The next morning was the brightest that Ragnar had seen in a long time. The sun was sparing no expense in bathing Equestria in its golden light, and that alone was enough to wake him up. After folding up his bedroll and putting it in his bag, he tried to recall what had happened last night.
"Oh, now I remember. That Rarity lass wanted to see me at...Carousel Boutique, I think it was," Ragnar said to himself. "I cannae imagine what she could want, but I told her I'd be there. Better get to steppin'."
With that, he picked up his axe and put it on his back, then walked into town, trying to shake off the sleep as he traveled.
Rarity let out a relieved sigh. Her work room was an absolute mess--there were bits and pieces of cloth strewn everywhere, small cobwebs had grown in the corners due to neglect, and there were even a few ponyquins that had been knocked over. Despite it all, however, Rarity had finished her next big project. She couldn't wait to unveil it, but first she would have to clean up.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock on the front door. Almost instantly afterwards, she heard the door to Sweetie Belle's room slam open. She could hear her sister shriek in excitement and sprint towards the door, and she was surprised that the windows were still intact.
"Sweetie Belle, will you please calm down?" Rarity asked. "I honestly don't understand why you're getting so worked up over Ragnar's visit."
Sweetie Belle didn't respond. Rarity put her work glasses on the table and went to the living room, where Sweetie Belle had already opened the door. Ragnar was on the other side, and he waved politely as he stepped into the building.
"Ye weren't kidding when ye said I'd know this place when I saw it," Ragnar said. "I thought that 'Carousel Boutique' was just a metaphor or somethin'."
"I'm glad you could make it," Rarity said. "Please, make yourself at home."
"Ragnar, Ragnar!" Sweetie Belle was jumping up and down with excitement. "Tell us about the Timberwolves some more!"
Ragnar took his axe off of his back and sat down, placing it across his lap carefully so that he didn't accidentally cut up Rarity's stool. "I will, I will. Just gimme a chance to see what yer sister wants, will ya?"
Sweetie Belle gasped with delight, causing her to hover in the air for a few seconds. She landed and sat down immediately, holding her breath and puffing out her cheeks. She was so excited that she vibrated in place like a string on a harp.
"Is she always like this?" Ragnar asked, turning to the more reasonable pony of the two sisters.
Rarity smiled and rolled her eyes. "Few things are more excitable than a little filly."
"...She's turnin' blue."
"She'll start breathing again when she needs to. Now, about why I called you here..." Rarity looked down at Ragnar's weapon of choice. "I'm a bit curious. Where did you get such a dangerous weapon?"
"This axe has been passed down in me family fer generations," Ragnar explained. "Me distant ancestor forged it himself the day he became a fully-fledged paladin."
"Would you object if I got a closer look at it?"
Ragnar shook his head and held the axe out to her. "Be careful with it. I keep it sharp."
Sweetie Belle suddenly let out the breath she had been holding, falling onto her stomach as she did so. She started breathing so heavily that it was comical.
Rarity picked up the axe with her magic and inspected it closely. She held it at various angles, getting a close look at every side, every dent, every last detail. The blade was nothing short of pristine--it seemed that Ragnar not only kept it sharp, but well-maintained and even polished. The handle, however, was another story.
"I must ask, why is the handle in such poor condition?" she asked. "With how well you keep the blade, it just seems such a sharp contrast."
"I fix it up just enough to keep it from breakin'," Ragnar replied. "We Dwarves are blacksmiths, not carpenters."
"I suppose that's fair. Hmm...I believe I could help you with this."
"But...if ye run a boutique, what would ye know about woodworkin'?"
"I'm not one to turn down a new art form. Sewing may be the way I make a living, but it's not the only thing I know."
"Well...I dinnae think I can argue with that. How much will this cost me?"
"It's a rather small project, so it won't be very expensive. I will tell you once it's complete, and you can decide whether or not you want it then."
"Sounds good. In the meantime, I guess I should get yer sister to stop bouncin' off the walls."
Rarity giggled. "That would be for the best, yes. If you need me, I'll be in my workroom. I won't be done until around noon, so feel free to explore the town a bit if you so desire."
As Rarity went upstairs with the axe in tow, Sweetie Belle bounded up to Ragnar's lap. She looked directly into his eyes, and he noticed that they were positively glowing. "Tellmetellmetellme!"
"Easy there, lass," Ragnar said. "What's the big deal about a buncha wolves, anyway? They weren't all that dangerous."
"Are you KIDDING? In all of Equestria, the Timberwolves are the only predator that we really have to deal with! They used to eat ponies all the time, and I'm not even sure they have stomachs!"
"Ah, I get it. Are ponies scared of 'em?"
"I know I am!"
"Well, yer certainly honest. Always a good trait." Ragnar cleared his throat. "So what do ye wanna know, anyway?"
"Just how you fought the Timberwolves."
"Well, it ain't rocket science. I swung me axe at 'em, chopped 'em up, they fell apart. Simple physics, lass."
Despite the simplicity of the act, Sweetie Belle was nothing short of enthralled. Ragnar almost expected her to jump to the floor and bow before him, she was so excited. "You must be a really good fighter if they didn't even faze you!"
"Ehh...debatable. I've got a lot of trainin' under me belt, but I still have a long way to go."
"What kinds of stuff did you fight back home? They must have been scary strong, if they're tougher than Timberwolves!"
Ragnar held back the urge to sigh. He was going to be here for a while.
After leaving the boutique, Ragnar went to go get breakfast. On his way over to a restaurant, he ran into Twilight, who told him to go see the mayor as soon as he could--she wanted to talk to him about a house. He was happy to make the appointment, and he was now in Town Hall, sitting on the other side of the mayor's desk. The mayor was looking over a stack of papers, but she set it aside when she was ready to speak.
"After careful consideration, I think I've found a place that you can afford that's vacant," the mayor said.
"Somethin' cheap, aye? All right, that sounds just fine. How much fer it?"
"It's free."
Ragnar was silent for a moment. He expected the mayor to tell him that she was just joking, but she never did. "Seriously?"
"I know what you're thinking, but...there's a pretty big catch." The mayor's expression became one of concern. "You see, the house isn't vacant because it was sold. It's vacant because the last ponies that lived in it went missing."
"Ach...it's never simple, is it?" Ragnar asked himself. "Does anyone know why?"
"There's only a childish rumor floating around, saying that they were abducted by the Headless Horse."
"Headless Horse? What in the world is that supposed to be?"
"It's the subject of ghost stories and myth, but it's certainly not something you need to be concerned over. The circumstances of the abduction were similar to the stories, but it's simple coincidence."
"Well, why're ya givin' this place away, then?"
"The realtors can't get anypony to spend a single bit on it and it's starting to become an eyesore. You need a place to live, but you don't have enough money for another house. The situation seems a bit self-explanatory if you ask me."
"I suppose so...well, I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak. Just to be safe, could ya tell me anything about the stories of the Headless Horse, so I know to watch out fer the signs?"
"I don't deal in fantasies, Mr. Hallowshield. The local princess in town will probably have something on the matter--if you're really worried about this, go ask her."
"All right then. At any rate, ye've got yerself a deal."
"Good. I hope you can do something with that place--make it less of a pain to look at." The mayor smiled and outstretched her hoof. "Welcome to Ponyville, Mr. Hallowshield."
Ragnar took the mayor's hoof and shook it up and down. "Thank ye. I promise I won't make any more trouble if I can help it."
Ragnar went to the library to ask Twilight about the Headless Horse, and she decided to walk Ragnar to his new home as they talked about it. As it turned out, she did know about the Headless Horse. Ragnar was far from surprised--she owned a library, after all. She vaguely reminded him of DM's lore-spewing emissaries--referred to in the holy texts as "NPCs"--but she came off as pleasant and welcoming instead of annoying.
"They say that you'll know he's coming because he's the only thing on this side of the mountains way out west that whinnies outside of sleep or being silly," Twilight said. "How it pulls that off without a head, I'll never know, but it has this weird echo-y sound to it. Some of the stories say that the whinny alone is enough to steal souls."
"Ye don't sound too worried about it," Ragnar observed.
"Well, he's a myth. Nothing in this world can live without a head--it's not scientifically possible. The general consensus is that you have to be pretty young to actually believe in this."
"So why's the rumor floatin' around, then? If it were such an easily dispelled theory, it wouldnae be holdin' water, right?"
"I dunno. You get an idea into somepony's head, and all of a sudden everypony in town is worried that hydras are going to trample the apple orchard and steal all of our mares."
"Ah, yeah, small town folk. So what're the other signs?"
"Other than the ghostly whinny? Well...a common interpretation is that the night before he comes, it's excruciatingly cold around the planned victim. So cold that it's impossible to sleep."
"That sounds kinda unrealistic..."
"What did you expect? It's a ghost story."
"Ach, right. So it gets really cold and ya can hear it callin'. I'll be sure to keep an eye out."
Twilight looked a bit confused. "Wait...are you actually worried about this?"
"Well...the mayor said that the previous tenants in me new home disappeared in a manner that was pretty close to what the stories say. I dinnae know what the stories said, and now I know to look out for the signs."
"Hmm...all right. There is one last sign." Her normal expression returned. "His hoofsteps are LOUD. Like, constantly-stomping-on-a-brick-walkway loud."
"That's an...interestin' analogy."
"It's an accurate analogy."
"All right, then. Thanks fer lettin' me know."
"I think you're a bit silly for considering this possibility, but if this helps you sleep at night, I'm happy to have helped you." Twilight smiled all of a sudden. "Well, here we are."
The house didn't look much different from the other thatched-roof cottages, but it was near a lake that Ragnar hadn't even known about before. There was a shore of mud on one side of the lake, a windmill, and several two-story houses. Ragnar's house appeared to be the only one-story house in this part of the town. One of the fancier houses even had a small dock in the backyard.
"I know it's a little...small..." Twilight rubbed the back of her head nervously. "...but everything is perfectly functional, and with a quick cleanup, it'll feel just like a home should!"
"I'm...a little surprised, to be honest." Ragnar smiled a bit. "I was expectin' to have to sleep in me bedroll fer the rest of me time here, but ye ponies have put me up like I'm one of ye."
"Well...yeah. You're here now, and there isn't much anyone can do about it. As long as you're in Ponyville, you're going to get the best of Ponyville's hospitality." Twilight returned Ragnar's grin. "Well, I've got some things to do. You have to go pick up your axe right about now, right?"
"Hmm...is it noon already? I've been runnin' around town all mornin'...dinnae even notice." Ragnar's smile faded. "I really need to buy a map or somethin'."
"Well...I can walk with you to the market square, at least. You know how to get to the boutique from there, right?"
"Aye...pretty sure, at any rate. Hopefully I'll be able to just stay here and relax after I've got me axe back. I never thought tryin' to find yer way around an unfamiliar place like this would be so taxin'."
Twilight grinned slyly as she turned towards Ragnar again. "Aren't you a warrior? You beat three Timberwolves without getting fatigued, and you're having trouble with being lost?"
"Hey, there's a pretty big difference between physical fatigue and emotional fatigue!"
"Of course, of course." Twilight started walking towards the market square. "This way."
"It looks amazing, Rarity," Sweetie Belle said.
"Thank you, dear. I do hope he appreciates it," Rarity replied. In her telekinetic grip, she held an elongated piece of wood that looked like a knife handle. It was about the same size as the handle on Ragnar's axe. There were sapphires embedded into the pommel, and the shape was intended to make it easy to grip. "He's waiting downstairs, is he not?"
Sweetie Belle nodded vigorously. "Let's go show this to him!"
"Well, hold on now, sweetie. You're getting ahead of yourself just a bit." Rarity put the handle down on her workbench and lifted Ragnar's axe instead. "The axe is a bit too heavy for me to lift it and the new product, so I need you to carry that. You can do that, right?"
"Sure!...As long as it's not too much heavier than the broom at Twilight's place."
Sweetie Belle's horn lit up with green light, and she lifted the piece of wood into the air. She struggled with it for a second, but still managed to stabilize it with relative ease.
"Good work! Now, let's not keep our guest waiting any longer."
Rarity opened the door to the main room with her hoof, and both sisters went downstairs. Ragnar's eyebrow raised when he saw the new product. Rarity couldn't tell what he was thinking.
"Ye put sapphires in it, and ye said it's nae gonna cost me too much?" Ragnar asked. "That seems a wee bit contradictory."
"Why, whatever do you mean?" Rarity asked as she put the axe on the table.
"Sapphires are expensive, ain't they? Even small ones can go for high prices! The things are rare."
"Not in Equestria!" Sweetie Belle chirped. "Gems are crazy common in the Diamond Dog nest at the foots of the mountains!"
"...Diamond Dogs...?"
"We'll talk about those some other time," Rarity interjected. "For this, I will only require...ten bits."
Ragnar was silent. He looked confused. "What in the world is a 'bit?'"
Rarity and Sweetie Belle exchanged glances. Sweetie Belle then had an idea. She put the handle down, ran over to Rarity's fainting couch, and stuck her foreleg between the cushion and the pillow. She shuffled through it for a bit until her hoof hit something, and she pulled it out of the crevice. "It's one of these!"
Ragnar's confusion left. "Oh, they're gold coins? All right, I have some of those on me."
Rarity rolled her eyes as Ragnar started sifting through his own bag. "How does loose change always fall in there? That's even more difficult to explain than Fluttershy making a dragon cry."
Ragnar finally produced ten gold pieces and put them on the table beside the handle. He picked up the handle in their place and gave it a few experimental swings, despite the fact that the blade had yet to be attached. Nevertheless, he smiled after five broad swipes. "Ye did a fine job on this! Me ancestors would be proud."
Rarity picked up the coins with her magic. She would put them in her purse when she got upstairs again. "Do you need help with the blade at all?"
"Nae, nae. Watch this." Ragnar put the handle down and picked up his axe by the top, just above the blade. He held it like an old man would a walking stick, raised it into the air, and slammed it into the floor. Rarity expected this to damage her floor, but the old handle just exploded into splinters instead. The pieces landed in a pile just below the axe's blade, and the blade landed on top of them. Ragnar grabbed the blade from the wreckage. "I can clean that up."
"No, no, it's...it's all right. Sweetie Belle, if you could get me the broom..."
"You got it, sis!" Sweetie Belle yelled. She ran out of the room.
Ragnar wasted no time in attaching the blade to the new handle. After a few more test swings to ensure that it wouldn't fall out, he finally seemed satisfied and hooked his axe back into place. "Thank ye again fer this. I appreciate it."
"Oh, it was no problem at all. I hope you can make good use of it, even if only as decoration."
"All right...I'm spent. I'm gonna head home...it was great talkin' to ye both."
"Likewise! If you ever need me to touch up your armor, I'll give you a discount."
Ragnar turned and left the boutique, looking forward to getting home and finally having a chance to relax.
The moon was high in the sky by the time Ragnar actually found his way back to the house. As he opened the door and went inside, he cursed himself for making Intelligence one of his dump stats--it made for rather poor memory. The house's interior was rather simple, just like the exterior. There was a living room, a kitchen, and a bedroom, but only the latter was properly furnished. He would need to buy tables and chairs for the other rooms, but there was a bed waiting for him when he went into the bedroom. He immediately crawled onto it and sat there, testing out its firmness.
"Well, this was a lucky break," Ragnar said to himself. "Headless Horse be damned--I got a free bed!"
Ragnar took his armor off and withdrew into the blanket. It was slightly scratchy, but he could wash it easily when the sun was up again. The whole day spent in confusion finally took its toll, and he was already falling asleep.
Just as he was about to slip off into a pleasant dream, however, he heard a screech.
"What...was that?" he asked. He was far too tired to get up, so he settled for laying there, completely still. He heard the screech again after a few seconds, but it was longer and a bit more intelligible. Realization struck him like a freight train.
It wasn't a screech. It was a whinny.
"Oh, you unbelievable son of a--"