There were many gentle shimmers of heat that gave the impression of water across the horizon, but they kept their course, ignoring them all. They had brought enough of their own to not become desperate enough to go chasing after them, sipping gently from their supplies.

It was more of a shock when one shimmer proved to be true as they approached it. They had arrived at one of their destinations, a verdant oasis sorrounded by lush greens and reaching trees that provided some amount of cover in little circles. Sorrounding that were low clay houses of those that called the oasis home. Bright colors fluttered in the breeze and a few creatures could be seen moving from place to place.

They were approaching civization. The caravan's leader ambled towards Trixie. "You should be able to relax for half a day while we resupply and trade. I'll repeat this for your friends." Her eyes were further down the line where she could see the other guardians. "Where's the wolf, still in the medical tent?"

"He's right here." She tossed her head back at her own wagon, a slumbering wolf contained. Despite his bravado, he had been lulled to sleep by the rocking of her wagon. "I'll tell him when he wakes up."

"That works, thanks." She dipped her head and went on past Trixie to seek out the others and bark new commands at the caravan ponies as she went.

Garou sat up, tail wagging a little. "We made it."

"Halfway," agreed Trixie with a soft nod. "Feeling better?" She pulled her wagon into the little oasis town, parking it on the side of the road that led towards its center. "You look it."

"I feel it." He hopped down to his own paws and loped around both her and her wagon, only showing discomfort once when a step caused something to pull against his still fresh injury. "Hmmph. I'll put that at 80%"

Trixie slipped free of her harness. "Let's find the others. We were to be paid when we got here. Trixie remembers that part."

It wasn't too hard to find the others, still lingering with the wagon line. The merchants were setting up stalls and the locals were already coming to barter and exchange goods. Others were busy going into town to purchase supplies and refill water containers. Rockhoof nodded towards Trixie on seeing her. "Where'd you park? I'll take the barrels"

Trixie pointed the way. "On the left side of the road. She presumes things were as quiet as they seemed?"

Luna answered before him, "all was clear. And we've been given a small respite from our responsibilites."

Trixie raised a hoof and wobbled it a little. "Not that I'm one to refuse a chance to relax, but I won't be taking that one. We're still on the road, and if the merchants get attacked while we're here, we'd just as quickly end up without our jobs as if it happened anywhere else."

Garou stepped up beside her. "You have a point there. We'll keep an eye on them at least."

Celestia was there, and instead of offering direct piles of coins, she had smaller bags she floated along to each member of their company. "Well-earned. If you want to buy something in town, we'll be here for a little while."

"Half a day, right?" repeated Garou just before he snapped up his floating bag and tucked it away in one of his pouches. "Let's enjoy it."

Luna set a hoof down just beside him. "I suggest we enjoy it by going over what you can do, precisely, and how to better use it."

Garou huffed at that, looking put out. "Look, I'm still punctured."

"And if you would wish to avoid a repeat of that, practice is in order." Luna nodded with what she felt was sage wisdom. "You have an understanding of what your abilities do, but not the practice to put them to use smoothly." She turned and began walking, nudging him along the way with a wing. "We'll avoid the physically straining things for now."

Celestia softly nudged Luna as her sister passed. "Be gentle on him. It would do us no good to put him back in bed so quickly."

"No promises." Her magic suddenly wrapped around him, plucking him from the ground. "Perhaps you would be willing to tell me what it is you are, exactly. Are you a changeling?" She trotted off with her captive student, leaving the others behind.

Trixie watched her fan be carried off. "Your sister can be very persistant when she had it in mind to be."

"Like some other mares I know, come to think." She started towards the town but hesitated and turned back towards the caravan encampment as it picked up in activity. "I'll stand watch for now. Join me?"

Trixie sat beside Celestia. "I think we were had."

"Hm?"

"They gave us time off we can't really take, but will not be paid for. Clever." Trixie rolled her shoulders with a little snort. "It's clever enough I don't even feel mad this time."

Celestia raised a hoof. "If we are pressed, I'll bring up payment, but until then, at least we're not walking. Good of you to not take it personally at least." She pointed at Trixie with a wing. "I had been meaning to ask, are you happy here, with us? This is surely not what you would have been doing on your own."

"'Tis true this is certainly not a performance tour." She stuck out her tongue a little. "But I am performing. My magic commands attention and bedazzles those who rush towards Trixie. It is not, in the end, that different. I just have to be more cautious about how these audiences behave." She lifted an ear towards Celestia. "What about you? This is quite a change of scenery from ruling a country, no?"

"Yes." Celestia smiled a little, sitting up tall. "Just as I had hoped. My decisions are my own, not weighed down with the worry of countless other ponies. In comparison, protecting this caravan feels like nothing, and they don't look to me for orders or direction, just protection." She tossed her head in the direction Luna had gone. "Hopefully they have some progress in their training. I don't want our newest member being hurt like that again."

"What you get when you get a dog to do a pony's job," gently teased Trixie. "Oh, there's Rockhoof." She waved at him lightly. "All settled on the water then?"

"Loaded up," he agreed, joining them in a line. "Where's the wolf, and Luna for that matter?"

Celestia pointed the way. "Training. My sister has it in her head to help him learn his abilities, to put them to more fluid use."

"In a day?" Rockhoof raised a skeptical brow. "There's only so much you can get done that quickly. I'm more wondering what manner of creature he actually is, not to say whatever that is is a problem." He snorted loudly. "Still, curiosity's a thing."

Celestia seemed to muse over that quietly a moment. "He said that many of my little ponies would be more alarmed than curious. I don't think he was lying about that. Most are not as adventurous as we are. Still, they are good ponies, are they not?"

Rockhoof rubbed behind his head a little meekly. "Afraid I'm a little out of touch, truth be told, and I wasn't a regular pony long before now."

Trixie buffed a hoof on her chest, looking proud. "And Trixie is a globe trotting showmare. She has no fear of the unknown!"

"That isn't what I last heard." With a devious little smile, Celestia leaned in towards her. "I seem to recall hearing you used to be quite frightened of changelings."

"That was different!" she squeaked defensively. "They were not unknown. They were very well known, as bad things to be avoided." She cleared her throat softly. "They've improved since then, good for them."

"Afraid I know little of them," confessed Rockhoof. "You appear to have this well in hoof. I'll go see how Luna and Garou are doin'." He rose to his heavy hooves and trotted off in that direction. Coming around a corner, a flash of silvery magic burst out just in front of him, missing his snout by inches. It had come from Luna, who was hurling bolts at an almost dancing Garou.

The poor wolf ducked and bobbed when he wasn't throwing defensive barriers in the way, seeming to be just a half-step ahead of the assault being laid upon him. Rockhoof looked uncertain how to approach, raising a hoof to speak when Luna proved just a bit quicker, one of her bolts striking Garou in the shoulder.

He growled in discomfort and raised a paw to rub the spot. "That stings."

"Good," Luna pointed at him. "Pain can be a valuable teacher. Thankfully, in this case, that's the worst you face. I'm not trying to end you. Ah, Rockhoof. Are you here to spar as well?"

With the invitation given, Rockhoof ambled towards them. "I had thought to come and see what you were up to, but I see it now." He put a heavy hoof on Garou on the way. "You alright, lad? You took quite the nasty hit in that last fight."

"You wouldn't know it from how Luna treats me." He scowled at her as he sat on his haunches. "But I'm keeping up, mostly."

"Mostly is how we end up with spears in places we did not desire," retorted Luna. "Are you ready to proceed?"

"How is this helping?" Despite his complaint, he stood up. "Besides, bet you can't hit what you can't see." He faded from view entirely.

"Not as easily," admitted Luna. "But that just raises more questions. Why were you not so cloaked during the last battle? It would have been harder to skewer you if one did not know where to put the spear." A bright pulse washed out from her, crashing against the unseen form of Garou sneaking up on her and knocking him away, visible for the brief instant her magic met with his form.

He faded back into view with an irate wuff. "No fair... I forgot it." In the excitement of the moment, it had skipped his mind to make use of it.

"How does one forget that?" Luna turned towards him. "I know too many spells. To forget any number of them in a moment of duress, understandable, but you only have a few tricks." She tossed her head towards Rockhoof. "He would not forget what he can do, that would be hard to beleive."

Rockhoof roared with laughter at the idea. "I'm a strong pony, it's the trick I have." He pulled his shovel free from his back and swirled it in his hooves. "The day I forget that, I must have died an hour earlier, the way I see it."

Garou's fur stood up a little, his hackles raised. "What's your point."

"My point--" she reached out, booping him right on the end of his snout. "--is that you need to not forget. What you can do must be a part of you, even if they used to not be."

He shied back a little, but she seemed unmoved. "I am not a fool. You are not a wolf, and I would wager being one is new, as well as your other powers, or you would not 'forget' them."

Rockhoof shrugged his massive shoulders. "She has you there, lad. If you were long for havin' these gifts, they'd be a second nature."

"Precisely so. Do you wish to argue that?" She had him affixed with a knowing gaze, challenging him.

"I know how to be a wolf," he huffed with an agitated sway of his tail. "I was fighting just fine."

"Of this I will not argue." Luna pointed at him. "You've gotten that trick down well, but the rest..."

Author's Note

Luna calls Garou out. It's tough love! Properly day 1 of vending at Anthrocon. May it go well.

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