While Doctor Steady Pulse and Doctor Skip Beat prepared to receive Prophecy in my Equestria dreamscape >>2062373 other ponies were making their introductions on the borders of the kingdom. Sheriff Cottonwood stared at the 3 Mares-in-Waiting sitting in front of him. They were some toughest mares he’d ever set his eyes on. The unicorn finished reading their letter introduction from Royal Court and then returned it to Half-cock.
 
“Well now. That there letter is pretty clear on what yer all up here fer.” The bay stallion leaned back in his chair which creaked slightly. “So what kun I and my meager staff do ta help ya with this here problem?”
 
Half-cock carefully folded the letter and returned it to a waterproof pocket of her harness. With that accomplished she looked back at the stallion.
 
“Well Sheriff. We don’t require much from ya. We’re gonna be linking up with some intel ponies from the Royal Court ta try and git a handle on this problem that Gold Feathers seem ta be having. However myself and my team member thought it’d be prudent ta git the locals take on what’s going on around here. Have the Gold Feathers approached ya about this?”
 
The middle-age stallion was about to answer Half-cock’s question when his office door opened. Stepping into the room was young, pinto, earth pony stallion.
 
“Okay Sheriff I’ve…” His voice tapered off as he noticed the three mares sitting in the room.
 
Cottonwood waved him to come over. “It’s alright Sage. These here are three Mares-in-Waiting from the Royal Court in Canterlot. Ladies, allow me ta introduce ya ta best deputy Purple Sage.”
 
The sheriff proceeded to point at the mares. “Sage, this here is Half-cock, Long Shot and Squall. Pull up a chair deputy. These mares are here ta investigate the problem that has gotten the griffins all worked up about!”
 
The deputy took a moment to place his carbine in the gun rack and then pulled up a chair next to Half-cock. The sheriff then got back to answering Half-cock’s question.
 
“Yes m’am. The Gold Feathers have contacted us concerning the matter. Especially since they appear ta involve dragons based on the evidence found at scene of these attacks. A couple of the other clans have contacted us as well, but at the moment they’re more ta let us all know they seen these scalies skulking around their lands. They haven’t had any of their kinfolk killed. Yet.”
 
“Have there been any eyewitness ta these attacks?” Squall took a sip from her personal flask.
 
Purple Sage leaned forward in his chair and looked over at violet pegasus. “Only one surviving eyewitness ta these here attacks m’am. And they only lived fer a day or so after till they died from their wounds. Poor fellar. There’s been other griffins who’ve seen what the described as drakes in the area of attacks, but those witnesses observed them from some distance. However there’s ain’t nothing else that looks like a dragon.”
 
Long Shot glance over at the deputy. “Have you, the Sheriff here, or any other ponies in the county seen these dragons? Have any ponies been attacked?”
 
The stallion shook his head. “No m’am there’s been noponies attacked in this here county. Although some ponies have caught a glimpse of drakes or young dragons flying in the remotest parts around here, but always way off in the distance. Knock on wood we’ve been a lucky!”
 
Cottonwood wiped his brow with a handkerchief. “Ya. Praise Celestia! These drakes seem ta have left us alone. However some of the ponies from the local garrison were up North last year fer the war, and the idea of a scales stirring up trouble around here don’t sit well with them. Some of them been a spoiling fer another fight!”
 
He paused and turned his head looked out the window down at the dirt street below. There was a modest amount of traffic as ponies went about their business. “There’s even been a talk amongst the locals of putting tagether some kind of slapdash force ta start patrolling ta see if they could a catch some of them sneaking in ta the county.” The sheriff shook his head and looked back at the mares. “I kun understand their concerns, but what I’m a worried about is them actually finding something and gitting in over their heads in a fight! Especially if there not carefully and they stray inta some clan’s territory. We’ve got a pretty good relations with the clans, but they’d be rather unhappy if we’d started a war on their lands.”
 
Half-cock nodded her head “Welp! That’s a why we’re here Sheriff! Ta see if can keep that kind of foolishness from happening. In the morning we’re gonna be meeting up with some ponies from the court and then heading out ta talk with the Gold Feathers.”
 
Half-cock levitated her glass of iced tea up from the floor and finished it. With that accomplished she set the empty glass back on the floor and pulled a horehound flavored lollipop. She unwrapped it and stuck it in her mouth. Then she levitated another over to the sheriff.
 
“Want one?” She said as she rolled the candy around in her mouth with a sharp clack a clack sound.
 
The sheriff shook his head and Half-cock shrugged then turned to the deputy. “Ya want one?
 
Purple Sage cocked his head to one side. “What flavor?”
 
“Horehound.” Said the mare.
 
The deputy’s face lit up. “Oh then yes please! I a luv horehound!”
 
Half-cock got this odd expression on her face as she passed the candy over to the deputy. Meanwhile her two partners just watched and smiled. The mare-in-waiting watched the stallion begin to enjoy the candy.
 
“So, I did hear correct that yer name is Purple Sage?” Asked the mare.
 
“Yup!” Replied the stallion.
 
Half-cock shifted her chair over closer to the deputy. “Live here in town?”
 
“Uh huh.”
 
“Living with yer family or got yer own place?”
 
Squall and Long Shot’s grins slowly got bigger as they looked on. The deputy looked at the unicorn.
 
“Well, I was born here, but my folks lives way out of town. So ta make it a easier ta be deputy I went and got me a room I rent here in town.” The deputy was just staring out the window at the world outside
 
Half-cock was now staring intently at the deputy. “So…is there some pony here in town that’s special ta ya?”
 
The young pinto stallion looked over at the mare with just a hint of confusion in his eyes. “Well not at the moment. Of course a year or so ago I–”
 
“Working tanight?” Half-cock interrupted him.
 
“Uh…” The stallion now realized that Half-cock was leaning over in her chair looking at him. Tearing his gaze away from her the deputy stared at the sheriff who was trying desperately not to bust up laughing.
 
“Well he was scheduled fir tanight.” Said Cottonwood. “But…Ya bin werking pretty hard Sage so why don’t ya take the evening off. I’ll cover fer ya!”
 
Sensing an opening Half-cock took advantage. “Ya wanna git some dinners? Maybe ya can show me the sights around here.”
 
“Um, well, hate ta sound like a miser, but I’m a kind tight on bits til I git paid this–”
 
“No problem deputy. I’m more than happy ta pay!” The mare cut off that avenue of retreat.
 
Purple Sage looked over with Half-cock’s partners Long Shot just grinned and pulled the brim of her hat down over her eyes. The deputy’s eyes met Squall’s and the pegasus just frantically waved her hooves in front of her.
 
“Oh no no no! Ya are on yer own deputy! Ya took the bait! I’d rather fight Ursa Major then interfere with her when she’s a like this! Good luck! Yer gonna have the night of yer life!”
 
Through all this Half-cock’s gaze had never left the deputy. She was using her tongue to vigorously roll the lollipop around in her mouth. A grin slowly spreads across her face. Finally the deputy looked back at her and nodded his head.
 
“Um, okay.”
 
To be continued.