Chapters In the grand scheme of things, I cannot say I have accomplished much. I am not a great warrior or berserker; fighting for my clan's honor. I cannot say I would have been a great leader. I cannot say I led our clan to glory our gods. I can, however, say that my time as skald of our clan was not wasted. Although I left soon after coming to age and being appointed my position, I feel I left the clan in good talons.
I am Sven of the QuickTalons Clan of griffons. Like the rest of the great griffon clans, we've fallen on hard times. Food shortages, decreases in hunting grounds, plagues, and an increase of infant mortality has whittled away our once thriving kingdom. My hatching was treasured, as is with all live-born eggs. I was raised in a flight of only five youngsters. At the time, I was only aware of a single flight that was larger from our neighboring clans. Truly, we griffons were cursed.
A simple childhood for a simple griffon, while we accelled in our combat rites, we all quickly had our true talents show through and earned our life-names. I was swept up into the home of Skjor, the current skald, and given my true name. The flight I was born into drifted apart slowly, our differing roles separating us. Skjor drilled the rites of a skald into my mind and instructed me on the use of most instruments to a rudimentary decency. I quickly took to the stringed instruments of our people, the lyre, and the ponies guitar.
Upon my six-teenth winter, Skjor(realizing his time had come) set out on the grand hunt and was never seen again. I took up the mantle of Clan Skald. I memorized the stories and deeds of my people and wove them into song. I took up an apprentice in the flight that had come soon after my own. Aesa was everything I was not in a young chick. Where I had been quiet and introspective, she was bold and boisterous. We were a foil that brought out a grand song for the clan. Other clans would come with meats and trinkets to hear us play their own clans songs.
On my eight-teenth winter, life took a drastic change.
"Upon a hill 'cross a blue lake," I hummed, winging my way down from my rocky outcropping of a home. Aesa was at the pools below waiting for me to begin the newest lesson. My golden wings beat the air in a steady thump, a beat to the life around me. The wind sang through my feathers and roared in my ears. I tucked and dived closing the distance quickly in a straight free-fall. At the last second, I pulled out of the dive and thrust my talons into the water, spearing the fish I had been eyeing from my cave. It was a good kill, and a decent sized fish. I flitted over to Aesa, her plumage glinting in the early morning light and a bright spark in her eyes. Her breast feathers had a purple 'V' dyed into them as befit her positon of a skald in training. Before Skjor left, we had finished my symbol. I had a deep blue triangle upon my chest and the tip of my beak was blackened.
Aesa glanced at the fish hungrily, giving a playful swipe at it.
"Ah ah ah, food after you tell me the basic duties of a skald." I waggled a talon on her.
She quickly mumbled the basic tenets of our calling: Balance, Rhythm, Timing, and Impact. I tossed the fish at her, guffawing as she fumbled to catch it.
"Might wanna work on your Timing there, Aesa." She shot me a death glare. "Start gutting that, I wanna eat when I'm back with the instruments."
I gave a quick nod and set off to the village. The skald traditionally lives outside the village in a small cave upon the cliffs, and I had inherited Skjor's cave when he left. It had smelled of old tales and his noxious pipe smoke. I decided to stow our equipment in the cave and found myself a newer home. While Skjor's cave was slightly smaller, it was still where I had grown up; I couldn't just forsake it to gather dust.
Flying along the cliff face, the wind flowing along my wings, a song upon my beak, and time alone with a griffoness. A young skald couldn't ask for much more.
The outcropping of the cave mouth loomed around the bend. I set down quickly, intent on getting the instruments quickly and heading back down to my student. The cave had it's same old lived in feeling. I had kept everything just like Skjor had left it. Old armor and weapons adorned the walls. His nest was bedded with pelts from grand kills he had made. The legends he had written and sung for nearly a century sat along a natural shelf in the wall. His, and my, prized possessions sat in the corner next to his nest.
A time worn yet still beautiful teak guitar and a gleaming walnut lyre sat, oiled and polished twice a day, on stands of mahogany. The quality of work on them was stunning to see and heavenly to hear. I gathered up the carriers and mounts reverently, placed the ancient strings in their cases, and strapped them to my back. The added weight had, at first, been to much for me to fly with. Skjor's had fixed that quickly, forcing me to carry them everywhere until I could almost fly better with them on than I could free of the harnesses.
With the coveted tools of my trade secured, I set out again.
"I hear the songs from the places I was born." I began to hum again. The pools come into view, and the my beautiful pupil(with a delicious looking fish) beckoned me to hurry. Truly, what more could a young skald ask for.
I gently placed the cases on the ground and undid my harness. Aesa was lounging on the bank near the water, basking in the warm glow of the sun. I trotted over. I sat down with a goofy look on my face. Aesa glanced up at me.
"What in the world are you making that face for?"
I snapped up the fish and fell over laughing. "Hah, you know I am absolutely hilarious, and you're just too jealous to admit it." I poked her in the side. She simply glowered at me for a bit before turning back at the lake.
I sat up next to her. She glimmered in the mid-morning sun. Her golden feathers, preened to perfection, played with the light reflecting off the water. Her deep eyes, surrounded by a purple the same shade as her skald mark. Her bottomless energy held in check by my presence. I paused for a second before beginning my song.
"There was a time
I inched closer to her. Aesa sat her head upon my shoulder, and leaned against me. I hummed a few cords.
"We are so young, I think of her day 'n day.
Aesa sighed, a small smile on her face. I wouldn't let this feeling go even if the world depended on it.
"Upon the hill across the blue lake,
I intertwined my tail with hers.
"Don't you worry, don't you worry, child.
Days went by and seasons changed. The whistling of the wind and the soft crunch of leaves underfoot became the melody of life. The bonfire pit in my cave was well used. Soot had stained the walls nearby with an interesting pattern; the shape of two griffons close to stave off the chill of Autumn. I rose from my bedding, leaving a quiet snoring pile of warmth behind me. I exited the cave and wrapped my talons over the edge of the cliff. The sharp wind bit into me, waking my fully in an instant. I focused as the world around me dimmed. Slowly and meticulously, I filed through the sounds playing around me. Wind, frozen rivers, leaves crunching, a scamper. A heartbeat, I had my prey. I let loose a hunting screech and dove from the precipice. Staying close to the cliff face to maximize my speed and lower the likely-hood of me being spotted, I zipped closer to the ground. Pulling from the steep dive, I rocketed over the ground. The last thing the fox exiting his burrow in search of food was the beat of a wing and talons slicing through the air.
The meal clutched firmly, I headed back up to the cave. Warmth leaked out of the animal, and dripped from my claws. I set back down on the edge of my cave and cut off a portion of the stored fat; flinging it over the edge and into the water below as an offering. The hunt had been good. I grabbed a log from the pile near the entrance and set it across my shoulders before entering. My kill was quickly spitted and the log was added to the fire. I went back to my nest and poked the mass of feathers that had taken my favorite spot while I had been away.
"Come on Aesa, I got us the food, now scoot. You know that's my favorite spot."
The feathers wheezed out a small chuckle, but stayed put.
"Alright, I'm coming in, can't say I didn't warn you." I reached in, pulling my talons into a slight fist to tickle her into submission with my knuckles.
"Food should be done in a bit," I whispered to her. "Let's just relax for a bit."
We mulled over the idea with our bellies full of fox, and our bodies warm with the comfort of a nearby heartbeat.
"You know what Sven....let's see the world."
The clan had taken the news well. Aesa and I had made the short flight north to our clan's home cliff and informed them that we were leaving. Our flights had wished us good luck on our adventures and good hunts in our trials. The elders had blessed the trip, and we had left quickly afterwards.
We returned to my cave and gathered essentials. Each of our flight packs contained small necessities and meals to hold us over until we reached our first town. I donned the harness for our instruments and Aesa reverently slid and locked them into place. She also placed our personal sets of wingblades in a side pack. We had each been gifted them after our first flight. We set out quickly; freedom tugging us away from the familiar in a mad dash to a new land. Our wing beats set out the fire and candles of the cave, and we set off into the air.
We headed due south, headed for the land of the ponies in an all out dash. The trip was going to take a few days. We flew during the day, hunted at dusk, and settled in at campsites we eat up or towns we came upon. Four days of continuous flying can be surprisingly boring so I won't bother with the details. One incident to break the monotony was when Aesa accidentally lit her tail feathers on fire when she wheeled around to pounce on my after I joked about her cooking the same thing day in and day out. She didn't laugh when I called her 'smokey butt' either.
Crossing the border was a surreal experience. The cliffs and deep forests of our ancestral homes gave way to plains and grasslands. Fields of shimmering green swayed gently in a sweet and soft breeze. The sun beamed down from the sky, not unpleasant in the slightest. I glanced at Aesa, her striking plumage glinting in the light. She had finished her skalds rites and earned her full mark the day before we left. The deep purple triangle stood strongly against the gold of her breast. She had also dyed the feathers around her eyes the same shade and blackened the tip of her beak. She cut a striking figure now, a clean cut griffoness with strong wings and a song always on her beak.
A pair of pegasi rose in front of us. They wore the armor of the Celetia's court, and Aesa tensed at the sight of their wing-blades. I brushed the tip of her wing with my own to calm her as the matched our speed and pulled up along side us.
"You've entered Equestrian territory," the first, a mare of light purple said. "Before we can let you go further, we just need names and to see your freight." She finished with a glance at the cases harnessed to my back. The second, a young stallion that barely fit his armor merely nodded.
With a new life on the horizon, I can firmly say that our first night in Equestria was well spent.
A glittering dawn broke the sweet haze of a half sleep. Aesa and I were camped outside of Ponyville; near the bridge entering the town's main area and market. I shook my partner awake and rubbed the sleep from my eyes.
"The early bird get's the rabbit. Let's get set up in the market square and get our presence known a bit. We'll work on playing in restaurants and hole's in the wall afterwards."
I gathered up the harness and pulled Aesa up from the quick nest we had made. The plain we had camped in waved in the breeze. Soft whispers from the grass and the rustles of the limbs welcomed the light of day to a waking world. With Aesa in tow, I set off into the town. From the bridge, we had a decent view of the small village, it's cottages with thatch roofs gave it a homey and down to earth feeling. A few early risers were setting up their stands already. Aesa went on ahead to pick out a good spot for us to play. I got a few odd looks as I walked through the slow hub of commerce in the small town.
Finding Aesa near a small fountain, we quickly set out our instruments. I went to working tuning my guitar as Aesa played a few bars on her lyre. A mint green mare trotted over, and began to talk with her excitedly about it. Ironically it seemed, we happened upon a town with another lyre player. While Aesa chatted away with the small mare, I started playing my music.
As the notes flitted through the market a few interested ponies came over to watch. With a small smile, I began. Today was shaping up to be a good day.
At around mid-day, Aesa and I stopped our small concert to have lunch. A small crowd had gathered to hear us play. I suppose they haven't seen very many griffons as a few of the colts and fillies inched close to examine us while we played. There was a smattering of applause and a few coins dropped in the open cases as ponies had passed by during the day. All in all, Aesa now had close to 40 bits each. Not a bad day at all.
Walking through the stalls, Aesa and I quickly decided that we weren't too interested in pony food. Approaching the last stall, an apple stand from the looks of it, I stepped up to the front. A small filly was behind the counter.
"Excuse me miss, are you the one working this stand?" She seemed a little scared at first, as were most children when someone they don't know speaks to them.
I tossed a few over. Frankly, I was dumbfounded that Aesa and I were getting the cold shoulder like this in a sleepy little town. The people from earlier had been quite friendly. The mare nodded at us before turning to the filly and saying, "Go get Rainbow."
Aesa and I winged off, heading into the forests to the west that a sign had designated the 'Whitetail Woods". The hunting was quick and the eating even quicker.
"I wonder what her deal was," Aesa said.
Oh. Going back to the ponies decked in blood from my kill might not have been the best second introduction. I quickly washed off, making sure to splash Aesa, much to her chagrin.
"Alright," I said shaking the water from my feathers with a quiet chuckle, "let's get back there and hope that mare didn't let anyone steal our stuff."
The square was curiously empty. The vendors must have gone out for lunch. I walked to where the apple stand should have been.
A nice empty piece of real estate greeted us.
"Well shit," Aesa huffed, puffing up her feathers.
We quickly ran back to the fountain. The only thing there was a small note and a suspicious lack of instruments.
"Well shit, indeed," I said, slapping a claw to my face.
Ponyville Library
"Well, maybe they didn't steal it."
Aesa set off down the road, being sure to smack me with her tail. Feisty.
"Think this is it?"
I turned to knock on the door. Six pairs of eyes stared at us through the door window.
I knocked anyways.
The eyes shot down and some mumbled whispers seeped through the door.
"Seriously?" Aesa deadpanned.
The door opened and a purple glow picked us up and carried us inside.
"Well shit," Aesa and I said in unison as the door closed with a slamming finality.
The purple aura deposited us on the floor in the middle of the room. Bookshelves covered the walls, breaking only for a opening to a kitchen and a staircase to an upper floor. Six mares stood around us.
The mare from the apple-stand and a light blue pegasus stood to one side, glaring at us. A pair of unicorns, purple and white respectively, stood in the middle with a ball of pale yellow feathers hiding behind them. A pink blur seemed to be zipping around everything at random.
"Just friggen great Sven, you've managed to get us kidnapped by six mares."
Five pairs of eyes bounced back and forth between us as we bickered. The last pair's owner was busy walking across the ceiling using two sets of suction cups.
"Um, hi," the purple unicorn spoke up. "What are you doing in our town?" The yellow pegasus cowering behind her squeaked as we looked toward the speaker she was hiding behind. The blue pegasus zipped up into out faces, causing Aesa to snarl.
"Who are you to kidnap us and-" she started before being picked up by the purple and glued to a wall.
That's it.
I turned to the ponies. "Put. My. Mate. Down. Now." I said, menace behind every world.
Aesa blushed, and the unicorn took a step back. "She hit Rainbow." She said, looking for an excuse.
The unicorn blanched, glancing at her friends nervously. She put Aesa down and they quickly circled up to whisper to each other.
I only caught snipets. "...steal?" "Gilda..." "...hit me..." "...Applebloom...nice..."
The glanced at us once or twice in pauses in their discussion before going back to whispers. Sighing, I sat down next to Aesa.
"You okay?"
Aesa blushed again and leaned up against me. We sat there, waiting for the ponies to finish their debate. I had a feeling we might be waiting for a while.
Before long, a small purple drake made his way into the library. Glancing at the circle of mares and then Aesa and I, he said "I'll get the tea set going," and headed into the kitchen area. Aesa looked at me. I stared back. No questions were asked.
The diminutive purple drake sighed over his tea cup.
"I guess I should apologize in advance for them. They can get pretty crazy. How'd you even get stuck in this mess?" The young dragon swirled the contents of his cup, looking between Aesa and I and the six mares still in conference.
Aesa and I took turns explaining. She talked about our trip from home, and I picked up the story when we came to Ponyville while she took a drink of tea. The dragon nodded along, following the story with some interest.
"I had no idea that the griffons were in trouble like that."
A table and matching chairs poofed into existence in a fuschia haze. The mares took one side and motioned for Aesa sit on the other.
"Just great," Spike grumbled(he had informed us of his name after bringing the first tea set). "I'll put another kettle on the stove."
Twilight spoke again. Definitely the leader of the group, this one. "There, now, what are your names." I glanced over to Aesa, she just glared at me again.
"Fine, fine," I huffed after losing the stare down. "I am Sven QuickTalon, skald by rite and profession. This is Aesa, my mate and skald of her own rites." She blushed again.
I'm not sure if this has ever passed your mind, but detecting a blush on a griffon is quite the skill. Unlike the thin coated ponies, the color is not easily seen through the feathers. It becomes more of a body language guessing game. When Aesa blushed( which I found happening more and more), she scrunched her shoulders up and flashed a quick little smile. Her pride would kick in quickly and she would wipe the delightful smile off her face, glaring about hoping no one had seen it. It was beyond adorable.
"We left our clan," I continued, "searching for a new life and a change in scenery. The flight to Pony Lands was relatively boring. On reaching the border, we met the guards stationed there. We were granted entrance to Equestria, and pointed in this direction when we asked for the nearest small town. This is our first day in town. An eventful first day at that."
The mare nodded and walked out of the room. Applejack and Rainbow seemed unconvinced. Rarity sat patiently, examining us with calculating eyes. Pinkie Pie seemed fit to burst at the seems. All I cold see of the yellow pegasus, who's name I still hadn't caught, was the top of her mane. She seemed to be hiding under the table. To say that the silence was awkward was a understatement. Aesa tapped a small tick tacking beat on the table as I twaddled my talons.
Rarity broke first. "Honestly Twilight, what is taking you so long?" She called up after the lavender mare.active day for us.
The mare handed over the bags, wing-blades, and instruments. Aesa rooted through them, nodding that everything was still there. Donning the harness and slotting the instruments into it, we made ready to leave the madhouse. As Aesa put the wing-blades back in their rightful bad, Rainbow looked over my burden.
"Does the added weight make it harder to fly? It looks like it might screw with your aerodynamics."
"Bet you that Rainbow would give you a run for your money, just look at that flank," I needled playfully.
Spike saw us out the door. When it closed, you could just hear the sound of hushed whispers from the other side leaked through.
Although the night was still young, Aesa and I decided to retire to the nest. Setting up camping I the same field we had been in the previous night, we quickly finished the discussion we had started in the tree-library.
A small yellow frame watched the campsite. She had been curious where the griffons were staying. She didn't want them to eat any of her friends after all. Glancing back toward the campsite, she promptly slapped her hooves to her eyes.
"Oh my," she said quietly, shooting away in the night with a bright blush.
The good kind of life issues has popped up. For now, this is going on hold while I bask in my good fortunes.
