Lorewalker

The rooms were large and spacious, just as one would have expected, but he had noticed how odd Equestrian furniture was compared to those back home in Iceland.

The doors were large, far too large for any man, but just right for the slightly wider centaurs that built the palace of Canterlot, and could be swung open from the first half to reveal only a centaur's human half. Most doors had latches, same as any he had ever seen, but Canterlot was a seat of magical research and ingenuity so all the doors could be opened by the word open or a password set by the occupant to keep it locked from others.

The tables were too high for comfort for a human and the seats were mostly overly large cushioned stools that he found he'd need to hop down from if he ever sat on one.

"Even the beds are strange." He flopped against the large lipped bed and looked up at the silk hangings could open and close with a simple fastening. Pillows all around the lip, he figured centaurs slept in whatever position took their fancy. "Soft, though. They got that right, at least." He smiled.

Mikhael the Skaald had seen many great human cities, guested in a few royal and noble homes, and must have been patron in every inn no less than twice from his treks across Iceland. However, he had never once set foot in Equestria and had figured Canterlot to be nothing more but more or less permanent stationary tents made of hides and cloth like the many Runs setup every night when they took rest.

For a people with no permanent structures, their architecture towers above much of Iceland's finest. He mused as he looked over his marble white room, ceiling high windows and lush patterned crimson carpets. Hope the royals don't see fit to leave too early. He sighed and wrapped his arms around himself as he played with the idea of taking a nice long rest from the march from Lord's Pass to Canterlot.

Knock knock.

Groaning, "What is it?" he said loudly for his voice to carry across the large room.

"Queen Mary is calling you." An unfamiliar voice replied just as loud.

A centaur. He figured from the roughness in the voice.

He moved to the door, missing the feather bed dearly, and opened to see a centaur clad in white chest plate armor and a blue feathered hem that mimicked a horses mane.

"I'll take you to her." He said at once. "Canterlot Palace is easy to get lost in for newcomers." He wrapped his hands around across his chest and walked slowly ahead of Mikhael.

"Do you know what the Queen wants?" Mikhael asked, biting down on his annoyance at the impromptu summons.

"Can't say I do." Was all his escort said.

"May I ask your name?" He asked, having found himself immensely amused at hearing the names of every centaur he came across. Up till now, his favorite had been a large chested mare called Charity for her renowned generosity but her name had evoked quite a few lewd and bawdy verses to put in song instead.

"Brave Red." He answered without pause. "Called that for saving a few women from my Run from Timber Wolves when I was a colt when my coat was more red than brown. Seems to have darkened over the years." He added in a tone that suggested he wasn't really paying attention.

"I'm Mikhael the Skaald," Mikhael replied and the guard glanced back to look him up and down momentarily before turning back without a hint of what he had thought of him. "no last name like the nobles; simple man from simple birth." Brave Red gave no reply and they walked silent the rest of the way.

They passed through corridors, hallways, antechambers, staircases, and even a few balconies but always up and up until Mikhael figured they must be close to the roof of the palace and where the two deity-like alicorns must reside as well.

"In here." Brave Red opened the door and stepped aside to let Mikhael through who muttered his thanks.

The queens apartments were more spacious and well decorated than his own and he noted that her handmaidens had already unpacked and personalized the room their mistress' liking. Her personal vanity mirror had been brought from her chambers in Iceland and placed next to the circular velvet bed she had been given.

Her back was to him but he noted that her reflection's eyes were squarely on him.

"Mikhael," She did not turn and her eyes went back to contemplating herself. "what do you think of Equestria?"

"It's," He paused as he thought for the right word. "magical."

"My thoughts exactly." A hint of a smile crept on her ruby lips. "I want you to go out into the city and learn tales and songs of every sort that have to do with magic. It's such a rare thing in Iceland and we'd be remiss to not find out as much as we can from it from the Equestrians."

"I will gladly do so for you, my queen," He gave a short bow but continued when he looked back at her reflection. "but perhaps I can suggest to have Wild Rose, the unicorn, brought to you? She is, after all, one of the most talented here in Equestria."

"I had thought of it but it seems that she is occupied now with some child that got list in the forest we passed on our way here."

"Ah, perhaps a few tales of the Everfree Forest would interest you?" He suggested.

"I've heard a bit here and there of it; I believe such stories would do, Skaald." She waved her hand away. "Away, now. I must prepare myself to meet the princesses."

"As you will." He bowed, a bit more deeply this time, and showed himself out of her rooms.

So much for rest. He sighed. But at least the audience was brief.

Mikhael had first started as a sort of guest to the royal court over a year ago when the queen first fell in love with his charms, wit, and skill with song and had promptly showered him with gifts and favors to keep him nearby at all times to play for her in her chambers, at dinners, and at any event that required a bit of talent to entertain guests.

At first, this had been a sort of dream come true for him. He had become, seemingly overnight, the most famous and envied wandering minstrel in all the land, and he had been rather content. All the women he could he could want, a staff to take care of him, and free from any financial woes that plagued most men. He had reached as high as he could ever climb despite being a man with no family name to him.

As the months passed, he began to notice the blank stares that oft overtook the queen and noted how her handmaidens began to inch away from the queen until her eyes returned to their usual joyful blue hue. At other times, she stared at her mirror, just as she had now, and seemed entirely entranced by her own reflection.

But the worst of all began to occur a few months prior to the peace treaty agreement between the Great Horselords and the kingdom of Iceland. Dark moods had taken over Mary where, when no one of note were to be seen, she would lash out at guards, maids, and even Mikhael for next to no provocation and she began consorting with all sorts of scholars and sorcerers that could tell her of myths, legends, and anything related to magic.

Lately, Equestria and the two princesses were all that seemed to make her smile.

Mikhael was more than pleased to help out in any he could but he had learned to fear his queens dark moods and her sudden interest in all things magic frightened him. She had always been known to be a good queen and the only one who kept the long war from growing by leaps and bounds as the royal family had allowed in the past.

He was worried and he was not sure what he could do about it.

All he could think was keep faith in the queen and do as he was told.

Equestria was a fascinating land with it's silver skies and orange flora but Canterlot was an amazing accomplishment that few could boast of having done better.

Everything was chiseled and cut stone and painted or engraved with images of centaurs, blooming nature, and strange lettering he had never seen before. Every building was white as snow with deep violet, gold, crimson, and emerald green patterned inlays spiraling down roads, hemming the streets, and cascading down houses and shops.

It was as if a single minded artist had been given an entire city to design as he wished and had spared no expense and comprised nothing to create something straight out of a fairytale.

"You could say the entirety of Equestrian architecture was pooled into this one city forcing the Runs to live in tents and makeshift homes and the pegasi in the clouds." A voice floated to Mikhael and he found himself near a male unicorn with a deep blue mane and a goldenrod coat. "Saw you staring, human," He shrugged with a sly smile. "most of your kind is quite amazed by our home. You'll mostly find unicorns here." He tapped the spiral horn that grew from the top of his forehead.

"Yes," Mikhael nodded with his arms splayed out. "this city is beyond compare."

"Princess Celestia and Luna made this the home of the centaur long ago when it was still atop a mountain. The centaur grew numerous and they began to go down the mountain and made their homes in the fields and valleys below. However, stallions proved themselves to be an aggressive sex and, outnumbering mares at the time, became hostile to those who were not of the same Run or Flight that impeached on their lands."

"I suppose the fighting certainly diminished the desire for permanent cities." Mikhael ventured a guess as he stood listening to the unexpected tale.

"Certainly one of the reasons but it never got all that bad, or so the little history we know of the time states, and centaur were always a free folk that needed to move." The stallion gave a mock rear with a laugh. "As I mentioned, unicorns mostly live here in Canterlot just as they had ages long ago. The mountain was destroyed by Star Swirl the Bearded in anger at the centaur who had tried to remove themselves of Princess Celestia's and Luna's influence."

"Remove?"

"Equestrian's are a matriarchy by design and by choice." The stallion pointed at a nearby wall and moved to rest himself against it, one hoof crossing the other. "Mares, unlike stallions like myself, have less bloodlust in them and therefore influence those around them to remain calm. If you look around, you'll notice mares are usually the owners and horselord of a Run or Flight.

Princess Celestia and Luna are both mares as well and from them we have learned all that is good and do our best to follow their example. There were those who viewed them as simply centaur who were immortal and had no right to govern and rule Equestria as goddesses. They tried everything they could in those days to remove the princesses from power with war, magic, assassins, and blasphemy.

Eventually, Star Swirl the Bearded, a great unicorn, had no choice but to end the uprisings once and for all. Using the most powerful magic known to us, he decimated the mountain on which Canterlot rested on and with it the morale of every heathen that turned and fled for their lives from the wizard.

It was only years later that his death was confirmed by our two princesses but whatever fight the enemy has had in the past was long gone. Most believe that after seeing the powers of a single mortal unicorn, they feared the power of our immortal creators more than ever."

"How did the city survive?"

"Princess Celestia and Luna knew of Star Swirl's plan and shielded the city withing a powerful bubble of magic that kept the city aloft until it landed safely on the ground below once the mountain fell apart."

"But, if they are so powerful, why did they let any of it happen or even allow the war between our two people to go on so long?" MIkhael had heard the stories but never from any reliable source - ignoring the fact this stranger could be just any old misinformed fool.

"They..." He paused as he thought. "live amongst us. They eat with us and they watch over us by giving us law and protecting us from things that only they can stop but they do not act on matters that they believe we have to learn and do on our own."

"Like a mother letting her children make mistakes because she knows they won't repeat them once they see it for themselves." Mikhael noted.

"Exactly." The stallion nodded with a grin. "So, why are you so interested in us Equestrians? The others seem content enough to keep their distance from us even in our own city."

"Me?" Mikhael was abashed. "I'm never one to pass up a story. I'm Mikhael the Skaald. I entertain the royal court with song and tale,"

"Not too many of your kind in Equestria." He gave a snort. "I'm Hocus Pocus, warmage of Canterlot." He gave a small bow with a hand on his heart.

"A warmage?" Mikhael's smile soured. "Guess you're the reason why so many died during the war."

"I'll admit I killed a handful of humans." Hocus shrugged. "I'll say I enjoy fighting and killing too but I'm no monster."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Mikhael stammered an apology.

"Hey, no problem." He grinned. "War is war and now this is peace. If we taboo the subject, we shame what we fought for and ourselves."

"I'll drink to that." Mikhael laughed.

"Well, let's find ourselves a place to get some hard cider, then." Hocus smirked as he lead the way down the road. "Have you heard about the Black Ice's youngest? He just earned his name: Fortune."

"The colt is rich?" Mikhael began to walk beside Hocus as he remembered the ruckus over the boy entering the Everfree Forest.

"No, he's a prophet." Corrected Hocus Pocus as they turned. "Well, at least, that's what we're all assuming. His brother, Lore, says he exhibited all the signs from recorded prophets and Wild Rose has him in the Canterlot Tower right now to test his abilities."

"So he can see the future?" Mikhael knew this would be one thing the queen would want to know if she did not already.

"That's the gist of it." The stallion pointed to a bright yellow building with a sign shaped like an overflowing mug with a flowing script that read Salt & Suds. "We have very few prophets and the inner workings of their power is a mystery but the one's that have revealed themselves to us are not very talented as far as I've heard. Fortune, though, is said to show great promise."

"Poor boy," Mikhael said as he opened the door with a word. "he must be so nervous."

Salt & Suds was a roomy interior with chairs and table carved from the very same stone that made the walls, roof, and floor. Painted a pale blue with checked white, it sparkled clean and Mikhael found himself comfortable just standing inside the building. It was empty but for the centaur at the counter that smiled at them which he assumed was named either Salt or Suds.

"I bet. The future is a tricky thing, from what I know, and what I do know is that it's better for it to remain a mystery. The present is far too precious to waste in chasing down obscure paths in hopes of a better outcome. There's no joy in it."

"Still, it must be useful." Mused Mikhael as Hocus ordered them both a drink and passed the a gold bit as payment and wondered why they didn't call them simply coins.

Shrugging, Hocus lead them to a secluded table in the rear.

Mikhael noted the brand on his new friend's flank and saw it was a a pale blue sword and shield where white sparks twinkled off. A warmage. He must only know how to use his magic to kill and protect himself from harm. He said to himself as he remembered that most unicorn magic was specialized even though they were capable of any magical feat.

"Did you hear the rumor?" Hocus asked as they sat on wide stone seats and Mikhael shook. "Princess Luna has been missing for the last two days." He took a long gulp from his foaming cup.

"Right after we arrived." Mikhael said in a tone that hinted he knew accusations were all aimed at the humans.

Thirsty himself, he took a sip, and sucked in his lips at the surprising taste. "That's some sweet cider."

"Yeap, straight from Sweet Apple Acres where most of our apples grow." Hocus smiled devilishly. "I know you humans like your fermented barley and old wines but I can't imagine how you drink it over any cider, hard or not."

"Oh, it's good." Mikhael took another sip and wondered where the alcohol was hiding in the deep apple overtone. "It took me by surprise."

"I suppose Equestria will be full of surprises for you during your stay." Another long gulp.

"I would not have it any other way." Agreed Mikhael as he let the taste of sweet apples wash over him.

"Don't drink too fast or you'll get some salt in your mouth." Hocus gave another mischievous grin.

"What?"