After Equestria (RP, not a jump-in)

[The Wandering Magus]

Atoll chuckled a little, but it couldn't be heard due to the wind. She leaned near the wall, giving it a look over. The wind didn't seem as severe as it did elsewhere, most likely due to the cliff face. "Aye. Somethin' about this... wall seems different over there." Atoll pointed to the right, running her hoof along the cliff face. Again, she remembered the words of an innkeeper. The thought of any civilization made her feel hungry, a feeling that she had suppressed for a while to focus at the task at hoof. "It'd be nice to find a cave or somethin' along those lines..."

As they walked, it seemed the lines got smoother, and now they were definitely artificial: intricate geometries, right angles, bass-reliefs depicting... a triple crown?

The mountain suddenly curved inwards at an angle, into a large indentation.  They looked up into the blinding snow... a massive stallion of stone, clad in gold!

Wandering Like she had for the past two years Frost travels the frozen land. she picks up a little of the snow and consumes it like food knowing that it provided little nourishment but plenty of water. The winds she felt were relatively calm today. she know however she couldn't fly as she looked for the rumor she heard. "[glow=blue,2,300]Look for the mountain with doors, i think that one said. A place to rest. Hopefully it isn't too hot as to completely shut down my abilities should things get ugly like last time. Lets hope i find this place soon. I promised that group I would do my best to find them a permanent place to live. I won't let them down.[/glow]"

Frost continues looking for the mountain with the gate she is trying to find, ignoring for the most part the weather around her. The cold doesn't bother her and as long as she grounded she has no worries of the wind either.

The ice and snow seemed to go on forever, but it didn't bother the filly as her frozen eyes looked over the landscape.  It was beautiful in a savage and dangerous way, like a thunderstorm or a hurricane or a tornado.  Yet she thought she saw something in the whiteness... a large, towering shadow, some ways ahead.

Asterian's look of concern masked itself behind slight happiness as he nodded. [glow=yellow,2,300]"Vividly,"[/glow] he said. [glow=yellow,2,300]"I remember back when we would trot the streets of Canterlot, making business trips and purchases. I remember when we made that one trip to Ponyville when I was nine years old. Mother wanted a new dress from the finest seamstress in Equestria... Miss Rarity the Beautiful, if I recall."[/glow] His fond childhood memories quickly faded as he dragged himself back to reality as he sat down on the sofa next to Jace.

[glow=yellow,2,300]"Forgive my prying, mother, but I am more piqued by the demeanor of this conversation. Why so angry?"[/glow] he asked.

Spoiler: Status Counters • show

((I am going to place status counters at the bottom of every post. I have a multitude of them, but if they do not show, then nothing has changed. I'll just show the main ones for starters.))

Mood: Inquisitive
Techniques Employed: None

Mother sighed.  "Not angry, Asterian... simply..."

She looked at a painting on the wall of ancient Canterlot, now a frozen ruin in the deadly cold.  "I am... afraid," she said softly.  "Afraid of forgetting.  Of that world being forgotten.  The little ones in the streets, they don't remember... they think of Equestria as a story now, a myth.  What will it be like when they have little ones of their own?  Will all of this... be gone?  Like a dream?"

"Maria, as long as we teach the young ones history, it will not be forgotten," Father tried to soothe her, but she shook her head.

"Not the way we remember.  Just a story in a book... not a place that was real, that was alive..."

Mr. Brown raised an eyebrow at the mention of a fire drake egg.  "Well, imagine that... a young fire drake growing up in the city.  I hope it's kept under control, but a second fire drake should help this place stay warm," he chuckled.  "At any rate, I've scheduled a meeting with some diamond dogs for the appraisal of some recently acquired gemstones in about half an hour.  Is there anything that needs doing around here to pass the time?"

Coffee scratched his head, looking around.  "Well, I do need a few more crates of coffee beans moved here from the storage room in the back, and a few bags of chocolate powder and a couple jugs of milk.  If you could maybe do that, I'd give you a few bits for it, and you can keep the apron uniform."

He motioned to the corridor and a drawer of new aprons.  "If you want to, of course.  You've been a valued customer, it should be me serving you!"

[Chirp]

"Come on, you bunch of fillies! Richie, you're falling behind. Hurry up, hurry up, according to Pensworth, we should be able to be halfway to where those adventurers told us other ponies are held up. Dubby Fancy, was it?"
"Duchy Fancy, sir."
"Horseapples, Richie! I told you not to call me sir. Now get your flank to work, you're falling behind!"
"Y-Yes, s.. Concorde."

And so, the group of thirty ponies swung their pickaxes at the wall of granite in front of them. Concorde, agreed leader of the faction, joined the miners in their job today, for according to some fancy mathematicians, they'd come halfway across the country today. Stories brought to Embers Rising from outsiders tell of other factions like their own, and Concorde wouldn't want anything other than to meet up. It would only bring good to both parties involved, and if need be, a tunnel is easily defendable and re-shut for good.
With another swing of his pick, a shiny rock was revealed, reflecting the light from the miner's glowstones into his eyes. Concorde dropped his pick and covered his eyes, before pulling the diamond out of the wall, and tossing it behind him. Noone batted an eye at the once precious object, and simply continued swinging their picks, longing for a break, except for Concorde. The green stallion seemed to be fueled by a burning passion, tiring for nothing. His axe would sooner break than his spirit, no doubt. It did boost morale, however, seeing their leader work with them.

Up near the entrance, mares, stallions and kids were saying their goodbyes to the appointed scouts. The large front gates of Embers Rising slowly opened up before them, and the scouting party slipped inside, followed by two supply-carts, and the new guards stationed for The Cold. The previous scouting party quickly rushed inside, followed by the previous group of Cold guards.
Then the gates began move in the other direction, and slowly but surely shut again. Ponies in The Cold sighed, for they were about to undergo the least favourite of duties. Ponies in The Welcoming sighed in relief, having survived another week in The Cold, and being back inside.

Everything was going their usual way. Ponies working tirelessly to keep the faction running, and everyone alive. While their lives were far from perfect, it was the best they could ask for.

[Omega_Khaos]

[...]
The ice and snow seemed to go on forever, but it didn't bother the filly as her frozen eyes looked over the landscape.  It was beautiful in a savage and dangerous way, like a thunderstorm or a hurricane or a tornado.  Yet she thought she saw something in the whiteness... a large, towering shadow, some ways ahead.
[...]

Frost thought to herself, "[glow=blue,2,300]Could that be it? I have to make sure. If it is, then they will be safe there.[/glow]" Frost picks up the pace and attempts against all odds including the winds she takes to wing. She lets her natural affinity for flight take hold and guide her towards the mountain. It strains her, some what, to fly in the cold but she wishes to arrive at the mountain quickly. Her speed is almost normal. It would be as if the storm wasn't there. The only thing to her advantage is that she is attempting to fly in a straight line.

[Bane Emural]

Aldorn stared at it for a few moments, looked down, and sighed. "This is not exactly what I have been looking for. It looks like I would have to make a cave of my own." He takes out his customized assault rifle, Heatsinge. He loads up the gun and fired several rounds at the wall of the mountain, behind the statue. He stops firing and puts away his rifle. The hole left behind a packet of heat, with heat rounds still embedded into wall. "There, that should do it." He enters into the hole in the wall and turns off his heater to let it recharge. He looks at the statue. A statue made of stone and gold? It can't be.

[The Wandering Magus]

"Come on, you bunch of fillies! Richie, you're falling behind. Hurry up, hurry up, according to Pensworth, we should be able to be halfway to where those adventurers told us other ponies are held up. Dubby Fancy, was it?"
"Duchy Fancy, sir."
"Horseapples, Richie! I told you not to call me sir. Now get your flank to work, you're falling behind!"
"Y-Yes, s.. Concorde."

And so, the group of thirty ponies swung their pickaxes at the wall of granite in front of them. Concorde, agreed leader of the faction, joined the miners in their job today, for according to some fancy mathematicians, they'd come halfway across the country today. Stories brought to Embers Rising from outsiders tell of other factions like their own, and Concorde wouldn't want anything other than to meet up. It would only bring good to both parties involved, and if need be, a tunnel is easily defendable and re-shut for good.
With another swing of his pick, a shiny rock was revealed, reflecting the light from the miner's glowstones into his eyes. Concorde dropped his pick and covered his eyes, before pulling the diamond out of the wall, and tossing it behind him. Noone batted an eye at the once precious object, and simply continued swinging their picks, longing for a break, except for Concorde. The green stallion seemed to be fueled by a burning passion, tiring for nothing. His axe would sooner break than his spirit, no doubt. It did boost morale, however, seeing their leader work with them.

Up near the entrance, mares, stallions and kids were saying their goodbyes to the appointed scouts. The large front gates of Embers Rising slowly opened up before them, and the scouting party slipped inside, followed by two supply-carts, and the new guards stationed for The Cold. The previous scouting party quickly rushed inside, followed by the previous group of Cold guards.
Then the gates began move in the other direction, and slowly but surely shut again. Ponies in The Cold sighed, for they were about to undergo the least favourite of duties. Ponies in The Welcoming sighed in relief, having survived another week in The Cold, and being back inside.

Everything was going their usual way. Ponies working tirelessly to keep the faction running, and everyone alive. While their lives were far from perfect, it was the best they could ask for.

Lord Fancy Pants the Fifth, Lord of Duchy Fancy, Master of the Pants Estate, Keeper of the Triple Crown, and Knight of the Old Equestrian Guard stepped out of his carriage as he arrived at the new tunnel, expertly carved by diamond dogs and unicorns and earth ponies in a manner both aesthetically pleasing and efficient, geometric and angular, like the rest of the great Duchy.  Support columns were carved out of solid stone by the miners, then quickly shaped by the unicorn masons and engraved with runes of strength and safety from bottom to top.  Foot by foot, yard by yard, they progressed, in the direction of the life-auras and cavity detected through the stone.  Everyone knew that whoever was on the other side was also coming this way, and likely knew they were here.  Preparations had already been made for most possibilities; columns were rigged to collapse with a spell and soldiers were present if the others were hostile, but there were also many gifts and a group of especially skilled diplomats if the others were friendly.

One last piece of rock fell away, as the wall dividing the groups crumbled and revealed each side to the other...

Frost thought to herself, "[glow=blue,2,300]Could that be it? I have to make sure. If it is, then they will be safe there.[/glow]" Frost picks up the pace and attempts against all odds including the winds she takes to wing. She lets her natural affinity for flight take hold and guide her towards the mountain. It strains her, some what, to fly in the cold but she wishes to arrive at the mountain quickly. Her speed is almost normal. It would be as if the storm wasn't there. The only thing to her advantage is that she is attempting to fly in a straight line.

Aldorn stared at it for a few moments, looked down, and sighed. "This is not exactly what I have been looking for. It looks like I would have to make a cave of my own." He takes out his customized assault rifle, Heatsinge. He loads up the gun and fired several rounds at the wall of the mountain, behind the statue. He stops firing and puts away his rifle. The hole left behind a packet of heat, with heat rounds still embedded into wall. "There, that should do it." He enters into the hole in the wall and turns off his heater to let it recharge. He looks at the statue. A statue made of stone and gold? It can't be.

Frost hears loud bangs and explosions, as if somepony was trying to blast their way through solid rock...

But rather than the dull thudding of crumbling stone... there was clang that echoed on, and on, and on...

And this was no normal hole in a wall either...

Aldorn looked, and it was... it was no wall...

From the floor to the ceiling far above, there were many runes and engravings, heroes of old and images of forges and anvils and many thousands of ponies crafting all manner of tools.  And there was a line... straight down the middle.

A Door in the Mountain.

[Coffee Rush]

Atoll waited behind Adorn, flinching when he lit the wall up. With the echoes, she soon realized that he wasn't shooting any kind of solid rock. She turned, to he gold clad statue, thinking. Doors in the mountain... The thought perplexed her, but it was seemingly verified by a closer look at the wall.

[Bane Emural]

Aldorn hears a beep sound from his heater and turns it on. He looks at the door. "Out of everything, I find the one thing I thought to be nothing more than a myth. Oh how Fate proved me wrong, too bad he ain't here. The Door of the mountain leading to the civilization built by Fancy Pants. Hopefully it should open without a key of some sort." Aldorn thinks to himself, And hopefully a reason why Fancy Pants built this in the first place, before the Ice Age.

[Coffee Rush]

Atoll was silent for a little bit, delighted at the thought of civilization. She doubted the myth she had been told at first, but the cold made her desperate. It seemed like a miracle she had found the place, but had her worries. "What if they're not welcomin' to us?" Atoll asked, throwing out a question that should be asked. Her eyes gazed over to Aldorn, and then back at the doors. Of course, if they wanted that question answered, then they would have to get past the doors first. "Not to mention... but, ah, any ideas on gettin' the door open?"

[Chirp]

...
One last piece of rock fell away, as the wall dividing the groups crumbled and revealed each side to the other...

As the miners of Embers Rising kept swinging their pickaxes, removing more and more rock, the faint sound of other mining acitivites grew louder. Sound coming from the other side of the wall in front of them. The inhabitants of Embers Rising did not have detection magics, or at the very least did not bother using it just yet. They would only use it at the beginning of their shift, so that they would not run into diamond dogs or other undeground creatures during their excavations.

And then the wall opened up. Rocks finally gave way to open space, not just more rocks. The miners, covered in dirt and sweat stepped back, except for Concorde. In the miners' places stepped forward a group of thirty guards, both pony and buffalo, standing on the defense, but ready to attack, should the other faction prove hostile. Noone said anything, the party just stared at the others.
Concorde turned his head towards his men, then whistled, and caught the towel made of buffalo fur thrown at him in response. He cleaned his face and hooves, then tossed it back and gazed upon the other faction. Their part of the tunnel was simply beautiful, whereas theirs merely had crude, but efficient, pillars and a flattened pavement still covered in bits of gravel, coal, and gemstones; cleaning up was for the end of the shift. Everyone in Embers Rising was a little intimidated by this. Those ponies had the time and numbers to actually decorate their insides, and still come as far as they'd have come? It would seem they were not the superpower they thought they were.

Concorde stepped forward, showing off his leadership simply by doing so. Other than that, he did not have anything to show, and looked very much like all of the miners of Embers Rising. Dirt, coal, and sweat covered his body except for his face and hooves, and all he had on him was the pickaxe he was using moments prior. Yet he had the air and determination one would expect from a faction leader.
"Lord Pants, I presume?" He began, and gave a small bow to the Knighted Aristocrat. "I rejoice to see you kept our brothers of the big towns alive underground. I'm sure many of us have families that lived too far away to come hiding here in time, I can only hope they made it to your hideout." He said, then extended a hoof. "Welcome to Embers Rising."

Behind the guards and miners, who were simply staring at their leader and the other faction they had run into, came forth another group of ponies. The council of this month had been summoned, should politics happen. They weren't sure what to do, noone expected this event to occur, at least not this soon.

[Bane Emural]

Aldorn looks at Atoll. "Well, first of all. If there is truly a civilization beyond this door, there is bound to be a defense force. And if they don't want us, neither of us will have the power to force our way in, and we would have to find some other survival team that has set up civilization. As for the door, pushing it will be hard for it is made out of stone and I don't see anything that can be used to alert the others that we are here." Aldorn walks up to the door and places his hoof on it. He examines it.

[Coffee Rush]

"Well," Atoll paused, letting out a breath of air. "Let's hope for the best..." She paced around the area, mainly along the mountain's wall, searching for something. For once, she shivered, wondering if the cold was getting to her. Atoll had learned to suppress the shivers to conserve energy, but now she was getting cold and getting tired. For a few days now, she hadn't eaten anything, occasionally heating some snow and drinking it. It didn't hydrate much at all, but it gave an illusion of doing so.

[Bravo 658]

Mr. Brown waved off the comment about service.  "Nonsense, you've been serving me beverages and news reports for the past several years, and the latter isn't even in your job description!  I'll get the supplies.  ...I presume 'few' means three coffee crates and three bags of chocolate?" he asked as he put on one of the aprons to avoid staining his coat when he retrieved the chocolate powder.

[Bane Emural]

Aldorn looks at Atoll. "Hey, you okay?" Aldorn looks worried behind the mask. We have to get in there quick before she ends up freezing. He looks at the door for any switches or ways to get through.

[Asterian Starfall]

Mother sighed.  "Not angry, Asterian... simply..."

She looked at a painting on the wall of ancient Canterlot, now a frozen ruin in the deadly cold.  "I am... afraid," she said softly.  "Afraid of forgetting.  Of that world being forgotten.  The little ones in the streets, they don't remember... they think of Equestria as a story now, a myth.  What will it be like when they have little ones of their own?  Will all of this... be gone?  Like a dream?"

"Maria, as long as we teach the young ones history, it will not be forgotten," Father tried to soothe her, but she shook her head.

"Not the way we remember.  Just a story in a book... not a place that was real, that was alive..."
[/quote]
Asterian smiled and nodded at his mother, understanding her fears. [glow=yellow,2,300]"Mother, the world that was lives on in us. It can never truly die out within a mere two years, nor twenty. Two hundred years would pass before we could forget the old ways."[/glow] He nodded to them both before rising off of the sofa. [glow=yellow,2,300]"It would prove difficult to erase Equestria from our memories in this generation, but we should not think about that for now. We should not be concerned with erasing the memory as much as we should worry about erasing the blueprint to rebuild. That is what we need to protect."[/glow] The young stallion proved wise, however arrogant his words sounded.

[The Wandering Magus]

Aldorn looks at Atoll. "Hey, you okay?" Aldorn looks worried behind the mask. We have to get in there quick before she ends up freezing. He looks at the door for any switches or ways to get through.

There was little need.  A few moments after the "knock", the door glowed slightly, and one of the bass-relief faces suddenly animated magically.

"[glow=black,200]Greetings, traveler!  If you wish to enter, you may, but be forewarned that you will be guarded and watched.  To ensure that this is actually a traveler and not just rocks pounding against the doors, I've installed this answering device,[/glow]" came the impeccable voice of Lord Fancy.  "[glow=black,200]If you are a traveler, please press the runes in sequence.[/glow]"

The runes beneath the door glowed in a pattern to spell the word "Fancy".

As the miners of Embers Rising kept swinging their pickaxes, removing more and more rock, the faint sound of other mining acitivites grew louder. Sound coming from the other side of the wall in front of them. The inhabitants of Embers Rising did not have detection magics, or at the very least did not bother using it just yet. They would only use it at the beginning of their shift, so that they would not run into diamond dogs or other undeground creatures during their excavations.

And then the wall opened up. Rocks finally gave way to open space, not just more rocks. The miners, covered in dirt and sweat stepped back, except for Concorde. In the miners' places stepped forward a group of thirty guards, both pony and buffalo, standing on the defense, but ready to attack, should the other faction prove hostile. Noone said anything, the party just stared at the others.
Concorde turned his head towards his men, then whistled, and caught the towel made of buffalo fur thrown at him in response. He cleaned his face and hooves, then tossed it back and gazed upon the other faction. Their part of the tunnel was simply beautiful, whereas theirs merely had crude, but efficient, pillars and a flattened pavement still covered in bits of gravel, coal, and gemstones; cleaning up was for the end of the shift. Everyone in Embers Rising was a little intimidated by this. Those ponies had the time and numbers to actually decorate their insides, and still come as far as they'd have come? It would seem they were not the superpower they thought they were.

Concorde stepped forward, showing off his leadership simply by doing so. Other than that, he did not have anything to show, and looked very much like all of the miners of Embers Rising. Dirt, coal, and sweat covered his body except for his face and hooves, and all he had on him was the pickaxe he was using moments prior. Yet he had the air and determination one would expect from a faction leader.
"Lord Pants, I presume?" He began, and gave a small bow to the Knighted Aristocrat. "I rejoice to see you kept our brothers of the big towns alive underground. I'm sure many of us have families that lived too far away to come hiding here in time, I can only hope they made it to your hideout." He said, then extended a hoof. "Welcome to Embers Rising."

Behind the guards and miners, who were simply staring at their leader and the other faction they had run into, came forth another group of ponies. The council of this month had been summoned, should politics happen. They weren't sure what to do, noone expected this event to occur, at least not this soon.

The aristocrat in the tuxedo and top hat (or, well, he appeared to be the leading aristocrat; the ponies, diamond dogs and other creatures were dressed in rather fancy clothing, and those unused to high Canterlot clothing tradition would probably fail to see the subtleties in difference) stepped forward and bowed to Concorde and shook his hoof, as a leader to a leader.  "That I am, good sir.  Welcome to Duchy Fancy, and to its capital, Orod Khazad.  I am quite glad to see that others besides ourselves have survived the Ice Age, Mister...?"

Emissaries came forward and lay gifts of great value in the modern age, and at the same time also in the previous era: an abundance of food and spices, useful and well-forged tools engraved with intricate gold filaments both for a better grip and for beauty, embroidered clothing made of some sort of silk, and quantities of ancient, priceless books from before the Ice.

The soldiers behind them stood at attention; they were wearing traditional full-plate barding, gilded with gold and set with gems to show a triple crown, the symbol of their patron and leader.

Mr. Brown waved off the comment about service.  "Nonsense, you've been serving me beverages and news reports for the past several years, and the latter isn't even in your job description!  I'll get the supplies.  ...I presume 'few' means three coffee crates and three bags of chocolate?" he asked as he put on one of the aprons to avoid staining his coat when he retrieved the chocolate powder.

The stallion nodded.  "Thanks for your help, Mr. Brown.  It's greatly appreciated, and I mean it wholeheartedly."

The crates didn't look too heavy, and the bags were about as large as normal flour bags, only filled with cocoa powder, of course.  As odd as it might have sounded in any other faction, chocolate and coffee were actually relatively inexpensive in the Duchy, about the same rate as before the Ice.  Plenty of semi-paranoid preparation and unimaginable coffers of bits had helped with that.

Asterian smiled and nodded at his mother, understanding her fears. [glow=yellow,2,300]"Mother, the world that was lives on in us. It can never truly die out within a mere two years, nor twenty. Two hundred years would pass before we could forget the old ways."[/glow] He nodded to them both before rising off of the sofa. [glow=yellow,2,300]"It would prove difficult to erase Equestria from our memories in this generation, but we should not think about that for now. We should not be concerned with erasing the memory as much as we should worry about erasing the blueprint to rebuild. That is what we need to protect."[/glow] The young stallion proved wise, however arrogant his words sounded.

The mare smiled softly, and embraced her son, closing her eyes as she spoke.

"Thank you, Asterian.  Just..."

She let go and looked at him face to face with a quivering smile.  "Oh, look at you.  My little colt, all grown up and ready to lead a new generation of ponies to a bright future."

"But he will always be our son, dear," nodded Father as he joined them both in a hug.

[Bane Emural]

Aldorn watches the sequence and presses the runes in the same sequence. Come on, open up before she freezes.

[Bravo 658]

Mr. Brown went about the task casually rather than rapidly, taking several trips to avoid any risk of spilling the goods.  He was doing this to pass the time, after all, so he might as well be sure to do it properly.  "Well, it's the only productive thing to do.  It wouldn't be right and proper to sit idly about."

[Coffee Rush]

Atoll was eager to get inside, disregarding the fact that they were going to be watched and followed. Her heating device was, unbeknownst to her, beginning to malfunction, something that hadn't happened to her before. The good thing was, she hadn't frozen over yet, and would most likely be inside before she did. Atoll fidgeted around, rubbing the snow off her goggles, tightening her gear, pacing around faster and faster.

[The Wandering Magus]

Aldorn watches the sequence and presses the runes in the same sequence. Come on, open up before she freezes.

Atoll was eager to get inside, disregarding the fact that they were going to be watched and followed. Her heating device was, unbeknownst to her, beginning to malfunction, something that hadn't happened to her before. The good thing was, she hadn't frozen over yet, and would most likely be inside before she did. Atoll fidgeted around, rubbing the snow off her goggles, tightening her gear, pacing around faster and faster.

The enormous doors open almost immediately, and Aldorn is greeted with a rush of warm air from the bright chambers within.  He could hear the tramp of horseshoes on the floor as guards came to the attention.  One guard rushed out to help the pair inside.  He was clad in gold-gilded plate engraved with beautiful geometric motifs and the triple crown, along with various runes of protection; his accent was an odd mix of various high-class and Ponyville accents, as though his parents had tried to imitate Lord Fancy's accent when they first came here.  It was close, though.

"Come in!  Quickly now, don't want to freeze in the cold.  Welcome to Duchy Fancy, and to Orod Khazad, its capital.  Commander Silverblade, at your service," he smiled as he helped them inside.

Mr. Brown went about the task casually rather than rapidly, taking several trips to avoid any risk of spilling the goods.  He was doing this to pass the time, after all, so he might as well be sure to do it properly.  "Well, it's the only productive thing to do.  It wouldn't be right and proper to sit idly about."

"That's the saying," chuckled the stallion as he received the bags and crates.  "Thanks.  Would you like an extra cup after this?  On the house, for your nice work.  And a few bits for you in payment, of course."

Thus saying, he fished out a few gold bits from a purse, offering it to the pony.

[Bravo 658]

Mr. Brown accepted a fourth of the offered bits.  "A couple trips to the storage room is hardly worth that sum, and I'm already quite well-employed.  I'll hold you to that extra drink offer tomorrow morning, though, all right?"