Cutting Edge hovered over the lake, surveying the shoreline for a suitable camping spot. The national forest surrounding the large body of water tended to reach all the way to the edge in most places, but there were a couple of open areas. The cobalt-blue anthro pegasus decided upon one that looked roomy enough for a tent and a fire and was also relatively safe from possible hazards. He lowered himself and his sky cart down to the ground and admired the view. Nodding in satisfaction, he began setting up his equipment.

Because he intended to use this site as a base camp for exploring the parklands, he had brought everything he thought he might need for a two-week stay, necessitating the use of the cart rather than just a backpack. After clearing an area of stones and branches, he got out his tent and erected it. His bedroll and various other essentials were put inside before he got to work creating a safe campfire. With that completed, he finally allowed himself time to relax. With the majority of the day already taken up by traveling to the site, there would be no hiking done today. However, he did intend to try his luck at fishing.

An hour later, he had two reasonably large trout cooking over the fire. He was trying for a third when he heard an angry screech from the sky. Looking up, he spotted someone diving toward him. His sharp eyesight quickly identified the newcomer not as a fellow pegasus but a griffon – or griffoness to be more precise. And she did not look happy. He stood up to meet her as she came in for a landing, observing her medium-brown coat, slightly darker wings, and white head and chest feathers. Purple markings surrounded her eyes and highlighted the crest feathers that hung over her face. She wore only shorts and a T-shirt which barely contained an ample bust.

“Hi! What can I do for you?” he asked.

“You can get out of my territory for starters!” she snarled.

“Your territory? While we’re not far from the Griffonstone border, I think you’ll find we’re in an Equestrian national park.”

“I don’t care what you believe,” she retorted with a scowl. “This is my turf and I want you gone.”

“Not going to happen, lady. I’m all set up here and not inclined to move on.”

The griffoness closed the distance between them and poked him hard with a talon while bringing her beak close to his face. “If you don’t leave, I’ll make you regret it.”

“I don’t think so.” The stallion grabbed the arm with the offending talon, twisted around, and threw her over his shoulder. She landed with a splash and a squawk in the lake. His brow furrowed. “Damn – that will scare away the fish.”

The griffoness clambered out of the water, muttering curses under her breath. Once on the shore, she seemed disinclined to harass him more, concentrating on wringing out the water from her T-shirt. The wet cloth gave him quite a view of her boobs with their pert nipples. The water saturating her fur clung to her sleek and toned body, making him whistle in admiration. She looked up at him, frowning.

“What are you staring at?” she snarled.

“A gorgeous sexy griffon,” he answered without a trace of hesitation.

Her eyes widened and an eyebrow rose. “What are you – some kind of perv? I’m a griffon and you’re a pony.”

The pegasus shrugged. “Beauty is beauty irrespective of species. Still, that won’t stop me from chucking you in the lake again if you attempt to push me around.”

The griffoness growled and gave up her efforts to dry out her clothes. “I was only trying to scare you off. I wasn’t really going to do anything to you… probably”

“Well, that backfired, didn’t it? Why are you so determined to get rid of me anyway?”

“I chose this place to get away from all my hassles.” Her stare and tone of voice became more pointed. “I don’t need any new ones.”

“I’m not about to give you grief. However, I can offer you a cup of coffee while you dry yourself by the fire.”

The griffon’s eyes widened at the word ‘coffee’ and they shifted toward the fire where a pot sat amid the flames, steam just starting to waft out as the contents came to a boil. She hesitated and her tongue licked her beak before she growled and said, “Ah, rot it all! You win. I accept your offer.”

“Take a seat and I’ll make us some.”

The catbird sat down on the large log positioned near the fire, spreading her wings to catch the warmth to help them dry faster. Meanwhile, the winged pony made the coffee and passed a mug to her. While she drank it, he checked on the fish and deemed them cooked sufficiently. He put one on a plate and spread some butter, salt, and pepper on it. He looked at his guest speculatively, then held it out to her.

“Want some trout?”

She peered at him suspiciously. “Why are you treating me so nice?”

“Why not? I wouldn’t mind the company of a pretty bird while having dinner.”

She rolled her eyes. “You really are a dweeb.” She took the plate anyway and lifted the fish in her talons before he could offer her utensils. In two snaps of her beak, the trout was consumed. She licked off some spilled butter and said, “Very tasty. Thanks. Saves me having to catch my own.”

He chuckled as he prepared the second fish. “Glad you liked it. Seeing as you scared away the fish and ate half of what I did catch, I suppose I’ll have to supplement my meal with some apple pie that I brought with me. Want some? Do you even eat that kind of stuff?”

“I’m okay with most pony food. What’s the catch? You’re being too nice to somebirdy you just met.”

“I’m a friendly guy when I’m not being poked with a talon. The name’s Cutting Edge, by the way. Call me Edge. I’m curious about why you’re hiding out here despite obviously liking the finer things in life.”

The griffoness lifted one eyebrow. “What finer things?”

“The coffee, for one,” Edge answered with a grin. “You drank that entire mug like someone who badly missed it.”

She squawked out a laugh. “Yeah, you got me.”

“Mind passing the mug back, Ms….?”

“Gilda,” she supplied, giving the cup to him.

“Ta. I’ve only got the one as I wasn’t expecting company way out here. You were going to tell me why I was wrong?” he hinted while making coffee for himself.

Gilda glared at him before sighing. “I suppose it’s fair. I left Griffonstone to get away from certain cocks who wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Edge paused between bites of his fish. Unlike his dining companion, he took care to not include the bones in his meal. “Was the harassment that bad? Although I can see why the males would be chasing you.”

Gilda blushed and turned her head away. “Stop being such a perv. But yeah, it was getting too much. Mating season isn’t far away and I’m still single. Can’t say I’m interested in any of those testosterone-fueled featherheads either.”

Edge nodded, put his plate and mug aside, and then got up. He rummaged inside a large magically enhanced food storage chest and pulled out a pie. As he began cutting it into slices, he said, “I thought that griffon hens liked strong, confident males.”

“Most do,” Gilda admitted. “I went to flight school in Equestria though, and that set my life ambitions higher than just being the cub-bearer of the loudest or strongest idiot of the flock. That might work for other hens, but not for me. So, after a particularly nasty altercation with Gerard, I packed my stuff and left. Made myself at home out here where no dweebs can bother me, and there’s plenty of food to hunt or fish.”

“Seems like a pretty extreme solution to me,” Edge said as he passed a slice of pie to her. “After all, you’ve already run out of coffee.”

Gilda chuckled. “Yeah, although I have this plan to take some pelts back to Griffonstone to trade for more supplies.”

“How’s that working out for you so far?”

“Let me put it this way – I’ve been without coffee for over a week,” she pointed out before eating the pie as hungrily as the fish.

“I figured as much.” In his head, he added, ‘It also might explain why she’s wolfing down the food so fast.’ Aloud, he said, “Tell you what – I’ll trade you some coffee in exchange for you showing me around your little domain tomorrow, okay?”

“Deal!” Gilda stood up and spread her wings. “I’ll see you after breakfast. Don’t sleep in.” She leaped into the air but paused, hovering. “And… thanks. The food was great.” She then accelerated off over the lake.

Edge smiled. A good meal always made a positive impression. He had packed plenty of both beverages and food in case fishing and foraging were poor. When you had a food storage container that was bigger on the inside than the outside, you could afford to bring more than you thought you might need. He poured another cup of coffee and took it over to where he had set up his fishing pole. Perhaps he might yet catch something before he called it a day.

The pegasus was cooking an omelet for breakfast when he heard the sound of large wings. Looking up, he saw Gilda coming in for a landing. Oddly, she was dripping wet once more. The reason why became obvious as she threw a large salmon in his direction.

“Spotted this lunker on the way and couldn’t pass up the chance. Got some of that coffee you promised me?” she asked with a cocky grin, holding out a mug she had brought with her.

Edge put the fish into his food chest where the stasis spell would keep it fresh and then took her mug. “I wasn’t sure when you’d turn up, so I started the coffee first to make sure it would be ready.” He poured a cup and passed it to her.

“I ate some scones along the way here to save time,” Gilda said as she made herself at home by the fire to dry out. “Luckily I finished them before I spotted the salmon.”

“Do you always fish that way?”

The griffon shrugged. “It works and I don’t have a fishing pole anyhow.”

“Fair enough. I guess those talons of yours let you grab a fish more effectively than my hands could.” Edge turned out the omelet onto a plate, retrieved a couple of slices of bread that had been toasting by the fire, added some butter and jam, and settled down on the log next to Gilda. “So – what’s the plan for today, Ms. Tour Guide?”

“That depends on what you prefer. I didn’t come out here for the scenery like you did.”

“I enjoy hiking and checking out the sights. If you know any particularly interesting spots, we can make our way there.”

Gilda’s eyebrows rose. “You wanna walk? Are you crazy? You’ve got two perfectly good wings! So do I! Let’s do the aerial tour. Seriously, I thought you meant flying around to various places.”

“Oh, I’ll do that too, but you miss a lot that you can only see at ground level. The point isn’t to get to the destination quickly – it’s to see what you can discover along the way.” He waved his fork around dramatically to emphasize the point.

Gilda groaned. “If I’d known that, I wouldn’t have been so quick to take your offer. My paws are aching already.”

Edge grinned. “It isn’t as bad as that. I’ll let you start off easy.”

“What I’ll do for coffee,” she lamented. “Speaking of…” She held out her empty mug.

The stallion chuckled and got up to get the coffee pot.

They settled on a walk around the lake. The griffoness promised a great view of the falls which were the outlet for it. Edge packed a rucksack with a camera, a water bottle, and some protein bars for both of them to snack on.

“You seem to have packed way more than you need,” remarked Gilda.

Edge shrugged. “When you have an enchanted food chest that holds as much as a large family can eat but weighs only a couple of kilos because of a featherweight spell, it’s easier just to put in everything you might need rather than try to plan out your exact requirements. That’s why I can spare you a lot of coffee – I brought the whole can.”

The two began their walk in a clockwise direction around the lake. Fortunately for Gilda, the trees weren’t too dense and the leaf litter made for reasonably comfortable hiking. Edge walked at a casual pace as he had no schedule to keep and it was easier on his companion. Once in a while, they would pause while Edge took photographs of wildflowers or other interesting wildlife.

After yet another stop for snaps, Gilda rolled her eyes and said, “Geez! Why didn’t you just stay home and visit a flower shop instead!”

Despite her griping, Gilda did have some sites worth visiting in mind. They soon came upon a low cliff and she urged him to take wing. There she showed him the nest holes that birds had riddled the face of the cliff with. The colorful residents were naturally perturbed by the visitors, so the two did not stay long.

“We weren’t very popular,” Edge observed with a smile.

“Probably because they’re safe from all but winged predators there,” Gilda replied.

“Oh? With justification, perhaps?”

The griffoness smirked. “Their eggs are tasty.”

They continued their walk in silence for a while. They paused to rest and have a snack on a bluff that overlooked the length of the lake. The sun shimmered on the surface of the water and, with the mountains in the background, it presented an idyllic view. Edge took several photographs there and even managed to persuade Gilda to pose in one of them.

They continued on their walk, crossing the occasional ferny creek along the way. At last, they heard the sound of water splashing down rocks and the falls came into view. They were a series of small drops rather than one tall fall, and Edge could see how they would serve as a fish ladder for the salmon migrating upstream.

The pegasus spent some time taking more photos while the griffon soaked her sore paws in the cool water. When Edge was finally satisfied, they started back on the opposite side of the lake. They walked for about half an hour before the shore opened up onto a rocky shelf, revealing a campsite. A large lean-to was set up against a big tree at the edge of the shelf, and a fireplace occupied the middle of the clearing. A small oven formed of stacked stones indicated that this was far from a temporary camp.

Edge looked at Gilda, raising an eyebrow. “Is this…?”

She nodded. “Yep. Home sweet home. Baked my scones in there last night.”

“You really have everything you need to make scones but have to forage for other food?”

“I’m a baker, you dweeb – of course I have plenty of ingredients like flour and yeast.” Then she looked askance and mumbled, “Although I did forget to bring plenty of coffee.”

“What are you going to do when those run out? Trade for them like you told me yesterday?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You can’t even afford coffee yet, so when will you be able to buy a sack of flour, let alone everything else?”

Gilda scowled. “Who asked you to stick your nose into my business? I’ve been doing okay since long before we met, and I’ll be fine after you’re long gone. Now piss off! I’ve done as you asked. Go and take pictures of pansies or whatever and leave me alone!” She then stalked off and disappeared into her lean-to.

Edge kicked himself for upsetting the griffoness. He knew they were a touchy species and it really was none of his business anyway. “Sorry, Gilda,” he called out. “I’ll have that coffee ready for you when you want it.” He then took wing and headed back to his camp, no longer in the mood to hike.

An afternoon spent fishing had added a couple more fish to his supplies and he had all three cooking when the griffoness arrived. Silently, he handed her the can of coffee out of which he had already retained some for himself.

Gilda nodded. “Thanks. Sorry I yelled at you.”

Edge shook his head. “No, it was my fault. I had no right to pry. Want some fish? I cooked all of these in the hope of offering them as an apology.”

The griffoness smirked. “I suppose I can’t afford to knock that back. I want the salmon though.”

“Done. Would you like some lemon juice on it? I have some lemons with me.”

Gilda rolled her eyes. “Of course, you do. Yeah, why not?”

Edge served up the fish along with some grilled vegetables for both of them. Gilda sighed in satisfaction when she finished her meal.

“You sure know how to cook a mean salmon.”

“Mean, nice, shy – doesn’t make any difference to me. They all go in the pan!” The pegasus grinned. “I may not be a baker, but I do love a well-prepared fish.”

Gilda nodded and got up from her seat on the log. “I’ll keep my eyes open for more. Might as well take advantage of your culinary skills if I have to put up with you here.” She spread her wings to fly off but hesitated. “By the way, how did you manage to throw me so easily yesterday?”

“My sister is a Royal Guard and she insisted on teaching me self-defense. I had no interest in joining up like her, but it certainly came in handy to know.”

The griffoness chuckled. “I suppose so. Same time tomorrow?”

“I’d like that. I’ll have breakfast ready.”

“Cool. Sleep well, dweeb.” Gilda took off and headed down the lake.

Edge smiled. “Yeah, I think I will.”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

Art by Baron Engel. Used with permission.