I kept a close eye on Shinsha as we moved. It wasn’t like I could really see their body language, but their flight pattern appeared to be more… rigid, I guess? They certainly weren’t saying anything, even the occasional chirp or hum they sometimes emitted was gone.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, pushing a branch out of the way, “It seemed like you and the other Breezies were fighting back there.”

Shinsha circled back around to me for a moment. “Name, name.” They huffed.

So they weren’t just worried where they’d been for the past few days. Shinsha’s name came up quite a bit in that conversation, it was the only word I could understand. Did the other Breezies not like it? I mean Shinsha loved their name. They didn’t have one before though, and to my knowledge none of the other Breezies had any names either.

Uh oh. Was it something I did? Was I wrong to give Shinsha a name? But they said it was okay to have one.

“Um… is it my fault they’re upset with you?”

“Uh, uh. No…” Shinsha turned away and continued deeper into the forest without another word.

That wasn’t very reassuring. I really hope I didn’t do something bad. If I lost favor with the forest for whatever reason, then I could kiss my toe goodbye. I already entered this situation with a bad reputation, but I’ve already helped so much. I’ll just have to hope that’s enough to forgive me.

I continued forward with a grimace.

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The place Shinsha led me wasn’t the same glade as before. There wasn’t a pond in this one, and for the most part it was just an open space of grass. A multitude of berry bushes lined the edges however, each one filled to the brim with bright berries, ranging in color from red to blue to yellow. Given this wasn’t the sanctuary, I hazarded a guess that these were all naturally occurring berries in the forest, there was just a giant cluster of them here.

Quite a few Breezies could also be seen fluttering around the bushes. They appeared to be just navigating the branches, but upon closer look some of them were actually picking the berries. It wasn’t like they were bringing them anywhere though, they just ate them on the spot.

Was this where the Breezies came to eat? Like a kitchen or a cafeteria?

What did that make the pond?

A bathroom?

…

Moving on, my sudden appearance in the glade received almost no reaction from the resident Breezies, but as soon as Shinsha entered, it became utter turmoil. I felt like I had stepped on a beehive, which was unfortunately one of the few things I remember doing as a kid, that was not a fun day, but Breezies didn’t have stingers, and they weren’t focused on me.

They were focused on the thing right next to me, so I still got caught in the crossfire.

Getting swarmed was one thing, but getting swarmed by a bunch of creatures the same size as you, speaking a language you can understand, and demanding answers all at the same time? I can’t imagine what Shinsha was going through.

Speaking of, it was hard to keep track of them through the buzzing lights, but it was easy to see that they were the only one keeping still. And yes, they were quickly getting overwhelmed.

“Um…” I tried, “Shinsha?”

As soon as I uttered their name the rest of the Breezies practically exploded, with a hundred tiny voices echoing it back with varying levels of tone, most of which accusatory.

“Ooh, uh…” I spun around a bit, trying to find a way through the swarm.

There weren’t many options, but at least they weren’t being hostile. I don’t think Shinsha or I were in any immediate danger, but I was quickly getting uncomfortable, and I could tell Shinsha was already well down that path.

“Alright, enough!” I exclaimed, causing all of the Breezies to pause mid-air.

I reached out and cupped my hand around Shinsha, who quickly latched onto my fingers, I then pulled them close, and tucked them into the folds of my cloak. It didn’t take long for the other Breezies to begin again, and several of them landed on me to try and wriggle their way inside my cloak. I couldn’t keep all of them away, and I doubted it was a very good idea to keep Shinsha protected forever anyway.

I quickly shooed them off and did a little spin, “This is going nowhere!” I continued, pulling Shinsha back out of my cloak, “If you have something to say, then say it, but one at a time.” I ordered, “Form a line and wait your turn."

I channeled a bit of Captain Morningstar there. The gravelliness really didn’t translate well with my voice, but still, the Breezies followed my orders and after a few moments they got into a long, orderly queue. There were so many of them it practically spiraled around the glade, with some of them even staying in the air. There were definitely more Breezies here than there were a few moments ago, I guess word spread around fast.

“Is this okay?” I asked Shinsha as I slowly lowered them to the grass.

“Um, um!” It sounded like they were hyperventilating, but eventually they got it under control, “Okay, okay.”

“Okay,” I nodded, setting them down on the ground, “Just sit tight there for a moment while I…” I trailed off,

Literally all of the Breezies were focused on Shinsha right now, so there was no way for me to get any of them to notify Lycus’s mom for me. I would either have to find her myself, or wait until enough Breezies were done with Shinsha to ask them for help.

Looking over, Shinsha was already talking with the first Breezie, and it didn’t look like they were anywhere close to finishing. Getting through all of them would take a while, and I imagine it was that much worse for Shinsha. As for doing everything myself, unless Lycus’s mom just happened to walk into the glade, I don’t think there was a chance I was going to find her.

“My, you certainly know how to handle them.”

What is it with people and sneaking up behind me as of late?

I jumped, which is one of the last things I should be doing right now. I realized that as soon as I did it, but at that point it was already too late to stop myself, and I was in the air. Landing on my feet was probably the worst possible thing I could do at the moment, so with no other choice, I leaned back and let myself fall flat on my back.

If I were any other place besides a glade covered in soft grass, I probably wouldn’t have done that either, but I was delighted to find that nothing broke when I hit the ground. Instead I was rewarded with a little light show as dozens of Breezies came to see if I was okay. Shinsha was among the first, landing squarely on my nose right as the doe leaned down to look at me.

“Oh my, I am terribly sorry,” she began, “I did not expect you to fall like that.”

So she did mean to sneak up on me. Good to know that the mom was a bit of a prankster as well. I really should have expected that.

“I’m fine,” I sighed and sat up, causing all of the Breezies on me to scatter, “In fact, I’m glad I managed to land on my back.”

“Oh?” The doe tilted her head,

Upon standing up, I turned to face her and pulled my cloak open. “I don’t suppose you would want to help piece me back together if I didn’t?”

She inspected the damage with wide eyes, before stepping back and nodding, “Only if I was truly the cause. Please forgive me, I did not realize you were in such a predicament.”

“It’s okay,” I closed my cloak, watching the Breezies reassemble their line off to the side.

The doe followed their movements just as much as I did, and seemed especially focused on Shinsha at the center. “So, is it true?”

I glanced at her, “Uh… is what true?”

“That you have named a Breezie?”

Oh. She knew about that already. Well, at least she didn’t seem to be angry.

“Uh, yes.” I admitted,

“Oh my,” the doe sighed, “I wonder what my son will do now.”

I blinked at this, just now noticing that he has been absent the entire time. “Oh yeah, where is Lycus?” I half expected him to be all over me by now.

The doe’s eyes snapped towards me, “He told you his name?”

I just nodded.

“Well,” she relaxed a bit, “I suppose he has always been free to do so.”

I frowned. This was starting to get confusing, despite what I already knew. Names were important to fairies, but these weren’t exactly fairies. The rules didn’t seem to apply to them, yet there was still a strange focus around names.

“Are names really that important?” I asked,

“In a manner of speaking, yes.” The doe answered, “Telling someone your name is a sign of trust. By doing so, you are also telling them that you trust them not to sully it, or to abuse it in any way.” She explained,

“Uh… huh…” I nodded along, pursing my lips slightly, "So is that what Lycus was asking for back when we first met?"

"Err..." The doe bit her lip, "No, I believe he was trying to ask for your name in marriage at that time."

I just sighed and shook my head, “So what does it mean if you just happen to find out somebody’s name?”

“Mmm,” The doe closed her eyes and nodded, “This happens, and you will simply know their name. However, you should not speak it to them without them telling you it first. Even if you already know their name, you should ask them to tell you before using it.”

“Oh, okay.” I tapped my chin with a finger.

“I do not know if this applies to pony culture, but if Lycus has told you his name, then he trusts you not to abuse it.”

“And the same goes for the Breezies?” I asked,

“Not quite.” The doe shook her head, “Breezies do not normally have names, they have to be given them.”

“So… It’s okay for me to give them one?” I looked back at Shinsha, they were still making their way through a seemingly endless line of Breezies.

“There is nothing inherently wrong with it,” the doe shook her head again, “However, the reactions of others are a different matter. To my knowledge, only other Breezies have given Breezies names.”

“Uh oh, does that mean I am in trouble?”

“You are not the one you need to be worrying about.” The doe said, nodding towards Shinsha.

“But…” I trailed off, “I’m the one that gave them a name.”

“It is not that you have given a name, it is that they have accepted it.”

I tilted my head, “Why’s that?”

“Breezies only give names to their betrothed,” the doe explained,

“E-” My jaw dropped, and I stared at the doe with wide eyes.

I then glanced at Shinsha again, before shifting my gaze between them for a bit. It all made sense now, the sudden increase in physical touch, the willingness to stay in town for a few days, and to reveal some of their secrets to me. I had basically proposed to Shinsha, and they said yes.

Oh man, no wonder all the other Breezies were in a tiff. If one of your friends or family members suddenly got engaged after leaving on a trip for a few days, it was pretty much guaranteed that you would have some questions.

“Y-You can’t have expected me to know that.” I murmured,

“And yet, they have still accepted,” the doe sighed,

Right after saying I wasn’t ready for that sort of relationship too…

I froze, my eyes widening even more as my face dropped.

What would Lycus think? I mean sure, it might get him off my back, but he’s been surprisingly helpful. I didn’t want to repay him like this! He’s been after me since the moment he met me, and the one time we don’t meet face to face is the time when I practically stab him in the back.

“Wh… Where is Lycus?” I asked again,

“He is busy.” The doe answered, “Doing…” She pursed her lips, “Actually, he has asked me not to say, but he has been working hard these past few days.”

Oh no…

“I suppose I shall inform him of these most recent events.” The doe continued,

“Please don’t tell him anything!” I exclaimed, holding my hand up.

The doe looked at me with a curious expression, with maybe the inkling of a smile at the corner of her mouth. “Does he not deserve to know of what has transpired?”

“N-No.” I shook my head, “That is not what I meant… Just…” I grit my teeth, “I-I’ll… tell him myself.” I eventually exhaled, “So please don’t say anything.”

“Hmm,” the doe hummed with a satisfied smirk, “Verywell.”

“Thank you,” I muttered, gazing downwards,

How did coming here just to get some information lead to such an intense revelation?

“Iphthime.”

“What?” I asked, looking up at the doe.

“That is my name. I trust you to use it well.”

I just stared at her, before my eyes started to unfocus and I felt my knees begin to wobble. Before I could fall though, I crouched down and laid on my back again, staring up at the brightly lit canopy.

You can’t just add on even more like that! I was already exhausted from the first thing, not to mention all the stress from having to deal with Sir Manuscript earlier. A couple of Breezies floated over to land on me again, but I paid them no mind. I just wanted some time to think.

I realized something, the way she had been talking this entire time.

She was probably even worse than Sir Manuscript.

I groaned, closing my eyes and letting my head fall back.

At least she was sincere about it.

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“So,” Iphthime began, “What reasons do you have for coming here?”

She was nice enough to let me sulk in the glade for a few minutes. I was content to keep doing so until Shinsha was done with all the other Breezies, but I was technically on a time limit. They had managed to get through about half of them by the time Iphthime roused me from my inaction. For every Breezie they talked to, it only seemed to speed up the process. I guess a lot of them had similar questions.

“Um.” I looked over at Iphthime, “I just need to know the path you set up for the road through the forest. That and…” I lifted my head, glancing down at my abdomen, “Maybe to get a touchup as well.”

Not that I could really see my disguise, I was covered from head to toe in Breezies. Even my slight movements weren’t enough to shake them off. That all changed when I sat up though, with most of the Breezies around my joints taking off to avoid getting crushed. It wasn’t like I was aiming to do that though, I was being incredibly gentle, especially as I brushed more of them off.

“Verywell, I will show you the prepared path, and I suppose I can repair your disguise.”

“Thank you,” I nodded, then stood up.

Just in time for a patch of grass to slap itself to my midsection. I reeled from the hit, only for another one to hit me in the back. In only a few moments, they were already merging with the rest of my disguise, sealing up any cracks and shifting in color until it matched the rest. The accessories came a bit later, all the leaves and bark growing into place, the roots then tapered off and disconnected from the ground, completing the whole ensemble. Everything looked seamless again.

I blinked at it for a few seconds, “Uh, thank you.”

Iphthime just nodded, “Let us depart.”

“Okay,” I stepped forward, then stopped, and looked back at Shinsha, “Oh right. Shinsha, are you okay with staying here for a bit?”

They squeaked, then fluttered up to fly over to me, only to be stopped by the half mob of Breezies. They paced against the impromptu barricade for a moment, before eventually sighing and falling back down to the ground, “Okay, okay.”

“Shinsha?” Iphthime asked, “Is that the name you have chosen?”

“Y-yes,” I nodded,

“What does it mean?”

“It… um… I uh... don’t quite remember,” I admitted, “But it’s from a faraway land, and… it’s important to me.”

“Good.” Iphthime said, disappearing through the foliage a moment later.

I quickly followed after her, but only caught her tail end slipping through the next line of plants.

One thing immediately became clear, she was fast. If Lycus could navigate the forest with ease, then Iphthime could glide through it as if it wasn’t even there. She pushed past trees and bushes alike, each one seemingly bending out of her way. Her long strides shifted across the grass like she was on a conveyor belt, speeding her along and making her that much faster. The only reason I was able to keep up was because there was a something like a slipstream left in her wake, where the plants retained their... fluidity, I guess?

That was the keeper of the forest for you.

I kind of had to speed walk the entire time, any slower and I would immediately get caught in the plants. It was no wonder why she seemed to appear and disappear at will in the forest, being able to move at that speed would allow you to duck in and out of any area you wanted. Within reason of course, she still had to actually walk that distance. As such, it took less than a minute of walking before we reached our destination.

A seemingly arbitrary point in the middle of the forest.

“This is where the divide begins. The roots of the trees have been disconnected, separating the forest into two.” Iphthime explained, tapping the ground with her hoof, “Even if the ponies were to fell them, their life force has been reduced, to the forest, they are already dead.”

“Oh.” I inspected the ground for a bit, then looked left and right, then forwards and backwards.

I had kind of lost my sense of direction while travelling, but I had a general idea of where the town was in relation to me. The problem was that there was no discernable difference between the divide and the forest. There was no line of dilapidated trees to follow, just the same greenery all throughout.

“I can’t see it.”

“Come,” Iphthime beckoned with a hoof, “We will follow it to each end.”

She began moving again, and I hurried to catch up. I didn’t really want to be walking this much, but by now the grinding in my hips had almost completely disappeared. Though the last time I looked before it was covered again, there were still some cracks. Still, I continued onward, just barely managing to stay behind Iphthime.

I could only assume we were walking along the divide exactly, and with the constant swaying of our path, it was not in a straight line. In fact, it was so varied it almost felt like we were going down a stream, but at least there weren’t any jagged angles or rough turns, just gentle curves that seemed to wave methodically.

I can’t imagine how hard it would be to map this out, much less plan a road along it. I could remember my path through the forest easily enough before, but at this speed I could barely keep track of how many times we turned to the left or to the right. It didn’t help that I didn’t even know where I was in the forest, and with each moment that location changed.

There came a moment when Iphthime banked hard to the right, and upon following her I almost bumped into her as she stopped.

“Oh, it would appear that we are not alone.”

“Huh?” I looked up, and did a double take.

We were already at the edge of the forest, I could see the break in the treeline, and further ahead there were a few rocky slopes among the sandy ground. We were at the gem deposit.

That wasn’t what surprised me though, because off to the side and just at the edge of the forest, was Sir Manuscript’s carriage. Thankfully, he wasn’t there with it, but there was still a pony sitting atop it, smoking what looked like a pipe. We were still a fair distance away, but since we could see them, they could probably see us if they were looking.

Iphthime quickly ducked back into the shrubbery, and after a moment I followed.

“Let us continue to the other end.”

“Wait,” I held up my hand, “I still can’t see where the divide is, and if I can’t see it, neither can the ponies.”

Iphthime tilted her head, “But you have taken the steps.”

I just shook my head, “I can not remember all of that. Can’t you just mark it with something? Give the ponies something to follow, that way you won’t have to worry about them going off the path.”

“Mm,” Iphthime thought for a moment, “I suppose.”

She waved her hoof across the ground, and a small trail of flowers began to bloom in a gentle curve, fading off a few feet away.

Iphthime gave a small sigh that almost sounded like a huff, “I will mark the path, and the ponies will follow it.”

“And the road will be built, and the forest… -s will be saved.” I concluded, then blinked, “Does that mean my job is done?”

Iphthime turned to look at me, “Indeed,”

“Then can I have my toe back?” I asked,

She shook her head, “You still have to speak with my son.”

“Oh… Right…” I grimaced,

There was a rustling in the bushes behind us, and Iphthime’s ears flicked at the disturbance.

“It seems our time together is running out.” She turned away, “Return to us in three days, a reward will be prepared for you by then as well.”

“Wai- Bu-”

She had already disappeared into the forest, a trail of flowers left in her wake.

The bushes rustled again, and I turned to look at the disturbance. I doubted Iphthime would just leave on a whim, so it was probably a pony approaching, not some other forest creature. I just crossed my arms and waited, but there was no further movement from the bushes, even though it sounded like whoever was there was just about to push through.

Twang

A crossbow bolt whizzed passed my face, just barely glancing off my cheek. It cut pretty deep into my disguise, but didn’t take a whole chunk off like last time.

“Wha-!” I jumped back, staring at the bolt as it embedded itself into a nearby tree.

Like last time… You’d have to be pretty bad to miss an unmoving target that didn’t even know you were there. That had to have been intentional.

“Hey!” I exclaimed, turning back to the bush and putting my hand on my hip.

It shuddered slightly as Dagger stood up, pulling back the string of his crossbow and setting another bolt.

“That wasn’t very nice!” I chastised,

“Dagger?” Another voice called out, “What do you see back there?”

He grumbled, then turned around, “Phos!”

“Phos?” I could tell it was Rusty by now, “Phos is here?”

This was starting to feel a little familiar. Dagger just looked back at me and tilted his head towards the origins of Rusty’s voice with a grunt.

With a sigh and an eye roll, I followed him out of the forest and into the open. There, it was just Rusty, but I could see more of the mercenaries in groups off in the distance. The colors told me one was Fletch and Captain Morningstar, and the other was Indigo and Maul. They were literally just patrolling the area.

I guess that was the job.

This place also looked familiar, mainly because I could see the hole in the cliff face where I burst out of. It had worn down a little bit, and I think it may have rained in the past few days, but all in all it looked the exact same as when we left it. Actually, there was another group of ponies huddled around the bottom of the cliff, and I think I could see Sir Manuscript among them.

“How do you keep popping up out of nowhere?” Rusty asked,

I gave him an odd look, “What do you mean? I literally just walked here… with the help of the forest,” I muttered quietly, “But that’s besides the point.”

“Oh yeah,” Rusty nodded slightly, “You’ve got your nymph buddies. How’d it go?”

“Um…” I paused for a bit, “It went okay…” I looked down at my foot, “I got what I needed, but I… nevermind.”

This time it was Rusty's turn to give odd look, “Well, as long as the job’s done. Good timing too, we’re just about done here.”

Rusty gestured behind him right as the group at the cliff began to disperse, and I could see Sir Manuscript speed walking towards me with a perturbed look. Some of the group followed him, while the others began heading back towards where I saw the carriage was earlier.

“Oop, here comes the boss.” Rusty whispered,

“I can see that.” I replied, standing up straighter and checking my cloak.

“That was remarkably fast,” Sir Manuscript greeted once he was in range, “Did you manage to get the information needed?”

“Uh, yes sir.” I nodded,

Sir Manuscript lowered his gaze with me, and he quickly handed a crystal off to one of his followers. I guess they were checking the deposit. It was supposed to be a gem deposit after all, but all the surface outcroppings were picked clean due to certain reasons.

...Draconic reasons...

I glanced at the sky for a moment, but only a few wispy clouds met my gaze.

“Where is the road supposed to go then?” Sir Manuscript demanded,

“Huh? Oh!” I snapped back to attention, “It should go… well… it would be better to show you.”

“What?”

“Follow me.” I turned around and started heading back towards the forest.

Sir Manuscript scoffed, then looked towards Rusty and Dagger. Dagger remained completely still, while Rusty just shrugged. With a loud exhale, he begrudgingly began following me.

Once we were past the initial treeline, I quickly found the spot where Iphthime had left me, and lo and behold, the trail of flowers was still there. Despite being flowers in a forest, they were clearly out of place, and the singular line of them extended much further than what could be considered natural.

There was actually only one type of flower making up the line, and they looked a lot like a squill. However, the traditional blue was replaced with something with a more greenish tint, almost like a cyan. They clashed heavily with the darker greens around them, making them all the more noticeable.

Wait a minute.

Cyan…

I picked one of the flowers, bringing it up to my face and pulling some of my hair forward with my thumb. It was a pretty close match.

Wow, thanks Iphthime, what a wonderful color to choose, as if I didn’t need any more attention on me right now.

I glanced at Sir Manuscript, who remained focused on the unnatural oddity laid before him.

“What did you do?” He demanded,

“What you asked me.” I replied simply, quickly flicking the flower away.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note

So now we know what the deal is with Breezies. Sort of...

Iphthime and Lycus, both figures in Greek mythology. I believe Iphthime is a nymph, while Lycus is a satyr. They are not the only Iphthimes and Lycuses depicted in the myths, but they are the only mother-son pair, I figured they would act as fitting names for these forest spirits. Of course, that would make Lycus's father Hermes, but let's just ignore that for now. I didn't plan to have a father figure before giving them their names, and I don't after.