Age of Kings

by A bag of plums

40 - The Young Squire

“SQUUUUUIRRRREEEE!”

Spectrum Song looked up from her broom as Sir Hors sauntered over, holding his Caladbolg in his hand.

“Here we go.” Spectrum stopped sweeping and rested both hands atop her broom. “Yes, Sir Hors? Sharpen your blade?”

“Yes, squire.” Hors tossed his weapon over. “I want it back by sunset. Get it done.”

“Right away, Sir Hors!” Spectrum slapped a fist to her chest.

“Humph.” The knight turned and headed back to Canterlot Castle.

Spectrum watched him until he was out of sight, then got back to sweeping the courtyard. She didn’t even know why she had to. There were barely any trees here and there were not a lot of leaves to sweep, even if it was close to winter. She figured it was probably just chores the knights gave them so that they would be busy.

As she swept the remaining leaves out from under a tree, something hit her on the head and landed at her feet. It was an acorn. Spectrum looked up, and was met with the gaze of a rather grumpy-looking brown owl.

“Oi, was that you?” she said to it.

The owl clacked its beak and kicked another acorn down onto the squire’s head.

“Hey! Stop that!”

Another acorn was tossed down.

“Why, you!” Spectrum shook her broom at it and ran for the tree it was perched on.

She began climbing the tree, furiously trying to find handholds to hoist herself up. Eventually arriving at the first branch, Spectrum pulled up and placed both feet on it, trying to grab the owl. However, the bird stepped just out of her reach and grabbed an acorn in its talons.

“No do not try it-” And then the acorn thudded off Spectrum’s forehead, leaving a red mark on her blue skin. “Why you! I shall get you!”

The owl simply hooted at her. It sounded like laughter.

Climbing up further, Spectrum Song got onto the same branch as the owl, this one however, more flimsy than the last one, meaning she had to be more careful.

Down here, she was under the shade of the tree’s leaves, which was actually rather cool compared to being under the sun a few moments ago. It almost made Spectrum want to turn on her back and take a nap up there, but then an acorn hit her in the eye and she remembered why she was even up here in the first place.

“Come here and fight like a knight!” Spectrum tried reaching for the owl, but it was still too far away. She did manage to at least get close enough to keep it from grabbing anymore acorns, at least. “Ha! What are you going to do now, owl?”

And then it hooted at her again before taking off, flying away from the tree, leaving Spectrum staring as it shrunk in the distance.

“Of course. They can fly.” Spectrum blew at her rainbow fringe and sighed. That was where she realized she had a problem.

Looking down, the ground seemed so far away and it made the young squire dizzy.

“Why am I even up here?” she moaned. “I despise high places!”

She tried crawling back to the beginning of the branch, but when it hobbled, she stopped and hugged the branch tightly, afraid it would break and send her falling to the ground below.

Instead, the squire opted to stay still, trying to keep her mind calm and think of a way to get down safely.

Before she could try anything else, she heard footsteps from below and looked down. A man had stopped just below her perch, leaning his back against the tree, folding his arms. Spectrum was so relieved she almost called out for help, but then she took a better look at him and decided to keep her mouth shut instead.

The man below had on a brown ragged cloak, with the hood currently down. He had dark blue hair a large chin, where Spectrum could see a scar running from his neck, along most of his squarish chin, and then up the side of his face. Strapped to his side was a shortsword, its blade slightly curved. She didn’t want to be one to judge, but he looked very shady. What was he even doing here in Canterlot Castle’s grounds?

Spectrum waited and watched, wondering why such a man was standing here. He wasn’t a knight, seeing as he didn’t have on any armor, and the guards by the drawbridge had let him pass, at least, Spectrum thought they did. There wasn’t any other way someone could get in. Right?

Just then, another figure, a woman this time, waltzed over from the direction of the castle. She had on a basic tunic and pants, just like what the servants wear. She had fairly long orange hair, dropping down to her back, and her peach face was dotted with freckles along her cheeks and nose.

“So do we have a go?” the shady man asked as the woman stopped beside him, facing away from him.

“Aye, laddie. Everything’s gone exactly as planned.”

“The mage robes?”

“Left them in a little chest, stowed it away under one o’ those loose stones in the storage walls. Safe and sound, worry yourself not.”

Spectrum strained to hear what they were saying, and at the same time almost fell out of the tree, rustling the leaves.

“What was that?” the man said as Spectrum shifted in her spot. He looked around, hand on his sword hilt. He was about to look up when the brown owl came back, perching on the tree across from Spectrum and hooting.

“It’s just an owl,” the woman said scornfully. “You’re being paranoid. Soon, the staff will be ours.”

“Yes…” The man rubbed his hands together and smirked. “Imagine the things we can do with something like that. Even the druids will fear us.”

“I better head back.” The woman looked back at the castle. “I shouldn’t be gone for too long. I will be ready at the back storage door tonight.”

“Right.” The shady man pulled at his cloak. “Good luck.”

The woman chuckled and began walking back. “I make my own luck.”

Spectrum Song watched them go, with the woman heading back to the castle and the man moving for a door along the ramparts. Her mind buzzing with a thousand questions. They mentioned mages robes and a staff. That only meant they were trying to steal Clover’s renowned staff.

“I need to tell someone!” Spectrum was just about to let go and hop down when she remembered how high she was. “As Emerald would say… Horseapples!” Making sure the two conspirators were gone, Spectrum drew breath into her lungs and yelled, “Help! Someone! Anyone! I’m stuck!”

“Sp-Spuh-Spuh-Spah-Trum. I-Is… you?” She heard a voice below her after the fourth shout.

The squire looked down to see Guard Streak below her, Sir Trotivere’s squire.

“Streak, yes, please, I… I think I have climbed a little too high and I cannot get down,” she admitted. Now wasn’t the time to act fearless. There was a situation at hand.

“M-Maybe I… sh-shu-should fetch a-a-a luh-ladder...” Streak looked at the tree and rubbed his head. “Um, d-don’t g-gu-go any-where, Spuh-Spuh-Spectrum.”

Spectrum looked at her branch and then away into the distance with an irate look. “Right.”

The male squire darted off, heading to the castle to find a ladder. Spectrum waited by herself, spotting the owl still on the other tree, watching her.

“What are you looking at?”

The owl hooted at her. It sounded like laughter.

“One day. One day I will get back at you,” Spectrum grumbled under her breath.

Soon, Guard Streak was back, but instead of a ladder, he brought someone else along with him.

“N-No la-luh-ladder but… Br-brought person,” Guard Streak said, pointing to his companion.

“Why, young Spectrum Song, how did you get up there?” Posey stood behind him, fiddling with her bowstring. Along with her usual garb, Posey had on a scarf of sorts, wrapped around her neck, likely to ward off the coming cold.

“Posey, thank goodness,” Spectrum sighed with relief. “I need to get down from here. There are things I need to tell the king, or at least one of the mages.”

“What things?” Posey adjusted her bandana and waved for Streak to move to the side.

With a run, the archer stepped up against the tree and kicked off to propel herself higher, already grabbing on to a lower branch. Hauling herself up, Posey swiftly made her way to Spectrum, standing below her branch.

“I overheard some people,” Spectrum explained as Posey reached out a hand to her, which she gratefully accepted. “They want to steal the staff of Clover the Clever!”

“The staff of Clover the Clever?” Posey looked puzzled, pulling Spectrum to herself. “I’m not familiar with Canterlot’s magelore. What is the staff of Clover the Clever, and why would anyone want to steal it?”

“You’ve never heard of it? Clover’s staff is known through the whole kingdom!” Spectrum held on as Posey began climbing back down.

“I must say, I do not have much knowledge outside Trottingham and the Everfree Forest. Especially in the towns. Now stop struggling.”

“That’s not the point here. What matters is that they plan on stealing Clover’s staff! We need to tell someone!”

Posey reached the bottom of the tree and put Spectrum down. “Can we not just tell the mages? I am sure they have ways of stopping thieves.”

“What? Tell the mages? No way!” Spectrum said, a look of excitement spreading on her blue face. “We should be the ones to catch the thieves! If we can pull this off, they’ll have to make me a knight!”

Posey looked doubtful, but Spectrum was undeterred.

“Think of the glory! The prestige I’ll get for saving the staff! Maybe they’ll even make me a Knight of the Round Table!” Spectrum danced around, starry-eyed. “Do you not agree? And you, Streak! They’ll make you a knight too! That’s what we squires aim to be, yes? Knights!”

The light blue haired squire looked around the courtyard. “I me-mean… I-I would like... yes, kn-knight…Uh, yes...”

“See? Guard Streak agrees with me!” Spectrum walked over and put her arm around the male squire, making him blush. “How about it, Posey? With you helping us, I am sure we shall come out triumphant!”

Posey still looked doubtful, but she sighed and said, “Well, you probably know more about Canterlot’s happenings than I, so why not. But if we can’t do it, promise me you’ll tell the mages.”

“I promise.” Spectrum held up a hand. “Or my name is not Spectrum “Skillful” Song. Right, Streak?”

Guard Streak mumbled something and nodded.

“Brilliant!” Spectrum said, rubbing her hands together. “Now, I got a good look at those thieves just now. And they said something about meeting by the back storage door tonight. All we have to do is hide nearby, and catch them in the act!”

“You make it sound so simple,” Posey said nervously. “But do we not need to catch them actually stealing the staff in order to, uh, catch them in the act?”

Spectrum put a hand to her chin. “That is true. But even if we don’t catch them, we should go anyway. We might learn more of their plans.”

Spectrum paced around in circles while Posey and Guard Streak looked on.

“If I want to be free tonight, I’ll have to get all my chores out of the way…” the squire said to herself. And at that thought, she went to where she had left Sir Hors’s sword and jogged back to Posey and Streak.

“Meet me here at sundown, right? We are going to do some sneaking.”

And she was off, sprinting for the armory to get a whetstone.

---

When the sun was going down, dying the skies orange, Spectrum Song found her way back to the courtyard, somehow managing to finish all her tasks for today. She dusted off her hands and leaned against a post, humming a tune she had just invented.

This will be so great! I bet if we catch these crooks, the king himself will come to thank me! Trying hard not to squeal with excitement, the squire instead put both her hands to her face and squeezed her cheeks.

“What are you doing with your face, young Spectrum Song?”

The squire looked up at a tree’s branches, spotting Posey sitting up there, her pet, Gabriel, sitting on one of her arms.

“Ah, have you been here long, Posey?” The squire took her hands off her face.

“I have been here to visit Emerald for the past few days. With her out on another expedition today, I have nothing else to do.” Posey let Gabriel soar back up into the air and hopped down from the tree with a puff of dust. “Is your friend coming? What was his name?”

“Oh, Streak? Yes, he said he was coming.” Spectrum looked around for her fellow squire. Then she saw him running over from the stables, a broom in his hands. “Ah, there he is. You sure took your time, Streak.”

“Suh-suh-sorry…” Guard Streak wiped a hand over his sweat-covered face. “Cl-cle-cleaning th-thuh… stables.”

Posey raised an eyebrow at him.

“Uh, yes, Streak cannot speak well,” Spectrum saw her looking and explained. “You get used to it.”

“He cannot?” Posey looked between both of them. “He was just speaking to me earlier when he told me you were stuck in the tree.”

“He was?” Spectrum squinted at Posey, then at Streak, then back to Posey again. “You sure? ‘Cause I don’t think I’ve ever heard him talk straight.”

Posey folded her arms and looked back at Guard Streak again. “Very sure. Is there something wrong, Guard Streak?”

The male squire shook his head vigorously. “N-No… Nuh-nuh-nothing… wrong.”

“Yes, Posey, speech does not matter right now.” Spectrum waved her hands. “Come, we need to go to the back storage door. I want to know what our culprits are planning.”

“Will it not be easier if I simply kill them before they try to steal the staff?” Posey put a hand on her bow’s string. “Silent and quick. They won’t see me coming.”

Spectrum considered this, then shook her head. “We need decisive evidence that they were up to no good. Don’t take this personally, Posey, but our word isn’t worth all that much around here. If we can listen in on their plans and foil them, that might provide enough proof, hey?”

“So we are… getting them arrested instead?” Posey asked carefully.

Spectrum nodded confidently. “That way, the dungeon’s torturers can get everything out of them. A corpse can’t talk.”

“Very well. If that is what you want.” Posey whistled up to the sky and soon, Gabriel was back down on her arm, receiving a rub from the archer’s thumb. “Gabriel, I need you to spy on an area for me. Spectrum, where is this door?”

“It’s all the way around the back of the castle, near the entrance to the main storeroom. There are many places to hide back there. Sometimes I nap there when Sir Hors isn’t around.”

The pink haired archer nodded to her bird. “You heard her. I just need you to spy and listen. Can you do that for me?”

The eagle squawked and was released back up into the sky. Streak took a surprised step back, mostly looking at Posey.

Spectrum saw him looking and grinned. “Yes, she speaks bird. And that takes care of one part for us. Now we will just need to catch them when they make their move.”

Guard Streak mumbled something but nodded fiercely.

“We need weapons. To defend ourselves.” Spectrum whipped out her lute and gave it a strum. “I have my trusty lute. Posey has her bow and arrows. What about you, Streak?”

“Uh-uh-umm…” The boy fumbled his hands around his attire. Then he looked around and picked up a sizeable stone and nodded.

“That will do.” Spectrum shrugged and patted him on the back, making his cheeks brighten.

Just then, Gabriel swooped back down, startling both squires with his silent glide, before landing on Posey’s arm, squawking a few short screeches.

“What did he say?” Spectrum went back over to her archer friend.

“Three robed figures have exited the castle. They look like mages. I suppose that is their ploy. To sneak into the tower under the guise of mages to do some late night work.”

“Then we need to go too. We cannot let them steal Clover’s staff!” Spectrum hefted her lute on her shoulders.

Streak nodded again.

“To the skies, Gabriel. Watch for us.” Posey released the eagle back up.

Spectrum Song ran along the courtyard, adrenaline pumping through her veins. This was actually quite the exciting event, at least compared to her boring daily routines and Sir Hors’ requests. She actually had a chance to save the day here. If she did, there was always the chance King Dawn Saber would promote her to being a knight much faster. Her parents would be so proud of her if that happened, more proud if she could land a spot on the Round Table.

Spectrum was grinning to herself as she and her two co-conspirators crept over to the Mages’ Tower. Most of the windows were dark, with no candle lights being seen from outside, and there was very little smoke coming out of the chimneys.

“Looks like most of the mages have turned in for the night, or gone out to have dinner,” Spectrum observed. “Do you think the thieves have arrived yet?”

“Gabriel spotted them leaving,” Posey reminded. “They would be ahead of us. So if we are already this far, they might have already infiltrated the tower. Your Clover the Clever might be in trouble. Does she keep guards with her?”

“I do not know,” Spectrum said doubtfully. “Streak, do you know if the mages have guards in their tower?”

The other squire shrugged. Then Spectrum remembered they don’t go to the tower much, seeing as they were squires to knights, not mages. Even if the knights did have business in the tower, they rarely brought their squires along. Spectrum had only been in there a few times, because Emerald would be there.

“Nevermind.” Posey shook her head and looked up at a window. “Go through the front door without me. I shall see if I can cut them off.”

“What, without you? Are you mad, Posey?” Spectrum stopped in her tracks. “What if we find them before you do? What do you want us to do, smash them with my lute?”

“Is that not why you have brought that instrument along?”

“Well, yes, but I can’t take on someone who has a sword with a lute, what am I supposed to do, play them to death?” She nudged Guard Streak, who quickly looked away. “Right, Streak?”

“Uh, y-yuh-yes…”

“See? Streak agrees with me.”

Posey looked uncertain, but nodded and strode off into the dark, vanishing from sight. A few seconds later, Spectrum heard the sound of feet against a rock surface and saw Posey making her up the side of the Mages’ Tower, her form caught in the dying light. It was soon to be night and that was likely when the thieves would strike; The guards were due to change soon.

“Alright, Streak,” Spectrum said out of the corner of her mouth. “I know what they look like, so I’ll take the lead. You, uh, just follow and make sure nothing gets past me.”

“Yuh-ye-es.” He readied his rock.

Spectrum pushed the door open to the Mages’ Tower, spotting two mages still working at their stations. They didn’t bother looking over when Spectrum and Streak walked in, so Spectrum guessed the culprits could’ve just walked by them easily.

“Upstairs, Streak. We need to get to Clover’s room.”

“Ruh-ruh-right…”

The two squires went up the stairs, gripping their weapons tight as they kept their eyes open. Posey hadn’t told them what color the thieves’ robes were, but Spectrum remembered their faces. As long as they didn’t have their backs to her, she figured she would recognize them easily.

There weren’t many mages around this late after sunset, most of them likely retiring to their quarters or away for dinner. Even Moon Tide was absent, maybe off spending time with Emerald or Sir Morn Dread, or maybe even the queen and those three muses.

After the sixth floor, there seemed to be no more mages lurking late, meaning from here, it would almost certainly mean that anyone they saw would be their culprits.

“Whuh-where d-do you suh-suh-suppose… Posey. Is?” Guard Streak whispered over as they arrived at the eighth floor.

Spectrum took a while to understand him and made a note in her mind to take some time to teach him how to speak one of these days. “It is a tall tower. She might still be climbing up. Or maybe she has already arrived at the top and is working her way down. I do not know. We can only wait and see.”

Almost to the next floor, Spectrum’s ears began picking up the sounds of footfalls coming from above. She held out a hand to stop Streak, then put a finger to her mouth to tell him to remain silent, which wasn’t a hard task for the male squire.
Going up one step at a time, Spectrum found a mage in blue robes, slowly making her way down.

Tis now or never!

Spectrum lashed out with her lute from the corner of the steps, catching the perpetrator on the ankle, sending her rolling down the stairs with a yelp.

“Stop! We have you surrounded!” She nudged Streak to the other side of the mage, then returned to where she was standing behind her. “Surrender now and you will not be destroyed!”

“Agh, what, what did I do?!” The mage raised her hands over her head and whimpered. “I turned in my reports this week! I did nothing wrong!”

Spectrum recognized the voice. This wasn’t one of the perpetrators.

Oops.

“My apologies, Nightfall Gleam. I did not realize anymore mages were still up here.” Spectrum tapped her on the shoulder, then helped her up. “What are you even doing all the way up here?”

“Oh, squires…” She swept her tricolored hair from her face. “I was just handing my weekly reports to Clover on a new invention. Why are you squires going around knocking people down?”

“There are criminals here, Nightfall. They are trying to steal Clover’s staff! They have disguises, so we cannot be too careful.”

“Criminals here?” Nightfall raised a doubtful eyebrow. “No one would dare steal the Magus Superior’s staff. It’s treason. Everyone in Canterlot knows that.”

“Except these scoundrels. They went up ahead of us. We do not know how far they have gotten. Did you see anyone else up there?”

Nightfall scratched at her head. “Besides Light Speckle, there were maybe four others up there? I just thought they were working late.”

“That must be them! Come, Streak! Haste!” Spectrum pushed past Nightfall and bounded up the steps. “Thank you, Nightfall!”

“Hey, wait!” The mage watched as they ran on and disappeared upstairs. “They could have used some of my inventions.”

Spectrum and Streak eventually arrived at the top floor, with the boy panting from exertion. Spectrum was too caught up in stopping the criminals to be tired. Just then, the door to Clover’s room burst open and two mages began running towards her and Streak, one of them holding Clover’s staff in her hands. Spectrum recognized her as the orange haired woman with the freckles from earlier in the day.

There were two more perpetrators behind them. One was still standing by Clover’s door, holding a knife, and the other was standing atop Light Speckle, a boot on her back.

“Stop them! They have stolen the staff!” Light Speckle yelled, only to get punched in the face.

“Get them, Streak!” Spectrum yelled, then swung her lute at the woman.

“Out of my way!” the woman yelled in her heavy Docklin accent, then swiped at Spectrum with the staff, blocking her lute strike. She pushed Spectrum down and then whipped the staff at Guard Streak, who tumbled back down the stairs.

“We have it!” The one in Clover’s room cheered, backing away from the door. Clover lay inside, sitting up against her workstation, a hand to her head. Her grey hair was slightly coated in blood near her brow. “Go! Go!”

Before he could turn around and run after his gang, there was a shwick and an arrow appeared between his shoulders, stopping him in his tracks. He turned around to look at it before falling flat on his face.

“What?” The criminal on Light Speckle turned around just in time to see Posey leap in from a window, swiping her bow at him, clipping him across the jaw.

Spit flew from the criminal’s mouth as he spun to the ground, only for Posey to ready another arrow, sending it right into his forehead. He never got the chance to get back up.

“Are you alright, mage?” Posey helped Light Speckle up.

“I-I’m fine. Clover. Is she?” The black haired mage ran back into Clover’s room to tend to her. “Go. You need to get the staff back. It cannot fall into the wrong hands!”

Posey nodded and pulled at her bandana, then glided over to Spectrum. “We must stop them. Where is the other squire?”

“Oh, Streak! He fell back downstairs.” Spectrum skipped down two steps at a time, spotting her fellow squire below, rubbing his forehead, where a sizeable lump had appeared. “Streak, Streak! Are you alright?”

“Yuh-yuh-yes, Spuh-”

“Good enough.” Spectrum cut him off. “Just… wait here. We need to go stop them before they leave Canterlot.”

Posey had already ran past Spectrum, but the squire still could keep sight of her on the way down, though the archer eventually stopped near the ground floor, talking to Nightfall Gleam, who was holding out some sort of boxy contraption in her hand with brown leather straps attached to it.

“Take this. It might come in handy,” the mage said, gesturing for Posey to take it. “Go on. I made it for you. I figured you could use one of these too. Just be careful with leaving your fingers out. You might lose one.”

Posey took the gift and pulled back her right sleeve. “Thank you, Nightfall.”

Then she strapped it to her arm and pulled the sleeve back down, concealing the invention.

“Mhm. Now go! They’re getting away.” Nightfall waved her on, then spotted Spectrum. “You too, squire.”

“Yes.” Spectrum ran on. Nightfall hadn’t offered her anything, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

Holding her lute tightly, Spectrum ran all the way back down behind Posey, finally reaching back outside. The sun had completely disappeared now and the night sky shone with stars above them and with the sun gone, the air had drastically dropped in temperature, making the squire wish she brought a coat along today.

“There.” Posey pointed to the courtyard where the two remaining criminals were running.

The guards at the drawbridge turned to face them, their spears already pointed out.

“Can you not shoot them from here, Posey?” Spectrum turned to her archer friend, but she wasn’t there anymore. “Huh…?”

She spotted the archer ahead, leaping from a tree and grabbing on to the uneven bricks sticking out of the castle wall, hauling herself up towards the ramparts.

“Woah...” Spectrum breathed and almost stopped in her tracks to watch.

Posey easily got herself up to the ramparts, where a few of the guards pointed their spears at her. Thankfully, one of them recognized her and let her pass as Posey pointed to the escaping perpetrators below.

Spectrum Song continued after them, smiling to herself when they stopped before the guards at the gate. The shady man, now clad in red mage robes, retrieved his shortsword from his side, while the orange haired woman waved the staff around maniacally, threatening to use it.

“Let us pass and I shall not have to obliterate you with this!”

The guards didn’t step aside, continuing to point their spears at them.

With their backs to her, Spectrum readied her lute and ran forward, hoping they wouldn’t notice her. If she knocked them out here and retrieved the staff, then she would become a knight for sure.

The woman began raising the staff, and the shady man was about to engage the guards in combat, but then Spectrum swung her lute into the man’s back, knocking him forward a step.

“Take that, scoundrel!” She swung it again, but the man kicked it out of the squire’s grasp with a crack, sending it rolling along the courtyard ground as he wrapped an arm around Spectrum’s neck. “Oi, let me go!”

Then she felt something sharp press against her cheek and she stopped struggling.

“Let us leave or the girl gets what is coming to her,” the criminal barked at the guards.

The guards seemed to falter, not sure of what to do. Then out of nowhere, there was a faint swish and a glass vial exploded on the man’s shoulder, coating it in a white, crackling covering. The man tried to move his arm, but it was stuck.

“Young squire!” a voice came from the shadows where the vial had come from. “Run!”

Spectrum stood confused for a fraction of a second, but then understood and wrenched herself free. The man tried to grab her, but Spectrum struck his shoulder with her fist and his entire arm broke off in a splintering mess.

“Argh! My arm!”

“Who dares?” the woman growled and turned to face them.

Moon Tide walked out with her crossbow, a steely look on her face.

“As a rule, I don’t like thieves, and I don’t like those who would hurt a child. But you, my good man, fall into both categories, and I really don’t like that.”

“Hey, I’m not a child!” Spectrum protested.

“Does that really matter right this moment?” Moon Tide asked with a slight smile.

“Why you…!” The shady man grunted and raised his sword, running right to Moon Tide. Crossbows could only fire once, so she had to reload it.

“Watch out, Moon Tide!” Spectrum ran ahead to try and stop him, but just then, there was the sound of an eagle screeching.

The young squire looked up and spotted Posey in mid-leap, descending towards the man. Then she landed against his back, knocking him down and at the same time, flexing her hand back. A hidden blade emerged from within her sleeve, just like how Spectrum had witnessed from Emerald’s gauntlets countless times, and the archer plunged it down into the back of the man’s neck. He gasped and sputtered as he began to choke on his own blood and very quickly, his eyes glazed over and he stopped breathing.

“Great timing, Posey!” Spectrum ran over as the archer got up and sheathed her blade. “You jumped from all the way up there? Amazing!”

“Yes, but the battle is not over.” Posey unslung her bow and readied an arrow, pointing it at the woman with the staff. “Yield, thief, and it shall be over quietly.”

“Yes.” Moon Tide loaded another bolt and aimed her crossbow at the perpetrator as well. “Relinquish the staff and you will not have to pay with your life.”

“Your friends are all gone. You might as well give up.” Spectrum brought her lute back, holding it like a weapon again. It’s body was cracked, and there was a splinter of wood sticking out, but otherwise, it likely still worked. “Surrender.”

The guards behind the woman pressed closer, their spears pointed to her.

“Stop! I will use the staff and destroy you all!” The woman raised it and its tip began to glow a soft white.

Posey let loose an arrow, but the light expanded and the projectile bounced off of it like it was a shield.

“Ha! And this is but a taste of my new power!” The orange haired woman guffawed. “Behold!”

Then a beam of light shot out of its tip and scorched across the courtyard, forcing Spectrum to throw herself clear of it. Posey ran back and tackled Moon Tide out of the way as the beam kept going, shearing a tree in half at the end and blasting a new indent on the castle wall.

Then the woman fired tree more beams, each in a different direction, one aimed for Posey and the others aimed at other parts of the castle. The archer quickly got Moon Tide out of there, while the beams broke apart more of the castle’s masonry, sending chunks of stone tumbling down to the courtyard.

“She’s crazy!” Spectrum leapt clear as another beam shot from the staff, straight for her.

“Witness my str… my stre… hngh…” The woman began to pant as the light from the staff began to diminish. “I… nngh… what…” She quickly fell to her knees as the staff rolled away on the ground.

Spectrum ran over and picked it up, rushing back to Moon Tide and handing it to her.

“Thank you, young squire,” Moon Tide said, taking the staff and rolling it from one hand to the other. “I will take this to Clover right away. Its magic can heal her.” And she glided off back to the Mages’ Tower. “Do make sure this perpetrator gets what she deserves.”

“Sure thing, Moon Tide,” Spectrum saluted and carefully walked over to the remaining thief. It was only when she got closer that she noticed something was wrong. The woman’s hair had started to turn grey at the roots, and her face was drawn and emaciated like all the moisture had been sucked out of it and then had been left out in the sun for a month.

“What the…” Spectrum said, backing off in shock.

“Yes, I thought that might happen,” A gentle, grandmotherly voice said from behind Spectrum.

The squire turned around, her eyes falling on a tall, elderly looking mage in simple white robes. Her face was wizened and wrinkled, but she had a twinkle in her eyes that told Spectrum that she was still very much alive. In her right hand, she held the golden staff, while Light Speckle and Nightfall Gleam trailed behind her.

“Mage Clover!” Spectrum exclaimed. “You’re alright!”

“Yes, young Spectrum Song. I am glad that you and your friends managed to stop the thieves, though, in truth, I doubt they would have gotten very far with my staff anyway.”

“You mean… what happened to that one?” Spectrum asked, jerking a thumb at the female thief, who was now being led away by the Canterlot guard.

“Precisely,” Clover said with a smile. “My staff is not something anyone can just use like that. It takes a lot of training and practice in order to allay some of the more dangerous effects of using such powerful magic.”

“Is that why you are so old, Clover?” The squire looked between her and the leaving perpetrator.

“Spectrum Song, you cannot say that!” Nightfall blurted out.

“It is fine, Nightfall.” Clover raised a hand. “Let a child remain a child. To answer your question, young squire, perhaps some of my youth was taken by the staff. But no, I am old because I have lived a long life. In time, I will breathe my last, which is why I have been preparing Light Speckle, so she can take over when I am done.”

“Oh...” was all Spectrum could find to say. Though, she didn’t like being called a child. She was fifteen now. She hardly considered that to still be a child. “So it was because the thief wasn’t properly prepared that the staff did that to her?”

“I have... studied much about what the staff can do,” Clover said. “Especially when I take into account what Emerald has done with Excalibur, but that’s neither here nor there. Who is your overseeing knight, young squire?”

“Sir Hors,” Spectrum answered, then remembered someone. “Mage Clover, did you see another squire on the way down? Guard Streak. Light blue hair, cannot speak well. I need to go check on him! He hit his head earlier.”

Clover smiled. “Yes, I believe he is being seen to by Moon Tide as we speak. He is in no danger. And I shall put in a good work for your Sir Hors. He should hear about his squire’s courage.”

“I should go see how he is doing.” And she ran off, heading straight for the Mages’ Tower.

Once entering, she easily found Streak and Moon Tide on the first floor, by her workstation. The mage was finishing up with a green paste on Streak’s head.

“There. That will do, young squire. And do not worry. It was brave of you to try and stop the thieves.” Moon Tide put her bowl back on the table. “In the future, I believe we shall need guards posted either outside the tower, or outside Clover’s room. We cannot have this happening again, can we?”

“I suppose not,” Streak spoke in a complete sentence, shocking Spectrum. “Thank you, Mage Moon Tide. Your magic really works healing wonders.”

“It is my duty,” Moon Tide chuckled, then saw Spectrum. “Ah, I believe your friend is here to check on you.”

“Streak, YOU CAN TALK?” Spectrum said very much too loudly, almost in disbelief. “You can speak perfect sentences?”

“O-Oh, Spuh-Spuh-Spectrum!” His words became a jumble again, just like how Spectrum knew him to speak. “H-Huh-Hello. I… uh… I-I can…”

Moon Tide shook her head in amusement and busied herself cleaning up the healing supplies, leaving the two squires alone.

“Come on. Let us hear it again. Full sentence, Streak.” Spectrum leaned her ear closer to him.

“Umm…” Streak began to fiddle his fingers. “He-Hello, Spuh-Spuh-Spec… Specte-Spectuh… Spectrum!”

“You were fine earlier!” Spectrum complained. “Posey also said you spoke well to her. Come on, why can you not speak when you talk to me?”

“I, uh, I… I…” Streak rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks coloring.

Spectrum groaned, but then pulled him into a hug, brightening his face more. “Forget it. I’m glad you’re fine. Good show up there, trying to stop them. You gave it your all.”

The male squire shakily nodded, uttering only a small squeak.

“Now,” Spectrum said, letting go of Guard Streak and picking up her lute. “I think I’ll have to compose a new song about my amazing deed tonight. I think I’ll call it ‘Spectrum the Magnificent’. What do you think?”

“Guh-guhr-guhreat… i-iduh-idea.” The other squire nodded vigorously.

“We are heroes today, Streak.” Spectrum beckoned for him to follow as she began walking out of the tower. “Sir Hors and Sir Trotivere are going to be so proud of us. Let us hope this quickens our road to becoming knights! Oh, I can hardly wait! Come. Let us find Posey and have us a small celebration.”

The two squires left the Mages’ Tower and pranced off into the night, Spectrum’s voice punctuated by the notes of her lute.

---

Comments

[Jaxxon Markus Citadel]

Why does Guard Streak turn into a babbling mess when Spectrum's around? Is he afraid of her? Also, Posey's hidden blade is pretty effective! Are you sure she's not the first Assassin, what with her having an eagle and knowing how to free run?

[Marcthelightspark2004]

8931002
You really don't know? The boy has a crush on his fellow squire. You don't need to eat love for all three meals to see it. And all evidence points too Em.

[MoonlightRift]

“Witness my str… my stre… hngh…” The woman began to pant as the light from the staff began to diminish. “I… nngh… what…” She quickly fell to her knees as the staff rolled away on the ground.

Is it an artifact, is this Clover from Equestria??