Moonstar perks up at the interesting chat, particularly the talk of somepony being attacked. A much more interesting problem to solve than the affairs of runaway lovebirds.
She trots over, "Excuse me if I may have overheard something you were saying, but I would like to hear about this attack if you'd be willing to share the details."
Zophio chimes in,
"We found a solar emblem on the path,
It's owner seems to have been subject to wrath,
We need to find him, and right his ail
For without him, our mission will fail."
Zophio! exclaims Vi with a smile
Nice to see you again! I remember the last time we were at the same celebration I tried all night to catch up with you but I kept losing track of where you were!
she talks fondly of the zebra.
Sadly we'll have to put our big catch up aside for the now, it seems another pony needs our help then, it was good I arrived when I did!
she turns her head this way and that
So is there a plan to track him down? Do you have any clues?
With a little more effort, its possible to discover that Solar Breeze passed through the town eleven days ago, travelling south to Canterlot from Bloodshore. He'd planned to stay for two nights, arriving late on the first day, eating and retreating to bed.
On the second he the solar paladin undertook to gather some supplies and make minor repairs to his equipment. In addition to the expected wear and tear from a well-travelled time in the Duchy of Bloodshore some of the damages repaired were representative of battle damage (likely from the slightly cruder weapons favoured by the barbaric Kingdom's of the Twelve Foals) though they didn't appear recent.
He paid a brief visit to Crimson Zeal in the late afternoon, around the same time as Sapphire Treats and Treasured Heart. Somepony believes he saw Summer Breeze take the new road south towards Canterlot - certainly he didn't stay a second night at the Fallen Apple. At that time the village was preoccupied with the excitement of Sapphire Treats and Treasured Heart's tragic love story, Father Crimson Zeal having refused to marry the couple, who disappeared from the town that night - presumably having continued their elopement in hope of finding a friendly priest to marry them.
South Narrowneck is a relatively safe place, and attacks are rare. Ponies occasionally go missing, especially in the forest north-east of the village, presumed to have wandered (or been misled) through feywilde crossings, ambushed by raiders from the Kingdom of the Twelve Foals (though they rarely venture this far south), or else fallen prey to wild animals (few monsters range this far south either) or bandits.
Shub sighs at the alarming amount of persons converging on his table. He reluctantly shares some more information, "My name's Shubshi and you may've more time than you think. Solar Breeze was spotted on the new south road towards Canterlot. You can figure out the rest."
Shubshi stands up and starts maneuvering the crowd. "If you excuse me, I'll be off. I prefer dealing in private and you folks attract too much attention. You know where to find me. " He gives a careless wave from behind.
"If he was seen on the road that is new
I wonder the emblem was found on the old," seeing Shub leave, he bids him, "Adieu."
Midnight Dove startled.
ARGH! A stalker- no, wait, it's just Zophio. When did he entered... And didn't he said that he is was going to stay by the tracks?!
"Unfortunately, we've told you all the clues we've got, Virtuous Heart. And we've got no plan... Yet. Can we count on your help," she asked to Moonstar Eclipse and Virtuous Heart.
Good to know that Shub will be helping us... His behaviour is a bit strange, though. Maybe he isn't used to work with people.
Well Midnight, you can always count on me! gushes the mare
I am pleased to say I am a Knight-Errant, not beholden to any one location, I am free to adventure wherever my help is needed and I can do some good
she turns her beaming smile on Zophio
So I can follow you to the very edges of Valorein!
she settles down somewhat, her natural exuberance perhaps a little too large to be trapped in such a small room. She returns her attention to Midnight.
The trail is already cold, so waiting another night to rest and have the best of the daylight to search in does sound prudent.
Zophio rolls his eyes at the "very edges of Valorein" comment, but agrees with Dame Heart's assessment.
"You're right, we'd better regroup in the morn,
as a few of our party to sleep have borne.
Let us meet down in this room,
Say three or so hours before noon?"
Midnight Dove was starting to feel tired.
"How about seven o'clock, for example?"
It is close to midsummer, so the sun rises early over Valorein. It will be light by five am, and many of the villagers will be heading to work in the fields, orchards or forests at first light.
Shubshi wakes when the morning light reaches into his room. He stretches his body and extends his wings and limbs before jumping out the window and flapping into the sky.
For half an hour, he flies close to the inn and stays near the cover of the clouds while he watches the village, the ponies he sees minding their own business. It doesn't take him long to see if anyone's coming or going at this time but he spends a bit of time exercising his wings.
When he's done, he washes up using a cloud and flies back into his room before descending the stairs of the inn for food and any early conversation.
At around six thirty in the morning, Zophio finds himself pacing outside Midnight's room, trying to make up his mind whether to ask her for a morning cup of (soft) cider before the meeting starts. Eventually, he decides not to, and heads downstairs to have a hot cup alone.
Vi sighs sadly at the night sky, she would have much preferred to be awake and talking late in to the night, but she reminds herself that other ponies need her help and so getting up early should be a necessary sacrifice.
First light dawns, and Vi promptly drags another pillow over her head to ward off the dun's rays for another couple of hours. She finally rises at 7 when Midnight suggested, looking very sorry for herself and with her mane a complete mess. She drags a brush through it but gives up after a minute, clomping downstairs and laying her head on the table next to her mug of hot cider. She glances as Zophio and tries to smile, but doesn't manage to achieve talking yet, not so early in the morning.
Midnight Dove appeared soon after Virtuous Heart. Her dark eyes were a bit sleepy, and her mane was messy as, being a heedless pony, she had forgotten her brush at Canterlot, but, unexpectedly, she still seemed to have energy left.
"Good morning, everypony," she said, sitting next to Zophio. "Did you slept well?"
Mac and Eclipse arrive downstairs about ten till nine looking all bright and proper. Eclipse sits down and Mac sits on her right. "Good morning everypony. Nice to see some other faces arrive early, the last town commoner meeting I saw, everypony arrived late. I was beginning to think punctuality was a nobility only trait."
"Seven o'clock comes to soon for me,
In all this light, I can barely see,
How was your slumber, might I ask?
Your mane suggests it was quite a task!" Zophio answers, and with renewed courage, he messes her mane up further with his cloven hoof.
The early breakfast is rolled oats that've been boiling for most of the night, enlivened with a dash of delicious honey or maple syrup. A fair number of villageponies stop by for a bowl from the pot, eager for a quick start in the fields rather than building out their own fires to make breakfast. Most of the day-guests leave early too, dashing back onto the road to make as much distance out of daylight as possible.
It's not till later that your own group rises, at an hour more suited to noblesponies with the wealth to take the time needed to smell and savour the roses along life's path. Apple Heart has not been idle, and the spread before you includes delicious jams and warm, fresh-baked bread...
"If you'd like, I can prepare a packed luncheon for you," she offers, around eight, once the breakfast spread rests upon the table, "and if you mean to return tonight, I can prepare a meal of your request."
"There's a hoof off for second nights," Epic Spin offers, as he trots by, broom between his teeth as he prepares to tackle the inn's dusty yard.
Shubshi accepts the offer for luncheon but dinner he leaves off on the chance that he might need to leave town sooner.
She swallowed a spoon of honey with less delight than expected, when she saw that only Zophio and Virtuous Heart were in the inn.
What are the others doing?...
"Ah, Apple Heart! Is it really you who cooked this wonderful meal? You are really talented," she exclaimed when she saw the pony approaching. "It would be very kind of you, but we don't want to bother you..."
Yeah. We might be less than expected.
Finally, she saw Moonstar Eclipse going down the stairs, and she felt relieved... But frowned when she heard her words. Being raised like a "commoner" herself before joining the Church of the Moon, the pony's tone didn't please her. At all.
I had almost forgotten, why I didn't like nobility.
"Good morning as well," she replied politely -but coldly. "Please, join us. You're late, by the way. But it is of little importance, isn't it?"
She could almost hear Gimpy Leg's raspy voice: "You're asking for trouble again, you wild kid..."
Hmmm that's a tricky one, we're off to start tracking somepony so don't know if we'll be back for dinner! But a packed lunch does sound good Apple, thanks!
The paladin looks around at the assembled questing herd, smiling at the way fate always seemed to throw the right ponies together at the right time, each with their own part to play. She offered a silent prayer up to Luna in thanks.
So where and when do we begin? I'm keen to start!
Zophio consumes what little he requires for sustenance.
"I wasn't aware we still had a query
for his Reverence, the priest so weary," he replies in confusion.
The zebra turns to the griffon and says ,
"Shubshi, was it? Feel free to join,
I'm sure the church thinks it worth some coin
to follow this stallion, and find him out,
whether malicious or in danger, victim or lout."
The cavalier then addresses Virtuous .
"I believe we'll begin as soon as we're accounted for,
and as for where, the medallion was found a quick trot from the door." He indicates with this last statement that he intends to show them all where he and Midnight found it.
"Get the priest to answer my questions and I'll come along," Shubshi says.
Well I'm giving up on my mane for today she glares at the braid that seems to be undoing itself no matter how tightly it was bound
So aside from grabbing my gear I'm good to go.
she nods
I'd be happy to talk with this priest if it will move things along? she offers
Midnight Dove nodded.
"I would like to join you, but my previous encounter with Father Zeal... Didn't went well. If you want to have him answer your questions, then I'd better be off. Besides, I'd like to talk to an old friend of mine before leaving Rondel. We could meet once we finished."
Zophio nods in response to Shub's request and stands afterward to indicate that he'll accompany the griffon.
Shubshi leaves Father Zeal to his duties.
"Well, it was a long shot, but that was still useful to know. I'll be around town to pick up their trail so that means you can hire me for that paladin of yours. Where d'ya want to start, where you found the buckle or where Solar Breeze was last sighted? Oh, and hand me that buckle."
When it's handed to him, he inspects it and the fabric attached to it.
"Eh, might be better to bring it to an appraiser or someone who knows their fabric later."
Vi is noticeably quiet during Father Zeal's meeting.
Afterwards she leans in to the group conspiratorially, looking around to make sure she's not overheard
Well I don't know what it's like in the Solar church, but us Lunar paladins are fully ordained as priests, with all the associated responsibilities and privileges. We most certainly CAN marry two ponies who love each other very much and want to spend the rest of their lives together and stare in to each other's eyes longingly and maybe have little ponies together and grow old together and watch their little ponies have littler ponies of their own...
she trails off, lost in though with a soppy expression on her face.
As Shubshi comments on the buckle, she shakes her head
Is there a tailor in town we could visit who might be able to tell us more?
Following everyone around discreetly, something she learned quite well from her steward Mac, she listened carefully to all that was said. As Vi reveals her thoughts on the whole affair,
"You make it sound like all there is to marriage is love. For nobles, marriage is a contract between families, not individuals. Honestly, it isn't anybody's concern, but their own, that they love each other. However as part of noble families, who they marry is a major concern to their entire families and relations, and all who owe fealty to them. Nobility isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Our privileges come with costs and duties, something commoners don't often realize... And something young nobles too often forget, or ignore."
She sounds almost disgusted with the last phrase.
While the others went to talk to Father Zeal, Midnight Dove searched for Raspberry's house.
I don't intend to stay very long, but maybe she has heard of rumors, or news which could help us... And it's been a long time since we talked to each other.
Well Moonstar, you are right, marriage is a political institution among nobility, but even then there is hope that love will blossom despite the emotion-free matchmaking involved in families jockeying for alliances and status.
she waves a hoof at the village the ponies find themselves in
Even these gentleponies' families will have ideas of who they want their colts and fillies to marry, and those decisions too will carry weight, perhaps not the gravitas of the upper classes, but no less important in the world they live in.
she smiles at Moonstar
Nobleponies have more responsibility it is true, nopony wants to disappoint their families, but isn't is nicer to talk of romance than politics? The real world intrudes all too often on the hopes and dreams of ponykind, sometimes it's important to have something else to cling to
She nods her head
Now, where did Midnight Dove get to? Where should we go from here? Any ideas Moonstar?!
Zophio addresses Shubshi,
"Perhaps the ladies could find someone who knows the fabric well,
And the two of us can return to the spot where its seal fell." He looks to Vi and Moonstar in succession to see what they think of the plan.
Vi cocks her head for a moment, then replies to Zophio
I'm not one for dresses, that's one thing this paladin confesses, we will find a seamstress with haste, let us hope the trip is not a ...waste
she sticks her tongue out and smiles
Come Moonstar, we should beat the boys on principal, to a proper clue I mean!
Vi trots out the door once Moonstar is ready.
Moonstar replies amused, "A few generations ago the mere idea of marriage for love was considered a weird idea, now it seems to have become the ideal for someponies. Strange how such things change." Moonstar, not knowing where the seamstress is, follows the paladin.
Vi, being neither local nor particularly adept at navigating her way around unfamiliar territory, simply stops the next pony she sees and asks for directions to the nearest tailor or seamstress.
Grinning all the while
You're able to find a friendly townspony, but the news isn't good. Few of the villagers bother with such luxuries as clothes at all. There's nothing like a seamstress in the village, nor in any of the neighbouring villages.
However, combining your religious training, passing knowledge of noble pastimes such as embroidery, and battle experience, you can determine that this buckle is definitely from the accoutrements of a Solar Paladin, and that he and his garb had likely seen some battle, and post-battle repairs under field conditions.
It seems that in a distracted hurry, perhaps brushing up against another pony, the repair failed and the buckle fell. He might not have noticed for some miles, but it would've soon become obvious as his saddlebags began to shift, and its quite valuable, so he'd have to have had some reason (not necessarily a critically important one) for not returning for it.
Shubshi ignores the conversation, looking disinterested. "So it looks likely it belonged to Solar Breeze, but s'not fallen from a battle. Best bet is that he continued on to his original destination and you won't find him anywhere near here."
The griffon hands the buckle back and crosses his arms. "Got anything else you need? I recommend interrogating the pony who saw Summer Breeze take the new road instead of the old one to straighten the facts. I won't accompany you outside this town so we'll talk compensation if you want me to come along any further."
A little investigation reveals that the earthpony who saw Solar Breeze leave Rondel is Cordial Brew, husband of Raspberry Cordiel... she lives in a vine-covered house with a sunny aspect on the south-eastern edge of the village...
Well, I think we'd better head to Cordial's house don't you?
Vi nods to herself and trots off towards the vine-covered house.
"Sure, sure."
Zophio follows them, mentioning to Shub that he'll be compensated by the lunar church for his efforts.
Soon enough, you arrive at the Cordial Cordial household, a picturesque little cottage wreathed in vines and brambles. The gate squeaks, as you open it, and soon enough you're able to knock upon the pale-red door.
The mare who answers it is almost the same colour. She's wearing a white apron, spattered with a thick, crimson substance. There's a foal draped across her withers, the same dark liquid dripping from his mouth and neck...
Good morning, I'm Paladin Virtuous Heart, and before we go any further, I need to check something with you...
she leans in slightly to the mare, sniffing as she does
I'd just like to establish, the thick crimson substance you and yon foal are coated with...what flavour is it?
her words are casual, her eyes are bright, but there's an almost imperceptible tension in her hooves as she makes sure she's on stable ground with enough space to fight if necessary.
By the Moon... She truly has changed.
Midnight Dove stayed quiet, astonished. She had left an innocent, playful, brave and kind-hearted foal. And now, Raspberry was a full-grown, married pony... Who was a mother.
It was intimidating.
Midnight Dove smiled a bit shyly.
"Hi, Raspberry. It's been a long time... "
Moonstar whispers to Mac [small]"Raspberry, of course."[/small], Mac whispers back, [small]"Blackberry."[/small]
"Dovey!" Raspberry bounces forward, wrapping her forehooves around your neck, only getting your pristine coat slightly messy with sticky, sweet-smelling residue. "It's been so long! It's so good to see you! What on earth are you doing here, and why didn't write and let me know you were-" she takes on a half-shameful look. "Did I miss a letter?" She asks. "Punch," she addresses the foal now clinging delightedly in her mane. "This is your Aunty Dovey, mommy's very best pony friend forever," Raspberry smiles, "go cling onto her for a bit whilst mommy gets cleaned up," she continues, depositing him stickily into Midnight's hooves, before taking her apron in-mouth to wipe his face. "Come in, come in. Would you like some Raspberry Cordial?" She asks, turning her - shapely, full - flanks away. "I just made some."