//------------------------------// // Level 6 - A Fine Piece of Pine // Story: In Want for a Wand // by Leila Drake //------------------------------// Jonathan rarely remembered his dreams. This morning was one of few exceptions. He woke up to the noise of Twilight and Arcus making breakfast and found himself lying next to the sofa. Apparently he had rolled over during the night and fallen off. The tangled mess that were his clothes and cloak had prevented him from getting injured though. Sunlight shone through the dirty glass window, revealing the myriad dust particles dancing in the air. There was no birdsong - no surprise there. He rubbed his eyes and groaned. The blurry image of a dark blue pony was still floating around in his mind. Apparently Princess Luna had managed to check up on him. He had no idea how she had done that but he suspected that it had something to do with the fact that time perception worked differently in dreams. How else could Luna visit him when time in Azeroth passed thirty times faster than in Equestria? He smiled faintly and muttered, "Morning." "Oh! You're awake!" Twilight beamed at him. "How do you like your eggs?" "How in the world did you manage to transport raw eggs safely through the portal?", wondered Jonathan. "I know a cushioning spell. Spike insisted that I learn one since my first flight with him on my back." Arcus chuckled. "Hah, I wish I had seen that", he muttered. Twilight gave him a scolding glance. "Anyway, I've been thinking." Unsurprised by that, Jonathan stretched his limbs. He still felt slightly groggy. "We could skip the flight to the Sepulcher and directly find a suitable tree instead. What do you think?" There was some movement at the window. Houndslayer, who had been keeping watch the entire night, turned around, unfolding his crossed arms. He approached the low fire and sat down on the armchair. "Why do you wish to go there?", he asked. Jonathan frowned. "To rest for the night. So I guess Twilight is right. Flying there would be a detour... That would be kinda dumb." Arcus, who was busy watching the kettle, agreed by shrugging. He was wearing his armor again. It looked cleaner than the day before. "Then it's settled. We find a tree today, then go on to the Plaguelands", summarized Twilight. "Not before buying food in Andorhal", threw Jonathan in and sat down on the sofa, rearranging his cloak and trying to comb his white hair with his hand. "Uch, we're starting to get smelly", he admitted. "Let's take a stop at the lake, okay?" The ponies agreed. Houndslayer smirked and shook his head. •° "You know", said Arcus when they left the house, "I still don't understand that whole Worgen business. Why are cursed humans fighting other cursed humans again?" Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Because it's not the same curse. Also, because the Worgen joined the Alliance. Genn Greymane, their king, hates Queen Sylvanas. You don't even wanna know the names she calls the Worgen either. There was something that involved Greymane's son but I don't know the whole story." He pulled up his hood - this time tugging at its strings to prevent it from falling down again - and rubbed his hands together. Today, everybody's breath was visible, not just the Death Knight's, and Twilight felt tempted to cast a shield spell against the chilling breeze. "There is indeed a little more to that", said Houndslayer dryly as he tried to push the barn door open. When it did not budge, he used more force. The door rattled but remained shut, to the irritation of the knight. "Wait, don't smash it in! I locked it." Jonathan quickly intervened, presenting a rusty key. He inserted the key and turned it around. The door finally unlocked with a satisfying clack. During the night, the bats had moved to another box. The griffin was still in the exact same spot, only shifting his weight a little when he noticed his owner. As Houndslayer patted his mount's bony spine, Jonathan approached Redwing. He tugged at the straps that held the harness and saddle in place to make sure they were still alright. Twilight observed this and quickly joined Finn to do the same there. The bats were slightly agitated; Redwing kept turning his head to watch Jonathan's work, sqeaking and shifting his weight. Jonathan rubbed the bat's side; maybe the beast's side was itching? Then his gaze fell on the its snout and his eyes widened. "What the hay?", commented Arcus, pointing at Redwing's mouth. "That's dried blood!" "Here, too", added Twilight, pointing at Finn. "What happened?" "But I locked the door! They couldn't have been hunting." Jonathan was perplexed. "Did you repair the roof as well?" Houndslayer pointed at the - well, at what was remaining of the roof. In the evening, it had not looked as damaged but now it was obvious that the bats had not been shut in in the slightest. Gaping holes had opened over the years and the barn ground had only been protected from the weather because of the second layer of wood that was the remains of an upper floor. Jonathan buried his face in his hand, speechless, as his face took on the shade of beetroot. Twilight smiled bravely and pulled a piece of cloth from her saddlebags, using her magic. "I can do this, I don't need to touch them." She wiped Finn's face clean, then proceeded with Redwing's. However, she failed at hiding her disgust, her mouth curling up in a small scowl. "Hey, cheer up, Jon, look at the bright side: The bats returned from their hunt. Also, we don't need to feed them today, right?" Arcus gave Jonathan a reassuring pat on the back. "Right, well... The harnesses are okay, I think we're good to go." Jonathan shrugged, his ears still red, and helped Arcus onto Finn's saddle. •° After the obligatory anti-nausea spell from Jonathan, Twilight's dismal groans stopped and Arcus got to enjoy the scenery. They were high above the forest now. It was equally chilling everywhere and actually easier to navigate without rushing through the treetops. With the lake on their left, the three flying mounts headed south, keeping their eyes peeled for healthy-looking trees. Finally, after an hour or two, the pine trees started to look significantly better; they stood taller and had sturdier branches, and the color of their needles was richer and darker. Jonathan waved his hand and descended next to a group of particularly tall trees. Finn and Houndslayer's griffin, whose name was still a mystery, followed suit. Twilight and Arcus needed to duck when Finn sped through the trees, completely ignoring the fact that a bat with ponies on its back needed more space than without them. A branch brushed Arcus's head and he yelped, quickly lowering his head until his chin touched the bat. Since he was sitting in front of Twilight, who was smaller and sitting sideways, he would have been the only one to recieve a nasty bump on his forehead. Twilight gasped. It seemed to Arcus that it was for a different reason than the branches, though. When they climbed from the mounts and joined Jonathan, the alicorn sped over to the human and asked quickly, "Jonathan, did you remember to close the door?" Jonathan smirked. "No, I didn't." When Twilight's mouth opened again, he continued, "Intentionally. Don't worry, Princess, I don't forget that kind of stuff. Unlike anniversaries", he muttered the last part to himself. She tilted her head, confused, and raised an eyebrow. Arcus set his saddlebags down on the ground and stretched his limbs. "Why, you wanna accelerate the decay of that trading post?", he asked bluntly. Jonathan nodded and started inspecting the trees. Houndslayer stayed a few feet away, watching their surroundings. "I do not understand why you wanted a guide", he muttered. "A guard: that would have made more sense." Twilight approached the knight, surprising him with a friendly smile. "It's just a precaution", she said. "I am curious, have you always been called Houndslayer?" "No. I usually travel the Plaguelands, hunting plague dogs, ghouls and wraiths. Hence the name." "Oh, so you are, er, taking care of the wildlife, so to speak." Twilight giggled nervously and flashed him an friendly smile. In the back of her mind she prayed for Rarity to inspire her. She always knew how to approach people with her natural charm. "Well said, unicorn", smirked Houndslayer, unaware of the correct term for Twilight's race. "Curious", he added after a few moments. "What is?", asked Twilight, setting her own saddlebags down and occasionally turning her head to look over to Jonathan and Arcus. The two stood near a tree with reddish brown bark, the diameter of its trunk easily two feet, and seemed to be discussing its quality. Now Arcus tilted his head back, looking up into the tree's high branches, and nodded confidently. "There is something strange about you and the other pony creature. Even Mr Baker expressed his feelings without hesitation, though I, a stranger, was present at the time." Twilight smiled. "We are really good friends. He wasn't very open at first, you can trust me on that." She winked at the knight. "There, again. I can sense your accelerated heartbeat. Yet you converse with me as if I was merely a harmless farmer from your hometown. Why?" "I... I don't know, I'm just... don't you like me being nice?", asked Twilight timidly. "Twilight Sparkle, are you pitying me?" His words were sharp, precise. Her face fell. "No", she said firmly. "I would never befriend po-, I mean people, out of pity. That would be disrespectful and devaluate the friendship, don't you think?" "I see. However, this would be the first time that someone wants to fraternize with me, at least since my death." "Wow, then it's about time, isn't it? I can't lie about it: I'm still feeling uneasy with this. But I won't let it control me. I've gotten used to Jonathan when he was undead, too." Twilight paced up and down in front of the knight. "You may be a mercenary but that doesn't mean that we have to stay strictly professional all the time. This journey is going to take a while, so I wouldn't want any hard feelings or complications." She dug at the ground. "Please tell me if I'm too intrusive. I know my curiousity can go a little... overboard sometimes. I got reminded of that very recently." "I will do that." "Though I have one more question", admitted Twilight, grinning sheepishly. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Houndslayer was faster with his own question. "Why does Mr Baker call you 'Princess'?" "Because it annoys me. I told him he doesn't have to do it and he's been teasing me with it ever since. It's not so bad." Twilight rolled her eyes. "You are of royal blood?" She nodded hesitantly. "Well, technically... sort of." "I see", said Houndslayer, dropping the subject as he registered Twilight's discomfort. "So what is your question?" "Would you mind taking off the hood? It's a bit strange to talk to you without seeing your eyes." •° Jonathan knocked on the tree's bark, listening to the sound. "M-hm", he said. "It's a nice and healthy specimen", said Arcus. "I'd take it." Jonathan grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Whatever, earth pony." "Hey, I'm a surveyor, I get to see my share of trees!", protested Arcus. "Shut up, I agree with you." Jonathan set his backpack down on the ground and opened it to get his knife. Suddenly, an anxious squeak from Twilight alarmed the two, and Arcus quickly cantered over to her. "You all right?" he asked the alicorn. She nodded. "I'm fine. Sorry about the scream", she said, blushing violently. "All right... I'll go over and help Jon, then", said Arcus, looking at her and then Darren with a remnant of worry, then returning to the tree. •° "I'm sorry, Mr Houndslayer, I was just surprised", stammered Twilight, begging the knight's forgiveness with pleading eyes. Houndslayer, who had done nothing but remove the hood from his head, sighed. "You were 'surprised'?" His voice's temperature dropped by a few degrees. "Yes, I was. It's not like I haven't seen eyes like this before, but they were glowing yellow, not... icy blue..." She fell silent as she tried not to stare into the knight's cold gaze like a young deer into the headlights of a carriage. His facial features were, to Twilight's big fascination, intact, if only way too pale for a human and with dark rings around his eyes. With a straight nose and a wider chin than Jonathan's, he looked probably handsome by human standards. A dark purple tattoo, shaped like an abstract lightling bolt or maybe a blade, decorated his left temple and cheek, giving his face a somewhat viscious expression. Even though he looked as if he had died in his forties, his long hair was of a greyish white and bound together in his neck to keep it out of his eyes. Twilight sighed inwardly as she realized that Jonathan's hair had been better groomed even when he had been undead. He was shaved, though, just like Jonathan, so that indicated that he cared for his appearance, at least a little. When Houndslayer, his pale face distorted by a frown, raised his hands to pull up the hood again, Twilight shook her head. "No, really, it's okay", she insisted. "Very well." He did not smile. However, the frown nearly disappeared. "Look, Mr Houndslayer", observed Twilight, who had been looking around for new subjects to talk about, "I think they picked a tree." "Ah, don't do that", said the knight harshly. Twilight winced. "Sorry?" "Just call me Darren. Unless you want me to continuously call you 'Your royal Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle'." "Hey, Twilight!" hollered Jonathan, interrupting their conversation. She turned her head. "Yes?", she replied loudly. "What do you think?" He gestured at the tree. "Excuse me for a moment, Darren", said Twilight, raising a hoof. She smiled at him and trotted over to the priest. Jonathan rubbed his arm awkwardly. "It's looking healthy but I can't check its magical aptness. Could you...?" "Sure!" Twilight, happy to help her friend, focused and cast the spell. She expanded the aura of her horn until it touched the tree, engulfing it in a narrow ring of pink glittering light. The she let go of the spell and it quickly dissipated. "The arcane signature is pretty unique." Twilight was fascinated. "I think it would make an extraordinary wand." Arcus grinned. "You're in luck, 'man." "Good work, Princess. Thanks", said Jonathan. He readied the knife to cut the bark. However, as soon as he touched the wood, an angry cry made him flinch. Jonathan lowered the blade and spun around, along with everyone else. The cry had come from a slim creature running towards them at an incredible speed. She had the lower body of a deer, with four legs and light brown fur, and the upper body of an elven woman. An intricate vest made of blooming ivy vines covered her pale violet chest, still exposing most of her skin. Her cobalt blue hair fell down in elegant waves. Her face, however, was distorted with fury. "How dare you lay hand on my tree!", she spat, dashing towards Jonathan. Darren swiftly drew his two-handed sword and Twilight's horn lit up. Jonathan, who only barely managed to sheath the knife, found himself knocked against the tree before he could cast a shield spell. The impact took his breath away. He gasped for air. His back hurt but he was glad that the thick clothing had cushioned the collision somewhat. "Leave him alone!", cried Twilight, pointing her horn at the attacker. A giant viscious blade met the forest nymph's throat, forcing her chin upwards. "Step back or I'll kill you", stated Darren coldly. Apparently she registered the icy mist and the glowing runes on the saronite steel that threatened her. The woman's eyes widened and she forced herself to retreat two steps from Jonathan. "How dare you", she whispered, now both angry and terrified. She trembled like a leaf as she realized that she was heavily outnumbered. Her slim hands clenched into fists. Arcus threw his hooves into the air. "It would have been just a slice! We didn't intend to chop it off or anything like that. I mean seriously, what else could a knife do!" Jonathan raised his hands. "Everybody calm down", he begged, although he still appeared a little shocked. Darren slowly withdrew his sword and sheathed it. He looked a little disappointed. "Who are you?", asked Twilight, the sparks around her horn fading away. "The guardian of this tree?", completed Jonathan the question. The nymph straightened up. "I am Sokalla, guardian spirit of the silverpines in this part of the forest", she introduced herself with pride in her tone. She took several deep breaths, then looked at the members of the group, first the death knight, then the ponies. While Darren obviously scared her, she smiled feebly at the ponies. "Are you also a nature spirit?", she asked Arcus. Now that she spoke normally, her voice sounded much more melodious. The green earth pony grimaced. "Uh, not like you, I suppose. I work outdoors a lot..." Sokalla turned back to Jonathan. "You have surrounded me, I can see that now. But I still ask you to reconsider. Please do not fell these trees!", she pleaded, desperation in her eyes. Jonathan smiled stiffly. "Arcus said the truth", he tried to calm her. "I just need a little piece of it. The tree will recover soon." "Why do you want to cut it?" The nymph seemed honestly confused and appalled. "I need a wand", said Jonathan, thinking to himself, This is getting old. Sokalla's eyes widened with realization. "You are a bearer of magic?", she asked. Jonathan nodded. "You could say that", he said, shrugging. "So you only wish to obtain a very small piece of this mine tree? And you want it for your magic?" Arcus raised an eyebrow. What was with the lustful tone? Darren frowned, confused by Sokalla's sudden change of attitude. "Errr, yes, please", confirmed Jonathan again, stepping back from the now advancing nymph. She was about a head shorter than him but he seemed to be shrinking away from her. "If it is a request so humble and one so humbly made, I think I will grant it", cooed Sokalla, walking even closer to the blushing human. "Great, thank you very much", stammered Jonathan. "Would you mind stepping back a little?" Darren raised his hand to reach for the handle of his sword again but a grinning Twilight shook her head. He dropped the hand and crossed his arms, watching closely. "I think somebody's in love", whispered the alicorn into Arcus's ear. The stallion smirked, trying hard not to snicker. Sokalla bent forward, her bosom pressing against Jonathan's chest - his cheeks were positively burning - and tilted her head to whisper into his ear. "Go ahead, dear, unsheath your knife and show me how you cut my prescious bark." Twilight facehooved while Arcus was sitting on his rump, holding his belly and shuddering with silent laughter. Darren, his ears not as sensitive as the ponies', had not understood what the nymph had said but Jonathan yelping "Nope!" and quickly ducking away was enough of a message. "That shall be enough, nymph", said Darren coolly. Sokalla scrunched her face, pretending to be insulted. However, she did not dare to disobey the death knight. With a sigh, she waved her hand, permitting Jonathan to proceed. Jonathan quickly readied the knife and started cutting, trying his best to ignore Sokalla's moaning. His ears burned a bright crimson and he was suddenly in a big hurry. When he was done, Sokalla walked over to her tree and stroked it affectionately. The bark creaked as if the pine was talking back to her. She looked at Jonathan. "Thank you for being gentle", said Sokalla and approached him once again, this time not as aggressively as before, one way or the other. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then galloped away. The rustling of a few branches was heard, then relative silence, disturbed only by the hooting of an owl. "Don't. Say. A word." Jonathan frowned darkly, especially at the males. "I'm not saying anything", stated Darren, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Snrk", said Arcus. "Let's fly to the lake", muttered Jonathan and stomped over to Redwing. •° It was a short ride to the lake but at least long enough for Jonathan to calm down. Sokalla's behavior had embarrassed him greatly. It was not as if he had sworn to live a life of celibacy but he was - despite the natural reaction of his body - not interested in doing anything funny with a random nymph. On the other hand, nature spirits were known to be unpredictable like that, aggressive or timid or passionate, simply following their instincts. Maybe she just wanted to make fun of him. It would be understandable; she obviously knew she would not have stood a chance if it had come to an actual fight. Mocking him could have been a way of defending herself. His back still hurt from the collision with the tree, though. He rolled his eyes. At least the ponies had something to laugh about. Even the death knight had looked amused. Jonathan wondered why Houndslayer did not hide his face anymore. That talk with Twilight must have been pretty enlightning. •° When they landed on the narrow patch of grass that divided the forest from the edge of the lake, Twilight eagerly jumped off of Finn's back and cantered over to Jonathan. "How clean is the water?", she asked. He shrugged, then climbed down. "Pretty clean, I guess. Good enough for drinking anyway." She squeed and immediately started drawing empty bottles from her saddlebags. Jonathan grinned and set his bag on the ground to look for his own bottles. Arcus wobbled over to him. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. Can I try to fly without your spell next time?" "Are you sure?" Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "You're still looking a little green." "Ha ha", deadpanned Arcus. Only then did Jonathan realize the possible reference to the natural color of the earth pony's coat. He grimaced as an apology, too lazy to clarify what he had meant. Closing his backpack and collecting three bottles in his arms, Jonathan walked over to the water. The foreshore's grass was short and flabby and mingled with sharp rocks. Jonathan tried his best to keep his balance as he followed the decline. He managed to reach the lake shortly after Twilight. They refilled their bottles in silence, Arcus joining them after a few moments. Twilight, who had drunk some water directly from the lake, looked back at the mounts. "Darren's just standing there. Don't the Undead drink water, too?" "Only when we've been weakened or worn out by using magic", reminded Jonathan her. Then he noticed something. "Since when are you guys on a first name basis?" Twilight smiled and shrugged with her wings. "We had an interesting talk and decided to become friends." "Sweet", said Arcus. "Why, because I haven't known him for long?" Twilight had not missed the sarcasm in his voice. "Well, yeah." "I became friends with Pinkie Pie, Applejack and others in about the same time", pointed Twilight out. "Although I didn't realize it at first." Arcus's eyes widened. "Wow", he commented, this time without irony. "I sometimes forget how good you are at making friends." Twilight waved it off. "Pinkie Pie played a big part in it." Jonathan hummed while screwing the last bottle shut. "Pinkie's not here, though, and becoming friends with a death knight is not the easiest thing to do." "If I didn't know better, I'd say you are behaving a little prejudiced", snapped Twilight. "He may not be very approachable but I think he is a nice person. Did you notice that his hood is down? He was wearing it because he didn't want to scare us. But I asked him to keep it down so I can see his face." Jonathan sighed. "All right, I'll give him the benefit of a doubt. He did not kill us when we slept, so he passed the basic test", he tried to joke. "Though I wouldn't bet on him still being friendly once the quest is over." He gave Twilight a concerned frown, rubbing his chin. The alicorn said nothing and returned to the mounts. Arcus eyed Jonathan. "That's inspiring, you know. Maybe I should talk to Darren a bit more, see what he likes and stuff." •° Twilight stomped back to join Darren, grinding her teeth. What was it with Jonathan and his scepticism? Still frowning, she recalled her first encounter with him on a Zeppelin. He had looked much worse than Darren, though she had to admit that the sub-zero vibe the death knight gave away was unique. Still, friendly conversation with him was possible. She had a good feeling about him. And she was always careful. You were supposed to learn from your mistakes. Twilight had learned her lesson when she had been betrayed by Lady Eventide. Or was Jonathan just cranky because of Sokalla? Twilight sighed curtly and nodded at Arcus who was smiling at her. Don't be rude, you're not mad at him, she chasticed herself. "You okay?", asked the earth pony, stretching his legs to get rid of the stiffness from the flight. She hesitated for a moment, then made a decision. "Yes. Yes, I'm all right and ready to go. I think Jonathan is washing himself, let's give him a moment." "Oh, good thinking", said Arcus, "because I need to pee." He grinned and waved at Twilight before disappearing between the trees. "Don't go too far away!", called Twilight after him. "It's going to get dark soon." "No worries!", came the shout back.