My Little Fortress: Shadytrails

by PersonalGamer

[11] 26th Felsite, 222

Patina grinned happily as she stoked the fire. The charcoal had been prepared, she’d personally picked out a spot for her new forge, and had been as busy as a bee getting the furnace built from the stone given to her by Silver Rush. Now it was time to put it all to the test.

Meanwhile, from the direction of the fields a zebra mare in the delicious colors of chocolate trots toward Patina and her new forge. Besides her tunic, she wears a pleasant smile, and waves when she's close enough to be seen, before continuing forward.

Patina is too distracted by the flames and her imagination of the projects to come to notice the wave, or the zebra’s approach, until the mare’s shadow blocks some of her light, she jumps but seeing it is only Tunda relaxes, “Oh… Tunda you frightened me… Hello.”

Tunda chuckles and moves out from casting her shadow over the poor mare. "Hello, miss Patina Dreams. We've both lived here for months and never talk it seems."

“Mhmm,” Patina agrees, “Yeah… I guess we’ve just been busy getting everything together. Can I help you with something?”

Without pausing, Tunda lifts a knee and replies, "Yes, I admit this visit wasn't wholly to chat." She gestures at the newly-made forge with her forehoof. "I hoped to ask you to do me a favor with that."

Patina looks excited, her first request already, “Certainly Tunda, what do you need?”

Encouraged by the excitement, Tunda continues, "The tools I brought with me are old and worn out. Whether they'll last another few months? I have my doubts."

“I see,” Patina replies, “Well… they should be no problem to repair, though I’m afraid until we get some merchants, or Silver Rush strikes something harder than what we have right now, making new ones won’t be an option. We just have lead and silver to work with right now.”

"But silver tools would be so fetching, don't you think? I may as well tend my plot in a coat of mink,” she says, giving a small laugh.

Patina chuckles, “I could certainly give your tools some silver plating, if Mistress Isolde will allow it. I don’t think it would be quite strong enough as the core material though.”

"No, maybe not, but in this I'll defer to you. But if you could repair the ones I have, I would be grateful, with the rest of Shadytrails too."

Patina nods, “Sure, no problem, let’s have a look at them.”

"Uh, heh, well there's a funny story about that...I left them back where I plant." Tunda sticks out a hindleg, pointing the hoof back toward the farms.

Patina looks to her building fire, she picks up her poker and gives it a nudge, nods approvingly at the results then puts it back down, “Alright, let’s go get them, and I’ll see what I can do, Tunda.”

Tunda nods and leads her off towards the farm.

Patina follows and the two gather the tools and return to the forge. Patina looks them over and promises that she can restrengthen and reshape the metal, no problem.

While she begins her work she speaks to Tunda, "So, what brings you on this expedition?"

The lovely zebra stands just far enough away to not disturb Patina, but close enough that she can observe the process. "I'm a mare who enjoys seeing new places and making new friends. Wherever people have new stories to tell, I'll be there with an ear to lend."

Patina nods continuing her work, "You do tell interesting stories... Can I ask you a personal question?"

Tunda tilts her head, but nods. "Of course you can, Patina Dreams. When those go unasked, no deep friendship teems."

"Umm, so why the rhyming? It certainly adds a certain... flavor, to your stories, but... like now when we are just talking? Why?"

Slowly, Tunda's smile grows into a grin, and she breaks out into laughter. "Oh..." The mare tries to catch her breath. "I wondered how long until somepony wanted to know. The first reason I'll give is that it's mostly for show. Yes, it helps, that my peoples' language is my native tongue, for rhyming there is much more natural than in this one. But lastly I'll say one more reason and be done. The best reason to rhyme, you see... Is simply that it's fun!"

"Uh... okay then. I guess that makes sense," Patina is unconvinced but does not argue.

"It's also largely a habit by now you see,” she admits unabashedly. "But now I have a question for you as you did me."

"If you have questions ask away," Patina says, "I'll likely be working on your tools all day.... bleh now you've got me doing it."

Tunda lets out an amused chuckle. "Well I've met other ponies who've spoken like you before, and guess you're from Saddle Arabia, are you not? I've heard good things, but for me it would be far too hot."

Patina nods, "That's right. I was born, raised, and educated in Saddle Arabia. And its summers arecertainly too hot, but at least we don't ever have such cold as this. I'm glad it's finally warming up around here."

"As am I my friend. I like Summer more, all things told, but I should speak in defense of the cold. There was at least one thing that was nice,” Tunda says, gesturing at the forge. "For the metal we need to thank the ice. Though I still can't wait for Winter's end."

“I suppose so,” Patina says simply, “But I’m sure Silver Rush would have found another way to get at it, even without the ice so… I’m not that thankful for it.”

"Well now that there's stone, you should have some comfort at least. We could build a hearth for the hall where we feast,” Tunda points out.

Patina nods, "Stone for the forges, going to build a oven soon for heating clay, then I'll make a brick oven for Shortstack, a proper hearth and a chimney for our hall. Statues when I have the time... yes, things are starting to look like a home here."

"That they are, I must agree." Tunda looks into the forge, watching her tools begin to glow with heat. "And I welcome help for those like you and me."

Patina hums in agreement, tending to her work. “So…” Patina having exhausted the current conversation options, turns to gossip, “What do you think of our fellow expedition members?”

"Of the new arrivals I have little to say, as I haven't found the chance to meet them on any day. Have you spoken to many of them one-on-one? Do you think they'll fit well in our little retreat from the sun?"

“I spoke with Ms. Lucky Lands. The unicorn mare with the (sword?). She asked a lot of questions, but seemed really friendly,” Patina said, “I overheard the others saying she was rude, but I didn’t think so.”

"Perhaps she's nervous, being somewhere new." Tunda smiles kindly. "It's good she has somepony to speak with in you."

“Mhmm, I’d introduce her to Shooting Star so she’d have another friend too, but I expect they’ll be seeing a lot of each other anyway. Since they are both martial ponies,” Patina says.

Tunda makes a humming noise. "They are, but Shooting Star uses a crossbow, does she not? It may be they train in a different spot."

“I suppose that’s true… When Shortstack rings the bell for dinner, we should all sit together!” Patina declares, “You can get to know her some too.”

Though it means she won't have another song with Silver Rush, it's an offer Tunda can't turn down. "That sounds very nice, Patina Dreams. I couldn't refuse meeting a new friend as I'm sure you've seen."

“Mhmm,” Patina agrees, “Have you spoken with Shooting Star much before? I don’t think I’ve seen you two together much.”

Tunda shakes her head. “No, she’s another pony I’ve barely spoken with yet, but I’ll enjoy talking to her tonight, I bet.”

“She’s a nice mare, if… a bit too friendly at times. If that makes sense,” Patina says simply.

“Too friendly, you say?” Tunda isn’t sure it does, even if Patina seems the sort to need her space. “In...what way?”

Patina shrugs, “I don’t know… in that she is a bit… hoovesy. She likes to be close to ponies. I don’t really mind, but… a bit more personal space wouldn’t go unmissed at times.”

Tunda nods along, understandingly. “Some ponies simply need less of that, and don’t realize that others do…” her smile shifts into a mischievous grin. “Of course, there’s the chance she has a crush on you.”

Patina drops the tool she was using, but quickly recovers it before managing to respond, “What? But… that doesn’t… we’re both mares!”

The zebra snorts and starts to laugh, stomping a hoof to try and contain it. “Some...some mares are like that, though I shouldn’t assume for ponies I hardly know. But here I’m only teasing you, my dear doe.”

Patina doesn’t know exactly what to say to that, nods, and focuses on her work.

Tunda seems slightly cowed, making them both like other animals. She adjusts her braided brown-and-white mane with a hoof, and speaks, “You know I only meant to provoke a reaction? I hope you’ll forgive me for this action.” A joke at somepony’s expense is only funny when they laugh too...eventually, at least.

“No… it’s fine, I was just… thinking. Um… are uh… you ‘like that’?” Patina asks delicately.

She shakes her head, not apparently taking offense. “No, no, I prefer stallions, though I’ve known people who love all sorts. So long as no one is hurt, I have no retorts.”

“Ah, that’s good, so um… have any of the stallions around caught your fancy?” Patina asks, choosing not to bother to mention that there is still only the one zebra stallion around.

“Hm. ‘Fancy’ might be the wrong word to use, but there is one here that does always amuse… It will take time before I’ll know if there’s anything more, but I do wonder if there’s romance in store.”

“Well that’s good to hear, I wish you luck with him,” Patina says minding her work.

“Thank you, but you realize I must ask the same thing in turn. Is there somepony in Shadytrails for whom you yearn?” Tunda asks with an amused grin.

“Mmmm, no…. no not really. Silver Rush is friendly enough… but the bat wings, I don’t know, and Jack, well he reminds me of my father a bit… in a good way, but he’s a bit too harsh… and the stallions in the new group are married sooo… not really. Hopefully someday somepony will arrive for me, but it looks like not yet,” Patina says.

“With all the new ponies arriving, and the griffons and zebra not to mention, I’m sure it won’t be long until one catches your attention,” Tunda tranquily assures her.

Patina nods, “Speaking of relationships, have you noticed our little love bird? Doctor Gunther has been eyeing Mistress Isolde a lot. Don’t know what the Mistress thinks of him… but I think he’s smitten with her.”

“Hehe, ah yes, the doctor and I have spent time gathering herbs in the woods, and I would need to be blind not to see that. It’s plain for all to see, how he feels about a certain peach bird-cat.”

“Well… if Mistress likes him too, then I hope they are happy together,” Patina says.

[Some time, and more gossiping later]

Patina drops the last of Tunda’s tools into the bucket of cool river water, “There we go Tunda. All done.”

After giving a few moments for the steam to clear away, Tunda steps forward and picks up one of the trowels in the crook of her knee. “Thank you again for helping me, and even more kind of you to do it for free.”

Patina shrugs, “It is my job to do whatever work Mistress Isolde needs of me, and this kinda thing is what I’m really here for. This and building things like that.” Patina points at the sawmill currently being used by Rosewood and Jack Pine to convert another tree into planks of wood.

Tunda sees the structure and nods understandingly. “Of course, and you are paid for this indirectly, I guess. But I’m thankful for the work you do, nonetheless.”

“And I’m thankful for your work. We wouldn’t last long without your crops. When your tools get beaten down again, bring them back, and I’ll get them back in shape for you again.”

“Heh, I hope it is a long time before I need work on my equipment, but I will see you tonight for our meeting over aliment,” Tunda responds amicably.

“See you tonight then,” Patina says in farewell, before looking back to her forge, muttering to herself “Next, I need to make some nails for Rosewood, I wonder if the lead we have is strong enough to hold, if only I had something to alloy it with other than our silver. Hmm…”