//------------------------------// // 124 // Story: My Little Fortress: Dawnpick // by Paaaad //------------------------------// The day following the deaths of the Rainbow traders, Glaive makes his way to the town keep, intending to speak with the Lady Virtue. Glaive pauses for a moment to collect his thoughts outside her office, before raising his left hoof and knocking on the door. The door opens after a moment, but instead of Virtue being behind it, Glaive sees Harvest Moon. The pegasus looks him over briefly. “Glaive? What is it?” Glaive is surprised for a moment but quickly recollects himself. “Hello Harvest, I would like to speak with Lady Virtue if she’s available.” He looks behind himself for a moment, and there is a hushed phrase spoken. Harvest Moon nods and opens the door, motioning for Glaive to enter. “I... I’ll leave you two,” he says, starting up the stairs away from the office. Virtue doesn’t look up from her desk Glaive enters the room and closes the door behind him. He moves to a seat across from Virtue. “Milady, permission to speak freely?” She looks up after a moment, revealing an extremely tired face. Her mane falls across her face briefly before she tucks it behind her ear. She blinks heavily and replies, “Of course. What is it?” Glaive keeps his eyes on her, “While I am, admittedly, fuzzy on the details, the events of yesterday make it clear to me, that we are not as insignificant as we might have once thought ourselves. I don’t know if the diplomate was poisoned or if it was a coincidence, but I suspect it was truly the former. Perhaps I’m being paranoid, but I think that somepony wanted to start a war. Does this match with what you know?” She looks at him silently for a while, most of the emotion drained from her features. “I don’t know. I don’t think anypony here would want to do that, but at this point I think I’d believe anything.” She looks down briefly. “Do you think it was the Rainbows? Or... somepony here?” Glaive shakes his head, “I don’t know, but if I was Partisan, I’d be working night and day to find out. Still either one is possible. But that is only second to my real reason for coming here today.” Glaive hesitates before he continues, “I’m not convinced that the threat is truly gone milady. If I was that somepony trying to start a war, and if there was any doubt left in my mind that one would come, after the massacre, then, I know what I would do. I..I would try to kill you and make it look like the surviving darkbolt did it. That way both sides would have a reason to fight. I fear you may be in danger.” The lifelessness in her eyes vanishes in a moment to be replaced with fear. She sits up a bit and fights to think of something to say. “You... you do?” That made sense... it really did. She really, really hoped he was wrong... but it was hard to fault the logic. She felt sick again, and she could feel her heart beating faster in her chest. Glaive quickly adds, “I must stress that I could very well be wrong. There are numerous other possibilities. He could have had a natural heart attack, or the poisoner could be a bigot in Dawnpick with a grudge against the Rainbows with no desire to hurt you, or the pony behind it all could be laying in the crypt right now, but it is a possibility, and I think you should consider forming a guard for yourself, and your family. Just in case.” Stiletto had offered just such a thing to her not long ago, but the mare had left with Glyph over a month ago. Not to mention she knew that accepting Stiletto’s offer would have gone over very, very poorly with a number of ponies in Dawnpick, especially Indigo. But now... now she may well be in serious danger. She trusted everypony in the militia, and she trusted Glaive’s judgment here. With some effort she calms her breathing and and nods slowly. “I... I never thought I’d see the day that I’d need such a thing...” She thinks over the rest of her family for a moment. If she had to give her life to save everypony in Dawnpick she’d do it, but if anypony hurt her family... “I hope you’re wrong Glaive... I really do... but if you’re not...” She hangs her head and places her face in her hooves. “I don’t know what to do... maybe... one or two ponies from the militia or guard...” As Virtue finishes Glaive interjects. “Two ponies working alternating shifts should be sufficient. But, I would ask that you are very careful with who you choose, you should offer the position only to those ponies you trust the most...” Glaive thinks back to the events of yesterday, specifically to Sarissa and the darkbolt, “And to those that you can trust to keep a cool head in a bad situation.” She looks up from her hooves and studies the stallion in front of her. He had been one of the most devoted militia ponies in the fort. At the very least Sienna and Falcata owed their lives to him. Probably more. She rests her eyes on the shield hanging from his side and the idea begins to cement in her head. That shield had been earned. He might not want the job... maybe he was just concerned for her... but she trusted her life with him. “Glaive... would... would you be willing to watch over my family?” Glaive looks down at the ground. This is what he had been hoping for, but why did he suddenly feel hesitation? He took several moments to clear his head before he looked up at her again. “I...I will do it if I am the one you would choose. I can stand by your side in your meetings, and watch over you and your family during the day, and I can and will protect you and them with my life, but if...if a battle were to come to Dawnpick, I don’t know if I could stay here safe with you while the militia was out there fighting and dying to protect us, but I can try milady, if that is your will.” She imagines that maybe a small smile formed on her face, but it was probably something closer to relief. “Glaive... I trust you at least as much as everypony else in the militia and guard. I know how devoted you are... to save Sienna when you don’t even have any relation to her.” She looks at the shield again and reassures herself that he was the best pick. “I trust them all, of course, but I know you’d do an excellent job. I trust you completely. Knowing you were watching out for me... for Harvest Moon and our children... I could rest easier...” Glaive stands up out of his chair and bends his knee before the Baroness, he moves his most valued possession the Touch of Leaves before him, standing it in front of him, balanced with one hoof, the sigils placed upon it facing outwards toward the baroness. Glaive, his eyes closed, begins to speak his oath to her, "I hereby swear to you, Lady Virtue, in the name of Keepersearches and of Lord Kashez the Great Teacher, that I will serve you until the end of my days, or until you dismiss me from your service. From this day on my life is yours and I shall follow your commands above any, save for the gods themselves, and defend you and your house until my last breath. This I do so swear to you." Her eyes widen slightly as Glaive recites his oath. She wasn’t anything remotely approaching comfortable with somepony swearing to protect her with their life, although when she thought about it that was precisely what she’d asked him to do. She was beginning to have mixed feelings on the matter, but she brushes them aside, confident that Glaive was an excellent soldier, and somepony she did trust completely. “I... uh... you may rise now...” she directs to the kneeling unicorn. Glaive rises and places his shield back onto his back, and takes his seat once more. “I am honored that you choose me, Lady Virtue, but I am still only mortal, if you wish a 24 hour guard, we will need to choose at least one more pony. Did you have anypony in mind?” That was an excellent question. She really did trust everypony in the militia. Sarissa was clearly devoted to her... maybe even rabidly so. But as Glaive had mentioned, she wasn’t one to keep her head cool when it was needed. “Do you think Falcata would be willing to help you? She’s already proven herself so much...” Although that made her hate to ask more of the pegasus. Not that she’d still have the same militia duties with this, but it was more responsibilities she might not want. Not to mention the scheduling... Glaive frowns, “I...I’m sure she would accept the position if offered, and she certainly deserves it, but if I may make one selfish request. Please do not offer her the job. She is my wife, and if we were your only two guards then, well we would never be off at the same time. I ask you, for my family’s sake, please don’t offer her the job, because if you do, I don’t think she would turn it down. I feel terrible asking this, but anypony else, please, just not her.” That made a lot of sense, and she realizes how terrible of an idea it was. “Oh, yes... sorry, I hadn’t even considered that. I trust her as much as I do you, but I suppose that would be a very difficult position to put you two in.” She sighs and looks aside. “I’m not sure who else to pick... you work with the militia every day. Do you have any recommendations?” Glaive thinks for a long time, ‘Sarissa? No she’s bucking crazy. Kat? No. Glyph? Gods no, but he left anyway. Ponies in the militia I would pick first are the Captains, or Falcata and they are out. Jaxler? Maybe, but he’s a bit unstable, still better than some of the others. Rondel? Too inexperienced. Fuscina? Not a bad choice, but an earthpony, no magic, no wings, big disadvantages against certain foes. I guess it’ll have to be either...’ Glaive looks up, “I’d have to pick either Storm Cloud or Kris. Storm’s been in the guard a long time and as far as I know he’s never caused any trouble. I don’t know him personally, but if you think he’s an acceptable choice, I wouldn’t have a problem working with him. Additionally, I might have some magic abilities but I can’t deal with an enemy that is flying out of melee range, a pegasus like Storm can. However, Kris, she, she is one of the most incredible fighters here, and she’s got magic too, and I know I’d trust her to have my back in a fight. Still I’m not sure if I’d want to take her away from the front lines, I think she belongs there more than as a guard, but really either of them would be a good choice.” They were both good suggestions. She’d never heard anything bad about either. Storm Cloud was the mayor... he’d have to give that up, but maybe it was time for somepony else to be mayor anyway. Kris being a unicorn was a useful thing though... “Those are both good suggestions, I believe both would give their all. I think I’ll have to consider it... but if you think that Kris would be better suited in the militia then I think perhaps Storm Cloud is the better choice.” She raises a hoof to her chin as she thinks. “I... I think Storm Cloud would be the best choice.” She tries to adjust her mane to get it out of her face and back into some semblance of a presentable manner. “Would you go get him for me? I’d like to ask him about the option... he may not want it, but it’s his if he does.” Glaive stands and says, “As you wish milady.” before taking his leave to find the guard pony. Virtue slumps back into her chair and tries to process the conversation that had just unfolded. So many things had happened today and yesterday that she never thought she’d live to see... unjustified slaughter of so many innocents... accusations of murder... having a weapon placed in her face... injuring Sarissa... and now, now she had a personal guard. She covers her eyes with her hooves again. Maybe she really did need it. Things were probably going to get worse before they got any better. She could only hope that they did finally get better. At least with Glaive and Storm Cloud watching out for her and her family... she might be spared watching her children die at least.