//------------------------------// // 8) Nulpar Tour: Day 5, Taking Flight // Story: Climbing the Mountain 2 // by Talon and Thorn //------------------------------// As Max had predicted, the sun was high in the sky before the two of them roused themselves and prepared to set out. Most of the town was just as somnolent, as it recovered from last night’s party. They had both left their host’s house on tip hoof, letting them rest. Max had strapped on his bags and met up with Fragrant near where they had first entered the city. That was when they saw a problem with their plans to leave; with few inhabitants around, there was no one to lower the lift to the ground. Max thought he could climb down, but it would take a great deal of time. Fragrant had considered offering to carry him down, but took one look at his luggage and thought better. Down would not be a problem; stopping might be. She wondered if she could carry it down in several trips - it would probably work, but it would take time and she would likely be exhausted by the time she finished.   “It looks like we’ll just have to wait,” said Max, glancing over the edge in a way that made Fragrant worry he might fall.   “Actually, I could give you a talon. Well, a wing, I suppose,” came a cry from behind them. They both turned to see Southern swooping down on them. She landed nearby and padded closer. “Look, I’m sorry about last night. I should have thought before I acted.” She lowered her head.   Fragrant stared hard at the griffoness for a moment. “I accept your apology,” she said woodenly. “But you should think of others’ reactions in future.”   “Yes,” agreed Southern. “I guess we should all think of how others will react to our actions.” Her eyes flashed for a second, then she seemed to relax a little. “Look, to make it up to you I can help you on your way. Your next stop is Snowtown, right?” Max nodded. “That’s, what, two, three days by hoof?”   “Maybe a bit less,” said Max.   “Well I can carry you at least halfway. It shouldn’t take more than a few hours.”   “I’m supposed to be visiting any settlements on the way.”   “You know there’s not many around here. Maybe a herd of Tors or two, one or two hamlets. It’s not like you’ll be able to see everybody in Nulpar as it is.”   “I suppose you’re right,” agreed Max. “What about it, Fragrant? Do you want to fly air Breeze?”   Fragrant extended her wings. “I am quite capable of flying by myself, you know.”   “Oh yeah, right. Are you sure you won’t have a problem, Southern? I’ve got a lot of stuff with me.”   “Nah, nothing I can’t handle,” said Southern, giving a few powerful flaps. “Remember how we used to get supplies up here before we finished the lift?”   “That wasn’t you alone.”   “Not always, but I think I can handle it.”   “Ok,” said Max, nodding. “You’re on.”   Southern nodded. “You better make sure all your gear’s strapped on tightly. We don’t want anything falling off on the way.”   “Good point,” said Max, tugging at some straps.   “I’ll just chat with the Duchess while you’re at it. You know, girl talk.” She gave a grin and padded over to Fragrant. As she approached, her smile and genial attitude fell away. “Gilbert told me what you said last night. What you accused him of,” she growled quietly.   Fragrant stood strong, using all her years of experience at hiding her emotions to stop herself from shaking. “Every word I said was true,” she said with a surprisingly steady voice.   “You can’t just call one of my people a spy. If you have a problem with one of them, you take it up with me, understand?” Fragrant nodded. “Good. Now, what proof do you have, anyway?”   “Nothing concrete,” she admitted. “But the dates match up with what I know, and I’ve recently been made aware of exactly how Wallflower operates,” she snarled. If she would spy on her own friends, she certainly would on possible enemies. “It’s just too much of a coincidence that a long lost relative turns up now.”   Southern studied the pony in front of her for a moment. “What happened to you to make you so paranoid?” she asked.   “Life at court,” Fragrant replied bitterly. “Whether you believe me or not, keep an eye on your ‘relative’. Don’t trust him and you won’t be betrayed like I was.”   The two females stared at each other for a long moment, and to both of their surprise, it was Southern who looked away first. “It doesn’t matter. Gilbert’s leaving soon anyway.”   “I scared him off?”   “Maybe. He was talking about going home anyway. As I said, if you have a problem with one of my people, you come to me. You don’t just take matters into your own hooves, duchess or not. Do you understand?”   “Perfectly,” said Fragrant icily.   “Good. Now, we’re fairly relaxed down here. If you tried that sort of thing back in the Kingdoms, you’d end up in a duel and probably laid out on the ground. I wouldn’t want that to happen to Max’s mare.”   Fragrant wasn’t sure how she felt about being called Max’s mare and opened her mouth to protest.   “I think I’m ready,” called Max, interrupting her.   “Good,” said Fragrant as the two ladies turned back to him. “We can be off, then.”   “What were you talking about?”   “Nothing important,” said Southern with a smile just a little too wide. She walked over and gently wrapped her talons around Max’s barrel. Fragrant paled a little to see the sharp claws digging into Max’s coat, but he didn’t seem to be uncomfortable - he actually seemed excited at the prospect. She felt a little jealousy at another female handling him in that way; maybe it would be better if... no, she didn’t think she’d feel any better if Max were to mount the griffoness instead.   “Ready?” asked Southern to her passenger.   “When you are,” he agreed. Fragrant rose into the air with a few flaps in time to see Southern leap forwards off the cliff, still holding Max. She felt her heart rise into her mouth as the two of them plummeted towards the ground, Max giving a cry of fear, or maybe elation. The pegasus swooped forwards in time to see the griffon catch the air and shoot up past her into the clear sky above; she was sure Max was whooping in joy this time and the feeling of jealousy returned. Steeling herself, she pushed herself forwards through the air to catch up with her companions.       The three of them shot through the air for several hours until the Eyrie wasn’t even a speck in the distance. Max and Southern kept up an almost constant conversation as they pointed out various local landmarks to Fragrant and reminisced on past experiences in the area. By the time they finally came in to land, Fragrant’s wings were aching; she was not used to long distance flight. She had thought she had kept herself in good condition, but this trip was showing that she could do a lot better to keep herself fit.   “I’m afraid that’s about as far as I can take you, Max,” said Southern as she gently dropped the stallion to the ground before landing next to him. “I need to get back before Gentle and Gusty start missing their mom. Not to mention Gunter.”   “Thank you taking me this far,” said Max, stretching his legs after the long flight. “You’ve probably cut a day off my journey, maybe more.”   “The pleasure was all mine,” said Southern, purposely not looking at Fragrant. She passed Max a canvas bag. He looked confused for a moment before sticking his head into it, and grinned. “Thanks,” he said, packing it away with the rest of his stuff as the griffoness flew off.   “What was that?” asked Fragrant.   “It’s a surprise, I’ll tell you later.” He winked. “Now, time for some lunch, I think, then back on the road. There’s a village near here I saw from the air.”     After a quick meal, the two ponies visited the nearby farming settlement, and Max introduced himself and accepted questions from the natives before heading back off to the east. By the time the sun had started to set, Fragrant’s hooves were aching as well as her wings, and she was ready to drop where she stood. Even Max looked tired, so the two of them decided to make camp where they were.   This time, the area they set up tent in was rather more open than a few days ago. It was mostly a gently rolling meadow with not even a copse of trees around, although mountains rose into the sky not that far away.   Max couldn’t even find the wood to make a fire, so their meal was cold. Still, the package Southern had left them apparently included some fruit and vegetables, so he managed to mix up a reasonable supper for the two of them. They sat close and watched the moon rise into the sky. Quietly they shared tales of their younger lives, Max of growing up in Sadlzburg and Fragrant of her years in her parents’ estate. Their lives seemed so different, thought Fragrant; it was odd that they had ended up together. They then moved on to their plans for their provinces. Fragrant couldn’t help but notice that Max didn’t seem quite as enthusiastic as he had been when he first came to Canterlot. She hoped he hadn’t burnt out so quickly. She hadn’t noticed how tired she had been of the whole thing until she had had Max to compare herself to. She was about to ask him about it when his face was split by a large yawn.   “Are you alright?” she asked.   “Just tired. I guess flying really takes it out of you.”   “And you didn’t even have to flap. Think how I feel! What did you think of your first flight?” she asked cautiously.   “It was great to see everything stretch out below me. It didn’t seem like I had a care in the world.” Fragrant felt another little pang of jealousy; she wanted to make him feel like that. “It was nice to see how you feel all the time,” he finished.   “Hardly. It seems like most of my problems are in air. But I do like the sentiment. Maybe we could go flying together some when. I may have to practise before I can carry you far.”   “I think I’d like that,” he said, before yawning again.   “I think you should get to bed.”   “I think you might be right,” he agreed.   Fragrant leapt into the air and landed on the cloud bed she had quickly forged earlier. It was not as ornate at the one she had made a few days ago; she hadn’t felt like spending the extra time on it. She patted the top layer down and made herself comfortable as Max tidied up their sparse camp. “You know,” he said, “it always surprises me how easily you can make those things.”   “Cloud beds?” she asked. He nodded. “They are one of the earliest use of clouds as building materials, you know. In fact, there is evidence that most early pegasus were nomadic, building new nests from cloud each night to sleep on. Over time they became more ornate and started to be reused. In fact, the earliest cloud cities may have been nothing more than a conglomeration of those nests which were moved around by the tribe,” she lectured.   “Your city is made of beds?” he grinned.   “Aren't all cities, in a way? A collection of places to sleep? Other buildings grow in time, but living quarters are always the most important, don’t you think?”   Max thought for a moment. “I guess you’re right. A city is just a place for a bunch of friends to sleep in, to work together in.” He sighed.   “Is something wrong?” she asked. He seemed rather blue.   “Nothing,” said Max, shaking his head. “I’m just tired. I don’t think I’ve recovered from last night entirely. I should turn in for the night.”   “If you are sure.” She paused. “You would tell me if something was bothering you, wouldn’t you?”   “I’m fine, Fragrant,” he said. She noted that he didn’t directly answer her question.   “Well, good night, then. I hope you sleep well.”   “Thanks. Same to you.”     Fragrant gazed down from her cloud bed at the small tent below, watching the shadows intently as Max prepared for bed until he covered the small firefly lantern and darkness ruled. She turned over and looked up at the clear sky above, admiring Luna’s sea of stars. The moon gazed down from its place in the sky. She sighed, glancing back at the tent again. Even though it was summer, they were high enough - and the night was clear enough - that it was quite chilly, but as she had explained to Max, it was nothing her pegasus physiology couldn’t handle. But still, she would have preferred to have a source of warmth... a pony shaped source of warmth, a part of her mind added. She tried to push it aside and burrowed a little into her cloud, trying to get comfortable. Max had said that they should reach another settlement tomorrow; she should get some sleep so she could be at her best to meet the inhabitants.   She lay in silence for a moment, sleep eluding her. There was something off about her stallion, she thought. He superficially seemed all right, but there was some sadness buried deeper, and she wasn’t sure what it was. Had something happened in the time between him leaving Canterlot and her visit? Something was troubling him... something about his province? Something about his duties? She wished he’d open up to her; she wanted to help after all he’d done for her at and since the gala. Once again looking down at the tent, she considered what to do. She suspected that if she just asked him, he’d try to brush her off, probably thinking that it was his problem and not hers. She would have to catch him at the right moment, when his defences were down. She considered for a moment, then smiled. She could think of a possible opportunity. It might cause a little dent in her pride, but she could suffer that for Max; it would, after all, have certain benefits for her as well.     Max was just starting to nod off when he heard a sound from outside the tent. Something was knocking against the fabric. “Max?” came Fragrant’s quiet call. He blinked blearily for a moment before reaching out a hoof to remove the cover from the lantern. It took a few goes for him to find it.   “Fragrant? What’s wrong?” he asked as he turned in his blankets.   “Max...” She paused for a moment. “I’m cold... could I... could I come in?” She sounded unsure. Max blinked; this seemed very familiar... his dream from a few nights ago had started this way. Was he still asleep?   As quickly as he could, he pulled himself towards the entrance to the tent and threw back the door. There stood Fragrant, looking miserable. She was even shivering a little. He felt a cool breeze flow into the tent; it was cold out, but he wouldn’t have expected her to react this badly, especially after what she had said about pegasi. Still, he could think about that later. “Of course, come in,” he said, wriggling aside to allow Fragrant to kneel and crawl into the tent. It wasn’t really built for two, and there wasn’t much room with both of them and his equipment. He pushed himself against one wall and held out his blankets to her. “Here, take these,” he offered. She looked warmer already. Her shivering had almost stopped.   “No, I don’t want you to get cold. We can share,” she said with a smile, positioning herself in the middle of the tent facing Max, and draped the blanket over both of them. There wasn’t much spare material, so she had to move over close enough that the two of them were touching, so they were both covered. This was very much like his dream, indeed!   Max’s eyes widened as he felt her body fit neatly against his own. He tried to keep his breathing under control. Was she...? Could she mean...? She reached out and rested a wing on his barrel, and wiggled herself into position next to him. “Thank you,” she said politely. “I’m feeling much warmer now.” So was Max. He cautiously rested a leg over her, ready to pull it back if she complained. She didn’t, and he wondered if he should take things further, but she didn’t seem to be giving him any signals that she wanted to do more than just sharing body heat. Or did she want him to make the next move? He certainly didn’t want to drive her away, so he decided to leave the decision up to her, no matter how hard it would be. He rested his head next to hers and gently sniffed, feeling her mane’s scent fill his nose. He wasn’t sure if he was going to get much sleep tonight; her presence was very distracting. Still, he let his eyes drift closed again, listening to the sound of her gentle breathing and feeling the steady beat of her heart even through the material of her dress.   “Max!” whispered Fragrant. “Are you still awake?” He roused himself. Despite his previous thoughts, he had actually started to nod off.   “Huh, yeah,” he mumbled. He felt Fragrant shift in his grip.   “Nulpar seems a nice place,” she whispered. “The ponies seem very friendly.”   “Yeah, they’re great. I’m proud to be representing them.”   “I’m sure you’re doing a great job, but you’re not having any problems, are you?” she asked.   “Well, things are different than how I thought they’d be,” he mumbled, still partly asleep.   “How so?”   “Not everypony seems to like me anymore. They don’t think I’m doing my job properly.” His eyes popped open. He’d not meant to tell her that! It was his own problem to deal with, not hers. Her ice-blue eyes looked warmly into his own.   “Max, is that really all?”   “Well, not being mayor is taking a bit of getting used to, but yeah, it just bugs me. I used to think I had the support of almost everyone in Sadlzburg, but they seem to think I should be doing more for them.” Now that he’d gotten started, his worries began to pour out. “It’s mostly Honeybun, but nopony used to listen to her. Now they do, and I’ve got a whole province of Honeybuns to look after, and I don’t know how to deal with them!”   “Oh, Max.” She tightened her grip around him for a moment, drawing his head into her mane. “You can never make everypony like you, you can’t please everypony, there will always be somepony who isn’t happy. You’ll work your hooves to the bone if you try.”   “But isn’t it our job to do our best for our people?”   “Yes, but we are mortal, we can’t do everything. I know you’re working as hard as you can for your ponies. It might not seem like much, but you are making your province better. Besides, if only a few ponies are complaining, you’re doing better than I am. I get hundreds of complaint letters every day for Cloudsdale.”   “Hundreds?” He raised an eyebrow.   “Well, I don’t just control the city. My responsibility is for a third of the skies of Equestria, over a dozen major cloud settlements as well as hundreds of smaller outposts. I think I do a good job, over all.” She looked a little miffed.   “Well, yes, I’m sure you do.”   “You have to develop a thick skin about these things. Look at the big picture. Maybe a few are complaining, but there are many, many more who aren't.”   “Maybe the big picture is the problem. It’s why I’m out here, checking the whole province rather than just Sadlzburg.”   “Yes, I can see the problem, I have sometimes been accused of only thinking of Cloudsdale itself rather than the rest of skies. But remember, the important thing is not what other ponies say, particularly not what the press says,” she firmly highlighted that, “it’s what you are actually doing. Do you care about all of Nulpar?”   “Well, yes, but I know the people of Sadlzburg. I know some other places in Nulpar, but not all of them.”   “Well, there is no way you can know everybody in a province, not even one as sparse as this one.” Max wondered if he should feel insulted for his land. “But everywhere we’ve been so far you’ve found friends, or you’ve made friends. You will probably need to set up some sort of council or advisory board to help you administer the province. That’s partially what mayors and representatives are for.”   “Oh, I don’t think I have any representatives yet.”   Fragrant frowned. “Possibly an oversight on the Princess’s part, but you should look to recommend possible candidates. The posts will no doubt be set up sooner or later.” She paused for a moment, a plan starting to form. “You mentioned a trouble maker, Honeybun?”   “Yes, she doesn’t like my leadership. Apparently her mother was almost mayor instead of my father. Still, she did make some good points about what I had and hadn’t done.”   “Maybe you could steer her towards a representative’s role? It seems to give great amount of power, but actually involves much paperwork. It could leave her without much free time to cause trouble. My mother once did the same to neutralise an outspoken opponent in the city council.”   Max frowned. That didn’t sound very fair. “Well, some of her complaints do make some sense.”   Fragrant rolled her eyes. Trust Max to not understand the political utility of such a move. “However, it will give her the chance to air her grievances and those of the other citizens to the princess. It would keep you on your hooves and make sure you keep sight of your people.”   “I guess that makes some sense,” muttered Max.   “Sleep on it. It may be a solution to your problem.” She yawned widely and rested her head on Max; he wasn’t quite as comfortable as her cloud bed, but she knew which one she would prefer to spend the night with.   “Fragrant?” asked Max.   “Humm?”   “Did you really come out here to look into the weather control?”   “Partially. I did want to see you as well,” she admitted.   “I appreciate it, but didn’t you have a lot of other things to do in Cloudsdale?”   “Yes, but I needed to get away for a while.”   Max shifted a little. “Why?”   Fragrant lifted her head. She could lie, but she felt she needed to get the issue off her chest. He had spilt his secrets; now it was her turn. “Notebook. I found out that he was spying on me at the request of Vicereine Wallflower.” She swallowed with difficulty. “It hurt me badly. I had trusted him for many years, and her too.”   Max instinctively tightened his grip around the distraught mare and felt her wings do likewise. “Why did she do that?” he asked, bewildered.   “She thought it was for the best, so that she would know if I did anything wrong.”   “You’d never...” he insisted.   “I did, remember? It was before Notebook started working with me.”   “So he told her everything you did.”   “No.” She gave a hollow laugh. “That’s the most confusing thing. He didn’t tell her anything. He said I didn’t do anything wrong, so he didn’t need to.”   Max lay in silence for a moment, digesting this information. “What did you do when you found out?”   “I fired him. Well, I tried to, but he’s working for you, not me, at the moment, so I couldn’t. But I won’t take him on again. Never!” she said with some violence. “You should fire him, Max. I don’t think you can trust him at court, he might be spying on you too. I can suggest some possible replacements.”   Max was quite surprised by her outburst. Why did she feel so passionately about this? “I... I think you should reconsider. I’ve done some pretty stupid things in my life and I’ve always asked my friends to tell me when I act like that. Isn’t this the same? He would have reported if you did anything wrong, but you didn’t, so he didn’t. He was your friend.”   “I... I don’t... he betrayed me!” Her words lacked their previous conviction.   “Maybe he deserves another chance?”   “Maybe. I don’t want to talk about this now.” She snorted. “Can’t we just try and get some sleep?”   “Of course, but maybe you should think about it a bit more.”   “Maybe...” She paused, and then Max felt the ghost of a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Max.”   “For what?” “For being you.”