private Sombra's Shadow

[Pucksterv 4,508]

Trivy had walked off after the reaction Harcourt had gave her. Her mind was filled with rage but also regret. Had she stood there a little longer, she had burst out in anger. Luckily for Him, Lilith and Psych were there as well. Plus after everything that happened a short time ago, Trivy felt it wasn't appropriate to start such a discussion. 

 

She wondered off through the nearby forest and had found herself a small pond surrounded by trees. She sat down on a rock nearby and had started throwing smaller rock on to the water. Stone skipping, something she used to do with her father in the summer at the lake behind her village. Happy memories. She smiled as she threw another rock towards the water. "One, two. three, four, five! It's a world record." Trivy cheered, to create a bit of amusement for herself.

Edited August 28, 2015 by Pucksterv

[JonasDarkmane 19,782]

Rave was at a meeting with other commanders, lieutenants and King Sombra, back at the Crystal Empire. The others were nearly shaking as Sombra moved about, while those that had remained in their position and were more blindly devoted to Sombra, didn't move at all, standing tall and proud. 

 

Sombra was inspecting some of Rave's maps. "Is this all you can tell me, my apprentice? I am sure you have something more to tell me". Rave did not like when he called him "apprentice" in front of other ponies, but he was not going to question or state that to his King. "There is nothing more to say my king. The last known location of the rebels were by Ravencrest Tower. However, those rebels are not our concerns. There have been reports of larger rebel groups moving about in the West and they might be trying to regroup under a single banner to try and fight ba--" "Leave us!". 

 

The other ponies immediately obeyed, and soon Rave and Sombra found themselves alone in the room. Rave felt a certain force suddenly grab his neck and he was flung into the air, and onto his own map on the large table, being slammed against it. His back hurt a lot, however, he tried not to focus on his pain. 

 

"I can see you are troubled, nothing gets past my sight. I am Sombra, I am The Shadows. TELL ME!". 

 

"A Blackwater still survives" Rave managed to moan. 

 

Sombra looked at him with disappointed eyes. "When you wiped them out, they were still useful against me. You had them killed for your own benefits" "but they were not serving you out of loyalty and love but because of greed and mo--" "and you went against my will to increase your own prestige. You know I hate it when others try doing things without me knowing it. I am now the voice of Equestria and my voice will be heard above everypony else's. Is that clear". 

 

"Yes my king". 

 

"Good. I want you to go and kill the Blackwater". 

 

"I have already tasked Lilith, our Ranger to track down this certain rebel group, that we believe the Blackwater is a part of. She wi--" "You will do it yourself. As a punishment. It is time that you start cleaning up your own mess, Darkmane. I don't want my most prized pupil and his family to become the useless ones, do I now? I don't need another incident similar to the fate of the Blackwaters". 

 

"I understand my king". 

 

The force that was pinning Rave to the table let him go.

 

"Go immediately. I will have a guard send word to Jinx. I need to speak with her". 

 

Rave got of the table and bowed low in front of Sombra and then hurried away, full of fear, but also rage. He decided to put the blame of his misfortune and confrontation with Sombra on the Blackwater. "This is all his fault, he should just have died with the others that I killed. He will pay". 

 

"You always have to find someone else to blame, don't you?". 

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

@@Count Paradox, @@Randimaxis,

 

Lilith was standing in the shadows of the forest as she heard and watched the filly burst into tears, reminiscent of herself, twenty years ago... She was quite touched, actually. She remained here for a few moments as Psych was the target of another hug, before walking back around towards the campfire.

 

She grabbed a large, long log and pulled it out of the forest, placing it about five feet from the fire. Sitting down, she took out the bottle of iodine and gestured for Harcourt. "Come hither, noble stallion, and let us clean up your hooves so that you may walk on a straighter edge."

[Randimaxis 8,652]

"... noble stallion, indeed..."  Yet Harcourt made his way over and sat on the log.  He straightened his legs out, inspecting the bent horseshoes again.

 

"Better now than later, I suppose... let's make this quick."  

 

He stayed stock still as he watched the tools being prepared.  He hadn't been de-shod in over a decade; he wasn't exactly looking forward to the sensation.  Oddly enough, the nails came out far easier than expected... though they were covered in grime and a bit of rust.  In fact, only the nails for the bent shoe actually hurt - and those only enough to elicit grunts at worst.

 

If I can deal with this, then I suspect this 'iodine' stuff won't be as bad after all.  It'll sting like a dickens, I am quite sure of that... but I've been towing a cart made of agony for a large number of years.  There will be pain, but perhaps the Ranger is underestimating me - in fact, I'll just bet she is.  I'll be fine and dandy.

 

He was wrong.

 

As soon as the first drops of iodine struck his hoof, his eyes went wide.  When the next drops hit, the screaming began.

 

"HHHHHHHHHHRGH!  HRR!  HRRRRR!  ARRRRRRRRRRRRFGH!  HRRRRRRGH-HURH-HURH-HURH-HUUUUUURH..."

 

He started unmistakably sobbing through the rope, which Lilith could actually hear grinding in his mouth.  He may have been thinking of being brave earlier, but as the Ranger treated all four hooves, Harcourt let out yelp after whimper after sob behind the rope.  His eyes not only moistened, they overflowed with tears.  He'd been walking for years on untreated hooves, and now the miles he'd put on them in just the last few days came back to haunt him... and they brought hellfire in buckets.

 

It was mortifying to hear him make such noise, but he couldn't help it.  He tried to help it, but anypony there could see the absolute agony screwed into every corner of his face... except for Psych, though he could certainly hear it.  

 

A few minutes after the last application, Harcourt's sobs died down into mere whimpers... then stopped altogether.  He breathed deeply for a bit more, then he unceremoniously spat out the rope, which hit the ground in tatters.  He looked down at his poor hooves, which were still burning.  Examining them slowly, he finally looked back up and spoke to Lilith.

 

All he said was, "You were right."

 

He wanted to get up, but he remembered Lilith's warning.  So he sat there, and looked into the fire as he tried to regain his composure.

 

... still better than the rutting cart, he thought, but just barely.

[Pucksterv 4,508]

Trivy looked at her reflection in the water. "Damn Celestia, I look terrible." Her coat was filthy, dirt and sand all over her face. Her face was a lot slimmer since the last time and if you looked at her eyes, you could see she hadn't slept in years. "Stupid me, I look hideous." She mumbled to herself. She threw one of the rocks angry at the water towards her reflection. The rock created small waves, making her mirror image go blurry. To her surprise, when the small rings around the rock disappeared, the water did not reflect her anymore. Instead she saw a different pony... she saw.. "Twilight?" 

 

Then she heard somepony screaming really loud, making her head turn away from the water. When she looked back, she saw herself again. "Strange... nah, probably just a hallucination. Twilight died a long time ago. I better check out that screaming though." Trivy jumped of the rock and ran back to the camp.

 

"What happened?" She said, looking at Harcourt who seemed to be in a lot of pain.

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

@@Randimaxis, @@Pucksterv,

 

With an amused expression, Lilith smiled. "If it makes you feel any better, take heart that you were nowhere near as close as some of the reactions I've gotten from other ponies. One even tried to stab me. But, as you'll soon find out in about ten minutes, you'll be able to walk with almost no pain, especially considering what you've probably been putting up with for a long while.

 

She stood up, capped the bottle, and put it in her bag before standing up and adding the food that she scavenged to the communal food as Trivy came over and asked what the screaming was about. "Worry not, Miss Trivy; Harcourt was introduced to the hell-in-a-bottle that is known as iodine. On the plus side, though, he'll be able to walk without any pain here in about 10 minutes when the chemical is finished cauterizing the undersides of his hooves. Speaking of which, are you beset by any injuries of the road yourself?"

[Pucksterv 4,508]

"Worry not, Miss Trivy; Harcourt was introduced to the hell-in-a-bottle that is known as iodine. On the plus side, though, he'll be able to walk without any pain here in about 10 minutes when the chemical is finished cauterizing the undersides of his hooves. Speaking of which, are you beset by any injuries of the road yourself?"

 

"I fi-.... would everypony please stop calling me Miss Trivy. All those years and they're still calling me that." Trivy said shaking her head. "Other than that, I'm perfectly fine. Well... I do need to eat something cause I'm starting to hallucinate..." She said with a chuckle even though it was actually pretty serious and not funny at all. She walked over to her bag and grabbed a apple. She sat down by the campfire and started eating.

Edited August 28, 2015 by Pucksterv

[Count Paradox 3,548]

"There... th-th-there is no a-a-always... except th-th-the shadowwwwwws..." 

 

She snuggled against Psych, sobbing into his coat and leaving drops of her pain behind.  Lovely Wing was almost inconsolable... but after a few minutes, her sobs slowed, then became mere whimpers as she let her emotions out..  There was nothing more heartbreaking, yet more honest, than the tears of a child.

 

After a moment more, she looked up at him.  "I... I'm sorry, Mr. Psych... you're... you're so nice..."  She hugged him tighter, and even gave a small but weak grin.  "Thank you... would it b-b-be okay if I called you my big... my big brother?"

 

It would be extremely difficult to tell that earnest, pained face anything but yes.

"There is always another always, and it never has to be the shadows." He continued to pet her as she seemed to finally calm down. "Heh, thank you, Wing, I try to be-" Her question caught him off guard yet again. He had never had anypony ask something so important of him. He looked down to her, smiling, and nodded. "Of course, little one. Call me whatever you like."

[JonasDarkmane 19,782]

Rave was in his chambers, gathering his essentials. He was in a sour mood, tossing around things. "I could just have Lilith find this Blackwater for me and be done with it instead of going there myself". 

 

The dark voice did not agree, however. "Your failure to wipe out the Blackwater family will not go without consequences". Rave remained silent. 

 

Rave started to unstrap his current armor. It would be useless out there, as it was only for show. He then started to replace the armor with small plates being placed on his body. It was not a full armor, leaving a lot of holes to attack, but it was far more efficient than the one that was for show. It also made him lighter and faster. He levitated some knives to him, fastening them behind some of his straps so that they would remain unseen. "Here I come" he said growling. 

 

 

--------------------

 

@@Pripyat Pony

A heavily armored guard bearing the insignia of the royal guard knocked on to Jinx's chambers, where he expected to find her. 

Edited August 28, 2015 by JonasDarkmane

[Randimaxis 8,652]

I need an outlet, or this stinging nightmare will drive me insane.

 

He thought it felt like tiny nails, millions of them, were slowly being pressed into the bottoms of his legs.  It wasn't screaming bad as it was before, but it wasn't done with him yet.  Something had to keep his mind occupied... and that's when it came to him; Lilith's words from far earlier - 

 

"Perhaps, while we rest, you might regard me with some of your tale as well..."

 

I can do that, he thought.

 

Harcourt cleared his throat at the campfire.  Though it burned low, it was still light enough to see the hardened look on his face.  The other ponies fell quiet, and he began to speak.

 

"Our Ranger friend has requested a tale... so, I'll tell one that has passed from hoof to mouth for a number of years, now.  I've... not told this one before; perhaps it's time I did so."

 

He sat close enough to the fire for each pony to see nearly every wrinkle in his aged face.  After a deep breath and a solemn moment, he began to speak again.

 

"When Sombra's forces struck at the Crystal Empire, everypony was aghast at the sheer brutality they displayed.  They took mares, foals, young and old into shackles... and those they did not take weren't spared; each one killed outright.  They made examples of us all, and no more so than our dear Princess Cadence.  She, along with brave Prince Shining Armor, were beheaded amidst the masses forcibly gathered at the town center; not a dry eye remained, but Sombra had certainly made his point - there was to be no mercy for those who dared stand against him and his forces."

 

"But, regardless of his actions, there were ponies who stood in defiance, refusing to allow such a harsh ruler to force his way onto the throne.  Among them, the representatives of the Elements Of Harmony stood tall, defying the evil that had wrought itself upon the land, and swearing in the name of friendship to rescue the imprisoned Princess Twilight from Sombra's vile clutches.  They fought diligently, and many battles were won... at first.  But try as they might, they were doomed from the start."

 

"First, of course, came the Wonderbolts, led by the Element of Loyalty.  They arced across the skies, swooping in to smash at the very gates of the Crystal Palace itself.  Though there were many brave and daring pegasi who fought the good fight, they were struck down - one by one - until only the Loyal One remained.  Defeated, she disappeared across the clouds, supposedly back to Cloudsdale for reinforcements... but alas, her multi-colored mane was never seen again in our skies."

 

"Next came all the creatures of the Everfree Forest, led by the Element Of Kindness herself.  They were a mighty force, and managed to storm the palace... but, as they were merely creatures, they lacked the discipline or the strategy of Sombra, and in time they fell too.  The Kind One was last seen running for the Everfree, the tears in her eyes cutting through the bloodstains left by her fellow creatures upon her mournful face."

 

"There was the Element of Honesty, who rallied the ponies in the outer reaches into rebellion.  They rose from the hinterlands, armed with pitchforks, and torches, and their own hope... hope that was, unfortunately, dashed to pieces by House Darkmane and the forces controlled by them.  There was much pain and death to be had that night, and the remainder of the ragtag group of civilian ponies headed back to their families in shame... and those that remained in their homes were captured or killed, just like everypony else... but no one could recall what happened to the Honest One; she simply vanished."

 

"The fair Element Of Generosity made a cunning play to the rich and elite, who pooled their monies to afford a grand armada.  Their armor shined in the light of day, and they had the bravery to push Sombra's soldiers to the brink.  However, against the shadows, they were nothing.  They fell away, unit by unit, until not a one stood upon the battlefield, save the Generous One.  She retreated, and the destruction caused by Sombra's forces was great; she was never seen by anypony again."

 

"As a final effort, the Element Of Laughter made a bold attempt to sneak into the palace at night, aware that the damnable shadows could not hinder her or her stealthy army..."

 

He paused a moment here, seeming to have to find some inner strength to push onward.  Once he found it, he continued.

 

"I was... personally... among them, and I gave it my all."  

 

His eyes visibly moistened, but he kept speaking.

 

"Unfortunately, there were magics that even the greatest of sneak thieves could not even comprehend, much less bypass.  Many of us fell that very night.  I recall hearing the Laughing One's voice, crying out in pure misery as we retreated with barely a fraction of our forces left."

 

Harcourt wiped away his tears, lost in recollection.  With a wistful and pained sigh, he spoke once more.

 

"In the aftermath of all our efforts, what little forces remained were hailed by post from the lost Elements.  We were told... practically begged... to continue the good fight in their name.  Some ponies even tried to do exactly that... but..."

 

His face turned stone cold, and he narrowed his eyes.

 

"But that was a long time ago."

 

With a weary sigh, he turned to Lilith.

 

"There is your tale, Ranger.  You wanted a story, then I have provided it - but I certainly hope you did not expect a happy ending... because I haven't one to give you."

 

Worn out, Harcourt curled himself into a tight ball and buried his face beneath his scarred hooves.  He looked as if he had gone to sleep, but it was impossible to tell.

[Pucksterv 4,508]

@@Count Paradox, 

 

After Harcourt's tale everypony was quiet for a very long time. Only the cracking of wood within the fire could be heard and occasionally the howling of timberwolves. Lovely Wing sat next to Psych, her tears had run out but you could still see the sad expression on her face. The ending of the story only seemed to make it worse. 

 

"Don't worry little one. Once we are in Baltimare, we will be safe. Get some shut eye, we leave in a few hours." Trivy stood up from the ground and walked to the filly to pet her head. She took of her cloak and gave it to Lovely Wing. The filly gave a small smile with a lot effort in return, she then hugged around Psych again. After that, Trivy sat back down by the fire, starring into the flames for a while. She was still a little spooked about what happened at the pond earlier, but for now, she kept it to herself. 

Edited August 28, 2015 by Pucksterv

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@JonasDarkmane, Jinx had been watching the mental torture of the slave pony Bright Moon over once again, for entertainment purposes rather than research, when the knock came at her door. "Come in," she called out, vanishing the screen with a wave of her horn. Obviously, her entertainment would have to wait til later.

[JonasDarkmane 19,782]

@@Pripyat Pony

 

The guard entered and stood before Jinx. "The king has requires your presence immediately. You are to come at once and meet up with him in the throne room". With that, the guard left. 

 

 

----------------------------

 

Rave was getting ready when a pony approached him. "Ah, so you have finally decided to show up?".

 

"I have". 

 

"Good, I want you to stay here within the Crystal Empire. I want you to observe Jinx's tests. Since I can't be there myself, you must come in my stead". 

 

"Of course". 

 

"Just don't go killing the test subjects yourself, alright?". 

 

"I understand perfectly, brother". 

 

"Good. I will take my leave then". 

 

With that, Rave left his brother Scar Darkmane, who had just arrived. Rave did not trust anyone else besides family members to act in his place while he was gone. 

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@JonasDarkmane, Hmm, this was intriguing, Jinx thought. A summons from the King was something that Jinx always obeyed, so after she had put away her magic supplies neatly, she locked the door of her chambers and walked briskly to the throne room. Once there, she entered and stood before the King. "You requested my presence, Majesty?" Jinx asked.

[Count Paradox 3,548]

@@Count Paradox, 

 

After Harcourt's tale everypony was quiet for a very long time. Only the cracking of wood within the fire could be heard and occasionally the howling of timberwolves. Lovely Wing sat next to Psych, her tears had run out but you could still see the sad expression on her face. The ending of the story only seemed to make it worse. 

 

"Don't worry little one. Once we are in Baltimare, we will be safe. Get some shut eye, we leave in a few hours." Trivy stood up from the ground and walked to the filly to pet her head. She took of her cloak and gave it to Lovely Wing. The filly gave a small smile with a lot effort in return, she then hugged around Psych again. After that, Trivy sat back down by the fire, starring into the flames for a while. She was still a little spooked about what happened at the pond earlier, but for now, she kept it to herself.

 

Psych listened intently to Harcourt's tale, and his heart sunk with every loss... But he was strong in trying not to show it in front of Wing. She had been through enough, and didn't want to put her through anything else. He allowed her to snuggle into him as she fell asleep, and he turned to the others, whispering, "I'll stay up and listen for danger."

[JonasDarkmane 19,782]

@@Pripyat Pony

Sombra stood up from his throne and the guards left them. They were alone. 

 

"I have certain plans for Equestria and I have gotten far, nearly achieving my goals. However, with the rebels recently taking refuge in their hiding places, my conquest of Equestria has been slowed down. Before I can call myself the supreme ruler of all of Equestria, all resistance must be crushed. I have tried having my guards and shadow ponies find them, root them out, but to no avail. Of course we catch ponies daily, but most of them are weaklings, it is the fighters that I want captured or killed. I recently tasked Rave with finding and uprooting those rebels, however, I want to be guaranteed that his task is fulfilled". Sombra brought forth a red orb from under his cloak. Within the orb, a blue swirling mist appeared and an image of Rave moving in the wilds could be seen. "I am monitoring Rave's actions. I want to be sure he get's it right. However, it has come to my attention that he got his brother, Scar Darkmane to replace him here while he is gone. I want you to keep a close eye on him. I also know about your tests, nothing goes undiscovered when it comes to me..... continue those tests of yours. I want to hear reports of success. Is that understood?" he stood there, looking at Jinx. 

Edited August 28, 2015 by JonasDarkmane

[Pucksterv 4,508]

@@Count Paradox, @@Randimaxis, @,

 

After a few hours of sleep Trivy suddenly awoke. She gave a cute yawn before sitting up straight. The fire had gone out so it took some time for her to adjust to the darkness. When she was finally able to see, she saw that Psych had fallen asleep with Lovely Wing still in his arms. Harcourt seemed to be sleeping as well. A smile crept on Trivy's face, not for long, as she remembered what happened only a few hours back.

 

She walked over to Psych and gave him a small poke into his side. "Wake up, time to start moving again." The filly in his arms gave a small yawn and rubbed in her eyes. Trivy walked over to Harcourt. "Time for Baltimare, wake up." She walked around the camp, slowly waking up everypony.

[Count Paradox 3,548]

Psych stretched and yawned, his head slowly clearing for the day ahead. He spread his sight, and, seeing Wing barely waking up still clining to him. He gave a small smile and chuckled. "Good morning, sleepyhead. Sleep well?" When they got up, he walked over to Trivy and nudged her. "How far do we have to ho until we reach our destination?"

[Pucksterv 4,508]

Psych stretched and yawned, his head slowly clearing for the day ahead. He spread his sight, and, seeing Wing barely waking up still clining to him. He gave a small smile and chuckled. "Good morning, sleepyhead. Sleep well?" When they got up, he walked over to Trivy and nudged her. "How far do we have to ho until we reach our destination?"

"We're about four hours away from Baltimare. If everything goes well, we could make it three and a half." Trivy said as she started packing her saddle bag. Wing had given back her cloak. Trivy put it back on and then continued to pack her bag. "We've made it so far, lets hope Celestia's Spirit is still here so she can guide us with safety."

[Count Paradox 3,548]

"We're about four hours away from Baltimare. If everything goes well, we could make it three and a half." Trivy said as she started packing her saddle bag. Wing had given back her cloak. Trivy put it back on and then continued to pack her bag. "We've made it so far, lets hope Celestia's Spirit is still here so she can guide us with safety."

"Don't worry. With my ears, I should be able to pinpoint any danger and alert the fighters before it gets to us. And I'll work just as hard as them to protect those in this group." He smiled, his newfound courage and resolve emenating off him. He now had a reason to protect others.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

Harcourt gave a soft murmur, then rolled over.  He groaned softly, then sat up and checked his bandages over.  They held well, and seemed to have stayed put - not to mention the fact they barely hurt at all; they felt wonderful, in fact.

 

Now for the hooves.

 

He slowly lowered a careful hoof to the ground, and squeezed his eyes shut as he pressed his bare hoof into the sparse grass.  A second went by.  Two seconds.  Three.  One eye opened, then the other.  Harcourt pressed a few times on it, then simply stood up all at once.  

 

No pain.  None.  Luna bless me, there's no pain AT ALL.

 

Harcourt slowly gave a grin, then a smile.  He felt like crying, it was such a wonderful feeling.  He wanted to dance, to sing, to possibly even kiss Lilith.  What he did instead was simply look at the cart, sigh, and say, "Well, back to work."

 

But he was smiling. 

Edited August 28, 2015 by Randimaxis

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

Lilith had woken up to the sounds of the filly and Psych playing with each other under her tree, keeping her eyes closed with a soft smile before she got up. The general air of satisfaction from Harcourt, Trivy waking up and hurrying along the slower ponies. Strange... she couldn't remember having a dream that evening.

 

But then she heard it.

 

Thump.

 

Thump.

 

Thump.

 

It was almost as though this phenomenon was completely ignored. Upon questioning, it seemed that this was some migration that always happened this time of year. Strange, Lilith thought, I was unaware of a path that ran through these woods.

 

But then she saw it, and, from the look on the group's faces, this was not a part of the migration.

 

The many-eyed, quadruped, tentacled beast that flattened trees as it loomed towards them certainly wasn't anything that they had seen before.

 

And, thus, the nightmare continued, as it always had. And always would, ending with the monster looming over her, about to eviscerate her, while the ancient consciousness of the Everfree Forest itself laughed as her blood stained the beast's maw...

 

---

 

Lilith sat up extremely quickly, breathing heavily, as she remembered where she was once again. Steadying herself on the tree branch, she let go of the beat-up, old teddy bear that she had kept with her from her days of her childhood, packed up her belongings, and quietly dropped from the tree as she tried to regain her composure, along with letting loose another sigh. She was still unsteady from the revelations of the last evening, and this recent nightmare had done nothing to shake that. But she had put up with these for over twenty years now. She wasn't going to let them get the better of her now.

 

She silently adjusted her saddlebags while she munched on a few leaves pulled from them. Following that, she approached the now-extinguished fire and quickly set to scattering the ashes thin, and burying the scorched earth, making sure to pack it as tight as she could. She remained silent until approached.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@JonasDarkmane, "Of course, your Majesty," Jinx replied. "I have recently perfected a torture spell. I have tested it on one slave, but of course, the spell would react differently on different test subjects. I expect that I will have to perform more tests, just to ensure that I have a wide sample to make notes from. If you so wish, I can bring up the viewing screen so that you can see the spell as enacted on the slave Bright Moon."

[Pucksterv 4,508]

Lovely Wing got back in the cart silently while the others got their gear ready. Trivy walked around the camp to wake up the last ponies and to count the number to make sure no pony had wondered off during the nightfall. 

 

"Alright, everypony awake? lets go! It's a four hour journey to Baltimare, three if we're fast.'' She gathered around everypony. "One last thing. It is dark, it's hard to see at this time, meaning we stay close together. Pick a pony you'll walk with during the journey, watch them carefully, don't let anyone out of sight. If anyone needs me, I'll be walking at the front. Alright, Lets move out!"

[Randimaxis 8,652]

"Trivy - a moment of your time, please.  I'd like to see the map."

 

Harcourt was trotting along, pulling the cart over the dirt trail.  He seemed... calm.  Collected.  The storm clouds that had been hanging over his head since they had left the mines seemed to have blown away, and there was an actual, honest-to-Celestia smile on his face.

 

When she came up to him, he cleared his throat.  

 

"As far as things go, we have a bridge to cross before we reach the city, so it might be well to have the others fill a few canteens, if the water's fresh enough.  Once there, I do believe we'll have a much easier time of it - the dirt path will become brick afterwards, and that will make the going a tad quicker.  I'd ask you to keep an eye on Wing, but Psych seems to be doing just fine in that department; plus, it does him the justice of feeling important.  As long as the rest of the group sticks together, we should be fine."

 

Harcourt then turned to face Trivy directly, and lowered his voice a bit.  A small, kind smile wandered across his features for a moment as he almost breathed his next words.

 

"Oh, and I apologize for getting upset.  Do forgive me."

 

He then straightened up, and faced forward - taking the serious face... which looked a bit out-of-place with the small smile.

 

"Right, well... now there is a long path ahead of us, and it would behoove us to keep our pace brisk.  Make sure to keep the group moving.  Keep their spirits high, Trivanius... there's a good girl."