Artist’s comment:
 
While the palace mages and medical staff struggled to help Last Thing in my Equestria dreamscape the gears of government kept turning, and Princess Celestia had other duties that she had to perform.
 
The pale alicorn looked at the three ponies seated in front of her office desk. They were dusty and coated with layers of grime that spoke of many days of hard, constant travel with little regard to their own comfort. Their garments and gear were faded, stained, battered and worn, and based on the odor that was reaching princess’s nostrils she figured they probably hadn’t bathed in a week.
 
Normally a pony showing up for an audience with her would’ve been turned away and told to bathe and then show up in appropriate attire if they wanted some of her highness’s precious time. However Celestia had graciously welcomed these ponies into her office. She saw their filthy state as proof of their unwavering devotion, sacrifice, and commitment to Equestria and her. They could wear that dirt as proudly as any medal or ribbon. As Mares-in-Waiting and Scale Bearers they had earned the right to march into her office like this.
 
The ice in Half-cock’s glass clinked as she finished her third glass of lemonade. Using her levitation she returned the glass to its coaster. Then she resumed speaking.
 
“So we dropped Tombstone and the remaining members of her gang off with the Captain of the Watch and then came here. We also advised the Marshall in Appleloosa that we might be back in the area in a week or so. I told him ta expect increased traffic through the area in the next few months since ya were planning on sending an expeditionary force inta the new territory.”  
The light sand colored mare raised her head slight. The broad brim of her dusty, rust red hat kept most of her face in shadow. However her Bunsen Burner blue eyes seemed to burn with their own light.
 
“We also made contact with some of the griffin live nearby, and let them all know about what was a coming in the way of border changes.”
 
 
Celestia took a sip of her bourbon highball. She looked over at the somewhat feral looking, violet pegasus mare sitting the right of Half-cock. She wore a dark, battered bowler whose original color was difficult to determine now. It had a snake-skin hat band that was festooned with feathers. Perched on the hat was a pair of flight goggles. Around her neck she wore a necklace of various teeth and claws. Rounding out her wardrobe was a sweat-stained black leather vest. Sewn to it in places were large scales of random colors.
 
“How did the griffins in the area take this information Squall?”
 
The mare finished taking a sip of rye whiskey. There was a bottle of it resting on the desk. Unlike most spirits in the Celestia’s liquor cabinet this was only a grade or so above rotgut. However the pegasus seemed to prefer it. Although Squall did admit that it was an acquired taste.
 
Half-cock was of the opinion that Squall had acquired her sense of taste at a fire sale.
 
Setting her tumbler down the flier replied. “Well as yer highness is aware, my former clan lives in the immediate area, and that made it easier fer me ta git them ta understand that this would be in their favor. Oh! By the way. Sky Gutter sends his regards ta ya.”
 
The alicorn smiled. “And how is your former clan elder and guardian doing these days?”
 
“Just as ornery as he’s always been.” Squall had been found abandoned as a very young filly in the badlands by the Sun Chaser clan. Much to everyone in the clans surprise Sky Gutter had taken the filly into the clan and raised her until she was 13 when her latent, and often violent, weather magic suddenly began to manifest. At that point he realized that she needed guidance that he could not provide and he had contacted the ponies. Upon hearing of Squall’s talents Celestia had arranged to become the pegasi’s legal guardian in Equestria and began her schooling and training.
 
This made Squall invaluable in affairs involving the many griffin clans that bordered Equestria. Also until very recently she had been in, and survived, more aerial combats with dragons than any pony in the realm. The scales sewn to her vest were proof of that. This experience had been invaluable in training pegasus squadrons how to face this foe.
 
Long Shot was seated on Half-cock’s left and had been quietly enjoying her lager up to this point. The pinto earth pony slowly set her drink down. “I must report your highness that I did find it worrying that I observed young drakes flying within Sun Chaser clan territory. The clan was apparently unaware of these incursions until I brought it to their attention.”
 
Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Really? They didn’t know about them?”
 
Squall grumbled and started to speak up but Half-cock interrupted her. “Yer highness. In their defense I will point out it was Long Shot. The walking pair of binoculars. Who noticed them. So I’m not surprised that they were unaware of this. So in spite of the treaty saying they’re suppose ta report any sighting of dragons ta us. I’d cut them some slack.”
 
The unicorn levitated a lollipop from a pocket in her harness. Unwrapping it she stuck the horehound flavored lollipop in her mouth. She then levitated another one toward the princess. “Ya want one yer highness?”
 
The princess shook her head. The unicorn shrugged and returned it to the pocket it had come from. The unicorn rolled the candy back and forth in her mouth a couple times making a sharp clack a clack sound.
 
The Princess of the Sun opened a drawer in her desk. She then levitated three folders out and set one in front of each mare. “Well ladies. Long Shot’s observation would confirm something that a couple of our reconnaissance airships had reported. Also a couple of the other clans that we have treaties with have reported sightings of drakes in their territories. In fact the Gold Feathers clan reported that they found a couple of their younger warriors slain. Evidence found in the area points to drakes as the probable attackers. As agreed to under the terms of our treaty with them they’ve asked us to help investigate this. That’s what I need you ladies to do.”
 
Squall growled “Yer highness if dragons did attack those griffins wouldn’t that be breach of the armistice that Bent Horn supposedly signed?”
 
Celestia got very cold. “Yes Squall. It would, and if it can be proven that this was condoned by the Council of Dragons I may declare that the armistice has been violated and no dragon will migrate through Equestria this summer. That’s why I want you to go up there and link up the intel ponies who will be conducting an on the ground investigation. However for tonight I recommend all of you take nice long hot bath, then have large cold drink along while eating a decent hot meal, and then a night’s sleep in a real bed. There will be an airship waiting for at mooring 18 tomorrow 05:00. Get up there ladies and please find out what’s going on. Dismissed.”
 
The three mares rose from their seats and went to attention. In unison they stomped their right front hooves and spoke.
 
“Yes m’am!”
 
Then they picked up their briefing folders and began walking toward the door. They’d gone a couple steps when Half-cock paused and looked back the princess.
 
“Yer highness. What’s the word on Last Thing?”
 
The alicorn looked up from a report she was reading. For a second she said nothing, then she sighed. “At the moment she’s in a magically induced coma. The staff had to do it to protect her.”
 
The unicorn nodded her head and resumed walking.
 
To be continued.