Gilda woke, staring at the planks and mortar that made the ceiling of her room. The door to the balcony in the main room was open and it let in the smell of cooking food and the voices of calmly talking griffons. The fanfare of the party was gone. She had a bit of a headache, but she was more interested in the open book laying on the bed and the missing Grunhilda. Some noises came from beyond a bamboo screen, and they made Gilda think Grunhilda was busy with something.

Good morning, my most beloved child.

“Hi…” Gilda spoke softly. “Was… That a dream?”

What part of it? My beautiful children sharing the throes of passion, or your fervent promise that you would deliver me Griffonia?

Great… Gilda took her paws to her face and grimaced in silence at the hotness in her cheeks.

That was a promise, was it not?

Yes. Yes, it was… Gilda slowly lowered her paws. It was a promise. She could’ve worded it in a less embarrassing way, but it was a promise. It was the best for griffons. It was the best for Griffonia… Even if they didn’t understand. Even if it was also for Gilda’s benefit. It was what was best for griffons everywhere.

The Harpy didn’t leave Gilda… She could ‘feel’ her presence, but she took a few moments before she replied.

I will leave you to your day but remember that I am always listening.

Sitting on the bed, Gilda frowned. There was a strange feeling of knowing associated with the short conversation.

But she didn’t have much time to think about it, as Grunhilda came out from behind the bamboo screen and gasped loudly when she found Gilda awoke. She pounced onto the bed and showed a huge grin. “Good morning, Miss Gilda!”

She hugged Gilda like she wanted to crush her and then she pecked softly at Gilda's cheeks a few times, until the tan griffoness laughed softly.

“Hey, hey… Chill!” Gilda chuckled, batting softly at the other with her paws.

“I prepared the bath!” The white griffoness finally let go and sat on the bed, staring happily happily at Gilda like she expected to be told she was a good thrall.

“Good job! Big Girl.” Gilda petted her crest.

Grunhilda's chest was a little damp and she smelled of pine, as though she had already taken a bath. Not to mention that her big blue eyes looked incredibly beautiful. Even more so when she blushed at the intense stare Gilda gave her. She even shifted her head a little and smiled.

Gilda grabbed her shoulders and held her close, clicking their beaks together and pecking gently at her silky feathers. She held Grunhilda in her forelegs and her paws grabbed at the white griffoness, holding her skin and her feathers in her fingers.

Grunhilda stiffened a bit and hummed contently, stretching her back like Gilda had hurt her, but she held Gilda too and didn’t try to free herself.

Why Gilda was so needy, she herself didn’t know. Maybe it had been last night and their little romp. But she didn’t want to let go and at the first opportunity their beaks fit together, she held Grunhilda’s nape, and she only let her go when they needed air again.

Grunhilda gasped and blushed, panting a little. “Can we do… that? Again?”

“I swear that I would if we didn’t need to get stuff ready to travel north…” Gilda panted too, stroking the feathers behind Grunhilda’s head. “But you can bet your cute rump it won’t be too long.”

“Okay!” Grunhilda giggled and Gilda pecked her forehead before letting go. “Do you want me to help with your morning bath?”

“Nah…” Gilda nodded to the open book before she climbed off the bed with a yawn. “Just keep at your book.”

“Okay!”

The room’s bathtub was behind the bamboo screen. Gilda hadn’t even bothered with it when they came in at night, but it was just big enough for a large griffon and made of wood and iron straps. Most importantly, the water on it was hot and smelled of pine. Next to the tub was an iron bucket, a small fireplace what was used recently, and a clean chamber pot. That was good because Gilda really needed that after all that drinking last night.

Her headache diminished as the bothering in her bladder drained away, and then completely alleviated as soon as the refreshing smell of pine claimed her nares for good. Feeling reinvigorated already, she quickly gave herself a bath. Some splashes of water in her face, her belly and her private parts and she felt as fresh as the aroma in the water. She even dipped herself and chirped happily, spreading wings and throwing water all over.

That was when she stopped and looked around at the mess she made with a stare that was probably similar to Grunhilda’s dumb stare.

Then she shrugged and hopped off the water to dry herself off. The floor had some stone finish, probably because the griffons that made that place knew water was to be involved and that messes would happen anyway.

With that stray thought, she just left the towel in a hanger. The innkeepers would probably take care of that. But it didn’t stop there. Her steps almost hopped her back to the room proper and she smiled at Grunhilda.

“Hey, I guess I’m gonna see the others, and then I’ll be going to the market.” She beamed. “I suppose we need something to carry my magical jewelry, something to protect Mythical, and find you a teacher that will tell you how to use that sweet bow!”

Just as she said that she frowned. She realized that her plan of moving on as soon as possible may be a little difficult... As Gia had indicated. Unless she could find a teacher that would travel with them. Yeah! That sounded like a good idea.

Grunhilda joined her though. “I'd rather go with you, if that is okay.”

“Sure!” She smiled and stroked the feathers on Grunhilda’s face. For a little longer than it would be considered comfortable.

“Miss Gilda, is everything alright?” Grunhilda held her paw and gave Gilda a concerned smile.

“Yeah…” Gilda smiled a little more. “Sorry. I don’t know why I am so sappy today.”

Finally, she let go and nodded at the door with a smile. Going out, Grunhilda followed her to the corridor. The smell of burning fats and roasting meats became almost too intense, but what interested Gilda was that they walked into Gertha and Gia followed by Geary. The trio walked towards the stairs from their rooms.

“Hey boss!” Gertha greeted her with a bit of a tired smile, but Gilda hugged Gertha like she hadn’t seen a friend for decades. It was an impulse, and had she thought about it for a second, she probably wouldn’t have done that. The pink griffoness, after tensing up, chuckled nervously but didn’t resist. “Whoa! I’m happy to see you too, boss!”

“Sorry…” Gilda let go and blushed with a downward stare. When had she struggled with words so much before? “I think I had a dream or something… I’m a bit sappy… I Just… I just… I’m glad you guys are here. I left all my friends far away… And… I guess this is… I don’t know… Sorry.”

“Heeey!” Gertha opened a huge smile and hugged Gilda herself. “I’m glad you’re here too Gilda!”

“I think you would call yourself a ‘dweeb’…” Gia growled impatiently next to the pink griffoness.

“You’re a bitch.” Gertha let go and turned to the green griffoness with a scowl. “Did you know that?”

“No offense.” Gia gave them a petulant stare down her beak. “But I’m not your friend. We’re partners on a temporary arrangement for mutual benefit.”

“Whatever you say, Gia.” Gilda just smiled at her.

“Geez, you’re creeping me out!” Gia ruffled her feathers. “I’m getting out of here before you turn me gay too, or something.”

“I’m glad you’re here too, Gilda.” Geary smiled at her and then trotted off after Gia, leaving the three alone.

“So, I’m not sure what is going on,” Gertha shrugged. “But you can count on me!”

“I’ll go gay for you if you want.” She chuckled and Gilda chuckled at her joke too.

But Grunhilda hummed angrily at the conversation, and that made Gertha burst out laughing. “Sorry, Grunhilda. I didn’t mean to exclude you.”

Gilda and Gertha laughed again, and they walked to the stairs that led to the main hall. Without any warning, Grunhilda gasped so loud they turned to look at her and her huge, shocked blue eyes. “You mean that three griffonesses can do it too?”

“Oh boy…” Gertha gave a concerned frown that changed into an awkward grin.

“This is really not the time to talk about this.” Gilda did her best not to externalize her most childish thoughts on the conversation, and Grunhilda obeyed, like the good thrall she was.

They walked down the stairs and the main hall was half-full of griffons, most of them not known to her. Yet, Gilda immediately saw the two ex-soldier guys. She waved at them, and they responded with polite nods. It just occurred to her that she didn’t know anything about them. Other than they wanted in, and that they were ex-military from the Griffonian Standing Army.

She stopped for a second and contemplated going to them and maybe learning their names, or what it was that they did in the army, but she decided against bothering them during their breakfast.

“Hello, Lady Gilda!” The slightly round innkeeper and one of her sons approached her, bringing some wooden trays on their backs with lots and lots of foods and green bottles. They took the trays with their beaks and laid them on the floor in front of Gilda and the others after the customers had sat on their pillows. “The city may be paying for your stay, but breakfast is free anyways!”

A trio of simple green bottles were left by the fire, and a few trays just for Gilda’s group, included sizzling sausages and yellow slices of cheese. Some fruits such as peaches, grapes, prunes, strawberries, and wedges of tangerines. A stack of a few fried eggs, and empty cups. Gilda supposed those were for the bottles of something smelling of wine and spices.

The owner smiled radiantly at Gilda while her son finished laying a couple of pitchers with water and some towels. “If you would like anything else, or if anything is amiss, please tell us!”

After they left, and while Gilda took stock of the food that they left, Grunhilda licked her beak and promptly washed her paws with the water before she grabbed one of the sausages and bit it in half. Then she licked her beak and her finger because the thing was obscenely juicy.

Gilda and Gertha didn’t stay too long behind. The former picked another sausage, the other a wedge of cheese and both tasted those for a few seconds. Then Gilda grabbed the hot bottle by the fire. The opening was wrapped in a fine mesh tied with a short string. Without thinking too much, she poured some of the liquid in one of the cups. It was wine, hot and smelling of several spices Gilda didn’t know. But the combination smelled and tasted wonderful.

“So, what is the plan for today?” Gertha asked with a happy smile, also serving herself some of the spiced wine.

Gilda stared at her drink. “I want to find someone that can train Grunhilda with her bow during our travel.”

“I’d like to see that.” Gia sat closer to them. “You’ll need a hunter willing to let you drag them to all the way to the edge of the habitable world. I would bet that most of them make decent living by hunting in the area, and you would have to cough up a ridiculous sum to convince them.”

“I could help her…” Gertha held her cup and her fingers strummed it. “I mean… I’m better with a crossbow, and bows are completely different beasts… But I started with a bow my dad taught me how to hunt with. I’m sure I can teach her the basics and a more experienced archer can teach her further once we arrive in Griffindell.”

“That sounds great.” Gilda grinned. “How much do you want for it?”

Gertha’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “Oh, no! No. I’d be doing it for free since we’re already travelling together, and I supposedly work for you. I kind of like Grunhilda and I want to annoy Gia.”

Gia huffed and gave her a smirk before she sipped from her drink. “Going straight for that employee of the month bonus, are you?”

“Well, I can say I wouldn’t be doing it for free if it was for you.” Gertha deadpanned and then grumbled behind her wine.

“Thanks, Gertha.” Gilda chuckled at them. “I really appreciate it.”

“We should get her a beginner-friendly bow though.” Gertha added.

“That’s a thing?” Gilda blinked at her.

“Oh yeah!” Gertha nodded enthusiastically. “Bows have different types and draw weights. Heavier bows need more strength and their longer range need more experience to figure out the wind and stuff. Even if Grunhilda is probably strong enough to start with a heavier bow, she needs to wrap her head around the starting skills before that. There are also different kinds of arrows and arrowheads.”

Gilda nodded at her. “How do you feel about that, Grunhilda?”

“I would be honored!” The white griffoness cheered, holding a few wedges of tangerine in her paws. “I like Miss Gertha too!”

“That’s settled them!” Gilda nodded to Gertha. Not like Gilda would refuse free stuff anyways, and she trusted Gertha. Apparently that bath really worked its socialization magic.

A few minutes of mindless banter and eating tasty food passed before Mister Gillian approached them from the stairs to the rooms. It was not like he was sloppy before, but he got his feathers all perfectly preened, and his fur brushed. He used some sort of perfume and the two of his guys that followed him had a similar appearance. He didn’t sit with them, though; he talked from the other side of the fire.

“Lady Gilda, I’ll be going to the market to get the supplies we’ll need for the travel to Frozenlake.” He told her. “Maybe, if we’re lucky, we could find some closed carts for sale… But those might get expensive.”

“Not a problem.” She told him, reaching for another sausage. “I have a lot of money in the bank. And I’m sure Lady Gwendolen will settle things once we get there. If it’s needed.”

He nodded with a discreet smile. “I have a good reputation with the locals, and they should accept that if it comes to making debts.”

With that, he signaled for his guys to follow him. Gilda raised a paw. “Dude, you’re not gonna eat something?”

“I already did, Lady Gilda.” He assured her before he left. “We woke earlier so that we could go take care of that.”

Then he smiled a little. “It’s sort of my job.”

“Alright.” She smiled at him too. “I’ll get to the market too. Gotta find a bow for Grunhilda. I also figure I should know the city a little.”

He nodded and left them to their breakfast. It didn’t last long, even as the others joined them. They spent some time throwing conversation away and after they were satisfied, Gilda sent Grunhilda to their room to fetch Mythical, their money and her red scarf. With the scarf around her neck and Mythical on her back Gilda was ready to go see the city. Grunhilda had her fox pelt backpack and Gertha had a small black leather satchel across her chest.

But before they left, Gia and Geary joined them. She also had her red scarf around her neck and her thrall had his shield and axe on his back, as well as a small backpack too.

“Hey, are you going with us?” Gilda welcomed her.

“Not really.” Gia gave them the usual arrogant stare. “But I need to see Gelinda, and she left early to help the local doctor with something. Since we are going the same way, I suppose we could walk together. Only if to ensure you don’t mess anything up. I have a reputation to keep, and I am afraid the locals have associated us together.”

“Sure, Gia.” Gilda chuckled.

“Anyways,” The green Gia rolled her eyes. “The market is across from the stream and the entrance to the city proper is beyond. Doctor Gordi’s clinic is in the Market too, but in side the inner gates. Thus, we’ll be walking together.”

“Are you done?” Gertha asked with a bored expression.

Gia simply raised her beak and started walking. “Yes.”

“Can’t we just go the other way and wait for her to forget us?” Gertha sat and frowned at Gilda.

“Don’t mind her.” Gilda shrugged. “She’s only doing that because she has a hurt ego over her plan failing in Thunderpeak. Inside, she’s happy we’re with her.”

“She could show it a little better…” Grunhilda frowned too.

“Trust me,” Gilda put a paw on her chest before she motioned for them to walk with her. “It’s insecurity. Let’s go.”

They caught up with Gia and Geary soon after they crossed the small wooden bridge over the stream. It was a small, arched, and rustic bridge. Small round stones decorated the cobblestones where they walked, and cubs of different colors prowled by the edge of the stream. Tails whipping from one side to the other and way too serious frowns on their young faces.

Gia and Geary paid them no attention, but Gilda couldn’t help finding a parallel between them and herself with Grunhilda hunting rats in Haybale. Except the fish were probably much cleaner.

Crossing the bridge, they were officially in the market and the first stall they found had a patron. None other than Gertha’s brother, the wine-colored Guile with a backpack of his own. The stall was basically a drawer under a glass top with the wares safely in sight. Very beautiful gold and silver, including some iron jewelry in display. Most of them with shiny and beautiful stones and gems.

But, perhaps, the most precious of them was Gertha’s brother and his concerned frown over the jewelry. Next to him, a large and mean griffon stood guard while a bored looking griffon lady with an apron sat behind the stand. Gilda and Gertha stopped to look too, with Grunhilda in tow.

“Uh… You okay, Gui?” Gertha approached and the guard noted their presence but didn’t do anything. She looked at the stuff in display and then at him.

“I gotta buy her something.” He kept his stare over the jewels.

Since Gertha probably didn’t remember anything from the previous night, it didn’t surprise Gilda when his sister gave him a confused stare. “Her? Her… Who?”

“Gil…” He mumbled, rubbing his jaw.

“Perhaps I can help…” The female behind the stand spoke with a strong voice in the deep end of the female range. She didn’t sound impatient, though. “What is the occasion?”

“We’re gonna marry.” He said, staring at the jewels in display. “So, I should buy something for her.”

Gertha pressed her lores before she groaned and talked to him. “Guile… Why did you put it in your head that you’re getting married? To the Mister Gillian’s daughter?!”

“You were so drunk you didn’t notice Gil was all over your brother…” Gia spoke with her typical uncaring tone.

“Guile…” Gertha growled.

“Excuse me?” He gave her an annoyed stare. “You’re not mom. And even if you were, this is none of your business.”

“Fine!” The pink griffoness put up her paws but didn’t leave. “I don’t care.”

Gilda didn’t care, really. As far as she could imagine, that was fallout from the scare she and Madam Gelinda had given Gil before the bath. She didn’t know how open she had been about that to Guile, but she felt somewhat responsible. Just a bit. But it was better to just watch from a safe distance and with a shut beak.

“You should give her something that would remind her of you.” The storeowner griffoness spoke simply. “In fact, it should be something that you made for her, if you wish to honor the northerner traditions.”

“I’m a mercenary.” He cried. “What am I supposed to do? Lop off the head of a griffon and give it to her?!”

After a second of awkward silence only broken by Gertha’s angry humming and infuriated heavy breathing, the big, mean griffon next to the stand shrugged. “Does she have any enemies?”

“Just buy her something pretty and be done with this dumbness…” Gilda grumbled.

He nodded and looked down at the jewels again, finally pointing at one. “How much is this one?”

“One thousand, two hundred Eagles.” The older female declared.

He sniffed once before he rubbed his jaw again. Then he turned to Gilda. “Uh… Can I get an advancement of my salary, or something?”

That caught Gilda by surprise. Almost as the sound of Gertha slapping her own face with her paw.

She expected that some cool-looking mercenary dude would have a good amount of money stored in the banks or something. Well, her first reaction was to tell him ‘no’. Of course not! If there was something she had learned in those days was that nobody was taking care of her and that she had to take care of herself and Grunhilda. Not even The Harpy was likely to give her random money for frivolous bullshit if she didn’t earn it. If he wanted to give Gil a gift, that was his problem, not hers.

Then again, it kind of was Gilda’s fault that Gil found herself in her situation and the later had dragged Guile into it. There was plenty of ‘kind of’ in that whole situation, but Gilda couldn’t completely distance herself from it. He was Gertha’s brother too… And she liked Gertha. If anything, it was sweet that Guile wanted to give Gil something. And Gilda also wasn’t aware of just how much of the whole thing he understood. Did it matter? Did she care?

She silently hummed at herself, because apparently, she did care. She was still pondering the whole thing.

You are not responsible for the personal choices griffons make, Child.

Well, yeah… She wasn’t. But she didn’t like to think of Gertha, or her brother, in need when she could have helped. That was what Gary had done to her. Rainbow Dash didn’t rush to help her either. And she was being petty, but the point was that Gilda was in a position to help and she put herself in their place. Their lives weren’t at risk, and there was nothing keeping him from saving his own money and getting whatever for Gil.

But, on the other paw, Gilda had never had a lot of money. Much less the credibility to deal with that amount of money. Her chest filled with a warm, fuzzy feeling just thinking of helping another griffon like that. They were supposed to be a team, right? They were supposed to help each other. To have each other’s backs. She was sure that Guile would remember that she was nice to him.

She finally shrugged. “Alright. We can work it out. Give me the booklet, Grunhilda.”

Gia shook her head while Grunhilda rummaged on her backpack. “You know you’re not actually rich, don’t you?”

“How many Eagles do you have to your name?” Gilda showed a smug grin while the griffoness behind the stall offered her a feather pen and a small container with ink. “I mean, after Lady Gwendolen took everything from you for being a sneaky bird?”

“And then they say I’m the bitch…” Gia groused and ruffled her feathers, staring daggers at Gilda as she wrote the check and gave it to Guile.

And Guile had a huge grin, giving the check to the northerner griffoness. She took some time examining it, but them she stored it under the display.

While she lifted the glass to grab the item, Gertha sat in front of her brother and grumbled at him. “Listen here, you big oaf… Get your feathers straight and wear some perfume. Maybe a tie. Talk like you’re civilized and don’t offer her a beer, or something.”

“You know I’m an adult, right?” He frowned and cocked an eyebrow at her.

And once the older griffoness handed him a nice package wrapped in blue linen, he put it under his wing and grinned at Gilda. “Thanks, boss! I won’t forget this! But I better get to her before she wakes up!”

Finally, he rushed over the bridge, making his way to the inn, and leaving them behind.

“Well, that was something.” The older northerner griffoness spoke in her calm manner, raising an eyebrow.

“Thanks?” Gertha grimaced at Gilda and frowned. “I guess?”

“Hey, no griffon ever gave me a nice jewel.” Gilda laughed. “I’d be happy!”

Well, except for Lady Gwendolen, but Gilda was pretty sure she didn’t mean it the same way Guile did. Maybe she was just in a good mood, and she grinned to the others. “Come on. Let’s see the city.”

Gia rolled her eyes but walked along anyways. “It’s nothing special. Just a boring frontier city.”

Gilda had never seen the boring frontier city, so she decided she’d have fun looking for a store or something that sold her a bow and a wrapping for Mythical.

The path snaked up a soft hill going towards the inner walls of the city all the way to the open inner gates. Another path turned down to the wayside, circling around the city’s inner walls and Gilda supposed that was a way to the north gates of the outer walls. The one she would be taking on her way out to Frozenlake.

The buildings all had a rustic charm to them. Stone and clear mortar walls, or tightly fit together walls of planks, all of them with the structure made entirely of thick logs covered in moss. Some of them had stone foundations and wooden walls, and others had slanted roofs that reached the ground instead of walls. Thatched roofs, or made with styled, tear shaped tiles made of wood covered the structures. Thick windows probably let the sunlight in but provided little visibility in exchange for the protection against the cold.

And it was cold. Every now and then thunder would sound from the windy and gray clouds above, but at the ground level it wasn’t more than a soft breeze. It was cold, though. It reminded her how far Gilda was from the hot Griffonstone.

It bothered Gilda a little, but Grunhilda seemed to be right at home, following her with a soft spring in her step.

The pathway was flanked with small shops. Open doors and displays of items in front, and a lot of griffons browsing the merchandise. Many of them seemed like refugees, trying to fit in. Or, maybe, not lose themselves in their insecurity. They just didn’t fit with the northerner griffons such as the lady selling jewelry. They wore protection against the cold, for example, such as scarves and coats.

Curiously enough, Gilda witnessed one of the local militias wearing leather armor politely asked that a southerner griffoness browsing stuff removed her red scarf.

“Most of them seem to be southerners going north…” Gia spoke in a bored voice. “Or just tourists, as though there wasn’t a war about to blow under their beaks.”

“What else are they supposed to do?” Gertha shrugged. “Hide inside their homes and pretend that there is nothing going on? I think they’re right, moving to the north before the war blows and they’re caught by the loyalists and end up being drafted into the GSA. Because that is what is going to happen sooner or later.”

Gilda nodded silently and Gia didn’t speak anymore. It hadn’t occurred to Gilda that southerner griffons would have reasons to fear for their safety. But it seemed obvious that the GSA, being scummy assholes. Like the murder-parents-for-petty-reasons degree assholes that they were, they would force the population to fight for them claiming patriotism and stuff.

Celestia would have little problems sanctioning support for the Chancellor, especially if Luna informs her of what she found last night. In her position, it would be incredibly easy to turn the world against us before we are ready to respond. I am taking steps to deal with that, however.

Around Gilda and her inner conversation with Mother Harpy, Gia and Gertha still spoke. And the former had her arrogant tone of a griffoness convinced that she was never wrong. “You are incredibly naïve if you think that The Lion isn’t going to use every griffon that he can get his paws on to fight the GSA as soon as the war starts. Moreover, I am convinced that he is likely to start the war as soon as he is comfortable.”

“At least then griffons would be fighting for their freedom to choose, not for a corrupt politician to keep exploiting them.” Gertha retorted.

True, Gilda agreed silently, but they both missed the point. The problem wasn’t only the griffon politicians. The problem was also Celestia and her ability to turn the world against Lord Gilad. Especially if she knew, through Luna, that The Harpy not only is real, but that she has been hiding from her and is preparing to take over Griffonia.

Despite her thoughts, the general mood was one of happiness. Until out of nowhere, a trio of small cubs, running like their lives depended on it, zoomed past them. One of them carried a large piece of something similar to a piece of ham in his beak and weaved his path between Gilda and Grunhilda as the two adults gasped and flared their wings in surprise. One of the other two literally dashed under Gertha and caused her to hop with a surprised yelp, and the third ran around them.

Seconds later, a furious tan griffoness came the same way they had come and flapped her wings like she was going to murder someone. “Get back here! You’re too old for these games!”

Gilda jumped out of her way and once the commotion was resolved Grunhilda giggled while Gertha approached them. “You okay?”

“Geez! What was that?” Gilda chuckled, patting the dirt out of her plumage.

“Kids…” Gia grumbled, and her feathers ruffled. “I hope I’ll dodge them for the duration of my life.”

Gertha chuckled too. “Aw… They’re not that bad. They’re just a lot of work sometimes.”

While the two of them exchanged arguments and Grunhilda helped Gilda get rid of the dirt, one thing got Gilda’s attention. There weren’t a lot of kids in Griffonstone. In comparison, the market was brimming with life in the form of excited and colorful little griffons. Not only from the southerner griffons that littered the place, but lots of young griffons helping their parents in the market.

Talking excitedly, jumping up and down, pulling their parents’ wings and begging for stuff, congregating around the stalls that sold foods or just running around. There were young griffons and kids everywhere. From the very young hiding behind their parents’ legs or young teenagers walking around and talking, proudly showing preened feathers or their red satin scarves.

Griffonstone wasn’t always like that though. It used to be filled with young griffon families and kids everywhere. Well, Gilda was no sociologist, but that seemed like a symptom of the mess Griffonia had become. She supposed parents felt unsafe having kids when the country was about to splinter.

It just spoke of how deeply ingrained and matured were Griffonia’s problems. Parents just up and left from Griffonstone towards the north, despite the threat of monsters. They believed that the dude that they barely knew from the North had a greater chance of protecting them than the politicians in the south.

Gilda raised an eyebrow at her thoughts as she couldn’t really fault those griffons. Then she stopped. Did Mother Harpy have anything to do with that? That would be reasonable.

Then Gertha’s excited voice distracted her. “Hey! Fritters!”

She rushed ahead to a larger stall surrounded with griffon kids sitting around and eating something with gusto. It had a large frying pan in a metallic stand over a fire and a large northerner griffoness covered in white and bronze deep fried something. Behind her probably was her house, a small and comfortable dwelling made of stone and wood.

“Good morning!” She smiled grandiosely. “Can I offer you some banana fritters? Only five Eagles each.”

“Oh! Yes!” Gertha promptly started rummaging her satchel for the money. “I want two!”

“Uh…” Gilda approached and looked at the griffon cubs half eating, half smearing the things on their faces. “I thought the northerners didn’t like sweet stuff.”

“Don’t worry m’lady.” The griffoness waved a paw at her and laughed. “It only has bananas, honey and dough. Madame Gelinda says this is perfectly fine for you.”

“Oh… I guess I’ll try one.” Gilda grinned and put out her paw for Grunhilda to give her the sack with their money. “One for my thrall too.”

After she paid the griffoness and she passed along the morsels of food Gia just stared with a bored expression. “You know this is good for cubs, don’t you? This isn’t adult food.”

“It’s good for the soul!” Gertha mumbled and chirped happily in between bites at her second fritter.

“Hum!” Gilda also mumbled happily. “This is really good!”

Gia sighed at the sight of the three happily eating those sweets in the middle of the little cubs. “I can’t believe how immature you are.”

Gilda gobbled down a piece of her fritter and smiled. “Nah. This stuff is good.”

It was a bit hot, and she was used to much sweeter desserts and snacks, but she wasn’t going to complain. Huh… Maybe she could bake ‘northerner-friendly’ scones in her new home. Anyways, she was going to offer a piece to Gia when she saw one of the little houses behind her. A sign said that was Gob’s hunting supplies.

“Oh!” She finished her fritter in a hurry. “This looks good!”

She walked up small wood steps to a wood door decorated with a nice lattice work. On the other side she found a small store with a table by the opposite wall and several bows and arrows hung on the right wall. Different kinds of wood and arrowheads distracted her until a griffon on the other side greeted her with a happy greeting.

“Welcome, m’lady!” She turned to see a nice-looking griffon guy with soft facial expressions and vibrant cyan eyes almost hiding behind the gray-tipped feathers that hung from his head. He sat behind a counter and friendly waved a paw at her. “I’m Gob and I work with hunting supplies! My mate makes a killer stew if you’re hungry! From deer hunted with my tools and with carrots from local farms!”

“Hey.” She greeted him with a smile too while Gertha and Grunhilda entered too, looking casually at the exposed items. “I’m looking for some stuff.”

She looked at Gertha, who also smiled at the storeowner, indicating Grunhilda with a paw. “Hi! We need a longbow for the big girl here. She’s quite strong so a heavier bow would be better.”

Before he could respond Gia entered and gasped as soon as she saw the griffon on the other side of the counter. “It’s a half-blood!”

“Say what now?” Gilda looked at her with a confused frown.

Gia even pulled at Gilda’s primary feathers. “Don’t go near him!”

“Yeah… Good morning to you too, milady…” The griffon deadpanned.

“Wait! What?” Gilda pulled her wing free. “What’s gotten into you?!”

“It’s a half-blood!” Gia backed against Geary and sat with him like she expected him to protect her.

“She means that my family is,” He kept a bored expression and made quotes with his fingers. “And I quote ‘tarnished with pony blood’.”

A griffoness came from a door behind the counter with an unfriendly frown. “Sweetie, is something wrong?”

Gia frowned and pouted. “Please tell me you’re not breeding.”

“Gia!” Gilda yelled at her, making the green griffoness jump. “Shut up!”

“But. But… It’s… Ugh.” Gia ruffled her feathers and made a disgusted grimace. “I’ll be waiting outside.”

“Geez!” Gilda growled while the other and Geary left. Meanwhile, Grunhilda and Gertha remained quiet and watched.

“It’s okay, m’lady.” The female told her slowly shaking her head. “We’re used to it.”

She was slightly smaller than the male, with yellow tips on her feathers and golden eyes. She kept close to him and kept her body with his, frowning a little. Not angry but frustrated.

“My mother was a hippogriff.” The male said and walked from behind the counter to show her his body covered in gray with a pattern of darker rosettes in his thick fur. His tail also didn’t look like a ‘normal’ griffon tail with the tuft of dark at the tip. His tail was a smooth and thickly furred appendage he wrapped around himself when he sat.

Gilda thought he looked nice. He was a nice-looking guy, even if he wasn’t as fit as some of the northerner dudes she met recently. Even if his tail didn’t look ‘traditional’, it was hardly something she had never seen before. His face looked a little smoother, with less pronounced facial traits, but he looked like a lot of griffons Gilda knew. The difference was that in Griffonstone other griffons didn’t treat them like crap for that.

But she supposed it made sense with all the drama about the hippogriffs and accusations that Celestia used them to poison the griffons. Maybe Gia could feel some magical thing radiating from him that said his ‘magic was broken’, or whatever. But to Gilda he was just a normal, nice griffon.

“Uh… Sorry about my friend…” Gilda scratched her nape. “That was kinda ugly.”

“Do they always treat you like that?” Gertha held a concerned and sad frown, nervously strumming her fingers together.

“No.” The male, Gob, shook his head. “Most of the northerners just want to do whatever and don’t bother with anything. All they really want is that you’re good enough at your job and do it for a fair price.”

“It really is these queens that made a fuss about it.” The female complained with a whine. “Particularly… You know…”

She gestured to her own neck. “The members of the Court of The Harpy.”

Gilda sighed. “Well, I don’t care for that stuff… I need a bow and something to protect my sword. I don’t like that it is exposed like this all the time.”

“Let me see.” Gob approached and sat, putting his paws out for her to give him Mythical while his mate remained behind the counter. He also turned to Gertha. “If you know what you’re doing, you can look at the bows I have for sale. I could also make a new one, but it would take me some three days to make you a decent one.”

“It’s just for practice.” Gertha said. “I’ll take a look.”

She called Grunhilda and started pointing at the bows in the wall and talking to her while Gob held Mythical. He held it by the blade with the guard up and looked at it with a delighted ‘oooh’.

“Gila, come here. Have a look at this.” He looked at his mate and she came around the counter. She had yellow and soft gray body, and a more ‘griffon-like’ tail, but if the Loremaster let her mate with him, she probably had some ‘damning’ Saddani trait. Gilda was just happy they let them be, even if they must not have the nicest of coexistence. At least they seemed to be thriving despite the occasional jerk.

“Oh… Would you look at this.” She examined the sword like he had and even tested its balance. She Mythical to balance with the flat of the blade on her paw. “Now, this is not the kind of sword that you buy in any random store in any random corner of a small city. This is the sort of magical weapon you will find exploring the ruins in the Whitescape. Maybe in a magical weapons shop in Brokenhorn, or paying millions of Eagles to a Griffindelian blacksmith. Honestly, I think that if you were a jerk like your friend, I’d be calling Captain Gosalynn by now. ‘Cause you don’t look like you can afford this.”

Grunhilda and Gertha quietly snerked at the comment but turned back to the wall and pretended to be minding the bows when Gilda turned to them. Sneaky birds…

“Well, there is a funny story about how it was forged.” Gilda blinked at Gila. “It was made by Master Galahault in Thunderpeak. For me… Uh… You know… He made it for me.”

“Oh… I see.” The female smiled and nodded. “You are the one griffons are calling the Swordmaiden of the Shaddani.”

Normally, being called that would have filled Gilda with pride, but given Gia’s outburst earlier, made it really awkward.

“Anyways,” The griffoness went on. “You really shouldn’t be walking around with this thing in display in the middle of the cities. It’s a magical weapon… Sure. It won’t suffer from exposure, and it will stick to your back. But you should have it in a scabbard, and you should wrap the hilt with a cloth, or something. Normal swords are already expensive enough that some lowlife might consider them worth the risk. But if someone yanks this thing from you and sells it to the right cat… They’ll be set for life. Or worse… To the right mare, if you know what I mean.”

Gilda frowned. “I actually don’t.”

“I guarantee you any Royal Guard smith or mage would be dying to study the enchantments in this weapon.” She explained with a grin. “I’m not trying to sell you my fish, I’m being honest. What you have here is a legendary weapon. And I understand wanting to show it off, but the time to do that is after you got to your brand-new estate in Griffindell and the Sky Sentry will eat the liver out of any idiot that tries to steal from you. When you go out adventuring, this should stay protected from eyes.”

She frowned, holding the weapon in her paws by the blade to look at it. “From the environment too… It’s respectful. It’s like a living being.”

“Maybe it’s silly, but this sword is more than just a weapon.” Then she shrugged. “Anyways, I can make you a decent scabbard for her, but not something of the caliber this sword deserves. For that I think you should go back to Master Galahault or look for Master Gilbert in Griffindell. Maybe someone in Frozenlake or Brokenhorn.”

“Hum…” Gilda stared at her.

“I’m just a local blacksmith that can fix a cart, a door or a tool. I can forge a simple sword, an axe or a working knife.” The griffoness shrugged. “I’m no master, but I can make you a usable scabbard until you can get a real artist to make one on par with your sword.”

“Alright…” Gilda scratched her beak. “How much for the bow, and the scabbard?”

The female looked at her mate, Gob. He looked at Gertha. And the pink griffoness held one of the bows to him. Gilda knew little about that thing so she didn’t oppose her choice, but it was a big bow that would require Grunhilda to stand so that she can wield it properly. It wasn’t like the bows the Imperial warriors used in Ghadah’s memories, but Gilda supposed that one was more modern.

“It would also be nice to have a few arrows.” Gertha added. “Like a sheaf. Nothing fancy, just so that Grunhilda isn’t using the good arrows for training. I’ll teach her to craft more.”

The male waved at her. “Eh, that goes for free. We have hundreds of them catching mold in the cellar.”

“Quite right.” The female agreed. “How about two hundred Eagles?”

“I’ll pay you three hundred.” Gilda said. “Because of the things my friend said.”

“I’m not going to deny…” Gob said. “She’s more prideful than I am, and money is good.”

“Give me the coins.” With the prices agreed on, Gilda put out her paw to Grunhilda.

Without further drama, Gilda paid the couple, and Gob got the arrows, complete with a quiver from the cellar. They did, in fact, smell like mold. But that didn’t bother Grunhilda as she happily worn the quiver under her shoulder with the leather strap across her chest and the bow across her other shoulder. Meanwhile, the griffoness measured Mythical and promised Gilda her scabbard would be done sometime after lunch. She would even find someone to locate Gilda and deliver it.

With everybody happy, they left the store and Gia was sulking outside. Funnily, the cubs were still stuffing themselves with the fritters.

“Hey, Grunhilda.” Gilda turned to her friend/thrall. “Get to the inn and leave this stuff safely in our room.”

Then she looked at Gertha. “Would you mind accompanying her?”

It took the pink griffoness a second to understand, between looking at Gilda and at Gia, but she gasped and nodded. “Oh! Yes. Sure. Let’s go Grunhilda.”

“Okay.” The white one said and walked off with Gertha while Gilda walked to Gia. The later may not have noticed, but Geary went with Grunhilda and Gertha too. Only after a few seconds she noticed what was happening.

“What?” The green griffoness already raised her voice defensively.

Gilda pointed at the small store/home, but she kept her voice down. “Don’t ever do that again in my presence, or I swear you’ll be traveling alone to Griffindell.”

“Do you remember that you were the one asking me to travel with you?”

Gilda came within a talon’s width of smacking that smug grin out of Gia’s beak. Apparently, she did learn something along the way. She just frowned and leaned against the other. “Cut it out! Those are hard-working griffons. It’s not cute like you and me perving over our thralls when you point fingers at them because their ancestors screwed up and tell them they are dirty.”

“Oh, come on… You agree that their parents screwed up, but you think that they-” Gilda didn’t let her finish. She held Gia’s beak with her paw and the green griffoness frowned angrily.

“Griffonia has a problem.” Gilda told her seriously, glaring at her. “And it’s not because of griffons that had the wrong parents, whose ancestors fooled around with ponies and hippogriffs. It’s because of entitled jerks that think that they can get away with being jerks.”

Gia freed her beak and shook her head, ruffling her feathers. “We’ll see what Lady Gwendolen thinks of that, hero.”

“Well, then she is wrong!” Gilda first let her voice raise, but she quickly got it under control again. “I’ll deal with that when I get to Griffindell, alright? I don’t know, maybe she’ll show me that I’m the one in the wrong… But for now, please… Griffons like these have enough troubles. Don’t add to it. It reminds me of the griffons that screwed up my life just because they could. Let’s not make the problem worse.”

“Fine.” Gia growled. “But you can’t ask me to like some disgusting half-blood because it makes you queasy.”

Gilda didn’t like her attitude at all, but she was happy enough Gia didn’t make the situation worse. Instead, the griffoness just went on her way. Presumably after Madam Gelinda, and Gilda followed her. Gertha, Geary and Grunhilda would catch up with them.

Next Chapter: Discipline Estimated time remaining: 17 Hours, 15 Minutes