"....and," the pegasus traced his hoof across the chart he was holding up before the captain.
"You are here...."
More trouble.
The wave of a high pressure weather front set up as an off limits area blocked the way. This frustrated the captain no end.
"What do you mean by setting up a high pressure dome???!"the captain screamed at the landed pegasus on the ship's deck. He tore the map from his hoof and shoved it into his own face nosing over the course.
"It will take at least a day to tack around.A dome: its like putting a mountain in the air!" he pointed a shaky hoof. "I can see the capital for crying out loud!
And look! This new government ordered course, changing its mind, for this government chartered trip.....the way stop town is well outside our trip!"
Marigold's heart sank as she stared at the mountains. She would be a day late to the capital.
"She's pretty." thought the guard as he stared at Marigold,looking over the side tracing her hoof on the rail, for a moment, .
"If you haven't noticed I have a ship full of heaty females that I want deblimped sooner than before!" turning dark plum color, the mouth so very wide, his tongue a majority dwarfing his teeth. He, using a guttural voice, spitting out words, in a hiss, quiet, so he could not be heard, using the chart to hide from all passengers his dead eyed stare into the pegisus face.
"Try being stuck in a town full of them!" snarked the pegasus back as quietly.
The guard had a flashback:
A crowd of a dozen mares standing round him, uncomfortably leering. They would disperse. Then ,when they thought nopony was watching, each one would eventually wander back and stare it his eye with fluttering lashes, then start breathing in the face! Then, always, would turn to go, some dancing their tails in the face under the guards nose, tickling as if by accident in the whiplash,acting as if they were going to walk away, swinging their hips , thinking they had found a time, a spot, where no one would see, to harass a guard, lure him from his post, not thinking, not realizing the rich and powerful and sneaky watched from "above" laughing, looking back with dark grins as they departed, watching for any reaction. The mares, beckoning for the guard to follow, quid pro quo, watching the eyes, watching where the gaurd was looking.
A little shirking of duty and professionalism and then leverage by another. The harm, caused, a lifetime of misery!
"Don't leave your post! God's sake don't sneeze! Just stand there. Expressionless! No matter what they do, just do your job, follow your training, do your job, do your duty. Stay with the herd...er..squad! With luck, they'll think your not interested." he reiterated in his mind. "And boy you had better not be interested, you're married."
He looked at the cream colored mare again as she enjoyed the cool air gently washing over the deck, the wind playing with the pink flyaways in her gold blond mane, with natural red highlights.
" You better not," and looked away "or there will be Tarterus to pay!"he told himself.
"Look old boy!" said the pegasus."I'm sympathetic, truly I am. Troops are being brought all over Equestria. Blimp traffic is absurd but that is the least of our worries you would think it isn't worth it no matter how much song and drink we get it isn't worth a good night's sleep. Celestia is putting out boons and rewards encouraging us through this overtime. " He looked right and left, and brought his voice down. "Word has it she is working on some kind of spell a mix of her magic and ancient writings."
The pegasus eyes twinkled."Celestia assures, that when this spell is done, married ponies will never have to worry about running from mares at this time of year! Imagine! We can spend it with our wives! Surely a day is worth it to not be harassed this time of year later?"
" You and your wife aren't packed tightly with them!" The captain was feeling his oats!
"At this time of year, I usually stay to the northern trade routes, there I can avoid most hormonal difficulties. True sometime husbands and wives of the crew chase each other round and round the deck, I've done it myself, but the northern ponies usually have more common sense being so close to griffon territories......."
The soldier would have sighed if not for professionalism.
,"Oh please!"he thought."Don't talk to me about the chased and demure way of mountain ponies!" he chewed his inside cheek."I can't tell you how many "wells" I have had to lead teams through, on the ground, upside down and sideways! The new guy always has to trace his hoof across the surface ripples, everything gets old! All because some father has to find a husband for his daughter, when all they have to do is leave the freaking mountains! Sometime I think they set up the whole thing as a quest, find the hero, have a wedding....happy ever after and then I'm short a man!"
"Oh, the captain is saying something dramatic...."
"....and I do not appreciate being impressed into this enterprise! This fairy, breezy,trip! I want it over!" He hissed like a tea kettle turning his back to the soldier.
"I'm going straight across, at the weakest point in the bubble of the high pressure dome!"
"Its either follow the course, "said the pegasus ,speaking loudly, through half lidded eyes "or be blown out of the sky!"
Another Pegasus, a bruiser, appeared and began slowly circling the craft. Turned in a bank as he flew, so the massive and deadly armaments could be clearly seen by the crew having knowledge, understanding the risk.
The blue eyed mare with the bouquet on her flank in the heavy sailor coat and ugly beaten sun hat smiled impressed at the wingspan and muscled power of the Pegasus flying technique, clueless the danger.
Captain Sails looked past the mare to the armed Juggernaut and back to the stallion, over the length of his body, at both pegasus, a look aghast.
"You know."said the pegasus , signaling his escort.
" Never fly alone." The other pegaus backed off. "Especially in the skies this time of year." the chart was yanked back, he smirked," Keep on the approved course, around ,"and folded neatly, putting it in saddle bag as he spoke," where the wind take you," stretching out his wings.", you'll be fine."
The captain lowered his head and put out a sigh, as his face returned to its color.
" I will tell you, if it be any consolation," the pegasus said as he let gravity take him, " Look to the south." calling out as he flew away" To call it a spell....Its going to be quite a show!" swooping into place as the armed pony's escort and winggaurd.
The ship detoured.
--------------------------------------------------
"What is happening? Why are we detouring? We can see the capital from here! Why are we going north!" said the mares causing quite a commotion, milling about the deck.
"Ladies please." Assured the captain worried for the deck planking as he imagined it warping as the mares stomped about. "There is a high pressure dome ahead, so we're tacking with the wind. It's the fastest way."
"Why not just let the updraft take us over/above." said a smart alack mare.
The captain did not say what he was thinking, was anxious but gave no sign. "Idiot! The ship would be torn to pieces at that speed!". Instead." If we did that, we would suffocate do to the thinning of breathable air." He grinned. " Or would the lady rather walk?"
They quieted down and stopped stomping.
He imagined later that night, fearing, imagining, the mares. All, like crazy foals, rushing starboard to watch whatever was happening in the sky! His ship tipping,falling. He didn't put anything pasted them.
Now was as good a time as any.
"Before sunset begins, an hour before bells," said Captain Sails" an assembly will be called on deck.You will be partitioned into groups with walkways between." He then divided the mares into groups.
Continuing:" Find your designated areas. Everypony is to stay in their assigned places on deck. If you are one of the guest in the state rooms you need to come on deck, an hour before bells, with your luggage packed," he turned walked pigeon toed away from them and turned back." there are vermin aboard with a taste for tackle."he stared at the mares for a while. "We'll be doing some pest control tonight."
"Hot will be drinks served after sunset. "the crew were set to guard. " Crew will answer any and all reasonable questions."He nodded to his wife. "Dismissed."
"Hey sugar. How about a date?" the captain cringed as he walked away, hearing the question to one of the crew behind him.
What followed was the usual theatrical commotion used by ship's wives to impress upon the wayward mare the finer points of fidelity!