//------------------------------//
// 15 Beyond Sight 
// Story: Alternate Beginnings: Year Three 
// by Doug Graves 
//------------------------------//

August 9th, 995

The cold night air wafts into the tent as Rarity stirs. A soft tapping by the door keeps her from drifting back to sleep and she slowly opens one eye, looking for the disturbance. Kole is sticking his head through the opening in the tent, softly clinking two of his claws together. He smiles and winks at her before saying, "Your mate smell good on you. I like listen, but we move out." His head disappears as Rarity groans; these dogs are already far more familiar with her than they have any right to be.

She slowly staggers to her hooves, the air chilling her hindquarters. She frowns as she looks at Doug's still form; he had told her off yesterday for using just the tiniest portion of their water for a bath. And not even a real bath, just a sponge to wipe off the grime that had managed to make its way under her tunic and onto her coat. She glances back again before grabbing the sponge and one of the canteens. She pours out a small portion of water onto the sponge and wipes herself clean. She takes a drink from the canteen before taking a small towel and drying herself off. She starts packing up the meager contents of the tent as Doug stirs. She leaves the bedroll to him, levitating the remainder out and into the wagon.

Kole is sitting in front of the wagon, and she spots the still forms of Shav and Brutus laying inside the covered section. He sniffs as she approaches, wrinkling his nose and frowning at her. He says, "You... wash yourself off? You not like his musk?" Rarity shakes her head and he continues, "You ashamed of him?"

Rarity shakes her head again as she tucks their belongings into the wagon, "No, I just prefer to be clean in the morning, fresh smelling."

Kole nods his head though his face belies his lack of understanding, "Oh. You want get different scent?"

Rarity starts to nod before realizing his meaning, "Um, well, I just prefer a more floral scent." She stops as Doug exits the tent, beginning to strip it down. Rarity looks around the camp for more things to take care of; even the salvageable firewood has been packed into the wagon, its wide wheels showing the extra weight of the dogs. Hopefully Kole helps push, but the two could handle the several hundred extra pounds even if he didn't. At least the ground slightly slopes down from this point out, that will make things easier on them.

Kole shrugs, "Well, still think he smell better on you." He sighs before saying in a quiet voice, "Least you not ashamed to have his scent on you."

Rarity pauses as Doug brings the packed tent and loads it into the wagon. She moves into position as he helps strap her in; when he starts arranging his own lines she asks, "What do you mean?"

Kole sighs, glancing back at the wagon. He says, "Shav, she not happy. She not happy with boss dog who run warren, she not happy with condition here, she not happy with choice of mates." He looks down at his paws, "Shav put lot of faith in you. She hope she hit big here, then she leave warren." Kole's face brightens slightly as Doug finishes strapping himself in, the human giving his straps a test pull. Kole hops off the wagon, saying, "If Kole lucky, maybe Shav take him with her. Even if she bearing his pups instead of Kole's," before moving to the back end of the wagon.

Doug looks over at Rarity as the two begin pulling. The wagon slowly moves forward until Kole begins pushing from the back, the three able to overcome the wagon's inertia. Doug asks, "What is he talking about?" as Kole continues to push, the wagon slowly accelerating to a good walking pace.

Rarity gulps; she should have told him earlier, but it hadn't come up with how exhausted she was. She tentatively starts, pausing multiple times as she says, "Well... one of Shav's conditions was that... at the end of this, either you... sire her next litter or Brutus and Kole have their way with me."

Doug gives Rarity a flat stare as Kole comes around the back. He walks along before dropping to a more comfortable four legged stance. Rarity tries giving Doug a smile but it quickly breaks under his gaze. He finally shakes his head, "What is with females in this place?" Rarity gets a slightly offended look on her face but says nothing. Doug laughs to himself before saying, "What, and you're okay with all this?" At Rarity's delayed nod he continues, "You all are way more open about this than I ever figured." He pauses, looking up at the night sky, "Humans were always extremely closed about the whole topic of sex and mating. Even if it is quite possibly the most important thing to, well, just about everyone."

Kole responds from the side, "Well, each bitch just looking out for their young, you know? When stronger stud comes around, why not she choose him?" Kole looks down at the ground, "Kole wish he stronger stud. Then Shav happy about choose him." Doug looks sadly at Kole, pity apparent on his face.

The stars above twinkle as the moon shines brightly. Doug looks up, thinking that he can make out Orion's belt before everything blurs together again. After a few minutes Rarity hesitantly asks, "Um, Brutus, do you think... Was he one of the ones on the poster? That we saw in town?" Doug looks back into the wagon before glancing back at Rarity and nodding. She shudders, asking, "What could he have done to deserve such punishment? And, 'The Incarcerator'? What kind of brute gets a title like that?"

Doug shrugs, "The poster just said to be on the lookout, listing his crimes as 'forcible imprisonment' and 'behavior unbecoming of a pony'. I don't think it was a wanted poster, more like an fyi."

Kole laughs, "Oh, that? Brutus proud of that. He think ponies let him off easy for what he want do, he just have too much fun."

Doug and Rarity glance at each other as Rarity asks, "What did he do?"

Kole says, "Well, mare come to Brutus, ask him guide her around area. She look for gems, he dig, they split find. After he done dig, she say he not find enough. She try to leave, take all gem. Brutus get mad, dig hole, put pony in hole. He say pony can come out when she give his share. She refuse, so he leave. Come back, bring water, food. Pony unhappy. Brutus leave, come back. Start complimenting mare on smell. Mare think joke, Brutus not, he like pony smell. Brutus offer, since mare still want all gem. He say, mare let him have her, he let her out and she get all gem. She say yes, but let her out first. So Brutus dig way out, mare change mind, leave Brutus. Brutus sad, not give chase, hope mare reconsider. Then guard come, mare claim Brutus hurt her, force her. Brutus say no, only sniff, and want get gem what his. Guard take mare side, but only prove he put in hole and sniff, they take nose. Not first time Brutus got trouble for sniff."

A gruff voice behind them says, "Brutus think pretty pony smell good, but can't tell. You ready for nap?"

Kole and Brutus swap places, Brutus loping along, staring at Rarity. Kole gives the two a short wave as he hops into the wagon, laying down next to Shav. His quiet snores are soon heard as Doug and Rarity continue pulling the wagon, their destination growing closer and closer. Rarity chances a glance over at Brutus; the dog is leering at her, his eyes tracing every fold of the tunic surrounding her. 

She self-consciously adjusts the fabric, laughing to herself as she debates if she wants to make herself seem more appealing or less. Her mind seems happy enough that she is getting attention: that is the purpose of making herself look nice, isn't it? It's just, the source of that attention is starting to creep her out.

Brutus moves closer to her, saying, "Brutus hope Doug not take offer. Brutus want to feel pony, let her know happy Brutus. Make pony happy." Rarity shudders, looking over at Doug who seems none too happy at the direction the conversation has taken. She sighs; his conflict averse personality, his desire to not antagonize others, would make it so she would have to handle this. Brutus moves closer, "They take nose, but Brutus still taste. Can Brutus taste pretty pony?"

Rarity shudders again, "No, Brutus, I'm sorry, but you can't taste me."

Brutus sighs, moving back to his previous position. He draws a single line in the dirt, his claw tinkling against every rock in its path. Doug says, "So, Brutus, have you found a lot of mares that you like the smell of?" Rarity gives Doug a glare, trying to tell him to be silent, and Doug shrugs in return.

Brutus stops dragging his paw, putting the dirt streaked claw on his chin. He says, "Lot? No. When go pony town, find one mare. Or two mare. Brutus like how pony smell. Find one mare who like Brutus. But other pony tell her no. She leave Brutus." He looks over at Rarity, flexing his arms, "Brutus not leave Rarity."

Rarity sighs, looking over at Doug, "Look what you started."

Doug shrugs again, "Sorry, I was bored. So, you going to start a new line of vests?"

Rarity shudders, "Ugh, don't remind me. If we had some spare fabric then maybe I can do something, but they need something more durable than canvas cannibalized from the bags they brought. Hmm, maybe if I layered it several times, it would also help with the holes that some of the pieces have." She glances at Doug, "Maybe if somepony had bothered to pack my sewing supplies they would have new vests, but no, somepony was too concerned with weight."

Doug rolls his eyes, "Well, you still have your travel sewing kit, it's just packed away in the back." Rarity's eyes brighten at that as Doug continues, "I'm sure we could part with something as well, I think it would make a great present for each of them at the end of this." He glances over at Brutus, who has started dragging his claw in the ground again, "And possibly new collars, or at least if you could update their collars with some of the gems that we find?"

Rarity nods, "Yes, I think that would look very good on them." She says in a lower tone, "Why are you being so nice to them? Aren't you, you know, worried about what they might do to us?"

Doug slowly nods, "Yes, I am worried; but, if you were trying to convince them to genuinely like you, would you treat them with suspicion or give them the benefit of the doubt? If they are going to take advantage of us, I don't know if we could stop them. Without a preemptive strike."

Rarity continues in her hushed tone, uncomfortable at that line of thinking, "Yes, well, but... very well. I do hope I don't have to say I told you so at the end of this." She says in a slightly louder voice, "It wouldn't hurt to accessorize either, so maybe a bracelet? Or do you think they would prefer an anklet?"

Doug ponders a moment before saying, "Well, we would need to find something to use as a chain, right? And I don't know how much silver we'll find in the area."

Rarity says, "Hmm, yes, gold would be a little ostentatious for them. Though a dull platinum or possibly iron would look good."

Rarity looks back to the wagon; she concentrates and her horn lights up, a few pieces of paper and a pencil levitating out of one of the boxes. She draws a few designs, glancing over at Brutus as the three continue their slow pace.

The Macintosh Hills loom to their right and the two watch as the moon sets, slowly dipping down over the horizon. The sun breaks out over the snow capped mountains to their left, rapidly rising to the morning position. The two continue walking as Brutus hops into the wagon, the ground changing color as they walk.  And not a gradual change either, an abrupt shift from relatively green grass on either side of the path to a reddish dirt as they cross the low part of the Macintosh Hills to the burnt orange of the Badlands ahead of them.

Brutus hops out of the wagon as Kole yawns, standing on the edge. He slowly exits the wagon, dropping down and walking along. Shav steps out, looking refreshed and sits down on the wagon edge, watching the ground. As they get close to the Badlands she calls out, "Let's stop for breakfast." Doug and Rarity gradually come to a stop, letting their momentum carry them. Rarity undoes her various clasps with her magic but does not move out of position. Doug works his way out of his harness; he climbs into the wagon, pulling out a bag of fruit and oats. He drops down, sharing with Rarity as Shav grabs a bag of their own, tossing each dog a raw potato.

The group eats in silence, the dogs gnawing at their potatoes as Doug sits next to Rarity, eating an apple as she makes her way though a good amount of oats. Shav finishes her potato, asking, "So, J'mare, what's the range on that gem finding spell of yours?"

Rarity slowly gets to her hooves, "It depends on the size of the cache. I can sense larger ones, maybe ten pounds of gems, at about fifty yards. A single gem at about ten. I get more information as I get closer, and it's not terribly difficult to maintain for a short time, as I move around. If I'm right on top of it I can make it light up so anypony can see, but that's within one yard."

Shav looks over at Brutus, "Alright, J'mare, we'll head about a mile in before we start our search. I'll be honest, I haven't done enough prospecting to really know where the best deposits are, so we're going to do a wide search at first. Brutus, you'll take first shift helping Doug pull, and trade off with Kole every hour until we need both of you digging. I'll assist digging if needed, but I'll mostly be keeping a watch out for anything approaching, and figuring out where we are going next. We'll stop around ten, take a four hour break for lunch and nap, then pick back up until moonrise. Any questions?"

Everypony looks around before Shav and Brutus start walking forward. Kole helps get the wagon started after Rarity and Doug strap themselves in. They begin walking to the east, following the foothills of the Badland Mountains. Rarity's horn occasionally flares, but she makes no indication to Shav, finding only scattered single gems of little interest. After finding nothing after a mile Shav decides to change course, taking a more southern route away from the mountains. 

After a few minutes Rarity says, "I found some. A medium cache, to the southeast." Kole begins wandering off to the southeast, looking at Rarity as she says, "No, a little further. Now, to the left. I'm sorry, my left. A little more. Now, towards me. Okay, too far. There!" Kole digs down, quickly disappearing from sight before returning just as fast. He is holding about twenty gems of small or medium size. Rarity does a quick scan, "You missed a few in there. About five feet down, mostly to the north." Kole dumps the gems on the ground and hops back in the hole, reappearing and holding the remaining gems. He picks them up, awkwardly holding the gems in his arms as he makes his way back to the wagon.

Doug has stopped pulling, allowing Rarity to get out of her harness. She levitates over a short metal rod as Brutus looks at the various straps that helped Rarity pull. He glances to Doug, "Maybe I push from back?" Doug nods and Brutus smiles, moving to the back of the wagon. 

Kole drops the gems on the ground, hopping into the wagon and returning with a single bag. He puts all the gems into the bag, pausing when he is holding a single small diamond. He smiles at it before tossing it into the bag as well. When he goes to leave Doug says, "Hey, Kole, you should carry a few bags with you, make carrying the gems easier." Kole gives him a happy grin, grabbing a few more bags and shoving them into his vest.

The group quickly develops a routine: Rarity and Shav scout new areas, with Rarity moving close and marking the ground with her metal rod. In areas with multiple marks Shav and Kole help dig as Doug continues his steady march. Brutus brings the full bags of gems back to the wagon and helps Doug push in between areas, then brings empty bags back to the diggers. After a dozen caches the group starts filling each bag to capacity, not caring as to which cache gets put in which bag, even bringing the partially full bags from earlier and filling them.

Lunch and the nap afterwards is a quiet affair, the group not bothering to set up any tents and instead napping inside or underneath the wagon. Both Doug and Rarity have stripped out of their garb. Doug is laying down inside the wagon, the bags of gems piled on the outer section of the wagon, plenty of room for the next few days of prospecting. Rarity is laying next to him, debating whether she should wash her coat before or after she brushes out her mane. Rarity glances back at her tail; she misses the curls she meticulously styles every morning. Well, unless Doug won the game that night, in which case he gets to 'help' her with her mane and tail.

She jerks as her brush starts running along her back, turning to see Doug holding it. She shifts, giving him better access to her coat as he continues his ministrations. One of his hands moves to her thigh and she flinches again, a twang of pain from her overworked muscles. She grimaces as his hand finds the spot again, lightly running down her leg. He sets the brush down, bringing both hands to start massaging her legs and Rarity coughs, "Excuse me, you do not leave my coat half brushed. Get back and finish it, then you may begin my massage."

Doug rolls his eyes, "Yes, your majesty. Would you like me to fan you during or after the massage?"

Rarity puts a hoof to her chin, miming thinking deeply. She raises her hoof into the air, "I do believe it will be both. Yes, that will do nicely."

"But, mistress," Doug agonizes out, "How will I fan you during your massage? Would you prefer I use one hand?" He starts brushing the other side of her coat as Rarity thinks again.

"Yes, well, um, I do believe that you, shall, um," Rarity trails off, trying to think of what she wants him to do.

"Ah ah ah," Doug retorts, "Looks like I win this round."

Rarity huffs, "Fine, you win. It's this heat, I'm just worried it's going to wreck havoc on my coat!" Doug rubs his fingers through her coat, digging into her sides and Rarity flexes away, a frown on her face. She looks back to see him holding the conditioner she likes and she smiles, settling back. "I have trained you well, I don't even need to remind you not to get your oily hands all over my coat."

Doug smiles as he finishes applying her product, finally starting the massage on her legs. He asks, "How have you been holding up? You've been doing a lot of walking these past few days, even if the pace is comfortable."

Rarity stretches out her other three legs as Doug makes his way down her back leg, "Yes, well, what else am I supposed to do? My telekinesis doesn't reach that far, at least not without being even more draining than my gem spell."

Doug ponders as he continues on her other side, "Well, how good is your aim? And can you throw very far?"

Rarity looks back, her eyes raised, "Well, it's not amazing by professional standards, but passable, I suppose. My sire did love throwing the old hoof back and forth. What are you thinking?" One of Doug's hands slips a little close as he massages Rarity's inner thigh and she shudders, "Oh, dear, please don't even joke about that. I am much too tired, especially with how demanding those dogs are. I can't believe they expect that to happen every night."

Doug shrugs, "Sorry. Must be a dog thing, but I guess I keep up with five of you back at home. Anyway, I was thinking you could make, like, several different balls. Something very visible. And you color coordinate them, or maybe by size, for how deep they need to dig and how many gems they are looking for. Or do you have a spell that could duplicate that?"

Rarity looks at him, "Well, for as much grief as you give me about how much I like to pack, I certainly hope you didn't bring along a full set of croquet balls just to watch me fling them around or something."

Doug moves up to Rarity's front legs, "Well, maybe you could use gems? I could look through the crates for something suitable, but in my mind you would want something both light and durable." Doug looks outside the wagon, the desolate landscape stretching for miles. "Maybe you'll find something as you are looking, like the bones of a dragon or something."

Rarity shakes her head, "You really live up to your name, don't you? Well, I shall keep my eye out, my magic has been holding up well but my legs feel like they are about to give out. The dogs definitely notice, but they've been too polite to say anything. Or they see me as weak." Rarity turns to Doug, giving him as pathetic a face as she can manage, "You don't think I'm weak, do you?"

Doug laughs, "Rarity, my love, you are anything but weak. You have such a strong spirit, and mind, and heart."

Rarity pouts, "I notice you didn't include my legs in that list."

Doug gives her front leg a squeeze, "Well, maybe you should join me on some of my morning runs, and we can work on that."

Rarity whines, "But then I'd have to spend more time on Applejack's dusty old farm! Waaah!" 

She playfully beats her hooves against the bottom of the wagon before Kole shouts from underneath, "Hey, try sleep! Cut it out!"

Rarity gives Doug a sheepish grin as she stops, daintily placing her hooves back on the floor. Doug finishes his massage before grabbing the brush and starting on her tail. Rarity smiles, resting her head on her hooves and mumbling, "Don't forget the mane," as she drifts off to sleep.