Author's Notes:

Talib's worlds collide as the Timbers, Canes and Hayfa meet for a meal. Desperately, he tries to manage the tension and direct the conversation, but old prejudices are hard to shake.

The shocked silence turned to a low murmur among the restaurant's few occupants. Outwardly, Hayfa appeared unconcerned, acute vision scanning the restaurant, predator's gaze quelling ponies wherever they fell. Talib, however, familiar with the reclusive griffoness, saw signs that her composure was an effort. He waved a hoof. She noticed him immediately but was rapidly approached by Savoir Fare, and Talib held his breath.

The unflappable restaurateur, however, extended his usual courteous welcome to the unusual guest - to the immense relief of Talib and, from the subtle softening of her eyes, to Hayfa herself. Griffon and pony briefly conferred before the Maître d' gestured graciously towards the back of L'Ash Tombée, in the direction of Talib's small party.

Hayfa nodded and strode purposefully toward them, followed by every pair of eyes in the vicinity. The grifoness's movements, as usual, were lithe and fluid, and she cut an arresting figure. Her feathers and coat were groomed to full glory, only slightly dampened by the rain. The only ornament to her muscular frame was a single silvery armlet, worn high on a steely bicep, of a familiar design which Talib nevertheless could not quite place. He supposed most of her possessions had been lost when her camp was torched - except perhaps for some leather, drying on distant racks, which would have set ponies even more on edge. Talib had no time to study the armband further, however, as Hayfa was already upon them. Behind her, one family, meal barely touched, got up to pay their bill and leave. Talib prayed she hadn't noticed.

There was an awkward moment as Hayfa hesitated at the table, uncertain how to proceed. Ghaliya stood, casting a glance at Talib, which he failed to interpret.

"Talib," she prompted, slightly exasperated, "won't you do the introductions?"

He panicked slightly. Ah, yes, he thought, standing next to the griffoness.

"Uh, everyone," he began, clumsily, "this is Ha-"

A small but sharp pain in his leg made Talib start. His eyes flicked down as one of Hayfa's lion claws retracted into its sheath. She hadn't appeared to move a muscle.

"Sorry," he said, belatedly catching on and thinking rapidly, "this darn concussion..." The assembled ponies looked at him with sympathetic concern. He started again. "This is Sifir Habiba, a-" the faintest pause- "friend of mine, from the Everfree."

Hayfa made the same exotic gesture he'd previously seen from her and Mujeer; a talon touched the breast, forehead and beak in sequence, before being extended palm-up toward her audience.

"It is a pleasure and an honour to meet you," she said, slightly stiffly. The members of their small party each stood in turn to be introduced - except Sim, who merely grunted from his chair - and Talib guided Hayfa towards her seat, facing the wall. The griffoness hesitated again, looking uncertainly at the placement, then turned to study the restaurant. Her gaze settled on the door. She appeared discomfited.

Ghaliya, ever observant, appeared to remember something. "Sifir," she said in a familiar tone, as though the two were already fast friends, "may I ask a favour? I'm liable to overheat here by the wall, with the fireplace so close - might we exchange seats? I know you hail from warmer climes. This Ponyville autumn drizzle must be rather uncomfortable for you."

Talib, who had known his mother to happily sit almost on top of a fire, wondered what her game was. But Hayfa happily accepted. From her new vantage she scanned the restaurant with apparent satisfaction, most frequently the door. Talib finally understood what his mother had grasped immediately. Hayfa was distinctly uncomfortable with her back exposed, a habit so ingrained that she would bruise her pride and stand around looking gauche until somepony picked up on it.

She's not just some cadet, thought Talib. She's seen some serious action.

It was a stark reminder of the differences between Hayfa and the relatively bucolic assembled ponies. And of Talib's darkest fears about what might go wrong. It seemed paranoid, after sharing a roof with her, but he'd never forgotten their first meeting. Not just her casual application of a blade to his throat. Worse was when he had compared her to Mujeer - the resulting hard clack of her beak, and the even harder look of anger in her eyes, the merest glimpse of a throbbing wrath which strained against her composure. These ponies had not yet earned her trust as Talib had. He did not like to think about what instincts might break loose if somepony - one of the Timbers brothers, if he was honest - should decide to try a shouting match with a griffon. Hayfa struck Talib as somegriffon whose bite was certainly worse than her bark.

There was a tense moment of silence, which Hayfa broke. "I must apologize for my lack of appropriate dress," she said. "I live a simple life in the Everfree Forest, and, with one thing and another-" here her gaze rested on Talib for a moment, and he thought again about the fire "-formal garb has somewhat fallen by the wayside."

"Never mind," said Ghaliya, "you look splendid. We're very glad you could make it."

"Yes," said Melaco, "it's quite a long way from the Everfree."

"Not on the wing, Melaco," said Huon in a knowledgeable tone, his black eyes confident, "I'm sure Sifir is just as fast as any pegasus."

"Actually," said Hayfa, "I walked. I did not think it meet to disturb the good residents of Ponyville by hovering overhead."

"Ah, of course," replied Huon, tapping his nose with a hoof, "I suspected as much."

Hayfa looked at the pea-green stallion a little too long, but Talib was relieved to see more bemusement than frustration in her eyes. For now. Sim snorted again, but quietly, not wishing to get involved. The bread and butter arrived and Melaco passed it around, the little rolls piping hot. Talib rediscovered his appetite.

"And how are you finding the Everfree, Sifir?" asked Bianca, boldly. "Don't you find it dangerous?"

"Oh, one must be cautious, of course," said Hayfa, "as Talib and Simon's recent encounter illustrates. But with alert senses and the right skills, it can be a very beautiful place to live. Just ask Zecora."

Huon nodded vigorously. "It's like I've always said. Its reputation is greatly exaggerated." Talib wasn't sure he wanted Huon arguing their case, but the opinionated plantation-manager was well away, now. "Still," Huon continued, speaking around a mouthful of bread, "it's hardly proper to have timberwolves and such at the very edge of Ponyville. What that forest needs is sound, large-scale management. With a proper trapping and culling policy, you could clear out all these inconvenient creatures in a few years, and then really open up the Everfree to proper industry."

Talib glanced at Sim - mindful of Huon's implication that their work was somehow not 'proper' - but his employer sat steely-browed, the expression of irritation only a shade deeper than usual.

"I'm not sure it's that simple, dear," said Marjorie, "the Everfree is far larger than any plantation-"

"Then," interrupted Huon, "it's a simple matter of throwing more stout Earth ponies at the project. Why, look at what they're achieving in Appleloosa. Incredible growth of industry. Applejack and I were discussing it at the market today."

"But look how poorly it was handled," Marjorie protested. "I've been following the town's progress, and even now there are tensions between Chief Thunderhooves and-"

Huon waved a hoof dismissively, an apparently familiar gesture, and Marjorie fell silent. "There will always be ponies - or buffalo - who stand in the way of progress. They don't understand that a bigger pie is always better. More to go around. This little hobby of yours, this pioneer history stuff, it only gives you the ivory-tower, academic perspective. You've got to look at it from an economic point of view, with ponies who get their hooves dirty. They're the ones who really make things happen."

"Actually," said Talib, "I've been thinking about that." The whole table stopped and looked at him expectantly, as often happens when habitually quiet ponies speak up. He forged on under the sudden attention. "About predators like the timberwolves, I mean. There's really nothing written about the Forest specifically. But elsewhere, when an apex predator is suddenly removed, the results are unpredictable. Often the prey populations rapidly expand, which causes other problems: over-browsing of the undergrowth, for example. But it's complicated."

Hayfa was smiling, but Talib could see he'd lost Huon's interest.

"That's interesting…" said Marjorie, and Talib's attention was drawn to the large, slightly plump, maroon mare, "I remember late one winter, when we had just finished cutting stands at the plantation, we decided to take a holiday at Canterlot, kind of a sight-seeing thing. Anyway, well, what an opportunity! I took a few hours here and there to look through the great libraries-"

Huon snorted, and Talib wondered whether the mannerism was hereditary. "You spent half your time in those dusty old rooms!" he protested.

"Hardly, dear. Anyway, there was so much on the pioneering history of Equestria, as it was being settled by the three pony races. Talib, you reminded me of one thing I read… more of a legend than a historical account, really, although at that distance of time there's a blurry line between the two. This story was about a grand city, founded deep in some wilderness somewhere, which had grown more swiftly than any city before it. Its glory was marvelous to behold, with high towers and grand gardens, and dignitaries from all over Equestria came to witness its beauty and learn the secrets of its success for themselves."

Talib sat enthralled, and suddenly realized he was in the presence of a master story-teller, like Baba Azhar had been. Marjorie had begun conversationally, but soon an excitement had gripped her, her grey eyes had flared into life, and her language had become more ornate. He looked around, seeing the rest of the group similarly attentive - even Huon, who seemed to pride himself on his cynicism.

"But there was a small group of Earth Ponies who dissented, who raised concerns. They warned that the natural balance was being destroyed, that things were changing far too quickly. They were ignored, ostracized. The final straw was when the city-dwellers, ever desirous of more space, came into conflict with a large population of bears, although the legend describes them more as bear-people: intelligent, reasoning, organized and strategic."

Talib was sharply reminded of the almost calculating behaviour of the timberwolves, so unlike their normal hunting. He glanced at Sim, but the old lumberpony was deeply held by the story and did not return the look.

"Strange as it sounds," continued Marjorie, "the bears would commit acts of petty sabotage - destroying scaffolding in the night, that kind of thing. So the citizens eventually made a drastic resolution: they would drive the bears away by force or, if necessary, destroy them. They could not allow them to interfere with the expansion of the city, which they held as their right. Groups of armed ponies soon patrolled the surrounds, attacking bears on sight and destroying their lairs, burning any stands of trees which might hide them."

Marjorie's gaze, directed out into the rainy night, turned grim. "It did not end well. This account was ostensibly written by the survivors, who said that the very wilds themselves turned against the city. Rain ceased to fall. Plants grew at astonishing speed in the cracks and crevices of their masonry, and buildings toppled. A plague of dust, and then of pollen, choked the air and ponies were unable to breathe freely. Some began to leave, but still the city persisted, the ponies digging deep and drawing the water they needed from underground - so much water, for such a large population, that the aquifers receded deeper and deeper. Ponies closest to the wells began hallucinating, seeing visions of terrible catastrophes and hearing ominous thudding sounds. More left, but still many remained.

"Then came the end. Nopony could remember the time of the last rain, but one evening they observed a great storm on the horizon. The hallucinations suddenly ceased - the thudding fell eerily silent. Ponies thought perhaps they had won - though against what, they did not know. The final battle, however, was yet to begin. That night the city awoke to a strange trumpeting, as of distant war-horns: but what army could have been sent against them, here in peaceful Equestria? Nervously they donned their armour and grabbed weapons, patrolling the walls by the dim glow of flaming torches and peering nervously into the wastes beyond; wastes which they had created. And all the while, the trumpeting grew nearer. Some fancied they could see dim shapes moving in the outer darkness, just beyond the torchlight. A gentle rain began, but grew steadily more heavy and dampened the blazing torches. They could see almost nothing beyond the watch-towers, except the approach of distant lightning.

"Then pandemonium struck. Jet-black creepers lashed out towards the city, growing before their eyes at an unbelievable rate. A few brave ponies tried to stop them, but blades rebounded and fire had no effect. The vines buried their tips in the already-crumbling mortar and grew, cracking apart the tall, haughty walls of the city. Swarms of biting, stinging insects filled the air in furious clouds and hampered ponies' attempts to preserve their defenses. A heavy thundering was heard in the ground, and out of the wilds came enormous elephants, their eyes red and crazed, who ripped stones from the walls with massive tusks, trumpeting a war-cry all the while. With the walls fallen, all manner of creatures stormed the naked city - timberwolves, rockodiles, manticores and some even stranger. The smaller animals joined the fight as well, and ponies were tormented by biting ferrets and enraged badgers. Jets of flame suddenly pierced the darkness in great sheets, brighter than the lightning, and ponies knew that there had come against them even dragons. And moving through it all were the bears, what few remained; wrathful, unforgiving and terrible.

"The ponies fled in abject terror. Who could hope to stand against Nature's fury? Scrambling over the crumbled walls, which had stood so mighty, they ran into the darkness, carrying nothing except the young children. Weapons and armour lay discarded in a thinning trail leading away from the city. The plants and animals opened a path for them. Those who dared to look back saw the ranks were closed again behind them, and at the front stood, grim-faced, those same Earth ponies whom they had cast out, the ones who had warned them, and whom the citizens had reviled. One stranger stood larger, nearly twice as tall as the others. Out of the darkness, a near-blinding flash of lightning illuminated the unmistakable features of an alicorn, regal and fearsome.

"The city-ponies escaped in disarray, and sought refuge in whatever settlements they happened to encounter, bearing a strange and frightening tale. When the Princesses received word of the tragedy, of course, they assembled an expedition to reclaim the city and rescue any survivors. But the city could not be found - as though, almost overnight, it had vanished into the wilderness. Many ponies were never found, and were grieved as dead by their families. Luna and Celestia issued a decree that never again were ponies to settle in that savage place, upon which surely lay an awful curse."

The group was silent for a moment, coming slowly out of the story. Talib, however, could barely contain himself, stunned by the similarities to what he and Hayfa had seen. He spoke first.

"Where… what was the name of this book?" he asked, trying to sound casual. "Was it in the Library of Equestrian History? Or the Central Repository for Folk Tales? Or maybe the-"

Marjorie chuckled, kindly. "Sorry, Talib," she said, "I'm afraid I don't recall. I was researching hard historical accounts. This was just a little diversion for me - I wouldn't have kept it in my notes. But I see you're familiar with Canterlot's wonderful libraries - next time you're there, I can recommend a few things, if you're interested in pioneer history."

Talib slumped back into his chair slightly. "Thanks," he said, summoning what enthusiasm he could. "That would be good." Another dead end, he thought with frustration.

"It's an arresting tale," said Hayfa, quietly.

"Yes," said Marjorie, "I suppose that's why it's stuck in my memory all these years. Do you share Talib's interest in folk stories? Is that how you two came to live together?"

Talib tensed, worried Hayfa would mention the dangerous changes in the Everfree Forest, or the destruction of her camp. His parents would never let him back in the Forest, after that. Hayfa, however, turned her head slightly away from the observant Ghaliya, ostensibly to scratch her cheek, and winked - the briefest flicker of her nictitating membrane.

"Not quite," she said, "I met him one day while he was out checking his experiments and we began chatting. We share an interest in the Everfree Forest, and eventually I offered to help him building his cabin. It's a marked improvement on my rough little hovel."

For the first time since they'd sat down, Huon and Marjorie's son, Ash, piped up, and Talib took a proper look at the dusty-blue colt. "Experiments?" asked Ash with quiet interest, in a homely drawl, "What's this?" His deep golden eyes, usually half-lidded and sleepy, were suddenly filled with a quiet intensity.

"Our Ash is quite the tinker," said Huon proudly, by way of explanation. "Always in the workshop cooking up some contraption. Don't know how we'd run the plantation without him behind the spanner." Bianca, who had already been casting curious looks at the wiry, self-assured young stallion, now watched him intently. Ghaliya nudged Melaco subtly and they smiled at one another. Talib didn't get it, but felt mildly irritated for some reason.

"Nothing mechanical, I'm afraid," Talib said, half-mumbling in the hopes that they'd lose interest and he could cede the spotlight to somepony more talkative. Apart from Ghaliya, Bianca and Huon, he thought, suddenly concerned, what a gathering of introverts this has turned out to be. Hayfa is so guarded - she certainly won't carry much of the conversation. Talib realized this was a problem. There was no way Hayfa would open up to his parents without Talib's prompting. Then they wouldn't be reassured that he would be safe in the Forest. Shoot, he thought, I'm going to have to take the reins a bit after all. The conversation would not go where he wanted if Talib remained a wallflower. Everypony's attention would soon waver, but for now he held the floor. He forced himself to some semblance of sociability, thinking of Moondancer's easy geniality and trying to hold their interest.

"I've been studying the Everfree Forest for some years now," he said, beginning simply. "I'm trying to figure out why the plants there are so different from the ones we get in Ponyville. Or elsewhere in Equestria, for that matter."

Huon guffawed. "Why, I could tell you that! They're just wild plants, son. No mystery there! Ho ho," he chuckled, "I fear you've been on a bit of a fool's errand, my boy. It's like I always tell Marjorie and the lad - you're always better off setting your hoof to something practical. Something you can build, and tap with your hoof at the end of the day. I thought that's what you were doing with Sim, and with these wood carvings I hear about."

Talib tried not to feel insulted. "Oh, I enjoy that too," he replied, "but understanding the Forest is why I pestered Sim to take me on in the first place, and why I built that cabin out there. I guess it's been kind of an obsession of mine, ever since I was a young colt."

"In fact," said Melaco, looking sternly at his son, "that's one of the reasons we invited you tonight, Sifir." Uh-oh, thought Talib nervously, this is it. Trust dad to just put everything out in the open. Hayfa regarded the older pony with pleasant seriousness, eyebrows raised. "Until that timberwolf attack," he continued, "Talib had been concealing just how much time he spent in the Everfree. You can imagine our… disappointment. Now he wants us to let him continue these experiments, but we're worried, of course. Do you really think you two can look after each other in there, after what happened? Do you know what you're doing?" Melaco turned to Talib's recalcitrant boss. "You too, Sim - you know the Forest better than anypony here. What do you think?"

Hayfa waited a polite moment while apparently considering the question, giving Sim an opportunity to reply first. Sim, however, merely grimaced and did not respond, perhaps to avoid acknowledging her presence. Talib felt the tension rise slightly, and looked at the griffoness imploringly.

"I have... some experience with wild places," she said, and Talib could see her calculating how little she could reveal. "I've spent time living off the land, trapping and traveling. In my experience these places are usually only dangerous to the unwary and the unprepared. Talib is neither. We'll look out for one another." Ghaliya and Melaco looked only slightly mollified. "What do you think, Simon?" asked Hayfa, deferentially. "As they said, your knowledge of the Forest is unrivaled. Your wisdom would be a boon."

For the first time, Sim could not ignore Hayfa without obvious insult. He regarded her suspiciously, alert to any signs of irony in her respectful tone, buy found none. Still, his reply was addressed to Talib's parents.

"It's like I said. That timberwolf attack was a freak occurrence. Talib and I got separated, and for some reason the usual strategies didn't work. Talib's a bit of a space-pony sometimes, but not when it comes to the Forest. As long as he doesn't wander off on his own, I reckon he'll be alright. Besides," he continued, a slight smile hiding behind the scowl, "he's pretty nifty with a staff. If he hadn't barreled into those wood-mutts when he did, I'd have been a goner."

"You can thank Sifir for that, actually," said Talib, "she's been drilling me. I didn't see the point, at first. But I'm glad she insisted."

For the first time, Sim looked at Hayfa with something other than suspicion. Talib's parents, too, appeared impressed. It was a start.

"That timberwolf attack must have been dreadful," said Marjorie. "But they're naturally vicious - yet you don't think it was normal behaviour?"

"Well, some of it," said Talib. "I mean, yes, they're aggressive. But usually it's more territorial, just to drive ponies away. And they reek, so usually you can smell them a mile off. If you keep your wits about you and keep track of their dens, they're not a problem. And if it comes to a confrontation, a few firm kicks will often see them off." Here Talib looked at Sim, who nodded agreement. "But this pack, for whatever reason, seemed to appear out of thin air, and went straight for the kill. They didn't back down, either... until, for no reason, they did. It was very strange."

"What do you think was the cause?" asked Marjorie. Talib looked at Sim, who shrugged and looked away as though disinterested. That's strange, thought Talib, Sim, more than any pony, should want to know. Ghaliya, of course, also noticed Talib's surprise, and looked at Sim thoughtfully. And now Ghaliya's onto him. Talib remembered Sim's refusal to allow him access to Spruce's journal, and wondered whether he could be hiding something. But what? A sneaky peek at those journals suddenly became a lot more tempting.

"They're just savage beasts, Marj," said Huon authoritatively, "that's just what they do."

"Sure," Talib said, in light of Sim's reticence, "sometimes, under some circumstances. But this was unusual, and it's not the only thing. I've noticed animals moving to areas they usually avoid and…" Talib thought of his visions, violent trees, and dragonfire, but didn't think it appropriate to mention. "…and some other stuff," was his lame finish. "Sim and Sifir notice, too." The pony and griffoness nodded. "We think it has something to do with a new logging operation which started up somewhere on the other side of the Everfree." He explained briefly what they'd learned about Progress Miller and his impossibly high-volume operation. Even Huon nodded, giving a low whistle.

"You're right, Sim," he said, pondering the numbers, "there's no way he could be sticking to the quota. But the Council haven't acted yet?"

Sim scoffed. "Ask them on a Tuesday what day it is and they'll still be arguing come Monday. We gave them the fancy report they wanted, everything spelled out clear as day. Nothing yet. Don't want to light a fire under them straight off, but soon enough we might have to."

Huon gave him a look. "You never thought about joining up? I know how these big operations work - they grab as much local talent as they can. This Miller fellow must have approached you. Why don't you take the deal? They must be making a killing, and look like getting away with it, to boot. A pony could get set up right comfortable, from an opportunity like that."

Sim gave him a long look, and for the first time Talib noted the undercurrent of outright hostility which ran through their relationship.

"Same reason I wouldn't come join your big fancy plantation, even if it means getting "set up right comfortable". This here's my home, and I can neither leave it nor see it plundered by somepony out to make a bit."

The brothers exchanged glares, and Talib looked around the restaurant with discomfort.

Melaco broke the tension. "We really need to decide on some food," he said, brandishing a menu and taking charge, asking about preferences and recommending items. Talib gratefully buried his face in the list of delicious-sounding dishes, no longer hungry, and sighed. Clearly, Hayfa was not the only source of tension he needed to manage tonight.