The next couple weeks passed in a frantic blur of pre-trip preparation and quickly closing out as much of my open business as possible. Considering how long I was likely to be gone, I wanted to make sure I had everything in order before I left. I’m sure Puzzle was doing much the same, though if all the fast-paced scrambling back and forth to get things sorted out bothered him he didn’t let it show. Jerk.

However, when the time came I had everything squared away, my bags packed, and I’d arrived at the docks two hours before our ship was scheduled to head out. In a fitting twist of fate, Puzzle had commissioned the Venture to carry us—the same ship that had originally brought me to Freeport. Though maybe it shouldn’t have been such a surprise, considering I’d sailed out of Coldharbor when coming here, and now we were headed back to Coldharbor to meet Argentium.

I wasn’t an expert in trade routes, but from what I knew the one between Freeport and Coldharbor was pretty steady. Northmarch had plenty of timber, stone, iron, and a few more exotic goods like mead and ceramics. Freeport, as one would expect of a trade hub, almost always had something the various societies in Northmarch wanted.

Northmarch and Freeport did have one thing in common: they were both pretty mixed societies. However, where Freeport was the meeting point of three major empires, the races of Northmarch were ones that never really achieved greatness. The caribou had never set up a proper centralized government, while the isolationist yaks further inland had a basic tribal monarchy. There was also a significant pony populace in Northmarch—a mix of various merchants and adventurers, plus the survivors of the lost Crystal Empire who’d gradually reverted to ordinary ponies in the centuries after Celestia sealed the Crystal Empire away. I’m not sure which category my birth mother’s family had belonged to, though judging by the course my life had taken I would bet they were adventurers.

However, there were more immediate concerns for me than figuring out the exact details of my family tree. Kukri was being a dutiful apprentice, keeping an eye on our bags—or rather, keeping a careful eye on most of them. One suitcase which I was quite certain contained all the schoolwork she needed to do during our trip seemed to be mysteriously drifting towards the water. As I watched, it hit the edge of the docks and tumbled over.

Kukri did her very best to seem genuinely dismayed by this development. “Oh no, this one lost all its homework. What a tragedy.”

I smirked, and lifted the quite dry and safe suitcase back over the edge. “Well, it’s a good thing I spotted it in time, isn’t it?”

Kukri wasn’t a good enough actor to keep the grimace off her face. “Yes. That is ... good. Thank you, Shimmer-mare.”

I snickered and ruffled her head-crest. “You’ll have to do a bit better than that, kid. Though really, it’d probably be easier to just do the work than to keep trying to come up with elaborate plans to try and sneak something past me.”

Kukri crossed her forelegs over her chest and pouted. “Could this one at least tragically lose its algebra homework?”

“No,” I answered quite firmly. “You need that for working out spell formulae. Besides, why would you want to lose the easy homework?”

Kukri stared at me as if I’d spouted that sentence in Old Unicornian. Which, come to think of it, was another subject I needed to make sure she got at least a basic education in. It’s just one of the fundamental parts of a well-rounded education. At least the Doos seemed to be doing a pretty good job with her general schooling, judging by the progress she’d made as my apprentice. Though perhaps there was something going on I wasn’t aware of... “You’re not having trouble with your homework, are you?”

Kukri blinked in surprise, then quickly held up her hooves. “No, this one’s got it!”

“Then why were you trying to get rid of it?” I probed.

“Um...” Kukri shuffled in place, her eyes dropping down and to the side as her cheeks flushed slightly. “This one ... just doesn’t like it.”

“Right. Well get it done anyway.” I couldn’t really fault her for not loving her schoolwork, considering some of the stupid homework assignments I’d had to suffer through in my time at school. Thankfully, none of them had come from Celestia herself. I’d still suffered through them, mostly because I wasn’t going to let anyone think Celestia’s personal student was a slacker. Of course, once I was a bit older and did more than just passively accept whatever schoolwork I was told to do, I had also let the princess know exactly why the rote memorization and regurgitation assignments some of the teachers at the school for gifted unicorns were so fond of were a waste of my time.

If I wound up taking the job at Celestia’s school, I’d definitely be teaching the classes my way. If nothing else, it would be a good way to test out a few of my own ideas about how education ought to be done before opening up my Freeport academy. Plus it would mean I’d have more time to deal with Kukri’s education directly, so I could spare her the horrors of traditional schooling, like algebra homework.

However, all that was a concern for the distant future. Right now I had more immediate concerns to deal with. “You have everything packed up and ready to go?”

Kukri smiled and nodded along, doubtless glad to be off the subject of schoolwork. “Yeah, this one’s got everything. Pencils, paper, textbooks, ‘plasm, and its travelling charm for good luck.” She pulled out a small whalebone statue that looked like the old hammercuda ice sculpture I’d made for her back when we first met. “This one also has a few pieces of metal for enchantment practice, and a few other things you and Mom and Dad told this one to pack. Though it’s not sure it’ll need as many scarves as Mom insisted it pack.”

“Better to have and not need,” I pointed out. Privately, I suspected that Kukri was vastly underestimating exactly how cold Northmarch was going to be. Her time on the Venture had been during summer, and despite its name Coldharbor was actually one of the warmer parts of Northmarch thanks to being next to the ocean. We were heading over later in the year this time, and Argentium’s lair was much further inland.

Speaking of the cold weather... “That reminds me, I got you a little something.” I opened up one of my bags and pulled out a heavy cloak made of alpaca wool, dyed light sky blue. “Probably a bit too warm for you to wear before we get to Northmarch, but it’ll keep you from freezing once we actually get there.”

“Ooooh.” Kukri’s eyes lit up and she trotted over to give it a quick once over, then carefully took it from me and draped it over her back. “This is gorgeous! And the wool is so soft and warm! And the color’s perfect, and it feels almost like this one is wearing a big fuzzy blanket.” She very carefully set the cloak aside, then enthusiastically latched onto me. “Thank you!”

I chuckled and returned the hug. “You’re welcome. It only seemed responsible to get you something warm when I’m dragging you off to the frozen north.”

Kukri smiled and nodded. “Yeah, thanks for that. This one hasn’t mastered how to shift into something like a yak or caribou that can handle cold weather, though Dad did give it a few lessons. Not to mention this is beautiful!” She bit her lip, and I had the distinct impression she was trying not to start squealing.

I grinned and gave her a quick pat on the head. “Glad you like it.” I would’ve been quite miffed if she wasn’t impressed with the cloak after I dropped over a hundred ducats on it.

Kukri opened up her bags, hastily rearranging things to make room for her new cloak. “It seems a shame to put it away right after this one gets it, but it’s a bit too warm. Besides, this one doesn’t want it getting dirty before it gets a chance to wear it.”

“Gotta dress for the weather.” Both of us looked up as Strumming announced herself, trotting over with a pair of extra large saddlebags. “Hey Bacon-mane and pseudo-bacon-mane.” She paused and frowned, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, better nickname, but a bit too long. Needs to be snappier. What’s a good type of fake haybacon to name you after? ‘Facon’ has that whole nice snappy rhyming thing going for it. So that’d make you facon-mane. Can I get a yea or nay on that?”

“I don’t recall getting any feedback on what my childish nickname would be,” I countered, doing my best to sound reasonably polite.

“That’s ‘cause you’re a big tough adult who can handle a little teasing,” Strumming shot back with a grin. “Anyway, good to see you guys.”

I decided to match her ... well, I was pretty sure this was Strumming’s version of trying to be friendly, even if it came off as a bit weird and annoying. “Likewise, Strumming.”

Kukri seemed to take her cue from me, her expression almost perfectly matching my polite but not exactly smile. “Greetings, Heartstrings-mare.”

“Yo.” She waved to both of us with a wing. “You oughta be more careful about giving the kid too many presents, Sunset. You’re gonna end up spoiling her rotten at this rate. Then again, I’m not the one who has to put up with her and be a semi-responsible adult, so I might as well get in on the act. If nothing else, it’ll be amusing to watch her try to shake Bug-Boy down for more presents whenever he shows up.” She grinned and produced a thick linen gambeson in Kukri’s size. “Not quite as flashy as a cloak, but it’s halfway decent armor that’s way more reasonable than getting anything metal made for a kid who’ll outgrow it in six months. Plus unlike certain bacon-maned magi who shall remain nameless, the present I got you will work just as well in Freeport as it will in Northmarch.”

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, refusing to give Strumming the satisfaction of reacting to her teasing. Meanwhile Kukri hesitantly trotted over and took the gambeson, giving it a careful inspection. When she couldn’t find anything wrong with it, she slowly set it on top of her suitcase. “Thank you.”

Strumming grinned and lifted up her traveling cloak, showing off that she was wearing a similar gambeson. “Got it from my usual armor guy. Mine’s a bit fancier, but if you want silk layers and strike plates you can buy them yourself.”

“This one probably won’t buy it,” Kukri answered. “Uncle Glaive always said you should make some of your own armor so you better appreciate the armorsmiths and know the ins and out of your own equipment.” She paused, grimacing. “Not to mention Mom would kill this one if it actually wound up in the middle of a fight.”

Strumming snickered and shook her head. “Pretty sure she’d kill me first. So ... guess that means I better keep you safe.”

Kukri blinked and stared at her, clearly taken aback by what she’d just said. I was pretty surprised by it too. “This one’s not sure how to feel about that.”

Strumming smirked. “I’ve done a halfway decent job of keeping bacon-mane in one piece so far. I’m sure I can keep you safe too, facon. Anyway, we’re all gonna be stuck together on a boat for a few weeks. Gives us lots of time to pass.”

I smirked and pointedly put a hoof on top of the suitcase full of schoolwork. “So plenty of time for Kukri to get all that homework done so she won’t fall behind on her lessons.”

Kukri groaned and buried her head in her hooves. “This one’s beginning to wonder if it made the right call becoming an apprentice magus. If it had known there would so much algebra involved ... maybe it should ask Captain Weyland if there are any opening for cabin fillies? It quite misses swabbing the deck by comparison.”

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “I’m halfway tempted to see this dreaded algebra homework of yours just so I’ll know exactly how much you’re blowing it out of proportion.” When I was her age, I was already getting started on calculus—probably my favorite branch of mathematics because of how important it was for spell formulae.

“Algebra,” Strumming snorted. “Always hated that stuff. Tell you what, kid. If your boss lets you away from homework for a bit, I’ll teach you how to use my throwing knives.”

Kukri blinked in surprise, staring at Strumming like she wasn’t quite sure what to make of that offer. Which made two of us. “This one will think about it. Thanks.”

I stared at her, trying to figure out what Strumming could possibly be planning. She certainly seemed to be making a serious push to win Kukri over. The question was why; did she think it would get her into my good books, or was she just trying to patch things up with Kukri so there wouldn’t be a grudge? Or maybe a little bit of both? Or most worrying, maybe whatever she was up to was something I hadn’t figured out yet.

Strumming trotted onto the Venture, looking over the ship with a faint grin. “Well this is nostalgic. Think I can still see the bloodstains from where Sunset killed that guy after frying the brain of his pirate captain.”

I rolled my eyes and did my best to ignore her needling. “You weren’t even there, you have no idea what to look for. Plus it was on the other side of the ship from where you’re looking.” The run-in with Metal Mome wasn’t one of my favorite memories, considering some of the things I’d done to survive and protect everyone on the Venture, but a lot had happened in the two years since then. Enough that I was ... well I wouldn’t exactly say I was fine with what had happened, but I did what I had to do, and I’d dealt with it.

Kukri trotted onto the deck while carrying my bags, taking a deep breath. “It is good to be back. This one’s missed the Venture, even if it has not missed worrying about things like pirates, seasickness, and doing menial tasks for annoying passengers.”

Strumming smirked at her. “Yeah, now you just get to do menial tasks for Sunset instead. You’re moving up in the world, Facon.”

I trotted back onto the ship, pulling the rest of our baggage aboard, including all the schoolwork that Kukri ‘accidently’ left behind on the docks. “It is kind of nice to see this ship again. Though also a pretty huge coincidence. I can’t help but suspect that Puzzle set things up this way as part of some grand elaborate scheme.” Maybe he was hoping being on the Venture again would remind me of why I’d come to Freeport in the first place? It wouldn’t be the strangest thing he’d ever done to try and nudge me into going whatever direction he had in mind.

“Which grand elaborate scheme is this one up to now?” Puzzle asked mildly as he trotted over to us, loaded down with his own travel bags. “It has so very many going on at any given point that it can be difficult for this one to keep track of them all.”

“Speak of the Nightmare,” Kukri murmured under her breath.

Strumming smirked at my apprentice. “Now now, Bug-boy’s much nicer than a Nightmare. At least, I’m pretty sure that Nightmare Moon doesn’t have such a cute little butt.”

Kukri groaned. “It’s just a turn of phrase, and this one doesn’t need to hear anything about Puzzle’s posterior.”

“When did this one become so famous that it could be spoken of in the same sentence as Nightmare Moon?” Puzzle asked.

“When you hooked up with Strumming,” Kukri shot back teasingly.

“My reputation is widespread and infamous,” Strumming agreed. “The only reason I’m still free is that Celestia hasn’t decided which celestial body to seal me away in. I hope I get something cool, like a comet. Get to travel all around the solar system, check out all the other planets and meet the Maretians and Plutrotians.”

“This one would prefer not to have its mate sealed away in a comet,” Puzzle remarked dryly. “Its bed is not large enough for that. In any case, this one hopes we can all get along. It’s going to be a very long trip if we can’t.”

“Pretty sure she’s just being sassy,” I assured him. “I’ve been trying to get her out of that habit, but I think at this point she’s just careful to avoid doing it directly to me, and going so far that she picks up extra chores.”

“This one has learned a great deal about cleaning the Shimmer-mare’s tower,” Kukri conceded. “And yes, this one's kidding, Puzzle. Though speaking of the Heartstrings-mare, check out what she got this one!” She proudly lifted up the gambeson Strumming had give her. “Ooh, and this, too! This is from the Shimmer-mare!” She opened up her bag to pull out the cloak I’d given her, showing it off to Puzzle.

Puzzle smiled and chuckled. “Very nice, Kukri. Though as this one recalls your birthday is still several months away.”

Kukri answered him with a sassy grin. “Well, don’t let that stop you from getting this one something. It would hate to think that Puzzle was the least generous of its friends...”

I stepped up to Puzzle’s side and murmured, “I just thought she’d need a warm cloak, and I think Strumming's trying to make peace. Didn’t know she’d get spoiled and sassy this fast.”

“In this one’s experience, it doesn’t take much,” Puzzle answered with a grin. “And she certainly needs the extra warm clothing. Take it from another native of Freeport, Northmarch is going to be a shock.” He turned to face Kukri with a teasing smirk. “Now what makes you think this one got you anything?”

Kukri put on her most innocently impish grin, which made her look far too cute for her age. “Precedent, generosity, and this one’s charming personality?”

Puzzle chuckled softly. “Well you are a charming young lady. And while this one did not know it would have be shaken down for presents as soon as it stepped aboard the Venture, it does believe in being prepared.” He opened up one of his bags and pulled out a necklace. I could feel the magic coming off of it, and a quick scan confirmed that it had several low-level protective and comfort charms on it. “Here you go then. This one could think of no more fitting gift than charms for a charming young lady and future magus.”

Kukri eagerly accepted it, hugging him. “Thanks Puzzle!” She carefully put the necklace over her neck, grinning down at it.

I sighed, but I couldn’t keep a smile off my face. “We’re gonna end up spoiling her at this rate. No more presents until she finishes all her algebra.”

“No doubt we’re pampering her a little,” Puzzle agreed. “Though we really only gave her practical things. Armor and warm clothing are only prudent to have before going on an adventure in the wilds of Northmarch. She will certainly appreciate a charm to protect against cold weather once we get into the highlands.”

“Definitely. Though speaking of gifts...” I opened up one of my bags and pulled out a secondary bag I’d layered with multiple protection spells, carefully removing an ancient book from within it. “I got this for Argentium: A Lineage of the Kings and Queens of the Crystal Empire. First edition, published back when there was still a Crystal Empire around and publishing books.”

Puzzle let out a low, impressed whistle. “Very nice. Anything from the Crystal Empire is a rare find, and books even moreso. Argentium will definitely be pleased with this. Where did you get it from, Goldtalon's collection?”

“I figured something tied to the Crystal Empire would be a good pick,” I answered modestly. “Goldtalon recommended someone who specializes in antiques and artifacts from Northmarch, and he’d just gotten back from what was apparently a very fruitful scouting and buying trip. You know Frozen Finds, right?”

Puzzle blinked at the name, then grimaced. “This one does, yes. Did you buy this from him?”

Kukri picked up on just how unhappy he was to hear the name and jumped to a conclusion. “Is the book a fake? It would have to be over a thousand years old. It’s incredibly rare for any book to last that long, especially in such good condition.”

I frowned and shook my head. “I got this verified as carefully as I could before I bought it: if it’s a fake it’s a good enough one to fool my spells and two experts on ancient books. Besides, Frozen has a good reputation, and Goldtalon wouldn't recommend a guy who sells fakes. It’d ruin both of them if that ever came out.” Another possibility sprang to mind. “Although ... well, there was some pretty serious protective rune magic on the book. That’s why it’s still in good shape despite the age. I didn’t remove them since they’re doing their job, but I suppose it’s just barely possible I missed something.”

“Runework...” Kukri’s eyes widened. “What if this Frozen stole it from Argentium?! She could definitely make runes that could preserve a book for thousands of years!”

I immediately shook my head. “It’s not that. Stealing treasure from a dragon as old and powerful as Argentium is pretty close to impossible. I mean, maybe you could get away with it while they’re hibernating, but it’s been almost a century since Argentium did that. If anyone had taken anything from her back then, we would’ve heard about it.”

Puzzle nodded along. “She almost certainly would’ve told this one at some point in her dealings with it. Almost nothing enrages a dragon more than stealing from their hoard, and she would have moved heaven and earth to get such a book back. She certainly would have informed this one at some point if part of her hoard was missing; given its resources and skills it would be a logical choice to find the culprit. Freeport certainly sees more than its share of stolen goods for sale. Goldtalon may be very careful to verify the authenticity and legitimacy of what he sells, but there are those in his line of work who are less scrupulous.

“And is this Frozen Finds one of the ones who does such things?” Kukri probed.

Puzzle frowned and shook his head. “Nothing of the sort. In fact, he was more of an explorer, who sold some of his finds to private collectors that finance his expeditions. What concerns this one is that Frozen was found dead this morning.”

That hadn’t been what I was expecting to hear. “What?! How? I was in his shop just two days ago to finalize the purchase!”

Puzzle grimaced. “The condeterri are trying to figure that out. According to witnesses, his shop and the loft he lives in above it suddenly exploded in the middle of the night. There was so little left of the building and his remains that they’re assuming it was him in the ruins until they can confirm the body’s identity by other means.”

“Wow.” I wasn’t sure what to make of it. It was just so strange to think that the shop I’d been in a few days ago was rubble and the guy who’d sold me the book was dead. “I can’t believe it.”

“It’s got a lot of people stirred up,” Puzzle continued. “Last this one heard, they’re trying to figure out if it was some sort of freak accident or something much more intentional.”

I grimaced and shook my head. “If we weren’t leaving in a couple hours...”

“Quite,” Puzzle agreed. “The Council actually asked this one to look into the matter and inquired about retaining your services. It would have accepted if not for the trip.” He scowled down at the deck. “Whether it was an accident or a deliberate act, the Council is going to come down hard on whoever was responsible. They definitely don’t like seeing a respectable storefront in the middle of the merchant quarter in ruins and its owner dead. As for what happened ... near as this one knows, Frozen didn’t have any enemies. At least not the type that would likely kill him, much less knock over a whole building to do it.”

“It’s a lot more extreme than the usual Freeport Special,” Strumming agreed. “I mean, if he turned up floating in the harbor with a knife wound in his back, that’d be one thing. This...” She frowned, tapping her chin. “If it was a murder, then the real odd part out is smashing the building. It’s way outside Freeport’s usual style. Buuut the usual rule is that if the killer destroys the scene of the crime, it’s because they want to cover something up. This guy’s clearly moving some high-value goods, and if his store’s rubble it’s gonna take a long time to figure out if anything’s missing. Assuming they can even find find his ledger...”

“It could be an accident,” I argued. “I’m pretty sure guys like Goldtalon don’t want to set a precedent that it’s okay to kill them for their merchandise. I’d bet they’re all going to be incredibly suspicious of anyone who turns up trying to sell Crystal Empire artifacts. Why steal it if you can’t sell it for anything?”

“And any private collector who wanted it that bad would’ve just bought it,” Puzzle pointed out. “Frozen was a merchant.”

“So maybe he got some magical artifact that went boom?” Strumming suggested.

“I didn’t notice anything like that when I was in his shop,” I murmured with a frown. “Though I wasn’t specifically looking for it either. His shop’s wards were the usual mix of several different casters upgrading and modifying things over many years, not to mention all the various preservation spells on all his artifacts, and lingering stuff from previous owners, like the rune spells on my book. That’s enough different magic floating around that you could maybe get some sort of catastrophically bad reaction.”

“Aren’t those incredibly rare?” Kukri asked. A second later, she realized the flaw in her own question. “But just because it’s doesn’t mean it could never happen...”

Strumming raised a hoof. “Am I the only one who’s just a little bit concerned that all this went down just two days after Bacon-mane bought something from the guy? I mean, maybe it’s just a coincidence, but...” She shrugged. “Insert clichéd stock phrase about how there’s no such thing as coincidences here.”

I shrugged. “I really don’t see any way it could possibly be connected to me. I just bought something from him. I’m sure I’m not the only client he's had recently. We don’t even know if there was a crime, though if it was a murder I hope they catch whoever did it.”

“That is all true,” Puzzle agreed. “Still, this one dislikes it. Especially when its meeting with the Council left it ill at ease. They seemed ... this one has a certain instinct for knowing when others are hiding something important from it. It suspects the Council knows something about this incident they have not revealed. And something this one is unaware of, which is equally concerning. If you will forgive the expression, it feels like we’re missing an important piece of the puzzle here.”

“Cute.” Strumming frowned, then nodded to herself. “Blowing up a building sounds an awful lot like something that’d take dark magic to me. And we all know that makes me kill bad guys in ways that provoke vengeful relatives and lots of debating about morals and ethics. I’d love to stick around and dig into this some, but we’ve got a couple thousand miles to go and a big old dragon to meet. I’m sure your guys can handle the investigation.”

“This one’s subordinates are quite capable,” Puzzle agreed. “It trusts them to manage things well enough in its absence, including a few routine investigations.”

“Exactly.” Strumming grinned and wrapped a wing around them. “Gotta let the kids grow up and do their own thing eventually. They can have their own little side quest while we go off and do our epic journey of dragon-meeting.”

A very awkward silence fell over all of us, until Kukri pointedly cleared her throat. “Well ... um. On that happy note, maybe we should get ready to cast off?”

“Sounds good to me,” I quickly agreed, if only to avoid lingering on the issue. The last thing we needed was for things to get awkward while we were stuck together on a ship for the next couple weeks of our several months long journey.

Author's Notes:

As always, thanks to my pre-reading and editing team for all their hard work. Also, I would like to thank all my dedicated Patreon supporters. You guys are awesome.

Click here if you want to join the list of awesome people who support my writing.

Aidan Hall
Albert Wen
Alt Grendel
Batbrony
Benjamin McLaren
Borg Lord
Brion Wauters
Charles M. Hagmaier
Chris Hall
ColdSilverD
Combine
Comma-Kazie
Creideiki
Cyanhyde
DaB.
Darkarma
Deep Cover
Dixie Daley
djthomp
Edmon Star
Emlyn Costilow
Errant
FallenAngelXy
Forderz
Guldane
Jessica T
nfreak
Patrick
Ponibius
Shank
Singularity Dream
Sweet Gale
Sylvain Colinet
Trinary
waritah
Web of Hope
Zennyth