To find the way needed.
To flee from certain defeat.
From certain death.
Do you need light.
The light can come in many ways.
It might be the sun.
It might be a torch.
But the best light.
Is the light from a friend.
A friend that you leave behind.
Luna’s half closed eye spread it’s grace over the cobblestones I slowly trotted over. Her ever watching eye had started to close, the grace was not as bright as it had been the last couple of days.
But for me was it perfect, if her grace had been shining with the true power of her eye then I would bath in the light of the goddess. But with the slightly less light that emitted from Luna’s eye could I hide easily, it would be hard for them to find me if I did not want to be found.
And still I hesitated. I could not just trot to the east gate, as soon as the words had gotten out that I left through the east gate would they start to search there. And they would quickly find out that I had made my way to the small settlement there.
And they would soon find the connection between Carrotrose and that settlement.
I could not endanger her like that. Nor could I endanger Honey!
“Who said that Carrotrose took our little filly with her as she left? Can we be sure that she did not leave her to her own destiny?” the voice asked.
“Carrotrose would never do that, she would never leave a foal.”
The only reply I got was a laugh.
I had to leave through another gate. The southern one was closest, it would have to do. I had to hurry before the words had spread, if it had been as the two guards had said then the ones guarding the gates would most likely be loyal ponies who would take an order from a higher captain without asking.
“That or ordinary guards who hide in the safe shelter of the gate-towers.”
“Or that...” I admitted.
I really hoped that was not the way, I really hoped that there would be loyal guards there. Then I would not need to explain me, I would not need to talk at all. Just show the letter to them.
“And what if they charge at us directly when they see us?”
“Then I will have to make my way out of here with force...”
“We will attack ponies only because they stand in our way? We will kill ponies because they do not let us out?” the voice chuckled. “We will kill them because it pleases us?”
“I will NOT get pleasure from it! I will do what I have to get out of here. I will do what I have to do to cleanse this place!” I shouted back at the voice.
The voice faded away, still chuckling.
I quickly glanced to the sides, I had stopped in the middle of the road. Luckily for me was there nopony out in the night, no one else walked the streets. I started to trot, my hooves clinking against the cobblestone as I made my way towards the north gate, Luna’s grace illuminating my way.
*^*
It did not take long before I arrived at the gates. A single torch illuminated the big wooden gates, a unicorn standing alone in front of the small door that lead to the guard tower. The stallion had a crossbow floating in front of him, a weak yellow aura of magic surrounding it.
I stopped in my tracks. I had taken a habit of walking in the shadows, but I could not risk scaring this guard. It was hard to know how the guard would react, in worst case would he shoot at me. So instead of going the last steps into the light and pop up less than ten hoofsteps from him did I slowly back away before I walked into the middle of the street. Luna’s grace shone down on me, embraced me with her light once again. The guard looked at me as I trotted closer to him, and when I was ten step from him did he raise the Crossbow and talked to me.
“State your business, thief.” he said in a calm and steady voice. “I saw you the first time.”
I smiled at him. Had I really been that bad?
“I’m here on orders of Captain Lightheart. I have a note stating the order if you want it.”
The guard smirked at me.
“A thief like you, out on orders from one of our Captains? That I trust when I see it. Bring forth the note, but do not do anything stupid.”
“Let us kill him.... He is thinking way to highly about himself.” the voice sweetly whispered in my ear.
“No.” I said firmly as I used my mouth to bring forth the small note. I took a step forward, the note visible for the unicorn.
“Stop there, you do not need to walk up to me with that note.” the unicorn said and gently floated the note from me with his magic. He kept his eyes on me and shouted into the room.
“Lightheart, it is a thief here saying he is carrying a note from you, would you like to come out and read it or should I just shoot him?”
Wait... Lightheart here? Was this my lucky day or was it on the way to get worse?
Lightheart walked out from the guard tower and looked at me.
“Yes, I sent this ‘thief’ out on a mission earlier today. I thought he had left already.” he said, eyes still on me. “Why are you still in the city? Did I NOT tell you that this was important?”
I stood there confused for a second, before I answered.
“I’m sorry sir, there where... Difficulties.” I said, eyeing the guard. “I had to avoid the guards, you told me to not show the note to anypony before the gates.”
Lightheart sighed and turned to the unicorn.
"Guard, open the gate. And this pony has never been here, his mission never heard of, do you understand.”
The Unicorn stiffened, the note was quickly floated back to me and he turned towards the gate.
“Yes sir, right away sir.” He said, his voice had lost some of its steadiness.”
Lightheart trotted to me, and whispered in my ear.
“Get out of here. Now. I do not care why it took you so long, but I do not want to see you in this city before this have calmed down. I really hope you have a plan. And destroy that note as fast as you get the opportunity, I do not want to be associated with this.”
Before I had any chance to respond had he turned around and trotted away.
The gates, however, were open. Slowly did I trot through it, left Trotholm behind me.
*^*
The way to the small settlement where Carrotrose lived was not hard to find, and I did not encounter any problems getting there. And as Celestia's eye rose over the horizon did I stand in front of the gates to the mansion that Carrotrose's father owned. I really hoped that I would find her, and Honey, here.
The pray could wait, finding my daughter was more important right now.