Fire burns away the trees in the forest. in the middle of it, Dogs are running in terror at the attack of young dragons. I don't know why they are here. But they have made it clear of their purpose here. They are here to kill us all. The brave ones stand to fight the dragons. Only to be struck down by their great might. We didn't ask for this; they came without warning. Our pack isn't strong enough to fight them, we are doomed. Our only hope is to run. Run and hide. To live and see another day. But I can't leave this place yet. I must find keep searching... keep searching. Searching for my mate.
"Melody! Melody!" I shout into the chaos but nothing seemed to be working. I continue to run dodging a dog the was sent flying. "Melody! Melody!" I shouted again. I don't see her. I can't find her. But I have to I can't leave her here. "Melody! Melody! Melody!"
"Ed?"
I woke up from my daydream to see that one of the workers was talking to me. "What is it?" I asked him standing up straight.
"I came to ask you a question about the wall we are making and the defensives. That is if it is all right with you?" he asked as Rover came next to me once he heard some dog asking about my plans for our defenses for our home.
"Ask away," I told the worker.
"I was wondering. Wouldn't it be easier for us to make a way to close up the entrances to the cave instead of all this?" he said pointing out the construction work away around the entrance of the cave.
Rover didn't take to kindly to the comment though. "You dare question Ed's judgment and intellect dog!"
"No, I..."
"It is fine. Rover. Such questions must be asked if answers are to be given." I told Rover calming him down with a paw to his shoulder. "You have a fair point. That would be easier however that is also our secondary defensive option."
"I don't understand."
"Let me explain. Oh, course closing the entrance to the cave would be Ideal for stopping the enemy from getting the dogs inside the cave and giving them a chance to escape or fight back. However, say that the enemy was only trying to trick us into doing as such so that the dogs above ground wouldn't be able to get away fast enough."
Rover starts seeing what I am saying am joins in. "That is right. With gems that are naturally found in this area. Any dog that tries to dig down would stop and try to get them."
"Which will have them dead for they forgot about the enemy tries to kill them."
The worker dog nods at this but he still has some questions. "But, what about that is not the case and the dogs do get away?"
It is good to see that there are dog's here that wish to pursued knowledge. I answer his question without a second thought. "Why then the tunnel that they leave behind will leave a straight path into the heart of our caves system."
The young worker eyes go bigger as he sees the problem and solutions to his questions. "Then the enemy would just have to go down the tunnel the dog made and..."
"And we would lose the battle and our lives." Rover finish for him.
"So that is why we are making this wall."
"Indeed. If our forces aren't able to fight off the enemy all we have to do is retreat to the caves and close off the entrance."
"And the wall will make give them enough time to make it back into the caves and shut the enemy out." "But then how do we know when it is safe to open the caves again?"
"You let me worry about that. Right now you just help out your pack with the wall understand?"
"Yes, sir." He said rejoining the workers.
Two days have passed since we have started building the defense around our home. Even with every dog doing their best we are still only halfway done. With the shortage of gems available we are trading what we could with the ponies for food, water, and tools. If we don’t find a way to become self-efficient soon. I fear that what Rover said becoming a reality.
A day ago I came across a usual root growing out of cave wall and notice that it could be eatable. However, I am not risking any dogs lives to find out. I sent Spot out with a sample to a zebra in the forest to get her thought about it. Normally I would have sent him to a trusted dog, however, there are none nearby that would. I can only hope that this zebra knows what she doing. For the fate of the pack depends on her knowledge.
I then made my way to a guard tower we complete last night. I can see the guard dog looking around in the distance to see any signs of danger.
I called out to him. “Report.”
“All clear. No signs of anything that will want to harm… SQUIRREL!”
We all looked in the direction of where he said the squirrel was at. But at last, it got away. Say what you want but in my opinion, a squirrel is the best fast food you can get your paws on.
"As you were saying," I asked the guard who almost left off his tower and straighten himself out.
"All clear." He said,
"It is never all clear. Not as long as there are things out there that want to kill us."
"Yes, sir."
I then make my way back to the cave and stop then I heard a dog cry out in pain. Looking to my left I see that a dog drop a wood beam on another dogs paw. He is holding his paw and hop around for a bit before falling on his rear. I can hear the dog nearby laughing at the sudden accident. But as I look at the scene in front of me, I can help but feel saddens in my heart. His pain is only tempory and he can recover from it, unlike me. I look down to my useless paw and clench my other paw. Before I could think a soft voice interrupts my thoughts.
"Ed?" I turn to my right I can see that Melody has come to see me. "How are things going?"
"As good as we can hope. My mate." I say to her then kiss her. "Is there something wrong? This is the first time I see you out of the cave since we got here?"
"I was wondering if it alright if I can perform the moon howling ceremony?"
"It is not safe yet to do such a thing Melody."
"But it has been months Ed and Ma..."
"MELODY It..." I raise my voice at her but stop once I realize what I was doing "It is not safe yet. Please hold on out my mate." I can see tears in her eyes before she runs back into the cave. I can see other dogs wondering what just happen while others pretend not to listen. "Back to work everyone." I then went to check up on the dogs inside the caves.
Later on that day I received word that Spot has returned along with the Zebra. I don't know why he asks the Zebra to come along but I better find out. Once to the surface, I can see that they failed to mention to me that there are also ponies here beside the zebra. One adult and a young one both mares. The adult has an orange coat and gold mane and wears a brown hat while the young one is yellow with a red mane and matching bow on her head. I look that them and notice that the guards have surrounded them and seem to be keeping their distance from them. Mostly the adult.
"I wasn't told about the two earth ponies," I said to one of the guards
"Sir they just arrive right after Spot return with the Zebra.
"Her name is Zecora!" the young one said but was hushed by the older mare.
"Applebloom not now."
I then got close to them and stop in front of the older mare. "I know of what business we have with the Zebra, but what reason do you two have being here?"
"I came to apologize on behalf of my little sister for ruining your root...Ah, Spot had while he was visiting Zecora."
"Can I assume that the root was destroyed in an accident?" I asked her getting an idea of what happened.
"Yes." She said surprise in my choice of words.
"Then you two may leave."
"But I was wondering If you have any more of that root?"
"You know of it?"
"Well maybe. But I need to make sure that it was what I thought it was."
"That is why I sent Spot to Zecora." I then pulled out another root I grab on my way up from the cave. "Do you know of this?"
"Yes as one would find in a stew. This will make a lovely brew." Zecora said taking the root in her hooves. "This is the Malburen root. Normally found in the deep caves of southern Equestria. The Malburen root has been known to give a restless filly a quick nap."
Applebloom looked surprised for some reason and looked to Zecora. "How come you didn't rhyme that time."
She looks at Applebloom with a smile "My apologies young Appleebloom but there aren't many words that can rhyme with Malburen. As smoothly as other words can."
As much as I would like to hear these ponies talk about their daily lives. There is more pressing matter, so I interrupt their train of thought. "Can we get back to business without worrying about if somepony can rhyme or not?"
"Oh, course Ed," Zecora said whole giving me back the root.
"IS this root worth anything?"
She nods her head at my statement. "Very much so Ed. It is quite rare. So rare that someponies collected them to the point of extinction. Due to their unusual properties of making any creature that consumes them to fall asleep very quickly."
"But what use can ponies need for such a thing?" Rover asked not understanding what so special about this root.
"Rover if a pony needs to rest to heal themselves then this is the fastest way of doing it," I said to Rover before addressing the ponies again. "However I am with Rover one Zecora. Don't you ponies have something like this already?"
"Yes but this root is better."
"I don't want to go into details about that than and take your word for it." I then look at the root one more time before putting it away. "So the ponies that would want this would be the healers of your kind."
"Along with others, but yes. So Is it to much trouble that I can have some of them."
I can see that this Zebra really wants this root, however, there are more pressing matters that need to be resolved, and she is a good step in doing so. "We don't need your money."
My answer to them cause them to pause before Zecora replied, "Parden?"
"Bits have no value with us."
"Then what would you trade for them?"
"Supplies of food, water, medicine, and refind metal."
"Oh. Well, then I can help you with medicine and water. But I don't believe you all would want anything that I eat, and I have no access to any sort of metal."
"Then we will find another pony for the other two. When can you bring the first shipment of supplies?"
"It will take me a while to brew up what you are asking for along with finding somepony to transfer the supplies."
"My brother can help out with that and for food do you dogs like Apples?"
"Keep talking Miss..." I said holding out my good paw to her for a friendly shake.
'Applejack. My name is Applejack." She said shaking my paw.