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Ponies & Dragons - Episode 1: A Tail of Two Cities


Starburst

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Ironmane sat silently, wedged into a seat up against the wall. No actor she, a faint smile spread across her face at hearing Bramble's speech. He was turning into a fine leader for this little band. The paladin reached for her mug. Her hoof, finding it gone, repeated the reaching action several times, finally knocking over an empty. The mug clattered to the floor, a bizarre punctuation to the group's announcement. She blushed.

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Thorn Blossom gave a sniff at the tankard she was offered, then gave a wolfy sneeze and shook her head, trying to clear her nose of the smell. Bramble gave a soft laugh, and said to the innkeep with his light voice,[colour=#808080] "I'm sorry, I'm afraid she think sit's gone bad. Do you have some water for her?"[/colour]

Bramble smiled sadly, nodding at Curtain Call's description. [colour=#808080] "And what's more, offered them all training in whatever fields they wanted, to bring back here... but ... "[/colour] Bramble took a deep breath, and drank a couple of deep swallows of his ale, seeking courage for what he was to say next. Then the petite unicorn hung his head and softly said, [colour=#808080]"not all of your friends survived their more hazardous temporary profession,"[/colour] obvious pain in his soft tone. He took a deep breath, and then listed the known dead, starting with the bandit leader.
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Bramble's gaze dropped... his stomach lurched even worse. This was the point he'd been dreading ...[colour=#800080] "No. Well. After a sense. But not exactly. The ... The wizard had them working as common brigands, assaulting innocent travelers. As you can imagine, it's not the most safe of professions ... much worse when one ... resists arrest ... " [/colour] Bramble took another deep breath, and let it out slowly. Blast, all his prepared speeches, the stuff that'd been running through his head all day, was suddenly gone, his mind completely blank. His awkward silence stretched on as he tried to think of something ... ANYTHING else to say ...
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"[colour=#006400]It would be wrong of us to ask forgiveness, but here I go anyway[/colour]", Curtain Call interrupted, staring into his empty mug with more than a little sadness. "[colour=#006400]But your loved ones were, at the time, a militia fully prepared to carry out the wishes of their bloodthirsty master. Certain drastic actions needed to be taken on our part or we would not be here to deliver you the good... and the bad news. We're...[/colour]", in hindsight, he meant 'I', "[colour=#006400]Again, we're not asking forgiveness. Just understanding. But the greater good is at stake here[/colour]."

The thief could say no more. He considered for a moment the possible future where he would need this speech again, then choked back any odd emotion that might be slipping out.

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The man looks on with silence as he receives the news, cleaning his mug of its last drop and letting everyone stir in silence as he faces them.

"I see. I didn't expect this kind of news.. but I'm sure that you were justified in your actions enough to stop them by any means. And from what you've told me I'm sure that your princesses have repaid our people in kind."

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Bramble Rose nods regretfully to the stallion, obviously not entirely convinced, but relieved that he's not going to catch more hassle for what happened. [colour=#808080]"But ... we will definitely keep your offer of assistance in mind. It never hurts to be able to call upon help when needed. For now, however, our main concern is in being able to find this dark wizard. We need to learn more about where he came from, whether he's ever been back, and any clues you might have to his whereabouts. Something to indicate a way to find him."[/colour]
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"[colour=#006400]Y'know, lads 'n' ladettes, I never got in a word in edgewise but that's mostly the fault of purple brain slugs[/colour]", Curtain Call less spoke and more thought-out-loud, his half open eyes staring dead into the bottom of his flagon, swirling it around and making the pretty last drops dance for him. "[colour=#006400]But I got a tip. Remember that little hut we spied on right before the caravan attack? Well, it's probably still there. Maybe our target is too. Just saying[/colour]."

Dancing ale was starting to bore him, while at the same time, the room around him started to look wibbly wobbly for absolutely no reason. The ale was probably responsible. But how? The ale was his friend. Why would a friend do that do him? And what kind of friend was he, accusing the ale like that! Bad Curtain Call. As punishment for being a bad friend, he relinquished his hat to the Ironmane's-horn-shaped hatrack sitting next to him. Maybe next time, he would think twice before treating alcholic beverages like common criminals.

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"[colour=#800080]Ah-hem[/colour]", the hatrack said, in a dainty, lady-like voice. It then pursed its lips and tried to blow the hat up and off its face before sighing a long-suffering sigh and lifting the hat onto another hatrack using its hatrack magic.

"[colour=#800080]Yes,[/colour]" Ironmane said, nodding to Curtain Call. "[colour=#800080]And perhaps[/colour][colour=#4b0082],[/colour]" she said, turning to Bramble Rose, "[colour=#800080]these fine ponies could give us some information in regards to which rock this blackguard has deflied the underside of in the mistaken belief that one can hide from one's foul deeds and the justice which inevitably follows?[/colour]"

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"We've seen naught since he burned down a few of the buildings in the town and vanished. He promised that the ones who went with him would be well rewarded and flashed a lot of coin when bargaining for their services. A week after they left a few of the buildings in town spontaneously caught fire and we suspected that he had come for vengeance.. but he did little to the town other than burn a few houses down. It was nothing that we couldn't have rebuilt in a few days.. and when something happens to one of us here in this town we help in kind. Any one of us here would gladly give a meal or a helping hand to any of us falling on hard times. You have to help each other in cold climes."

"As to where he came from, we have no idea. We don't even know why he chose our village, perhaps he lives closeby, or within a generally close proximity. With magic like his I assume it wouldn't be hard to set up a base of operations somewhere within the wood to resist the cold."

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Bramble Rose rubbed a hoof thoughtfully over his chin, his brows furrowed. [colour=#808080]"Hrm. Nay a perfect assumption ... he might just as easily have picked a random village halfway across Equestria so as to hide his true location. But if Princess Luna sent us here instead of any of the places we wished to begin our journey, that means there is something here she wishes us to find. We shall simply have to trust Luna's judgement, and your suggestion is the best lead we have."[/colour] He looked over to Ali, a hopeful look on his face. [colour=#808080]"If my grasp of theology is correct, of course. I leave it to your expertise to correct me if I make a misjudgement in these matters."[/colour]

He thought for a long moment more, then grinned to the barkeep. [colour=#808080]"And if thou'rt correct, and there is a warm, green area inside the wood, this means the animals and the trees shall know of it. If they know of it, then, too, shall Blossom and I soon know of it."[/colour] He patted Thorn Blossom's shoulder proudly. [colour=#808080]"We shall need some cold-weather garments for my friends, and a guide to this wood you speak of."[/colour]
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"[colour=#006400]Oh please, Princess[/colour]", he slurred. "[colour=#006400]Like you've never got yer coat shaved for a quick coin. The tailor's gotta git his stuff t'work with somehow.[/colour]" This little tidbit of Curtain Call's more desperate-for-cash days is not something he would admit to sober. Not to anyone, least of all Ironmane. "[colour=#006400]Besides, what else to you propose the ponies without hat racks do to keep warm out here in the[/colour]", a hiccup interrupted him, "[colour=#006400]The... wherever we are. Snow.[/colour]" One more hiccup before he snatched his hat back, standing instantly at attention. "[colour=#008000]To Jenson's![/colour]"

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Bramble shifted a little at the conversation, nestling deeper into the faux fur cloak of his glamoured armor at merely the thought of heading outside once more. He took one more drink of his ale and then left it, two-thirds emptied, on the table before him. [colour=#808080]"Yes, the sooner we start, the more likely we'll have surprise on our side."[/colour] He glanced out towards the door, where he knew the snow was drifting down and a faint wind stole the warmth from exposed coats. [colour=#808080]"And hopefully before we get some really cold weather or heavy downfall..."[/colour]

He stood up, and shook the innkeeper's hoof. [colour=#808080]"And what shall we do for a guide?"[/colour]
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Ali sits quietly, listening to the conversation but not really comprehending. As the time passes, her buzz fades away and she comes back to her senses, pushing the rest of the mug away from her, just to be safe. Oh, so they'll be getting warm coats and going back into the snow. Fun.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Bramble nodded brusquely, a serious expression on his face, and eyed the door outside with displeasure. One day's worth of winter protection for the whole lot of them, he told himself. You could get buried in the snow half the day and not get frostbite. Couldn't prove it by him.

[colour=#696969]"Right!"[/colour] he cried, determinedly. [colour=#696969] "Let's go get some cold-weather gear, everypony!"[/colour] He marched out into the snow, a faint glow from his horn pulling his furred cloak more tightly around himself, his hood lifting up to cover his horn as the glow faded away.
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