Moonsunder

I awoke to the sounds of my fellow merchants conversing and preparing to move, the morning sun's warm rays caressing my spotted fur like a gentle lover, and I couldn't help but smile at the window of my (admittedly large) tent. No matter what land we traveled through, there was no better feeling than the sun's embrace, urging you to greet the day before you. To me, the sun represented more, as it was our guide through this alien land, and one thing that remained the same from our home in Tamriel, aside from Masser and Secunda.

That and Moon Sugar.

I sat up with a stretch, eliciting a satisfying *pop*, before getting up and slipping into my tan, somewhat tattered robe. I had the money to acquire better clothing, but the robe was a gift from my family. Looking around, I catch sight of what (or who, I should say) I was looking for.

My assistant, Trixie Lulamoon, was asleep sitting up. Her alchemy kit was still set up, and she was gripping her mortar and pestle. She was wearing a robe, knit in the same style and color as her starry cape and hat. With a shake of my head and chuckle at her antics, I lean down and snap my fingers by her ear, startling her awake. A girlish "eep!" escapes from her lips and she jumps to her hooves, hands up in a fighting stance.

Good, she's still on her guard.

"We'll be heading out soon, Trixie. I suggest you pack up your things before we head out, or you'll leave something behind again." I advise, meeting her glare with a toothy grin. She crosses her arms and huffs, silvery blue strands of her mane falling in her face.

"Why must you wake the great a-" She cuts herself off at my look, "-err, me, up like that?"

"It works, doesn't it? Anyway, let's hurry and load the Senche cart before the others decide to leave us behind." I say, already gathering my few packs of clothes, and stepping outside.

Unlike Griffonia (I believe that's how they say it), the temperature here was warm, a welcome change I might add, and the not nearly as stormy, though the winds were just as strong. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the sun had finally cleared the horizon, changing the sky from orange to blue. With a flick of my wrists, the packs were slung over my shoulder as I walked the short distance to our cart. Harnessed to our cart was a young Senche Lion I named Darada.

Make no mistake, while she does pull our cart and acts as a mount for me, she's just as intelligent as you or I.

Maybe even smarter. It's not as if we'd ever know.

"You're up early, Darada. You ready to go?" I ask, more out of politeness. It was unclear if a Senche could understand spoken language, but he nodded anyway. At this point, Trixie had already come out of our tent, holding most of our luggage in the air with levitation. Said luggage floated, almost of their own accord, towards the cart, depositing themselves without a sound. Trixie stand with her hands on her hips and smiles proudly.

"Huh, that's more than last time. You're improving." I say with a nod. It's fun to stoke her ego every now and then, it sets her up for more elaborate tricks of mine. Nothing harmful, it's all in good fun! But she's working under me for a reason.

"Of course I have. Would you expect anything less?" She laughs. While she's distracted, I gently flick a finger by my side and grin as her hood pulls itself up and over her face. Her laughing ceases, and she huffs.

"Oh, lighten up a little." I say with a chuckle. "Don't forget, you aren't the only mage here." With a sweep of my hand, the tent collapsed, rolled up, and flew into the back of the cart. "Besides," I add, swiftly mounting Darad as the cart's straps secured themselves around the folded tent. "It took me twenty years to learn to do all of that. I'm sure you'll have an easier time getting it."

++Optional music++

The land we traveled was picturesque hill country, with emerald green grasses growing as far as the eye could see in all directions, save for the forest just to the west, where the caravan was headed. The caravan consisted of about fifteen other Khajiit, an Argonian and a Breton.

The Argonian, Ochiivo Mist-Lurker, is a friend of mine from our time in Zebrica (ugh, the names these countries give themselves is unbearable sometimes). He walked beside our cart, his scales, normally a muted blue-green, were vibrant and near glittering. His eyes were much more alive and aware than when we first found him. Argonians tend to avoid the deserts, and I believe it's safe to say Ochiivo learned why.

As for the Breton, I'm not quite sure what he did before joining us, but I know for a fact he was a scholar at some point. It takes a mage to know a mage, and all Bretons know magic. No, that isn't racism, it's been like that for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Ochiivo wasn't wearing his leather armor or hood, but his dual scimitars hung from his belt, his eyes darting every which way, watching for any signs of trouble.

"I don't like the feeling I'm getting from this place, Jo'Skari." He pipes up, his voice raspy like the others of his kind, which only emphasized his paranoid demeanor.

"I know Equestria is supposed to be a peaceful nation," he adds, alternating between checking the skies and the land around us, "But peace has a tendency to attract the wrong kind of attention. How are you so relaxed?"

"If what Trixie says is true, and the rest of the world for that matter, then this is the land of the Sun and Moon Goddesses. Perhaps it is peaceful for a reason." He opens his mouth, but I bring up a hand to cut him off. "But you're not wrong to stay cautious. The town we're stopping at, Ponyville I believe, has a reputation as a center of bizarre occurrences and bad luck. Sounds like Cyrodiil, if anything." He gives a snort at the comparison.

"Fair enough, I suppose." He concedes. "Hopefully we can make it before nightfall. I'd rather not have to see what prowls this 'peaceful land' when the sun sets."

"Understandable." I give an amused snort of my own. Strangely enough, Trixie has remained quiet throughout the trip so far. Usually it takes a while to get her to shut up... "You've been awfully quiet back there, Trixie. Are you nervous?"

"No! The Great a-" I give her another look "-er, I'm not nervous!" she quickly responds. Defensively.

"Well, if you say so." Before I can add anything else, Rak'Nir, the navigator, holds a hand up. The signal to stop the mounts.

With a pat to the shoulder, Darada stops. The other carts and merchants do the same with their mounts. Ochiivo's eyes immediately narrow, his gaze focusing sharply. "Why are we stopping?" he asks, idly drumming his fingers on the hilts of his scimitars as Ra'Nir dismounts his horse. Something in the distance catches my eye, a splash of yellow amid the deep greens and browns of the shadowed forest.

A soft yellow pony stood on the edge of the forest, staring at us with wide, teal eyes. She wore a green. somewhat thin looking dress and a sun hat... Stranger yet, though, was the panicking chicken she held in her arms...

Huh, not what I expected to see coming to Equestria, but it's better than one of those scorpion-lion hybrids. Manticore, I think was the name.

"A pony?" Ochiivo asks, raising an eyebrow. Or ridge, as Argonians don't grow hair. "And a weak looking one at that. And... is that a chicken?"

"Yes. That is a chicken." I answer, my own brow raised in confusion. Quickly looking back at Trixie, I can see she's trying to hide herself from the view of this new pony. She never was any good at hiding, but the fact that she felt the need to hide warrants investigation.

Later, though. One thing at a time.

The yellow pony snaps out of her daze with a jerk of her head and, just as suddenly as she appeared, disappears back into the forest. Rak'Nir stares at the space where the pony just was with a tilted head... before giving us the signal to get moving. Ochiivo kept his grip on his scimitars, obviously nervous, but said nothing.

"Alright Darada, let's go." With that, we were on the move again. I couldn't help but feel as though we were in for something big...

But for now, let's focus on actually getting to town.