"And you'll need to take these medications for the migraines, trust me, they will happen and they won't be pleasant."

The pills were wiggled in front of her for the fifth time, and Gabby nodded. "I know."

"And then after each meal you'll wanna ingest at least three glasses of water for your body to absorb so the healing can work it's magic, heh pun."

Gabby ground her beak. "Yes, Starlight, I understand."

The unicorn stood just outside the bakery doorway yammering on about how the final spell they'd cast on her casts and body were working in tandem with some crazy spell matrix that the mare had taken a week to set up at the hospital. It was meant to monitor the healing process of a patient, and notify the doctors if any serious trouble came up.

While it was an amazing feat of magic, the description and rules to follow were most certainly not enjoyable to the hen who had to use it. Starlight Glimmer had blah blah blah'd about it's intricacies for almost twenty minutes now and Gabby, while known for her patience, was wearing thin.

"And on top of this you'll also prooooobably wanna take a few more weeks off of work, no heavy lifting or major flights until we can convert the--"

"STARLIGHT!" Gilda yelled from behind the counter. Gabby sighed in relief as Gilda literally hopped the counter and came stomping over. Her claws reached out and gripped Starlight's shoulders in her claws firmly. "Listen, I really really really appreciate all that you and Princess Luna and those doctors have done for us, but you are about to find out what happens when I get a headache brought on by blabbering eggheads who don't know when to ZIP IT!" She emphasized the last part by swiping her claws tightly across her beak line.

Starlight blushed, pinned her ears back and nodded meekly even as Gilda turned around once more. "Oh! I'm so sorry Gilda, Gabby, all you had to do was say so--"

"I just did." Gilda grumbled as she passed by Gabby. Gabby giggled into her claws and patted Starlight's shoulder.

"look, I read the doctor's orders and will be following them to a T. No worries Starlight, we can catch up some time later when this all blows over okay?" Gabby peered past the pony and found four or more griffons waiting impatiently outside. She sighed. "And it might be a good time to go anyway, you're kind of holding up the line."

Starlight whipped around and gasped. "Oh sweet Celestia, I always do this. Okay, take care, stay safe and you have your medication?"

Gabby rolled her eyes and shook the little pill bottle sarcastically. Starlight nodded, mostly to herself it seemed. "O-okay. I'll uhm, yeah I'm just gonna go now, bye Gabby!"

Gabby waved as the mare trotted down the road and out of sight. As soon as she was gone, Gabby groaned and slouched gently into the nearest chair, letting the griffons outside in. A few patted her good shoulder and gave her wishes for a speedy recovery. Some ended their well wishes with 'Second Pillar', something Gabby found both confusing and odd to hear. Gilda had explained it the moment it had reared its ugly head. She was apparently the first pillar, Gabby was the second, and Gallus was the third. All of them had been elevated to some sort of lesser nobility by Grandpa Gruff and the council. It had been fully announced the morning after Gabby was released from the hospital. Since then, the hens couldn't escape it. Customers came in and seemed nervous, or overly polite. Sometimes Gilda would tell one of them to bugger off for trying to give her or Gabby gifts.

"It's like I'm in Canterlot again." Gabby had murmured after the fifth time she'd been titled. "All the snooty nobles in the upper district trying to gain favor." Gilda had huffed and said the council was doing it merely to save face after they openly claimed gabby's injury was in part to their negligence. A lot of birds had been angry to hear this. Luckily it had all been taken care of away from the bakery, and Gabby was able to get some much needed quiet time with Gilda in their apartment.

"You should head upstairs and get some more rest." Gilda murmured as she past around the counter and worked on serving the current customers. "No bakery help until you are fully healed." She passed a plate with two bagels slathered in bacon cream spread to the tom across the counter. He thanked her and moved on.

Gabby groaned more and slouched into the chair, wincing as her shoulder protested lightly. "Now you sound like Starlight. I'm so bored up there!"

Gilda smirked and took the bits from the hen across the counter from her. "So do a hobby, you got like, a jillion of those." She passed back the change and then grimaced as the hen titled her 'first pillar'. She closed the register and grabbed a cloth to wipe down the counters. As she did so, Gabby seemed to grow more lethargic as time went on. She slouched further and further into her chair until the hen was nothing more than a lump of feathers.

"Wow, not even two days into recovery and you're moping?" Gilda asked, coming over and watching as Gabby buried her head into her arms on the table. "huh, you want some company?"

Gabby mumbled something into her chest feathers. Gilda shrugged and began wiping down the nearby empty tables and chairs. She went to speak further but her eyes glanced out the door, and she saw a Canterlot soldier in purple and silver armor. He approaching the bakery confidently. Behind him, a small group of cadets in similar but simpler designed armor followed behind. Between them, was a set of covered objects on a cart.

The griffons in the shop all turned as he called for his company to halt. The sound carried through the wooden beams that blocked out the cold air and snow. He entered the shop alone and removed his helmet. His firm eyes tracked across the group of patrons and then fell on Gilda. He smiled and approached, and Gilda subconsciously felt her neck ruff expand and her wings slowly tried to open as he came closer. He was a healthy grey pegasus stallion in his mid thirties with a two tone red and cream mane and tail. His cutie mark was obscured by his armor plating.

He stopped a foot or so from her and extended a hoof out. "Hello, are you Gilda Griffon? Captain Gallus sent me in his stead."

Gilda took the hoof and shook it, her eyes wary. "I am Gilda, whose asking and why?" She let go of his hoof and he chuckled.

"No need to be alarmed, miss, I am merely Gallus' stand in at the moment. My name is Pivot Point, currently acting Captain of Princess Twilight's royal guard. I was sent here by Princess Twilight to give you a gift, and install them if you'll accept."

Gilda blinked in surprise and stood there a moment in confusion. Gabby came over and stood next to her, the limp in her right side prominent in her walk. Pivot noted this and he frowned sympathetically at her injuries. "I take it you are Gallus' other sibling, Gabby, yes?"

When she nodded he sighed. "He sends his well wishes, and hopes you recover soon."

She frowned in return. "Why are you in his place? Did something happen?" she watched as he looked back out the door to his group, the bunch were still in place.

"Perhaps we could get my men inside and working on your gift first before we talk? It's rather cold out there."

Gilda and Gabby looked worriedly to one another before Gilda nodded. "What's the gift?"

Instead of answering her, he walked to the door and opened it, shouting some orders to the cadets, who flew into a flurry of action. cloaks were pulled away to reveal tool bags and equipment. The group of ten or so pegasi and unicorns immediately got to work. Pivot turned and smiled to Gilda and Gabby. "See for yourself."

Gilda and Gabby watched in fascination as the tarps were pulled off the cart to reveal two large ornate, enchanted panes of glass. The glass itself shimmered lightly in the daylight, a subtle red hue that shifted as shadows fell over it or more light went through it. Gilda's beak dropped open in shock. Those were waaaay outside her original budget for windows. The glass panes were built to withstand erosion, cracking, blunt force damage, and even could block some forms of magic.

Next to her Gabby chirped excitedly and watched as the pegasi and unicorns carefully unwrapped the panes. A single cadet approached, saluted to Pivot and then addressed Gilda directly with another salute. "Ma'am, may we have permission to remove the boards on the windows and get these set up?"

Gilda nodded slowly. "S-sure...just lemme warn the customers..."

"Already on it!" Gabby murmured behind her excitedly. Before Gilda could reply, Gabby opened the door and bellowed inside. "EVERYBODY GET OUT! THE STORE IS CLOSED TEMPORARILY FOR MAINTENANCE! Thank you."

Pivot seemed mildly surprised by her antics and smirked, Gilda blushed furiously and whipped around to ask Gabby what the heck had gotten into her, when a flurry of griffons came blasting out the door and past the trio. Within a few seconds the customers were gone, the closed sign spun around to it's proper spot, and Gabby closed the door with a clap of her claws and a smile. "There, all taken care of."

Gilda stared at her. "Are you insane? You could have been trampled, or knocked to the ground, or--" Her beak was gently clamped shut by Gabby's claws wrapping around it. Gabby chuckled and let go.

"Gilda, you are wonderful and a great friend, but my patience is thin today and I wanted them gone. I need to have time to breath." She smiled so sweetly that Gilda merely nodded.

"Ah, um okay."

Pivot nodded with his own smile. "For now I suppose my men will access the bakery then and install these, while we all sit down and have a chat. Maybe I could try your strawberry scones? Gallus said they were fantastic."

Gilda nodded, rubbing at her beak where Gabby had gripped it. She blushed lightly and walked into her business with the other two behind. "Yeah, lemme grab some from the back, they're uh, fresher that way." She mumbled. Gabby sat back down at the table and Pivot took the seat across from her. Outside the wrenching of nails could be heard as boards came loose. Two unicorn cadets on the inside of the building were lifting a large tarp over the openings, so snow and wind wouldn't get in while they installed the glass.

Gilda watched as the unicorns measured the sills, and then shaved off small portions of the brick to make it as level as possible, before moving on. Behind them, Pegasi workers measured the glass itself and checked the panes over for flaws or blemishes. She huffed and grabbed three coffee mugs. At the table, Pivot unclipped his cloak and folded it up into his lap.

As Gilda came over and set the coffee down, he began to talk.

"To answer your question, Gallus is fine, but the nobles who fund the military were in an uproar over the outcome. Hearing a citizen of our allies was hurt by our actions wasn't something they were very pleased to be informed of. Especially when that citizen is a well known friend of the Princess. They demanded an investigation be made under claims of negligence on Gallus' orders."

Gabby and Gilda visibly bristled. Gabby clenched her claws into fists, her breath hissing out from her clenched lips. "And I assume Twilight told them this wasn't necessary and they didn't listen?"

Pivot's ears wilted a little as the two hens growled lightly. "Pretty much, they hired private investigators to look into it." He looked out at his men as they worked. "I imagine you guys have seen a couple ponies wandering around town recently?"

Gilda and Gabby shook their heads.

"I've been stuck inside healing." Gabby replied.

"And I've been working in my bakery and keeping her inside so she heals." Gilda responded with a wry grin. Gabby stuck her tongue out at her in response.

Pivot nodded and picked up a scone, taking a small bite, he chewed. "Mmm this is good stuff. You're a very good chef, Ma'am."

"Cut it with the ma'am and I might consider your statement a compliment." Gilda huffed. Gabby giggled.

"She's just bothered cause her plumage is beginning to gray earlier than normal."

Gilda reached over the counter and swiped at Gabby who leaned back in her chair to evade it. "It is not you over grown pile of--"

Pivot cleared his throat, drawing their attention. He'd finished the first scone and was wiping his muzzle with a napkin. "There is a bit more to this situation, I'm afraid. Regardless of if you saw the investigators or not, ponies and griffons tend to talk. The things they've said have Gallus in a little hotter water than the incident caused."

Gilda and Gabby looked at one another before looking back to the pegasus. He furrowed his brow and sighed, seeming to love following the detailed textures of the table grains for a moment before looking up.

"I'm also acting captain right now because of these 'extra' claims. Let it be said that while stepping into the role of captain permanently sounds fantastic to some, I do foresee it changing rather quickly considering what has happened. I would like your assistance clearing things up if it were alright?"

Gilda nodded slowly. "A-alright, what's up? The griffons around town spouting gossip?" She swore internally. If griffons were bad mouthing her nest brother she was going to have a field day with the council about it. Then again...why would they want to do that right after the three gained their status?

Wait a second. Gilda's gears began turning. The three of us gained lesser nobility for our actions in restoring the town, would the other griffons envy that?

Pivot placed his hooves together and leaned on them. "I've heard some problematic reports from the locals here, as well as from nobles in Canterlot that Gallus has been...fraternizing with her Highness, Princess Twilight."

And Gilda's gears ground to a halt. "Wait what?" She murmured.

Pivot's eyes gained a flinty edge to them as he watched their expressions closely. "Yeees, it's been made apparent that he is potentially seeking her hoof in marriage. As his friend, I don't care myself who he seeks as a mate, but things in Canterlot aren't always that easy. You see the nobles who work directly with Her Royal Highness are--"

"Who cares what they are?" Gabby cut in with a growl. Gilda and Pivot looked over to her, she was still clenching her claws but now it was with defensive anger in her eyes. "Barring a few exceptions, the nobles of Canterlot don't care about love or how it works. They care about their petty financial problems and only seek to make their wallets grow and every creature else's shrink. If they have a problem with Gallus and who he loves, they can shove it!"

Pivot's eyebrows rose a bit there, and Gilda watched as Gabby's chest fluff rose and fell in huffs of air as the hen breathed deeply. Pivot nodded ever so slowly. "Am I to assume that means my inquiry is correct? He is seeking her hoof?"

Something didn't seem right here...

Gilda squinted at Pivot and held up a hand when Gabby went to speak. "No, we never said that, but that begs the question. What happens with this information, Captain?" she asked. Pivot's lips twitched in an effort to smile, and then it was gone. If Gilda hadn't been watching his reaction so closely she would have missed it. When Gabby looked to him he'd schooled his expression and hid it behind a mask of indifference.

"What happens is I follow my orders, Ms. Gilda. Princess Twilight, while aware of the situation at large, is not privy to the under hoofed dealings of the nobles around her, or if she is, she hasn't shown that knowledge to me as far as I've been acting captain."

She pointed a claw at him. "That was a non-answer, buddy. She hasn't shared that info because you're not actually a captain yet." Gilda snipped. She wanted to dig deeper. "You said there were investigators around town right? Except we haven't actually seen any. I run one of the most popular shops in town, and Gabby and I have been here the whole time. If they wanted answers so badly, we'd have seen them by now. That made me realize something." Gilda leaned closer, and her eyes hardened. "What's to say you aren't one of those private investigators yourself huh?"

"Gilda? What do you mean?" Gabby asked, leaning closer too. Pivot's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she spoke, and Gilda felt like maybe she'd hit at something. She kept her claw pointed at him.

"I'm pointing out that he comes in here with a wonderful expensive gift, apparently from Princess Twilight herself --yet I've seen no paperwork to sign off on officially-- then warns us to watch what we say, while at the same time asks us to divulge information that, if verified, could be used against Gallus. Simply put, you're either here under Twilight's orders to find out if Gallus likes her, You're here because you personally want the information to keep Gallus safe, or you're being paid under the table to find out if he likes her, by one of the nobles of Canterlot."

She stood up, and leaned across the table, her claws digging into the wood as her weight pressed into it. "So which is it, Captain?" Her eyes glared at him fiercely. They stared at one another, Gilda was hoping to intimidate him, but his only reaction was to chuckle. She frowned. For a couple seconds, Pivot shook his head and laughed lightly. When he lifted his head, there was a gentle smile, and he seemed pleased. He grinned back at her.

"My my my, aren't you an astute little bird, all of those reasons are sound of mind, smart, and a safe way to protect Gallus from potentially getting in trouble. You're analytical, perceptive, and shrewd." He reached into his bags and withdrew a set of papers and set them on the table before her. The royal seal was marked on each one. "Rare traits for a griffon to have all at once, and ones I respect."

Gilda kept glaring. "Another non-answer, pal." She hissed. Gabby watched the growing tension between the two with a little warble of worry escaping her throat.

"G-gilda maybe you should calm down?" she reached over and clutched Gilda's arm, making the hen look down at the touch, almost in surprise.

Pivot smirked and slanted his gaze to Gabby. "Oh, no that was indeed a test I set up, and you Gabby, failed spectacularly. Gilda, however, passed."

Gilda looked back up and grimaced. "A test? A test of what?"

Pivot stood up and slowly began removing his armor piece by piece. "A test to see where your loyalties lie. You see I am not the actual acting captain of this group."

As Gilda and Gabby stood quickly, their wings opening in defensive postures, Pivot casually kept unbuckling the straps around his midsection. "The acting captain is right here." He said, as another pegasus soldier came up. Gilda and Gabby looked to him in surprise. He was more akin to a slab of muscle and strength than a pony should be. His square jawline, strong powerful wings, and piercing gaze felt far more accurate to the position of captaincy than Pivot did. He saluted them and then looked to Pivot.

"I assume your little charade is over? I want my armor back." His voice was like granite grinding against metal. Gilda shuddered when Pivot nodded.

"Oh yes, Captain it's all yours, I got what I needed."

Gilda scowled and stepped forward. "Which was what?! Making us look like fools in our own home? Was that your game?"

Pivot clucked his tongue and shook his head. He reached under his right wing and pulled out a set of thin square glasses and set them upon the bridge of his nose. "Quite the contrary Ms. Gilda, I seek to protect your home, your nest? Forgive me if I titled it wrong, I'm not fully aware of the local terms and descriptions of things as much as I'd like to be. As it were I was sent here by Princess Twilight to investigate if others knew about her connection to Gallus after the accident with Ms. Gabby here. Again, my apologies for your circumstances, as well as my deception."

Gabby sat down and scratched her head. "Wait...so...what? You came to make sure we knew?"

Gilda shook her head. "I'm a bit confused as well, what was your goal?"

Pivot smirked and watched as the actual Captain walked back over to his men and they continued work. "My acting goal was to see how far information had spread of Gallus's intent to date Her Royal Majesty. My secondary goal was to ascertain who among his friends knew about it, and verify if they could-- or in Gabby's case-- could not keep it secret."

"I can keep a secret!" Gabby hissed, her feathers fluffed up and Gilda felt her own feathers rise in enjoyment of how the hen looked. She mentally tamped the thoughts that sprung to mind back down and stepped over to Gabby, draping a wing over her back. Gabby instinctually leaned closer.

Pivot readjusted the spectacles on his nose with a feather, looking to the windows, which were now properly placed in their positions. the final prep work was being completed.

"I'm sure you could Gabby, but it needs some work. If one of those real investigators came here asking questions like the ones I did, your little outburst of emotion and your defensive stance would have been enough info for them to make an educated guess. If you both are unaware, those are problematic enough."

Gabby huffed, throwing her good wing and claw in the air. "W-well those stuffy nobles don't get to chose who loves who, dammit!"

Pivot nodded and readjusted his wings, frowning when a primary was out of place. "I can assure you they don't have that power. Even if they thought they did, Gallus could openly request Princess Twilight's hoof right in front of them and those stuffy nobles as you call them, only have enough power to huff, puff, and blow themselves out of court."

Gilda looked to the windows. "So the gift was real then? Princess Twilight paid for these? There is no hidden tricks?"

The soldiers had finished their work and pulled out of the shop by now. She and Gabby watched as the Captain got the cadets back into formation and they started marching away.

"The gift is an apology from Twilight, she caught wind about your ordeal with the glass company in Canterlot and worked things out with them. Consider it an attempt on her part to show her feelings towards you two.' Pivot stood and shuffled his wings before heading to the door. "I will be hanging around town in case those investigators show up. Should they not be dissuaded by me and come asking questions. It would be best if Gilda handled them, and as few words as possible would be best to deter them. Less is more, they always say."

He scooped up his coat and opened the door, the wind outside billowing his mane slightly as he smiled to them. "Good day to you both, I'll probably be back for more of those scones too." He licked his lips and exited. the door jingling as he departed.

Gilda stood there with her wing around Gabby for a few minutes longer before huffing and grumbling. "Stupid ponies and their secrets." She huffed and withdrew her wing from Gabby's side. Walking to the door, she flipped the sign back to 'open'. From there she slipped back behind the counter and into the kitchen. The next batch of scones was ready, and she put her mittens on and pulled them out. Each one was now shaped like a rose, or as close as Gilda could get to it. She hadn't told Gabby about it yet, and wanted to see what she thought. She'd also written a new letter, intending to help Gabby work through her fear, whatever it may have been. She wanted to see Gabby confidently tell her she loved her. To do that she would have to subtly nudge Gabby in the right direction.

Carefully setting the rose buns on a cooling rack, she grabbed cinnamon, sugar glaze, and some white sprinkles and started working on each one. She spent enough time on each one to make them unique and then carefully organized them on a display dish, just as the first customer re-entered the shop.

She heard them talk with Gabby a for a moment and then the bell on her front counter dinged. Picking up the tray, she exited out into the main area to see a younger tom in a cloak standing at the counter, reading the sign. She hadn't seen him around, and assumed he must be a new customer.

His eyes drifted to her, and then they lit up when they saw the buns.

"Whoa! those look delicious! What are they?" He asked excitedly. Gilda slid the dish into the display cabinet and then scribbled out a price for them. Each new dish she tried started at three bits, and then if they were popular, she'd raise the price to four or sometimes five if she could get away with it.

Gabby looked up and glanced at the cabinet in surprise at the newest addition. Gilda watched as she leaned close to the glass and then her eyes sparkled. "Those look like flowers!" She looked up at Gilda in time for the hen to playfully shrug.

"I eh, might have had some inspiration from my mysterious writer. They keep giving me rose petals with each letter, and I'm too damn impatient to wait for the whole thing to arrive, so I made my own." She looked to the tom who was already fishing out some bits from his coin purse. "You want one?"

He smiled and nodded. "I'll take two actually! Those are perfect for me and my mate!" He slid six bits across the counter and then Gilda wrapped up the buns in some wax paper and dropped them into a paper bag. Handing them over she smiled.

"Well tell me how they taste when ya come by next time, pal. Hope your mate enjoys them too!"

When he left, Gabby scooted closer to the counter and slid three bits across the counter as well, with a sheepish blush on her cheeks. "I um, I would like one too, please."

Gilda rolled her eyes and slid the bits back. "You work here part time, perks of the job. I'll get ya one," She leaned over the counter and poked Gabby in the beak with a claw. "But only under one condition."

Gabby looked down her beak at the claw and then back up to Gilda. "Yeah? What condition?"

Gilda pointed to the stairs. "In my room on my desk is another letter to the mystery lover I have, I hadn't sent it yet cause you were more important to look after, but I need it taken to the post office to be sent." She paused and played up the nervousness a bit, by clasping her paws together and looking at the rose buns in the display case. "I uh, I might have over done it, but I feel like I need to show this mystery griffon I do care about them."

She looked to Gabby to find the hen was smiling excitedly, practically hopping as best she could from claw to claw. "Oooh another letter! I'll make sure it gets there and to the proper location!" She went to leave but Gilda grabbed her tail tuft and startled her. She looked back expectantly.

"No flying, no running, no jumping in puddles or crap like that. You're still hurt and--"

Gabby cut her off with a yapping claw hand. "Yes yes I know! No heavy lifting, no work, no fun, I gotta take it easy, jeez you sound like Starlight!" She whipped her tail out of Gilda's claws but she did so with a smirk. "Thanks mom." She disappeared upstairs and Gilda grinned.

I wonder if she'll read it at the office or in a few minutes.

She waited a couple seconds before shouting upstairs. "Ah shoot! Hey Gabby?"

She heard a muffled thump upstairs and then shuffled movement before Gabby came tromping down stairs. The grey furred hen frowned and waggled the letter in her claws almost angrily. "This isn't even in an envelope!" She growled. Gilda faked her embarrassment.

"S-sorry, I just realized I hadn't done that part yet. You can make sure it gets the proper postage and all that junk right?"

Gabby grumbled but Gilda noted the hint of a smile on Gabby's beak as the hen tromped to the door, the letter tucked away under her wing. "Uncivilized crow...can't even do proper postage."

Gilda hissed. "I heard that, and if you want that rose bun you'll do it."

Gabby leered back at her and stuck her tongue out. "Fine I'll do it but I also get to pick out a frilly froo frooy envelope at work to slip it into so Mleeeh!!!"

Gilda blushed and leaned over the counter with her wings flared. "Hey! Don't you dare--" The door shut as Gabby left with a victorious warble. Gilda huffed her head feathers out of her face and sat back down, refolding her wings at her sides.

"Well fine, be that way, ya weirdo." She still grinned.

While Gabby was away five more customers came in and ordered food and drinks. The coffee and cider this time of year sold out pretty quick, and Gilda had to restock it at least twice while her friend was at the post office. The rose buns were almost immediately sold out, so she reprinted the label to four bits, and then started work on another batch. Her mind drifted to the letter she'd wrote while she kneaded the dough.

To my Mystery Writer.

I spent a lot of time worrying over my good friend Gabby. She was in the hospital with some seriously nasty injuries, and for a time I thought I was the cause of those. She just means so much to me, ya know? She's been there through thick and thin, she's helped me out of trouble more times than I can remember, and I can tell she really cares about me and my business.

She's a wonderful hen, and at the rate she's going, she'll have a partner in no time!

Still... something came up that worries me about her. She seems to have some kind of fear crop up when the idea of two toms or two hens pairing up comes out in conversation. I've seen it a couple times, and I don't know what to make of it. I told her I didn't mind it and would welcome whoever you are regardless of gender, and that seemed to help alleviate her worries, so I also hope it does for you. It doesn't matter if you are a hen, a tom, or that technicolor rainbow in-between, so long as your love is true, that's what matters to me.

Any who the shop is flourishing, I got some glass from Princess Twilight that really makes the place a lot warmer now. Something to do with heat enchantments in the glass? A lot of magic jargon in the paperwork that basically says the windows pull in heat from outside. I didn't read half of it, but they are really cool. Way outside my budget too, if I'm honest.

The customers seem to love taking the window seats now and already I've had to wake two hens up from a cat nap. I swear if that becomes a trend imma swap out the tables for booths and charge for sun bathing! Ha!

I hope uh, you are doing okay. The jewelry box keeps me confused and I don't really get how to open it yet, but I'll figure it out. Gallus said it's worth the patience so I'll trust his judgment. He's a good bird, if a little weird around me. He always gets so flustered. I think it's funny. It makes sense though, he's finally trying to seek out a mate so I imagine his body is acting all funny whenever he's around females.

I wish the best for him, and for Gabby. When they find their respective mates, I'll be nothing but proud and happy for em.

Looking forward to hearing from you again...and...and maybe we can start leaning towards a meet up? You should come by the bakery. I would be lying if I said I haven't been staring at all the customers a little suspiciously recently. I know its one of you!

Seriously though I won't bite.

much.

--Gilda Griffon.

Her claws mixed the dough and slowly she tore chunks to make more flowers. She hoped that her words would spur Gabby to have more confidence in her self. Whatever it was that had scared her away, The golden hen wanted to help Gabby get over it, or around it or through it, whatever it took.

The roses were all done after a while and she stuffed them into the oven and set them to bake. By then, more customers had entered the shop, and she had to pay attention to them. Just as the roses grew in the oven, her heart swelled with joy. As she served another customer a tray of lemon bread and coffee, she spotted Gabby tromping back through the snow. She entered the cafe and Gilda saw her face.

It wasn't just flush with the cold. She grinned and waved Gabby over. The hen paused, looking conflicted for a moment before she slunk around the corner of the display case and Gilda leaned in.

"So? what did you think?"

Gabby blushed and tried to look surprised, "Wh-what do you mean?"

Gilda gently bopped her with a wing while taking bits from the next customer and plinking them into the cash register. Gabby watched each coin as it fell.

"What do I mean? Girl you really must be under the clouds today, I know you read my letter. You get so excited when I have a new one. Wasn't it you who said you could help me figure out who it was that was writing them?"

Gabby shuffled on the carpet and nodded, her smile came back and a little bit of her feathers fluffed up.

"Oh! Y-yeah I did, um, I did read it."

Gilda scooped up a muffin and then poured some cider into a cup before handing them over to a hen that thanked her with the first pillar title again. She ignored it and closed the bakery slider before looking over her shoulder at Gabby.

"Don't just sit there! What do you think? I want this mystery griffon, whoever they are, to have some more confidence. Seems like they have a bit of fear that I might rebuke the bird out right, and at this point I really really want to meet em."

Gabby kept smiling. When the last customer sat down she followed Gilda into the kitchen, and watched her as she poked the newest set of rose buns to test their density.

"Well, I think that your words, they will help. I like how you cleared up some things, so they aren't um, in the dark at least."

Gilda nodded and warbled happily, her tail swishing back and forth as she worked. She did catch a glimpse of Gabby watching, so she sashayed her hips a bit. Gabby's cheeks flared up and she leaned in a wing to bite it gently. When Gilda turned around, Gabby quickly let it go and schooled her expression.

Oh you sneaky hen, how long have you been doing that without me spotting it? Gilda thought. She acted like she hadn't noticed and then sat in front of the oven. Opening her wings a bit she let the warm heat of the bakery soak into her body.

"Mm that's good to hear then. The less confused they are and the more confident they can be, the better!" She looked over at Gabby and chuckled. "Now if only I could get that darn jewelry box figured out. I'm no good at puzzles."

She expected a snarky reply, but after looking up, Gabby was staring at the oven with a thoughtful expression. For several seconds, they simply fell silent, and then Gabby let out a yawn. She stretched as best she could with her casts, the wing on her right side trying to flex pulled a small wince out of her. Gabby clacked her beak a few times and looked back out the door to the stairs. Her gaze was firmly set. Assertive.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out Gilda, you're even better at those sort of things than I am." She stood and started walking back out as the oven dinged and Gilda slowly put her mitten back on. Gabby went to the nearby cabinet and pulled out a plate, before walking back to Gilda. She held it out to the golden hen. "I think I'll take that rose bun and then imma go relax up stairs for a bit, okay?"

Gilda merely nodded and started work on collecting the first one. It took a moment, but when she was done, she plopped it on Gabby's plate and smiled. Gabby smiled. "Thanks, Gilda."

Gilda smiled warmly and then reached out and hugged Gabby. The hen flinched at first and then leaned into the touch ever so slightly. Gilda rubbed her good shoulder. "Nah, thank you, Gabby, you're a good griffon to have around." She pulled back and they stared at each other for a moment before Gabby nodded and walked to the doorway. Gilda spoke up only when she was about to disappear from sight.

"Gabby?"

Gabby backed up and Gilda let a little embarrassment show, her feathers ruffled. "I uh, what I said about you in that letter...I meant all of it." She shrugged and poked at a rose bun. "Just thought you should know."

Gabby blushed slightly and then smiled warmly and nodded, before she disappeared out of sight.

Gilda smiled too, and put all her effort into making the next rose buns look better than the last ones.

Author's Note

I've decided that whenever I have a property sitting job I'm going to try and write as much as I can. that way I get stuff done on both my art end and my writing.

I have not given up on my stories and they aren't dead.

again I am my own editor so if you see any errors please point them out and I will fix them pronto!