forge, only to catch a glimpse of golden armour disappearing down the road. He finally remembered where he had heard that voice before. It was the Royal Guard he had bumped into on his way to the library Tired and confused, Firebrand approached Blazing Forge, who looked slightly relieved when he saw him. “So, who was that lovely- er, gentlecolt?” Firebrand asked. “That fine stallion is in charge of the armoury of the Solar Guard, an’ I think he jus’ likes annoying me. He’s probably just jealous that I get such a nice forge.” The last part was said with a wry smirk. “So, didja find what you were looking for?” Firebrand shook his head, which caused Blazing Forge’s smile to drop ever so slightly. “Oh, that’s a shame lad. Still, from what I heard you had a bit of fun in the marketplace, wouldn’t have thought you’d be the type.” Firebrand grinned when he remembered the spectacle he’d put on. “Oh yeah, well I was tired yesterday, I wasn’t today.” He winked at Blazing Forge and moved to enter the low stone building, only to be stopped short by a tremendous brown hoof. “Now, now, remember our deal?” Forge asked. Firebrand hanged his head in defeat, but dutifully followed Blazing Forge nonetheless. They walked over to the forge. It was glowing a harsh, energetic orange and embers would occasionally flit into the air like phoenixes, only to die a moment later. Blazing Forge lifted a large pearlescent block of mithril over to Firebrand, and instructed him to heat it until it glowed orange. He let out an impressed whistle when Firebrand accomplished the feat in very little time, at the cost of a slight twinge of pain in Firebrands horn. It would seem that he had not yet recovered from his fight with the timberwolves. Forge set out hammering the glowing piece of metal, working into a steady hypnotic rhythm. Firebrand found himself enraptured by it, his mind clearing of all thoughts, only to be brought back by Forge clearing his throat. Firebrand hummed in curiousity. “I’ve been meanin’ ta ask. How did ya get yer mark?” he said, looking pointedly at Firebrands cutie mark. Firebrand uttered a short, mirthful chuckle. “Not much of a story, really. I went into a forest one day, I remember I was so… angry, but for the life of me I can’t remember why. So I just kept wandering and wandering until I didn’t know where I was anymore. My anger reached a boiling point and I just… snapped, like a twig underneath a carriage. I just vented my magic, I didn’t really know many spells at the time, and when the smoke cleared and I opened my eyes everything was just... burning.” Firebrand had closed his eyes as he recited the tale. “But there was something more, I felt… clarity, for what seemed like the first time in my life. There was no anger, I just knew who I was and what I wanted to do. I went home, apologised for whatever I did and, well, here we are.” He rubbed his neck awkwardly after he finished speaking. “How about you?” “Not much to tell, like you I suppose. Smithing’s been the family business for as long as anypony can remember. Heck, I’m sure I could find ancestors back in Discordian times! I was jus’ helping my dad ‘round the forge when I got it. He’d gotten an order and it was too much work for him to handle on his own. I volunteered to help ‘im and I got this thing,” He gestured to his cutie mark. “a few hours ‘a work later. And, well, it was like you said. Clarity and all that nonsense.” They lapsed into silence and grins spread over their faces. They burst out into raucous laughter soon after. It was just what Firebrand needed after his ordeal. They spent the rest of the day sharing stories, laughing and working around the forge. They stopped just after the ascent of the moon, they bid each other goodnight and Firebrand trundled to his makeshift room. For the first time in a while, he didn’t have trouble getting to sleep.