My Little Fortress: Dawnpick

by Paaaad

59: The Mark of Glaive.

Slowly making its way across the inky expanse that was the night sky, the moon shone clear and bright on the lands below. With no clouds to block its ethereal rays, the landscape was tinged all around with the unique colour of moonlight. Two figures can be seen; one pegasus, one unicorn, both sprawled on the grass some way outside the high walls of Dawnpick, lying underneath a majestic oak which has stood vigil over the forest for centuries past. The otherwise unbroken silence of the night is gently teased apart by a soft tune of music, lilting and gentle, coming from Falcata's lyre as she coaxes another song out of the burnished metal and taut strings.
Coming to the end of her performance, she lets the last note hang in the air for a while before gently setting her instrument down on the grass and addressing Glaive, who is sitting opposite her, looking (as far as she can tell) attentive and interested.
"Well? How was it?" she asks, very much looking forward to hearing his reaction.

Glaive listens, intently to Falcata's performance. The lovely white pegasus seems to shine in the pale moon light, as the music soothes every ache and sore muscle from Glaive's long day of training.
"That was beautiful Falcata, I had no idea you could play so well." Glaive smiles at her, before turning to look up at the night sky. The moon was full and the sky completely clear, the stars were countless. "Hmm, it looks like you have made gods jealous with your talents, they have really gone all out on tonight's sky." He pauses for a moment before asking, "Who taught you to play?"

She flinches ever so slightly, the memory's emotional impact dulled but in no way eliminated by her talk with Flux beforehand.
"A friend of mine, from Coupledye. It's one of his songs, actually. We used to play together, years ago, but he, ah, he passed on and, I- I stopped. Playing, that is. I stopped playing." Managing to keep her composure, she nevertheless raises her gaze to the stars above, just in case.

Glaive's smile fades as Falcata speaks. 'A friend. His songs. An old lover perhaps.' Glaive suppresses his jelously, 'No Glaive, even if he was her lover, that was before she met you, no need to get jealous. She loves you now.'
Silently he moves closer to her and sits as close to her as he can, before putting a foreleg around her. "I'm...sorry for your friend. Did...did you want to talk about what happened? I'll listen if you want to talk. I'm always here for you."

You were always going to have to tell him; you knew that when you started playing music again and came out here tonight. You've already told Flux; it's not like then telling Glaive, of all ponies, is any big deal! Come on, get it over with. He loves you, he won't judge you; you know that! And don't you dare lie to him; he is your beloved and he deserves to know the truth.
Finishing her internal monologue and coming to a decision, she begins to speak in a low whisper.
"It was over fourteen years ago..."
She recounts the story once again, more smoothly than before and without the tears, though her eyes are watery when she finally finishes.
"...and that's why I stopped playing." She finishes lamely, her method of ending her reverie seeming a little flat considering the magnitude of its content. Feeling her emotions build up and threatening to overwhelm her, she pre-emptively buries her face in her forehooves.

Glaive listens without interrupting to Falcata's story. When she finished, he tightens his grip on her a bit. "I had no idea you'd had to deal with so much in your life. He'd be glad you're going to start playing again. Your music is wonderful, and the world would suffer from it's loss. I suppose if we are sharing the past, I should probably tell you the story of how I got my cutie mark. It...It isn't a happy story, though, do you want me share it?"

Sniffling slightly, she pushes herself into his side, allowing him to pull her closer.
"If you want to talk about it, Glaive, then I will listen. It's not about what I want."

Glaive moves away from Falcata, and stands, he takes a few steps away and with his back turned to her, he begins his tale.

"You might remember that I told you I didn't always want to be a soldier, but something changed that, and you might also remember when I mentioned before that, that I had a sister. Her name was Balisong. Heh, a strange name for a filly. Father wanted to name her Balista, and mother wanted to name her Morning Song, they compromised. It happened when I was 4, nearly 5, years old. Nearly a full grown stallion, but still without a cutie mark. It was, uh, embarrassing. But my little sister, she was about 2 when it happened. She was a unicorn also, though she hadn't really learned much of any real magic yet.

I was looking after her one day. We went to the park, it was only a few minutes from home. While we were there, alone, a pair of young stallions, they couldn't have been more than 6, came up to us. One of them, a dark green unicorn grabbed her roughly with his magic. The other, a brown earthpony, approached me and when I tried to get his friend to put her down, he bucked me in the face. It wasn't a strong blow, and I knew how to roll with a buck, but it still put me on the ground.

The earthpony then said to me that they were taking her to "have a little fun."

He was open, I could see it, and he was weaker than I was. If...If I had attacked then, I could have stopped them. If I had fought back..." Glaive begins to tear up. He chokes for moment, then continues. "I, I didn't stop them. They drug her off. I ran home and told father and grandfather what happened. They grabbed their weapons and alerted the guard, and began to search. My mother was hysterical. They told me to stay behind. I sat there, in the study, for an hour alone, not moving, not speaking just sitting and waiting, and blaming myself.

In that room, on the mantel, above the burning fire, sat my great grandfather's =bismuth bronze axe=. It was a strong weapon when it was new, and was used to kill dozens of Diomedians, and Zebras, and even a buffalo or two, during the old wars. He had named it, Widowgrief. Looking up at that weapon, I recalled all the stories my family would tell, of the many battles it had been through, of the lives it had saved. I couldn't just sit there and do nothing. Not while she was in danger. But I couldn't face my elders. I knew they would blame me for not protecting her, and they'd never let me come with them anyway.

I began to search on my own. It was merely by chance that I found them first. Held up in some abandoned house in the dark side of town. One of them had left to buy some drinks for them and I followed him back. It was hard to conceal the weapon under my cloak, but I somehow managed. When he went inside, I considered my choice of action. I could go get the guard, or my father, or I could confront them myself. I should have gotten help, it was stupid to do otherwise, but, I didn't listen to reason. I walked right up and bashed the old rotting door right off it's hinges.

I called out for Balisong, but she didn't answer, I searched the house, and and I..." Glaive stops, his tears are flowing freely now. It is several moments before he can continue. "I found them, they were sitting in the basement, Balisong was, she was already dead. They'd, they'd done horrible things to her. There was blood, and bones, and and much worse. I can't even describe it. I don't remember what happened next. The next thing I knew, I was standing over both of the stallions bodies, I was coated in their blood, and the family axe, it was broken, the blade shattered, I don't know what it hit.

Long story short, I was arrested, and put on trial for murder. Due to my father's connections, my being a minor, and the circumstances, I only spent one year in jail. While I was in prision, mother, she couldn't take it and she, hung herself. After all that, Dad, changed. But during that time, I swore that I would never stand by and let another get hurt. That's when the shield and axes mark appeared."

Mouth hanging open in utter shock, Falcata can do nothing but stare in horror for a moment. Then, collecting herself for his sake, she moves quickly to the despondent unicorn, enveloping him in a comforting hug and murmuring condolences in his ear.
"Glaive, you mustn't blame yourself for what could have been. You couldn't have known what they were planning, couldn't have known if you could have fought them off. You did the right thing by alerting the guard, truly! You might have gotten yourself killed as well if you had confronted them, and then- then where would I be?"
She pulls him even closer, her voice dropping to the lowest of whispers.
"And you avenged her death, Glaive. Whatever the law may say, you honoured your sister's memory in the eyes of the gods by ending the lives of her killers, and ensured their damnation in the world beyond. Whereas she and you will be together again, some day."

Glaive is relieved to feel Falcata's touch. He returns her hug.
"I should have told you earlier. I'm sorry, but I was a coward and a murderer. You deserve better, Falcata. If you don't want me anymore, I will understand."

Defiance flares within her at Glaive's words, and she breaks the hug, grabbing him by the head and ensuring that she makes firm eye contact with her beloved.
"Don't be absurd, Glaive. If what you did was cowardice and murder, then surely you must judge me as a murderer of an innocent and a fugitive from justice. Since you did not judge me as such, my love, why do you judge yourself so? If anything, you are more than I deserve, and you are a fool to think I would ever cease to love you."

"Falcata, thank you. You are right of course. You are more than anypony deserves." Glaive looks deep into his beloved's eyes, "I love you too, and I always will."
Glaive places a tender kiss of Falcata's lips.