[Canterlot] A Day in Canterlot

[Meow]

Petite hooves moved with excellent grace over the stone paths of Canterlot, the day was in full swing by this hour with ponies coming and going from various establishments, finishing up breakfast and heading off for work and study. The lithe unicorn however was not one of them, her pace was far more leisurely and she appeared to be in no hurry to any destination as younger fillies and colts dashed around on her on their way to studies. Damsel's pace was not only leisurely but her eyes wandered to glance over various shops as she was passing by them, occasionally stopping to look curiously in at a window display.

Every gentle wind seemed to play along the luxurious locks of gold that made up her mane and tail that all fell loosely and unhindered this morning, the only decoration within their silken strands was the usual single rose tucked against one ear. It had been some time since she'd taken a shopping day on her own, usually she was out selling her own flowers or running some sort of errand from her aging father, this was a day to herself. Accompanying the gentle clops of her hooves was the quiet jingling and tinkling of bits tucked into a pouch that dangled from around her slender neck.

The shop she was looking for was not as flashy as most of the others, it had a quaint, old feeling to it as Damsel nudged the door open, ears instantly perking as the small bell over-head rang to announce her presence. The mare offered a friendly greeting to the old shop keeper before finding herself lost within the jungle of bookshelves that were piled rather unceremoniously with texts both old and new. When one went shopping in a place like this it was almost a scavenger hunt - you never knew what it was you would discover within the piles of texts if you took the time to look and Damsel had all the time in the world to do so. Without hesitation the elegant mare waded to the back corner and among some dusty piles began shuffling books out of the way one by one occasionally glancing over bindings and peeking inside the covers and pages.

[Escrime]

Escrime

The tall blue Earth Pony pushed his way through the crowd with one goal in mind. It was one of Escrime's rare days off... not that it meant much: he may not have been taking one of the regulars for a bout with foil or teaching some poor fool the basics of swordplay in the hope said fool wouldn't get skewered in the duel he or she had got themselves into, but he was still busy. Today in particular he was in search of a book... he'd heard talk that a local bookseller had come across an old manuscript entitled 'The Art of Defense', describing old techniques for the backsword. Naturally enough the combination of cold steel and history had caught Esc's interest...

He reached the shop, entered and spent a moment talking to the bookseller...

"Good-day, I heard you found an old book entitled the 'Art of Defense'... could I have a look at it?" Esc enquired.

"You wanna buy it?" The shopkeep answered.

"Perhaps... could you tell me where it is?"

"Somewhere over there." the bookseller answered while vaugly waving his right foreleg towards one of the shelves.

"Thank you" Esc answered in an attempt to be polite... his thoughts ran on quite a different course: this pony was useless.

Anyway, he set off to look through the jumble of bookcases in the hope he'd be able to find the book... One bookcase down, no sign. Another bookcase, still nothing. A third, this was getting irritating.

He turned a corner and quite literally bumped into an ivory coloured filly...

[[Hope it's okay to grab non-player characters for a moment when needed]]

[Meow]

Was humming to herself quietly, some gentle lullaby that she vaguely recalled her mother singing to her during the nights. It was a quiet and gentle song that eased her thoughts as she went through one book after another, so far nothing really interesting had caught her eye though she had a few texts aside that she was considering purchasing. She had finished up her second bookshelf and was rounding the next when she collided with the other pony.

"Oh! Pardon me, Sir." Blinking a bit the delicate unicorn stepped a few paces back, a few books that she'd been levitating with her magic to look over them suddenly came to a dead halt and dropped to the ground around her hooves. A faint blush took Damsel's cheeks as she quickly rearranging them into a neat pile. Just over her shoulder in the corner where she'd been searching the once messy piles and shelves had been rearranged into neater stacks.

It didn't take her long to notice that the other seemed to be searching diligently for something, tilting her head a bit as somewhat dusty golden locks were shrugged back off her shoulder. "Where you looking for something Sir? Perhaps I can help you?"

(( Of course! That's quite alright. XD ))

[Escrime]

For a moment after the collision Escrime's ears went flat... showing his short-lived anger. Escrime backed away a couple of paces before briefly looking the unicorn over... turned out she was quite a good looking young mare.

"No need for you to apologize...I am sorry, miss, I should have looked where I was going." Esc replied after the mare asked him to pardon her.

The mare offered her assistance... for a moment Esc considered declining her offer but decided that actually it'd be easier to find the book with some help.

"Thank you, miss." he answered, before continuing: "I am looking for an old manuscript on swordplay that is meant to be somewhere around here. Unfortunately, the shopkeep was little help... I am honestly not sure if he is quite right in the head."

[Meow]

Damsel's bright blue eyes narrowed a bit, curious and studying as the stallion seemed a bit hassled, the expression and simple gesture of his ears only making her uncomfortable until he began to speak that eased her. The more the stallion spoke the more relaxed the mare become until she was comfort and shifting slightly on petite hooves. She seemed to notice that the other was reluctant to accepted her help and was a moment away from turning away from him back to the books when he spoke up again.

A faint giggle left her as he went on to discuss the matter of the old shopkeep, nodding her head slightly. "He is not has young as he used to be, he's got terrible pains in his joints so he doesn't get around the shop as much as he use to, my father says when he was younger this place was spotless and in perfect order." She mentioned as she took a moment to glance around thoughtfully, she was running various thoughts through her mind, conversations with her father, with the shopkeeper and this manuscript the stallion mentioned.

"I've been urging him to sell the shop to me so I can restore it but for now he is quite firmly set on hanging on to it. I do hope my father can talk some sense into him this evening when they meet for dinner. Now, this manuscript, do you know if it's still bound? That would certainly limit our search." She went on as she turned back towards a messy pile of books. She was certain it was not in the books she'd already gone through so it must be in the jungle of which nether of them had yet to venture.

[Escrime]

[[Had intended to reply earlier... but got a little tied down doing stuff at uni (computing Ekman transport from velocity profiles is proving a nuisence), so sorry]]

The mare's words did something to soften Escrime's attitude to the shopkeep: Esc's age was beginning to tell, he as no longer as quick and nimble as he had been... and so, he could sympathise a bit with the shop owner. Still, there was only so far this would shift his view... from useless idiot to senile old codger.

Esc turned his attention back to the mare.

"Ahh... sorry, I am afraid I do not know..." he answered "...I was unable to find out before I came to look for it. Anyway, it should be a fairly old book, around a hundred year I think and it is entitled 'The Art of Defense'. It should have several pages of old woodcut prints of swordfights if that will help."

Esc turned away and had another look throught a nearby bookcase.

[Meow]

Offered a genuine smile to the stallion, turning her attention back to him as he answered her and listening quietly and intently to what he had to said. A slight bob of her head was given to acknowledge that she heard him as a thoughtful look overtook her delicate features, lifting a petite hoof to lightly tap against her chin in though. No, he was quite certain she'd not seen such a book before and so turned back to the bookshelves.

"Woodcut prints you say? It certainly sounds interesting, you are a swordspony then?" She inquired as she worked her way along one of the shelves, hesitating a moment she then moved on to piles on the floor, something told her if the old pony had seen it recently then it probably hadn't made it onto a shelf. "It is most likely in one of the stacks, if he recalls seeing it then it was a recent addition, probably one of the donations from one of the old libraries and is probably not shelved yet." She explained to the other as they continued their search.

[Escrime]

"Yes... it should be an interesting book..." Esc answered "... it is suppose to be one of the classics on the weapon it deals with."

He paused a moment.

"And, yes..." he continued in reply to Damsel's second question "... I am something of a swordspony. Served in the royal army for a decade and a half but never got promoted as far as I should have..." a slight hint of bitterness crept into his voice "... Celestia and the Generals always seemed to have a preference for unicorns and pegs as senior officers over Earth ponies."

"Anyway, I retired from that eight year ago and started a fencing school here in Canterlot."

He stopped and listerned to the unicorn's guess about the book's whereabouts.

"Thank you." Esc answered before heading for the nearest disorganized pile of books.

[Meow]

Damsel offered only a faint nod of her head in response to the other as he'd go on to explain why he was interested in the book. She was further surprised when the stallion went on to tell her a bit about himself as well, pausing in her book searching to listen intently, her eyes fixed on him, studying him curiously as she seemed to try and see him as he'd once been. A slight frown tugged across her mouth at the bitterness in his voice as he went on to explain about unicorns and pegasus ponies. Almost guiltily she found herself stopping the use of her own magic and rather then lifting and sorting books with the use of her magic she was nudging them aside with hoof or nose.

She picked her head up again as he went on to mention his fencing school, smiling lightly towards him. "That sounds interesting, do you teach many ponies at your fencing school?" For a brief moment the mare considered if such a sport was one she'd like to try, perhaps one day, even one class would certainly help her details in whatever book she wrote next, a dashing pirate... or a pony in the royal army.. she supposed as she glanced to Esc and then away back to the books.

One pile turned up with nothing, though Damsel did find a book of interest for herself, an older edition of a classic romance she rather adored and she set it up on a shelf to the side to remember to grab it later. "O.. oh!" A startled expression escaped the mare as she discovered a loose section of pages as though the glue had come loose in the binding. "Here is some pages on swordplay.. why don't you see if it's the right book. Could be we are getting closer.. or it could just be a section from another manuscript."

[Escrime]

Escrime noticed that Damsel had stopped using her telekinesis. He guessed easily enough that his words of discontent over his past treatment had caused it, and he wanted to say he was fine with her using her powers -getting promoted beyond one's abilities because of a horn or wings was something he seriously objected to, but he had never felt there was any problem using one's natural abilities- but before he could the mare had moved onto other topics.

"Oh, yes, I teach a fair few ponies..." he replied to her enquiry about his business "... mainly those with a love of the sport, but I also occasionally get those who have got themselves entangled in 'an affair of honour' and need some more education to survive the resulting duel."

Then Damsel stumbled across the pages. Escrime immediately came over and had a look.

"The style looks right..." he replied "... but this page is unfamiliar. I have only seen one other copy of the book and did not have enough time to read it in full... still, it suggests we are on the right path."

He paused a moment before continuing: "I thank you for your help, miss."

[Meow]

Damsel listened quite intently as the other went on about his school, smiling to herself - she always enjoying when ponies discussed topics they were passionate about - it was obvious in their tone, their stature, even the look in their eyes. She wondered how many of these duels of honor occurred, she'd heard of them - but never knew them to still be practiced. She had been considering asking him more about his profession when those pages had turned up and she stood side by side with him examining them.

"Oh, the name's Damsel.." She added somewhat hastily as he addressed her as miss as it occurred to her that they had not really introduced themselves. She laughed lightly and passed the pages to him before she went back to the pile of books to see if the rest of the text could be discovered. Soon enough she'd resorted back to her unicorn magic, the method of searching went far faster this way and book after book went hovering in front of her as she glanced over the texts.

[Escrime]

[[sorry I've been a bit slow again... lack of inspiration and things I've had to get done were getting in the way]]

"Ah... sorry for neglecting to introduce myself properly, miss Damsel." Esc replied to the mare's intoduction "My name is Escrime... and, well, I have already told you something of my career, so there's no reason to repeat it."

He paused a moment and had another look of the pages the unicorn mare had found.

"yes... turns out it is the right manuscript... but it is incomplete. Hopefully the rest of it is around here somewhere." he commented before he returned to searching.

[Meow]

Damsel gave a pleasant little laugh in response to the stallion's reply to their postponed introduction, nodding her head a bit. "A pleasure to meet you Escrime." She offered even as books were making their way flying before her eyes. After spending years in the company of books the young mare had picked up a talent for speed reading. After having discovered the loose pages it was going to be even easier to spot the manuscript the male was looking for so long as it was actually here.

After finishing that pile of books Damsel feared that the manuscript may have only been a portion rather then the complete set. The worry showed slightly on her ivory face under those lush locks of golden mane. Thankfully it didn't last long as eyes scanned over a few more loose pages.. "Oh, here are more! The manuscript must have come undone while being set back here." She explained as the next bundle of pages were floated over to Escrime and added to the pages they had discovered previously.

After a bit more searching Damsel discovered the remaining parts of the book, the bindings having come loose. Without much trouble and the soft glow of her horn the book was magically repairing itself. Leather cords were rebinding the pages and woodcuts into the proper order all back into the rough leathery cover that somehow was still in decent condition and before long the completed text hovered before Escrime. "There you are Sir.."

[Escrime]

"And it has been a pleasure to meet you, too, Damsel." Esc replied as the Unicorn mare returned to searching through the piles of books.

Esc continued searching, but as an Earth Pony it was slow going, so he had made little progress when Damsel found the rest of the manuscript. He watched as she reassembled and rebound the manuscript. Esc had a quick flick through the manuscript to check they had found it all... there were no obvious missing pages.

"Thank you, Damsel" he answered "you have been a great help. Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

[Meow]

Damsel watched as Escrime went flipping through the manuscript and waited to make sure they had collected the entire thing - which was confirmed by the stallion. A bright smile spread across the ivory mare's face, her eyes squinting every so slightly as she offered a slight nod of her head. "Oh it was no trouble, I was glad to help." She replied with a pleasant smile as her magics soon had books rearranging into neater piles again.

"Oh no, not at all..." She replied further with a gentle laugh and a shake of her head.. Damsel quieted her laugh and turned to collect the few books she had set aside, the neat pile of five floating before her as she made her way back through the jungle of books to the front counter.

"Good day Sir, these will be all for me today.. and don't forget about dinner with father, you promised." Damsel remarked to the old pony behind the counter who began to ring up her purchase and bag it for her. The older stallion grumbled under his breath and rolled his eyes but smiled ever so slightly in response with mare's smile. Once she was done that bag lifted out of the way and she stepped aside so Escrime could bring his manuscript forward to purchase. "Oh, Escrime - this school of yours.. where is it? Perhaps I'll stop by and you could show me around?"

[Escrime]

"Again thank..." Esc said just too late as the mare turned and headed to the counter. He stopped a moment and had another quick flip through the manuscript... just to be extra certain he had found all of it.

Then he turned to go and pay... and found Damsel waiting. He listened to her enquiry.

"It's a couple of streets down from here." he answered, before adding "It is kind of discrete... I try not to attract too many would-be duelists... but just look for a sign with two crossed smallswords -like my cutie mark."

He briefly turned to the bookseller and asked:

"So, how much do you want for this book?"

The bookseller turned and grabbed his notebooka nd set out looking for the price for the 'Art of Defense'. WHile he was doing so Esc turned back to Damsel.

"And yes, feel free to drop by whenever you want."

[Meow]

Damsel listened on quite curiously as Escrime described his school, her head tilted and eyes drifting in a thoughtful manner as she tried to determine if she'd seen it before.. off the top of her head she hadn't - but she was never one to require fencing lessons, although the idea to learn such a skillful sport intrigued her. As she was thinking these things through Escrime was given enough time to purchase his manuscript and from here Damsel would walk with him back to the door with her bag of books floating along behind her.

"Thank you for the offer, I will visit you someday when I get a chance, I'm rather intrigued to see it." She commented, and truth be told she kind of wondered what kind of research it could provide for the next book she wrote that involved a bit of swordplay. "It was very nice to meet you Escrime, I do hope you enjoy your book and I'm sure we'll cross paths again. Until then, farewell!" She spoke cheerfully, flashing a lovely smile before turning and making her way back home for now.

(and Damsel is out and this thread is pretty much closed/finished.)