As the sounds of metallic clanging filled the hot and stuffy air, I wiped away the sweat that dripped down the black synthetic skin on my neck and lower jaw and flicked off the small drops into the forge, which then quickly fizzle away from its searing heat. I lift the rough blade in front of me and quickly inspect it, making sure it was the desired length. Nodding to myself, I place the tip into the hot charcoal until it was white-hot before placing it on the nearby anvil to refine the tip.

Once I was happy with the overall shape, I begin the beveling, starting at the tip, drawing the bevels back towards the shoulder. This was one of the more difficult parts of this particular way of forging, with even some seasoned smiths struggling through this process. As I finished, I place the other end of the blade in the hot charcoal before stepping over to the forges power hammer. I draw out the tang before hot cutting any excess material off, reducing it to the desired length. I put the tang in the hot charcoal once again before drawing it out to its final length.

Stepping over to a two-by-four, I use a draw filing technique on each side to start defining the bevels on the blade. To create the fuller down the centre of the blade, I use a hand scraper. As I used the scraper, it generated so much friction that the chips that came off were smoking. After using the scraper to rough in the fuller, I move on moved on to using a file to refine it.

Placing the full blade into the hot charcoal, I made sure to keep an even heat on its whole length. Once it reaches the proper temperature, I pull it from the charcoal forge and quench it in heat-treating oil. Using the heat of the charcoal fire, I watch for the colour down the blade. Straw was the colour I was looking for, trying to stay away from any blues. Now that I had it heat treated and tempered, I began filing it down once again, giving it its final edge.

"You finished?" I asked, peering over my shoulder.

"Almost," A voice calls back.

I stride over to a table on the far side of the forge, gently placing the finished blade on its surface. Turning on my heel, I quickly come to the one to who the voice belonged. Sitting at a separate table was a well built Earth Pony mare working on inscribing a pommel with her signature symbol of work, which was held in place by a clamp connected to the table via a long malleable neck.

"That should do it," She said, unclamping the pommel, picking up the handle and handguard that rested near her. "Ready?"

I give a simple nod before walking back over to the table to collect the blade, backtracking back to the mare. Grasping the blade in a tight grip, she attaches the crossguard and lightly taps it with a rubber mallet before placing the leather-bound grip on the tang, giving it a light tap. Grabbing the pommel, she lines it up gives it a few taps to ensure it was in its proper place before whacking it down, its grip far tighter to ensure everything else stayed in place.

She takes the blade from my hands and gives it a few up and down looks, a smile spreading as she does. Walking out to the side of the forges main shop, she slid the blade into a crate with near-identical copies, grabbing the hammer from her apron and nailing the lid shut tight. Putting it back in place, she stared at the other boxes which were stacked neatly under the thick cloth canopy with hands on her hips.

"That should be the last one," She said, not addressing anyone in particular.

I simply hum, briefly going back inside the forge to hang up my apron, coming back out to recount the boxes just to be sure we had the correct amount. I nod to myself, satisfied with our work and happy to finally be done with the commissioned project.

"Remind me again why the Princesses tasked us for this project," She asked, idly removing her apron as well.

"The royal forge burned down," I replied. "And being familiar of our work, saw us as the next best alternative."

"Well, they certainly hold us in high regard," She said, a proud smile spreading wider across her face. "Say, did they give you a time they would send somepony out to pick them up?"

I say nothing as I simply point behind her in response, causing her to quickly turn. And sure enough, in the distance was a large transport carriage, the thing having enough space to carry a small battalion of troops. It took a while for it to come close as it was a few miles out when I had spotted it, which gave us time to start bringing the crates out front.

When it finally landed along the main street, it did so shakily and with a resounding thud. It steadily began so slow to a crawl, eventually coming to stop in front of the shop. Hammer Strike, the mare I work with, was about to greet the royal guards who either hung tight onto the side rails of the large carriage or sat inside it when stepped out a figure we least expected, Princess Luna.

The tall she-wolf stepped out with a slight stumble, tightly gripping the small hand railing and blew a lock of her silver iridescent hair out of the way of her eye. Breathing deeply, she swiftly composed herself before straightening out any wrinkles her dress may have sustained.

"Apologies for the rough landing your highness," The pilot said.

"Think nothing of it," Luna said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Princess Luna!" Hammer gasped as she bowed deeply.

I could see the royal trying her best to hold back a sigh, tensing her neck and putting on a smile, lightly bowing in response. Peering over her shoulder, she subtly indicated the guards to start gathering the crates, to which they did so wordlessly, ever the silent obligors. Walking over to us, she lightly spread her arms, to which I accepted the embrace, being sure to repress any sound as an ache came from my still somewhat tender side, letting go of the fairly tight hug after a few comfortable seconds.

"Why're you here?" I ask as she stood beside me watching the guards at work, Hammer briefly giving me an unimpressed look, but said nothing.

"Am I not allowed to visit a dear friend?" She replied, softly giggling to herself. "My sister tasked me to oversee the delivery, make sure everything goes along smoothly and hand out the appropriate payment."

"Seems menial for you, no?"

"It also gave me an excuse to get out of the castle," She said. "You know what some nobles can be like."

I lightly nod my head, humming in agreement. A lot of nobles, though not all, are far more concerned with their monetary wealth and power, constantly vying for a higher rank with the nobility. But with that being said, there are still those considered honourable amongst the cesspool known as the higher class, with five of Canterlots largest families, including the royal extended family, being among the few with that mindset.

After Hammer Strike retreated into the forge, we simply stood for a while in silence, either watching the guards who were hard at work or waving to the locals who happily gave their greetings as they went about their lives. For if you've known someone for as long as we have, no words are needed. Nothing more than a comfortable silence is what we need to enjoy the company of the other. But that doesn't mean that idle conversation isn't welcome.

"Speaking of nobles, the Grand Galloping Gala is coming up and I was wondering if..." She started.

"No."

"I thought as much," She said. "I will be sure to inform Tia."

"That would be best."

Afterwards, we simply spoke, or more accurately, Luna vented to me about trials and tribulations about most of the noble populace they put her and her sister through daily. How they put up with such incessant obnoxiousness consistently without snapping is beyond me. After what felt like no time at all, the guards were loading the last of the boxes, double-checking the invoice before securely locking the large storage compartment of the equally large carriage.

"Everything is in order your highness," One guard said while the rest started boarding the carriage. "We are ready to leave when you are."

"And so I must take my leave," Luna said with a slight sigh. "As much as it pains me to no end, I have duties I must attend to. But before I go."

Once again giving a subtle motion, a guard quickly strode over to us, unlatching a sizable pouch from their belt. Taking the offered pouch, I bounced it in my hand a couple of times before looking to the Lunar Princess.

"This is more than we agreed," I said.

"Perceptive as ever I see," Luna said in an almost teasing manner. "Yes, an additional sixty per cent has been added on top of the agreed total."

"May I ask why?"

"It was a joint decision," Luna replied. "We realized this was a very large order and a very sudden one at that and it required a lot of resources so we bumped up your payment."

Humming, I latch the pouch onto my belt and begin escorting the large she-wolf to her carriage. Once we come up to it, we embrace each other in a tight hug and keep it for a few seconds, the present Guards not once blinking an eye to the act.

Canterlot Guards, Royal or otherwise, have always held at least a modicum of respect towards Bounty Hunters or any similar freelancers in an equivalent profession. This respect had been established centuries before my arrival on Terra and had endured well into the modern era. This respect had stemmed from the idea that we are the first to be called upon should a threat make itself known, as we are the first to lay our lives on the line for the greater good. In many ways, we were the first line of defence.

Letting go of the tight hold, I help Luna into the carriage, closing the door behind her and stepping back as they prepare to off. Before they do, Luna sticks her head out of the door window slightly.

"And before I forget, give my regards to Orion," She said before retreating her head back inside.

And with a single tap on the ceiling of the carriage, they were off, racing down the street, taking off in a matter of moments, soon becoming nothing more than a speck in the cloudless sky.

After the brief interaction I had with Princess Luna, I made my way back into the forge to let the two catch up and let me clean up. Depositing the metal shaving in a recycling bin and turning off the equipment, I place the tools back onto their respective racks, checking the tool list to be sure nothing was misplaced.

Once everything was in its rightful place, I sat down at the same table I was inscribing the pommels and rested my chin on my hands. As my body was relaxing, my mind began to wonder, my eyes glazing over as I started to daydream and my thought going to that of my teacher.

I've known him for as long I can remember and been taught by him for just as long. I owe much to him, as he helped me obtain my cutie mark and helped my mother out of a bad situation. Because of this and many other reasons, I have always had a good relationship with him. He's someone I've always been able to go to with most problems, giving me solutions I'd never think of and has always provided an ear for me to vent to should the need arise.

And yet, despite how long I've known him, he's remained something of a mystery to me. He seldom talks about his past and on the rare exception he does, it offers no insight into his time before moving to Ponyville. Only the Apple family know anything beyond what the average Pony know of him and most leave it at that.

"Hey."

Startled, I jump as I was pulled from my daydream and I hit my knee on the table. I peer up and see Fendral standing on the opposite side of the table from me, his head tilted slightly. I take a breath to settle my rapidly beating heart.

"You okay?"

"Yea I'm fine," I replied, rubbing my knee to mitigate the pain.

His voice was deep and smooth, akin to a wise sage, easily portraying his age and experience. But it also had almost robotic quality, a dim hum that accompanied each word. I'm not entirely sure how it works, all I know is that it's the "synthetic respiratory system" that was installed in his neck when he was younger.

"Good"

He pulls the chair out and sits with a grace one would not think an individual of his stature would have, but is immediately undermined by a slight groan as he eased himself down with a hand on his knee.

"How's your side?" I ask.

"Better," He replied simply, scratching the soft black skin-like material on his neck. "Still tender."

Wordlessly, he shifts his weight and reaches for his belt and grabs a large pouch dropping it in the middle of the table. It lands with a substantial thud and settled as soon as it landed. I look at my teacher with an odd expression before he indicates at it with his head, clearly wanting to inspect its contents.

Taking the pouch, I quickly open it and peer down inside it. My eyes almost pop out of their sockets as they landed on the vast amount of bits that gave out a pleasant jingle as they moved. I quickly look back up to Fendral who was sitting quietly chuckling to himself from my reaction.

"Holy shit, how much is in there?!" I exclaimed.

"Roughly eighty thousand bits," He replied. "They added sixty per cent to what was agreed."

"Why? Not that I'm complaining, but what we agreed was fine."

"Think of it as a personal thank you from the Princesses for a large order on such short notice."

"Buck," I mutter. "We're gonna be here for a while."

"Indeed."

Waving the mare goodbye as we go our separate way, I latch the pouch onto my belt after bouncing it in my hands a couple of times. Though at first, I was sceptical of the amount, I ultimately decided to not argue as I knew I wouldn't be getting a payment like it for a long while.

As I walk the light gravel path, there was a slight lightness to my steps, said payment having gotten me in a better mood than I had been hours prior. I walk down the dirt, making an immediate B-line as I left the forge. Rounding a corner, a rather frantic-looking Twilight rushes past my vision causing me to stop as a group of Ponies seemed to be chasing after her. I look after them but they vanished before I could properly see what the commotion was about and decided to just continue on the path to my destination. It didn't take me long to arrive, however. In no more than a couple of minutes, I was home.

It was nothing more than a simple, one-storey bungalow. With light cream-painted walls, and a brown tiled roof, it was about as generic as you could get for a rural townhome. But while others saw it as boring or bland, I saw a simple place of comfort, I saw a safe place and a place to go after a long and hard day. To me, it was home and it served me well.

I unlock the door and I quickly make my way in, letting the wind close the door gently. I close my eyes and for a while, I simply stand there, letting the silence briefly take over my senses, the dull ring of hammers slowly fading away and I take a deep breath. Suddenly, the sound of dull clacking registers in my ears and I open my eyes to see Orion, my Timberwolf companion.

Coming up to me, his tail wagging excitedly, he sat down at my leg and looked up at me expectedly. I chuckle before I kneel, vigorously petting his smooth wooden bark while he thumped his leg, the thin layer of moss on his paw muffling the sound slightly.

I soon stand again and make my way in further, taking a left after a couple of paces and passing the soft leather couches and down a short corridor and I came to my bedroom door. Opening it, I begin doffing my sweat-drenched clothes and discarding them in the nearby wicker basket.

I remove my helm and place it gently on the end of my bed and I step into my bathroom. Splashing a handful of cold water, I relish the cold chill as the water drips from my face. Slowly peering up, I look into the mirror and see the once young now, ageing face as I let out a slow, deep sigh, spraying a few loose water droplets into the sink. I stand there for what felt like hours, looking into the eyes that tiredly stared back, briefly wondering where the hell the years had gone.

Walking out of the bathroom after having washed my hair and face, I grab my helmet from my bed and make my way into the main living where Orion sat, vigilantly keeping watch before noticing me. I get the fireplace going before sitting down on a single leather couch, easing myself down with my hands on my knees and with a quiet groan, gently setting my helm on the nearby coffee table.

So there I sat, staring into the newly started fireplace, watching the flames as they danced and listening to the snap, crackle and pops as the wood was set aflame in a brilliant display of colour. My eyes begin to get heavy and my head starts to droop as Orion's soft breathing soothes my weary mind from the long day I had. Eventually, I succumb to the temptation and the world around me fades to black.

As the carriage lands, my grip on the handrails tightens as I brace for the impact. I have never been good with flying in carriages, even after all of my years doing so. The transport lurches as it comes to an abrupt stop, nearly flinging me to the floor and sending locks of my mane into my face.

Blowing the strands of hair out of my face, the door beside opens letting in a soft breeze, cooling my face as I stood to exit. I step down the small step ladder, the hustle and bustle of Canterlot becoming clear to me as my paws touch the cool tarmac. I turn on my heel and address the commanding officer.

"I trust everything is in order," I said.

"Of course ma'am." He said with a bow. "We have everything under control."

"Then if you excuse me, I have other matters that require my attention," I said with a smile, receiving a slight, but respectful bow from the lieutenant.

Bowing in response, I turn to leave, finding myself going into autopilot as I walk through the front entrance, quickly traversing the numerous halls and corridors in the maze of a Palace. I still can't believe Tia approved the design. Despite the confusing nature of the Palaces layout, it didn't take long for me to arrive at my room, the two guards posted outside the large pair of doors bowing as they saw my approach.

I briefly ignite my magic, taking the twin doors in my grasp and with a light click of my wrist, they open with the usual loud creaking, allowing me to enter with no problem. I let them close themselves as I sigh walking up to my desk and taking off my regalia, placing them on bust on my vanity table.

For the next while, I sit quietly as I sift through the thick pile of paperwork I had somehow let accumulate, picking my quill up from its inkwell, fully prepared for long hours ahead of me. My room was quick to fall into a monotonous silence, only ever broken by the shuffle of paper, scribbling of my quill or any other miscellaneous noises that were made within or without my bed Chambers. Hours must have passed by as each document, bill, grant or whatever had been presented to me was read over carefully, every word scrutinised as to not misinterpret their meaning and possibly approve something that was submitted by an untrustworthy noble.

Despite how hard my sister and I tried, most nobles still held the mentality that money was the ultimate power, preferring monetary gain and rank over the kindness of their hearts and charity, completely undermining the definition that made up their title. Though with being said, progress has been made to convert them to the ways of old.

I'm not sure how much time had passed by when my mind finally came to, subconsciously shaking itself from its daydream I filed away one of the many forms away for later use. A fairly large dent had been made in the pile of papers to my right, leading me to peer over the clock mounted onto one of the walls. Half eight. Looks like I was out of it for longer than I thought I was. There was a knock on the door a few seconds later.

"Enter," I said, leaning back into the pouch chair.

The door creaked open as the sound of soft hoof steps filled the quiet room, which soon stopped before I felt a pair of strong arms drape themselves gently around my neck and pull me slightly into a soft hug from behind. Knowing who it was, I reach and lightly grip the forearms that wrapped around me and gave them a slight rub with my thumb.

We sit there for a couple of minutes with not a word exchanged between us when eventually the arms let go, allowing me to finally stand and stretch my legs which had fallen asleep at some point or another. Making my way to my bed, I unceremoniously plop myself down, bouncing a couple of times before settling.

"How are we?" Celestia asked.

"As well as can be, " I said, absentmindedly sitting up and crossing my legs.

"Better than nothing I suppose, " She replied. "I trust everything was in order today then?"

"Naturally," I said "Fendral and Hammer Strike had everything under control."

"And how is our resident bounty hunter?" She asked. "It has been a few weeks since we last saw him."

I opened my mouth to reply but the words almost immediately got caught in my throat. Fendral is known for a great many things, but emoting is not one of them. In my several thousand year tenure, I have become an excellent judge of character and can read most with extreme ease. And yet, despite my many years of experience, my friend is still largely a mystery to me.

"I am unsure," I reply simply.

"May I ask why?"

"You know how he is," I said with a sigh. "He's a difficult man to read, even for me. So for me to tell you how he is, would be challenging."

"That makes sense," She said. "But I can't help but feel there's more to it."

"I will admit I'm getting worried, sister."

"Why?" She asked, leaning forward with a furrowed brow.

"His sleeping pattern is terrible, more so than usual. It's become erratic and inconsistent." I said slowly, my ears flattening against my head. "And given the fact I am unable to access his dreams, I can't do anything about it."

Celestia said nothing as she quickly stood from her chair, swiftly striding over to the side of my bed, her long legs making short work of the short distance. She sat next to me and gently pulled me into a soft hug, tenderly nuzzling the side of my face while wrapping me in her immense wings.

"I'm sure you're doing everything you can. And I know he knows that too," She said softly. "Besides, when we see him at the gala, we can speak to him then."

"What do you mean," I asked, partially turning to my sister as she still held me. "He said no before I could finish, like every time we offer."

"Oh I'm sure he'll be coming this time," Tia replied, a mischievous smile breaking across her muzzle.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Just a hunch."

Why weren't you there? You could have helped. Why didn't you help? Where were you? I'm so cold.

I awaken with a loud yell and swiftly jump to my feet, my hand darting to the holstered pistol on my thigh, aiming down its sights as I spin on heels to face behind me. My eyes frantically dart around the room, scanning every dark corner, hoping to spot some form of movement, my breath heavy as my body heaves with every desperate pant. They find nothing.

Letting my arm go limp at my side, I let out a hefty sigh as I hang my head slightly. Chucking my pistol onto the chair, I stare at my lightly shaking hands, closing my eyes and flexing them a few times before they settle, doing a couple of breathing exercises to get my breath under control.

Hearing a high whimper, I look to my left, spotting Orion who held a concerned look on his wooden features. Kneeling, I place my hand on his chin and give him a reassuring rub, getting a few face licks in response, calming my wracked nerves.

"I am alright boy," I said, though he and I did not believe it. "Just a little unsettled."

Suddenly, there was a hard and loud knock at the door. I stand with a groan, quickly grabbing my helmet, fixing it to my head before I make my way to the door. Grabbing the knob, I swing the door open and to my surprise, AJ stood not two feet away with her hand raised to knock on the door again.

"Oh," She said, sheepishly lowering her hand. "I wasn't sure ya were gonna answer."

"Why?"

"I've been trying to get ya fir the past five minutes," She replied. "Ya feeling alright?"

"Yea," I said. "Just tired."

"Right," She said slowly, clearly unconvinced. "Anyway, Twilight is calling us to the library and your on the list of people she wants to see."

"Why?"

"Dunno," She replied with a shrug. "Didn't say, but it seemed kinda important."

I simply nod before making my way back inside and picked up my pistol from my chair, swiftly holstering it before putting out the fireplace, plunging my home into darkness and just as quickly. Double-checking my helmet was secure, I strode back to the front door.

"Come boy," I said, tapping my thigh.

Before we knew it, we were walking the now emptying streets, the crunch of dirt and gravel being one of the few sounds we could hear as the marketplace vendors thinned out. Being that I live on the outskirts of the town, it took a few minutes to get to the main street. We didn't speak after we left, wordlessly deciding to revel in the sounds of coming silence, a welcome change to the usual noise that filled our working days.

"So how's your side?" AJ asked suddenly.

"Tender," I replied. "But healed otherwise."

"Any idea of why Twi wants to see us?"

"None."

We continue in relative quiet which continued until we had made it to the library, which seemed to already be occupied as we hear voices from inside as we came up to the tree front door. Giving the door a hard knock, we wait before it's opened by the library's resident dragon and primary caretaker. We exchange a couple of pleasantries before he lead us inside where the other five were seated.

"Hey, Fen!" Pinkie exclaimed, eliciting a small nod from me. "We were just talkin' about ya!"

"I'm sure," I said, easing myself down onto the closest seat, Orion resting himself next to Fluttershy, who happily scratched behind his ear.

"Nothing bad, I assure you," Rarity responded. "Just idle conversation."

"Why did you want me?" I asked, shifting my gaze to the purple Pony.

"Oh nothing, just this," She said, holding up a letter.

The moment my eyes landed on the golden wax that held the letter closed, I sighed as I pushed myself up from the leather couch and turned to leave, leaving all present to gain a slightly perplexed face. I had almost made it to the front door before Applejack stood in front of me, blocking me from my exit.

"Where ya goin'?" She asked, an incredulous look on her face.

"Home."

"Why?"

"I know what's in the letter and my answer is no."

"We don't know what's in it," Twilight piped up. "Why don't we see it before you leave."

The rest of the girls agreed, forcing me to begrudgingly sit back down as Twilight snapped the wax seal over her thumps, pulling out its contents. Opening the letter, a ticket fell lightly to the floor causing the purple Pony to reach down and pick it up. As she picked it up, her eyes bulged as she instantly recognised the ticket, shifting her gaze between it and me. She eventually looked to the letter itself.

"Dear Fendral Marika

I, Princess Celestia Alcina Astra, do hereby formally invite you to the upcoming event: The Grand Galloping Gala, taking place at Canterlot city hall on the 31st of December from seven p.m to six a.m.
We would be honoured to have the pleasure of your company and hope to solicit your gracious presence.

Kind regards, your friend
Princess Celestia."

The group gasped as Twilight read the letter aloud as I rolled my eyes with a small chuckle at the extravagant way the letter had been formatted, knowing she would get a good laugh out of it. She had always written to me in this fashion, a sign of goodwill and amiability, seeing as nothing more than a bit of harmless fun. I, for a while, had asked her not to but stopped as she continued to do so.

"Oh, darling!" Rarity exclaimed. "To be invited to the Gala, and by the Princess herself no less. What an honour!"

"Some honour," I said dryly.

"Oh, come on Fen," Dash said, coming up from behind me and wrapping her arm around my neck. "Why you gotta be such a downer?"

"I do not care for the majority of nobility and those who are redeemable are drowned out by a rabble of narcissists."

"A fair point," Twilight chimes in. "But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"Even though it happens annually," I said, crossing my arms.

"Yea! But this would all our first time going," Pinkie said, readjusting her red frame glasses into a more comfortable position. "We can experience this together as friends! You can't get any better than that!"

The rest of the group voiced their opinions, which, to my dismay, all aligned with the party planner's idea. I sat back on the couch, letting myself sink slightly as I weighed my options. While my feelings towards the vast majority of the nobility were likely to never change, I couldn't argue with the party planner's point. While my feelings towards the nobility and their festivities were liable to never change, going with friends and family would prove to lighten the experience and make way for a far better time. And seeing as how it would be all of our first time going, it would make the escapade all the better.

Resting my head on the back of the couch, I gave a fairly throaty sigh. "Fine."

The gang lightly cheered at my decision, reassuring me that I wouldn't regret it and that it would be a night to remember. Though I didn't doubt it, as they could make watching paint dry interesting, I couldn't help but feel a slight pang in the pits of my stomach, like I wasn't going to like what's to come. But being surrounded by friends did quell the feeling and was enough to comfort me.

Staring at the letter, I shook my head and chuckled at the situation I was in and slowly began to realize I couldn't back down now or risk the wrath of six very unhappy mares. We spent the rest of the night in idle conversation before I left for home, Orion happily following close to my side. Walking into my home and locking the door, I promptly fell into bed, burying my face into the soft pillows, whispering to no one in particular before preparing for another night of restless sleep.

"What have I got myself into."

Author's Note

Did I make Luna a wolf? Yes. Was it a last-minute decision? Absolutely. Do I know why? Eh, I just like the idea.

And for the sake of simplicity and to save a bit of time here is Fendral's Helmet design

Other than that, I don't really have anything interesting to say, so I hope this was ok to read.

Hope you all have a very merry holiday and have a wonderful new year.

Please point out any mistakes I may have made
Constructive criticism is always appreciated
Until next time, TTFN!