Raven Rawne

@@Orange Sparks Crystal Clear breathed in with a mix of relief and apprehension of what awaited within those walls. "Yes we are! Better start thinking on some good lines once you meet your father... I sure do the same right now. " She looked at her love and nodded. "Why not, if they have something interesting." As the wagons approached each other, Crystal Clear waved at the stranger ahead in greeting. "Hello good sir, my fiancé was wondering if maybe you could spare a moment for us. She's looking for a present for her sister and thought you might have something interesting for sale?" The stallion before them was leading a wagon similar to theirs, just with a cloth roof stretched in half elliptical supports. He was dressed in a long robe and had a ridiculously long beard, reaching to his belt in fact. His mane was pure white and hus coat sky blue. A unicorn horn was clearly visible. Despite the elderly look, his movements and voice betrayed that he was in fact no older than 40 or so. The unicorn was weary of his sudden company at first, buy once the mares expressed interest in his stock in a civil manner, he extended his arms in a o rely exaggerated welcome and pulled the cart over to the side of the road. "Why welcome indeed! It's not every day fine noble ponies like yourselves have a opportunity to meet a master of the arcane such as myself! Quill Dip's the name, allow me to show you my wares, the finest magical artefacts thus side of the ocean!" Crys decided to act like a civilised mare; despite the feeling she met a charlatan. "The pleasure is ours, good sir. Clare, come on down and take a look!"

@@Orange Sparks Crystal Clear made her best scrunchie face and stared at her laughing fiancé. She felt the blush rising on her face as she thought Clare was serious with her idea. Once the other mare could speak again and kissed her, Crys softened her expression. "I uh... I mean..." She bit her lower lip as she examined Clare, thinking of something, then nodded. "Good, I was thinking you're going bi in here, and I just know I would cave in eventually if you bugged me for long enough. So that's a relief, I guess..." She offered a smile to the other mare. "Let's stick to adoption for now. No need to make it unnecessarily weird." She saw a caravan of merchant wagons ahead, going from the capital and in their direction. "Seems we'll meet somepony alive on the trail after all..."

@@Orange Sparks Crystal narrowed her eyes as she gave Clarissa a probing stare. "What did you just say? Me... as a stallion?" She continued peering at Clare for any hint that it was just some weird joke, but she wasn't sure. Finally she decided to speak her mind. "You're kidding right? We both know that I'm sooo not into stallions and you ask me to BE one? That's just... I'll pass on this once in a lifetime opportunity, you know. I'll spend all my money for healers to get rid of the nightmares this would give me." She shook herself off as if she was cold. "...Why are you looking at me that way?"

@@Nightmare Season The mare leaned closer to see the magic happen. Or perhaps see how Nightmare could tell do much from a few weird cards laying in disarray on the table. If not for the fact that his readings were without fail, she would conclude it was just a show. She didn't say a word as he delivered the reading, as if she was afraid to mess it up by opening her mouth. Once he was done and looked her way, Crystal was sitting with her forelegs clasped together and touching her nose, as if she double booped herself, and replied with a thoughtful tone. "That item of value... any idea what it could be? Did the cards give a clue? It would be a shame if they meant our loaded sleigh..." She patted her nose in thought, but apparently didn't reach any satisfying conclusions, since she unclasped hee hooves and laid them flat on the table. "Guess we'll have to be careful then. Given the way your cards answer our questions, I'd rather be in the dark than go paranoid from their answers. Just tell me what you want to do today before I open the buffet for the night and let's wrap up this productive day. The spears for example. I still need to finish the cistern by placing the inner tank inside the outer shell and stuff the space in between." She listened to his imput, then drummed into the table with her hooves and got up, smiling in an encouraging manner. "Shall we?"

@@Orange Sparks Crystal shook her head. "Damn, just accept the truth alright? The ring on your finger will make ponies weep, regardless of their gender." She looked at her fiancé complimenting the stablecolt with a curious expression. "If I haven't knew you better I would be under impression that you're all smitten with him... Let's just hope your sister will agree." The last question was just too much, and Crys bowed down in laughter. "Oh Heart, that was a good one... Ooohhh... Last time I checked you were a mare, not a stallion, so excuse me for that, it sounded so... weird to me you know. Now my family has lots of red and blue going on, red mostly. So color wise I guess they would have done of those but other than that... Either pegasi or Earth ponies. Can't say much more really, but maybe your friendly mage would help us find out." She finished with a sly wink and looked under her hooves to avoid tripping again.

@@Orange Sparks She scratched the back of her head and combed her mane into shape with her fingers. "Yeah, I guess I would drink myself to death if that happened, so I know what you mean." Crys looked in the distance too and nodded. "You're right! We're getting close to the joyful moment when I can change into something not smeared with blood..." The mare looked back at her fiancé. I'm not betting cause I'd lose silly! She's your sister so she has to be as hot as you. Well nearly as hot, since you're the hottest mare under the sun." She sticked her tongue playfully and nearly tripped on a loose stone. "Whoa! That was a close one... They need to take better care of this road or something, almost lost my teeth in here."

@@Orange Sparks Crystal Clear caught the flask and raised in a toast, smiling. "Cheers!" Then she took a moderate swing and hanged it on a jutting beam on the wagon. "Seems zi can see the end of this forest, we should be in the clear once we get out. Then it's straight to Opal through farmlands and grazing grounds." They managed to get out of the forest in one piece, and once they did, Crys tossed her helmet back inside the cart. "Never liked wearing helmets... But it's a small inconvenience compared to an arrow in my head, I guess..."

@@Orange Sparks, "The crystal mare nodded, still scanning the surroundings. "Sounds nice! A spacious manor house, stone ground floor and half timber walls with white plaster higher up, that would be veeeery nice. I'm on the fence about pallisading the settlement, since living behind walls is, well, a bit depressing. Besides, I hope fending off ponynappers won't become a regular thing in our schedule..." They approached a clearing on both sided of the road, meant as a stop point for travellers. Currently the place was empty, save for a couple old fireplaces. Crystal Clear turned to Clarissa "Toss me a flask, will you? Been too long since I had a drink hehe!" Seeing her unapproving look, she corrected herself. "I meant that alcohol free cider, that did you think I was referring to?"

@@Orange Sparks, Crystal Clear readjusted her right gauntlet and replied, matter of fact. "Could be hired thugs, paid for making somepony dissapear. There are all kinds of reason for what happenned there really." She turned to Clare and smiled coyly, her visor raised. "So... how would the future lady of Flounder Cove see her household? I like the security of stone, but a tower keep would be a waste of money, and they're not really nice places to live - too many damn stairs."

@@Orange Sparks, Crystal Clear shrugged and tugged on the oxen's reins to make her walk. "Brigands pop up every now and then and it's nothing extraordinary. Maybe it's a kidnapping for ransom or something along these lines, who knows. Best we can do is keep moving and reach the city as fast a we can to inform the guards, since we're not stepping in ourselves." The pair was approaching the treeline when Crys picked her hekmet and put it on, just in case. "Keeo an eye out for trouble, I won't vouch that whoever did that went someplace else and isn't looking for some more coin on the road. Even if the wagons we saw going East passed unmolested." They went into the forested part of the Spine Trail, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious, like road blockades and such.

@@Nightmare Season, "My thoughts exactly, just add a looming threat of unemployment." She said to the table she was resting her nose on, then raised her head to a normal position expected of a grown-up, civilised mare. "Sorry for that." - the mare took another portion of food into her mouth and wasn't done with it as Nightmare asked her a question. Crystal Shrugged while chewing, and once she was done, gave a proper answer. " Well I don't know... How many days till we reach that settlement? Will we meet any hostile wildlife on the way? Or perhaps, is my newest masterpiece of a cistern going to actually hold water rather than leak it all within an hour? I have all kinds of questions and uncertainties if you ask." She made a wide circular gesture with her foreleg for emphasis, held it in the air for a bit, then facehoofed. "Damn, I haven't made the spear shafts... I'm no fighter but I guess I would feel better with something I know how to swing, like that nice crystal maul I found with the tools, so how about you? Fancy a long pointy stick? Or you'd prefer to cut the poles entirely and use your magic to stab with them?" She smiled as she recalled some memory. "I remember making a suit of armour once, a decorative piece since only the Guard can have the real deal, but making it look like real was the real fun..." Crystal placed her forelegs on the table and rested her head on it, drifting into a daydream of her favourite orders, and said with a dreamy expression. "Yeah... that was interesting... You have no idea what sort of weird things I made over the years." She continued daydreaming until Nightmare called for her attention - he was shuffling the deck and getting ready to make a reading.

@@Orange Sparks, As they approached, Crystal Clear felt somewhat alarmed. Nopony just leaves a wagon like that... She heard a loud clank of heavy armour as Clare jumped off the cart. Funny how suddlenly she felt underdressed for the occasion, so she stayed by their wagon, hand on the sword hilt and kept her head on a swivel as Clare investigated. Once the other mare turned around to come back and delivered the news of what she saw, Crystal Clear sighed as the happy feeling she felt dimmed, as her coat and mane - she started looking normal. "I guess you're right... Come back and give me a minute to dress up a bit, I don't want an arrow in my chest once we get into the forest." She reached for her armor and donned everuthing except the helmet, clearly unhappy by the sudden need to suit up. With a pat on her chestplate, she announced. "Ready, let's keep going then."

@@Orange Sparks, The crystal mare waved her hand dismissively. "Just brainstorming dear. The landscape around Flounder Cove is a farmer's nightmare but the grass looked good, and grew everywhere. Perfect for grazing animals or just to cut it and sell for hay a couple times a year. either way we'll have to get to know the surrounding areas very well to decide if we can branch out into something else than fishing." She shook her head at Clare's remark. "Darling, we can't hide under our father's shadows forever. We're grown ups! If we decide to settle there, we'll do it like civilised ponies: Ask for a visit, make an offer, and if he makes some ridiculous demands, say, for the last attack, I'll hold him and you convince him in some more tangible way... Just kidding." Crys spotted a wagon with a broken axle in the ditch by the tract, some hundread steps ahead. There was nopony in sight right now, on the road or surrounding fields. "Hmm, strange. Take a look at it, abandoned wagon dead ahead." She pointed in the direction.

@@Orange Sparks, Crystal Clear cocked her had in thought. "Hmm... Not a good place for a trade port, but if we poured in some money, the ponies could get better income from their fish. Make it easier to pay some modest tax... Hay, maybe we could expand on pearl hunting or something? Or animal husbandry if we encourage new settlers... I could work with that, yeah. Of course we would have to buy it from the local lord first, but I don't suppose it would be a problem." Meanwhile, they reached the Spine Tract and turned towards Opal Hill. It was still obscured by the Prince's Forest ahead though.

@@Orange Sparks, Crys was peering at the main tract ahead, trying to tell who was travelling it. "It all depends on the settlement we take into stewardship. Personally, I'd like a small port town but these are very sought over... Mining settlements are pretty much all taken too, as pretty much every place that gives decent income but if we claimed a fishing village on one of the Eastern Isles, who knows. With enough coin for investments and a few ships we could make it a small trading hub. Now I reckon we could try and build our house a bit off the settlement, and maybe have a garden even? Crystal Clear thought for a moment and replied. "Well we're approaching the Spine Tract, and it will lead us straight to Opal so... three, four hours if we keep good pace? Somewhere along these lines, since we made good progress so far. Early summer is good for traveling through land, no mud." She kicked a loose stone out of the road with her bare hoof.

@@Orange Sparks, Crys smirked. "I for once always ask for more, if you catch my drift, but I agree with you on this one." The road forked into two - one route continued along the shore while the other went inland. Crystal Clear led the cart into the latter and up a gentle slope. She could tell it was way past noon already. The crystal mare observed whether their oxen needs help with pulling the wagon up, but the road was dry so the animal did okay. "Why not both" I mean, we sure could use a settlement to govern and get income, but we canbuild our house either next to it or nearby, say, on an overlooking hill. It all depends on where we'll settle of course but I have some ideas how to arrange it." She saw a major road in the distance, a few travellers could be seen on it.

@@Orange Sparks The crystal mare scratched the back of her head in contemplation. "I guess you're right, we'll get there eventually. In all honesty, I don't want to leave the Isles either. It's my home after all, and even though I've been on the continent a few times, I don't really like it there. Like you said, we'll get to it in our own time." Crystal Clear looked at the sea. "I admit, this land has some real beauty to it..." They walked some more, appreciating their company and the scenery.

@@Orange Sparks, Crys groaned. "Ohhh you just had to make it so... ordinary. And it really doesn't matter whether she was a crystal pony. I mean, it's always good to know more about one's family, but the point with my father is that I won't give him a company of crystal foals to play his genealogy game... I mean, to bolster the ranks of our venerable house, opulent and imperial" - she mimicked her father's catchphrase and laughed. Once she recovered, the crystal mare replied. "Sure I remember! At first I was suspicious how he could swich between a stern ruler and caring father, but I know it's a genuine part of his personality. Shame the older we got the less we see him that way, but I guess that's because we're not kids anymore, and he figured treating us like adults was better." Crys decided to chip in a topic of her own. "Hey, have you thought where you'd like to settle? I for once never really thought I would leave Raven Rock, the old stone pile holds so many memories..."

@@Orange Sparks, Crys gave her a strange look, meaning "lay off the drink darling" in plain Eqiestrian, but took the locket nevertheless. She bit her lower lip as she looked at it, long and hard, occasionally glancing where she's going. "Hmmmmm... It's pretty old so I can't say for sure but... it is a possibility. jusging from her smile she could be indeed crystallised on it." She held her own hand to her face to compare. "but if she were of my kin, then why I didn't know anything about it? Surely if she was connected to my family, she would be on that huge genealogy tree my father so loves to spend time before. You know the one, takes an entire wall in the Great Hall." She shrugged and gave Clare the locket. "Or she's from the continent. There are a few crystal noble houses still kicking besides mine. Guess you'll need to look for answers then, and you have my firm support. Even if it means breaking into the library at night." She winked at Clare and giggled.

@@Orange Sparks, Crystal Clear was still staring at the ring when she felt a pull on the reins - the road curved slightly and Betsy followed it, while the mare walked straight. "Oops, nearly walked into the ditch! Guess it shows how smitten I am." She giggled as she made the turn in the last moment. They were walking a rock throw away from the seaside and a rocky beach that guarded the entrance inland. "She certainly had great influence on you, and a very positive too. I am really thrilled you chose me to wear her ring, dear." She smiled in the direction of her future wife, laying on the wagon. "Never noticed what? - she craned her neck to get a better look inside, and see what puzzled Clare so suddenly. She was looking at the locket with her mother's picture, all the more strange...

@@Orange Sparks, Crys nodded happily. "Then you'll have the crystalliest ring in all of the Isles! I know just the pony for the job, I'm sure you'll like it once it arrives." She picked up the pace slightly, wishing she was already in the capital so she could write the letter to a certain artisan in Canterlot. The crystal mare looked at the surrounding countryside as she recalled the times with Clare's younger sister. "Yeah... those were the happier, simpler times. Well, this is also a happy time, but not so simple anymore, no." She almost tripped on her own hooves once she heard who owned the ring previously though. Crystal brought her hand closer to see the ring and replied with a voice full of emotions. "I... didn't know. I can only imagine how much it means to you then... I'm honored, I really am."