EPISODE 7 - Goodbyes and Beginnings - Fairies and Dragons, Ponies and Knights
Performed Live May 16th, 2021
Podcast released May 23rd, 2021
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It was early morning; the sun had just begun to peek over the mountaintops, warming the lids of Talora’s eyes. She opened them. She was lying on a bed of hay, curled up with the sleeping Smudge. She looked around and saw the other dragons- Lyle, Edwine, Petra, Azrael, and their mother Beatrice- and Tom the stable boy, her new friend, all asleep at the base of the Giant’s Slide. So it wasn’t a dream. She tried to move but pain shot across every inch of her body. She felt like she’d be thrown from the top of a mountain and then attacked by savage animals. Well… that’s sort of what had happened, actually. She closed her eyes again and thought about the day before: the Dragon Games. Being tossed around by Smudge like a ragdoll in front of a huge crowd, flying through the air with Petra, flying on her own, alone in the sky. The brutal race down Giant’s slide, then telling the truth of the Dragon Games to Knight Karama and Knight Morgan. And finally, falling asleep curled against Smudge’s smooth, warm belly while Tom sang songs and told stories. It didn’t feel real. She took a deep breath, soaking it all in. It was real.
Then Talora realized - she needed to pack her things. She was one of the dragon’s champions - she and Tom - and she had to get ready for the journey ahead. If she went quickly, she could go and come back before everyone in Durga began to wake up, and she wanted to be ready as soon as Beatrice was. She forced herself up, wincing as her sore muscles and bruised body brought her to standing. Smudge tried to pull her into a snuggle but she managed to slip through his grasp.
“Ughhh even my hair hurts,” thought Talora. “Well, at least I’m clean...ish.” Last night she and Tom had found a stream to rinse off in before curling up to sleep with the dragons at the base of the slide. Talora had enjoyed sleeping with Smudge- the furnace inside his body had kept her nice and warm. Sleeping with a dragon was incredibly cozy, it turned out, except when he had started to smoke in his sleep- she had woken up several times, thinking that she was on fire. Lyle and Edwine had fought over who got to sleep on top of Tom, and had finally compromised: they would both sleep on top of him. Talora was worried Tom would be squashed flat, but he hadn’t seemed to mind.
Tom Thomas was like no one Talora had ever met. Somehow, he already felt like a brother to her. He had grown up in Durga, and his family had run the stables at The Stone, the fortress at the center of Durga, for generations. He had a lot to say about his job, and Talora and the dragons had all fallen asleep listening to his stories about the many different knights he had seen come and go over the years. Tom judged all the knights by how they treated their horses - he said it told you everything you needed to know about a person. Talora liked that.
Talora soaked up the soft orange light as she crossed the Field of Giants and scrambled down a steep path into the city. The streets were almost completely empty, except for a few people opening their shops or bustling to early jobs. Talora was glad; she didn’t really feel like talking to anyone. Everything inside her felt strange this morning. She couldn’t tell if she wanted to laugh and run with joy, or sit somewhere and sob her eyes out. Durga had been her home since she was seven years old. Now she was fifteen - still three years away from official knighthood - and she was about to leave to go on an adventure that most knights would only ever dream about.
Talora had grown up near the sea in a city called Tasgard. She didn’t like people to know this, but her family was extremely wealthy, and powerful. She didn’t have many happy memories of her childhood. Her father was a merchant, and was almost always gone. Her mother was an influential member of the city’s council. Her parents were ambitious, forever determined that the Shamsa family be one of the most powerful in the city, or in all of Duniya, for that matter. Talora had two older brothers and one older sister, none of whom had had much time for her, the baby of the family. Her parents had encouraged competition among the siblings, believing this made them stronger, but this just led to constant fights, which Talora usually lost, being the smallest. Meanwhile, Talora wasn’t allowed to play with other children, and she was expected to be quiet and obedient at all times. She wasn’t. She was constantly breaking rules, sneaking out and looking for adventure. She was punished often and severely. When she was seven, she decided to run away, to Durga, to become a knight. She didn’t get very far before her sister had been sent to fetch her back, but in the end, her family had decided to send her anyway. Technically, you weren’t allowed to start your knight training until you were eight, but Talora’s mother had pulled some strings. Her refusal- or her inability, as her parents termed it- to accept her family’s values was fast becoming an embarrassment, and if Talora succeeded in achieving the status of knighthood, it might bring the family some honor and recognition.
And so, she had arrived in Durga, an angry girl of seven, and for the first time in her life, she had felt truly happy. She knew every nook and cranny of this city now, every street, building, and little side alleyway like the back of her hand. And now as she walked through it, it felt different. Like she’d already left. Like she didn’t belong here anymore. It was a sad feeling, but also exciting. As she walked along its quiet streets, she tried to soak up every sight, smell, and sound, so that she could remember this moment, and take a little bit of Durga with her.
Talora veered east and left the city by a small gate, heading along a well-worn road and into the forest, where she lived with the other knights of her house. There were eleven different houses, or schools, among the knights, each named after a different color. The houses represented the focus of your training. You were free to choose your own house, but those in charge could move you if they felt you would be better suited elsewhere. Each house was run by a chief counselor who was elected by the knights of that house and who sat on the Council of Thirteen. The White and the Black knights, on the other hand, were elected by all the citizens of Durga. They could come from any house, but once elected abandoned their old colors, because the White and the Black represented everyone coming together: white, the reflection of all colors, and the spread of Durgan knowledge and values across the land. Black, the representation of all colors together in one place and Durgan knowledge and values within one’s own heart. They were the highest authority in Durga.
Talora had carefully considered her options when she chose her house. Should she choose the Brown, and spend her life focused on healing, medicine and wellness? Or the Orange, which centered around the sciences? She had been interested in the Yellow, the house of the arts, as well as the Grey, which was the house of spirituality and mysticism. Though she had mixed feelings about the Red, which focused on combat and defense as well as intensely physical sports, she had been impressed by how the knights of that house could run, climb, and fight like no one she’d ever seen before. In the end, however, Talora had chosen the Green: the Rangers. Not many succeeded in becoming full Knights of the Green. If they did manage it, the Rangers would leave Durga and explore the land, helping wherever help was needed, providing a link between Durga and the outside world. Therefore, Green knights spent time learning elements from each of the other houses as well as their own so that they could address any situation that they faced. They were expected to excel in all their training- math, science, government, art, combat, agriculture, medicine, and so on. And of course, the Green house had training of its own. Survival skills were very important- where to find food, water and shelter in any environment, how to read weather patterns and observe the signs and warnings of the natural world around them. Not only difficult, a Ranger’s life was lonely. They were always on their own and on the move. On the other hand, the Rangers were the ones who were always having adventures. Everything about the Green House appealed to Talora. She wanted to learn everything she could. She wanted to explore the world, and have adventures. And… she already felt alone most of the time, so that part had never bothered her.
Talora headed off the main road and onto a winding path that led deeper into the forest. Unlike the other houses, The Green knights did not sleep in the city, or even in a “house” for that matter. Every year, the Green knights-in-training had to build houses of their own in the wilderness. It had to be a different spot every year, and they would receive no help from any adults. The rule was, “Babies only.” In the Green house you were considered a “Baby” and so called until you became a knight. The older babies would pick the location of each years’ camp, and some camps were better than others. One year, they had chosen to live on the beaches of Lake Hero. It was really fun until wintertime. There was no natural shelter, and the wind coming off the lake froze everything and everyone- there was no getting warm, ever. Last year was definitely the warmest. They’d moved up to the mountains, and found great rock formations and caves to live in. One small fire could keep twenty babies warm all night. But this year’s spot had been Talora’s favorite, and she was sad to say goodbye to it. This year, they were up in the trees. They had built a network of treehouses, connected by bridges and ropes. Some knights-in-training had whole little cabins with walls and roofs, little stoves, even. Some just had hammocks swinging from a branch. There were large communal areas and classrooms that were made by webbing rope all around a circle of trees and placing planks along the webbing. They called this little world Arden.
Talora loved her own tiny house. Over her seven years of knight training, she had collected things that belonged to her, and that she could incorporate into her own personal dwelling each year when they changed locations. She learned what kinds of materials were both durable and portable, what provided the most warmth, and what she could take apart and reassemble quickly and easily. Now more than ever, she was grateful for what she’d learned, as she would be able to take much of her house with her on her journey.
Talora entered Arden. It was completely quiet now; everyone was still asleep. Usually, if you didn’t know what to look for, you could walk right through the forest and never realize you were beneath a small village of over one hundred young people. But today there were signs of celebration here and there- fires that were still smoldering in pits, a few overturned goblets on the forest floor. It hadn’t occurred to her until now that they might be celebrating in her honor for winning the Dragon Games. The thought made her feel unexpectedly warm inside.
Talora could see her tree up ahead. It was an old, enormous oak with huge limbs, wide enough to walk along without losing your balance. Talora thought it looked like the arms of some giant, tentacled sea creature. Her house was about halfway up the tree, with a perfect view of the lake. The walls and roof were made of hides, from animals she had hunted herself, and whose skins she had learned to cure and preserve so that they would last forever. If it was just her, it wouldn’t make sense to bring the whole thing, but the thought of being able to offer Tom shelter too made her glad there was enough for both of them.
Talora climbed up the oak, using a series of footholds she knew were there without having to look. She hoped she could dismantle things and pack up without waking anyone; it was going to be a big day, and she didn’t want to get stuck in too many goodbyes. She needed to be thoughtful in her packing. She didn’t know where this journey would take her, or how long she would be gone, and she would have to carry everything on her back. She began to make a pile of clothes: warm weather and cold weather, including her heavy cloak, which could double as her blanket. To this pile she added her cooking pot, fire starter, her spear, bow, and arrows. Also a few bars of sticky homemade soap and some rags for bathing and drying. Toothbrush, sewing kit, and a few salves for basic healing and skin protection. What else? Oh! Bert, her stuffed sea lion. He was her only possession from childhood, and her oldest friend, so he had to come.
Finally, she was finished. She rolled up the walls and roof of her house tightly and tied them to her pack, along with her bow and cooking pot. She would carry her spear as a walking stick, and her knife was in her belt; it was always important to have weapons at the ready. She picked up the pack and slung it over her shoulders. Oooof. It was heavy. Oh well, she was strong. She quietly climbed down her tree, willing her heavy load not to clank too much, but as soon as her feet hit the ground, there was a loud whistle, [Cue: Whistle + Thump 1] and a thump. A few yards away someone had jumped out of their tree, landing heavily on the ground. Then there was another thump, [cue: thump 2 + 3 + mult thumps] and another, and then all around Talora the trees came alive as Green knights-in-training descended from their dwellings. [cue: chant soft] They began to chant slowly, a rhythm accentuated by stomps and claps, as they formed a large circle around her. It was everyone. Every single baby Ranger. The chanting, stomping, and clapping got louder as someone new strode out of the woods and into the circle. Talora gasped. That was no baby. That was Knight Uba Saltar, chief counselor of the Green Knights, the head of all the Rangers, and the Green House’s representative on the Council of Thirteen. What was he doing here? They only ever saw Knight Uba at the beginning and end of training each year, to welcome the new babies and advance the graduates to Knighthood. He had no part in their training, and was often away from Durga for long periods of time. He walked up to Talora and stopped. She had never been this close to him before, and she stared nervously up into his warm, fierce eyes. Then she noticed Knight Jazmin Port, the Green Knight who oversaw their training, and Captain Li, or the “Baby Wrangler,” as he called himself. Li was the most senior knight-in-training, the top of his class, and soon to be a full knight. Talora liked Captain Li, he’d always been kind to her. Jazmin and Li stepped forward to stand with Knight Uba.
Captain Li let out four loud yells, and then everyone, Knights Jazmin and Uba included, began to chant the Ranger’s anthem. [cue: Captain Li Yells]
“We are the Rangers, we help those in need
Whenever someone needs our help, we march to the beat”
“We are the rangers, we help those in need
Whenever someone needs our hearts, we march to the beat”
“We are the rangers, we help those in need
Whenever someone needs our help, we move our feet”
“We are the rangers, we help those in need
Whenever someone needs our hearts, we can’t be beat”
When they were finished, Talora realized that she had tears in her eyes. For a moment, it was completely silent. Knight Uba spoke first.
“Talora, Congratulations. I’m proud of you. I’ve been watching you since you arrived in Durga, and I am very pleased you’ve chosen the Green. I believe you will make a fine knight, and a fine Ranger, one day. However, I feel it is my duty to tell you that I am also afraid for you. As one of the dragon’s champions, you will be facing unknown dangers. You have not completed your training, and you have much still to learn. We are here today to remind you that we are your family, and should you ever be in need, your fellow Rangers will always support you. Knight Jazmin, Captain Li, and myself are here to present you with three gifts. This is a tradition usually reserved for your advancement to Knighthood, but in this case, we are making an exception. I will present my gift first.”
Knight Uba reached into a pouch at his waist and pulled out two books. One was the Ranger’s field manual. The field manual was a survival guide, filled with all kinds of information necessary when out in the world alone. This copy was very old and worn.
“This is my personal field manual. It contains a lifetime of notes and observations. I have copied these notes for future manuals as is custom, but this is my original and now it belongs to you.”
Talora took the two books and turned them over in her hands. The field manual looked ancient, but the other book was new and had a pocket in the spine with three black grease pencils.
“This is your journal,” Knight Uba said in response to her questioning look. “You must record your journey. The good and the bad. Your story has the power to change the world more than you know. Do not forget this, Talora.”
Knight Jazmin stepped forward. She was the toughest human Talora had ever met- completely ruthless in her training and expectations, and so physically capable that she appeared almost superhuman. Talora had always regarded her with a mixture of admiration and fear. Knight Jazmin took her whistle from where it hung on a leather cord around her neck and handed it to Talora.
“Talora. In case you get lost. Or you need some rowdy dragons to pay attention. Don’t die.” Knight Jazmin grasped Talora’s shoulder in her iron grip and gave Talora a look that made the tears pooling in her eyes spill down her cheeks. Hastily, she wiped them away while busying herself with arranging the whistle around her neck. Then Captain Li stepped forward.
“Hey Fish - that’s your name now, Fish. Just so you know. That was awesome yesterday. That was just, so awesome. I couldn’t have done that, on the slide? I can’t wait to hear how your journey goes. I’m a little bit jealous, but…. you earned it. Here.” Li held out a large coil of rope and Talora took it in her hands. It was heavy, and soft.
“I made this myself. It’s stronger and lighter than the other ropes we’ve been using, so you can carry more of it. Maybe it’ll come in handy. Good luck.”
Li stepped back, then called out, “Babies… salute!” Cue: Salute Everyone present made a fist with their right hand and thumped it hard against their chest, leaving their fist still above their hearts. Fist to heart, strength and compassion: the Ranger’s salute.
Talora returned the salute. It was quiet. She didn’t know what to say or do. Finally, she managed a weak, “thank you”. No one moved. This must mean it was time to go. Talora cleared her throat and tried again.
“Thank you, Knight Uba. Thank you, Knight Jazmin. Thank you, Li. Thank you...thank you to all of you. I...I’ll miss you. Goodbye.” Talora turned and walked away, back towards the city. No one moved. When she was almost out of sight she looked back and saw that they were all still standing there, fists held against their hearts. Knight Uba gave her a small nod, which she returned. Talora wiped a few more tears from her cheeks. Since she usually preferred to be alone it hadn’t occurred to her how much these people all meant to her, and she to them. She hadn’t expected this all to be so hard...to feel so...heavy.
Back at the Field of Giants, Talora was the last to arrive. She hurried over to stand next to Tom, who was hopping excitedly from one foot to the other. Talora noticed his pack was about half the size of hers. The dragons were assembled as well, and as soon as Edwine saw Talora, she bounced over to her excitedly. “Guess what, Talora? We’re coming! All of us! Mom says we can come too! She said there are going to be ‘consequences’ though, but who cares! We’re in!” Talora grinned at Edwine, glad that she would be able to stay with the draglings. They all looked happy and proud- especially Smudge, who was running across the field with a large wagon wheel in his mouth. He raced up to Tom and dropped the wheel at his feet, then looked at him expectantly. Tom picked it up and threw it, and Smudge gave a gleeful roar before tearing after it. Once he had it again, he paraded around the field proudly, holding it up for everyone to see.
Talora didn’t have time to say hello. Knights Karama and Morgan arrived on the field just after her, and it was clear they had a lot to say. It was strange to be interacting with them this much. Up until yesterday Talora had only seen them from afar, during formal occasions. They had always seemed like mythical giants to Talora, and now here they were: so casual, so relaxed. So human.
“Good morning!” boomed Knight Morgan jovially. “Let’s get right to it, shall we? Last night we assembled those most knowledgeable on the topic of fairy and pony culture - the knights of the Blue, you know, have several scholars who specialize in this- and here is what we have concluded. As you may know, there are many herds of Ponies all across Duniya. We have had friendly dealings with the Rainbow herd in the past, so we recommend - oh my! Well hello there!”
Smudge had brought the wagon wheel to Knight Morgan and dropped it at his feet. He was now vigorously sniffing Knight Karama.
“Smudge,” said Beatrice. “Please don’t sniff the knights.” Smudge ignored her. “Smudge!” Beatrice started towards Smudge, but Karama spoke.
“Morgan, you don’t need me for this conversation, do you?” she asked.
“Not at all, Karama. Go and play with the youngster.”
“Ha! Thank you!” Karama grabbed the wagon wheel, and wound up to fling it. Smudge started to bounce and flap in excitement. Karama threw the wheel and Smudge tore after it, bellowing. Karama didn’t stand there and wait for Smudge to return, however. She chased after him, and as she was unbelievably fast, they both reached the wheel at the same time. Karama took a flying leap and landed on Smudge, who was surprised, but then quickly recovered, wriggling out from under her before head-butting her in the chest, knocking her onto the ground. Smudge immediately jumped on Karama and started attacking her boot. But she was quick, and managed to slither away and climb onto his back. It was a full-on wrestling match, with both parties enjoying themselves immensely. It was hard to look away from them when Knight Morgan resumed talking.
“As I was saying,” he continued. “The Rainbow herd has been friendly to the knights in the past. Therefore, we believe that reaching out to this herd would be a good place to start. If you are flying, the journey would only take a day. By road it will take at least five. You will be traveling south, around Lake Hero, until you see the Crystal River. Follow the river along the Dragon Spine mountains. The river will eventually veer away from the mountains and into the grasslands of Shasborough. It is here you should find the Rainbow herd. It may take some time to locate them; the grasslands range for hundreds of miles, and they could be anywhere within them.”
“Who do we speak to amongst the herd?” Beatrice asked.
“Whomever will talk to you. The herd does not have one leader for all matters. One pony may be in charge of the herd’s migration, another in charge of doling out justice- but any pony may choose to do or act as they please. It is a unique social order.” [cue: Smudge Tickle]
They were interrupted by a strange choking, coughing sound coming from Smudge, and everyone turned to look. Smudge was on his back, waving all four legs in the air, and it seemed that Karama was tickling him, dodging his limbs as he rolled joyously to and fro.
“Oh you like that don’t you, you big overgrown puppy? You’re just a puppy, aren’t you? A puppy! A puppy who likes his tickles!”
Smudge got a foot underneath Karama and kicked out. She went flying through the air, and landed in a heap on the ground, coughing and laughing. Cue: smudge attack Smudge pounced on her immediately, looking for something to grab onto so he could drag her around.
Beatrice turned back and spoke to Morgan. “Thank you Knight Morgan. And the Fairies? What can you tell us about them?”
“Ah. Yes,” replied Morgan. “In this matter, I must apologize. We have dedicated great resources to a better understanding of the fairies, and unfortunately have little to nothing to show for it. The fairies appear when they please and where they please. We do not know how to find them. Perhaps the ponies can help you.”
Beatrice nodded. She was clearly disappointed. “I cannot thank you enough. You have been most helpful and hospitable. And now, I think we should probably get going.” Beatrice glanced over at the wrestling match gathering momentum across the field. “Before Smudge gets too attached.”
“Of course,” responded Morgan. “Good luck to you, Beatrice of Scrag Mountain. May the stars guide you.”
Beatrice bowed her head deeply and turned to get Smudge. He saw her coming and immediately started furiously digging, throwing dirt on Karama to hide her. Once his mother was close he knocked Karama over and sat on top of her, growling softly, wisps of smoke drifting up from his nostrils. Beatrice ignored this and gently head-butted Smudge, knocking him over. He sprang up and growled at her more fiercely.
“Smudge, I’m sorry” said Beatrice. “You can’t keep her.”
Karama worked her way out from under Smudge, brushed the dirt off of her clothes, and wrapped her arm around Smudge’s neck.
“I’ll see you again, my little puppy. Go with your mother now!” With that, she walked back to join Knight Morgan .
Beatrice looked over everyone: Tom and Talora, nervously gripping their packs, Petra, Azrael, Edwine, Lyle, and Smudge, who was sulkily smoking from his nostrils.
“Time to go,” she said, and turned toward the southern end of Giant’s field. They all followed. The adventure had begun.