A mare and her dog

by cammera

Night 44, fragment seven

The darkness lasted an indeterminate amount of time, lighting progressively to a dark-blue tone. For a moment there was a feeling of humidity, and the distant cry of a whale, but it was quickly replaced by a rush of cold air and, with another magnesium flare, the darkness visibly moved upward like a tar, forming a moonless sky.

-º-

Twilight teleported back to Reddo's castle with Spike, tensing and relaxing her jaw muscles constantly.

Spike's claw passed over her withers for comfort, but was quickly removed to give Reddo a reverence.

"I hope my liege lady didn't cause any strife" he said.

"None I can't understand. Rise, there is no time for formality. I may need yours and Twilight's services, possibly in combat, so you are both my paladins as of now until the end of this situation"

Spike gave Twilight a look, but she didn't move, "She isn't a-"

"She will have to be," she made a gesture to a guard "Did you bring armor or weaponry?"

With a purple flash of teleportation, it fell in a cluttering mess. Twilight didn't move, her horn lighting every few seconds to try to establish a scrying link.

"Prepare and equip yourself. I will be back shortly," she turned and exited the room.

With Reddo out, Spike had the chance to see his surroundings-- it seemed to be a barrack, a large, circular stone room with bunks against the walls, some tables in a side, and the rest of the room occupied by a training area.

He almost said something to Twilight, but decided against empty encouragement and put on his mail armor, then started stretching to prepare for the weight of the plate.

Twilight teleported away without a word, probably to their hotel as she returned with Nanda a moment later, the old zebra having braided her mane, and teleported away against almost instantly. Spike interrupted his stretching to talk to her.

"Hey," Nanda looked at him "Do you mind an awkward question?" the almost rubbery feel of one of Twilight's spells shifting gears to the appropriate setting -in this case, the right language- flowed along his spine, but he ignored it.

"Of what kind?"

He searched for an answer for a moment, but decided not to beat around the bush, "Have you seen Twilight angry before?"

"I think..." Nanda lapsed for a moment "Not like this, just annoyed"

"That complicates things," he scratched the back of his head "Can you keep an eye on her if I am not around? She can get intense like this"

"Her friend is in danger" Nanda gave him an odd look "Who wouldn't be?"

"But you know how she gets when something interests her? Won't sleep until its done? Its like that when she is really angry" he sighed "Anything other that hurting her friends she can forgive, but..." he let it in the air.

Nanda considered it for a moment "I think I understand what you mean," she nodded "I'll try to. Now, queeny needs councel on my craft, goodbye" she walked off.

-º-

Hlaoo's hammock swung, the king moving in his sleep. Bright light from a combination of maegi lights, candles, and his fireplace illuminated both him and the royal bed mercilessly, projecting a thousand shadows.

He mumbled something before jolting awake, his blood-shot eyes searching for an unseen enemy, and the movement was enough to send him facefirst against the ground, throwing a night table to the ground in the process.

A moment later, a maid knocked the door.

"Lord?" she asked. She cleared her throat "D-did you-"

"No" he said, his face still against the ground.

The maid didn't say anything else. Heavy steps neared the door.

"Oi, kid, go back to work!" said a mare from the other side of the door, and was followed immediately by griffon steps "King, did you fall from that thing again?"

"No"

"Cause it really sounded like you fell from it"

"I didn't fall from the bed, servant. Begone" he added, for his pride at least.

"Servant? I saw you come to this world, Jimmy. Don't act tough on me"

He didn't answer, and after a moment the mare at the other side of the door walked away.

He sighed and got up, the dream that had woken him being remembered back instead of the other way around, which could only mean one thing. The old monk again, that bastard...