CHAPTER THIRTY
OUT OF THE FRYING PAN
The forest was bitterly cold at night, but being this close to what had once been the main enemy lines, Dray’s party had limited themselves to travelling from sundown to dawn to reduce their chances of being detected. Even so, in the thick forest they’d still chanced upon the occasional enemy patrol, enagaging them only if there had been no choice. They’d been fast, brutal, and bloody affairs, their enemy every bit as skilled and strong as they’d ever been. What was really troubling Dray however, were the reports he’d been receiving about the war ‘being over’. How could that be? Although his officers had been dismissed by Ochre, the army itself had still been in the field and in a damned good position to defend the capital. What the hell was happening out there?
Wild walked up to him, shaking her head sadly. She looked tired. They all did. Sleeping in the open with no fires and travelling only at night was rough on hardened soldiers at the best of times, let alone at this time of year. Spirits were high though, and supplies kept coming in, but that in itself was causing problems. Ponies in the outlying villages were beginning to hear about a ‘resistance’ movement and some were actively looking to join. Others, soldiers who’d been out in some of the more remote locations, had either simply gone home or wandered off in small bands like lost souls. Whenever Dray’s party was chanced upon by these groups, they’d had to send them on their way with a heavy heart. Nopony could know what they were doing out here and the more of them there were, the more likely it was they were going to be caught.
Dray felt Wild push into him for warmth, her shivering all he needed to know about her condition - she was freezing cold. He flicked his long cloak out and around her, pulling the red mare into him to share their heat. With no fires to warm them, they’d resorted to using fire crystals - useful things in a pinch, and issued to troops in field kits for emergency warmth and food pack heating. They were pretty good, provided you sat close to them, but with winter approaching the ground itself was your enemy, sucking the heat from your body like a sponge and leaving you with the very real risk of hypothermia.
“D…Dray” Wild chattered, “I’m…s…so…c…cold.”
The Colonel passed a thermos to the Major, “Here Heather, get this down you, its soup.”
She said nothing, but nodded her thanks and removed the lid. The steam was like a geyser in the cold woods, the white clouds reminiscent of the stories of ‘genies’ Dray had heard from traders returning from the griffin kingdom. The effect on the Major was remarkable. In short order, the large mare ceased shaking, at least as badly as she had been, and snuggled into him,
“How did you manage to get soup?” she asked.
“They’ve set up a shelter for a low fire. We decided to risk it. We needed hot food or we could die out here.” Dray replied.
“Always the optimist…” Wild muttered, “Stop moving about so much, you’re letting the heat out.”
Dray couldn’t help but smile at the Major’s complaining. She reminded him in some ways of…He closed his eyes and willed the heart wrenching images away. Not now…not now!
“Dray? What are we looking for?”
The Colonel leaned down and gripped the cloak in his teeth, pulling the edge up and tucking it around the Major’s neck, “The same thing I’ve told you all the other times you’ve asked me, Heather.” He said calmly.
“Hope…” she whispered, “I…sometimes I don’t know if I have any left. Like, it’s all run out of me.”
“Don’t say things like that.” The Colonel said quietly, “Sometimes, just talking about things can make them happen. We need to stay positive, all of us, and keep moving forward.”
The red mare peered up at him, “But without the princess, why is there still light in our world? If she’s gone, if she’s really dead, how is it that the sun still comes up, even without her here? How? I don’t understand Dray, none of this makes any sense and I don’t like unknowns.” Wild peered up at him with her large jade eyes, “I need hope to carry on. I need it now, not some quest to find it.”
The Colonel nuzzled her gently, laying a foreleg over her and eliciting a soft sigh from the mare from the extra warmth, “I don’t have all the answers, Major. I can only pray that we find them on the night of the full moon.” He looked up at the sky, with its clear stars twinkling high above and even the occasional shooting star, “There’s always hope. Even in the darkness, the emptiness that can swallow us whole, there is always hope.”
Wild muttered something and let out a long soft sigh as she drifted off into sleep. Dray smiled. She was a good friend - trustworthy and brave. Plus, he had to admit, very warm to lie next to as well. He closed his eyes, hoping to grab a few hours before they had to be up once again, but tonight, sleep refused to come. In part, he reasoned, it was probably due to them being so close to their goal; that, and the fact that Wild was lying across his other foreleg. Goddesses, she was heavy!
Approaching hoofsteps announced the appearance of a well cloaked soldier. She leaned down and whispered in his ear,
“Colonel? We’ve found two ponies out by the bend in the river: a unicorn and an earth pony.”
“You know we can’t take in waifs and strays, Private.” Dray sighed, “Send them on their way.”
The soldier nodded, “Your pardon, Colonel, but these two say they fought with you at River Valley and escaped after being captured.”
Now she had the older stallion’s attention. Dray’s eyes narrowed in thought,
“River Valley…and they escaped, did they?” his mind was running through scenario after scenario. He’d not heard of anypony escaping Nightmare Moon’s camp before. Maybe they were spies, sent here with some concocted story to infiltrate them, or maybe they were ponies with vital information on the disposition of the Legion; an intriguing prospect indeed. For now though, he was worn out and there was no way he was going to wake Wild now.
“Give them some hot food, drink, and a place near the cookhouse fire to sleep.” Dray raised an eyebrow meaningfully, “And keep a guard on them, I don’t like surprises.”
“Yes, Sir”
River valley…Dray closed his eyes. He didn’t want to be reminded of that debacle. They’d come so close to being annihilated but still managed to deal the Legion a bloody muzzle nonetheless. If only they’d had the dragon support when they needed it, the princess may have been spared whatever fate she received. He’d sent out pegasi to scout from high altitude, but of the princess of the sun, there was no sign, and from the villages and towns, not a single word…nothing. It was like she’d simply vanished from the face of Equestria. Somewhat encouraging was that the Legion prisoners they’d taken didn’t seem to know what had happened to her either. Moreover, the sun still rose in the sky in the morning, the moon in the evening…strange. Perhaps the world really would just keep rumbling along; the trees and grass growing, foals being born and the elderly passing over to the herd when their time came. In some ways it was as if things had always been this way and always would be, yet it seemed so cruel, so wrong somehow. He’d lost everything: his family, his home, his whole world. Everything had ended that day and yet life trotted along as if nothing had happened…as though it was of no consequence at all. He hated that more than anything. This damned world should have screamed and howled in pain and rage at the evil that had been committed. Yet here it was; uncaring, unfeeling, completely oblivious the suffering of its inhabitants. Sometimes…sometimes he thought about the lives around him now, so expectant, so trusting. What could he bring them except pain, suffering and death? A shudder ran through Dray as his mind wandered back to the sight of his home burning and the flames consuming his loved ones. For a moment he wondered about whether he should have just thrown himself onto his sword….
The Colonel huffed in a breath, catching the gentle scent of mare. He smiled slightly and leaned his head across her neck, listening to the slight hum of contentment from the sleeping Major,
“Goodnight, Heather.”
******************
Trotting into the makeshift shelter, the two half frozen ponies huddled together by the fire shaking horribly. Bracken looked worn, tired and defeated. His breath rose is white plumes around his muzzle while he edged closer and closer to the hot coals of the fire. A large pony had handed them two mess tins with some gloopy soup like stuff that normally they’d have turned their noses up at, but they’d wolfed it down like it was the best thing they’d ever tasted in the world. The cook shook his head and put a few more logs on to keep the fire going,
“You boys okay?” the big fellow asked, “You want, I can go and get the medic to look you over.”
Chalk shook his head, “J…Just need t…to g…get…warm…”
The cook rolled his eyes and brought them another ladle of soup,
“Get that down you. You need warming on the inside as well as out. There’s hot tea as well, and….” He produced a small metal flask, “Et voilà!”
The pony poured a shot of something into a couple of cups and passed them to his two new charges. The liquor infused tea, together with the soup was like a little slice of heaven. Chalk groaned happily, feeling the wash of warmth and life virtually sizzling through him. He looked up at Bracken who smiled for what was probably the first time in the days since this bloody nightmare began. At first they’d been full of excitement, full of the expectation of adventure, and, he had to admit, no small amount of stupidity. His fathers map books were painfully vague and mostly based upon approximations and legends than any hard facts. If this nonsense was what his father had been using when he vanished, then it was no bloody wonder he’d never been seen again! And here, like father like son, his stupid unicorn offspring was trying to get himself killed. Worse, this time he was likely taking his best friend to the grave with him. What the hell had he been thinking?
“What are you boys doing out here?” The heavy set cook asked, “You nearly froze to death!”
Chalk sipped at his tea, trying to avoid the hot enamel cup sticking to his lip. It wasn’t easy, “We’re trying to find the Fortress of the Four Winds.”
The big pony furrowed his brow, “The what?”
Bracken looked up from his tea and cast his friend a withering glance, “It’s a place in the mountains where a bunch of ponies live…apparently. His marefriend mentioned that she goes there to trade rugs and other nonsense.”
The cook looked lost for words, “Your marefriend?”
Chalk stared into the flames, “We sort of finished on bad terms, but I still want to see her again…maybe, maybe she’ll have forgiven me.”
“Hang on,” The cook asked shaking his head in amazement, “you’re here, in the middle of nowhere in freezing conditions, on a journey to somewhere in the mountains to find your girlfriend who you fell out with?”
Chalk nodded, “It does sound a bit stupid when you say it like that.”
“A bit?” the cook replied, “A BIT?! Good goddesses, if I hadn’t heard you’d served at River Valley i’d have taken you for a couple of wandering village idiots.”
“Thanks for the observation.” Bracken snorted, “But I happen to notice you’re out here too. Care to share?”
“No.” the big stallion said, “Not my place. Besides, I’m not sure myself.”
“Huh!” Chalk sniffed, wiping his nose, “Looks like we’re all village idiots then.”
The cook narrowed his eyes for a moment and then gave a short laugh, “Ha! I think you may be right at that, lad.” He shook his head, “Drink your tea and try to get some sleep. It’ll be time to be up soon enough, and I expect the Colonel will want to speak to you.” He walked over to his bedding and curled up next to the fire.
“Oh, joy.” Bracken muttered, “Another fine mess you’ve gotten me into, Chalky.”
“I’m sorry, Brack!” Chalk said rubbing his mane, “I didn’t know it would end up like this, did I? We’ve been okay so far though, right? Things have worked out for us in the end.”
The black stallion fixed him with a wide eyed stare, “More by bloody luck than anything! Have you been keeping track of the amount of times we’ve nearly been killed?” Bracken hissed, “What the hell possessed me to follow you, I’ll never know. You and your hair brained idea to find your blasted fancy pirate piece!”
“Hey! Don’t talk about Gretel like that!” Chalk snapped back, “You’re the one who was knocking off that old tart!”
Bracken slammed his hoof down, his teeth bared angrily, “Why, you…!”
A metallic clang made them stop in their tracks.
“Will you two shut the buck up? I’m trying to get some bloody sleep here and its bad enough without you two fannying about.” The cook raised his ladle menacingly, “One more word from either of you and you’re going outside!”
Bracken held up a hoof in submission, he knew when to give up, and a ladle wielding angry cook was definitely one of those times. He scooted up near the fire and lay on the makeshift bedding, pulling his cloak over himself. Chalk snuck in alongside him to share their body heat. Despite their verbal sparring, they were still friends, and that took precedence over everything else, including arguments over blasted mares! He took a breath and tried to empty his mind. He didn’t want to think of anything right now - not Pickles, not pirates and certainly not freezing their nuts off in some bloody forest. So much for Chalky’s map skills! Perhaps if the blasted thing didn’t look like it had been drawn up before time began it may have helped! But then, even the newer map didn’t have this blasted ‘fortress’ on it. He yawned…Goddess, he was so tired…
Bracken’s mind drifted away to a place that he didn’t recognise, a time he couldn’t place, and yet it was all so familiar. It was quiet too, peaceful and warm. She was here, her beautiful black and white dress rustling as she walked past him to the neatly carved small table with the silver service on it. She smiled up at him from under her long lashes while the sun shone into the conservatory through immensely tall arched windows. The light made her dress look like it was made of onyx, the black fabric slick and smooth, the white lace of her undergarments peeking out from beneath the cuffs and neckline. Her pink mane and tail sparkled like fireworks as she moved, the tiniest of movements making the light dance across her. But it was her eyes, those wonderful, deep yellow eyes that drew him to her.
The mare looked up at him, holding out her hoof and beckoning him to the empty chair beside her. The tea looked so inviting, the sugar bowl and milk jug so incredibly thin it was like paper; delicate, just like the mare herself, a precious flower that needed care and love…gentleness…
Bracken gazed into those yellow eyes and rose from his chair. She watched him in silence, never moving or speaking even as he lifted her mane in his hoof and smelled her scent. She was beyond compare, a mare of beauty and grace the likes of which this world did not deserve, but he needed her, he wanted her…
“She really is quite intriguing, isn’t she?”
A voice behind him made him leap back in shock, only to feel the forelegs of a mare drape themselves around his neck as she purred,
“You like her don’t you? Do you…desire her?”
Bracken hung his head, unable to speak.
Nightmare Moon laughed, “Oh don’t be coy, Bracken! I know your heart better than you do. Don’t you think I’d know if you strayed, or if somepony else had designs upon you?”
His heart leaped, and Bracken stared up in alarm at goddess of the night, his emotions racing in all directions. She shook her head at him with a wry smile,
“I told you about naughty thoughts!” she chuckled, “But no matter, you will be with me again soon.”
“Divine Majesty,” Bracken said quietly, “forgive me, when I am away from you I…forget. I’m so confused, I just…”
“Dear Bracken,” the midnight mare said quietly, her muzzle brushing his ear, “every step, every path you take, brings you closer to me. Then, my dark stallion…” she breathed into his ear, “I shall make you mine…forever.”
A sense of fear, joy and expectation flooded Bracken’s mind, pushing all other concerns and considerations away. All there was, all there should be, was this incredible creature. Nightmare Moon sat beside him, watching the fire while the ‘other’ Bracken and Chalk Dust lay a few feet away. It didn’t seem strange now, not in the slightest, and yet something was troubling him,
“Divine Majesty, may I ask a question?”
The Goddess raised an eyebrow, her azure eyes fixing upon him,
“Very well, I will grant you this.”
“Why did you spare me?”
Nightmare Moon shrugged slightly, “Because it pleased me to do so.”
Bracken looked away, “Oh…”
“Does this answer not satisfy you?” She asked curiously.
He nodded, “Yes…Divine Majesty.”
The mare spread her wings and shook them out, preening them as Bracken looked on in silent awe. Minutes passed, but here, in her world, time meant nothing and this world was Nightmare Moon. With a shake and a rustle, she refolded her wings and got up to walk around the fire,
“I have disappointed you, haven’t I Bracken.” It wasn’t a question.
“No!” Bracken gasped in alarm.
“Oh, but I have. I can see it in you as easily as reading a book.” She looked at him from across the fire, her armour glinting in the glow of the low flames, “You miss me, don’t you?”
Bracken nodded eagerly, “Yes, Divine Majesty.”
“And you can’t understand why you’re here and not by my side.” Nightmare Moon asked.
Bracken nodded again, “No, Divine Majesty.”
“You are a special pony, Bracken…very special.” The Goddess smiled, “Soon, my stallion, very soon, you shall be able to take your proper place at my side.” In the blink of an eye, Nightmare Moon vanished only to appear beside Bracken, her muzzle mere inches from his, “Soon…” she breathed, “You will have all you desire…” the Goddess kissed him on the mouth gently, “Is this…what you desire?”
“No” Bracken whispered.
“No?” She looked surprised.
“No.” Bracken repeated, “I want more.”
“More? My, my, Bracken! Such a greedy…”
Her words were cut off as Bracken reached around her neck and pulled her into a kiss. Nightmare Moon’s eyes grew wide in surprise, and then slowly closed. Let him have his victory, this small gift. She could, after all, be generous to those loyal to her. But this stallion, he was…different. She felt a stirring within her, a flutter of…something, something she didn’t want! But…no, no that could wait, this stallion was….
Nightmare Moon pulled away from Bracken and gasped, her eyes locking onto his and her wings flared. Rising up onto her hind legs, her heart hammering and chest heaving, she howled up at the night sky. Around them thunder rolled and lightning flashed across the sky as the Goddess’s magic raged around them. She stared at him, that…that pony! He was a tool, something to be used, a means to whatever end she wanted, but here he was, daring…DARING to touch her in such a familiar manner! She was the ruler here, she was the one who commanded and he was but one more creature that would obey her! She glared at him, magic burning through her eyes with the light of pure ethereal power, her emotional energy filling her to the point where she had to release it - she had to let it go, just…let it go! With her heart pounding and the raw magic within her screaming for release, the Goddess screamed her frustration into the night and flung herself at the impudent stallion,
“I am the goddess of nightmares! The one who can destroy you with a mere thought! In your dreams I am the one who hunts you, I am the one who can burn your soul to ash!”
Bracken smiled up at her and kissed her on the nose as she bared her teeth at him,
“Then burn me, destroy me, turn me to ash…I am yours, my Goddess, to do with as you will.”
There was a huge crack of thunder as the Goddess grabbed Bracken in her embrace and cried out her feelings…her pain, her anger, her suffering…so many doubts, so many! But not now, not here…
“Damn you Bracken!” she snarled, a tear rolling down her muzzle, “You will suffer my eternal wrath for what you have done.”
The black stallion stroked her neck gently, his voice a mere whisper as the storm of magic died away,
“Then I await it…eagerly…”
*******************
The camp was already in full swing when Chalk awoke, with ponies changing guard and others checking kit and provisions. They looked like they were readying to move out already. Still, he had no idea what these guys were doing out here, especially when the war was already over. Maybe they hadn’t heard yet? There were bound to be places where messages took a long time to get through, and even then, they may not believe it to be genuine. Still, the pony who they’d first encountered said that the commanding officer here was Colonel Dray, the same officer who’d been in command at River Valley. Hoping to cadge some hot food and a fire for the night, as opposed to freezing to death, he’d played on the hope that saying they’d fought at River Valley would do the trick and by the Goddesses, it had. The only slight drawback to the plan was that they were going to be interrogated, and by the looks of it, the tall officer walking towards them was going to be doing just that,
“On your hooves, soldier.”
“Um…” Chalk scratched his mane, “We’re not technically soldiers anymore. The war’s over you know. Didn’t you read the notifications? They’re all over…”
The officer snorted, “I don’t believe in subversive gossip mongering or read Legion propaganda, soldier, and unless you can produce your discharge papers, then so far as I’m concerned you are still a soldier in the Celestian army.”
Oh, bollocks! Chalk pulled himself to his hooves and began grabbing his gear. This wasn’t going to have a happy ending was it? Good Goddesses, he’d have to find some way to get them out of this mess. Bracken, already awake, shot him a look that made his blood run cold; they were in trouble…again!
Colonel Dray looked just like they remembered him: big…big and scarred to buggery. Why a stallion of his age was still tramping around fields like a young colt was anypony’s guess. For that matter, Chalk had no idea why any of these were. He reached for his pipe only to realise he’d run out of tobacco several days earlier, and those ‘settlements’ mentioned on the map had not exactly held any quality tobacconist’s. Most of them had in fact, clearly been abandoned long ago. That bloody map! Thanks Dad!
“Sit down gentlecolts, please.” Dray held out a hoof, reading a note, “Ebony Bracken and Chalk Dust, correct? I understand you were at River Valley?”
Bracken shushed Chalk with a hoof before the blabber mouth managed to get them into any more hot water,
“Yes, Colonel. I was with the First Division, under Captain Silver Spark. Chalk was with the Unicorn Division providing ground support.”
“And you were captured, I understand?” the officer enquired.
Bracken winced. That bloody Chalky and his damned big mouth! Goddess damn it! Now even that big red mare was staring at them, and that dimwit unicorn was looking back at her with puppy eyes. She probably reminded him of that pirate mare, the one they were going to get themselves killed trying to find. Why the hell they couldn’t just go back to the port and wait for her was anypony’s guess, but no! Adventurous unicorn extraordinaire had to go north to this fantasy castle that probably didn’t…
“Mister Bracken?”
“Oh! Sorry Colonel.” Bracken reined his thoughts in, “Yes that's right; I was wounded, as was Chalk, and the two of us were captured. It was only by the grace of Celestia we were able escape.”
“I see.” The Colonel glanced across at the Major, “How exactly did you manage to escape, Mister Bracken?”
Chalk just jumped right in, “I was in a compound with a load of other prisoners, but most of them were from the crew of a sky galleon. They tricked the thestral officer into coming in when the camp was nearly empty and ‘boom’! Buck to the face!” Bracken cringed as Chalk even did the kicking movements. Unfortunately, the excited unicorn wasn’t finished - “Yeah! And then we ran like the wind!”
“They didn’t hunt you down?” The red mare asked.
“Ha!” Chalk laughed, “They tried! We took ‘em out as we flew away…you should have seen it!”
Dray exchanged glances with the red mare, “What do you mean, ‘flew away’? Forgive me, Mister Chalk, I don’t see any wings?”
Chalk snorted, “On the Revenge of course, the finest sky galleon to sail the skies of Equestria.”
The Colonel lifted his pipe and took a draw, watching Chalk’s reaction and the way his eyes followed his hooves,
“Smoke?”
“Yes, please, Colonel!” Chalk nodded enthusiastically, “We ran out ages ago.”
The grey stallion called over his shoulder, “Chipper, can you bring my smoking box and tobacco pouch over. The good stuff please.” Chalk’s eyes lit up in anticipation. “You were saying about this ‘sky galleon’, the Revenge I think you called it?”
“Her”, Chalk corrected, “We were going to fly away, like I said, but I pleaded with the Captain to help our forces and, thanks to my persuasive skills and her infatuation with me, we swooped in and blew the crap of out those thestrals!”
Chalk sat there with a smug smile on his face while Bracken just face hoofed behind him.
The red mare muttered something to the Colonel they couldn’t quite hear. Whatever it was, he was nodding intently before turning to back to them,
“Who is the Captain of this sky galleon, Mister Chalk?”
“Her name’s Gretel” Chalk replied, nodding to himself knowingly as he lit his pipe.
“Do you know how we can contact her?” Asked the Colonel, “You mentioned you were trying to find her, I believe?”
“Did I?” Chalk blew a lazy smoke ring, “I don’t remember saying anything about…”
Bracken cut in, “Actually Colonel, we are. The Revenge is a trading vessel and we’re trying to find her and re-unite my unicorn friend here with his marefriend.”
The red mare leaned forward, smiling kindly, “Where were you heading, Bracken? Perhaps we can help you.”
“That would be very kind, Miss…?” Bracken began.
“Wild, Major Wild.” The red mare nodded to him, “Please continue.”
Bracken could sense an angle here. These two were planning something and the ‘nicey nicey’ attitude was setting his hackles off like noponies business,
“I’m not sure of the exact location to be honest, Major Wild. We were told they traded to the north at a place in the mountains, but I think we may have overestimated our capabilities, not to mention the weather up here.”
The Colonel shook his head, “The only place up in the northern mountains is the territory of the wendigo and their home, the Fortress of the Four Winds. Let me tell you something, young Bracken,” he leaned forward, “I was on the border forts for part of my youth and nopony in their right mind goes looking for that place, do you understand?”
“Yes, sir” Bracken said quietly.
He cast a look at Chalk who looked like someone had just shattered his dreams and left the pieces lying at his hooves. Surely Chalky must have realised the stupidity of this ‘quest’, especially at this time of year. Their desperation to get away from home and rushing off into the mountains was, on reflection, the most ridiculous thing they’d ever done. Perhaps, once the dust had settled, they could just go back and the villagers would have forgotten all that nonsense with the Legion patrol. They’d saved the foals from the school for goodness sake! Just because he…damn it! His head suddenly throbbed painfully, making him squeeze his eyes shut with a gasp.
“Are you alright?” Major Wild asked, peering at him, “I can call the medics if your head’s troubling you.”
“No…” Bracken winced, “Its nothing, I get migraines sometimes that’s all. It’ll pass.”
Dray and Wild left the two young ponies with the guards whilst they walked away to converse quietly between themselves. The Colonel spoke in low, hushed tones,
“What do you think?”
“Naïve, adventurous; typical stallions of that age I’d say.” Wild lifted an eyebrow questioningly, “You think they’re lying?”
Dray shook his head, “No. Did you see those scars? They’re recent, and if he was indeed on that sky galleon, we could very well owe that young unicorn our lives.” The Colonel snorted, “Even if he does have a rather active imagination.”
“He is a good looking lad, Dray, I don’t think there’s many a mare out there who’d turn him down in a hurry.” Wild said quietly, “He could very well have turned the head of the Captain.”
The Colonel huffed, “As fanciful as some of his tale sounds, I’ll bow to your knowledge of mares, Heather.”
“So, the question is, what do we do with them?”
Dray smiled, “I think we should try and re-unite the young lovers, don’t you?” he scratched his mane thoughtfully, “I do like a happy ending.” He took a draw on his pipe, letting the smoke curl up into the chill air, “Goddesses know we need one.”