“Tarnish, you have to hold me tighter,” Maud said as she slid her hoof down Tarnish’s spine and pulled his hips closer to her. “We sleep together. We make love… we just made love… it’s okay if we’re close.”
Flexing his hips, Tarnish followed Maud’s lead. Overhead, the stars twinkled. He gave Maud a wink, waggled his ears, and gave her fetlock a squeeze with his. They stood belly to belly, almost hoof to hoof, fetlock in fetlock, and each of them had a foreleg around the other.
“Now, when I lift up and move my hoof, you lift your hoof and move with me. Step where I step, but don’t step on me.” Maud took a step backwards, pulling Tarnish with her, and she felt his leg brush up against hers. She took three steps backwards, nodding as Tarnish kept pace with her, and then moved in synch with Tarnish when he took three steps backwards. She felt the foreleg around her middle give her a squeeze. “Dip me.”
“Maud, I’m always afraid I’ll drop you… like I’ve already done.” Tarnish winced and gave Maud a halfhearted dip, his foreleg around the small of her back, leaning her over backwards a bit. She was heavy, oh howdy she was heavy, but Tarnish would never say so aloud. It was amazing that she floated the way she did in the water.
“That was not a dip,” Maud said as she hefted Tarnish around. She dipped him, tilting him over until his upper half was perpendicular to the ground below. At least his hoofwork was getting better. Tarnish surprised her with a spin and when it was over, she leaned against him.
Straining, Tarnish gave Maud a better dip, almost tipping her over to the point where she was level. He felt his back straining and his hocks burning as he struggled to hold her up and keep his balance. He was sweating now, even though the night was cool. As he danced with Maud, fireflies bobbed in the air around them, providing light and atmosphere.
“Hmm, I think Mama would be proud.” Maud lifted Tarnish a bit, whirled him around, and then went skipping off sideways to see if Tarnish could keep up. She felt his hooves bumping up against hers a few times, and their hocks touched more than once, but Tarnish took the unexpected sideways strut rather well.
“Slow, slow, fast, fast, to the left, to the right, to the left, to the right, seductive look, dip,” Tarnish said in a low voice, speaking to himself.
“What?” Maud felt herself pulled back in a slow movement, then pulled forward, also slow, then a fast step back, with one of Tarnish’s hooves stepping right in between hers. Then there was a fast step forwards, with Tarnish pulling her along, a sidestep to the left, a sidestep to the right, another step to the left, then one to the right, and then, Maud saw Tarnish give her a saucy, seductive look. She inhaled, sucking in a deep breath, and then she was dipped. It was almost perfect.
When Tarnish pulled her up, Maud felt a quick peck on the lips and a tight squeeze. Then, she was let go and Tarnish dropped down on all fours. She joined him, amazed by his little display of skill. The practice was paying off. She could see the light of the fireflies reflected in his blue eyes.
“What kind of dancing was that again?” Tarnish sat down in the grass and gave Maud a smile. He shook his head, causing his ears to flop around, and then scratched his left foreleg with his right foreleg.
“That was a simplified tango. And you were pretty good at it.” Maud also sat down in the grass, unable to look away from Tarnish. Something had changed. While Tarnish could be a little shy sometimes, he was developing confidence. Raising an eyebrow, Maud watched as Tarnish dropped over and rolled in the grass, rubbing his withers and his croup over the ground while kicking his legs in the air. He snorted as he thrashed around and then went still, his legs all splayed out in different directions. She couldn’t help herself, she loved him during these moments. Letting out a contented sigh, Maud flopped down in the grass to be with him.
“This is a rumba box step. Forward, shimmy to the right, hooves together, back, shimmy to the left, move those hooves, and shake those hips. Move around, forming an invisible box,” Maud instructed as she pulled Tarnish through the steps. “When I move my right hoof, you have to move your left hoof… stay with me.”
Tarnish looked down, he and Maud were not belly to belly, and he tried to keep his hooves moving in time with hers. She shimmied as she moved, Maud could be a graceful pony when she wanted to be, and it made his heart race to watch her.
“Hoof up on my shoulder, you keep letting it slip,” Maud said. “Now come a little closer, Lovercolt.” She pulled Tarnish close, but not too close, so he could continue to look at his own hooves if he needed to do so. He was damp and sweaty, she could feel it when they touched. “The rumba is all about fluid movement.”
“I had no idea that there were so many dances.” Tarnish looked into Maud’s turquoise eyes. “This is wonderful.”
“Some ponies read books, other ponies dance.” Maud moved with Tarnish, taking him through the rumba box step in a slow, methodical manner. “Growing up outside of the big city, there isn’t much to do. Ponies in the city can go and watch a movie or something.” Maud paused, checking Tarnish’s hoofwork. “But for four little fillies growing up on a rock farm, we had to find our own fun.”
“I could dance with you like this forever,” Tarnish said, pulling Maud closer and slipping into a tango. He ground his hips against her, shook them from side to side, and then gave Maud another dipping.
“At some point, I think we’d need music,” Maud said as Tarnish pulled her back up.
Maud allowed Tarnish to give her a twirl, and then, giving him a smouldering stare, Maud fell backwards into the grass, pulled Tarnish down on top of her. She looked up, seeing starry sky framed around Tarnish’s face, and then, taken by the moment, she gave him a slow, lingering kiss, allowing her lips to dance over his.
There was another dance that Maud had in mind.
“Hullo?”
Startled, Tarnish almost dropped his teacup. He looked around as he sloshed hot tea over himself. He grumbled and heard faint laughter. He glanced at Maud, who was also looking around.
“Thou art—” The voice paused for a moment and Tarnish heard the sound of a throat being cleared. “Ahem, the both of you are up very late… or perhaps very early.”
A blue earth pony approached. She was difficult to see in the darkness, but Tarnish could make her out. She was blue, a dark shade of blue, and her mane was a lighter shade of blue. Her saddlebags bounced against her sides as she approached.
“Pardon us, we’re not used to strangers at this hour,” Tarnish said as he gestured at the fire. “Have a seat, Miss…”
“Oh, my name is… is Mellonella Moth and I am most pleased to meet you.” The earth pony mare sat down beside the fire, smiling. Her light blue mane was very, very long and it spilled around her neck, withers, even dangling down near her forelegs.
“My name is Tarnished Teapot. This is Maud Pie,” Tarnish said as he studied his guest. “We were just having a bit of tea, a bite to eat, and thinking about getting a little sleep.”
“Huzzah… thou hast been up—” Mellonella paused and let out a polite cough. “Excuse me. I take it this means that thou, er, you have been enjoying the night and all of its wonders?”
“I’ve been teaching my husband how to dance.” Maud glanced at the strange earth pony and then took a sip of her tea. “We like being out beneath the stars. It’s our special time.”
“Huzzah, two ponies who doth so love the night!” Mellonella’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth with one dainty, yet somehow solid looking hoof. “Oh dear, do forgive mine enthusiasm.”
“Would you care for some tea?” Tarnish asked. “It is a very unique blend.” He saw Mellonella’s eyes narrow for a moment and she looked at him. Something felt out of place, but she seemed friendly enough, if a little weird.
“That is a most peculiar sword.” Mellonella pointed at Tarnish’s saddlebags. “Very few ponies have swords. No hands, you see, makes it difficult to swing such a weapon.”
“Miss Moth, would you care for some tea?” Maud asked as her eyes darted over to look at Tarnish.
“Oh, yes please, it would pleaseth me greatly,” Mellonella replied.
Lifting the teapot, Tarnish poured some out into a cup. He smiled. “We have sugarcubes and tinned milk, if you would like them. There is also a bit of honey left.”
“Hmm, two sugars.” Mellonella watched as Tarnish lifted out two sugarcubes and dropped them into a crude teacup, the sort of teacup one might expect to find with civilised, but practical explorers. When the tea was passed to her, she took it in hoof, smiled, and nodded her head. “Many thanks, Mister Teapot.”
“We have some leftover macaroni and cheese.” Maud’s eyes glanced down at the pan with a lid over it by the fire.
“Oh, thank you, but I am fine.” Mellonella looked around the camp and then focused on the two ponies in front of her. “I do so very much appreciate your hospitality.”
“So, if you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing out this late?” Tarnish asked.
“Oh, I doth travel by night. ‘Tis cooler this way.” Mellonella’s smile broadened. “I much prefer the night overall. The day is far too harsh.” The blue mare lifted up her teacup, sniffed, closed her eyes, and sighed.
Tarnish watched his guest’s eyes open and she took a sip of tea. He was curious about her interest in his sword, but he said nothing, not wishing to be rude. He supposed that a lot of ponies would probably be interested in his sword, once he got back to civilisation, and that he should get used to the questions now.
“Wouldst thou mind if I stayed with thee when the sun rises?” Mellonella blinked, looking a little sleepy, and then took another sip of her tea.
Tarnish saw the mare blush. She spoke in an odd way and seemed self conscious about it. He glanced at Maud and saw Maud nod. He looked at his odd visitor. “That would be fine. We don’t mind the company.”
“Thank you… I have traveled far this night and I ran into a most cantankerous owlbear. He gave me no end of trouble, but I eluded him and led him on a merry chase, leading him away from the road.” Mellonella took another sip of tea, nodded, and then looked down into her teacup. “This is very good… what is it?”
“Poison joke,” Maud replied in deadpan.
Mellonella Moth coughed and almost dropped her teacup, sloshing tea upon herself.