Tuning Blade

Water dripped from Octavia’s soaked coat and mane as she stumbled her way onto the river’s shore, her hooves covered in grime and pieces of river weed entangled in her tail.

For once, Octavia could care less about her appearance. The only thing on her mind was finding that Assassin, who had become separated from her during the ride on the Vérité’s currents. In any other circumstance she would’ve been running back to the city for safety, but not this time. She needed answers.

Octavia galloped down-river, her eyes frantically scanning the grassy edges. The further she went, the softer the river became, eventually coming down to a soothing flow of glistening water. There was no sign of the stallion along either side of the banks, prompting Octavia to pick up her pace.

Going even further down, Octavia finally made out the shape of a pony in the distance, lying on the water’s edge. She cautiously approached, confirming that it was the Assassin.

He wasn’t moving. Octavia went closer, sitting beside the stallion’s head.

She pulled back his hood, and confirmed her suspicions.

“Pledge?”

Octavia’s hunch was right. And though he did give her a terrifying chase, Octavia’s thoughts were only for his wellbeing.

“Oh no. Oh Celestia please, no.”

Hesitating to turn Pledge over onto his back, Octavia instead left him on his right side, leaning down to place her ear up against his muzzle. A soft brush of air enveloped her ear, though she pulled back and placed her ear against his ribcage to be sure.
She heard Pledge’s heartbeat and felt his chest rise and fall. Octavia breathed a sigh of relief.

Her breath stopped short as soon as Octavia noticed the blood slowly seeping from just beneath Pledge’s wing. Recoiling on instinct, Octavia composed herself, falling back on her haunches.

“Ok. Ok. You can do this, Octavia. Just be calm. Be collected.” Octavia assured herself shakily. She took a deep breath.

Recalling knowledge of first aid taught in her school days, Octavia examined Pledge’s injury after opening up the tear in his robes, right where his wing meets his torso. The crossbow bolt from earlier had buried itself into Pledge’s flesh, though the majority of the bolt had snapped off during the river tumble, leaving only the stub of the metal head. While the bolt had no doubt inflicted damage, it was keeping the wound plugged, preventing no more than a small trickle of blood from emerging.

Octavia left the bolt in place, examining her surroundings for anything that she could use as a bandage. Much to her dismay, however, there was nothing but tall grass and dirt for miles.

Octavia contemplated trying to make a makeshift dressing out of Pledge’s robes, but instead noticed the row of pouches around his waist. Sparing not a second, Octavia rummaged through them, finding several small throwing knives and a lock-picking kit. The final pouch had exactly what she was hoping for; a roll of healing bandages. A medicine bottle was within the pouch as well, though unfortunately it was uncorked and filled with murky river water. Octavia poured it out onto the grass.

Unfurling the bandages, Octavia gently yet tightly wrapped them around Pledge’s midsection and around his left wing, covering the wound as best as she can. With the wound successfully patched, Octavia let out another sigh, her attention now focused on inspecting Pledge’s attire. The pegasus’ white hood and robes seemed to be more distinct compared to the other Assassins in Vanhoover, having a marble tint and a mahogany and silver garnishing. The colors did mend well with Pledge’s tan mane and forest-green coat, though was considerably darker from being soaked.

What caught Octavia’s curiosity most, however, was the two brown padded bracers on Pledge’s fore legs. It appeared to be the only barding he was wearing.

Leaning in closer, Octavia carefully placed her hooves on the underside of the bracer in an attempt to examine it.

KA-SHINK!

Octavia yelped and reeled as a concealed blade shot out from underneath the bracer, digging itself into the soft dirt. Raising a hoof to her chest as she panted, Octavia recalled from earlier in the city when she witnessed the death of Captain Pike. The hooded pony who had leapt upon him had the same kind of weapon, and Octavia rememberd how quickly the poor captain was dispatched by that lethal weapon, which had seemed to pierce through the armor around his neck in an instant. The image in her mind brought back the terrifying ordeal of bearing sight to a life being taken.

Reality snapped back to Octavia as the sound of Pledge’s blade retracting back into the bracer reached her ears. She looked down to find a pair of grey eyes looking back.

“…I didn’t try to just stab you, did I?” Asked Pledge, cracking a light hearted smile towards the mare above him. Octavia could see how forced it was.

“Thank Celestia, Pledge, you’re awake! I’m sorry. I was treating your wound and my curiosity got the better of me.” Octavia shot a glance at his bracers.

Pledge chuckled in response, weakly waving it off. “It’s alright. Next time you want to take a peek at it, just ask. Preferably while I’m conscious. Now, we have to get-- agghh!!”

Cringing immensely from the sharp pain after attempting to hoist himself up, Pledge slumped back onto the ground, clutching himself. Octavia placed her hooves on him.

“Be careful! You’ve got a terrible wound. The crossbow bolt had broken off while we were in the river, but the head of it is still lodged in you. There wasn’t any way for me to remove it. I took the bandages from your pouch and dressed it as best I could.”

“O-ok,” Pledge folded his free wing down to his side as he looks over his bandaged one, “Thanks for that, Octavia. We can’t stay though. We have to get moving.”

“No. Wait just a moment.” Octavia stood up, utterly serious, “Why am I here? And why did you chase me?! Why were we attacked?!”

Pledge glanced at the ground. He looked back up at Octavia.

“The Templars probably filled you in on a lot of things. But whatever they told you, they didn’t tell you the whole truth about your father. That’s why I’m here.”

Octavia scoffed with a glare. “As I’ve been learning these past few days, apparently every pony in the world has known my father except for me. What exactly do want from me?”

“I’m asking you to come with me. You’ve come this far, but what you do next is up to you, Octavia. I won’t force you to come with me, if you don’t want to.”

Octavia took in Pledge’s sincerity. She could easily refuse, and simply turn back towards the city. But she couldn’t just leave Pledge on his own, not with that wound.

“… Alright. Fine. Where to?” Octavia said with a huff.

Pledge smiled. “We should head back in the direction of Trottingham. A friend of mine should be waiting for us halfway. You can follow me, I should be able to walk…”

“No,” Octavia stated, preventing Pledge from trying to stand again. She moved her back to him and crouched to his level. “I’ll carry you. Hop on.”

Pledge glanced at her worriedly. “Are you sure? I won’t be too heavy for you?”

“You’re a pegasus. I’m an earth pony. I’ll manage just fine.” Octavia assured.

“Point taken.”

Pledge pulled himself forward and onto Octavia’s back. He let his legs hang as Octavia steadily stood back up, having no trouble in mounting the weight. Pledge leaned his head in, his cheek nearly pressing against Octavia’s as the earth pony began walking towards a nearby dirt path.

“This is great idea. You can carry me, and while you do, I can pull out the bits and pieces of river weed from your mane. That way you’ll look all classy like normal.”

Octavia couldn’t help but crack a smile at Pledge’s jovial tone, impressed with the stallion’s positivity in spite of the situation. She kept her focus ahead, gazing across the vast expanse of open land. Pledge affirmed that following the path in front of them would lead towards Trottingham, and more importantly, the friend that was waiting for them.

With strength and determination, Octavia trudged along with the wounded Pledge, hoping that their journey across the plains would be short and unhindered.

Vanhoover’s Southern Grasslands held nothing but emptiness and silence.

The tall, golden stalks of grass swayed with the warm breeze, dancing to the soft tickle of the weather’s whims. The radiant sun, turning orange as it dipped down the sky one step at a time, beat its light against the land, enveloping it in a crushing heat.

The dirt below was coarse and tough, littered with obtrusive rocks and pebbles. Every other step of Octavia’s hoof brought with it an irritable rubbing from the grainy dirt, and the occasional pointy rocks only made the path more tiresome.

Aside from the rough path, the burning heat and the mischievous breeze, Octavia managed to stay attentive thanks to Pledge, who stubbornly kept his cheerfulness during their conversations.

“I knew you were a strong pony, Octavia, but you’ve got to stop surprising me! Do you carry ponies as a hobby?” Pledge snickered, coughing a bit afterward.

Octavia rolled her eyes with a slight grin. “Not necessarily. I suppose having to carry a cello from concert to concert would be similar to carrying a pony. Though in the past, whenever I’ve gone out to parties with my roommate, I was often the one who had to carry her back home.”

Pledge tried his best to laugh, though only continued to cough. “She…she sounds like fun! Heh…Ow.”

“Are you alright, Pledge? Do you need me to stop?” Octavia slowed her pace, eyeing her passenger.

“No, no, keep going… We should be close.”

Octavia nodded, continuing on the path. It had been several hours since the two ponies had embarked from the river, and were still in the midst of what was essentially the middle of nowhere. Hanging in the overflowing sky, the sun had found its rest below the hills, allowing the moon to rise in its place. Octavia found it hard to see through the darkened fields, unable to keep track of the dirt road beneath her hooves. She kept her eyes on the ground, treading carefully to avoid any indents or bumps on the road.

The night continued, bringing with it a shivering gale and an eerie blackness that shrouded the grasslands. Octavia fought to keep her eyes from drooping as she pressed on.

The night has placed an uncomfortable silence in the air, even more so than earlier. Octavia suddenly realized that Pledge was unusually quiet, turning her head over to find him unconscious.

Fearing the worst, the earth pony leaned to one end, gently sliding the Assassin off onto the dirt. Octavia’s hooves ached and throbbed from her time spent trudging along the plains, and her head pounded, yearning for a night’s rest.

Resisting the urge to lie down, Octavia checked over Pledge, examining his bandages. They seemed to be holding well, though a thick stain of dried blood had spread right beneath his wing. Octavia noticed that the fur on her back had a similar mark of red as well.

Octavia mustered her energy and scoured the surrounding night, hoping to find any kind of structure or sign of other ponies. The darkness hindered her sight, forcing her to fold her ears back and squint, casting her weakened gaze all around her. Octavia’s ears shot up as she spotted a very faint outline of a small barn, quite some distance ahead.

Gathering her remaining strength, Octavia heaved Pledge upon her back once more and picked up a steady trot in the direction of the building.

Octavia made it halfway to the barn, but suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.

Click

“W-who’s there?”

She spun around, finding nothing behind her or to her sides.

CLICK

Just as Octavia spun around once more, a bright and intense flash burst violently from the ground. The deafening blast crippled Octavia’s sight and rattled her ears, causing her to wobble and lose her balance. She collapsed on the ground as Pledge rolled off of her. The force of the unexpected blast was enough to remove Octavia of most of her senses, letting her growing fatigue to overcome her as she slipped into unconsciousness.

A small fly landed daintily on the tip of Octavia’s nose, prompting her to shoo it away.

After a much needed rest, Octavia steadily began to wake, reclaiming the hazy memories of the night prior. With a rub of her eyes, Octavia lifted herself up.

A trickle of light passed through the wooden planks of the room’s walls. The floor was dirt and grass, resembling the inner workings of a neglected barn. Octavia’s bed was mostly made of bundled hay, with a single sheet to keep her warm.

Octavia got to her hooves, making her way groggily to the nearby door. However, she stopped in her tracks as she heard Pledge’s voice on the other side, speaking with someone else, a mare who sounded utterly unfamiliar. Octavia stepped close to the crease of the door, angling her ear towards the gap.

“… hope they made it out. Getting inside Vanhoover was a lot tougher than I thought, but the mission was a success. Honestly, I felt bad for the ‘protector’ they assigned to her. A unicorn mare named Ebony. All you had to do was glance at her and you could tell she was beyond scared…

Octavia perked up on hearing Ebony’s name. She remembered her terror-stricken face upon seeing the Assassins, and her running away in fear. Octavia couldn’t blame her for her reaction.

“Was she an obstacle?”

“No, not at all. That’s why I… I let her go.”

The other voice didn’t answer. Octavia had a feeling the mare was anything but pleased.

“… Your mission parameters were clear. None were to be left alive.” The voice said sternly.

“But the goal was making sure Octavia was safe and out of Templar hooves. There was no need to-”

“No need? Somehow it has escaped you that leaving that unicorn alive means she would have notified Grand Master Ether by now. The Templars will make it their utmost priority to track us down. This could have been avoided if you had…”

The mare paused as Octavia pushed open the creaking door.

Lying down beside an extinguished fire in the main room of the old barn, Pledge grinned as Octavia joined them. The sunlight shown much brighter through a large hole in the roof.

“Oh hey! Rise and shine! How are you feeling, Octavia? I hope you slept alright. There’s a cup of water and some oatmeal here for you.” Pledge said enthusiastically, despite the scolding he was receiving moments ago. Octavia noticed that the pegasus had a slight rasp in his voice, though he seemed much better than the day prior.

Octavia scarfed down the oatmeal, not realizing how hungry she was. She set aside the empty bowl and took sips from the cup of water as she returned her attention to Pledge and the mysterious mare.

“Octavia, this is the Master Assassin, Silent Wind.”

Upon looking at the pegasus mare before her, Octavia shuddered for a moment. She was sitting on her haunches, though with a tall and overbearing posture. A deep, black hooded robe covered her, complimented by sections of red and layered with various straps and pouches. Two armored gauntlets upon her fore-hooves bore the mark of the Assassins, each supposedly containing a deadly blade underneath.

Her natural coat was a snow-white, and her crimson tail and mane looked tattered and unkept. Though what stood out most about the mare were her crimson eyes, which pierced through the casting shadow of her beaked hood like a predator hiding in the night. They bore no emotion, and from the subtle frown on the mare’s face, Octavia couldn’t begin to guess if she was feeling irritated, tired, or just plain grumpy.

“…Octavia. It’s good to finally meet you. I have to apologize for the night before. Pledge was supposed to bring you here before sundown. When he had missed the rendezvous, I took precautions, laying traps along the other paths that lead to the barn. It turns out you had somehow stumbled onto the wrong path, and subsequently triggered the tripwire bomb I had placed. It was only a stun bomb, thankfully.” Explained the Assassin.

Octavia nodded, lifting herself to her hooves, “Thank you. But before you say anything else, I want answers. Why have you brought me here? What do you want from me?”

Silent Wind stayed seated, shifting her eyes over to Pledge. The white-cloaked Assassin looked back at her worriedly. Silent Wind returned her attention to Octavia.

“We know you want answers, Octavia, and you’ll have them. But not just yet. Pledge is recovering thanks to some poultices of mine, but he is still seriously injured. We must get him to the hospital in Trottingham. Once there, I’ll give you the answers you want. You have my word.” Silent Wind remained as still as a statue, her eyes transfixed upon Octavia’s.

Octavia felt a surge of frustration as she glanced at the ground. A part of her wanted to blatantly refuse traveling with them, but she couldn’t leave knowing Pledge still needed proper medical attention. She couldn’t give up on him now, not after coming this far.

Octavia’s eyes moved back to Silent Wind, who hadn’t budged an inch. She got the sinking feeling that Silent Wind was reading her emotions and expressions like a map. Nevertheless, her mind was set, “Very well. I’m going to hold you to your word, Silent Wind. Let’s get Pledge to the hospital. Do we have any transportation?”

Silent Wind finally rose to her hooves. “There’s an old sky wagon outside. I’ll fly us there. When you’re ready, meet me outside.”

As Silent Wind left the barn, Pledge steadily stood up, prompting Octavia to help him.

“It’s alright, Octavia, I’m able to walk now that I had some medicine. How are you holding up?”

“I’m… I’m ok. Tired, I suppose. I think confused is a more appropriate term though.” Octavia said as she took a deep breath.

Pledge frowned, “I can imagine. Try not to worry too much, Octavia. I can guarantee that Silent Wind will keep her word. If you’re ready to go, we should head out. Once we’re in the air, I bet the view will be amazing! Come on!”

Octavia shook her head with a smile, unable to stay frustrated with Pledge’s exuberance. They proceeded outside, and soon boarded the sky wagon with Silent Wind at the helm. Spreading her white wings, the Master Assassin pulled the wagon into the sky above, steering above the clouds and towards their next destination.

Arriving just outside of the old city, Octavia, Pledge, and Silent Wind embarked from the sky wagon and made their way towards the Trottingham clinical hospital. Silent Wind led the way, choosing the most subtle route. Octavia was familiar enough with Trottingham to know where to go, and offered to lead her Assassin companions herself, but Silent Wind insisted otherwise.

Once there, Pledge was admitted to the hospital to be cared for until his recommended release the following day. Pledge assured his friends he would be ok with his usual optimism, though he quickly attempted to be more charming as a lovely looking nurse escorted him inside. Octavia rolled her eyes with a smirk, then waving goodbye to Pledge before exiting the hospital with Silent Wind.

“About my questions…” said Octavia as she swiftly turned to the Assassin.

“Not now…You were staying at a house your father used to own in this city. Where is it?”

Octavia stammered and furrowed her brow. “Wha…? I… You…! You gave me your word that you’d answer my questions!”

“I did,” Silent Wind stated calmly. “And I still intend to. It would be better for us to converse somewhere quiet. From what I’ve gathered, your father has a study room. Take me there.”

Octavia gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to pull at her mane. Not only was this pony beyond mysterious, her lack of even the slightest hints of emotion in her speech and expression had become increasingly irritating. She recollected her wayward thoughts and reluctantly conceded to Silent Wind’s request.

“Hmph. Fine, I’ll take you there. Follow me.”

A short walk through backstreets and old neighborhoods later, the two arrived at the front steps of Morendo’s old home. Octavia proceeded up the steps, but stopped abruptly at the door, staring at her reflection on the doorknob. She remained enveloped in her thoughts for a few seconds, prompting Silent Wind to raise an eyebrow from beneath her hood.

“Is something wrong?”

“I… I’ve had enough of all this!”

Octavia stomped a hoof furiously at the stone step, glaring at the pegasus Assassin below her. Silent Wind didn’t flinch.

“I’ve been galloping all over the place in the past few days. Being chased through alleys, falling into rivers, walking miles and miles of nothing but dirt and grass and almost being blinded and deafened by your traps! Why did those guards in Vanhoover have to die?! Just because I was there?? All of this because I wanted to learn a little bit more about the father that should have been there for his wife, no less his own child?! None of what I’ve been through answers ANYTHING! I have no reason to think any better of him! I have no reason to trust Professor Ether or Halcyon, and I have absolutely no reason to trust you!”

Octavia panted heavily as her eyes stayed locked on Silent Wind.

Silent Wind, patiently waiting for Octavia to calm down, spoke up.

“…You’re right, Octavia. You don’t have any reason to trust me.”

Octavia stared at Silent Wind as she regained control of her breathing. Her jaw had fallen open, at a loss for words. The Assassin’s understanding tone only left Octavia confounded as she tried to figure out if Silent Wind was implying something more. An irritating ache settled in Octavia’s head from her sudden outburst. She couldn’t bring herself to say anything more.

After a few more moments of stillness, Octavia let out a deep sigh. She turned back towards the door and pushed it open, allowing Silent Wind inside. Luckily, Octavia’s growling stomach distracted her from her stress.

“Make yourself at home, I suppose… Would you like anything to—“

Octavia noticed Silent Wind had disappeared, only seconds into the door. She investigated the hall, finding the Assassin inside the old study.

“Is this where you found your father’s document?” asked Silent Wind as she glazed over the book-cluttered shelves. Octavia remembered back to when she discovered the document crumpled behind the strange book on Equestrian Archeology. The book was still lying on the small table from several days ago.

“Wh-… Yes, it was right on this shelf, behind this book.” Octavia said, scooping up the book in her hoof.

Silent Wind eyed the cover of the book, then directing her attention to the shelf Octavia pointed out. Much to Octavia’s astonishment, Silent Wind reared up and placed her fore hooves on the shelf, brushing aside the old books and peering behind them. An obtrusion along the back of the shelf appeared; A round, grey seal embedded into the wood. The seal bore the Assassin symbol, and right below it was an oddly shaped keyhole.

Silent Wind reached into the shelf with her left fore-hoof, placing it firmly over the seal. Her hidden blade jutted out from beneath her gauntlet, fitting perfectly into the keyhole, which reverberated with a faint click before Silent Wind’s blade retreated back into its sheath.

Octavia and Silent Wind took a step back as the walls around them slowly erupted into a cacophony of clicks and whirls. Octavia watched in amazement as the entirety of the book case slid aside, revealing a hidden door.

I suppose every secret order needs a secret room or two, Octavia thought to herself as Silent Wind casually entered the room. Octavia wasted no time in following her.

What lied within stunned her.

The hidden room was rather small, containing only two desks and a single rolling chair, as well as several small magic lanterns, still glowing brightly even after years of seclusion. The larger desk was filled with papers and documents of all kinds, ranging from maps of various cities to detailed descriptions of archeological digs from around Equestria. Octavia immediately noticed that the papers here were the same print of the document she had found in the study. The smaller of the two desks was cleared out in the center, and had a stack of large papers and various pens and pencils to one side. On the other side lied a large folder, which ensnared Octavia’s curiosity.

Carefully opening the folder, Octavia found a collection of hoof-written letters placed neatly inside.

Octavia read one of the letters. Her heart sank.

Dear Octavia,

Hello, Octavia. How have you been? I hope you’re doing well. My, you must have grown since I’ve seen you last!

This morning, I saw some ponies walking their cute dogs. Do you still like dogs? I remember when you were only a few months old, and your mother and I took you out for a stroll in the park. You became enamored with a quite adorable little puppy who came to visit us after making a daring escaping from his owner. The smile on your face that day… Your mother and I will never forget that.

Not a day goes by when I don’t think of you and your mother. By the way, I hope you’ve been taking good care of your cello. It’s very special, you know.

My time for now has run out. I have a lot of work to do here. I’ll write again as soon as I can. Celestia bless you, dearest daughter.

Daddy

“He…he… Wh…Wh-why didn’t…”

Octavia stuttered as her eyes welled with tears. She continued sifting through the folder, picking another random letter.

Dear Octavia,

It’s…been a while.

I’m aware that I can’t send any of these letters that I’ve been writing. I write them anyway. It helps with the stress. And perhaps it helps to keep my sanity. I can hardly go outside in the day anymore, otherwise I might be found. It gets dreadfully lonely here. I think I know what the Mare on the Moon feels like right now. I wonder if she would write letters as well, if she had a means to.

I yearn every day to be able to send at least one letter to you back home. But I can’t. I have to keep you and your mother safe. That’s the reason I’m here, after all. The only way to keep you from danger, is to keep you from myself. As terrible as that sounds, it is the only way. Neither the Templars nor the Assassins know that you’re in Ponyville, or that you exist for that matter. I intend to keep it that way.

I’m rattling off my thoughts again. I have to get back to my research.

I love you.

Dad

The letter’s words hit Octavia like a train.

Her father had written all of these letters knowing full well he could not send them. To Octavia, being able to read her father’s thoughts was like being reunited with him. Or at least a part of him. But, surprisingly, that wasn’t why Octavia started to cry.

“H-he… He loved me…”

Wiping the tears from her cheeks as best she could, Octavia searched through the remainder of the folder, going over other letters before uncovering the final piece. It appeared to have been hastily written.

I have a chance here. A friend of mine agreed to help smuggle me out of Trottingham. Thank Celestia for friends. With luck, I can find my way back to the Sisterhood before the Templars are aware of my presence. Hopefully Sierra is out there looking for me.

This last message should be for any pony who finds this. But I want to write this for you, Octavia. To read with your eyes.

If by some chance you’ve gone out and discovered my secrets, then you know of the powers that I’m dealing with.

There’s a reason why the Templars are hunting me. In this room, there is a locked cage built into the stone wall. Inside it contains an artifact, like no other, that I’ve been studying. The cage is enchanted to be resistant against magic, and is locked by four special seals. I scattered these seals across Equestria when I first constructed the cage as a failsafe, to prevent any pony from stealing it.

Gather my research here in this room. Among the papers is an encoded list of the locations of where I hid the seals. Take these documents and deliver them to the Mentor of the Assassin Sisterhood in Delamare. None of the contents in this room can be allowed to fall into the hooves of the Templars.

I don’t know what fate has in store for me, but I know one thing. That you will become a magnificent pony someday, Octavia. You probably already are.

I promise next time I’ll be there for you. Tell your mother that I love her. And tell yourself, that I love you too.

Morendo

Silent Wind walked over as Octavia clutched the letter tightly against her chest. Octavia could feel the soft brush of feathers against her back as Silent Wind extended her wing around her. The two sat down in place.

“Letters from your father?”

Octavia wearily nodded. Her eyes squeezed shut.

“…I’m sorry.”

Octavia rubbed her sniffling nose as she lifted her head up, turning to the Assassin beside her. “What happened to my father? My…My family was told he had gone missing, and that they found his body on the side of a cliff. They told us it was some kind of accident.”

Silent Wind looked straight into Octavia’s eyes, her crimson irises aligning with Octavia’s violet. Her head dipped to the floor.

“… For a while we weren’t sure if your father was still alive, as we had stopped receiving messages from him. He had warned us prior that his cover within the Templars was being compromised. We believed that he had to conceal himself quickly, in order to find safety from his pursuers. Unfortunately, we had no idea where he was, nor any idea as to how he was discovered in the first place.”

Silent Wind paused to return to her hooves. She walked over to the larger desk, examining the maps on the wall while continuing.

“Before Morendo began his infiltration of the Templar Order, he had a student named Sierra. Sierra was a young and eager Assassin. They did many missions together. When Morendo went missing, it fell to Sierra to find out anything as to what happened. She went out with a group of Assassins, but none of them ever returned. A year later, we had gotten word that Morendo’s body was found in a small town just outside of Trottingham. As we could determine, we were too late to rescue him from the Templars.”

The room fell into silence. As her tears dried, Octavia stared at the letters before her, her mind swirling with questions. She reflected upon what she had learned in Vanhoover.

“I don’t understand. I was told my father was a Templar.” Stated Octavia. Silent Wind met her gaze, slowly nodding.

“He was, in a manner of speaking. However, your father’s true allegiance lied with the Assassins. Morendo was credited with having infiltrated the Templar Order the longest of any Assassin before him.”

Octavia felt uncertain. The Templars wanted order, peace and unity. But what about the Assassins? They were the enemies of the Templars… But Octavia knew almost nothing about them, other than what Ebony had told her back in Vanhoover. Did that mean her father was a killer? That he knew nothing but the sharp end of his blade? But he was, according to Silent Wind, a Templar as well. He must’ve shared their belief in a way in order to become one of them. Octavia’s head ached as she tried putting all the pieces together.

She then remembered the artifact.

Octavia moved to the very back of the room, facing a long banner emblazoned with the Assassin’s symbol. Octavia brushed the banner aside, revealing what her father’s letter had described; the cage built into the stone wall. The front of the cage was about the size of the doorway leading into the room, and seemed as though it could open outward like a double door.

The cage had four round locks aligned vertically over its set of doors, each lock about the same size as Octavia’s hoof. The locks had no visible keyholes, instead sporting a circular indent at their centers. Octavia surmised that the seals would likely fit into each of the indents.

Past the metal bars of the cage stood a pristine pedestal, with a square chest resting atop it. A magical lantern hung daintily above the chest, bathing it in a glow of artificial light.

Octavia could only imagine what the artifact within the chest truly was. She pictured an ancient slab of writing, or perhaps a mystical jewel of some sort. If her father’s letters were true, then whatever the artifact might be, it was of utmost importance.

Silent Wind peered into the cage as well, snapping Octavia out of her thoughts.

“That must be the artifact your father was studying.”

“Yes. The gate requires four seals to open.” Octavia said suddenly.

“How did you come by that?” Silent Wind asked with a hint of sarcasm.

Octavia pondered for a moment, going over decisions in her head. A few moments later, she brought up the last letter she had read and gave it to Silent Wind.

“Everything you need to know is written in this letter.”

Silent Wind raised an eyebrow in surprise. She took the letter and skimmed through it before returning her attention to Octavia.

“Did you find a reason to trust me? Or are you being spontaneously generous?” asked Silent Wind. Octavia couldn’t tell if she was trying to make a joke due to her deadpan tone.

“I don’t nearly know enough about you to trust you. But I have you and Pledge to thank for doing what you did, for whatever reasons. Without you, I never would’ve found this place, and I never would’ve found these letters…”

Octavia paused, glancing to the floorboards beneath her hooves. Silent Wind waited patiently for her to continue.

“…For most of my life, I’ve treated my father as a coward, running from the duties and responsibilities of being a husband and a father. But now… knowing that he fled to protect us. Knowing that he still loved us and that he wished he could see me grow… He deserved better from me. He still deserves better from me.”

Octavia raised her eyes to Silent Wind.

“…I’m going to fulfill my father’s request. I’m going to bring his research to this Mentor of the Assassins, in Delamare.”

Silent Wind closed her eyes and nodded. She cracked a smile from beneath the shadow of her hood.

The day quickly fell to night as Octavia and Silent Wind finished collecting all of Morendo’s documents into a saddle bag. Octavia took the folder of letters separate, placing them on top of her bed. She walked back out into the living room, where Silent Wind was finishing securing their bags.

“We’ll head to the hospital to pick up Pledge at dawn, and from there we’ll make our way to the train station. It’ll be a few hours trip.”

Octavia nodded. “Ok. I suppose we should get a good night’s rest then, yes? There’s a hide-away bed here in the living room for you.”

“Actually,” said Silent Wind, “All I need is a pillow and a blanket. I’ll be on the roof.”

Octavia stared at Assassin, bewildered. “The…Roof? Why in Equestria would you sleep on the roof?”

Silent Wind rolled her eyes and shrugged.

Octavia sighed. “If you insist. You can have these.”

She gave Silent Wind a large, fluffy pillow and a warm blanket, directing her to a stairwell behind her that led to the roof.
Silent Wind bowed graciously, “I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight.” She said, vanishing into the stairwell without a sound.

Octavia closed the bedroom door behind her, removing her pink bowtie and placing it on the night table beside the queen-sized bed. She carefully shuffled her way into the covers as a small lantern kept the room alight.

Octavia reached over to the folder of letters. She pulled one out at random and began to read it.

My dearest,

I am sorry. For all of the pain I have caused you, due to
my disappearance. My sudden departure was not because of you or our child, but of other circumstances which I cannot speak of. You won’t understand my predicament, but I pray that both of you will find it in your hearts to forgive me. I wish I could comfort you with the promise of my return. But if I were to make that promise, I would be lying, giving you a false hope which would only do you further harm.

My dearest Madrigal, I plead with you; Always remember that I love you both with my entire heart and soul.

Please, give my cello to our child. I know she will be magnificent.

- Morendo