Chapters The bells of the ships lining Trottingham harbor echoed out to reach us on the rowboat I'd commandeered. The early morning sun raked across the water and cast us in a warm glow, much to my appreciation. Carefully, I pressed the worm I'd picked out of my bait bag onto the hook of my fishing line. Just before I cast my line, Lily flopped down into the bed of the boat with a groan.
"Papa, this is boring," my miniature pony companion groaned as she gently beat against the back of my leg with her tiny forehooves.
"It's relaxing," I argued before snapping my rod and sending the line flying. Once it hit the water and I'd set it, I shot a smile down at the recently school-aged filly. "Besides, it's no different from us just spending time together on land." She pouted at me and I winked.
"'Cept this way I get some free food," I added with a chuckle. She tilted her head before sitting up and craning her head to look out at the water with a frown.
"Free food?" She grumbled. She chewed on the thought for a moment before beaming up at me. "Oh! Fishing. I get it!"
"Yep! This is how all those weird meals you see me eating come from," I replied with a nod. Her smile redoubled and she hopped up into my lap with some effort before sitting down and watching the line with an eager look.
That lasted for all of twenty seconds before she sulked again. "Can it go faster?"
"Nope!" I chirped, causing her to groan harder and slowly slink down off my lap. Smirking to myself, I let her lie on the bed of the boat for a little bit before speaking again. "How you liking school?"
"I'm not," she grumbled, rolling away from me and curling up. This too lasted for all of twenty seconds before she gasped and shot up again to fix me with an excited smile. "Oh! We get to play outside after lunch!" She reared up against my side and frowned at me.
"You didn't tell me we got to do that!" She accused, causing me to laugh.
"Hey, in my defense, I've never gone to pony school," I declared, earning a humph from her. "You make any friends yet?" She perked up again to the point her wings snapped out.
"Yeah!" She squealed before beating her hooves against my side as she searched her thoughts. "Uhm! There's this one unicorn named Stellar and she uses magic like some of the maids! She can make her books float!"
"Sounds pretty exciting!" I replied. Before she could continue, my line jerked and I straightened up. "Oh hoh! That's not all that's exciting!" Lily tilted her head and considered the fishing line for a moment before catching on to what was happening and gasping. She hooked her forehooves on the edge of the boat and watched with an eager grin as I yanked the line and slowly reeled in my price.
For once, despite the quiet period that followed, Lily didn't complain about being bored as she was too enthralled by the sight of the line creeping closer and closer and the water becoming progressively more lively as the fish was dragged in.
Finally, with a triumphant yawp, I shot forward and snatched the fish out causing Lily to squeal with delight as I held it up. Then, as I considered the flopping and thrashing animal, she wilted.
"It's alive," she murmured.
"Yep," I chirped.
"Why's it alive?" She demanded, drawing my attention to her. Her ears were back and she wore a wide-eyed frown as she stared hard at the fish.
"Well," I murmured, clearing my throat with a shrug. "I mean I gotta club it first, then-" Her eyes snapped and locked with mine causing my eyebrows to slowly raise.
"Or I can-" I cleared my throat again and offered her a weak smile. "Put it back and we can go get some apples instead."
"That one," she demanded.
I stroked my beard as I considered the newspaper report on the recent string of arsons that had plagued Southpile, leading to the discovery of a massive lucid laurel farm hidden in one of the warehouses. Said farm went up in flames and covered the town in silly smoke for a whole day, but it still meant the next quarter was probably going to be busy.
Whatever ring was responsible for that farm was going to be scrambling to recoup their losses. Beside me at the table, Lily sat with her tongue stuck out the side of her mouth as she used her wing to carefully scrape her quill on the paper she'd been instructed to fill out.
"Cow," she murmured as she wrote today's assignment. "Cow goes-" She strained as she carefully copied the letters.
"Mm-Mm.. Moo," she sighed and dropped her quill before massaging her wing with her foreleg. "This is hard." I lowered my paper to examine her work, smiling when I saw how clean her writing was.
"You know, I couldn't read or write until I was over twenty years old," I declared, causing her to gasp and look at me in shock.
"What! That's old!" She cried, earning a nod from me.
"Yep. In fact, I was pretty annoyed at that fact myself," I replied, tapping the side of my head with a finger. "I turned my frustration into motivation." Her look of shock turned to one of wonder.
"How'd you do that?" She asked, tilting her head.
"Like I said, the fact annoyed me," I explained, folding my paper and sitting forward. "So! I worked hard to make it a fact no longer!" I reached forward and poked her on the nose.
"Savvy?" I asked, at which she giggled and rubbed her nose.
"I think so," she replied before considering her work with a determined frown. Just before she resumed writing, Silver came trotting up with one of the maids, both of whom had a plate for Lily and myself.
Lily scooted her homework aside and giddily tapped her hooves on the table as the maid set her plate of baked cheesy oats on the table while Silver gave me a nod and set my fish before me. Just before I could dig in, I saw him flinch and I turned to see Lily staring at my plate with a frown.
I grunted, guessing what was about to happen.
"Those used to be alive?" She suddenly asked in a somber voice. I winced and shared a look with Silver before nodding.
"Ah," I huffed, slowly nodding. "Yeah, they- Were." She frowned harder and furrowed her brow as she considered my plate.
"Do you only eat things that used to be alive?" She murmured, causing me to grimace.
"Not-" I grunted and sank back in my seat with a shrug. "Exclusively." She looked to the side in thought for a moment before frowning at me.
"What other alive things do you eat?" She pressed. I sighed hard and shared another look with Silver who offered me a sympathetic smile.
"Uh," I began, but Lily sat up and pointed a hoof at me with a strange look on her face.
"Do you eat ponies?" She demanded causing me to choke.
"No!" I cried. She blinked and scowled at my plate for a moment before looking at her homework and humming. She sat like that for a minute, during which time Silver and I shared another look.
"Papa, you remember we made a deal when you made me go to school?" Lily asked, fixing me with a determined frown.
"Yeah?" I murmured with a shrug.
"Can we make another deal?" She pressed, tilting her head toward me. I balked and raised an eyebrow.
"What kind of deal?" I asked, tilting my head.
"You can eat the fish but you have to eat my teacher, too," she explained causing me to flinch. As I stared at her in astonishment, she smiled and held her hoof out for a shake. I considered her and her hoof for a moment before frowning.
"Do your homework," I ordered causing her to gasp as I turned and held my plate to Silver who was poorly restraining his laughter. "Silver, I need something vegetarian." Silver laughed with a nod before taking the plate away, causing Lily to wilt hard with a grumpy sob.
"I really must urge you to reconsider, Admiral," Bay Leaf huffed as he trotted along beside me up the road to my house. He skipped ahead a few steps to fix me with an uneasy frown. "The council is expecting your report to, well, come from you." I huffed hard as I immediately pulled off my boots the second my feet touched the path leading to my door.
"Then they should probably clarify that in our charter," I grunted as I marched on, hurling my footwear to the side. "'Cause I spent plenty of time reading it and it just says they need a report from me. Nothing about me being the one to deliver it." I waved a hand at him as he wilted, allowing me to stomp up the stairs to my front door.
"Now off with you," I ordered, fixing him with a weary frown. "I'm fucking exhausted, and if one more thing keeps me out of my house, I swear to your silly pink-haired god-" The door slammed open, violently snapping my attention forward just in time for me to get slammed in the chest and sent sprawling onto my back.
"Papa! Papa! Papa! Papa!" Lily squealed as she frantically pranced on my chest. I coughed and sputtered as I reeled from her sudden assault.
"Hey, wha-" I wheezed before she knelt and nuzzled my neck.
"OkayIloveyoubuhbye!" She chirped before spreading her wings and shooting back inside, leaving behind a faint orange trail. I stared at the open door in wonder before Bay Leaf cleared his throat.
"Well, I leave you to it, then," he declared before trotting away. Suddenly, through the door, I heard a crash and then rolled to my feet before leaping inside. There, I saw the faint orange trail signaling Lily's passage as she zipped overhead. As I marveled at the sight, Blood Orange suddenly came flying into view.
"Lily!" She cried before noticing me and tumbling in the air to stop herself and fix me with a nervous smile. "Oh! Hey~."
"The fu-" I choked when she furrowed her brow. Nodding, I corrected myself throwing a hand up at Lily as she zipped over her head again. "The funny happened?" Orange scrunched up her muzzle before considering the high-speed filly and then sighed and landed right in front of me.
"Okay," she sighed before shaking her head at me. "But you can't get mad at me." I recoiled for just an instant before scowling.
"What'd you do?" I demanded.
"It's not my fault," she argued, holding up a hoof.
"What. Did you do?" I pressed as Lily squealed overhead again, pausing above us to do a three-ringed spiral and then vanishing again.
"She! Insisted!" Orange spat, jabbing her hoof at me.
"She. Is seven," I spat back, jabbing a damning finger at her with every word. "What. Did you. Do?" She scrunched her muzzle again and shook for a moment before grunting.
"Okay," she huffed, slowly nodding. "You know those special grapes I get imported?" I held my furrowed brow for a moment and glanced to the side in thought.
"From Prance?" She added, causing me to gasp aloud and hard.
"No," I begged, shaking my head and looking at her in horror.
She reared up against my leg and fixed me with a teary-eyed pout. "She wanted to try one! She begged!" I slapped her hooves off causing her to stumble.
"You're sleeping outside tonight," I spat before spotting Lily's trail and taking off after her. "Lily!"
As I pursued our rogue filly, I found the house staff all cowering under display tables and in closets, peeking out with terrified eyes at the shattered plates and vases decorating the floor. Finally, I found her in the dining room, standing on the table and-
Just sort of. Vibrating.
I cleared my throat and slowly held out both my hands. "Lily, come here please," I urged. She beamed in response.
"Hi, Papa!" She chirped. "I feel really good!"
I beamed back as I slowly crept closer. "Great! Why don't we-" I recoiled with a murmur when she snapped to a low stance and spread her wings, fixing me with a determined grin.
"And fast!" She added. I took a shaky breath and took another step.
"Lily. C'mere," I begged.
"Nuh-uh!" She challenged, scraping her hoof against the table. "Come get me." I grunted and took another step.
"Okay, okay. Just-" I leaped at her but my hands swept in and grabbed only air, causing me to slam into the table. "Damn it!"
"Bad word," she chirped, appearing behind me and gently popping me on the head before shooting away with a giggle. Orange flew in through the door and took off after her to no avail. She continued zipping in a progressively narrow circle until, suddenly, she came to a quite literally screeching halt and slowly fluttered to the ground with a wide-eyed expression. Orange and I shared a look, but before we could move to grab her, she suddenly gagged and then puked all over the floor. I hissed and hummed at the sight before Lily coughed a few times and sniffled before huddling on the floor and holding her stomach.
"Ow," she squeaked. I gently scooped her up and cradled her as I made for the door, shooting Orange a venomous glare as we passed her. She retorted with a bashful grin before trotting on after me.
"Come on. Let's get you to the doctor," I sighed as Lily sniffled and hugged my arm.
I sat on the edge of Lily's bed, helping her sip the last of the medicine the doctor prepared for her. Once her glass was empty she slowly settled back against her pillows with an uncomfortable whimper. I set the glass aside and pulled her blanket up over her.
"There, how's that?" I asked as I tucked her in. "That help your belly?"
"Mhm," she murmured in response. She made a weak and weary sigh before closing her eyes, at which point I reached over and snuffed the candle providing light to the room. As I stood up and moved to close the curtains, I paused with a scowl at what I saw.
Outside and up against the window was Orange, who fixed me with a watery-eyed frown. Snapping the curtains shut solved that issue easily enough.
I suddenly snapped to a groggy state of near consciousness as the rapid tapping of hooves galloping across the tiled floor toward the lounge hit my ear. Stretching my arms with a groan, I smiled as I realized my nap had ended just as Orange made it home with Lily, and so I sat up to face the door as she came galloping in.
However, when I saw her downtrodden face, my smile vanished. Upon seeing me she spread her wings and fluttered up before curling against my chest with a sad grumble.
I wrapped my arms around her in a hug. "What's wrong, Lily?" Orange came fluttering in just then and set Lily's school bag behind the sofa before sitting down next to us.
"None of my friends can play after school," Lily murmured with a sniff. "I keep asking if they could go play in the park that got built but they said their mamas and papas keep saying no." I furrowed my brow with a hum.
"Oh," I replied, gently petting her back. Looking up at Orange in confusion, she met my eyes with a strange and severe look. After locking eyes with me she reached forward and gently patted Lily.
"Well, now, Lily, that's not entirely true, is it?" She urged. Lily poked her head out to look at her for a moment before grunting.
"Oh yeah," she sniffed before looking up at me. "Daisy's papa said she could play tomorrow, but only if you and he came to watch us at the park." I flinched at her words and glanced at Orange, who again had me fixed with a strange look. Disregarding her, I nodded at Lily.
"Oh, that's- fine, I can do that," I said causing her to perk up.
"You can?" She squeaked, a smile slowly forming on her face. "You won't be too tired?" I laughed at her question.
"Nah! I'm not that old!" I declared, ruffling her mane and drawing a giggle out of her. "I just needed today to relax, I'll be fine." She reared up and clapped her hooves.
"Yay!" She cheered before flapping her wings and fluttering off of me. "I'm gonna go do my homework. I can't wait!" I smiled at her as she zipped out of the room, snatching up her bag as she flew. I stared after her for a moment before sighing and facing forward.
"What's up?" I pressed, causing Orange to scoot closer.
"Daisy's dad's a shipping magnate," she said in a low tone, causing my brow to furrow. "I dunno for sure, but I think he's part of the reason all the other foals are getting told they can't get chummy with Lily." I choked and shot her a shocked scowl.
"What? Fucking why?" I asked, leaning forward on my knees.
"I think we might've robbed one of his ships once upon a time," she said with another severe look. I flinched and then grimaced.
"You think he's planning to pull something?" I asked as I rubbed my chin and stared ahead. Orange scooted closer and hooked herself under my arm to nuzzle me.
"I dunno, but it's weird, right?" She asked back.
"Very," I murmured before sighing and looking down at her. "I'll deal with it though." She blinked and tilted her head.
"You sure?" She asked, to which I offered a weak smile and scratched at her ears. Despite the action, she squinted one eye and fixed me with a concerned frown.
"I'm sure as hell not going to walk back what I just told Lily," I explained.
Thanks to my efforts at sea, a fancy little park had been erected in the middle of the Griffish Isles, halfway between Eagleland and Trottingham and nearby a few small clusters of houses kept by the settlers all around the island, and near the school that Lily attended. While it was mainly presented as a spot to rest while traveling from one end of the island to the other, the upper class of the island had also pressed for a few attractions both for adults and kids.
That meant plenty of benches and a gorgeous marble fountain at the center of it all, but also a few swings and slides and shit like that. I sat on one of the benches with my arms folded and my foot tapping as I scanned the brick path that cut through the park. Beside me, Lily, who I'd taken the liberty of collecting from school for once, sat practically bouncing with barely restrained glee. The sight of her alone was what kept me waiting on whoever Daisy's father was and whatever the hell he wanted if anything at all.
All around the park, other families carried on, but some glanced my way and whispered before increasing their pace and trotting away. As a result, most of the park was fairly vacant by the time Lily gasped and shot into the air beside me.
"Daisy!" She squealed, shooting forward and galloping to meet her earth pony friend. Once they made contact they tumbled against each other in a hug. As the two fillies giggled, my attention fell hard upon the stallion who'd arrived with Daisy.
He was a silvery-blue earth pony in a beige suit jacket and flat cap, with thick glasses he leered at me through as he approached my bench.
"Admiral James Cutter," he said with a slight nod.
"The one and only," I grunted in response. He stared at me for a moment with an even expression before glancing back at the girls.
"What do you wanna do first?" Lily chirped, frantically prancing in place. Daisy wilted at the question before shaking her head.
"I don't know," she murmured before looking around and gasping. "Oh! Wait! Follow me!" She took off with Lily close behind, leaving her father and me alone. The stallion hopped up on the bench beside me and a tense silence fell between us that seemed to deafen the sounds of the birds above us and the fillies in the distance.
Finally, and to my frustration, he chuckled. "How long has it been?" He asked, glancing at me with a wry smile. "Four, five years?" I furrowed my brow at him and shook my head expectantly. In response, he faced me fully with a nod.
"I heard you became her guardian shortly after the pirate Charcoal Stain fell afoul of you," he explained with a thoughtful look. "And everything that followed that." I hummed with a nod as he turned back to watch the girls.
"I'm surprised she's so well adjusted," he hummed before his smile took a darker tinge. "Considering the beast raising her." I glared hard at him before facing forward with a deep breath. Another silent period followed, during which time more traffic passed us by and the girls laid claim to a merry-go-round Lily used her wings to spin at high speed.
"You don't know me, but I know you," he eventually declared, his tone completely absent of the faux amicability he'd had up to now. "You robbed one of my frigates a good many years ago." I furrowed my brow again and could see out of the corner of my eye that he'd done the same.
"You and those other three," he grumbled, waving his hoof at me. "The feline and them, I mean." I hissed through my teeth and clutched my sides to keep from smacking him. After a moment, I grunted with a nod.
"And I can understand you feeling some kind of way about that," I grumbled back, as Lily and Daisy collapsed off of the ride with a mutually dizzy expression. "But our girls seem to be keen on each other, so maybe it's best if we both put aside what we might feel against each other."
He flinched at my words and fixed me with a confused look. "Each other?"
"Yes," I hissed, shooting him a sharp glare. "I find myself inclined to educate you on just how much of a beast I can be when irritated." His look shifted to a stern glare, but he was otherwise unshaken by my words. As a result, I fixed him with a grim smirk.
"But I don't think Lily would appreciate me doing that to her friend's father," I added. We held our stare off for a few moments before he scoffed and looked forward.
"You aren't the only pirate I've been troubled by," he said with an impatient tone. "My sister was abducted by a rogue near Mount Aris a few years ago and held for ransom." I scoffed back and faced forward as well.
"What? You want sympathy?" I chortled, shaking my head. "Why didn't you report it?"
"I didn't have time," he murmured with a sigh. "That Stain fellow turned up immediately after I received the ransom letter." I saw him leer at me through the corner of my eye.
"Additionally, I was still more than a touch agitated by the identity of the fellow I'd be trusting her safety with if I did report it," he added, drawing a bitter grimace out of me. His expression softened then, as did his tone.
"Regardless, a week after that, she was returned safe and sound," he said with a hum. "The foal nappers had heard what Trottingham's Admiral did to Stain's crew and were disinclined to draw his attention."
"Is there a reason you're telling me all of this?" I demanded. He considered my question for a minute before sighing.
"Yes," he said quietly, sitting up straight. "I consider this playdate your girl requested to be an opportunity to clear the air between us." I raised an eyebrow at him and he did likewise.
"You're a villain, James Cutter," he accused in a dire tone. "A devil on two legs." I grimaced at his words but he nodded.
"But your presence is appreciated, though I'll be the only one willing to say it to your face," he shrugged weakly before looking forward. "In fact, most of the other parents across this island are scared stiff to let their little ones anywhere near you or your girl." I gasped quietly and my attention shot forward. Lily and Daisy had recovered from their ride and were now chasing each other through a little wooden castle. The sight, mixed with his words and worst of all, the sad look on Lily's face yesterday hit me like a cold wind in winter and I felt my stomach sink.
Before I could despair too long, Daisy's dad nudged me.
"Look over there, but with your eyes, not your whole head," he said, subtly nodding toward one of the other benches. There, I saw a pegasus mare with her mane done up in a beehive and three strands of pearls around her neck. Scurrying around the bench were a pair of ponies Lily's age, but her attention was solely on us. "That would be Ginger. She has a lot of influence with the other school mothers due to hosting the book club in Trottingham." I blinked at the revelation before he nudged me again and faced me, leveling a hoof at me.
"Everypony knows the profits you cost me during your escapades and the grudge I personally levy against you," he explained with an expression that didn't match his tone. "So, the sight of me here with you, seemingly as an act of letting bygones be bygones should smooth things over for dear Lily and her attempts at befriending others." He slowly nodded and his expression turned more severe.
"I am willing to give you credit for my sister's safe return and thus am willing to call it even for the cargo you robbed," he said in a low tone, before gently jabbing me with a hoof. "But more importantly, I know Daisy won't have to worry about being abducted either while you hold this post." He faced forward and then beamed at the sight of our girls, causing my attention to be drawn that way as well.
"So, while I hold you in contempt, in exchange for my peace of mind, I am willing to extend this proverbial olive branch," he declared with a nod. "For her sake." I watched the girls for a moment, just chewing on his words. Then, to my surprise, I noticed the ponies scurrying around Ginger paused as she whispered something to them. The pair smiled and shared a look before galloping off toward Lily and Daisy, who jumped at their sudden approach before all four beamed and resumed the game the girls had been playing.
I slowly leaned on the arm of the bench, bringing my hand to my mouth and blinking away the stinging sensation in my eyes I felt coming on. "Thanks," I finally whispered in response.