Mistress Do Well: Extradition

Mistress Do Well: Extradition
by milesprower06

December

The forest was silent save for the crunching of snow underneath the cloaked Pegasus' hooves. Thick snowflakes fell from the heavens, straining the branches of the trees. The Pinaceae evergreen trees made up the majority of the mountain forest, and thus gave variety to the endless shower of white falling from the gray skies. You could barely make out the stone path, nor the dirt or grass that introduced the forest. This was the first snowfall of winter, and it didn't take long for the snow to make it's mark, hiding pretty much every bit of ground until April, especially up here in one of Equestria's numerous mountainous regions.

The Foal Mountains was the closest mountain range east of the towering peaks where Canterlot was located. The closest settlement was Hollow Shades, situated down in a forest northeast of the talllest mountains in the range. The majority of the Foal Mountains took up the uppermost part of the triangular region between Canterlot, Fillydephia, and Baltimare. There were developed paths and railroads farther south away from the range that were safer and more frequently maintained, which made the ancient cobblestone paths through the Foal Mountains virtually unpopulated this time of year.

Which is exactly how Rainbow Dash preferred it.

She still hadn't grown used to this enchanted cloak, sold to her by Trixie a month before. Although she saw it's power for herself, how it shrouded her identity from anypony, she still found herself glancing away from any passers by. At least now, those who passed her paid her no mind. They didn't find anything particularly strange about the cloaked figure walking down the city streets. She had passed through Hollow Shades without so much as a glance, as she approached the north side of the range.

It was also the first major expense since leaving Ponyville in October. Trixie had asked 5,000 for the magical garment, a quarter of her gold bits, and Rainbow had an inking that for some reason, Trixie's asking price was fairly less than what any artifact collector would ask. 'Why?' She wondered. Because the street magician had felt sorry for her? Or was it because this 'Cloak of the New Moon' was cursed? It was crushing her identity, blocking out the rest of the world. Ever since she put it on, gone were the looks of concern. Gone were the double-takes as she quickly turned away from anypony who had perhaps glanced at the numerous 'Missing' posters. Yet, for as badly as she wanted to be noticed and worried about in those moments of maddening loneliness, she didn't take it off. No longer did Luna prod her mind at night, silently watching her as she dreamed, planting seeds of desperation urging her to return home. Her waking and sleeping hours were entirely her own now. She was adrift in a sea of nothing, and she wasn't about to give that up.

Not until she found where she fit in.

The Cloak of the New Moon was her only article of clothing, and it did almost nothing against the cold. Not that "cold" meant the same to her as it would an Earth or Unicorn pony. One of her racial perks as a Pegasus was near indifference to all but the most extreme weather, and even then, temperatures would have to plummet to double negative digits before she would be in any danger. Snowstorms would be far from pleasant, and cold was still cold, but it didn't present the health risks to her that it did to the other two races. Up here, she figured she'd find a suitable, uninhabited cave, and wait out the worst of it. Hallow Shades was a three-day hike down the mountain, and she had two weeks worth of bread in her food satchel. It would soon be stale, but it was nutritionally fulfilling. She wouldn't have to go anywhere for at least a week.

Rainbow then noticed something at the top of a hill, out of place among the trees. It was... A tavern? Up here?

Indeed, when she walked fifty feet closer and the snow cleared a tad, she found that it was a rather sturdy-looking tavern up off of the path. The dwelling was one story, made largely of wood and granite, with a high straw roof. Small, two-by-two white opaque windows ringed the building right below where the roof began. The snowfall wasn't accumulating on the roof, so she assumed the place was occupied and heated. She finished the journey up the hill, where the barely-visible cobblestone path split off to the left, beckoning to the wooden stairs leading to the front porch. A sign hung from a post to the right of the top of the stairs.

Neighecho Inn.

Rainbow ascended the stairs and continued to the front door. Having been in several taverns before since her trip began, she knew there was no need to knock. She grasped the door handle and pulled. The heavy wooden door opened with a creak, and she turned to pull it closed, before turning again and taking in what she had walked into.

The last thing Lonesome Pine expected to hear was his tavern door open. There hadn't been a soul here for weeks. He turned into the brief rush of cold breeze to see a pony in a simple black cloak and saddlebags come in and close the door. He got up from the rectangular stone fire pit in the center of the room.

"W-Why hello. Come on in, come in out of the cold." The innkeeper greeted. "Forgive my abruptness, but the last time I had a guest during the winter was three years ago."

The cloak-clad pony once again turned away from the door to the inside of the tavern. In the center of the room was a large fire pit, with a pair of cast iron pots hanging above the crackling flames. Long dining tables sat against each wall on either side of the pit. Both were unoccupied. The floor was granite, and the structure was nearly all logs. On the far side of the room was a counter. With a ledger, keg, and wicker baskets of vegetables.

"You run this place?" the pony asked. Lonesome Pine deduced that the voice was definitely female, but couldn't really deduce any other features.

"I do, ma'am. How may I serve you?"

The pony continued to look around, eyeing the 6 doors on the sides of the main room, no doubt being the rooms travelers could rent. A trap door near the counter lead down to the cellar, where Lonesome Pine kept his food for the long winter ahead.

"How much for a room?" The pony asked as Pine made his way behind the counter.

"30 bits will get you a warm bed, ma'am. I also have a premium rate of 50 bits. You can help yourself to whatever food I prepare for breakfast, lunch, or dinner."

The pony dropped her saddlebags to the floor, and began to rummage through them. She came back up with seven 50-bit silver pieces.

"350 for the week."

Lonesome was trying to make sense of this as he took the bits and wrote in his ledger. A guest during the winter was rare, and it was almost always for just one night while a storm passed through. The Foal Mountains was a popular area for recreational campers during the summer, as well as fisherponies who had taken up trading with Griffonstone across the Celestial Sea, which wasn't terribly far east from here. The business he got from both types of travelers is what kept him fed during the winter. So what was this mare doing up here, getting a room for a week, when the weather wasn't that bad yet?

"Thank you very much ma'am," he said, digging out a key and sliding it to her. "First one on the right. If there's any food you prefer, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Whatever you make is fine, thank you. How busy are you this time of year?"

"You're the first pony I've seen in seven weeks, ma'am. This mountain is pretty much lifeless in the winter."

"Perfect." She replied, taking the key and started towards her assigned room.

"Let me know whenever you'd like dinner started."

"Whenever you eat will be fine, thank you." She replied, stepping into her room, and closing the door, the lock sliding into place a moment later.

Just like that, the main hall of Neighecho Inn returned to silence, pierced only by the crackling from the fire pit.