//------------------------------// // Chapter Fifty One - Rat in the Bed // Story: Ice Fall // by Bluespectre //------------------------------//   CHAPTER FIFTY ONE   RAT IN THE BED   Birds wheeled overhead, their mournful cries calling out to the emptiness that was threatening to swallow her whole. How long had it been now? Weeks? Months? Dear Goddess it felt like it may even have been years. Time had dragged by agonisingly slowly, despite trying to distract herself by keeping busy with the endless shuttling of soldiers and supplies. It was a task, she noted, that she hadn’t originally intended to do, but with Chalk away fighting for the Celestian army and the pay being good, the King Sombra’s Revenge had been kept very busy indeed. But still, she knew that sooner or later the war was going to catch up with her and her crew. The Legion were, by all accounts, taking a beating but they were still a relatively large and cohesive force whereas Celestia’s forces looked like little more than a ragtag assemblage of only the Goddess knew what. Despite all the training, regardless of their motivation, keeping this lot alive in a pitched battle would be like trying to keep a candle lit in a hurricane.   “More tea?”   Gretel shook her head, preferring to watch the gulls up above. It was, as always, a perfect day. Here, everything was perfect: the weather, the lawns, even the host with her perfect tea and cakes. It was normally relaxing, but today it just felt…irritating.   “I find bowls such a therapeautic sport, don’t you?” Amy nibbled on a croissant and waved her hoof towards the players on the green, “So simple, so unhurried.” She looked over at the red mare, “You enquired at the castle, then?”   She had. Gretel felt like screaming in rage and fury at the whole situation. Those…those liars! They’d told her Chalk and Bracken been sent to a quiet location and would be back soon. That had placated her for a few days, maybe even a few weeks, but as those weeks turned to months with no word, she’d begun to fear the worst. That was when she’d asked her crew to start making discreet enquiries with soldiers who’d served with them. A generous round of wheat beers and spirits had loosened enough tongues to uncover the awful story of the two being sent off on a suicide mission by an officer they’d fallen afoul of. She even had a name: Shallow Fry. She’d shallow fry him alright, the filthy rat. Still, she’d kept her temper, she’d been cool, collected…all the things she didn’t feel like being, and gone to visit General Dray and have them recalled. She huffed loudly to herself; she may aswell have tried to see the almighty Celestia, but naturally, she was always ‘ far too busy’ as well. Damn their eyes! If it wasn’t for the steady source of money and the hope that Chalk could come back at any minute, she would have told them where to shove their damned rebellion and left them to it. What made matters worse in some respects, was that the rest of the crew were not only enjoying working for the Princess, they were almost literally rolling in bits. If she hadn’t had Doc and Amy to talk to she’d have gone completely bonkers ages ago.   “Gretel?”   The red mare gave herself a shake,   “Oh! Sorry, Amy, I was miles away. Yeah, I’m afraid I got the same short shrift i’ve always got.”   The elegant mare sipped her tea with her customary delicate grace, “I’m not surprised. They will be occupied with co-ordinating their forces and a couple of lost ponies won’t feature highly on their list of priorities.”   “After what they’ve done for them? After what they’ve been through?” Gretel felt her face flushing with anger - not at Amy, just…everything!   “Lets say that they agreed to help you.” Amy replied calmly, “What do you think they could do? I don’t think they have the ponies to send out search parties for them, and if they have indeed gone into the mountains, they may have crossed over the border into…”   “-I know!” Gretel interrupted, sitting up suddenly, “I don’t want to think about it.” She shook her mane and got off the sun lounger, “Look, Amy, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be burdening you with my problems. I should go.”   Amy reached across and took her foreleg, “Gretel, please, don’t give into despair. I’m your friend, you can come to me any time you like and spend as much time as you like.” She looked at her sadly, “If it’s meant to be, you will see him again.”   “If it’s mean to be? That’s very fatalistic of you.” Gretel replied.   Amy shrugged, “When you’re a soul bound to a wooden vessel, you have a lot of time to contemplate things.” Her eyes looked distant for a moment, “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s not to hope for things. Love, happiness…” she gave a sarcastic laugh, “Catch them when you can, Gretel, because disappointment and pain are the only real universal constants.”   “Amy…” the Captain gave her a concerned look.   The crystal mare suddenly laughed out loud and lifted her half eaten jam tart, “Screw fate, I say! You go and make your own life and to hell with the rest of them.” She smiled, “Come on now, get yourself back, you have visitors.”   “Visitors?”   “Mmm!” Amy munched down the last of her cake and adjusted her sun hat, “My sister’s come to visit.”   “Your sister?” Gretel’s eyes went wide in realisation, “The Wind Wraith!”   Amy smiled and tapped her gently on the nose, “Indeed. Now, off with you young lady, you have ponies to see”.   A wave of her hoof and Gretel was staring at the wall of her cabin. Entering and leaving the world of the enigmatic vessel was becoming almost second nature, and in a way it worried her all the more. Amy hadn’t said anything, she was nothing if not welcoming, it was just…She sighed, hauling herself off the bed; sometimes she wondered if being there, in that wonderful perfect world was becoming more attractive than the ‘real’ one - in her heart, she already knew the answer. Pulling on her hat and coat, Gretel left her cabin and headed out into the driving rain and overcast sky. At least it wasn’t snowing, but by Luna’s arse it was still bone chillingly cold…and damp. She hated the damp, the way it clung to your clothes and fur, soaking through to your skin. In some ways snow was better; at least you could shake the blasted stuff off.   The crew were all pushing towards the side of the ship, chattering excitedly and gesturing towards the sleek black vessel that was pulling into the berth next to theirs. Gretel climbed up to the quarterdeck and waved to Cyclone who was shouting something, but with the rain it was so muffled as to be unintelligible.   “Sod this.” She muttered and trotted back to the deck and found Strata and Doc milling with the rest of them. Gretel clopped Doc on the backside making him jump in alarm, “Coming?”   The three trotted down the gangplank, and looked up at the majestic image of the Wind Wraith. With her sleek lines and gold trim, she truly was a graceful ship; not as wonderful as her own, naturally, but still, she could admire her, couldn’t she? Up on the deck, the sky galleon’s crew were hard at work while one of their officers shouted down to the dockside workers tying her up to the huge iron bollards. In short order, the gangplank was run out and landed with a heavy thud.   “Ahoy! Permission to come aboard?” Gretel shouted up.   A mint green mare appeared, leaning over the railing, “Only if you’ve cleaned your hooves, I’ve just had the deck done!”   Laughing, the two friends met on the deck of the ship and embraced. Gretel felt her heart swell at the return of friend, and felt as if a weight had been lifted from her.   “It’s been too long, Cyclone.”   “I know, but I’ve just got so much to tell you!” The Wind Wraiths Captain stepped back, her eyes sparkling, “And…” she reached back into her pannier, “a little something for later.”   Gretels eyes went wide, “Oh my Goddess! Is this…? It is! Llamalian black label brandy!” she gave her friend a nuzzle, “We’ll enjoy this later, when we have a catch up. I take it your trading run went well?”   “And then some!” Cyclone smiled, “What a place, though. Llamalia was hotter than Tartarus in summer and…ah, but I’ll keep that for later.” She nodded towards the Captain’s cabin, “I’ll pop it away for now; just let me get my things and we’ll go into town and get something to eat if you fancy.”   “Sure, I know just the place too.” Gretel watched her friend trot off while she looked around the deck, spotting a certain dark brown stallion. He walked over and bobbed his head,   “Captain.”   “C’mere you.” The red coated mare suddenly grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, “Ooh! I’ve missed you!”   Stock huffed out a breath, but returned the hug, “It’s good to see you again too, Captain.” He turned to the others, “Doc, Strata, you been keeping well?”   The blue stallion adjusted his glasses, “Very much so. Just the usual onboard maladies to contend with I’m pleased to say.”   Strata looked up from his notebook, seemingly noticing Stock for the first time, “Oh! Hello, have a nice trip?”   “I’m not sure I’d call it that, but it was profitable.” Stock replied in his usual monotone voice, “We had a close call with some thestrals but other than that, it was fairly plain sailing.”   “Thestrals?” Gretel asked suddenly, “Tangling with the Legion?”   A pair of mint green forelegs draped themselves over Gretel and Stock, “Never mind that, come on, lets go and grab a meal and some damned good brandy. I’ve been itching to open this bottle since we left Llamalia.” Cyclone stopped suddenly and looked over her shoulder, “Damn it! Gretel, I left you a souvenir for you on the bed, would you mind? I seem to have my hooves full.”   Giving her friend a quizzical look, Gretel trotted to the Captain’s cabin and disappeared inside.   “Hey! What about us? Don’t we get anything?” Strata announced, lifting a hoof.   Doc cringed at his friend’s outburst, but fortunately Cyclone seemed to have been expecting this,   “Of course!” she grinned, “And here he comes now.”   Sure enough, a grey unicorn emerged from hatchway, fussing with his ludicrous hat and cloak while pulling at his panniers. The stream of colourful expletives emanating from the stallion made even some of the deckhooves blush. Strata shook his head in confusion,   “I don’t understand? Do I know him?”   “He’s a unicorn adventurer,” Cyclone explained, “one who’s been to a place that you know from your books, but could only dream of going in reality. If you ask him nicely, he may tell you about his adventure.”   “He’s what? He’s…?” Strata’s eyes went wide, “You mean?” With a gasp, he took a tentative step forward and then with an almighty bound, all but threw himself at the startled grey pony.   “That was mean, Cyclone.” Stock rumbled.   The green coated mare chuckled, “Oh, don’t be such a stick in the mud, grumpy.” She turned to Doc, “I’m afraid it’s just a box a rose water treats from Llamalia for you Doc, and this…” she reached forward and kissed him on the muzzle, “is from the three of us.”   Doc blushed, “Three? Oh…” he looked away for a moment, “Wait, are you…?”   She nodded.   Doc smiled, giving her a hug and reached out to shake Stock’s hoof, “Well done, both of you! But ease off on the excitement, and the spirits, Cyclone. Doctors orders!”   “Don’t worry about that!” she chuckled, “Splint’s got me covered.” She gave Stock a nudge, “Have we got the crew shore rota in place?”   “Aye.”   Cyclone nodded to Doc, “Where’s this place Gretel likes to eat then?”   “The Wainwright?” The blue stallion said, “It’s about five minutes walk from here.”   “Excellent! Let’s go then.”   Doc hesitated, “Hang on, what about Gretel?”   “Oh, I think she’ll be busy for a while.” Cyclone smirked, “No sense standing on ceremony.”   Doc gave her a quizzical look, catching instead a glimpse of Stock shaking his head solemnly. He shrugged; it really wasn’t worth arguing with a mare when she had her mind set.   “Come on then everypony,” he said resignedly, “I’ll show the way.”   In the cabin, the lights were out and the shutters closed on the windows. Gretel couldn’t see much more than her hoof in front of her face and wished she hadn’t shut the door now to the unfamiliar room, especially considering who its former owner had been. Clucking her tongue at her skittishness, she trotted up to the shutters and froze halfway. Something had moved in the shadows…rats? It better not be, she hated rats! But…there it was again, a shape, moving in the darkness…and a sound…like a muffled groaning. Gretel’s hackles went up immediately and she instinctively reached for the sword that was hanging on the back of the door in…her…own…cabin. Damn it! She didn’t even have her dagger with her. Shaking slightly, she flicked the catches on the shutters and they fell open with a bang, adding to her already heightened state of alarm. Straining her eyesight, the red mare leaped into the corner of the cabin, reaching for something, anything, she could use as a weapon.   The shape moved and groaned again.   “Don’t…don’t you move!” Gretel hissed, “I’m armed! You little crap house, I’ll…”   She paused. It wasn’t a rat; whatever it was, was on the bed, and it was big too, moving under the blanket. Slowly, carefully, she edged over to it, hooking the edge of the covers with her forehoof and suddenly yanked them away with one rapid movement,   “GOT YOU, YOU…!” she froze, staring down at…”Chalky?”   The bound and gagged unicorn lying on the bed stared up at her with pleading eyes. Deftly, the Captain pulled down the gag. Chalk sputtered and gasped,   “That bloody lunatic! I thought she was kidding when she said she’d…Mmph!”   A pair of lips pressed hard against his, cutting off his words and taking his distress in a completely unexpected direction. Melting in her forelegs, Chalk closed his eyes and felt as if he were drifing away. He was back, he was with her, and despite the pain of being away from his friend, his love for Gretel was as strong as it ever had been. Cyclone had been right, he had been a fool; this…this was where he belonged. Chalk struggled, just wishing he could hold her right now, but he was bound tight and…was that water on his face? His heart cried out…no, it wasn’t water…   “You idiot!” Gretel sobbed, pushing away from him, “You bloody stupid damned idiot!” she thumped him hard in the shoulder, “Do you have any idea what I’ve been through? Months, Chalky, bloody months and months with no word from you, not even a letter! And all of sudden, here you are!”   Chalk closed his eyes; he didn’t want to see her cry,   “I’ve been a fool.”   Gretel watched him silently, her anger and confusion suddenly derailed by Chalk’s frank confession. She’d never expected him to…   “I thought I could just run off and protect my friend like he did for me when I was a foal.” He sniffed, “What a naieve idiot! I couldn’t protect him, I couldn’t even protect myself, and all I succeeded in doing was leaving the mare I love behind.” He closed his eyes, a single tear trailing down his muzzle, “I don’t deserve you.”   “No, you don’t.” Gretel said, starting to untie him, “But I’m still here, and now…so are you.”   The final knot came undone and Chalk winced as he moved his legs again. That bloody pegasus had tied him up like a griffin’s game trophy. He tried to stand up, but his legs gave way and he dropped onto the rug.   “Come here you.” Gretel reached down and began rubbing his legs where the bonds had bitten in, “I’m going to wallop the dumb mare when I catch her, she could have tied these a bit looser for goodness sake.”   Chalk lay beneath her, his eyes staring into the darkness. He’d thought about running, about hiding, but it never helped did it? His problems never simply disappeared; they were still there when he opened his eyes. Sometimes…sometimes, taking action was the best method. Hadn’t Gretel shown him that when he’d first met her in the compound? He gave himself a shake.   “Chalky?”   Gretel sat back on her haunches, her eyes wide with surprise as the white unicorn sat up and locked eyes with her. He looked…different somehow.   Chalk took a breath, “Will you marry me?”   “I…” the rest of the words died in Gretel’s mouth, and she hung her head.   Chalk smiled sadly, “Forgive me.” He rose to his hooves and nudged her shoulder with his muzzle as he walked towards the door, “Cyclone and the others will be waiting for you.”   Gretel stared at the floor of her cabin, her tears rolling down and splashing onto the deck. She was still there when the cabin door closed with a click.   Gretel?   She said nothing.   Come to us. Please.   She didn’t want to, she didn’t…no…she didn’t…   Warm forelegs folded around her, gently enclosing her in safety and love.   “Come now, this isn’t the way.”   Gretel opened her eyes, gazing up into the gem like eyes of Amy. She smiled down at her, stroking her mane,   “For such a strong mare, you really are a lost foal when it comes to matters of the heart, my Captain.” She kissed her on the forehead, “But then, strength is only one side of the coin.”   Another voice, different this time, but carrying a hint of timeless age spoke next,   “I always find a nice cup of tea helps.” Gretel looked past Amy and saw another crystalline mare; a beautiful creature of pure white, with a pink mane and tail that glowed with the vibrancy of youth in the warm sunlight. The pegasus mare’s golden eyes glistened as she gave a lilting laugh, “And friends.”