Amor was having a late lunch after concluding her work on blocks, at this time the village held more than enough for any future building projects. At the wooden table she slid a tray off her back and onto the table, cautiously not to spatter her carrot soup and glazed diorite mug filled with water. The dining hall was empty except for few other ponies that had the day off and were finishing their lunch.
The metallic color pony ate and attempted to keep her thoughts from dwelling in the dark parts of her mind. Even I may not be alone in my cursing this place in anger, more than once has Carmine do so during a bad day. Maybe, it is for the best that everypony here wants to defend the Crown’s social project. The mare set there enjoying her food until her ears swept back at the sound of a belligerent Pegasus enter the hall. Amor done her best to avoid Jaxler’s perceptive eyes, she was a decent spy and engaging him in small talk as an alternative to suspiciously evading him. Unfortunately, this day was not going to go as plan and she so happen to be setting to the left of Jaxler’s chair.
Jaxler had just entered the meeting hall with a barrel of the fort’s strongest booze on his back. He had gone through another day of patrols and annoyances and had to help put down a poor little diamond dog and was ready to enjoy the rest of the day. As Jaxler walked over to his favorite seat he saw a familiar looking mare sitting next to his chair. “Aye there Amor.”
Upon hearing the stallion, the mare is unsettled but controls her nerves as she silently slurps on the soup from the bowl held by hooves. Normally there were stoneware eating utensils for Unicorns but even if Amor did not use them, she still was elegant about eating. She places the bowl down and in her soft voice greets the Pegasus. “Hello Jaxler, been enjoying your day?”
“It’s been pretty average” Jaxler rolls the barrel of booze of his back and sits down in his seat. Jaxler then took a sip of booze, laid down his decrepit crossbow down on the table, and started leaning back in his chair. “how’s yours been?”.
Amor was fine until Jaxler placed his crossbow down on the table besides her causing her to jump a bit. The tool was on her list of hates and it was a very short list. The mare recomposes herself to answer. “Each day I work, more Dawnpick is built up and the day that I take my leave draws near.” The Unicorn’s voice held some despair. “Besides working on orders of boring stone blocks, I guess the day could be worse.” The mare’s pronounced with more perk.
Jaxler was surprised to see a pony react in such a way to an unloaded crossbow, but figured he should just ignore it, mainly because he was more interested in what she just said. “what do you mean by ‘the day that I take my leave draws near’, are you leaving Dawnpick or something?”
I must really be slipping. The mare reflected with a sundry of conflicting emotions. “For a decent part of a century I've been a journeying mason, moving from one project to another. Before coming to Dawnpick, I was rebuilding an old road from Coupledye to New Saddle… took three years to complete. Had a hiatus from work and then journeyed outside of the kingdom until I found my way here.” The mare stops to drink down some soup, water and asks deflecting from the whole truth. “What about you?”
“I don’t know you well enough to tell you why I came here.” Jaxler then took a long sip of booze and gave Amor a nasty gaze. “So, what was it like building that road?” said without any sign of emotion in his voice.
Amor was worried about Jaxler’s spiteful gaze and change in attitude, it caught her curiosity and she took another sip of her soup before talking. “It was pitiless toil some days, others a pleasure but after it was done I regret some of the things that I done or didn't. Though saying goodbye to friends was the most difficult part of restructuring that road.” She said with sorrow and pushes her tray away but kept the mug.
Jaxler sighed and dropped his gaze. “Well, we all have regrets.” Jaxler then pointed his hoof at a huge burn scar on his side. “I guess your doing a good thing and not letting them define you.” Jaxler took another sip of booze and gazed down at his crossbow.
Amor drinks down more water as her throat becomes dry and then looks where Jaxler was pointing only to divert her eyes for modesty’s sake. She notes the scar but it causes her no discomfort. “Best not to wear the past as a cutie mark; I imagine my father would say.” She said with less sorrow. “I am curious as to how you found yourself in Dawnpick; this place is extremely out of the way… tell me if this is digging too much in your past.” The Unicorn places her near empty mug on the table and gives the stallion a face full of consideration if it was not her place to ask.
Jaxler shrugged, “sometimes out of the way is a good thing” Jaxler took another sip of booze and added “I learned that a group of migrants were going to some far off town and I decided to come along.” He then laughed a little bit “deciding to come here was probably the best thing I've ever done”.
So he is telling me he just so happen on migrants, candid story that I would desire more interesting. Like him running from the law or a marks-pony soldier who had his unit destroyed but this does well. The mare thought and adds. “Dawnpick is a light upon the dawn that is this rough unyielding night.” Amor said with a smooth voice and finishes the contents of her mug.
Jaxler tilts his head and thinks for a moment. Jaxler really hadn't gotten to thinking about Dawnpick in relative to the rest of the world, But in all his years Jaxler had never seen such a joyful town. In fact most the places he went were downright horrid. “yeah, I guess it is”
Amor dwells on her own words for a moment and finds it best to excuse herself and gets out of the seat. “It has been very pleasant speaking with you again, Jaxler… would not annoy me if we done so again.” The mare courtesies, then places her mug on the tray which she grabs with teeth and makes her leave.
Jaxler was confused as to why Amor would be so formal. All they were doing was sharing a meal. “Please don’t curtsy, it’s not like I’m royalty.”
The Unicorn turned her head and mouthed. “Noted, Jaxler.” The mare returned her awareness to where is was going and continued on.