The land had given way to crags. Here, the earth had swelled into something of a plateau, and then long ago, something caused vast ravines to cleave the ground. Now, there were high places and low places, creating interesting, but difficult to cross terrain, if one happened to be heading west, as all of the coulees went north and south. According to Conifer, it was as if something ginormous had raked the earth with its claws of unimaginable size.
While Shēdo had no trouble traversing the terrain, Conifer had nothing but problems. His short legs and quadrupedal stance forced him to clamber up and down steep ascents and descents. Having no claws, no means to grab anything, it was a real challenge to climb, and he had to depend on Shēdo to lift or lower him as the situation demanded. Shēdo also had the advantage of being a brute—when a rock or a tree got in the way and refused to be cooperative, Shēdo had the ways and means to smash it into oblivion, much to Conifer’s oft-induced alarm.
Despite Shēdo’s many assurances that she wasn’t very strong, Conifer remained in awe.
“Shēdo… I have a confession.” Limey sounded quite distressed—all of the joviality was missing from his voice—and his words were little more than a shamed whisper.
The sound of Limey’s voice gave Shēdo pause. Limey had been quiet, too quiet, and hearing him now was a surprise. She stood on a high ridge, which gave her a wonderful view of the land all around, and not too far away was the next ravine, which looked like it might be the deepest, steepest one so far.
“Shēdo… I lied to you. The Black Hound doesn’t exist.”
“I starting to think that.” Shēdo’s ears sagged and she let heave a resigned sigh.
“I’m sorry,” Limey continued, his voice sounding strained and a bit muffled. “If you wish to be rid of me, I understand. I will let you go. I’m not cursed either, but I am magical. It might be best for you if you tossed me into a river and forgot me. I’ve lied to you, and I keep lying to you, and even though I am a sword and not a draconequus, I am a deceitful creature. I’m sorry for how I am. It would be best if you were rid of me.”
“No.” Shēdo shook her head and her jowls jiggled with defiance.
“Well, I suppose you need me as a weapon. I understand. How very practical of you.”
“No, dumdum, Shēdo need you as her friend.” Flexing her claws, the diamond dog’s ears perked, listening for anything that might sound like danger.
“But I lied to you… I’m a terrible friend… you seem genuinely nice and your treatment of Conifer, your kindness to him, to others… it makes me feel guilty.” The talking sword shuddered in his tortoiseshell sheath. “If you keep me, I will only lead you down a bad path!”
“Or maybe Shēdo lead you down a good path?” Shēdo sniffed once, then reached out and patted Conifer’s head while the zebra stood panting, exhausted. For the first time, she noticed that the birds had gone silent and the wilderness lacked the sounds of animals doing whatever it was that animals did in the wilds. But, there was something out there, her ears told her so, and so did her nose. “Shēdo hear something, smell something.”
“It’s over there, down in that ravine. I think there’s trouble.” Limey’s voice lacked its usual enthusiasm for violence. “Shēdo, I am going to lead you to a bad end. It would be best if you got rid of me. I am an instrument of chaos and violence. I can’t change! I tried to change once… I did… I even had a friend and I betrayed her.”
“No. Shēdo keep friends.” Head tilting off to one side, Shēdo listened a bit more, and then began to growl. “Shēdo hear dogs, she does. Conifer, stay here. Stay safe. Hide. Stay quiet.”
Hunkering down, Shēdo listened to the dogs down below. At the bottom of the wide ravine, there was a narrow road that ran north-south, giving access to Equestria’s southern reaches, Dodge City Junction, and Appleloosa. To the north, a vast, almost unending bog was visible. Not more than three dogs were visible, though that seemed like a lot for three. The dogs had formed a crude but effective blockade of the road, using boulders and logs to prevent passage.
There was also a pony wearing a hat that was hitched to a full wagon. Shēdo found him interesting, as he was being brave, and defiant. While that was fine and good, it would not go well for him. Ears twitching, the diamond dog listened, and knew that other dogs were moving up to flank the earth pony. This was a classic trap, and these dogs were no dummies. In short order, the earth pony would be overwhelmed and taken. Even if he was strong, which he might be, a rock thrown at the back of his head hard enough would bring him down.
But not if Shēdo could help it.
“He’s the leader,” Limey said, whispering. “The big grey one that is missing a few claws on his paw that is holding the big spear.”
“Shēdo see him.”
“But he’s not the brains,” Limey continued. “Look, there, in the back, near the blockade. There’s a little squinty-eyed fellow. He’s not very big, but you can see the intelligence in his eyes. No doubt, he made the roadblock. Your choice, Shēdo. Hit the brain or the brawn first. Choose wisely.”
“What you do?” Shēdo asked, seeking the advice of the much wiser sword. While Limey’s character and honesty might be lacking a bit at the moment, Shēdo still trusted in his knowledge of battle. A sword knew the art of war in much the same way she knew the art of digging, and that could be trusted.
“Hmm.” Limey hummed a bit, but remained as quiet as a mouse fart. “I would go for the brain. The tower of muscle is going to give you some problems, but he’s probably dumb as a post.”
This seemed true. The towering diamond dog was one of the largest that Shēdo had ever seen. Height wise, he was more than twice her height standing up, and bulk wise, it was impossible to estimate. His shoulders were as wide as Shēdo was tall, and she was as tall as Limey was long. He was monstrous, and his forearms were bigger around than Shēdo’s girth. No doubt, he could rip up trees by the roots and hurl boulders, and all of the other horrible things that diamond dogs could do. He was a towering giant, a brute, the sort of diamond dog that was a real threat to peaceful existences everywhere.
“That pike has to be three yards long, Shēdo. He has more reach than you. Don’t try to go for him, but go for his weapon when you engage him, if you engage him. He’ll either bludgeon you, using it like a club, or he’ll skewer you. Don’t let him. If he swings that thing at you, you’ll be hard-pressed to recover. I have a lot of reach myself, but he clearly has the advantage. Be careful.”
Looking down, Shēdo felt the jitters coming on, and she wondered if this was worth it. If she failed, she would be captured and she would be become a bitch again, if she wasn’t killed outright in the battle. Conifer might get captured, and that would be awful. He would either be worked or eaten.
It was just one pony.
Yes, it was just one pony, and one pony mattered. One good and innocent life mattered. Muscles tensing, Shēdo prepared herself, and chose the course of ambush. There was no way she could win with honourable, straightforward combat, so she was going to have to fight dirty. She would move in from the other side of the barricade, take out the brainy dog, and then use the barricade itself as a makeshift fortress. She would have the high ground there, and she needed every advantage she could muster.
The ravine floor where the road was was darkened with shadows, and Shēdo slipped from one to another. She could hear the dogs talking to the pony, laughing, and taunting him. The pony, whomever he was, was brave. She could not see him at the moment, because the barricade was in the way, but he wasn’t running. Pausing behind the tall stump of a broken off tree, she drew in a deep breath in silence while the pony tried to patiently explain that attacking him would draw the ire of the Royal Pony Sisters.
Once she committed to this, there would be no turning back.
When she sprinted from the stump to the barricade, her paws made no sound at all, and she gripped Limey with both paws. Launching herself, she made a fantastic leap to the top of the barricade, which was higher than she was tall, drew out Limey with a smooth, fluid motion, and then hurled herself at the brains of the group, the little diamond dog hiding near the barricade.
Bringing the blade down with a powerful cleave that also carried all of her falling momentum, the edge struck the dog’s head just between his ears, and then just kept going, encountering no meaningful resistance. Limey sliced through skull, brain, vertebrae, jawbone, and then hit ribs, never slowing. Just as Limey was cleaving an exit through the groin both eyes popped out from the shockwave of the blow.
Both halves flopped to the dirt, cloven in twain.
“Arroo?” was the sound that a startled diamond dog made, and there were several of these cries that could be heard all at once.
“‘Sup, bitches?” Limey asked, somehow managing to be as disrespectful as possible.
Recovering, Shēdo swung her blade around and went for her next target, which stood a blade-length away. She lifted, then sliced, but the edge of her blade was not true as it struck the neck of her foe. Rather than cleave through clean, the blade struck at an angle and did more tearing of flesh than cutting. With the crunch of broken, snapped off bones, the head ripped free and crimson liquid spurted upwards like a gay, inviting fountain. The severed head flew in a parabolic arc, rolling through the air, and spraying blood from the torn neck-hole.
Another diamond dog several yards away caught the severed head of his packmate and began screaming. The violence became frenetic now, it was more about momentum, and Shēdo was picking up speed. Since she was fighting giants, diamond dogs that were considerably larger than herself, she adopted the Nebenhut position, the reaper’s stance.
Stepping over the decapitated body of the dog she had just killed, she continued her somewhat graceful dance, not once thinking of how she had just botched her last kill, and she moved with alarming speed towards the next dog with her sword at her side, leveled with her tail, maintaining the position she had been taught by Limey.
“Holy alicorn shit!” the pony in the hat said.
The big dog raised his pike and spoke, revealing that Limey had made a mistake. “I want her alive. Subdue her, but do not kill her.”
As the final word left the big dog’s mouth, Shēdo made a quick swipe at her target. Limey bit deep, striking just below the elbow, and left behind a deep, gushing gash. There was a yelp from the injured dog, and the remaining diamond dogs began to react to Shēdo’s assault. Recovering from her slashing attack, Shēdo made a quick stab, but failed to connect.
The momentum was slowing down. Howling with pain and rage, the diamond dog that Shēdo slashed raised his weapon, a pickaxe, and took a swipe at Shēdo. The big dog snarled—no doubt a reminder that he wanted the impudent bitch alive—and Shēdo took this opportunity to retreat back to the barricade, her makeshift fortress.
Standing atop a boulder, Shēdo raised her sword into the Ochs position. She wasn’t sure if this was the best pose for where she was standing and the battle she was fighting, but it would have to do. The big one was holding back, but at least three, yes, there had to be three dogs that came for her. Two dogs over to her left, and two more to her right, for three dogs total.
“Mister Barker will neuter you in Tartarus!” Limey said, taunting the dogs as they advanced.
Two dogs on her left, two dogs on her right, the big giant, and whatever dogs were still creeping up behind the pony and his wagon. Three dogs. Good odds. Shēdo figured she might be able to take them. Spears, swords, pickaxes, and an enormous maul. As scary as those weapons were, Limey was scarier, and he blazed a brilliant, nauseating witchfire green.
The stench of ink filled Shēdo’s nostrils, a strange, unexpected smell that threatened to overwhelm her. It had an odd chemical twang to it that made the nose burn and caused the eyes to water, but it also filled Shēdo with courage for some reason. She could only associate the scent with that of destiny, though this was a most peculiar connection to have made. Holding Limey over her head, she challenged her foes, and her mouth filled with words that she could not comprehend saying.
“THE BLACK HOUND COMES FOR YOUR HEADS! ALL OF YOU ARE BAD DOGS!”