Subtle Forest
The crackle of the wood burning in the campfire was relieving. We have been walking since early this morning, and in all that time we hadn’t stopped to eat. Thankfully Korp has already started cooking, I believe since the moment we stopped. Poor guy must need a break.
Hems can’t be the only one known as a criminal now; since we all have broken two, or three, class laws. I had never thought of it, but while walking earlier Sour was trying to flirt me up. He failed miserably, but after I called him… a bad name, which honestly is more of a title that a criminal would have; he pointed out that with our march against The United Creatures Bureaucracy, that we were breaking several laws, hence making us criminals and fugitives.
I would have to say fugitives was a bit of a strong word. Fugitives would mean that we are known to be law breakers, but we aren’t we are just--
A hoof waved in front of my face, easily catching my attention. “Yoo-hoo.”
My surprise got the best of me, and worst of all it was painfully obvious. “W-what?”
Everypony else seemed to love it, because they were all laughing. “Shut it,” I growled.
Several of them tried their best to stifle their laughs. I can get kind of bad and mean when angry; laughing at me was one of the easiest ways to get me angry. When the others noticed my glaring they quickly stifled their laughs too.
Vul, my best friend even though he’s a stallion, spoke up. “While you were… preoccupied. We voted on who should go collect firewood for when the fire gets lower.” I looked at him puzzled.
“Let me guess I was voted to go?” I asked flatly.
He smiled at me, while shaking his head. “No. You need to vote before the results can be told.”
“Alright… I vote for Sour,” I replied. If I voted for anypony it would be that--
Hems interrupted with a coughing fit. Ever since he told stories last, he’s been sporadic with his coughing. At one point I thought I saw him rubbing something red on his dark violet vest, but his coat is red which makes it hard to judge.
They couldn’t help themselves any longer. All except Vul broke out laughing, though Hems was more of dry hacking. I think he’s becoming an ‘Old Yeller.’ However he seems to still be doing fine. I did, rather slowly, find out that they were laughing and chuckling at me.
“Why you,” I stomped my hoof hard on the ground. Dust flew around my hoof, I think I might have bruised it a little, a small cloud of dust had formed. All except Vul and Hems, who was busy coughing, backed away. “I ‘won’ didn’t I?”
No pony answered. “Fine,” I growled. I was nearly beyond angry; I was nearly furious. I picked up the basket with one of my wings, and stormed off in the direction of the forest.
I stomped and stomped my way deep into the shrubbery. Within minutes I was away from any trace of light the campfire could make, without it becoming a forest fire which would be bad. That would also mean that I was far enough away from the group that I wouldn’t be heard.
“Rrgh,” I kicked a tree over and over again; I knew the tree didn’t deserve it, but it was to make me feel better. By venting my anger onto the poor tree. I stopped wailing on the tree with my hoof, it wasn’t the tree’s fault. I was just angry. I was the one at fault, and I had to stop.
“Oh right!” I proclaimed aloud. I had completely forgotten why I came into the forest…
Well I guess not. I had forgotten the second reason for why I came into this, dark, forest. Which was to collect firewood; sticks, branches, twigs and logs. Looking around I found that it wouldn’t be very hard, though, I was finding one problem.
“It’s too dark,” I shouted. If I were in a more open area in the mountains, or perhaps just further up, then I would be able to hear an echo. A cave would also work, but there weren’t any around.
I treaded carefully around letting my hooves tell me when I found some wood. When I found some I would lift it up and drop it into the woven basket.
Small branch, stick, stick, log, big branch. I tried to pick up the big branch, but found it far too heavy for me to lift it. I thought about breaking it. “That would be ridiculous,” I heavily sighed. Stick, stick, log, log.
I thought that it would be rather hard to find this much. I’m glad to see I was mistaken. Given I was looking for wood in a forest, which is filled with trees… made out of wood. I’m starting to think that that was one of my, not, better thoughts.
I heard something rustling around in the bushes behind me, it was so sudden and quick that I jumped a little. Was it a bear or wolf? Well whatever it is, it must be gone now. Wasn’t there some type of rumor running about this place.
ooo ooo ooo
“Now remember. The woods we will be by are rumored to house some type of evil or dark monster, or something like that,” Hems explained. He wasn’t walking, that would be ridiculous, Marnyle was pushing him. “Are you paying attention Spoo? You never know, but you may have to do something in the woods, like… I don’t know collect firewood.”
ooo ooo ooo
While I was zoning out, “reliving” a memory, I had missed the faint low growl. When I did hear it I moved in the opposite direction as fast as my legs could carry me. I ran and ran and ran. I wasn’t sure where I was going but I had to get away.
Several long minutes of running and I had hit my limit, if anything was chasing me, then I should have been able to get away from it. I had to support myself against a tree to stay standing, my legs burned, my lungs felt dry. All for all, I hope I am safe now.
That hope subsided, when I heard the sound of wood snapping. Immediately followed by a loud and powerful thump. I waited, sweat trickling down my neck, I waited, knowing that if I didn’t her anything moving toward me then I was safe.
I waited for what felt like hours, even though I knew it couldn’t have been longer than ten minutes. I was still covered in cold sweat in the cold, dark forest. My lungs still felt dry, but not as badly. I picked up a stick that was right at my hooves, that was when I heard it.
The bushes rustling again, whatever it was, it was close. I had to get out of here, so I galloped, and galloped hard. After minutes of it I slowed to a steady walking pace. I had to regain my breath; I could feel the warm new perspiration covering the old, cold liquid. I could feel I couldn’t keep the steady pace, I did what I had to by dropping to a slow stepping pace.
That is until I heard a stick break directly behind me. My eyes shut on their own, as I darted forward, back at full speed. I was running blind, something chasing me, while my breaths were growing shallower and shallower.
I tripped on something, which caused me to slid across the ground. My side hurt, my lungs hurt and I was covered in sweat. I just laid there, I didn’t feel like getting up right now. If the monster did come, my life was forfeit it could have it.
But it didn’t, it didn’t come, and I just laid there. My wing, my poor poor wing, it felt scraped. It had protected my side, but it wasn’t like it wasn’t hurt. It might hurt less if I fell onto my side instead. What happened happened no reason to fret about it.
I groaned as I stood. The forest was eerily quiet around me. I was wanting some light, some warmth. I wanted to be relaxing around the fire listening to some goofy story by Hems. I started to walk around near mindlessly, with unfocused eyes.
My unfocused, hazy eyes weren’t able to judge depth, within seconds I ran into a tree. Now my face hurt. I shook my head once, twice, thrice when I finished I could tell that, that, had helped. My eyes focused and clear again; I pressed on, I wasn’t very sure on where I was going, but I was going somewhere.
I stretched out my wings, good and bad, I flapped them. I soared above the treeline quickly, hovering I looked for the fire’s light. Once I spotted it I flew back to the ground, it was the best I could do, because I am a terrible flier.
I took a few steps in the direction of the light I saw. I was momentarily distracted by some rustling sounds behind me. Earlier I would have ran, but I was too tired right now to care. I looked behind me, and saw two bright red dots. They were floating in the air, hovering even, they looked like eyes.
Big bright red eyes, and they were looking at me. Staring, piercing, penetrating those eyes weren’t looking at me, they were looking through me. They were cold and calculating, and they wanted to eat me. I think.
I ran. I ran away from the eyes. I ran toward the light, the light of the fire. The light where my friends are. I ran for many minutes. I ran until I reached the forest edge.
I could see it. I could see the fire, and my friends. I looked behind me once more, no eyes. No monster, I was safe. I was glad.
I walked up to the fire, to my friends. Vul was the first to notice me. “Hey! You’re back,” he called out. Everyone looked at me. “Do you want some Marshmallows?”
“N-no,” I answered. Everyone laughed at that.
Hems coughed, not the dry wheezing he has been doing, a cough that stopped the laughing. “Were you able to get the firewood?” Hems asked.
Oh that is right. “Yeah it’s right--” I stopped when I noticed something. The basket wasn’t with me, which meant I dropped all of the wood. When did I… must have been when I tripped. “I guess I lost it.”
Everyone broke into laughter again, and this time I joined them. It didn’t feel like they were laughing at me, and I had to say I was happy. Covered in sweat, needing a bath, but happy.
Something poked me from behind. “Boo,” a stallions idiotic voice rang out behind me. I somehow pulled off a backflip, slamming a hoof into the neck of the reckless stallion temporarily paralyzing him. A strike from the Fallen Caesar Style, I wasn’t very good at it, but I was able to do some of the basics.
“Sour stop poking me from behind,” I yelped. Then noticed he was twitching, and hardly moving. “Sorry I didn’t mean to paralyze you.”
Everyone just laughed even harder.