In Changelingia (West Equestria), Brie gains the support of a Changeling queen for his endeavors. Spark is doing his best to help an ill Wolf spiritual leader.
In Free Equestria (East Equestria), Iron is trying to intimidate a group of criminal griffin interlopers. Fantasy Play is helping to shut down an Anarchist press. Silver is helping his new household. Amber Sunset is walking through the city, and Dark Star has just finished helping the orphans.
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>>138727He speaks with an accent like that strange mare from earlier in the day at the clothing store.
"Yes Ma'am, I'd like table or a booth for one" He says
>>138726Silver nods, and looks back to the Captain.
"Captain Forrester, our platoon has been on march for some time now. We need rest to be at our full fighting strength against Changeling forces, and Vale is last safe settlement before Front. We would request permission to stay in Vale until our platoon has recovered. Our forces in meantime are ready to assist in preparing accommodations and investigating telegraph line problem."
>>138728"Okay, let me show you to a booth…"She takes him to one managed by Melon Mangrove.
>>138729"I see..." He takes another pause
"Very well. You may do so."
>>138730He walks slowly and with a limp to the back, easing his way into the back of a booth, and exhaling rather loudly.
"Thank you, ma'am"
He declines a paper menu
"Eh, I don't need no menu"
>>138731Amber smiles warmly at the stallion, perhaps with sympathy glinting in her eyes.
"Alright sir, just holler if you need anything else." >>138731He gives the Captain a military salute.
"Yes Sir, thank you Sir."
He looks to his Lieutenant, and waits for his lead.
>>138732He nods
"Alright Ma'am"
Amber presumably returns to the front, where she stands in wait for a period of some minutes before two new guests arrive - two mares, young but certainly well past their teens, and wearing rather flamboyant dresses, with styled and seemingly bleached manes and large smiles.
>>138733"Well, Sergeant, either help the stallions settle in, help with meal preparations, or help with the telegraph problem."
>>138734Amber makes sure to politely greet these
clearly wealthy mares, thinking back to how high-society ponies would talk.
"Good evening! Would you care to dine at our establishment?" >>138734He salutes the Lieutenant.
"Right away Sir. I will start preparing accommodations with rest of platoon."
>>138735Flamboyant, not expensive
>>138735"Uh hehehehe, I don't know about 'dine'..." She moves a little up and forward as if curiously. "You
do serve alcohol here?"
The other one, almost under her breath adds
"I could use a sandwich, though"
>>138736Silver can see that in the town, there are a number of houses, and an inn. These are a two story house near the river, a number of one story ranch-style houses, and a two story wooden inn named "Old Mecc's Trail Inn" by the river
>>138737>implying Amber would know the difference visually"Well, we do have a bar in the back if you don't want to sit at a table…" she responds, almost uncertainly.
>>138738She smiles
"That will work
perfectly"
They start walking, perhaps even ahead of Amber
>>138737Silver decides to try the inn first, and ask the innkeeper about room availability for a platoon of soldiers.
>>138739Amber is somewhat confused as to what these mares only a few years older than her want exactly, but she's also relieved that another table doesn't need to be assigned and the waiters won't be overworked.
>>138740Entering through the door, there is a desk on the right, a stairway going up behind him, and a hallway to the left with a number of doors. At the desk is a reddish color pegasus with a brown formal coat on, sitting upright in the desk
"A
platoon of soldiers?" he asks incredulously
>>138741They seem to want the bar, as the first mare is immediately trying to hail Salt Mixer even before she sits down. The other mare slowly moves into a seat, and carefully straightens her dress
>>138742Amber makes sure they are seated comfortably before returning to the entrance. She's unsure of what these "high-society" ladies are so eager about, particularly as the bar has only two other occupants. Maybe they're meeting somepony?
>>138742He gives the pegasus a sheepish smile.
"Whatever you can provide would be of excellent help. Our troops can group up in rooms, and I can see what we can provide as compensation for you."
>>138743Maybe they are, as another mare (looking slightly younger and dressed in a still-stylish black dress with earrings and a more conservative hairstyle) enters, and asks
"Hi, yes, I just need to go to the bar."
>>138744"Uh huh. There are rooms available on the first floor, and rooms 201 through 204 on the second floor but
not 205 through 208, those are taken." He answers plainly
>>138745"Certainly! Right over here…" As Amber leads the mare, who resembles herself more than the others, she thinks,
It would be nice to join them sometime. I don't know what they do except look pretty, but it's certainly worthwhile to them. Maybe someday… >>138745He smiles.
"Excellent! May I see one of these rooms?"
>>138743A mare can dream though. A mare can dream...
She follows Amber, and ultimately sits in a spot next to the mare who wanted a sandwich, though there is no immediate attempt at conversation. Amber can see the two mares who entered hours ago are conversing merrily with the two pegaus stallions. The one stallion still refuses to take off his hat.
>>138747He blinks
"One moment." He opens a drawer, then closes it and opens another, and then goes through a set of keys. He pulls out one
"102"
And tenders it to Silver Sword.
>>138749Six. Six patrons. All at once. They come through in a little trickle.
>>138750Are they together in a group?
>>138748"Thank you."
He takes the key to the appropriate room. He also looks to see how many rooms they have on the first floor.
>>138751Well... They are standing in the entrance together
>>138752Looking into the room, well... This ain't no Rose City four star, that's for sure. The floor is wooden (not hard wood), there is a double bed with white covers, two frilled pillows, a wooden chair, a dresser, and a mirror. There is a small closet, and the window on this room - it's the first on the left - faces the river, and beyond that, the hill that looms over the town. Maybe the hill is prettier in the spring time, when the grass grows green, but now it's half brown, with purple tints where the sage brush grows.
There are 8 rooms on the first floor
>>138753Amber is surprised by this sudden appearance but tries not to let it show.
It's not too many, look at all of the tables that have already been served! she reassures herself.
She calls out,
"Hello there, are you all in one group or would you like different tables?" >>138753"This is good!"
He returns to the innkeeper.
"I think these rooms will fulfill our needs perfectly, though I am curious if you have extra cots."
>>138755A stallion moves forward. He is an earth pony who looks to be maybe in his late 30s, and wears semi-formal dress.
"No. I am with my wife. Two please."
>>138755He looks back to Silver skeptically
"Cots? No."
He does, however, carefully parse through the drawer, producing a number of keys
>>138756He waits patiently for the keys, and converses with the innkeeper in the meantime.
"I suppose Vale's citizens have either taken cover or abandoned town in face of Changeling advance. It seems unusually quiet, especially with Army Company stationed here."
>>138756"Oh, of course. Let me get you a table." She takes them to a high table under Melon Mangrove. This time she moves a bit more hurriedly.
>>138757He is silent for a moment, moving his head up from the drawers and towards Silver's face.
"Did you come from Virtue? I mean, did you cross the State line at Virtue, Cascadia?"
>>138758The two follow Amber. When they get to the table, the mare asks
"Do you have candles?"
>>138759"Erm, we should…one minute." Amber trots to Salt Mixer and asks,
"Miss Mixer, are there any candles for tables?" >>138760She blinks, then answers plainly
"No."
>>138759"I do not think we did. We came up from Old Mecc Trail, and we have not encountered any other settlement since we started our march."
>>138761Amber blinks in surprise, and utters disappointedly,
"Oh…"She goes back to the table looking remorseful.
"I am very sorry but I don't think we have any…" >>138762He nods
"You would have encountered some of the townsfolk there. Ponies have been trickling through the valley since before Rose City fell, and started leaving here when Chemeketa fell. The more the Army falls back the more the ponies lose confidence. There are still ponies here. A couple in the post office, the railway station, and the telegraph office, but most have left. The last big batch left last night, when rumors spread. Gone to Virtue, or down the rail line south from Virtue to Neasa. Or more likely, past the state-line on to Wald. There are still a number of ponies on the ranches and farms. But they aren't in town." He answers
>>138763"Hmmm..." she seems displeased.
>>138765"Do you have flowers?" She asks
The stallion says "It's alright" making a downward motion with his hoof
>>138764Silver nods sadly at the mention of the rumors.
"Yes, rumors of big Changeling attack being planned. We have heard them too. We are part of plan to reinforce Front, either as replacement forces or to help garrison Vale. I also heard High Command is planning something big to turn tide of this War in our favor, finally."
>>138767His ears perk up
"What. What are they planning?"
>>138766Amber gives a reassuring smile.
"Surely we must." Amber returns to Salt Mixer at the bar and asks about flowers.
>>138769"Fresh flowers? No we don't have fresh flowers."
>>138770Anxiously and jittery comes the question,
"Where can I get some? That couple needs flowers." >>138768Silver nods, but before he says anything, he pulls his flashlight from his equipment.
"Do you mind if I check you, first?"
>>138771"I don't think any floral shops will be open at this hour" she says
>>138775"Uh... Orange rinds? A lamp? A mixed drink. I don't now."