Fairlight - The Fortress of the Four Winds

by Bluespectre

Chapter Sixteen - Into the Shallows

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

INTO THE SHALLOWS

I hate long goodbyes, especially when there’s a crowd. What if you say the wrong thing? What if you leave the wrong impression? You can call it stage fright or a lack of self confidence, yet the simple fact remains that no matter how hard I try to keep my cool, all of these doubts assail me every single blasted time I find myself in that sort of situation. Is it a character flaw of mine? Probably. Does it point to some underlying issue that I need professional help with? Who knows, but I wouldn’t be surprised. No doubt some highly paid professional sitting in a swanky office in Canterlot would be able to point to some trauma or suchlike in my past that had caused me to be like this. Be it the schoolyard bullying I’d endured during my childhood or the fact that I’d watched my wife being raped and murdered before my very eyes whilst being tortured to death myself, inevitably they would be able to point to it and assure me with absolute conviction, that this single, pivotal moment, was the ‘trigger’ which had created the mixed up mind of the poor sod called Fairlight. All things considered it was a wonder I wasn’t a raving lunatic by now. Still, in my own defence I think I’d managed to muddle through things pretty well so far. I was still alive, intact, and had a wonderful family. Meadow and Sparrow were with the herd, Tingles and Lumin were waiting for us in Smiling Borders, and I had successfully achieved my goal of finding the lost member of our own herd – the lovely Shadow. Which brought us neatly back to this latest, awkward moment in my life. Sometimes there are situations there’s simply no way round, and honestly, neither should there be. These were, after all, my friends. Thus began a long bout of farewell’s and hoof shaking, to the point where it left me with an uncomfortably aching shoulder. I didn’t care though really, after all, who knew when, or if, I would ever return here. Indeed, this could very well be the last time I would ever set hoof in the mysterious, alien land of the Wither World. As odd as it might sound too, I think it had kinda grown on me during my time here – to some extent anyway. And speaking of which, this could likely be the last time I would see Short Stride, Ember, Star Beard, Thorn… I closed my eyes as that terrible sinking feeling dropped my heart like a lead weight into its unforgiving depths. I think it was this fact, cold and unforgiving as it was, that was truly behind my reluctance to say goodbye. These were not just friends, they had become so much more than that, even during my relatively short time with them. They were my family. Even the axe wielding guard shook my hoof which I accepted with a wry smile. Forge, Short Stride, Ember, Thorn, Stone Hammer... everyone. And then finally, tired and weary as he was, came the indomitable Star Beard who reached out to give me a hug that nearly made me jump in shock.

“Take care, my boy,” he smiled. “And take care of our young Shadow, won’t you? She will most likely be the first thestral to enter your world in over a thousand years. Others may not see that change as being particularly ‘welcome’. I’m sure you understand what I’m saying here, yes?”

I nodded. “I do, Colonel.”

The old thestral closed his eyes and bobbed his head once. “Good. Now then, I’ve put my diary in your pannier along with some extra bits and pieces for later. There’s a package of tobacco seeds too, but make sure you read the directions before planting them, yes? I can’t guarantee they’ll grow in Equestria the same way they do here of course, but they came from there originally so it seems reasonable to assume they still will.” Taking a deep breath he looked me in the eyes, those burning orbs that had seen so much of life, fixing with me with a gaze that was unusually tender for the ancient warrior. “Don’t forget us, Captain. Don’t forget the rest of your family on the other side of the veil. We may be worlds apart, but you are as much a part of the Wither World now as any of us. The Beyond, the Purple Sands, and even the Broken Cliff, will never be the same again. And who knows, perhaps now we may see a period of something I never dreamed possible in my lifetime – peace. And it is through you, through your children, that the memory of our people will be kept alive in another world, as we will remember you. May goddess protect and be with you always, my friend.”

Star Beard and I shook hooves. It was a simple gesture, and like most, one I didn’t tend to give much thought to really, yet now it felt as though it was resounding throughout my entire being. This was it, it was the end of my time here in the Wither World, and this entire chapter of my life was about to come to an end – the metaphorical closing of a book that had been read cover to cover. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that I would most likely never come here again. I would never see my friends again. Emotion bubbled up inside me and I took a deep breath, keeping it under control as best I could. This was neither the time nor the place for such displays, regardless of how much it wrenched at my heart. The last thing I wanted was for Shadow’s people to think they were sending one of their daughters away with a stallion who was incapable of keeping his emotions under control. No, to protect her I had to be strong. And remain strong. I trotted over to Etrida next.

She looked back at us over her shoulder, stretching all four legs as she adjusted her enormous wings. “Wait until I am in the air and then land on my back,” she called. “When you are in place, take the collar around my neck and hang on as tight as you can. I will not be slowing nor stopping once we enter the Rift.”

No pressure then! I took a quick glance over my equipment, making sure none of the buckles or straps were loose. They weren’t. The maid army had gone to work on myself and my companions already, adding more ropes, straps and who knew what else, so that in the end I was trussed up like a Sunday roast at a griffin’s dinner party. I was especially glad I had the foresight to go to the bathroom before we’d come out here too. I somehow doubted that there’d be a chance for toilet breaks on our way to the destination, let alone any in-flight snacks. Fortunately I’d managed to snaffle some snacks from the kitchen when Freya’s back was turned, so at least we had something to nibble on if the opportunity arose. ‘Hope springs eternal’, as they say. But now it was time to leave at last. A final round of farewells and tearful hugs from Shadow’s sisters later, and the three of us, four if you count the squeaking dragonling, took to the air. Etrida began to circle, steadily gaining height until at last we were able to come in for rather fumbled landing on her back. Honestly, I tried to be as gentle as possible, but it was like trying to balance on wet soap in a warm bath. I’d barely made contact when my forehooves slipped on the dragon’s polished scales, my hind legs scrabbling helplessly for purchase. To my horror the world began to tip upside down as I frantically flapped my wings trying to grab something, anything, to stop my fall. I heard Etrida shout something, a neigh of alarm, and then… I was caught. Thank the gods for Shadow. She was there in an instant, catching me and guiding me into position beside her. I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved to be grappled in all my life! My heart was hammering fit to burst in my chest, though I still had the wherewithal to strap myself in as tightly as possible. Shadow did the same, and between us we made ourselves fast.

Surprisingly Etrida was actually not that uncomfortable to sit on once we were in place, although it was immediately obvious that dragons were never meant for carrying passengers in any form. If the slippery scales weren’t bad enough, innumerable spikes and large bumps meant to protect against enemies in a fight stuck out all around me. Fortunately though, not in me. Still, at least they gave me something else to grab hold of if the need arose. I hoped to the goddess it wouldn’t come to that of course, though with the amount of straps on me now, extricating myself from Etrida even in the best of conditions would be a monumental task in itself. Freya’s minions had hastily constructed a collar out of that horrible white rubbery material the thestrals used in place of leather, which had then been fitted around our mount’s neck with straps for us to hold on to. All things considered we were pretty well secured for our foray into the unknown, even if I did harbour a few unspoken reservations about flying on the back of something when I had no direct control. All I could do now was put my trust in my scaly friend to know what she was doing. Little did I realise that I was just about to find out too. With a few beats of her enormous leathery wings the elder dragon shot forward like a bolt loosed from a crossbow. A very big crossbow... Dear gods! The sudden transition from stationary flight to forward flight threw me back into my harness with a such ferocious jolt that it was as if I’d been bucked full in the chest. I put my head down, trying my best to breathe, but in truth it was all I could do just to simply hang on for dear life. The sheer speed Etrida could fly was absolutely eye watering, not mention astonishing for such a large creature. The rush of air flowing over her scaled body threatened to tear us from her back and fling us both bodily out into the clouds below, into… wait… clouds? That smell… No, that couldn’t be right. We weren’t over the marshes already were we? By Luna’s grace, we were! If I strained myself I could just about see past Etrida shoulder, and… Yes! Sure enough, far below us was the dark muggy landscape of the marshes beyond the Purple Sands tribe’s land. A few strokes of her wings later we were flying high over the mountains, the blasted and blackened desolation that made up the realm of the dragons whipping past us in a grim blur of rock and sulphurous cloud. Tarragon had wisely remained in my pannier, and a quick check on Shadow showed she was having the same thoughts I was - we both wanted this to be over as soon as possible. Flying in a sky chariot or carriage was a far cry from being strapped to a dragon’s back, but if nothing else, this experience was something I’d be able to regale Sparrow and Lumin with one day - if daddy survived of course.

As if in answer to my unspoken thoughts, Etrida called back to us in her great booming voice, “Behold! The Shallows lie beyond the next mountain!”

I tried to see past the tears streaming from my eyes, but all I could make out was a large black crack in the rocky ground. A crack that seemed to be growing inexorably as we approached. The inside of it seemed endless, with thick white clouds flowing deep within its depths from which lightning flashed sporadically, illuminating the sheer jagged sides with its retina searing light. I took a deep breath to speak, but the dragon had her own plans.

“Have the key ready, Fairlight,” she roared. “We’re going in!”

“We’re going in?” I shouted in surprise, “Aren’t we going to-”

“No time like the present!” Etrida shouted back, interrupting me. “Fortune favours the bold, little pony!”

I closed my eyes just in time as the huge dragon pulled in her wings and suddenly pitched forward, rolled, and then dropped like a bolt from heaven straight down, straight towards that wicked split in the earth that beckoned all that were foolish enough to dare approach its merciless depths. Wind howled in my ears, bursts of lightning searing even through my tightly closed eyes. Shadow screamed beside me, and I think I did too. My insides felt as though they were burning up through my throat whilst my head and ear pounded like a bass drum. With the violent pressure squeezing my body the way it was I honestly thought I’d throw up, and I probably would have done too if it hadn’t been for the fact that the freezing wind and sheer incredible speed of our descent made any physical reaction nigh on impossible. All we could do now was hang on for dear life. And pray. Dear gods, did I pray… In my mind I imagined the straps groaning beyond their limits, fraying, snapping… Fortunately they were made of stronger stuff than my nerves it seemed, and were holding up remarkably well despite the wind shaking and throwing us about violently in our headlong descent. One term chose to pop into my mind involuntarily too: ‘Terminal Velocity’. Goddesses help us, if we hit something at this speed we’d be in the afterlife before we felt anything… What a comforting thought.

A shout from Etrida slammed into my head over the noise. “Fairlight! Hold the blade before you and send your magic into it as we planned. Do it. Do it now!”

Shaken from my numbing fear, I fumbled for the blade, but it was like trying to catch a slippery eel with the force of the wind against my body. Time and time again I reached for it, focussing my magic, trying desperately to-

“Fairlight! Now would be a good time!”

With all my magical strength, I pulled out the dagger and held it before me, my wendigo power holding it firm and steady. A moment later Etrida let out a huge gout of green fire into our path which encompassed our bodies in its otherworldy light until, with a slight resistance and ear popping ‘thump’, the landscape below us transitioned to one I recognised all too well. The wind was still there, but it had lost its bitter edge. Gone was the searing flash of lightning, the dampness of the clouds sticking to my exposed fur. I blinked the stinging tears from my eyes, focussing them on the green fields, the wide vista of forest and lakes below us...

“Equestria!” I shouted, “By the goddess’s hairy arse, we’ve made it!” Despite my jubilation I was quickly aware that something was wrong. As beautiful as the world was around us, and as welcome a sight as it was, we were plummeting towards it at a terrifying speed. Etrida’s wings couldn’t seem to stabilise us properly and I cried out to her. “Etrida! We’re going too fast, you need to pull up!” She didn’t reply. Instead I caught a sense of the tremendous struggle she was having trying to correct our descent, the feeling of straining muscles and the gargantuan efforts going on beneath those rippling scales all too apparent. Terminal Velocity. “Shadow!” I shouted to my mate beside me. She was just coming back to consciousness herself, but was able to catch my eye. “We need to add our strength to Etrida’s or we’ll crash!” I called. “Follow my lead...” Giving herself a shake, she nodded her understanding, and together we spread our wings to catch the air, adding our own braking power to aid our huge friend pull out of her lethal dive.

It worked, but barely.

Shadow and I beat our wings as hard as we could, but it was like dragging them through treacle. Angling them just so, inch by torturous inch whilst shouting guidance to one another, the three of us began a long, slow correction from a straight down dive to a controlled descent, and just in the nick of time too. Hills and trees tore past only yards below us, and I’m sure I heard Etrida’s claws clipping the tops of them before she was able to beat her wings properly again and power us back into the blue sky of my homeland. Come to think of it, now that I was able to have a good look around at the landscape and breathe normally again, I actually had no idea where we’d emerged. The land below us looked like Equestria sure, but there was nothing I could see other than trees, hills and grass. There were no signs of life other than birds and the odd deer, but thankfully, our well travelled pilot had no problem with knowing where she was.

“I can smell my children!” Etrida shouted to us excitedly. “They are near!”

“That’s wonderful, Etrida!” I called back. “Do you know where we are?”

“Near the Crystal Mountains,” came the reply. “Where are do you wish to go?”

“Do you know a little village called Smiling Borders?” I asked hopefully.

She shook her head. “Alas, no. It was probably established during my absence.”

“Would you be able to take us to the Everfree, then?” I called. “The Spire Mountains?”

“Now that I do know!” she laughed. “We must be quick, I don’t want to leave my children with that buffoon any longer than I have already.”

My jubilation of being home would have to wait. Once again we were off at high speed, with Etrida soaring over the sea of green forest below us. I could almost see the Spire Mountains in the distance, and beyond them my beloved home in the village of Smiling Borders. Shadow looked over at me, tired, but with a ridiculous grin on her face. I couldn’t stop staring at her. The way her coat and mane looked in this light, the way it shone like onyx... it made my heart sing. The light of the Wither World had always been dull, with that odd background luminescence which was only ever one step away from total darkness. It certainly did nothing to illustrate the remarkable variation of colours I could see now. Not even the crystalline light of the Beyond had prepared me for the incredibly lustrous sheen of Shadow’s fur shining in the equestrian sunlight. Her coat, which had looked almost black back in the Withers, now appeared a deep blue, the colour of the night sky. Her long tail and mane, rippling in the backwash from Etrida’s wings, were a pure black but with a silvery sheen to them that made them sparkle like starlight. As expected though, her eyes still blazed as red as they always had, they just weren’t as noticeable in the daylight. I marvelled at her. She truly was a magnificent creature. Shadow furrowed her brow, watching me staring at her. I suddenly realising what I was doing and opened my mouth to apologise, but not knowing what to say I simply sat there looking like a prize idiot. She just shook her head and chuckled to herself, giving me a cheeky wink. She knew alright! I could feel myself blushing red in embarrassment. I know it was rude to stare, but still, how I could I not after all we had been through?

I could smell the Everfree long before we saw it, the clouds thick and pungent with its familiar earthy scent. Sure enough, there, wreathed in white cloud, were the Spire Mountains and… yes! There it was, the river! I knew where we were now, we weren’t far from the village! I was nearly home! Etrida must have sensed my excitement.

“We are near, Fairlight?” she asked.

“We are,” I called back. “You can drop us off here if you like, Etrida. We haven’t got far to go and I know you’ll be wanting to get back to your babies.”

“True,” she said raising an eyebrow, “but I wish to see this ‘home’ you have for Shadow, Lord Fairlight. After that ‘incident’ at the monastery, I want to be assured my friend is in safe hooves. I am certain you understand this, yes?”

I smiled at her. “I do. Thank you, Etrida. From the bottom of my heart… thank you.”

With my directions, within what seemed like mere moments we were directly over the sleepy village I had come to love so much, sweeping down in a gradually tightening circle until we came in for a rather ‘lumpy’ landing on the hilltop near the hot springs. I breathed in the fresh air, letting it fill my lungs with its magnificent fragrance. Sulphurous steam had never smelled so good! My hooves and legs felt like jelly after our trials though, my mouth and throat were painfully dry and my eyes were still stinging too, but with the excitement of being home, none of that mattered now. Shadow and I thankfully unbuckled ourselves from the harness which we also quickly helped remove from our dragon friend. I suddenly felt incredibly light after having the heavy straps taken off my body, and no doubt Etrida felt that tenfold having had two equine passengers as well to contend with. Blood flowed once again through my limbs where the straps had dug in. And by the gods it felt wonderful! I checked over Shadow, helping rub the life back into her legs and back. She had been wearing a tight fitting set of robes, but they hadn’t been as effective at I’d hoped, and she was painfully cold. Quickly, I hurried over to the changing rooms and brought towels which I dipped in the hot water to give her a rub down.

“Home?”

I smiled up at her as I worked, gently wiping around her muzzle. “Aye, love. We’re home.”

We’d landed on the slight rise outside the village and had a wonderful view of Smiling Borders. On the air I could smell the inviting aroma of woodsmoke. A thin trail of it rose lazily from the chimney of the largest building we could see - the Wyvern’s Tail.

Etrida snorted, lifting her head to look around. “We are being watched, be on your guard.”

I checked my gear just in case, but… here? I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary myself. “Don’t worry,” I assured her. “The creatures here are my friends, Etrida. We’re safe.”

She didn’t seem so convinced, continually looking towards the forest’s edge. What could she see? I looked beyond her, scanning the trees for any signs of danger, but couldn’t see anything except the darkly ominous forest. Just on the edge of hearing though I heard a light woody clacking noise. Timber wolves. Were they friendly? Who could say, but they didn’t normally come out during the daytime anyway and there’d been no more attacks since my fight with their leader. Maybe it was a different pack? In any case they didn’t pose much of a threat to a wendigo and a dragon, probably not to a thestral either for that matter. Although I hadn’t seen her use it often, Shadow had a lethal form of magic all her own, and was perfectly capable of defending herself in a fight. Mind you, I had the distinct feeling was forgetting something. What was-

“ACK! Urrrp!”

“Tarragon!” I cried as the little thing leaped from my pack. “Oh, thank the goddess!” The little dragonling jumped down, giving herself a hard shake before letting out a tiny belch of fire. No worse for our terrifying decent through the Rift, Etrida’s daughter looked as full of beans of ever. She yawned expansively and licked her teeth. Her muzzle was… Ah… Of course… She’d found the treats...

“Come on then,” I said with a gentle chuckle. “Time to say hello.” Tarragon jumped up onto my back, snuggling into my mane as I lead the way.

We made quite the trio walking and loping down the winding path toward the village green. Etrida’s graceful lines were clearly more in tune with flying than with walking. Despite that however, the sunlight made the emerald green dragon shine as if she were made of polished gemstones. Seeing her like this I could see why these wondrous creatures were held in such awe by ponies, even if their reputation wasn’t ‘quite’ as well deserved as I’d originally thought. Etrida hadn’t eaten anypony yet at any rate, so that was a bonus. But of course, things had a habit of changing when you least expected it. Without warning, from out of the treeline a large figure emerged: horned, armoured, and ready for a fight by the appearance of the large double headed axe held in its hand. Behind the bipedal creature more armoured figures emerged until we were soon facing what was, in effect, a small army. Banners began to appear sporadically like somepony had just remembered to pull them out at the last minute too. Across from us the door of the tavern opened. From within, a magnificent armoured griffin emerged, the gold and silver plates of his burnished armour catching the sunlight like a mirror. The warrior walked steadily towards us, head held high and proud. The the massed warriors parted like waves before him, until finally he stood before us.

Grimble smiled, bowing respectfully. “My Lord Fairlight, you have returned to us.”

I bowed formally. “I am, Grimble my friend. And I have brought new friends to our home.”

The griffin bowed before Etrida. “My lady, please forgive our inexcusable rudeness. We had no idea one so magnificent as yourself would grace our humble village. You bless us with your presence.”

Etrida bobbed her head to Grimble as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “I am pleased some still remember the old ways,” she rumbled. “Grimble, was it?”

He nodded. “Yes, my lady”

Etrida raised an eyebrow, sniffing the air. “I wish to see this… ‘Tingles’, Grimble. Bring her to me.”

I felt slightly alarmed by this. We’d just arrived and Etrida was making demands to see Tingles? Come to think of it, where was she? Grimble was about to speak when the door of the tavern flew open with a bang and a tangerine pegasus flew out in a flurry of feathers, streaking towards us like some orange fireball.

“Fairlight! Oh thank the goddesses you’re safe!” She threw her forelegs around me and hugged me for all she was worth. By Luna, had she always been this strong?! “I thought I’d never see me again!” Tingles cried. “Oh goddesses, you’ve been gone for so long!”

My heart leaped into my throat. “So long? How long have I been gone?”

The reply made my heart skip a beat. “About three months.”

I hung my head. The bloody Wither World’s odd time fluctuations had struck again. Thank Luna I hadn’t been any longer. “Where’s Lumin?” I asked. But I needn’t have worried. Lumbering up in her latest pinny, a green one with an appliqué rabbit, was the monstrous form of Heather, the ever happy minotaur. In her hands she held a wicker basket housing a tiny grey foal. Thankfully, he hadn’t changed much at all. But… “Is he bigger?” I asked in surprise. “He looks bigger.”

“Of course he’s bigger, silly,” Tingles laughed, “He’s still growing you know!” Suddenly she froze, her eyes rolling up as tried to see behind her without looking round. Dragon breath steamed over her back and she quivered. “F… Fairlight?”

I held out a hoof. “Tingles, this is our friend, the lady Etrida, elder of the dragons. She’s been keen to meet you.”

Tingles slowly turned then backed toward me hurriedly as the great head of the dragon moved closer, sniffing her with those cavernous nostrils. The creature’s rumbling voice rolled out. “Hmmm, you certainly ‘smell’ like a pony.” She raised an eyebrow, carefully appraising the mare before her. “I trust Lord Fairlight in his choice of mates, however I will still ask you - are you a Celestian?”

Tingles nearly choked. “A… A what?”

Damn it all! She didn’t really understand all this ‘Celestian’ business from a millennia ago. I mean, who the hell would nowadays? I nudged her, whispering, “She means, are you a follower of Celestia?”

Tingles gave me a worried look, but valiantly stood her ground before the enormous dragon towering over her. “I don’t really know what a ‘Celestian’ is, Lady Etrida. However, I serve none but my foal, and I am the partner of Lord Fairlight. Be he the ‘Lord of the four winds’, or just a regular pony, it doesn’t make any difference to me.”

Etrida huffed a small puff of smoke. “And of the lady Shadow?”

Tingles turned to Shadow and smiled at her warmly. “We have already met in our dreams, yet I am excited to meet her for the first time in person. I’ll confess, I’ve been looking forward to her arrival and getting to know her better. Now that she’s here, I feel our family is complete.”

“But can you share?” Etrida asked inquiringly.

“I already share, my lady Etrida,” Tingles replied. “He’s a big enough stallion for all three of us.”

“For all… THREE?!” she bellowed suddenly. Shadow quickly trotted over to her reptilian friend and, reaching up as far as she could, whispered into her ear before looking away shyly. The dragon’s eyes stared down at me in utter amazement as she tried to digest what she’d just been told, but then, slowly, she shook her head resignedly. “The ‘third’ would be this...” she glanced at Shadow for confirmation, “Meadow? Your late wife, yes?”

I nodded. “And daughter. They were both…” I trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished. This was a happy time, a time for my family and friends to share in our joy at returning home safely. Raking up the past over and over again did nothing to help anypony, least of all me. Beside which we all knew the story anyway, and poking that wound repeatedly only ever succeeded in one thing, and one thing alone – causing yet more pain.

Etrida snorted, shook her head, and harrumphed loudly. “Dragons only need one mate, and even that is one too many!” She laughed, a thunderous rumbling sound which shook the leaves on the trees and rattled my chest like a dice cup. “Let me see the child,” Etrida announced suddenly, indicating Lumin.

Heather looked worriedly at Tingles, then turned to me as if I was likely to feed the little one to our scaled newcomer as a convenient snack. Etrida narrowed her eyes at Heather before I motioned her over hurriedly. The last this thing I wanted was an insulted dragon elder on my hooves. Carefully, I gathered Lumin in his blanket from the clutches of the nervous minotaur and held him up for the dragon to see. Etrida leaned down and sniffed him, the smoke curling around her nostrils causing some alarm from Tingles who rushed up to me, her chest heaving. I gave her a light nuzzle to try and reassure her. “It’s alright Love, Etrida’s a friend,” I said gently. I don’t think she was as convinced as I was, but at least she didn’t charge right in.

The great dragon examined the tiny foal closely, while Lumin, to my amazement, reached out with his hooves and tried to grab her nose. Etrida chuckled throatily. Lumin was a little charmer alright, even at this age, and whether he knew it or not he already had the elder dragon wrapped around his fore hoof.

“So small, so... delicate…” she whispered. Which for a dragon was still about as subtle as flying bricks. “He looks like you… So much like you.” Etrida gave me the most inscrutable of looks I’d ever seen from her, and I felt an odd flush run through my body. Shadow and Tingles both looked at me askance which only added to my befuddlement. I hadn’t a clue what that was all about, but Etrida wasn’t finished yet. “I have a gift for him,” she said suddenly, and I watched in amazement as she lifted her claw to her mouth and suddenly bit down, causing a drop of blood to well up. Gently, she reached forward and moved the claw to Lumin’s mouth. Tingles gasped in alarm, but was stopped from intervening by Shadow who shook her head at her. Something was happening here, something I felt oddly excited about for some peculiar reason too. I couldn’t tell what it was exactly, nor why I felt this way either, but whatever it was it resonated with the deepest parts of my memories. But why? Not that it really mattered of course, it didn’t seem to bother Lumin in the slightest. He gurgled and lapped at the blood happily, taking it all in until Etrida’s claw had been thoroughly licked clean. We all watched with baited breath for something to happen, but… nothing did. Nothing at all. All of us let out our combined held breaths. As if echoing our relief, a loud sigh emanated from the gathered ponies, minotaurs, griffins and goodness knows what else that comprised our merry tribe. Etrida however, merely smiled and gave Lumin the tenderest of kisses on the forehead. “He will be the next lord of the four winds, Fairlight,” she said gently. “Take good care of him, for he is your future. He is the future of you all.”

I bowed before her, as did we all. “Lady Etrida, on behalf of my family and my tribe, I thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

She reached across and nudged me with her nose, nearly knocking me over as she did so. “And I expect more foals,” Etrida rumbled, nodding towards Shadow. “You have the orb. I will await more good news. Soon.” Shadow blushed beside me, and even my own cheeks burned red.

Grimble walked up to the emerald dragon, dispelling the awkwardness of the situation. Gods, I could have kissed him right then! “Will you stay for a while my lady Etrida?” he asked. “We can bring you fresh venison from the forest, and I have a few casks of brandy waiting to be enjoyed.”

The dragon rumbled deep in her throat. “I am in a hurry to see my own children, but… venison you say? And brandy?” She scratched behind her ear in thought. “Perhaps... a little longer then.”

Grimble clapped his claws together, causing minotaurs and griffins alike to rush around like some kicked over anthill. Meanwhile I excused myself from my regal guest and walked with Shadow, Tingles and Lumin, back to the Wyvern’s Tail to help arrange things for what had suddenly turned into an impromptu welcoming party. Heather happily recovered Lumin, sitting herself down on the porch and rocking him to sleep in her muscular arms, leaving the adults to catch up on three months of lost time. The door to the tavern had barely closed behind us when Tingles suddenly grabbed me and gave me a deep kiss on the lips.

“Goddesses, I’ve missed you so much…” Tears began to well in her bright green eyes. “I thought…I thought, maybe…”

I brushed her tears away with a hoof. “No tears now,” I smiled. “Come on you, I’m home, and I’m not going anywhere. Anyway, I know I’m a little late but I’d like to present…” I bowed, holding out a foreleg, “The lady Shadow of the tribe of the Beyond, daughter of Duke Far Sight and Duchess Maelstrom. Shadow, may I present my partner, lady Tingles of the tribe of the four winds.” I gave them both a cheeky grin, but Tingles rolled her eyes at me and turned her attention to Shadow,

“We’ve been together, you and I,” she said quietly, “in our dreams.”

Shadow smiled softly. “We have.”

Tingles’ eyes shone brightly in the lamplight. “You’re part of our family now, Shadow. He never forgot you, you know. Fairlight wanted so much to bring you here, and I did too. Now, at last, you’re with us. You’re home.”

“Home,” Shadow said quietly, walking forward and taking Tingles in her forelegs for a hug. “Home.” The two nuzzled each other and then turned to me.

Tingles shook her head slowly, a knowing smile on her face. “Lord of the four winds, eh? Good grief.”

Shadow whinnied then moved over to me, rubbing her head up my neck before glancing to Tingles as if to ask permission.

“Go ahead!” Tingles laughed, “He’s our now…” She gave me a firm look, those neat eyebrows of hers drawn down in a slightly menacing expression. “…to do with as we please.”

Oh hell fire, I was in trouble now! Just... maybe not in a bad way. Maybe!

********************

Drums, horns, and other assorted instruments played whilst the revellers drank, ate, and danced in the flickering yellow torchlight. Large bonfires had been hastily constructed around the green, adding their own heat to the already raucous behaviour of the assembled creatures, myself included. True to her word, Etrida had indeed joined us. Currently she was happily devouring her third deer, several empty kegs of brandy lying beside her while Grimble’s press-ganged helpers barrowed up yet another batch to her. I don’t know if she was drunk, or even if dragons could get drunk, but the emerald green dragon was definitely swaying and hiccuping small gouts of smoke and flame in time to the music. Grimble just shrugged at me and grinned wickedly. I think the old fellow enjoyed the attention to be honest, and making guests happy was something he clearly revelled in. It was quite the change to the gruff griffin we’d met when we first arrived here in Smiling Borders. Honestly, I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one who could ‘transform’! Happily, I knocked back my glass of brandy and rose to my hooves, laughing aloud as Shadow, Tingles and I, danced into the night. At some point I even danced with Heather who snorted and huffed as she span and pranced. The pinafore was one of her best party ones by the looks of it, embroidered with colourful prancing ponies. I have a vague recollection of dancing with a griffin too, but after that…

Oh goddesses, I didn’t feel well…

The morning found me collapsed on the floor in the tavern before the fireplace. I had no recollection of how I’d ended up there instead of my bed, and frankly, I didn’t care either. Right at that moment it hurt to think, let alone move. Some kindly soul had put a blanket over me and a rolled up coat under my head as a makeshift bed. My nose twitched. What was…? Oh… A bucket sat nearby with something horrible floating in it that was best not- Celestia’s arse, my head! Pain battered me, increasing tenfold with any attempt to move. That was when the room suddenly lurched and my stomach, aching from the night’s activities, threatened to attempt another evacuation. Alerted by my weakened shuffling, Heather trotted in, sickeningly healthy and carrying a flagon of something that smelled like a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg, along with a bowl of porridge. She grinned mischievously at me and after helping me up to the table, retrieved the bucket, coat, and blanket.

“Heather?” I croaked. She stopped and looked back at me, her little black eyes glinting. I attempted a smile. “Thank you for looking after us. I know I probably haven’t really said much to you before now, but… thanks. I truly mean that.”

Heather stood there for a few seconds, a variety of expressions passing over her face before she curtsied and, with a hand over her face and cheeks flushing, rushed from the room. Strange minotaur, I thought to myself. But then, she was like another member of the family now I suppose. Odd how things were happening lately; I’d gone from one family, to none, to a huge one spanning the entirety of the village. And speaking of family, I’d have to see Meadow soon too. I hadn’t seen her since I’d left for the Wither World, and I missed her and Sparrow terribly. As soon as I could I’d visit the glade, and this time I’d remember to bring Lumin and Tarragon with me. That should liven things up a bit. Ha! I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face! You know, I may even thank that stuffy wizard Star Swirl if he decided to put in an appearance. I may not exactly be a fan of his of course, but I could still appreciate just how much he’d done to help reunite me with Shadow. Without him… Gods, I only dread to think where I would have ended up. I realised that at some point I’d have to check in with Mitre now I was back as well. The old grouse was probably wondering if I’d buggered off permanently. Mind you, if I kept a low profile for a while I might actually get that bloody holiday I’d been promised that never materialised. Huh! We live in hope… I leaned back and sighed. I’d agreed to help him of course, but now that I was here with my family with all my friends around me, things felt different. I felt different. Smiling Borders had become my home, and the rest of my troubles: the commissioner, Velvet Cream, Warlock, Celestia… it was as if they were from a different time, and a very different life. Truthfully, I just didn’t care about them any more. I just wanted to be left alone - a middle aged pony with foals, surrounded ponies who loved me, and friends. This was my little slice of heaven, and as far as I was concerned the eternal herd could just go and buck itself. For the first time in ages I felt at peace with the world, and dare I say it, with myself. I rubbed my head, wincing. Content and happy I may be, but it didn’t do much to help with a pounding hangover! Thankfully the spiced drink Heather had brought me earlier had apparently incorporated some sort of medicinal effect, taking the edge off the headache and even soothing my stomach to a degree. The porridge helped too, settling things down inside the bubbling cauldron that was currently masquerading as my tortured innards. Luna’s ears, would I never learn? As much as I may enjoy a tipple now and again, drink had never liked me very much, and as for my smoking habit… the less said about that the better. I quite fancied some now too, but where was my pipe? Hell, where was my gear?! Tutting, I resolved to check on the gang and the bedroom before-

“Aaaah!”

A scream rang out from upstairs, echoing through the quiet lounge. It was Tingles. My hangover forgotten, the chair flew out from under me as I charged for the stairs.

Another shrieking cry “FAIRLIGHT!” And again, “FAIRLIIIGHT!!”

I took the stairs two at a time, rounding the corner onto the landing and bursting through the door of our bedroom to find Tingles standing on the bed clutching Lumin and trying to reach her PDW on the bedside table. She was staring wide eyed towards the end of the room where my panniers were lying in a heap.

“What’s going on?! Are you okay?” I shouted looking around the room for a weapon.

I reached for the magic and felt it leap to my urgent need, cold and hard, ready for release. Nothing would attack my family and walk away. Nothing! I could feel my hackles go up, and a rumbling escaped my throat when I saw the movement. My pannier twitched slightly, the flap shifting almost imperceptibly, and then suddenly a small snout appeared huffing a tiny whuff of smoke. It was followed by a familiar scaly creature emerging from the scattered packs, dragging behind it a leg of half eaten venison.

Tingles screamed like a harpy. “What the hell is that thing?! Get it away!”

She backed away to the end of the bed, protectively cradling Lumin who merely gurgled merrily without a care in the world. I closed my eyes and leaned against the door frame as I released my grip on my magic. Relief flooded through me and I trotted over to the little dragonling who had made a nest for herself in my gear, apparently unbeknownst to poor Tingles. Tarragon burped loudly before letting me pet her, then returned to far more pressing matters - her breakfast.

“Tingles, this is Etrida’s daughter, Tarragon,” I smiled. “Don’t worry, she’s harmless. Just think of her as another friend of the family.” Well, ‘relatively’ harmless at any rate.

The tangerine pegasus edged off the bed and backed toward the door. “That… that’s a baby dragon?”

I nodded. “Yup.”

She bumped up beside me. “It’s… I… I don’t want it near Lumin, Fairlight. Look at those teeth! Those claws are like knives too!”

I shook my mane. “She’s a ‘she’, not an ‘it’, love. Tarragon saved my life in the caverns and is a friend of mine, a friend of yours too, if you let her.”

Tingles looked at me with an uncertain expression. “I don’t know…”

A clatter of hooves announced the arrival of Shadow who appeared behind us, panting and steaming. She smelled of soap, and still had a towel wrapped around her mane. “Fairlight, Tingles. Scream? Danger?”

“It’s alright everypony, no need for alarm, it’s just Tarragon,” I said holding up my forehooves. “She was asleep in my pack and must have sneaked out to grab some venison. I wondered where she’d disappeared to.”

“Shadow, do you know about this… dragonling?” Tingles asked her friend warily. “I mean, is it… Is ‘she’, safe?”

Shadow nodded. “Safe.” She walked over to Tarragon who’d finished her meal and gave a happy chirrup at the thestral’s approach, giving her a nuzzle and a lick. “Safe.”

“Hmmm, well, she may be safe around those too big to eat, but I’m still watching her around my baby.” Tingles held Lumin close to her and kissed him, her fears allayed. “How’s the head?” she asked me with a raised eyebrow.

I rubbed my muzzle gingerly. “Bit better now, thanks. Boy, what happened last night?”

Shadow sniggered, “Brandy.”

Oh yeah… By the gods that stuff was potent. Balta was bad enough, but couldn’t hold a light next to Grimble’s mystical brew. A thought struck me though. “Where’s Etrida?”

“She’s gone,” Grimble announced, appearing from behind the doorway. “She left just before dawn.” He bobbed his head to Shadow and Tingles. “My ladies. She bid me not to wake any of you and to say that I was to remind you to, um… ‘make more foals’, or she may change her mind about eating you.” He scrubbed his feathered neck in embarrassment. “Sorry, Lord Fairlight.”

Tingles nudged me. “I’ve already got my hooves full. Meadow too. So that’s two out of three down, one to go.”

My cheeks flushed beet red. “Tingles! Please!”

“The lord of the four winds needs a large family,” Grimble added unnecessarily.

“Not you too!” I face hoofed. “I’m going for a wash, you guys can pester some other poor hung over stallion.”

“Aw! But you’re so much fun!” Tingles chuckled, “Don’t forget to take your… er… ‘new friend’ with you. I don’t want the ‘Terror of the East’ sitting here while I’m feeding Lumin.”

Ah, so she’d read the book too obviously. Maybe I should have chosen a more ‘family friendly’ name, like ‘sausages’ or ‘bangers’ or something. Hmm, ‘Sausages the dragon’, eh? Ha! Now there was a title of a foal’s story book if ever there was one! Anyway it was too late now, Etrida had already approved of the name and Tarragon would henceforth be known as such. So long as she didn’t take after her namesake and torch the village on a whim some day, I was happy to have the little one here. Growing up as an only child I’d desperately wanted a pet, but mum and dad had never let me have one for some reason. My friend Fennel had one though - ‘Frank’ the dachshund, and I never missed an opportunity to call round after school to visit. That energetic little monster was always up to something mischievous, although he must have passed away what, thirty years ago or so now? How long did dogs live anyway? I let out a quiet sigh under my breath. It was quite sad the way I’d lost touch with my old pals, but it years ago now of course. Jobs, marefriends, marriage - all those lovely little facets of life in Equestria taking their toll on our social lives little by little the way it had for countless generations. I wonder how they were all doing? I guess they wouldn’t even recognise me now, what with the scar, the weird eyes and the cutie mark… honestly, it made me wonder why these mares were attracted to me at all. Some might think the title I had inherited made me something of a catch, but they couldn’t be further from the truth. Lord of the four winds, right? Lord of a pile of rocks and a rickety old tavern I didn’t even own, more like it.

Bollocks to it…

Shadow stayed with Tingles to fuss over Lumin whilst I took Tarragon out with me for my morning ablutions. The little dragon, oblivious to the chaos she’d caused only a few moments ago, was sitting happily on my panniers which, rather cleverly I thought, secretly housed my pipe and tobacco as well as my sponge bag. I trotted past the minotaurs who had gathered at the foot of the stairs, all of them fully armed I noticed. No doubt they’d appeared in reaction to Tingles’ shrieks, and boy did her lungs work well! The racket she’d been making must have had half the village up by now.

“All in order, boys and girls,” I called to them heading out the door, “you’d think she hadn’t seen a dragon before!”

I left the surprised warriors to stare after me whilst I headed for the hot spring, and a well deserved soak. The steam and hot water was drawing me like a magnet draws iron filings; I could almost feel its wonderful body relaxing heat already. Fortunately there was nopony else in there when I arrived, and I wasted not time packing my pipe with tobacco before easing myself into the water hind hooves first until I was up to my neck in its glorious warmth. Goddesses, this was so good it was probably a sin, and even if it was… Bah! To hell with it. I hovered the flame over my pipe and took a few puffs until it was properly lit, then settled back to relax. The taste of Star Beard’s tobacco was something else alright. I closed my eyes, leaning my head against a rock as I enjoyed the pungent, yet aromatic smoke rolling around my mouth and nostrils, mixing together with the steam. Sin or not, it was blissfully good. The smell of the tobacco reminded me of Star Beard and his disorganised study. It reminded me of Ember, of Short Stride and Thorn… all my friends. Part of me wished they could have been here with us here, but you couldn’t have everything. Right now though, I felt like I owned the world. Chuckling slightly, I let my body float up to the surface. It was a survival technique we’d learned in the watch; by lying in a certain way and controlling your breathing, you could find your centre and simply float without sinking. In my case, I just drifted, smoking my pipe and sighing out my happiness to the blue sky above.

Of course, it couldn’t last…

A huge plume of water erupted just before my hind legs, the waves dunking me under and making me inhale the steaming water. In a coughing, spluttering mess, I came to the surface and fought my way to the bank as a pair of orange forelegs grappled me from behind.

“Gotcha!”

“Gah! Tingles!” I sneezed out a gout of water. “What the hell?!” Water had gotten into my eyes too. “You nearly drowned me, you silly mare!”

She flapped her wings, using them like oars and propelling us into the shallower area of the spring. “No more than you deserve mister.” She held up the incriminating article. “What’s this?”

I mumbled my reply, “My pipe.”

“Fairlight…” She sighed shaking her head. “You promised me you’d stop didn’t you?”

“I did, but I didn’t say when,” I huffed. Waving my hooves in resignation I rolled my eyes at her. “Tingles, please love, it’s the only vice I’ve got-”

She clopped me on the shoulder. “Bloody bollocks it is! Last night you were so drunk you couldn’t stand up! Poor Heather had to carry you into the tavern too. What an example you’d set to little Lumin if he’d seen you. His dad - a drunkard!”

“Oh, come on Tingles, Please!” I protested. “Don’t start bloody henpecking me. I’ve been through absolute hell recently and you’re going on at me like this! Give me a break!”

She laughed, ignoring my protests. “Somepony needs to talk some sense into you, and you know that Shadow’s too sweet to say anything to you about it. Oh, Fairlight, I don’t like you smoking and drinking because I worry about you.” Tingles pulled herself over my midriff. “Because I love you, don’t you know that?”

“Of course I do!” I said holding up my fore hooves, “but I rarely drink at all, and you had a few last night too don’t forget.”

She began to protest but I cut in, “Okay, look, I’ll stop if it makes you happy, love. As for drinking, I will socially but that’s all. I’m not a drinking pony anyway, I never have been. All that happens when I’m tipsy is I end up chucking up everywhere and hanging onto the toilet like a blasted life preserver.”

Tingles released my neck and moved her head down until her nose was barely a hairs breadth from me. “I know that, who do you think put the bucket there?”

“I thought it was Heather”

“No… your loving pegasus did, the one who waited patiently for her stallion night after lonely night.” She let out a long sigh. “Fairlight… do you know what its like to be alone like that, especially when you’ve been up for hours nursing Lumin?”

“I’m sorry love,” I whispered.

She shook her head. “No… you had a mission to complete and you succeeded, you saved our Shadow. But you haven’t answered my question, do you know what it’s like to be alone at night?”

“Of course I do,” I sighed. “I spent many nights, and days, alone in the Wither World. So yes, I know what it’s like to be alone.”

She looked away from me. “Did you… think of me, when you were away?”

“Of course I did, I missed you like crazy,” I assured her, giving her a peck on the muzzle. “I was barely there five minutes though compared to the time that passed here. I was worried sick something like that could happen which is why we rushed back as soon as we could.”

Tingles’ voice was barely a whisper. “I spent so many lonely nights without you, sometimes I cried myself to sleep wondering if I’d ever see you again.”

“Oh, Tingles…” I’m sure I felt my heart breaking in my chest.

“Other times… I dreamt of you,” she said nuzzling my neck.”I could smell you on my pillow and I had to… I had to…” she trailed off.

“Had to what?” I asked.

She whispered in my ear, “I had to… you know… I wanted you so badly...”

Tingles licked my neck and then suddenly bit my shoulder hard. “Ow!” I squeaked, but she wasn’t done with me yet. Not by a long shot.

“Fairlight… I’ve waited so long for you to come home, and now you’re here, I’m here, and nopony else…” The tangerine mare shifted her body, pulling herself up. Despite the heat of the water I could feel another warmth surging through me now. “You know what I want, and as your mare, I want you to take your fill of me…” Tingles stared down into my eyes, breathing heavily. “…And I of you…” I gasped as she pushed herself into me, her eyes squeezed tight shut, “Goddesses, I’ve missed this…” That was it. My magic slipped from my grasp and I could feel my body changing, the wendigo power surging uncontrollably through nerves, veins, my wings bursting from my back and the blue haze forming around my eyes. Tingles pulled at me, an animalistic snarl on her face and a fire in her eyes. “Do it…”

********************

Together, kissing and gasping for air at the same time, we slowly collapsed onto the warm rocks of the spring. I was exhausted. Last night, this morning… dear goddesses, she was going to kill me at this rate!

Lying beside me with her wings splayed out, Tingles groaned and nibbled my ear playfully. “I think somepony needs a wash, my minty fresh wendigo.”

I smiled weakly, stroking her mane as my magic seeped away, utterly spent. “I don’t frighten you as much as I did, do I love?”

Tingles shook her head with a smile. “No… Well, a little maybe, but I know it’s you. It’s a bit like…” she tapped her chin with a forehoof, “like being on a roller coaster. The fear makes things a bit more, um, ‘exciting’? You know you’re safe, but there’s that part of you that isn’t so sure. It’s something I needed Meadow to show me.”

“Meadow…” I stared up into the endless blue sky, casting my mind back to that glorious evening all three of us had spent with her before I left for the Withers. “I haven’t seen her since we came back, love. Will you come with me to the clearing tonight? You, Shadow and Lumin?”

“Of course,” she smiled. “But you know, I haven’t seen her there for a while. I don’t know exactly why though, I figured she’d most likely be with you in the Wither World helping to look for Shadow.”

My heart sank. “No… No, she wasn’t.” I closed my eyes and took a long, slow breath. “Celestia blocked our passage from the Wither World home. She even cut off our link to the eternal herd, but Star Swirl found a way to help us return even so. It was only with Star Beard and Etrida’s help we managed to get back here, so if Meadow’s not been with you then I can only imagine that the barrier the princess erected affects this side of the veil as well.”

Tingles sat up as my words sank in. “There must be a way, surely?”

“Oh, I think there is,” I grinned mischievously, “there’s always a way, love. But let’s not think of that now though, eh?” I took her in my forehooves, Tingles giggling and making a mock show of struggling. “Come here you…”

The two of us ran down to the tavern, laughing and joking as we charged in through the front door like a couple of naughty school foals. Shadow was sat there by the fire cradling Lumin, cooing to him whilst he kept trying to grab her muzzle with his tiny hooves. Trotting over to her, Tingles whispered something in her ear that made Shadow look at me intently, her red eyes flaring in the firelight. I wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not, at least until Tingles took Lumin in his sling and trotted off upstairs without another word. Shadow waited for me to sit beside her.

“Are you alright love?” I asked her.

She nodded shyly, staring into the flickering flames. “Lumin. He is… beautiful.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her description of our loveable little rogue. “I wouldn’t describe him as ‘beautiful’!” I grinned. “I’d say ‘cute’, sure, I may even go so far as to say… ‘delicious’.”

Shadow gasped, “Don’t eat Lumin! Wrong!”

I burst out laughing. “I didn’t mean I’d actually eat him!” Gods, I think she actually thought I would! “He’s just so cute you could eat him up,” I added, smacking my lips for comedic effect. “It’s an expression, that’s all, love.” She gave me a scandalised look which made her look absolutely adorable. I shook my mane and kissed her on the muzzle. “You’re cute too… maybe I should eat you up as well! Rrrrr!” Shadow gave me an odd look and turned her head away, muttering something I couldn’t quite hear, but I could see the red flush blushing her cheeks all the same. I was still smiling when Grimble walked in.

“You seem in fine humour today, my lord,” he said jauntily.

I reached out and took the offered hot tea from him. “Thanks Grimble, and yes… yes, I’m in a great mood today. The best I’ve been in for a long time in fact. Come, sit with us my friend, I wish to ask you something.”

Obediently the old griffin pulled up a chair and sat down, looking a little confused.

“Grimble, the girls and I… we want a home of our own,” I began. “This place, this village, this is our home now, and… well, what I’m trying to say is, we’d like to stay.”

The old griffin clapped his claws together, a beaming smile spreading across his avian features. “But this is excellent news, my Lord Fairlight! Of course we want you to stay.” He leaned on the table, his eyes sparkling merrily. “I must tell everyone right away!”

Quickly, I held up a hoof to stall him. “Wait… Grimble, look, I mean that I want to stay ‘here’. Right here, in the Wyvern’s Tail. Would you…” I suddenly felt embarrassed and looked down at my hooves. Damn it all, I had not right to ask him this! This was home, and Heather’s too. What if he felt obligated to obey me and- Shadow’s hoof appeared on mine, her smile encouraging me to speak my mind. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and continued, “Would you sell us the tavern?”

“Wha-?!” Grimble nearly choked. “But it… It’s nearly falling down!” he exclaimed. “Have you seen the state of it? My lord, this place is-”

“-is perfect,” Tingles added, reappearing from the stairwell with a freshly changed Lumin dangling in the sling between her teeth. “Please Grimble, I know this is your home, but at least think about it. Why not have a chat with Heather and see what she has to say?”

Grimble shook his head, unsure of what to say. Finally he spoke. “The truth is...” He closed his eyes. “It’s not really our home, my lady Tingles. Our true home is a cottage in the village near the flour mill. We only moved in here because Lord Fairlight and yourself came to stay, and the Wyvern’s Tail was nigh on derelict even then. It was only by the grace of the goddess I was in here the day you came to the village. Truth be told, we were planning to demolish the old place.”

“No!” Shadow cried suddenly, jumping to her hooves. “This is home! We will stay here now!”

Thank the goddess for Tingles. She quickly rose to her hooves, guiding the agitated thestral back to her chair with a kindly smile. Right then I was glad she hadn’t brought her axe with her; I’d not seen her so animated since we’d faced down Sharar, and yet here she was, defending a decision to buy a tumble down tavern she had barely been in for five minutes. As for Grimble, the ancient griffin seemed to be in a state of shock, the poor fellow’s feathers were all but standing on end.

“But…” He sighed, hanging his head. “My lord, this place is already yours. The people here, the villagers, we all used our money, skills, and whatever we could salvage from the fortress, to restore and repair Smiling Borders to what it is today. We stayed here because its lands once belonged to the tribe of the four winds, as did the land between the fortress and here, even if it is mostly uninhabitable now.” He stood and resettled his wings. “My Lord, what I’m trying to tell you is that the Wyverns Tail is not ours to sell. It belongs to the lord or the fortress. It already is yours.”

I stood up and faced him. “All the same, I’ll still pay you, Grimble,” I said plainly. “It is the right thing to do.” He raised a claw in protest but I waved him off. “Please, accept it as payment for providing us with room and board. We owe you that in any case.”

“And we’ll need a manager and staff,” Tingles added, smiling at Heather. “The place needs a bit of a spruce up, as does the village too. I think if we work together we can get this place looking lovely, don’t you?”

Heather nodded and I shared a look with Grimble who started laughing, the tension in the air dispelling as quickly as it had arrived. “Very well my ladies, my lord,” he bowed. “You’ll have your work cut out for you though, but I think I know you all well enough by now to know that you are a family that gets things done when you set your minds to them.” He held out his claw and each of us shook it, even Shadow who looked the most relieved out of any of us.

I pulled out a chair, inviting Grimble to sit back down by the fire with his friends. “Now then,” I beamed, “how about a nice brandy each, eh?”

THE END

Comments

[MoonriseTheMage]

wow, that was a really, really nice ending to everything that Fairlight's been through
honestly, I'm afraid to read the next two volumes now

[Fallen Knight]

Lovely ending for this part of the series. Now to see what awaits Fairlight and his Herd.