[mark12_30]

The day after the fish stew, an unexpected guest did come to the Workhouse.

Lindo and Azra, forced into close quarters by the storm and allies in their labors, at last began to joke as much as they quibbled. And even the edges of their arguments were less sharp than they had been.

That turned out to be an especially good thing for Ancalimon's pony, who showed up unexpectedly at the frozen river while Kemba was fishing. The pony poked his nose into the fishing hole to drink, and the ice cracked perilously under his weight, and Kemba chased him off. But he did not go far, and when Kemba walked back to the camp with his catch of fish, the pony halted at the edge of the pine woods, and waited.

Kemba went to the Workhouse, and found Lindo. "You've got a visitor. A thirsty, shaggy, cold, four-legged visitor. Ancalimon's pony is waiting for you outside."

Lindo's jaw dropped. He spun, and a torrent of pleading was on his lips, but he never had to say them; Azra waved him out the door.

He ran outside, squinting into the driving snow, and plunged towards the woods; a nicker answered him, and the pony greeted him gladly. Lindo happily stroked his face, and itched his ears for him. He brushed the snow off of the pony's back, and wondered how he was going to explain to Nitir that this pony needed water, and grass or hay, and that they would somehow have to hide him from the orc-guards so that he wouldn't become their next meal.

But the pony wasn't worried. He reached up, dug his chin hard into Lindo's shoulder, gave Lindo's cheek a snowy, rather slobbery nuzzle, and then snorted, and turned, and purposefully walked off into the forest.

Lindo followed him, curious and surprised that he was not headed for the buildings; but the pony led him on for fifteen minutes, away from the pine woods, and emerged into a scrubby, thorny clearing of sorts. Lindo was hugely relieved to see long seedheads of grasses and hay poking several feet up through the snow, and he watched as the pony began to paw down to the frozen grass. He found some, and picked his head up and watched Lindo as he chewed it.

"Right, " Lindo said, smiling. "I guess I don't have to understand how you found it, but you'll be all right here. Just stay away from the orcs. I don't think they'd find this place interesting."

But the children would. And for those who wanted to find it, it wasn't that hard to find. Lindo returned to the Workhouse, and summoned the Fourteen Valiant Snowhobbits of Laedros, and after solemnly binding them to deep and utter secrecy, let them in on the pony's location and need for water. They all settled in on a routine of melting snow and carrying water to the pony. Lindo explained that all the water they took to the pony had to be melted by the Valiant Snowhobbits, and must never come from the supplies that Nitir melted. The boys took their job very, very seriously, and the pony never lacked for water. He even had some Valiant Snowhobbit assistance in digging for grass in the snow.

Several younger boys wanted to know what the extra water was for, and after being sworn to absolute secrecy, they were made Assistant Junior Snowhobbits and entrusted with minor ponyhelping duties. The Assistant Junior Snowhobbits sometimes even practiced strutting like the Valiant Snowhobbits, but only when Azra wasn't looking. Snowball target practice was held on alternate afternoons, duties permitting.