Chapter 1
The rain was already drawing to a close, and the sunset shone brightly through the parted clouds on the west. However, the storm with lightnings that almost burned a barn were not the last event for inhabitants of Hornglow for today.
Six ponies worn in raincoats appeared on the road, one of them hid armor under his cloak. Peasant who was sitting on the veranda of his house suspiciously and fearfully looked at the travelers, but they did not pay any attention to him. Reached the headpony's house, the highest in the village, the travelers walked to its door.
The village headpony almost choked his supper, when six ponies had entered his house without knocking, kicking open the door. The old gray-haired earth pony stallion trembled, but he still managed to squeeze out:
“What do you want?”
“I’m Tourmaline Shield of the Dark Watch, the leader of this group,” the vinous-colored unicorn stallion clad in armor introduced himself to the old pony. “We were told this village hid Dark worshipers.”
“Dark worshipers?” stuttered the headpony in shock. “Sir, you must be mistaken. Yes, exactly! There are no any Dark worshipers in our village. Our lord Horn personally took…”
“I don’t care what your lord has ‘personally’ do,” Tourmaline interrupted, grabbing his collar with the magic and pulling him from the table.
Then he pressed the headpony to the wall and said through his clenched teeth:
“Now listen here: if we can find at least one blasphemer, we will kill all the fools who try to protect him. And now you’re ordered to give us shelter in that tavern next to your house, or we’ll search your house in first!”
Having said that, Tourmaline let the pony go, and he instantly ran to carry out the Watcher's order. Tourmaline threw a glimpse following the headpony and said:
“Jade, Sunflower, search his house.”
“But…” Jade Orb, a green unicorn and youngest member of the group, wondered, but unhooded Sunflower, a stalwart yellow mare, grabbed and dragged him deep in the house.
“Watcher Tourmaline said to search, and you must obey, cub. Go and search the first floor! I’ll take the rest on myself,” she said.
With these words, the earth pony with blonde mane straightened her raincoat revealing well-made leather jerkin and went to seek trough the second floor. Jade began rummaging through headpony's things that did not seem too rich decoration for his house.
Meanwhile, the headpony went back to his house and found out that it was rummaging. He faltered with a trembling voice:
“But you promised…”
“I… lied,” Tourmaline smiled slyly, rubbing the top of his horn. “You have nothing to worry about, oldster, if, of course, you’re not… a Dark worshiper or something worse.”
At this point, the old pony turned pale and shuddered. Just in case, two Watchers from the Tourmaline's group stood behind him, blocking his way. In the same time, the black buck, which Tourmaline named Onyx, went to look at rooms selected by tavern host.
Finally, after finishing his search, Jade said:
“There’s nothing interesting. Only rags, few bits and a couple of books.”
“Commander, there are only a small altar of Princess Luna and an amulet in the attic,” Sunflower said, coming down the stairs. “Icon-lamp is lit.”
Tourmaline sighed and looked at the old stallion:
“You would hide them better, though carrying them away from the village and burying it deep would the best thing. We saw Sun Apostles south here. It seems they will arrive here soon.”
“So you aren’t…”
“I don’t care about Princess Luna. Although she was fooled by Dark, she’s not in my competence. So care about yourself, get rid from the altar and the amulet.”
The old stallion slowly wandered into the attic getting round Sunflower, and Tourmaline motioned everyone to follow him.
When the Watchers left the house, the rain outside had already ended, but the clouds did not seek to disperse. On the contrary, even the one last ray of sun disappeared, and now the whole village was plunged into gloom. Involuntarily shivered, Jade turned around and saw the village headpony that grabbed an handful altar of Princess Luna briskly goes somewhere away from the village.
“Good, docile pony,” one of the Watchers said. “Ones like him are too little…”
The noise in the tavern immediately calmed down as soon as the Watchers entered it. Even the cheeky wandering bard lightly moved behind a stoutish steward mare, and she became, as if by chance, correct her dress a little better to close the flanks. However, the Watchers almost did not pay attention for them and proceeded to their rooms.
Saying that ponies were alarmed was exactly right. Although Hornglow was quite ancient village, many ponies came here recently to settle for a whole life, since before the arrival of lord Horn the village was in ruins. Of course, no one had hereditary traditions here except the headpony, a true follower of Two Sisters' teaching. As for the rest ponies, the Dark Watch very likely would find something to complain about. And if someone would find at least one book that would be considered as heretical…
At this moment, some ponies became suspiciously squint at each other, but the bulk of the visitors gradually began to return to everyday conversation, though it was certainly quieter than before the arrival of the Watchers.
* * *
The next morning started with the fact that the Watchers headed to the headpony. When he saw Tourmaline behind the door again, he immediately fussed:
“Please, sir, I have…”
“Relax!” Tourmaline jostled him away with the door. “We just want to talk. You’re a headpony, therefore, you should know about everyone and everything here.”
“Yes, of course,” the headpony nodded and sat at the table. “I’m sorry, we have no food to feed you, sir. I’ll tell my wife to cook something.”
“It isn't needed,” Tourmaline said. “We had a good breakfast in the tavern. As for us… We have questions for you, headpony…”
“Whitemane, sir,” the headpony introduced himself to the visitors.
“Whitemane. Good. Well, the question — how do you think, who can be involved in Dark worship in Hornglow?”
“Oh, we haven’t even heard about Dark worshipers here, sir,” Whitemane shrank his shoulders. “Perhaps, younglings talk nonsense to each other. However, we don’t have literates except me, sir Horn and few other ponies.”
“We are interested not just in literates, Whitemane,” Tourmaline shook his head almost imperceptibly. “But in those who deliberately devote themselves to the Dark in order to get power. These ponies have disgusted Princess Celestia, because they turned away from her grace to please themselves!”
Tourmaline’s words almost make the headpony cringe, but he continued with the ingratiating smile:
“Our village is small. I'd just noticed… if someone could do this.”
Tourmaline looked disdainfully at the old pony.
“It seems you don't understand, oldster. Creatures of the Dark are treacherous; they act in secret, as if nothing happens! Actually, all the inhabitants of your village probably can be in danger. So, who exactly was seen acting suspiciously… or weird in the last few days?” he said.
Whitemane immediately sank into receive. His maid was hastily setting the table, when he wincing at the sudden outbreak of pain in his back remembered right things and said:
“There is… one place nearby. A small cave. So, there are constantly blowing cold breeze there. It makes me shiver. I told villagers not to go to the cave and went with three fellows… We found a strange thing similar to an altar and immediately realized that it would be better to bring down the cave entrance.”
“So…” Tourmaline rubbed his chin. “It's not that we have to ask you… Well, carry on, oldster. What exactly did you find there?”
“Sir, we found a strange stone, as if it… was removed from a temple arch; also there was a bone beside it. Well, I gave the bone to my dog, and we got down the entrance. And what do you think? The rocks vanished to the next day!”
Tourmaline thought the weird cave with a certain altar inside is the most important clue near Hornglow. Maybe the old pony just forgot to tell his blockheads to bring down the entrance, or the dotage took over him. Nevertheless, things started to go.
“Did somebody go towards the cave?” Tourmaline asked.
“No, sir, how could they?” the headpony roused. “They could do this only without my knowledge, but I don't know who'd disobey me. I very strictly forbade approaching to the cave!”
“Sunflower, Onyx, check the cave. If you notice something suspicious, immediately inform me.”
Sunflower and Onyx left the headpony's house without any words or gestures as Tourmaline continued questioning Whitemane for possible heresies or the passion for forbidden powers among the peasants.