Barters and Thieves
It had been almost two days since they accepted the trade offer and they had steadily traveled far with almost no incident. They still hadn’t caught up to the armies but they had been told by frantic passing strangers that they were well ahead of them.

This didn’t project very well for Adridge’s plan to trade wheat with them because at any rate the crops would begin to rot and ferment. Either the armies needed a setback or Adridge and Lindestic needed a leg up on their progress; preferably a set back on the armies part.

As they traveled Adridge found it easier to keep her curved sword strapped beneath the wooden pole that separated the two as they pulled along. It was a bit discreet but honestly it made strapping Adridge into position much easier.

“We have a plan yet?” Lindestic asked.

She shook her head as they both continued to pull. “Not quite.”

It was something they both constantly thought about nearly every waking moment. How would they find Igneous? How would she get her cape? A falconer was always taught to think ahead but how could anypony planned for this?

To accomplish anything would require more than what they had and the only things they had were a flightless celestial, a cart full of wheat, a curved sword and a unicorn. No armor no falconers this side of their advancement and a long way to travel. What were the armies numbers? A few hundred? A thousand?

She sighed from physical and mental exhaustion as they peaked over a ridge. Lindestic raised his head looking ahead said, “eh! Keep your head up, we got a village up ahead.”

“Any armies,” she asked only to answer her own question a moment later.

“No.”

To her relief the village had not been completely destroyed or vacated as Ponies frantically moved across the streets while others barred themselves inside to hide themselves away from the brawls that took place in the street between commoners, shopkeepers and traders.

They both stopped in their tracks as they also saw angry groups of ponies tear down wagons and carts looking for anything they could horde away for the next few days. Food, water, cloth, metals and anything else of value thinking that stealing and destroying their own communities will in some way make it easier for them in the long run.

The first thing they thought about was their own cart and Adridge asked, “is it really worth it to stop here?” True a falconer was expected to keep the peace but Falconers had always originally been intended to fight monsters and nothing more. A tradition most were willing to forgo but a nice excuse to pass up the mayhem that currently ensued. There were greater stakes which petty crime and civilised unrest simply didn’t amount to.

She stepped back pulling the cart with her. “Common,” she urged Lindestic. “We can’t stop here.”

Lindestic didn’t object although he did linger a short moment before giving in and following through with Adridge. However looking onward down the path they intended to take they soon found it would not be so easily ventured.

Not far off in the did they see an entourage of five ponies easily approaching them with a confident and smug-ish stride as they two unicorns swung blades around lazily swiping at the grass just off to either side. They were dressed in mostly leather armor but still retained pieces of metal armor around kea parts of their bodies like on the left side of their necks and left four legs. Obviously they expected a right sided wielder which Adridge couldn’t say she wasn’t but it wasn’t as if she wasn’t trained to handle left defensive armor or just any armor at that.

The next three were earth ponies who were admittedly more armored around the necks and shoulder areas while wielding a fixed weapon on their right sides.

Adridge and Lindestic immediately recognised them as they were the entourage of ponies they passed a few miles back. They seemed docile enough at the time and Adridge even asked them the distance to the next village which they gladly answered. However she could tell that their willingness to comply was only a ruse as she caught their not-too-subtle hungering glances they casted to their cart of wheat they pulled.

“Get ready,” she commanded to Lingestic as she began to magically unstrap only him. They hadn’t trusted the group for a moment after they passed them by and as a Falconer Adridge reminded herself to always be prepared and to have a plan.

One now they intended to enact.

With the group being just moments away Lindestic put on his act as he slowly stepped away from the cart with on hoof up. “Alright, alright,” he admitted pretending to already surrender while Adridge continued to struggle with her straps. “It’s yours just don’t hurt us.”

The unicorn on left smiled and hung his sword on his shoulder saying, “it's good to see you cooperate.” Pointing with the blade he barked, “take the cart.”

“Lindestic I can’t get it,” Adridge said loud enough for the others to hear her artificially worried voice. “I-its stuck.” She was sure they hadn't noticed the curved sword strapped to the wooden post between them as it was almost plainly hidden in sight but looked to be apart of its infrastructure of the cart anyways.

As the three earth-ponies began to gather around Adridge with their blades still not drawn the second unicorn looked to Lindestic standing by and asked, “what's that you dawn?”

As the first unicorn joined the second an earthpony looked to him and said, “Looks like peganearing armor and equipment.”

“I hadn't seen one in years,” he muttered before he shot a hostile glance towards the falconer. He raised his sword in warning and said, “what's your motive? You intend to fight.”

“I’m retired,” he answered before the unicorn could say otherwise. He flashed his burned wing flying it out for them to see and said, “I’m too injured I won’t fight. I can’t fly.”

A few of them nodded.

The first unicorn tauntingly thrusted his sword and said, “dequip it. All of it.”

Lindestic took a step back and said, “I can’t without a unicorn.” He looked between the two standing in front of him and tapped his armor, “it locks from within.”

Meanwhile Adridge let out a frustrated cry as she jolted the whole carriage as she pretended to struggle in yanking the straps free. Two of the earth ponies were looking to Lindestic and his impressive, rare arrangements while only one kept an eye on Adridge still oblivious to the hidden curved sword.

Seeing as she couldn’t perform the task the second unicorn growled in frustration already annoyed with their inability to help themselves as he approached Lindestic. “Nothing funny will come of you,” he said as he slowly raised his sword to Lindestics neck making sure he didn’t take it as a life threatening advancement but instead a warning. “Or I will kill you.”

“I-I don’t doubt it,” he said as he raised his head away from the blade letting him examine the armor to see if he could find some switch or lock to undo the armor for Lindestic.

“Lindestic,” Adridge cried as she seemed to give up on the unrelenting belts. “It won't come free.”

“Just cut the belt!” the first unicorn shouted in frustration and impatiens causing the two distracted earthponies to turn back to Adridge. “We can replace once we get back to th…”

Lindestic pounded on his chest plate and quickly raised his hoof just as the gauntlets around it protruded three blades, each of which struck the second unicorn in the chest.

They all turned to face him as the unicorn let out a horrific death cry just before Lindestic withdrew and slashed him across the neck silencing him for good.

The first then raised his sword to Lindestic as the three earthponies looked away from Adridge and to the new threat as intended. Just then the belts around Adridge easily fell free and withdrawing her sword she arced it upward out of the scabbard striking the closest earthpony across his barrel ending with the blade pointing skywards. Following through without a pause she pulled the blade down on the second striking him across the nape of his neck. Before the third could react or even turn around she circled the blade back around and brought it down against his skull burying the blade well over halfway in killing him instantly.

The unicorn’s attention faltered as he looked to his easily obliterated earthponys but that was all it took for Lindestic to dash up to him and swiftly bury his clawed gauntlets in his chest just like he did the first. The force of the impact knocked the unicorn onto his haunches causing screaming in agony as one could imagine, but as quickly as the first attack was he too was silenced as Lindestic angled his hoof downward while bending upwards, and in a second his chest tore open spilling out bone, organs and blood that Lindestic literally ripped out of him. He then drug the claws along his face before driving them in completely more than assuring his fate.

With hardly a breath of fatigue he pushed off with his hoof letting him fall to the floor dead just as Adridge kicked the limp corpse of the third earthpony off her sword.

She let herself breath for a moment before making her next decision. Lindestic seemed dodge headed as he kept looking around to see if another party of attackers happened to come by.

They were alone as far as they could tell and so she took stock: Five dead ponies and nothing more. The cart was still in good condition as well as its cargo.

She wiped the bloodied blade on the side of the wooden carriage before sheathing it away beneath the post. No doubt if they had known she had a sword they would have caught them by surprise attacking while they weren’t looking. Perhaps if she was still armored they wouldn’t have even bothered but whatever the matter it happened and it was a only a shame they died.

Adridge then looked to Lindestic then back to the corpses. With a gesture of her head she said, “common lindestic. Lets move them.” He nodded and then began rolling the unicorns off to the wayside as Adridge lifted one earthpony at a time by the armor they wore and dispensed them much the same.

The work was quick without a word between the two but when Adridge collected the last earthpony and dropped them in the pile she heard a gasp, faint as it was.

“Lindestic,” she called quietly as she knelt down next to the earthpony.

She recognized the dying pony as the first one she attacked, hitting him with an upper swipe of her sword. However unlike the other two who received mortal blows to either the neck or head the same couldn’t be said for this one as none of his vital organs had been too seriously damaged to grant him a swift death. However even as he laid there his hooves clutched his berral as he tried his very best to hold his lower half together. Even his eyes mimicked that of a dead pony staring off into nothing but the vast void of eternity.

With barely a whisper Adridge heard him say, “I-it hurts.”

“Who are you,” she asked in a soft voice as Lindestic slowly approached.

He only shook his head and uttered, “I, stole something.” The blood that was gathering was significant and at this point one could easily say he was already dead.

“What?” she asked.

His hoofed raised slightly then fell on his side as he tapped the barrel of his fixed weapon. “Village, le-dar.”

With one thrust of his hoof Lindestic drove the clawed gauntlets through the skull of the dying pony putting him out for good. Adridge fell back on her haunches surprised, not by Lindestic’s action because that's what she had expected him to do, but the final words in which the pony spoke.

He stole something and wanted it returned and in his final moments he wanted to rid the guilt he held within weather it be during this life or the next. He wanted it returned but what had it been? The fixed weapon!

Looking to it Adridge noticed its higher quality make and design with metal leaflets stringing its way around the tube all the way to the opening where it rimmed off with a brass ring. It was much better quality than anything the others had wore and definitely wasn’t something any of them could afford but Adridge was conflicted with this request.

Why should she owe this criminal something when they had something much more important to be doing? How dare he even ask something like this after just having tried to steal from her? No, she didn’t have to do it, all she had to do was walk away take the cart and be gone from this mess but she didn’t. She lingered and stayed falling to thought and internal confliction.

“Adridge?”

She shook her head an enacting her magic she unstrapped her sword from the cart and belted it to her body. “Stay here and watch the cart Lindestic,” she said moving over to the earthpony.

“Adridge, what are you doing?” he asked. “You don’t owe him anything.”

Unstrapping the fixed and mechanical ear switch from the earth pony she wrapped it nicely together and tucked it away inside one of the reserved loops her scabbard provided. Turning to the Village she answered, “I’m no stranger to redeeming dead criminals Lindestic.” Patting the stallion on the shoulder she said, “I’ll be back very soon, I’m sure you can keep watch.”

He wanted to object but he already knew the nature of Adridge and that sometimes her determination couldn’t be reasoned with. She wanted to do this criminal good, it was the right thing to do and he knew he had no right to deny her that. “I’ll come get you if anything falls out of my control.”

With a parting nod she walked up the embankment of the road and disappeared over the ridge intending to return the item to its rightful owner.

Elitists

Igneous would have thought more ponies would have been delighted with entertainment put on by the public but it seemed he was wrong. The entrance to the Estoc Arena was open funneling in small groups of ponies in as they paid but if one compared it to the days they put on live, bloodied, gruesome events then the gathering would have seemed mediocre.

He wondered… “Do ponies here like plays?” he openly asked Navinia as they approached the arena from the south avoiding the market district and its brod two lained, sub-crowded roads that led directly to it.

She hummed to herself before answering, “not as much as I feel they should be appreciated.” Flicking her head to adjust her braids she added, “they’re more enticed by live combat you see? Wolves and champions, swords and shield, bears and all.”

“Criminals too,” he offered which they both agreed on. They fell silent for the moment which Igneous didn’t really much enjoy since he wanted her to talk more but as they became the next in line to pay the estoc operator for entry Igneous thought he might start the conversation this time. So he politely asked, “So… what’s the play about?” Had she already said before? She may have already said before.

She answered, “the prehistory of Noriphmy, the first war, the great rising and possibly the magic era with Aminus and all.”

With events like that Igneous guessed this show would be lasting well into and past the afternoon but of course that depended on the quality actors and which historical events they were specifically going to cover over others that they would simply gloss over.

As Igneous handed the operator the money Navinia had allotted Igneous to make the transaction easier she continued by saying, “Personally I fascinated with the magic era. A time when majins desecrated the lands with unbound and unchecked destructive magic. Could you imagine the chaos, the fear the ponies must have felt when they saw entire armies fall to a single magical beast? Only when they lost all hope the Hexers came with eyes alight with a white flame slaying them with whipped swords and chained blades it must have been fascinating Igneous I tell you. Oh, and don’t even get me started with Aminus the colossal black dragon, could you imagine?! A huge black shadow descending over the land, one that marked the end of a constant and the beginning of the conclusion… but it wasn’t Igneous-”

-She continued to talk for awhile, mostly about the Aminus and the wonder of a dragon he was as Igneous continued to listen. He followed her through the inner walls of the estoc arena until they reached their portions of the stands that laid just beyond the threshold out of the building and into the seats.

Meanwhile she continued to bounce back from story told, to story told of that not so long ago era of Carridian, talking about sightings of Hexers and the miracles they performed and all. He enjoyed it for the most part as it was probably the most he heard anypony talk about the magical era in a while.

However as they were nearing the archway to the stands she stopped talking and tugged on Igneous’ coat saying, “oh it seems Dreahioullen here too.” She the gasped splaying her wings excitedly as she exclaimed, “she’s got a new stallion at her side! Oh, Igneous please just wait here one moment I need to go talk to her.”

He said it was alright but she was already well on her way over to them before he could even say anything. The mare wore an extravagant dress(which Igneous wouldn’t say, would never admit and did not think was quite as amazing looking as Navinia's) as well as the stallion who was fully suited.

From here he stood with all the other ponies walking about, he saw her great them and begin to talk like she normally did. She met the stallion and he gave her his compliments and then she seemed to pointed Igneous out. Somehow he happened came up in the conversation but from the look the couple gave him he could immediately tell they didn’t approve. Could have been his looks or the fact that he wasn’t as well classed as they were.

He didn’t care but he wasn’t going have them be proven right so he stiffened up his neck and raised his chin tall and proud as he stood mightily alone. The stallion seemed to ease up his glare a bit but there was still some unwarranted prejudice he held against Igneous and the stallions cockeyed stare began to anger him.

This stallion seemed so mighty but Igneous could easily infer that he hadn't busted his buck working for an honest living. It was something in his eyes and the eyes of others who gave him odd looks. It was the look that separated the wealthy from the humble as nearly every pony born into wealth, to themselves, seemed superior like it was their right and privilege, while other who made an honest living and worked their way into great wealth held a softer more empathetic look.

Of these ponies with softer looks he only knew of two. Frawl who used to work as a smith near the outer villages and another... Navinia. Although according to her she never worked a day in her life, but it was the way she seemed to treat others that stood out to him. She was always patient and kind, never of the negative alternatives and she wasn’t materialistic when it came to daily life unlike most he had seen who decorated themselves in so much gold it made him Igneous sick.

It reminded him of the council and how nauseous he felt around them and their sparkly jewelry he didn’t care for or wanted.

However as Navinia and her friend continued to speak Igneous was drawn away when a familiar voice called his name. “Joel?” he wondered as he turned to face just the earthpony.

“The one and only,” he said with a familiar grin on his face.

One thing to be mentioned about Joel. When he heard he was going to run into a bit of wealth just working with frawl the first thing he told Igneous was that he was a… a ‘playboy.’ Igneous didn’t know what that meant but whatever it was it must've shown... Probably. Or at least within the context of the phrase.

Joel wore flashy clothes, not quite inconspicuous, fancy or masculine as most stallions but something else all together. He wore color full clothes with symbols and logos Igneous couldn’t read and a cap that had a bill outstretched from the back of it he wore on his head with what looked to be a lightning bolt curved around the front of it. It was bold and daring and not something Igneous or any pony would dawn anyday.

“What are you doing here anyway Joel?” he asked doing his best to ignore his apparel.

“Well,” he began as he unprofessionally slouched and lazily gazed around. “It's not like teliph menishen here,” he said playfully nudging him. Igneous only returned a confused look and Joel remembered, “oh yea. Only she knows.” Shaking his head he continued, “so anyways I guess this is the next best thing. I could settle for it and all, but hey since we're here why don’t we find a seat or something and just hang out ya know?”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry Joel I can’t, Navinia’s in my company.”

“Well where is she?” he asked glancing around him.

He looked and found her slowly approaching them with her mare friend having already left while he wasn’t looking. “There she is,” he said intending to meet her halfway.

Before he could get far Joel grabbed him by the hoof and said, “oh Igneous by the way, those weapons I said I was making?”

“Yea?” From what he remembered it was an explosive projectile based weapon specifically made to combat thieves.

“We got a working prototype but it's still a bit… not ready for conventional use.”

“When do you think we can move into full production?”

“In time,” he answered. “But not the next two days that's for sure. My guess… two weeks but it depends on how sober Frawl insists on being.”

Just then Navinia had reached them and wrapping a hoof around Igneous’ she looked Joel up and down and politely asked, “Who's this Igneous?”

Before he could answer Joel said, “Your friendly neighborhood fashion disaster and the backhanded advancement towards a more secure future.” With an unnecessary bow of gusto he gave her a final nod and walked away intent on finding his seat elsewhere and shamelessly proud of cloths.

Igneous cleared his throat shaking off Navinia’s odd encounter with him and said, “well, Navinia will I lead you to your seat?”

“Y-yes… please…” she hesitantly answered with eyes following the strange stallion until he disappeared amongst the crowd of commoners.

The New Order
Returning to the village after ten minutes Adridge found that it was still in very much the same state. Brawls took place in the streets and not much else. It seemed rather petty at second glance but at least they weren’t burning their own communities down, that just backwards thinking.

As she made her way down the street any that saw her coming scoffed at her confident posture and easy walk that accommodated her small size then second guessed themselves after noticing the all too obvious curved sword that was taller and perhaps even longer then her from hilt to tip. It's not like she hadn't measured when ponies weren’t looking.

Taking a second survey she found two types of ponies that clearly defined themselves amongst the chaos. The first type were the ones looking for excuses for an outburst and a reason to fight or steal and the second type were the ones finding entertainment in these pony looking for any reason to fight or steal as they stood off to the side under the canopies of buildings and shops with a pleasant grin on his or her faces.

She thought these would be the better ponies to talk to and get a little information out of so pulled up next to one particular mare dressed in heavy cloth and a collection of saddlebags with a heavy wooden odd shaped object laid across her back that was had wires strung along the length of its exterior. Nonchalantly looking out to the skirmish in much the same way she was Adridge asked, “was it the armies that sparked this civil unrest?”

She reluctantly nodded answering, “seems you already know.” Glancing to Adridge and seeing the burned state she was in she added, “and it seems you, yourself, too got caught in their thunderous volley at the battle of Cralliar.-”

‘So that's what they’re calling it,’ she thought.

“-Where you spared or did you just happen to fall behind unlike the others who already bled and gushed outlandish-true stories of other national armies and told of their thunderous power summoned fire by name, sparingly applied to this foregone prestigious, now unruly, township?”

“Faced, bled and ran,” she answered. Cracking her sword slightly open she added, “I’m a falconer and I’m looking for the over seer of this community.”

“Hmm,” she lowly hummed as she steadily turned her head to the smaller mare. “It would be wise revert from calling yourself a Falconer.” Her voice had become erie when she said this and the same voice carried over to her next sentimental warning, “The citizens will be looking for a scapegoat and no doubt Falconers will soon find themselves being run out of town or even killed if you continue to flaunt that title around.”

Adridge could admit that she was right and would keep that in mind but right now she wasn’t reluctant to be wasting any time. “The overseer of this village?” she asked again, this time in a flatter tone.

“Directly behind me,” she answered.

Adridge wouldn’t have guessed as there wasn’t even a sign to indicate this. Not to mention that the building didn’t really stand out in particular either. It actually seemed rather small and humble as it was connected to a string of conjoined living spaces or community shops that seemed already broken into and partially raided.

“I was on my way in but couldn’t help but enjoy a good show.” Looking back out to the brawls that took place she added, “I’ll be right behind you but please take you time.”

She knocked on the door and not long after did it open with a Mare cautionary hiding just behind it gingerly poking her head out to see.

Adridge nodded to her and said, “I’ve come to return something stolen from you.”

“Stolen,” she asked but seeing Adridge’s genuine expression she nodded and let her in.

Giving the room a once over as she shut the door behind her she saw that the interior was lined with an assorted collection swords, each one a different model but not quite looking too unique. She counted twelve in total and if any weapon was stolen it had to be from here.

Near the back just below a flight of stares four ponies stood in a group quiety speaking to each other. They were armored by small pieces of metal but mostly wore cloth and they each were a unicorn save it for a celestial who wore nothing for protection.

Going around a wooden counter that ran into the wall the mare asked, “so what had been stolen from me?”

“This,” she answered as she took the fixed weapon from her belt. “It wa…”

“Now let me stop you there,” she interrupted raising a hoof. “I don’t collect fixed weapons as nice as this one may look.” She tilted her head upwards adding, “I’m a unicorn.”

Processing the logic Adridge found that she should have guessed since none of the mounted weapons were fixed blades. She had to shake her head at herself for wasting every ponies time.

The mare then said, “I appreciate the intent but right now I have a crisis to sort out and a milita to organise to help keep the peace. For now I only have twenty strong in a village of six hundred.” She shook her head, “those dafted civilians, how dense! They ran the traders out of town stealing what they could while practically burning down the shops too. With any luck we may as well starve. The army is raiding farms taking most of what's there but maybe I’m a pessimist and should say how they sparingly withheld the sword from this village proclaiming it as theirs, making us Istudians by conquest.”

As she spoke one thing sparked in the opportunistic side of Adridges mind and what she picked up on was that there were no trading carts, and they were going to starve. Almost immediately she asked, “You say you need food?”

The mare's ears perked.

At any rate the Istudians might have already won all of Noriphmy by the time they caught up and the food would have gone bad too. Perhaps is she could exchange it for a longer lasting good they could offer them instead. After all this was a mining village and if anything last forever its metal.

“I have a cart just outside the village,” she began. “I was willing to skip over this place for reason already stated but perhaps we could make a trade.”

“Metal?” she almost blurted. It seemed she was almost as desperate as Adridge right about now and for a brief moment it showed but then she regained her composure and more professionally said, “We can do metal. That's all this mining village is good for and any amount of food will do.”

Adridge was relieved this mare was so easy to convince but no doubt this would benefit both parties. “We’ll take the metal and we’ll be on our way.”

The mare seemed satisfied with the proposition and she said, “perfect, perfect. I will have my milita guide you in and we’ll make the exchange. Then you’ll be off to Ukalove.”

“Where,” she asked as she hadn't actually expected the mare to assigned her a destination. “A village east of here soon to be conquered by the Istudians. They’re going to need this metal to continue lumbering, but another thing, I need you to deliver a carrier too.”

“A carrier?” she asked somewhat thrown off by having been assigned a secondary task. “A carrier for what?”

Just then the front door opened and the Mare Adridge had previously spoken to stepped in. “You summoned me?” Her voice seemed confident and a bit playful too if Adridge could imagine.

Even though Adridge practically worked in groups three for the past few years she wasn’t too intent on having a third party member slogging along aside them. She hardly even knew this mare aside from an idle conversation, and she didn’t want her to hold them back. She shook a hoof and said, “Wait, wait-wait-wait-wait. I’m not an escort and I have no time for strangers.”

“Oh, we don’t need to be strangers,” said the heavy set Mare in a tone that made Adridge feel odd and uncomfortable.

“She has a message to deliver and I only trust her to do so.”

“Why thank you,” she smiled.

“She could travel alone,” Adridge offered. “Or perhaps even nab the next caravan that passes by.”

“You think there'd be any caravans left?” the village over seer asked. “Those armies have messengers and those messengers have tales to tell and they travel to the north and the south, from one horizon to the next. They involuntarily scare merchants and traders away and where are they now? Beyond the armored wall of Istudians, far from us and unable to lend their services.” Stomping the table to emphasise her next statement she said, “there are no more caravans, no traders and no escorts. At least not here, that was made certain enough by the citizens.”

“I’m sorry,” Adridge said shaking her head. “I’m not an escort and I have my own private business to take care of.”

The village leader condescendingly smiled appearing to already be annoyed with Adridges unwillingness to cooperate. “You would think that an unjustified with a sword that big would leap at an opportunity like this to make some extra revenue...”

An unjustified.

The phrase rang through Adridge’s head and boiled her up like none other. An unjustified was considered a pony with no purpose or meaning and so they run around looking for jobs between villages. Most times as a sword for hire, other times as a temporary worker, often times ending up on the wrong end of the moral spectrum.

It infuriated her because she had a purpose and her life had meaning unlike those unjustified who hid in mountains and stabbed two backs; both bandits and civilians.

She was going to retort in such away that was sure to end all possible agreements but before she could the over seer added, “...Or perhaps you’re trying to raise the price of your services.” She shook her head, “Fine, Fine! I’m desperate you know and in a time like this it seems you’ve struck harden, true luck. You get five hundred just to begin, no, I’ll give it all now- Taff! -but of course only if you agree this very moment.”

Adridge paused for a moment and guiltily considered while one thought plagued her mind: ‘A falconer doesn't work for hire.’

It was an unwritten code they all followed. If a pony was in need then it was their duty to do the deed, but times have changed for the worst and as much as Adridge wanted to abide to the code, her better judgment said she was going to need what ever she can get and take whenever they can. It was a terrible thing to say, or in the very least think, but for the greater good… it was worth it.

“I’ll do it.” The code was a moral guideline anyways.

With a very relieved sigh followed up with a polite smile, “amazing! I’ll send my milita to escort you in and then you're off. You don’t know how much this means to me, truly.”

Author's Notes:

Since were working with many different perspectives some sub chapters won't really have full conclusions within the same chapter as a whole so I'm indicating with the triple asterisk that there will be a continuation of it later on.