Salt
A cold breeze cut through Kev’s thin blanket. Stars gleamed down on him, and not just through the small window high up on the wall. He hadn’t known that the Magistrate’s home included a small jail cell. Four walls of criss-crossing steel bars surrounded him, one of the town’s few structural edifices that hadn’t been damaged or demolished. The brick wall on the other side of the bars was half gone, thanks to rolling boulders that had done much more damage to the neighboring buildings.
Dana’s wedding ring dug into his flesh through his shirt pocket. How could a whole life be distilled down to a little lump of metal? That ring represented more than one life, actually. She’d carried Tam into the world, and carried him out of it. All Kev could do, and all he had done for countless hours, was mourn them. His single, threadbare blanket was soaked with the last of his tears, no more would come to his eyes regardless of the depth of his sorrow. The hollowing out of his heart that began the moment he’d touched Dana’s hand was now complete. All that remained was a sort of terrible emptiness: a soul-gouging longing for all the meaning and purpose he’d once had. He knew he wasn’t alone in that feeling, either. The same emotion poured into his ears from all over town.
Outside, the crying still hadn’t stopped. He could still hear it on the wind, the sound of broken families pouring out their grief in much more socially acceptable ways than his afternoon rampage. That had to be why he was the only one in a cell. Hopefully he’d at least spared the rest of the village from having their possessions stolen while they wept. That was almost worth being charged with attempted murder, or possibly murder. He’d find out in the morning.
“Psst.”
He tried to sit up on the wooden bench that served as his bed. Sharp, stabbing pain shot through his leg as soon as he moved it. He lay back down and waited for the dizziness to pass. Sitting up took great effort, and standing was a complete impossibility; even if he could stomach the pain, his own leg couldn’t take his weight.
A four-legged shadow moved through the lightless streets and approached the bars. “Psst. Kev.”
Kev waved a few fingers. “Morning Dew?”
“Are you all right?”
“I’ll never be all right.”
Morning Dew nodded. “I’d take their place if I could.”
Kev grunted. “Tam’s got his dad back now… Dana’s got her husband. So what if I miss them…”
“I’m sure they miss you, too.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Pebbles and loose mortar scattered as she squeezed through the gap in the brick wall. Next she got down on her belly and wriggled her way through the cell’s bars, a feat that only a hornless creature like herself could manage. “Even if you don’t want to talk… I’m still here for you.”
He forced himself to a sitting position. “What’re you doing? If you get caught in here—”
“Ssh. I’ve got some clean cloth, and water with special herbs ground up in it. I’m going to clean and rewrap your wound. That should keep it from getting infected, and dull the pain.”
“Now? I can’t even see my own hands. How can you do all that in the dark?”
“I don’t need to. The sun is about to rise.”
A ray of sunlight broke through the darkness. Kev watched stars in the sky grow dim as day began to break. “How did you do that?”
“Knowing about daybreak is my special talent. Is it okay if I take care of your leg?”
Kev looked down. White dish towels were draped over Morning Dew’s back, and a small bucket of water stood by her front hooves. She’d probably scavenged it all from the remains of the kitchen, most certainly with the aid of her mouth. Still, her offering looked better than the blood-soaked rag currently wrapped around his calf. “Fine. What do you mean by special talent?”
Somehow she loosened his bandage with nothing but her hooves. “How much do you know about ponies? Do you know about cutie marks?”
The pain redoubled as she peeled the bandage away. Kev made two fists as tears flooded his eyes. “Just tell me. Give me something to focus on.”
“Every pony has a special talent, something that makes them different. When they find out what their talent is, a cutie mark appears on their flanks. Mine is the sun rising over a hill.”
Kev thought back to seeing her sitting on her bed, nibbling carrots. “I figured it was a tattoo, or paint…”
“It’s pony magic. I always woke up early when I was a filly. I was just so excited to get on with the day, even if I knew it was going to be a tough one… Most of them were, but even though I had to work hard, I couldn’t even wait for the sun to rise. One day, I realized that’s what makes me special: I always know when the day is about to start, and I’m always ready when it does.”
He blinked away enough of his tears to see what was happening. The water in the bucket was stained red, as were a few of the towels she’d brought. His old bandage lay on the ground, and a new one was being laid over the gash in his skin. Seeing the hole in his own flesh make his stomach churn. He focused on her instead, the pony tending to him like a real, loving wife. She still wore a frown, an expression she seemed unable to escape for more than a few seconds on end. His gaze traveled down her back and to her cutie mark.
‘Pony magic’ still sounded absurd, even when staring directly at it. He couldn’t write off his suddenly being able to understand her with those two words. Nothing had magically changed in him just as he was about to split Tuft Head’s skull open. He hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone, pony or otherwise. That only left one possibility.
“You’re touching me.”
Morning Dew’s hooves paused for a moment. “And you’re staring at me.”
“You never touch me. At first, you hardly even looked at me. Then it was that time I got angry. Then again today and… Ugh. All this time… I should’ve figured it out. Dana had me so convinced I was the problem, that I didn’t want to understand you… All this time, you just didn’t want me to.”
Her hooves trembled as she finished the bandage’s knot. “I-I’m sorry. Where I come from… What I’ve been through… I don’t really want to—”
“Were you married before?”
Morning Dew stared down at the finished bandage and, after a moment of stillness, gave a small nod.
“Did he ever hit you?”
She sat, and tears appeared on the ground by their hooves. Her whole body shook. “I had to leave Equestria to get away… He wouldn’t leave me alone after we separated… No matter where I moved… No matter who I stayed with. I had to leave Equestria… Minos was as far as I could afford.”
A section of the wooden bench broke off in Kev’s white-knuckled fist. “If that pony ever shows up here, if he ever bothers you again, I’ll kill him.”
Morning Dew shivered. “No. I swear I don’t want that. That’s why I couldn’t let you kill that goat. Killing isn’t a very… pony thing to want.”
“I’m no pony! If Dana ran into him, she’d take her time. She’d make him beg to die, and that’s still better than he deserves.”
“I-I’m glad you want to protect me, but—”
“Would you stop me if I tried?”
Her crying finally stopped. She looked into his eyes with the same broken look she’d given him when they first met. She opened her mouth, and then closed it again. Her lips grew thin as she tried to maintain her simple frown instead of something worse.
Kev took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. If that’s not what you want… I’ll try to stay calm. I swear I can do that. I’m not just some mindless animal that smashes things.”
She nodded. “I know… That’s… That’s actually why I chose you.”
“Huh?”
“I-I saw Dana in the market with Tam the day we met. Her two rings marked her as a widow, but she looked so happy, and so did Tam. I knew they had a good home. I saw how Tam hugged you when you first got home and… and I knew you could be kind and loving. All I wanted… all I’ve wanted for a long time was a home where I’d feel safe.”
“Getting married to a minotaur you just met was a still a terrible idea. For all you knew, I could’ve wanted a whole lot more out of our ‘marriage.’ ”
Her tail wrapped around her side. “I know… I would’ve done it, too… if I had to. There was still a chance you’d be kind… just a chance, but… But that chance… that hope is all I had.”
Kev felt the weight of his own back bearing down on him. He leaned to the side and, very slowly, resumed lying on the bench. The explosion of pain he expected from his wound never came.
“Those herbs really helped. Thanks for doing that.” He held out a hand towards Morning Dew, but wasn’t surprised when she backed away. “I’ll never hurt you.”
“I know. I’ve known that for a long time. I just…”
“Not that it matters anymore… I failed. I failed as a husband. Even if I don’t wind up in prison, I failed to provide. You’d be better off finding someone who can.”
She inched forward and brushed her cheek against his fingertips. “You’re not a failure.”
“I am. Nobody knows this yet, but… they’re closing down the mine. Everybody but me is out of a job, and we all have to move away. If I’d had brains enough to run the place differently…”
She pressed closer to him. He spread his fingers, and she didn’t shy away as he stroked her mane. Her frown was gone at last. “You did the best you could, and you still are… That’s how I know I made the right decision.”
He wanted to cry, and not in mourning. “Thanks.”
Hoofsteps echoed down the hallway, and the Magistrate’s groggy muttering soon followed. Kev lifted himself up and craned his neck to look for his approaching jailer. “Run! Don’t forget to take your—”
Morning Dew’s contraband bucket and towels were gone, and so was she.
---
Sitting had never felt so uncomfortable. Kev wasn’t sure if it was the sleepless night, the pain, the blood loss, or just the stench of candle wax permeating the Magistrate’s office. All he knew for certain was that air in the room was swimming far more than it was supposed to. He’d been placed on a metal bench against the wall and shackled to it, thankfully by his good leg. The left side of the Magistrate’s fearsome desk stood directly in front of him, a separator between him and the goats coming to formally press charges.
All the papers and books that normally covered the desk were gone. Kev imagined yesterday’s earthquake dumping all of that carefully stacked bureaucratic gibberish on the ground, an idea that pleased him greatly. Too bad the candles didn’t catch on something and burn the whole place to the ground. This wasn’t a time for laughing to himself, though. Sitting up straight took enough effort.
Morning Dew nudged his side and held up a steaming mug of coffee. He’d almost forgotten she was there, this time as an official guest at her husband’s trial. Here she was, seated on the bench next to him with all the calmness and dignity she could muster. She’d even prepared a cup of coffee for him from the pot on the end table in the corner. Was she allowed to do that? Was he sipping from the Magistrate’s own mug? Kev could only dream.
The Magistrate didn’t seem to care either way. He didn’t even seem to care about the fresh bandage that had appeared on Kev’s leg during the night. He just sat behind his desk and watched the door. “Your accusers should be here any minute now, then we can get this trial over with. I’ve got better things to do than listen to how you beat a four-legger within an inch of his miserable life. There’s statements to take, death certificates to write, property disputes to settle, widows to comfort…”
Kev felt his old rage bubble up inside. That was still better than feeling sad or empty. If he was fated to go to prison, the least he could do was commit a horrible crime. If only the Magistrate was a little closer, and the coffee a lot hotter.
Morning Dew nudged him again. “Please drink your coffee, Kev. You need your strength.”
Kev nodded and drank. The least he could do was be conscious enough to stare Grey Beard down when the old goat arrived to revel in his victory.
At last, a knock rattled the front door, and the handle turned. Grey Beard appeared in the doorway, but not with the triumphant smile that Kev had expected. Instead, he walked to the desk’s far edge and spat something out. A golden ring bounced across the wood, right past the Magistrate, and rolled to a stop in front of Kev and Morning Dew.
Grey Beard cleared his throat. “Ring is yours, yes? My idiot, thieving nephew have little ‘accident’ on farm last night. Stealing from dead very bad in goat culture. Is… Is—” he briefly dropped into his own language, speaking in words that he likely didn’t think Kev could understand “—it is unpardonable.”
Morning Dew gasped.
Grey Beard shrugged. “He always bad for business anyway. Without him, I not even miss my best guard laid up with broken leg.”
The Magistrate knocked on the table. “This is a trial. Please present the charges against this minotaur so we can move on to sentencing.”
Grey Beard stepped around the desk and approached Kev. “That depend. Nephew bad for business. You bad for business, too. I drop all charges if your wifey stop. No more water pony.”
Kev looked down at Morning Dew, the only soul in town that knew of the mine’s closure and the whole town’s resulting doom. He gave what he hoped was a convincing sigh of defeat. “I guess we’ll have to accept his offer.”
Morning Dew nodded. “I think you’re right.”
The Magistrate produced a gavel and pounded it on the desk. “Case dismissed. You’re free to go, Kev. Go be an upstanding citizen, for a change.”
---
The shackle around Kev’s leg hadn’t really been necessary. He hobbled out of the Magistrate’s office with one hand, and most of his weight, pressed down on Morning Dew’s back. “I don’t really know where we’re going.”
Morning Dew smiled at him. “You can go anywhere. You’re free.”
“From prison, anyway. I’ve still got to go fire all my buddies that work at the mine, bury Dana and Tam, and then… I don’t know. I don’t know what to do after that. I don’t even know where to go.”
She slowed her walking, which forced him to pause as well. In her eyes, he saw the same faint hope as when he’d first agreed to marry her. “Well… Wherever you go… Can I go with you?”
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Is this an ending or a new beginning?
I see. The chaos of the last chapter made it hard to understand what was happening. What an interesting development.
These goats are nothing if not shrewd. Well, except for the ones that are just plain reprobates like Tuft Head, anyway.
Here's hoping that Morning Dew and Kev can have a brighter future now, whatever they choose.
6919270 i think it's a new beginning, now he will start to live with his wife as a couple.
Thank you for this amazing story !
It is very short and I would not mind each chapter to be few times longer, but as it is - it's wonderful in it's own way.
It leaves a lot to imagination, and given schedule of publishing - a lot of time.
Thanks again!
Wow. I am honestly surprised in the best of ways. This is an excellent story and I've been loving the read so far. I'm getting the feeling that it's about to wrap up, but it was certainly outstanding and I'll be marking this one down.
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In my original draft, the story ended right here. That's no longer the case, though. There are two more chapters left
Oh... We confess ourselves intrigued.
Okay, I D'waaed. Excellent.
My heart feels so good at reading Morning Dew's last words there, and Kev caressing her mane.
Phew, at least Grey Beard and the goat culture have some redeeming qualities! That was good of him, even if he still tried to gain something from it by saying that Morning Dew couldn't go get water anymore. It couldn't have worked out any better for Kev and Morning Dew though. Great chapter!
6919415 I'm glad you decided to keep going, even if only for a couple more chapters -- while it's hard to be exact, I'd say this story is between a fifth and a tenth as long as I personally want it to be. Your chosen length works because the prose here is on the austere side (which suits the story, by the way) but you could have delved much more deeply into the setting and characters if you wanted to take a slower slice of life route.
Regardless, this is a really interesting story. Thank you for writing and posting it.
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Thanks, and I think you hit the nail on the head. Most of what I could have added to bump up the length wouldn't have served the purpose laid out in the description. Exploring some of the other characters and locales would have been fun (and spoiler-filled), but at its heart this is the story of Morning Dew entering Kev's life, and how their relationship evolves.
I hope you enjoy the conclusion
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Morning Dew knows who she wants to take her home
Kev knows he wants to take him home
[youtube=EAS-pvQ06s4]
Thanks so much for introducing characters just to kill them off a chapter or two later...
Very gritty and very sad. I was more than slightly emotional when I read the part about what he found in his house.