(Hoofington) Landfall

[Zeal]

The proud cargo ship approached the harbor, its prow cutting through the water, a testament to pony ingenuity. They had conquered the earth, seas, skies, and the very patterns of nature. Sketch's feet stood firmly on the bow, looking off towards the city, the wind rippling more or less dramatically through his mane. A counterpoint to his fair seafaring capability, a couple of less fortunate ponies from his land swaggered about, looking extremely ill. The captain, a grizzled pony with a giant hat, called out. "All the landlubbers form a group on the port side!" Sketch trotted over, as the ponies looked about, confused. The captain exploded, his giant hat askew, yelling "For ponies sake, the left! The left side!"

Sketch felt a small thrill at their imminent arrival as they pulled into the harbor, thoughts of all kinds of new and exciting things racing through his mind. The combined team of Pegasii and Earth ponies responsible for the docking raced around, completing their tasks with efficiency and precision, with Sketch looking on with an approving eye. Before long, the ponies were on land, a small harbor town, thriving with business and the local populace going about their daily work. The weather was overcast, just how he liked it. He felt no fear wandering during daylight hours in this weather. He trotted proudly down the wharf, stopping before he reached the intersection.

While his small rucksack had some small personal items, he had failed to plan or even consider what he was to do once here. He felt a nagging irritation at being full of energy, yet having nothing to expend it upon. The waterfront was bustling this time of day, and Sketch decided to pass the time by wandering down the waterline, eyeballing the strange foreign architecture, which seemed to be more form then function. He was content until he began to feel a small pang of hunger in his belly...

He sidles up to a nearby food stall surreptitiously, full of fruits and vegetables he can't begin to recognise. He stumbles slightly as he passes it and knocks an unfamiliar fruit into his bag. The pony running the stall glanced at him slightly, chuckling to herself at his ineptitude. He smiled back, muttering a small apology. Marveling at the ease of his conquest, Sketch happily trots off towards the centre of town, looking not at the ponies surrounding him, but the structure of the town itself. The roads, layout, style... He admonished his earlier scathing thought. It was quite a well designed town. He noticed though, that there were little to no guards, and the buildings followed a haphazard style other than their original layout. He slipped into an shadowy alleyway leading away from the docks "These ponies.." he said to himself quietly in a small awed voice, "Have never known war."

[Appliance]

"New ponies.." excited whispers had passed through Hoofington, and groups of ponies had arrived at the harbor, attempting to get glimpses of the strange, new arrivals.

They were all rather surprised when they did not see any unicorns. A murmur went throughout the crowd, but as the ponies docked and began to get off the ship, many of the ponies from Hoofington began to introduce themselves to these new mares and stallions.

Not far off, a silver mare trotted down the waterline, dressed in a simple cloak. She was to help these new ponies if need be, and to help them adjust. There were others, also dressed as she was, in differently-colored cloaks but of the same style, there for the same purpose as she. They, however, seemed more approachable, and were already helping out small groups of newcomers.

Silversword had a very disgruntled look on her face, as she paced along the waterline. She stopped, stretched her wings, and preened, wondering what these new arrivals would do with their lives now that they had arrived in Hoofington.

Lost in her musings, she had nearly missed it when an Earth pony stallion had quietly and easily stolen a fruit, knocking it into his bag.

Surprised and outraged, she followed him into an alleyway, where it was far enough from the others to not get his fresh start ruined, but where she could make him give the fruit back and repent.

"Excuse me." she murmured angrily, her eyes bright with disbelief that someone could have no virtue, or at least not enough virtue to pay for a fruit.

Her wings were tucked against her back, hidden by the cloak.

"I believe you have taken something that does not belong to you." she added. Anger had given her a voice, and she was going to use it.

[Zeal]

He hears a slight sound behind him and without looking back, knows he is being followed. The cobblestone paths make it very difficult to move without making a sound, especially for ponies. Listening closely, he judges that the follower isn’t trying to match his footsteps, so his little admirer is not trying to be subtle, which relaxes him for a moment.

He “stumbles” a touch, flicking his gaze backwards to see an indignant pony trotting up behind him with blazing orange eyes. His own eyes widen a touch on seeing the brilliant colour and determination. He quite liked it. “Excuse me”, the pony said in a small voice. He smiled, turning around. It was a mare’s voice, so he wasn't worried. “…Yes?” Sketch said petulantly, smiling winningly. "I believe you have taken something that does not belong to you."

Sketch blinked. This one must’ve had sharp eyes to notice such a thing. He decided to try the standard tack. “Who are you, some sort of law enforcement?” He says, smiling condescendingly, trotting in a small circle around her. “No, you’re too pretty for that” he notes, observing her slender figure and styled mane , which was covered mostly by a cloak of pale blue that seemed to be worn to accentuate her silvery coat. Despite the fire in her eyes, there isn’t another aspect of her that he can detect strength, but simple eyes can mean a lot. He stops after a couple of orbits. “Are we lost, my pet?” he asks, munching now on the fruit in question.

[Appliance]

Silversword heard the stallion stumble, and her eyes brightened a bit, ears perking at the sound. She leaned forward slightly, as if to take a proud step forward, which ended instead as a tiny, hesitant step.

"..Yes?" The stallion had said, giving her a charming smile. Her eyes narrowed when he smiled and circled around her, prowling like some sort of predatory creature. She growled, the sound low in her throat and rising as he continued to circle her.

It wasn't a comfortable feeling, knowing that this stallion this NEWCOMER was mocking her. The growl in her throat became louder, until she finally stopped.

"Actually, yes. A Destrier, at your service." She spat out the word 'service', her wings shuffling underneath her cloak, still obscured as of yet.

"Pet.." she muttered, her eyes sparking, and all of a sudden, she lashed out, and the fruit was now in her grasp.

"When you give the owner of the fruit stall the bits, you can have this." Silversword continued angrily, her tail flicking in aggravation.

[Zeal]

A small growl rose in the small one's throat, and Sketch stifled a giggle. It was akin to the rumble of a dog, he thought, and redoubled his efforts as he conceived the notion. "A Destrier..." she says, yet the word had no meaning to him whatsoever. He enjoyed idly the effect of his words on her, as he saw her anger rising steadily and predictably. "Pet.." she repeated, her voice dropping in volume suddenly. Sketch flicked his gaze to her. Had he gone too far? All of a sudden she lashed out, her mouth speeding towards his. Ordinarily, he could have avoided such a thing, yet he was quite taken aback as she grabbed the fruit bodily out his mouth with hers. He flushed slightly with embarrassment and surprise.

Somehow she managed to speak around it, the fruit bobbing slightly with every syllable in a most amusing way, and the smile came back to his face. He considered his options. He really didn't care about the fruit. He'd eaten plenty on the boat, and it was more for later than anything. He judged he could easily run away from this young mare if need be, or he could probably talk his way out of this. A question popped up in his mind, however. He could not explain to himself why he had to know, but he asked anyway. This one had more fire then most of the ones he knew. "What's your name, miss?" he said, taking a step closer to her and looking straight into her eyes without reproach.

[Appliance]

Silversword gently took the fruit (an apple, she noticed) and carefully wrapped it in her tail, watching this strange stallion. His cheeks seemed slightly pink, for some reason, one which she did not understand. His look of embarrassment pleased her.

Good, she thought to herself, holding her tail up from the ground gingerly, protecting the fruit. Perhaps now he regrets the stupidity of taking what is not his.

Her eyes swept over him, noticing his few, meager possessions that the stallion owned. When she saw his cutie mark, her left brow rose, a look of curiosity on her features for a fleeting moment, before she composed herself and went back to the neutral, slightly annoyed look that she preferred to use on this stallion.

She was calming down, of course, but if this pony kept it up, she was bound to snap eventually. Patience only lasted so long.

Silversword started a little when he approached, stepping back quickly, before realizing that this was not what she should do. She took two steps forward when he took one.

"What's your name, miss?" he asked, staring into her eyes.

You want to play games? I can play your games. She thought, her eyes narrowed slightly until she suddenly gave him a smile.

A cold one.

"Silversword." She stuck out her hoof in what would have been a friendly greeting, had she been an open and friendly pony.

Instead, it was a challenge. How would he play it off?

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her grin widened a bit.

[Zeal]

The mare’s eyes roamed over him, her expressions flickering between polar opposites in a way that either indicated a scatterbrain or intent to confuse. He smiled, either way, it pleased him. She placed the fruit in her tail, and glanced to his flank, her look of annoyance replaced by a look of sudden wonder. This was the sole thing he could not understand. What had she seen that was so important to her? He broke into a grin as she retreated as he stepped forward, holding his ground as she embarrassingly realised her mistake and stepped forward two to compensate. "What's your name, miss?" Sketch asked, his gaze penetrating. Her smile was icy, seeming to direct all the known dangers in the world solely to him, and he felt a tiny flicker of fear, quickly extinguished. What had he to fear from her?

"Silversword” she replied, her gaze still piercing. He narrowed his eyes, meeting the stare. What a curious name for a pony, he thought to himself. Flicking his gaze downwards, he noticed a long, slender object stretching from the mare’s shoulder to tail, and admonished himself for not noticing it sooner. As he returned the gaze once more, a small gust of wind rippled through the alley, revealing a glimpse of not only a sword, but furled wings as well. He almost laughed. He had been uncharacteristically unobservant. How had he missed something like that?

She held herself like no Pegasus he had ever seen before, and he began to notice things. Her legs, at first seeming elegant and delicate, now seeming built for manoeuvrability and finesse. Her hair was much longer than average, her wings, hidden and furled, her talent was combat? Perhaps she was a weak flyer, he thought to himself once more. A tussle had best be avoided if he could manage it. She might be a difficult foe. He sighed deeply. "I apologise for taking the fruit, for you see, I am new to this country and have not any money." he said, his voice dropping an octave and taking a step back, a more lyrical tone returning to his voice.

[Appliance]

The mare was nearly nose-to-nose with the stallion, who hadn't his own name in return when she had.

Figures. He steals a fruit, and doesn't have the common courtesy to even give his own name. They must not have had manners over there.

She grumbled to herself for a moment, before continuing her icy grin, fiery eyes shooting him a peculiar look.

It was passive-aggressive, a look that said, "mess up again, and you'll be sorry."

Silversword broke off the stare when she felt a bit of wind blow past her, ruffling her feathers.

Had this stallion seen her wings? No matter. If he did, she would have a quick retort ready.

He did not give her a look of enmity, but the simple fact that he seemed so at ease, so accepting of his lack of virtues unnerved her.

This would certainly be a complication.

She could not openly criticize him, as he probably did not understand the system, but she wished she could do something.

Silversword heard the stallion sigh, and nearly laughed as he spoke, his tone lyrical, his eyes narrowed. "I apologise for taking the fruit, for you see, I am new to this country and have not any money."

"Being new to someplace does not give you the right to have a complete lack of virtues. Or manners," she snorted. "I do believe that when one pony gives his or her name, the other will respond with theirs in return." She tugged on her cloak, attempting to conceal both her simple weapon and her wings. This sword was not the best, being one Squires used, but she did not have her Destrier sword as of yet. Her icy smile returned yet again as she brought her tail up to hoof-level.

"Put your hoof out," she muttered, grabbing the apple in her mouth by the stem, making a quick decision to give this pony a lesson in humility and honor.

[Zeal]

He saw that the mare noticed his glance, an almost imperceptible flicker of worry touching her face. It seems she was a weak flyer. While the knowledge might be useful, he had no wish to antagonise her and pretended not to notice. She lashed the older stallion with a retort, lecturing him on the rights and morals he must follow. A few words escaped him, their meaning lost amongst the mare's anger, but he caught her tone to mean that she knew better than he. She annoyed him for the first time, a slight flicker of irritation crossing his face.

When she asked him for his name none too subtly, his smile returned again. Her commanding tone was so amusing, for she know so much yet so little. "Put your hoof out," she demanded, popping the fruit into her mouth. He looked on at the fruit, now having lost all interest in the thing itself and wondering what she intended. “My name is my own, Silversword” he said with no small joy, having gained a small victory over her.

He amended himself. “Perhaps this land has workings that differ from my own,” he said politely, ignoring her inflammatory tone. “Yet I do not, nor will not exist under any rules you care to name.” Whatever she was talking about, she seemed to believe it, but there was no reason for him to do what he was told by this mare. He gave flight a second thought, her anger seemingly rising still despite his attempted placation. The fact that she hadn't attempted to cut him down on the spot meant things either worked differently here, or she was not in authority to do so. Either one gave him a good chance.

[Appliance]

“My name is my own, Silversword.” The mares' cold gaze changed to shock, before growling under her breath in a hushed tone.

She nearly squeaked in frustration, a habit of hers that she had tried to stop for years.

The male continued politely, his voice lyrical and smooth, just as hers had been rising angrily.

“Yet I do not, nor will not exist under any rules you care to name.” For Silversword, that was it.

Such blatant disregard for the rules! She could not believe it! She couldn't stand it!

She looked up at the stallion, a spark in her eyes she couldn't quite explain.

For the first time... she felt.. overwhelmed.

Her wings had shuffled so much in her agitation that her cape had come undone and both her sword and her wings were now fully visible, her wings extended from her stress.

Placing the apple in her hoof and polishing it, she grabbed the stallions' hoof and placed the apple firmly on it.

"You know what? Here. If you will not listen.. if you will not even pay the slightest care to listen to what I have said.. Then I am done. If you require any assistance, I or one of the others in cloaks will help you. But if you do not comply with the rules, you must remember. I will personally take care of you, the stallion who refused to give his name."And with that, she turned her back on the stallion, feeling defeated and stressed, but as though she must seem proud and victorious while he could see her. She sauntered, straight-backed and long-legged out of the alley, into the center of town.

"If he will not attempt to reconcile for the theft.. I will do so for him." Silversword murmured to herself, her steps less confident and bold, until she reached the fruit vendor, who was none the wiser.

She paid the couple of bits that were owed to the salespony, and trotted off to the waterline, staring at the horizon.

[Zeal]

Sketch watched the anger grow in the ponies’ eyes with a grin, the fire seeming to blaze into an inferno and then all at once go out. She looked almost depressed. A small pang of regret grew in his breast, before all at once the mare delivered an impressive monologue, her voice losing its sense of self-righteousness. There was one sentence he both understood and took in with interest.

“I or one of the others in cloaks will help you.” She said, her voice maintaining its deadened tone. He blinked. All this time, she had been someone that was here simply to help him? He shook his head in wonder as she walked away, missing what she muttered. She must have some strong sense of right and wrong that he had not witnessed, to depart from paid work simply to reprimand a simple immigrant for stealing some as base as a piece of fruit.

He watched as she paid the man, his confusion growing and his sense of ecstasy dwindling. Perhaps he had been too harsh? He was used to the company of hardened Earth ponies, his intellectual games always a wave against a mighty rock. He wondered then, if he had driven away one who might help him gain his hooves here in this land. Scratching his nose absently, he watched her as she stood on the waterfront, her sea-green hair against the sea in the morning light a pretty sight indeed.

A thought struck him, and he stood there for a second, smiling. Trotting over to the corner of the alley he entered on the waterfront side, he sat and drew with a piece of charcoal he had “salvaged” from the ship on his small book. His brow furrowed in concentration, and his gaze flicked up towards the mare every so often, making small erasures and corrections as time went by. He looked up once more to see her still alone on the waterfront, he regal bearing alienating her, and the benefit of the cloak now discarded in the alley behind him.

[Appliance]

The mare was unnerved.

Nopony had ever reacted like that to her lectures before, or an attempt to help..

Her tail flicked in agitation, and her wings shuffled as she stared at the sea. If Silversword could have learned to flown well as a foal, she would have flown to a cloud and stayed there for a while until she controlled herself.

As this was not the case, she sat on her flank, burying her hooves in the ground, an irritated look upon her features.

Nopony approached her either, which was a good thing, as she was so frustrated that she might have snapped at them, had she not honed her sense of discipline.

With a quick look to the sides, she noticed that nopony seemed to be looking in her direction, and did not bother looking backwards, believing that the only thing behind her would be the fallen cloak in the alley.

This isn't working. Calm your nerves, Silversword.

You mustn't become stressed over stallions with no virtue. The law is on your side if he attempts to filch anything, she thought to herself, biting her lip and getting to her feet, wings shuffling nervously. She trotted up to the water, letting the foamy water wash over her hooves.

Deciding that this would be an easier way to relax her frayed nerves, Silversword trotted into the ocean, until she was neck-deep.

She dipped her head in, and swam for a bit, keeping her head underwater for a short while, before it bobbed up again, and she treaded water back to the shore, head down until she felt solid ground underneath her hooves. She looked up, rubbing her eyes with her hoof, until she saw the nameless stallion not too far ahead.

Silversword grimaced slightly, eyes widening. She turned her back on him quickly, carefully averting his eyes and went back to her original position, tail flicking restlessly once again.

"Just wonderful," she muttered under her breath as she stared at the ocean, swiping her dripping mane away from her eyes.

[Zeal]

The mare departed her spot, retreating out of his view. He kept that first, initial glimpse of her in his mind, drawing from that without thinking, his tool slashing across the page in sharp, violent lines. Heedless of the pony swimming now, he finished the drawing as she was retreating from the waterline to sit there once again.

He looked at it after he drew it as if it had suddenly appeared in his hands. It was the mare, standing defiantly against the morning sun. (It was not present currently, however it was in his drawing) Her eyes were riveted on the horizon. The thick angular lines surrounding her grew less distinct the further away, giving an incredible focus to her simple stance. It gave the figure in his drawing seemingly unassailable power, as if the world had stopped simply to look at her. He liked it, but it was more emotional than he had intended. His fondness for buildings and structure showed, and one could not help but think of bastions and mighty walls simply when witnessing the thing. It was almost a romantic image, he thought, chuckling to himself.

Unsure of himself now, he glanced up and stifled a chuckle. He noticed that Silversword had gotten out of the water, having apparently chosen to go for a swim, and while she had the same stance, she was soaked. It was so contrasting to his picture that he almost laughed out loud. Putting on his poker face, he trotted up to her. She had obviously already noticed him and chosen to ignore him. He held out the picture, smiling slightly. “I don’t know how much that was worth, but this is for you.” He says, his eyes focused on the back of her head. “I hope this is worth it, for I will not accept charity.”

[Appliance]

“I don’t know how much that was worth, but this is for you.”

“I hope this is worth it, for I will not accept charity.”

Silversword was not expecting for the stallion to be so bold as to approach the mare that he had angered so easily, and her eyes widened a bit. As she was giving her back to him, however, all he could see was her tail, flicking in agitation as she sat stoically, resembling a statue.

Since she had dropped her sword upon the shore until she was dry, she knew it was in plain view. She set a possessive hoof upon it, as if to remind him that if need be, she could and would use it.

Still not ready to give a response, she unfurled her wings slowly, oh so slowly, and began to siphon water off of them, as they were dragging slightly. She took her time, before flapping her wings once or twice, slowly, to ensure that they were dry. When they were, she neatly tucked them in, and got to her feet, remembering the pony behind her. "I did not pay the apple for your sake." She muttered, her soft words nearly lost with the sea breeze.

Silversword turned around, her gaze icy, yet not hostile as before, (merely mistrustful now, at least), and calculating. Quietly, she watched him for a moment, before deciding to respond. She would keep her cool.

Her gaze softened slightly when she looked at the picture, but then she shook her head slightly, still a bit unsure.

"I paid for the fruit because it was the right thing to do. Not for pity, not for you, but for the salespony." she watched him closely, examining the image.

It was a lovely image, but..

"Have you even planned on what to do here, or where to stay?" she blurted out, unsure why the words had suddenly slipped out.

Growling at herself for such a stupid statement, she continued to look at the image, unsure also of what to do.

Should she take it?

[Zeal]

He watched her give off all sorts of body language at his words. A slight twitch, tail flicks, and the much less subtle handling of the sword. He was terrible, he was ready to admit, at making friends in this new land. Everyone seemed to bizarrely rigid and unmovable in their convictions, so narrow-minded and blunt. This was a simple land, he thought to himself as the mare slowly opened her wings and flapped them to dry herself off. He eyed the sword, now in plain sight. It seemed at odds with the feeling of this town and this land. He hadn't seen a character of questionable intent since he arrived, and docks were the home of such creatures. Yet here this mare was with a blade. It confused him to no end. She got to her feet steadily, regaining the pose that he once saw.

"I did not pay the apple for your sake."she said, her voice minute. He narrowed his eyes. "If not for my sake, then whom?" Sketch asked, his eyes narrowing at her presumption that he cared for her reasons, yet not seeking to antagonise her further. She whirled around, her familiar icy gaze lessening to an encouraging degree as she saw the drawing he had completed. A small sense of pride kindled in him as he saw that she liked it. At least ponies here had some sense. She shook her head, as if to clear it, and a few drops of water landed on the page.

"I paid for the fruit because it was the right thing to do. Not for pity, not for you, but for the salespony." she said, gazing once again at his drawing. "Have you even planned on what to do here, or where to stay?" she inquired out of the blue. He blinked, looking as confused as she was. Such a phrase seemed almost an invitation to him. He chose his words with caution. She had shown that she had some depth beyond random outbursts of anger, but she was still very far from pleased with him. "No, I have not any idea nor place to rest." Sketch said, his eyes becoming slightly softer. His body language seemed to suggest he was not unpleased with this fact, and he was in fact ecstatic at saying something with such savage individuality.

He shook his head as she just did. That was unimportant, he should probably be able to survive here. He extended the picture once more. "Please, take it." He said, a slight pleading tone in his voice, yet one encouraging immediacy. Would she act to harm him, in a place like this? If she did not take it, he was not sure what he would do. He needed to solve this imbalance and leave at once. He had noticed a small break in the cloud cover that had appeared, a shaft of sunlight falling as if a spear from heaven, the luminescence not half as beautiful as it was worrying. He craned his neck upwards, judging wind speed and direction with a look of extreme concern. There was no below deck for him to retreat to here.

[Appliance]

Silversword took two steps away from the stallion, an eyebrow raised for a moment, before extending her wings quickly and shook herself, beating her wings and careful to not wet the image the stallion carried, for it was valuable, in some strange way she did not yet understand.

"If not for my sake, then whom?" The stallions' eyes narrowed and he had a colder tone to his voice. When she noticed that she had wet the page, she flapped her wings softly, oh so softly, so as to not allow the page to stay wet.

Once she had made her response, his body language seemed to change, especially thanks to her completely out of the blue inquiry. "No, I have not any idea nor place to rest." he had said, a strange sort of joy upon him, as far as she could see.

"Sometimes, it is necessary to make a plan. One often gets lost otherwise. It is not such a bad thing, at times, to be lost, but in a new place.." her voice broke off, and she remembered Manehatten, the town in which she used to dwell.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, not in a show of hostility towards him, but rather in one of.. worry? "There are dangerous parts round here, with ponies such as yourself who do not uphold values." she said this bluntly, not to insult him, but to give a point. "Don't get into slums of any kind in any town you go to. There are violent ponies.." her voice broke off, realizing she was speaking too much for her own taste. She preened for a moment, knowing that the stallion would probably not care."Please, take it." Silversword looked up from her preening, before delicately tucking in her weak wings, as she was still under the pretense that they were strong and healthy like the wings of other Pegasi. She tilted her head, just a little, and her mane swept down from her back to the left side of her body. Her fiery eyes had a spark once again, this time of curiosity, and she gingerly took the drawing, careful not to touch his hoof. "Thank you." she said curtly, a polite tone in her voice, albeit a rather stiff one.

Quietly, she watched him, noticing that he seemed agitated for some reason, like an animal that was trapped. Raising an eyebrow, she gently set the picture next to her sword, the hilt holding it down without folding the image, and cleared her throat slightly.

"Are you frightened of something?"

[Zeal]

She advised him of necessity to plan, her voice droning on slightly in an effort for him to realise… what? That he might be in danger? He chuckled. This continent had nothing to offer in terms of any real danger as far as he could see. Everyone seemed so giving, and so happy about it. He considered that he might have been able to simply ask for an apple and receive one, if he were so inclined. She even went as far as to imply that it was more dangerous for the people with “flexible morals”. He chuckled to himself out loud at that thought, stopping himself before she thought it was at her. When he refocused on what she was saying, she had finished. "Please, take it."

She continued preening, for some reason drawing his attention to her wings as if to remind them they were strong. His doubt grew even less in his mind. What insecurity. She flicked her hair in a way that beautiful mares are prone to do (for what reason he could not aspire to know), and looked upon it curiously. "Thank you" she said, her voice becoming slightly less demonic. As he watched the sky agitatedly, she coughed politely, startling him slightly. He had forgotten she was there in the few seconds since she had taken the picture, because she was neither his problem anymore and as always, he remains rather absent-minded. "Are you frightened of something?" she asked, her voice taking on a small note of worry.

She surprised him for the second time that day. He was reminded of his mother, alternately caring and scathingly humorous with no apparent transition. He got worried when he couldn't predict the actions of anypony. “I… ah…” he started, not quite sure why he owed this one an explanation. “You could say I have a somewhat vulnerable complexion.” He laughed to himself. Understatement always did amuse him. He stopped himself though, for he really did need to get inside somewhere. “I should be going.” He still looked worriedly at the sky, the shaft of light now spreading. It was clearing up. He had a sudden thought. Perhaps he'd simply take the mare's cloak from the alley?

[Appliance]

Silversword listened as the still-nameless stallion stutter, his voice drawing off in an unsure manner. She chuckled, her small voice gaining confidence until she abruptly cut her laughter off.

"Complexion? Like one of those vampire ponies from the mares' tales?" she muttered to herself, barely audible. As he turned, she remembered her cloak.

It could be of some use to him, and she didn't really need it herself. If anypony saw her with the sword, they would be able to tell that she was a guard pony and not a thief, as she wasn't prancing around commiting crimes.

"Take the cloak I left behind," she said steadily, putting on her sword once again, before turning away from him and cantering away at an easy pace, before suddenly stopping in her tracks.

"Good luck, nameless one," Silversword said, her voice oddly warm, as if she found some humor in this situation. She put the picture he had drawn in her mouth, his payment for her, and trotted off, her back to him as she left.

Something felt strange, though. Hollow, as if it was wrong to leave this newcomer to his own devices.

It does not matter, she reassured herself.

He probably learned the everypony for himself rule long ago.

[Zeal]

The mare laughed as he spoke, the merriment seeming to build up into a crescendo and vanish all at once. It didn't bother him, it was merely of interest. What had she found so funny? She then muttered something swept away by the wind, her wild green mane floating behind her softly by the same. Sketch was reminded of a memory long ago, of lines of white sheets drifting carelessly in a golden field, and a warm smile… He quickly shook himself; no, not now. "Take the cloak I left behind," she said, snapping him out of his stupor. That's right; he was pressed for time. He sighed, inwardly cursing his somewhat absent-minded nature.

He then watched as she put on her sword, a small well of panic building up inside of the unfortunate stallion due to what he might refer to as “prominent situationality.” She wished him good luck, laying stress on his ambiguous name, and started to turn away as his mind raced. Would it be wise to simply let her leave? He had come this far, and introductions and names can be hard to come by. Before she had made more than a couple of steps, he had made his decision.

“Be warned; names carry a lot of power.” somepony once told him, their voice lost in the folds of time. “For ponies of our kind, a name can be extremely simple, or a deep insight into one’s soul.” He shrugged, for while this advice was no less true then as it was now, he possessed a less revealing name then most; or at least less obvious in it's meaning. “Sketch” he said, loud enough that she could hear clearly. “That is my name.” He looked out to sea, comforted somehow by the muted colors and crashing sea, certain that she was somehow aware of how much it pained him to say this… “I… require your assistance." he said, his voice dropping slightly. He glanced sideways at the pony facing away from him. What would she do?

[Appliance]

Silversword had all intent of leaving this stallion be. He could find his own way among the stallions and mares of Hoofington.

She had more important things to do, and there was training to be done! Her tail swished and bobbed as she cantered along, ambling at her easy, deliberate pace. Her movement was meant to show relaxation, but all it did was demonstrate her nervous energy.

He will be all right. They always are. She reassured herself, her pace hastening a bit, wings shuffling, making a rustling noise.

There was still something that nagged at her, something that told her that it was just not right to leave this stallion on his own.

And why is it wrong to leave him alone, this newcomer, when there were others like him on that ship? You did not go to them. She thought to herself.

This one does not understand the ethics here.

Sounds an awful lot like you are trying to convince yourself. Are you finally going soft, Silversword?

-...The others weren't alone.

She argued with herself, an internal struggle of sorts that was promptly settled, but not by her.

"Sketch." She heard, ears perking slightly.

Ah, so the mystery stallion has a name, she thought to herself, her back to him as she heard him speak.

She stopped in her tracks, stood stiffly, and stared straight ahead for a moment, before speaking, her voice quiet and warm for once, losing its' stiff, icy tone.

"Let your grievance be known, and I will assist you, as is my duty ." She said, before turning to face him, watching him appraisingly.

"...Sketch." Silversword murmured, letting the sea breeze carry the sound away.

[Zeal]

The pony cast a baleful eye upon him, and he smiled slightly in response to her apparent sudden friendliness. "Let your grievance be known, and I will assist you, as is my duty.” It was an odd sort of question, even for a pony being deliberately formal. Nevertheless, it was a sound one. What exactly did he want here? Sketch was puzzled. This was hardly how he had expected her to react to such a turn in his manner. Even so, he liked the new tone; rigid, military words intermixed with a certain warm tone.

The wind turned to blow from behind her now, a slight scent of wet hair reaching his nose along with a mumbled word, barely audible amongst the invisible and grasping fingers of the cold wind.. "...Sketch." As he heard this, he chuckled, and his usual smile returned to his face. She must like his name. The thing he needed more than anything else right now though was a guide, he still knew so little. He hesitated. This mare was a soldier, no? Perhaps she could help him more than anyone.

He glanced up. The clouds were behaving themselves for the moment. He took a breath in, regaining a more "usual" tone of voice. “If this beauteous mare could tell me of this beauteous land, it would certainly help” he said, smiling widely now. He pointed a hoof at her lazily, his eyes regaining their usual mirth and warmth. “We should not speak here though, and not now, my lady. At your pleasure, may we find somewhere inside?”

[Appliance]

Silversword heard a chuckle coming from the stallion, and when he smiled, momentary confusion crossed her features, before she stopped herself and went back to her serene look, the one of somepony who was not fazed by anything.

Sketch's melodic voice relaxed her a bit, her stiff pose becoming a bit less rigid. Her tail flicked idly, as if she wanted to go back to being Silversword, the slightly arrogant, serious Destrier.

But now, it was too late. She was Silversword, the mare who helped those without a sense of justice.

Something was definitely wrong with her today, she was sure of it.

Or perhaps you're merely going soft. The thought had come to her out of random, and she shook her head briskly for a moment to dispel the thought, forgetting that there was someone in front of her.

She looked up, pink spots of embarrassment clearly visible on her face. It took her longer to compose herself this time, but thankfully, he spoke as she did so.

He complimented her, and then the land. Typical, she thought, eyes narrowing slightly, losing a bit of their warmth for a moment. False compliments to get what he wants. A charmer, eh? Well, I can certainly play this game, too.

Silversword looked the stallion in the eyes, her polite smile still there, yet this time, her eyes seemed to challenge him slightly, as if daring him to compliment her.

"Certainly, my fellow equine. I will lead you into a place I know well, and is shielded from the sun, so that you don't get dizzy. I hope you don't mind my choice of location." she replied, her last word ending in another challenge. She turned away from him and walked forward, nodding at him as if urging him to follow. She turned the corner, and kept walking, until she reached a hole-in-the-wall type bar, one that was known for its' rowdy fights and even rowdier patrons. Silversword had stopped a fight there, once, and had gained the favor of the barkeep.

She grinned. Perfect. If this stallion, Sketch.. Wants to try to compliment me falsely, let's see how far he gets.

One cannot play with fire.

Patiently, she waited for the stallion, who was probably not far behind.

[Zeal]

Silversword flushed pink, her thoughts seemingly miles away despite the immediate conversation. She was an odd one… unique to be sure, but who didn’t like that? He brightened considerably as he delivered a few choice compliments of her ponyage, his voice soothing and unusually authentic in tone. He smiled, closing his eyes gently as the sun washed over the docks and him, bringing a foreboding, yet comforting warmth to his coat.

"Certainly, my fellow equine. I will lead you into a place I know well, and is shielded from the sun, so that you don't get dizzy. I hope you don't mind my choice of location." He broke into laughter, opening his eyes in a squint at the figure facing away from him. A familiar sense overcame him, a feeling as if his mind were at a sea suddenly in stir, the waves growing in size and his thoughts reeling along with them. He didn’t even think about how she might know such a thing.

She sounded angry. Had he done something to make her angry? Before he noticed she was gone, a most wonderful and altogether not entirely unprecedented wave of extreme euphoria overcame him, and he broke into a grin, one that he felt would never come off his face. He followed her around the corner, and as she came to the entrance of a building like many others, he caught up.

As he trotted up behind her, he gave her a short playful nip on her tail, bursting into a merry laughter as he did so and dancing to a position alongside her. “Come, come, my sweet. Where you wish and when you wish, but tarry not. Let us be off and off!” he said ecstatically, his voice practically breaking into song as he did so.

[Appliance]

There was something strange about this stallion, she was sure of it. He was giggling; Silversword could hear him from a short distance away.

Yawning slightly, she realized that she was a bit tired, having gotten little sleep last night, and was now glad she was coming here. She could get something to drink that would wake her up easily, but she must keep her wits about her.

Suppressing a small yawn, she reached out a hoof to open the door, hearing the clatter of hooves upon the ground behind her, finally catching up. As she stepped through the door, she yelped loudly when she felt a nip on her tail, something so strange to her she had jumped in surprise and turned, staring at the stallion in front of her with a look of complete and utter surprise for a few moments, before regaining her composure. She blushed deeply, embarrassed at having reacted in such a way, and coughed quietly.

The charmer spoke happily, a wide grin on his face, saying, “Come, come, my sweet. Where you wish and when you wish, but tarry not. Let us be off and off!”

Silversword blushed even further, a look of confusion and bewilderment, intermingled with annoyance clear on her features.

"I must ask you to.. er.. refrain from calling me 'my sweet'. Others may think we are.. involved." She muttered, a pink flush creeping further along her cheeks.

Without another word, such as an inquiry as to why Sketch was suddenly so joyful, she slipped into the bar and led him to a table, seating herself at one side, hoping he would sit in front of, and not next to her. It made her nervous when others got too close.

[Zeal]

The nice mare yelped in a most amusing fashion, seeming to jump five metres into the air as he bit down on her tail, a fact that did not escape him nor cause him any less amusement. He burst into laughter once again. Even as his merriment rang out through the street, it slowed down in a rather peculiar way. He began to feel detached from everything he saw, as if he were controlling his body through some medium that could not be defined nor explained. Silversword spoke, her voice echoing ever so slightly as waves of dizziness rolled through his brain.

"I must ask you to.. er.. refrain from calling me 'my sweet'. Others may think we are.. involved." She said, a most uncharacteristic flush creeping into her cheeks. Even through his blurriness, he saw this and chuckled once more. While he was trying to form the words to respond however, she turned around and abruptly entered the building without another word. A small headache now throbbed in the back of his mind, not painful yet but waiting as if it were in a queue to enter his senses, to wreak havoc with his perception.

He hung his head low to the ground, trotting wearily into the building, his ecstacy having deserted him only a minute ago. It was a grubby place as far as he could see, but he was grateful for any shelter from the disagreeable weather. He glanced up to see Silver already at the table, half staring, half glaring at his behaviour, which he now realised may seem a touch odd to an observer. Groaning softly, he dragged himself up on the table and sat there, laying his chin on the table and taking measured breaths. He closed one eye, very conscious of a slight tic in it that tempted him to rub at it as if swatting a fly.

He looked up at her with his remaining eye, the soft orange seeming to flicker softly in the gloom. Her eyes were the same, which caused the corners of his mouth to uplift. His amusement was in no small part due to her sitting there looked astoundingly embarrassed and nervous. What had she to fear from him? He closed his eye, gently chewing on his tongue in thought. “Well, go on my dearest. Let me have it.”