Full Lance & The Holy Roman Empire

by Merallakos

Aiming to Amble Along

Thistle Flourish passed through the main hall to the tall gnarled dark wooden doors that led to the outside world. With a grunt and creaking from the wrought iron hinges Thistle dislodged one of the door from its resting place, and trotted into the cool clear autumn day. On the paving stones leading from the manor to the fields above, Thistle was surrounded by tall still green grasses. Full Lance's majestic, steeply roofed manor occupied a and gently sloping clearing, just before the top of rise in the land upon which all of the manor's farmland rested. The hill which surrounded the clearing formed a "U" shape, with the opening towards lower land and a small lake.

Thistle came up to level ground and was confronted by the bulk of the property. By this point, Thistle knew all the most important ponies in Full lance's Manor and where they lived. Grind Seed's house was along the stone and dirt path and not very far away. As Thistle trotted he observed the myriad of warm autumn colors and distant outlying manors occupying the gentle undulating hills. A cold breeze rustled the grasses and sent a chill down Thistle's spine. Yup, Thistle thought, Winter is coming.

Thistle arrived at Grind Seed's cottage. It was a sturdy stone construction with a newly replaced thatch roof. Attached to the house was a wooden shed. In groupings around the house there were stone blocks of various shapes and sizes. A few seemed to be half completed statues or decorative masonry. Thistle came to the door and knocked. Nearby, on the other side of the path, there was a small watermill and accompanying building.

Thistle recognized Grind Seed's wife when she answered the door.

"Oh dear, what are you doing here child?" asked Grind Seed's wife.

"I'm Thistle Flourish. I need to speak to Grind Seed," announced Thistle.

"Oh, you must be that squire that Full Lance took in then! Grinny had some stories about you, yes there was something about a broom and a..."

"Ahem, I need to see Grind Seed."

"Oh, right. Come with me child, he's just out in the workshop with Petals."

Admittedly Thistle didn't know a hardly half of the peasants on the manor, but he was certain he'd never heard the name "Petals" before. The lady lead him back outside and into the wooden shed. Inside there was a plethora of tools ranging from clamps to chisels to hammers hanging on the walls. Grind Seed was seated on a reclaimed tree stump at a workbench with a small filly on his lap. She looked to be a year old at most.

"No petals, hold the chisel by the shaft not the head, ah that's better. Now like this with the hammer, tap tap tap, see?" Grind Seed passed the hammer over to Petals and-- thunk. Yeah there was no way that kid is strong enough to hold that massive chunk of metal.

Grind Seed's wife cleared her throat, "Grinny, you know what I told you about teaching petals masonry, she's far too young!"

"Pfffttt, never too young to learn a trade! Aint that right, Petals?" asked Grind Seed. Petals babbled some baby babble.

"Oh, well if that isn't cute, come here Petals," Grind Seed's wife went over to the work bench and picked up Petals.

"Hey Patty, you seem to have dragged in a bur with you," Grind seed said looking at Thistle.

"Oh yes," Patty said clearly distracted by her child, "He wanted to speak with you about something..."

"Uhm," Thistle's brain started moving again, "Yes that's right!"

Grind Seed raised an eyebrow.

"Ahem, there is a leak in the Manor House's pantry."

"Yeah?" asked Grind Seed.

"Yup, it's in the right corner when you walk in. It's a big crack between the floor and the wall."

"And why exactly are you telling me this?"

Thistle jerked his head up, then squinted thoughtfully... He began, "I have been sent by Full Lance himself on an errand of great import!" Thistle nodded. "The grain storage has been compromised, and Full Lance wants you to fix it!"

Grind Seed grinned appreciatively, "Full Lance teaching you to talk all fancy like that?" Grind Seed nodded to himself and said, "Well, let's see this crack of great import then." Grind looked back and said, "Patty, don't bully Petals while I'm gone, okay?"

Patty blew a raspberry in Grind Seed's direction as they exited the home.