Celestia’s orb would not rise above the horizon for a few mores hours in my Equestria dreamscape, but there were plenty of busy ponies working at the Royal Airship Pens. The pens/hangars had been constructed into side of the mountain by expanding out some existing caverns near the capitol of Canterlot. This gave the crews an opportunity to move the rather fragile crafts in out of the elements, and provide the maintenance crews with a safer and more comfortable place to service the vessels. The airship was a concept still in its infancy, but already they were proving their worth and were become a more common sight in kingdom’s skies.
Half-cock trotted along a metal gantry. Her rust red mantle billowed slightly as she moved and her steel reinforced war boots clacked sharply on the metal walkway. She had just left the airship that would take her team back toward the borders of the kingdom. They’d still have a couple days of train travel before they’d reach the actual border, but the airship would shave a couple days off their travel time. She had confirmed that the correct gear had been stowed onboard their ship and now she was hoping to grab an early, hot breakfast before they departed.
As the Mare-in-Waiting neared the lift elevator she spied another of Celestia’s operatives reared up and resting her front hooves on the railing. It was Phoenix who just seemed to be observing the general bustle going on around her. The mare was wearing a tactical harness, and had on a pair of the goggles with the swirling iridescent lens that were so associated with Crown’s best operatives. Although Half-cock’s team used them much less that other teams. The light sand-colored unicorn saw her counterpart turn and nod her head as she approached. Reaching Phoenix’s side she mimicked the other mare by rearing up and resting her hooves on the railing. For several seconds neither spoke. Finally the battle scarred mare broke the ice.
“Morning.” Grunted the bone white mare.
“Mornin ta ya as well.” The brim of her broad brim, rust red hat and the shadows it cast obscured her eyes almost as much as Phoenix’s goggles did.
“Leaving soon?” Phoenix levitated a small curved blade from her tactical gear and used it extract a pieces of debris from a front hoof before returning the blade to its home.
“Yep! Heading back out at 05:00. Going back ta the western borders. There something killing griffins up there and Celestia wants my team ta try and figger out what’s a going on.”