Baklava found it difficult to sleep when she hooked herself up to the stationary breast pump, but it gave her time to read and think.

The chestnut unicorn lay on her belly on a slightly inclined cushion, feeling her bosom gently massaged by the silicone cups of the pump, encouraging the heavy glands to shed some of their liquid weight. Around her, the little shack was dimly lit by candles that smelled like citrus fruits, and there were Neighpon-style landscape wall hangings draped from the four walls of the spacious little house. It gave the place a homey appeal, warm and inviting Baklava to relax while one of the side effects of the ley-line treatment was dealt with.

‘Six months already,’ she thought, resting her chin on the book she’d been reading: Herds: A Discussion on the Consequences of Communal Living on Equestrian Society. It had been six months since she’d first met Fine Silk, since she’d received the treatment to control her curse, and since she’d accepted the invitation to return to Fine Silk’s home. Muga Estate lay well within Equestria, just northeast of Canterlot, surrounded by thick woods that shielded the pristine stone walls. Here, Fine Silk had continued to pleasantly surprise Baklava, the newest addition to her herd.

On their journey back from Sweet Oasis, Baklava had timidly asked if she could have some time to adjust and cope with the rapid and traumatic changes to her life, which was readily granted. “You can go wherever you’d like to on my property, and use what you want,” Fine Silk had offered. “There are plenty of my ponies that you can talk to, if you want, all from different backgrounds. If you don’t want to join us for meals, feel free to use the kitchen. I also have a library, covering just about every subject that you can think of.”

Baklava, processing and accepting the grief of her losses in bits and pieces, had read everything that she possibly could since coming to Muga, in an attempt to keep herself busy. She wanted to learn about this new land that she’d heard so much about from travellers buying from her husband’s bakery. The history, culture, traditions, legends, and laws, they would all be important to know so that she could fit in. Almost every night of the past six months had found her either in her private hut or the milking room, with a plate of food that she’d made up and a new book every night. The first thing that she’d picked up to read was about the history of Equestrian herds.

In Saddle Arabia, herds were not entirely uncommon, but were strictly regulated by the religious courts to make sure that all participants were willing and content. Even so, some abuses were known to happen. In Equestria, herds were illegal, an ‘archaic byproduct of the Age of Disharmony’, as most of the texts had described them. They’d been allowed at one point, during and after the Reign of the Two Sisters, but any existing herds had been broken up after the Minotaur Occupation, in some sort of mysterious event simply referred to as ‘Disbanding.’ That certainly seemed a shame, Baklava couldn’t help but think, that herds were no longer allowed under any circumstances. If other, less fortunate ponies could gather together under kind, competent leadership like Fine Silk’s instead of relying on sporadic welfare from the government, then there would be a great deal of good done.

Still, the very concept of a herd carried a sexual connotation, but Fine Silk hadn’t done anything beyond the very occasional hug and cuddle since they’d left Sweet Oasis, and Baklava couldn’t help but wonder why.

The pumps began to pull a little harder, trying to draw more milk from Baklava that she didn’t have, and she turned off the magical engine and stood up, buttoning her shirt around her large bust. It must’ve been hours since she’d first come in (the only thing missing from the cabin was a clock), but it wasn’t like she had to be anywhere. She could do whatever she wanted, on her own time, and not have to worry about bothering anybody here at Muga. Picking up the book, along with the large bottle of milk, Baklava extinguished all of the candles with a brief flare of blue magic and stepped out into the morning.

It was a crisp spring day, with the sun just creeping up over the granite walls of Muga. There was no frost on the ground, not today, but Baklava did shiver a little as she made her way through the empty courtyard towards the row of slant-roofed buildings that housed the estate’s more permanent residents.

“Oh, Miss Baklava!” a soft voice called from the archway that led to the garden. A slightly older, pale violet pegasus trotted up, long silver mane done up in double braided loops behind her, arms full with a basket of vegetables. “I thought that you might join us for dinner this evening. Also, Miss Silk would like to see you in the library, whenever it is convenient for you.”

“Thank you, Lavender Creme.” Baklava dipped in a short curtsy, then rushed forward when the pegasus suddenly stumbled, vegetables tipping precariously in their basket. “Oh! Are you alright?”

“Fine, fine.” Lavender accepted the help quietly and righted the basket in her arms. “Just a little headache, but it’s gone now. I’d best get started on that curried rice that you enjoy so much.” It was after Lavender left that Baklava couldn’t remember ever saying to anyone here that her favorite food was curried rice, but it probably wasn’t a huge deal. Lavender Creme seemed to have a talent for knowing little bits of future happenstance.

After storing the milk bottle in the kitchen, Baklava made her way to the largest building on the estate. She’d seen pictures of Manedarin and Neighpon-style palaces, but never anything in real life. This great hall was probably a very close approximation. It was her favorite place on the estate. Not only did it have Fine Silk’s quarters, and the room where her herd could safely rest in their cocoons, but there was also a library more extensive than even the collection at Sweet Oasis. The room had to be magically bigger on the inside, because there were more than two hundred shelves of books that stretched off into the darkness. Even dimly lit, there was just something about this place that made Baklava feel safe and secure.

Fine Silk sat in one of the many reading nooks, seated on a Purrsian rug with one leg tucked beneath her, reading from a thick tome. She smiled immediately upon seeing Baklava. “How are you doing, my dear?” she asked in her soothing voice, closing her book quietly and letting it levitate back to its shelf.

“Fine, thank you.” At the silent invitation from Fine Silk, Baklava slid to the rug and tucked herself against the other unicorn’s side while a hand draped over her shoulders. She started a little upon feeling silk instead of Fine Silk’s normal fur on her hands, but that wasn’t going to dissuade her from a little cuddling.

“Sorry about that,” Fine Silk whispered, kissing the shimmering blonde mane. “That pesky curse started to eat through my palms a little. It’s fine!” she added hurriedly before Baklava could voice her protest. “They’re regenerating. It doesn’t hurt, but you probably didn’t want to see my hands bleeding.”

Murmuring her discontent, Baklava curled closer to this wonderful unicorn. “Just don’t want you to hurt,” she whispered into a dappled shoulder.

“I’m not. Thank you for your concern, though.” Fine Silk gave Baklava another kiss to the top of her head. “How are you doing, my dear? Feeling comfortable?”

“How can you even think about my own feelings when your palms are being eaten from the inside out?!” It wasn’t a true protest, and she tried to inject a little humor in along with the evident concern. Still...

Now, both of Fine Silk’s arms were around her, and Baklava practically melted into them adoringly. “I’ll be fine, Baklava, you know that. The curse won’t kill me, and I can handle a lot of pain. Your wellbeing is far more important to me.” A few more kisses were placed to Baklava’s head, and her resulting hum was far more calm and pacified than earlier. “Now, how are you feeling? How are you doing? Is there anything that I can do to help you adjust better to living here?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” Baklava replied quickly. “Things are good, Miss. Everypony’s been very kind and helping me settle in.” She squeezed the arms gently looped around her and let out a long breath, comforted and comfortable. “Some nights, when I’m thinking of Poppy...it’s a little rough, but I’m getting better. I’m glad that I don’t forget him,” she said softly, a little more subdued but still ultimately positive. The sting of loss and grief was fading away, bit by bit. “Thank you, again, for finding the pictures for me. I finally got all of the sand out.”

“It was a pleasure, Baklava. I’m glad that they’ve made you happy.” Fine Silk was truly the best cuddler, in Baklava’s opinion; she pressed her face to the top of the chestnut’s head, and her kisses always felt so soft and divine. Baklava surrendered herself to those affectionate attentions, and had to drag herself out of a pleasured stupor when Fine Silk said, “I do not mean to sound like I want you to do anything that you don’t want to. I only want to ask...is there anyplace that you would like to travel to? Inside of Equestria or out? Anything that you would like to do, I will pay your way. You are free to stay here and continue using my library, of course, if that’s what you wish.”

Truthfully, Baklava hadn’t thought about it often. With her days full of reading, being pumped, and wandering around her new home, there hadn’t been much else that she’d wanted to do or anyplace else to go. ‘Probably not too healthy,’ she thought vaguely, mostly focused on those pleasing touches coming from Miss Silk. She didn’t want to leave this pony’s side, if she could help it, but Baklava could recognize that as part of the charm on her ley lines, and she was alright with that.

“Will you be travelling again soon?” she asked softly, looking up to meet purple eyes. “To one of your boutiques?”

Neat eyebrows rose slightly in mild surprise. “To Seaddle, yes, for a few weeks. I have a client there who has requested a few additions to his wardrobe that require my personal touch. Would you like to come with me?”

There wasn’t much thought required to make Baklava’s decision. “If that’s alright with you? If there would be room for me,” she asked, staring up into that gorgeous face. “I don’t want to take up space, but I’ve never heard of a city getting so much rain.”

“There’s more than enough room.” Fine Silk kissed Baklava’s lips this time, smiling broadly. “My boutique there is in an old boarding house from the last century, so there’s a place for you and I to stay. I might be pretty busy, though.”

A new thought crossed the chestnut unicorn’s mind after only a few seconds. “Do you have a kitchen there? I could cook and bake for everyone, while you’re filling client orders. That would definitely keep me busy.”

After a very brief pause, pale and dark lips brushed against chestnut again, much deeper and more passionate, leaving Baklava rather breathless. “You are truly brilliant,” Fine Silk purred. “I would love to taste your creations. I’ll provide you with money for the ingredients.”

“I could…” she started, but the words almost died in her throat, and Baklava had to cough to get them out again. “I could...pay you back for them. In other ways?” Surprisingly, Fine Silk didn’t seem to understand at first, based on the confused glimmer in her eye, and Baklava tried to shift herself meaningfully against the other mare’s body. It just seemed a little too embarrassing to try to say “I will have sex with you in exchange for money for ingredients.”

In hindsight, it sounded just plain wrong.

Finally, the paint blinked in understanding, and her smile dipped. “I won’t accept it as payment,” Fine Silk whispered, holding Baklava close. “I don’t do things like that. I’ll give the money to you, no strings attached. If you want to have sex with me, that’s fine. One is not predicated on the other.”

“I’m sorry,” Baklava said immediately, just noticing how the other unicorn seemed to be trembling. The very suggestion seemed to really bother Fine Silk, when almost nothing else could get to her. Was it somehow linked to Fine Silk’s dislike (Baklava had managed to pin it down as dislike) for Celestia?

Still, Fine Silk didn’t move away from Baklava, nor did she unwind her arms. “No, I’m sorry,” she finally said in a low, almost tired voice. “I didn’t mean to sound like I was scolding you. I saw that you were reading books on herds. You wondered about the sexual element with mine?”

Baklava couldn’t even pretend to be surprised at Fine Silk’s conclusion. She nodded quietly, holding the other unicorn close, comforting her in turn. “I didn’t know why...you hadn’t taken me to bed since I came here,” she admitted. “I know that you did so with others, not that I mind.”

Another kiss was pressed to Baklava’s mane. “I wanted to give you proper time to adjust and to mourn what you lost,” Fine said, looking down at her pretty companion. “We couldn’t really do it properly before, at Sweet Oasis. Giving you the time and space that you needed to cope. Time wasn’t on our side. Now that it is...you deserve to have whatever space you needed. Sex wasn’t really going to do any good for that, I don’t think.”

“And you didn’t want to force me.”

“Never,” Fine Silk almost hissed, looking out into the dark distance of her library. “To me, there is nothing more cruel or heinous in this world than taking pleasure from someone unwilling to give their own. My magic may increase libido, and encourage them to give in to harmless inhibitions, and it may sometimes be outside of my control, but even it won’t force another pony who isn’t truly willing to do something. I know that much.”

“There seems to be a lot about yourself that you don’t know,” Baklava said after a short time of ruminating over Fine Silk’s declaration. “You said it earlier, too. At Sweet Oasis. You said how there’s a lot that you don’t know about yourself, or your magic. But you’re...long lived?”

“Hmm.” It was an amused little snort, so at least Fine Silk seemed to be in a slightly better mood. “And most ponies have a full understanding of their magical talents by a young age, based on their cutie marks. I can see your confusion at...well, my own confusion, and trust me, it is aggravating to not know more about why I’m like this. I was supposed to know more, but now, it’s not really possible.”

“Because of the Princess?” The question was out of her mouth before Baklava could catch it, but before she could apologize, Fine Silk nodded against her.

“My mother would’ve told me more about myself. She said that while I was a filly, I wasn’t prepared to know more about my family line. It probably means that there were others like me before, and they somehow managed to die.” There was a faint wistfulness in her voice. “Maybe something more dramatic, like a blood curse or a tie to ancient, forgotten gods.But my mother’s gone. During the Disbanding, she fought against Celestia personally. One minute, she was there, and then...she wasn’t. I was about...seven, at the time. Had to seek out what I know on my own. ”

It was now little wonder to Baklava why Fine Silk was operating an illegal herd, practically right under Princess Celestia’s nose, given their proximity to Canterlot. Even greater than the risk of punishment was that desire to return to happier days. Even now, though, the dappled mare carried that slight air of loneliness.

“I don’t think it matters what powers you possess,” she finally said, slow and measured, giving Fine Silk a gentle squeeze around the middle. “Or what you are, if you’re different from the rest of us. Not if you aren’t hurting anybody. You’re helping ponies. You helped me. I’m happy to be part of a herd managed by somepony who genuinely cares.”

There were a few moments of silence, followed by a beautiful face pressing itself into Baklava’s golden mane. “You are more of a blessing that you realize,” Fine Silk whispered to her, voice shaking just a little, dampness around her eyes. “This probably isn’t the life that you wanted, comforting some sort of monster…”

Baklava was going to hear none of it. She squeezed back and patted the paint’s back solidly. “Hush, Miss. Some monsters don’t deserve to be lonely, especially if they aren’t evil.”

Nobody, past or present, could accuse Baklava of not knowing what she wanted (besides that little while after her husband had died). She’d always miss Poppy Loaf, and the life that she’d had in Sweet Oasis, but being brought to Muga, into this kind mare’s herd, was the best thing that could’ve happened to her after her old life was destroyed. “I’m not ready for sex yet, but I want to be here, with you, enjoying your company. You’re wonderful, Miss Silk.”

“I think you might make me a better pony,” Fine Silk said lowly, shifting around so that Baklava’s back was to her chest, but she leaned over the other’s shoulder to kiss her cheek and meet her eye. “I won’t fail you. Won’t hurt you, or let anyone hurt you again.”

“I’m not worried.” Baklava really wasn’t. Having a powerful pony hold her in such high regards could only be a good thing. “I trust you.”

It felt like the air had cleared somewhat, that a subtle knot had loosened between them. It hadn’t been real tension, like with an argument or unresolved sexual issues; rather, this was them figuring out their place with each other. Not just herd leader and mate anymore, Baklava had unknowingly slipped into that lieutenant position of lead mare. It filled in a small hole in Fine Silk’s heart and mind too, one that she hadn’t fully realized was empty. If either of them felt that little piece slipping into place, they chose not to mention it.

“Would you like to read with me for a while, before dinner?” Fine Silk offered, still holding Baklava against her gently, thumbs making little caresses.

“I’d like that.” Baklava looked up, blue eyes meeting purple, and felt more assured now than she had since that awful day six months ago. “Do you have any old cookbooks? I’d like to learn some new recipes.”

Author's Note

And that's a wrap! Thank you so much for reading, and have a happy holidays, everyone! I'll be back in early 2019 with new stories following Fine Silk and her adventures.