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// Ch 15. What dead timberwolves? 
// Story: The Silent Guardian 
// by Not_available_now 
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Ch 15. What dead timberwolves?
            
        “Ah asked if ya know anythin’ about these wolves.” Applejack asks me as she gives me a questioning look.
            
        I must think good about what I am going to say next. If I say that I know then a lot of questions will arise, but she wouldn’t believe me anymore that she did last night. Maybe it is best that just say no and avoid any complications. “I have no idea about it.” I say to her while taking a closer look at the timberwolf that she is dragging. It was the one with the hole in its head and it started to decompose; a leg already had fallen off.
            
        “Well, shucks. Then ah have no idea how these timberwolves got near ta farm.” She says while putting the timberwolf in a ditch next to the barn. “Normally them wolves don’t come near ta orchard, but something’  must’ve attracted them.”
            
        Mac comes from the other side of the barn carrying a timberwolf that is half burned up. “The pony that got them wolves took them out good. This one is all burned up.” He says while dropping the charred corpse in the same ditch as the other.
            
        “Woo-hee. That one got hit good. Have ya got any idea who might’ve hit them?” Applejack asks Mac as she prods the burnt timberwolf, making it crumble even more.
            
        “Eenope.” Mac says as he walks into the barn, hauling a large cart out of it.
            
        “Do I need to help with anything or can I go bucking again.” I ask Applejack, trying to steer the conversation away from the timberwolves.
            
        “Sure, iffin’ ya want ta. Ya can buck that row o’ trees.” Applejack says as she points to a row of trees close to the one that I bucked yesterday.
            
        So I decide that the dead timberwolves don’t deserve my attention anymore and walk over to the row.`
            
        I start bucking the trees, not paying attention to the last timberwolf that Applejacks drags from the trees.
            
        While I buck I try to think of  reason that could cause Applejack to not see anything and completely forget that I was standing in between them. The only cause that I can think of beside Discord is that Twilight has gone haywire, but she is out of town so that is no option. Maybe one of the princesses is messing with me, but that would be a little too weird. Maybe Pinkie Pie would do it, but she isn’t that weird.
            
        I just empty my mind, not able to come to any option other than Discord. So I stick with that and buck on. Sometimes I see Mac and Applejack pick up my bucked apples or buck some trees themselves. We don’t talk much, because there isn’t much to talk about.  We leave the whole timberwolf accident behind us.
            
        We buck until the sun is in the middle of the sky. Applejack calls out to me. “Come get sum grub!” She then walks back to the barn.
            
        “I’m coming.” I yell back to her as I deliver a last kick to a stubborn tree. One of the apples fall on top of my head. I rub the resulting spot, hoping that I wouldn’t hurt too much.
            
        I walk towards the barn, noticing that the ditch no longer has any timberwolves in it.
            
        I step through the door and walk into the kitchen. Applejack and Mac are sitting at the table while Granny Smith is cooking something at the stove. It smells delicious.
            
        “Hi there, young ‘un. Come take a seat at ta table and get sum grub.” She says while putting the large pot on the table with a clang.  Applejack grabs four bowls and starts scooping some kind of stuff into the bowl. It smells vaguely of apples and I really like apples.
            
        “Here ya go.” Applejack says to me as she shoves a bowl in front of me. “Eat up.”
            
        I prod at it with a spoon and take a bite. It tasted like a sweet apple syrup, but with bits of something else. Something I can’t exactly put my fingers (hoof) on; but it tastes very good so I eat on. The bowl is finished within minutes.
            
        “Ya’re a good eater. Ya wanna have sum more? An growin’ stallion like you must eat more.” Granny Smith says to me as she fills another bowl.
            
        “Sure, this tastes great.” I say while digging in and devouring the bowl within seconds.
            
        We finish the rest of the meal in silence and after we’ve cleaned up I pop the question. “Where have the timberwolf corpses gone?” I ask, already knowing the most likely answer.
            
        “What corpses? Timberwolves never com’ out this far.” Applejack says as she gives me the same questioning look as before. “Why would ya ask? Are there any out there?”
            
        “No, no. Just a question. I thought that I saw one when I flew towards the orchard.” I quickly say before she digs any further.
            
        “Well, iffin’ ya see anythin´  near ta orchard then give us a call and we’ll take care of it.” Applejack says while placing the plates back into the cupboard.
            
        “I will do that.” I say to her as we walk out of the barn and out into the orchard. We continue the routine of bucking and picking up the apples.
            
        I really got better at this. I don’t have to take pauses every so often and my legs hurt a lot less. Maybe I can keep doing this after I have paid Applejack. I do hope that there is a nice place to stay in Ponyville. Because even though staying with Rainbow is nice, I don’t think that it is an permanent solution and I don’t think that she would agree with me staying with her any longer than necessary.
            
        But those are concerns for another time because as I buck one of the last trees in the row I see a pony walking towards the barn.
            
        I see the pony enter the barn and I follow her into it. I walk into the barn and see Applejack and the pony sitting on the couch. I sit down on one of the larger pillows and see Fluttershy sitting next to Applejack.
            
        And as soon as she sees me she hides behind her mane and produces a very meek. “Hello.”