Void pushed her way through the crowd as she approached the stall with the bread. As she got closer, the scent of the bread found its way to her. Her nostrils were filled with the aroma of the bread. It made her mouth water, and helped to steel her resolve. She needed to eat, and the vendor had a lot of bread. She doubted he would miss a roll of two.
The real problem was how she could go about this. If the vendor was like the inn owner, he would be armed. Plus, she didn't want to attract the attention of the other townsfolk and, more importantly, the guards. That meant rushing the stand was a no go. And due to its proximity to other stalls, she figured that slipping around back may also prove to be ill advised. So, she had to do something else.
The closer she got to it, the more the smell came to her. It was intoxicating, like one of pinkies cupcakes. She knew that it was going to be nowhere near as good as her cupcakes, but it would have to do. However, her thoughts drifted to pinkies treats. Oh, those would be one of the things she would miss the most. The cake, cupcakes, tarts, milkshakes, brownies, and other sweets. Hell, even though she didn't like them, she would accept a pie from her in a heartbeat. She lamented the loss he had secretly gotten rid of over the years. She would give her other wing for those.
No, Shut up. She thought. Stop thinking about, Them. The sooner I get them out of my head, the sooner I can truly start over. Once again steeling her resolve, she continued toward the stand, trying her hardest to ignore the smell of the fresh baked bread.
After a little more walking, she reached the stall. It was a wooden table with an overhang covering the goods and vendor in cool shade. The vendor was a hippogriff of pale red coat and a light blue, almost green colored mane. He wore a simple leather cap and a wide, content grin. However, Void wasn't interested in him. What she was much more so interested in was his ware.
The wooden table was covered in bread. There was only one type of bread, but that didn't concern her. The bread in question was a small roll, shaped like a hoof ball with creases along the top. The crust was a light brown like mud, and seemed to reflect the sunlight. As mentioned, Void was entranced by the smell of the rolls. They had a fresh baked smell, accompanied by the smell of what she guessed were ingredients. She sighed; even if it wasn't a cupcake, it was the best thing she had smelled in almost a year. It was definitely much more appetizing then the sawbread she had to eat on the farm.
The Hippogriff on the other side of the table saw her staring at the bread. She hadn't realized she was until he snapped his claws, her head jerking up. He smiled and said, "Hello. I don't believe I've seen you before."
Void stammered, "Y-yes. I'm just passing through."
"Ah. A traveler. Greetings, and may I say, Welcome to Kells Keep. My name is Skystride. And you?" he said. He was still smiling, and it was a little.....Unnerving. She wasn't really used to this kind of kindness from the Southlands. But, she had little choice but to play along. Maybe she could get him distracted so she could sneak off a roll.
"Void Streak."
"Hmm. Interesting name." He said. "Although, you ponies are nothing if not creative when it comes to names. Why, in my travels, I once met a pony named 'Anonymous.'"
Despite her plan to steal some bread, she couldn't help but laugh. "Ok, I know some ponies with strange names, but that takes the cake."
It was the Hippogriff's turn to laugh. "Ha ha! I know, right?" He stopped laughing, and his face turned dead serious. "Now, down to business. You were planning on stealing from me. Is this correct?"
Void did a double take at this. She was planning on doing that, but how did he know? "What!?"
Skystride gave her a small smile. "Miss Streak, I've been traveling the southlands for almost thirty years, and have lived in this town another fifteen. I know the look of someone who's planning on stealing something. Now, it's a simple question. Were you?"
"Yes" she said in defeat. She looked up and quickly added, "Don't tell the guards, please."
Skystride said, "Don't worry. I can't get the guards to do anything to you if you were thinking about it. Besides, you probably need it more then others here. I mean, you look like a walking corpse."
Void looked down at herself. The strap of her sword barely covered her chest. Her scars were plainly visible; faded red vallies and pits that dotted the surface of her body. Clumps of mud and leaves hung to her coat, contrasting against her dull gray fur. She couldn't see her mane, but she figured it would be even worse, or at least as bad. She was, to put it simply, a wreck.
She looked back up, confused by Skystrides last comment. "Wait. What do you mean, 'you need this more then the others here'?"
He just smiled again, and picked up one of his rolls. He then offered it to her. "Here. Take it. And don't worry about being able to pay for it. I make dozens of rolls a day; I don't care if one 'goes missing', so to speak."
Void stood, dumbstruck. She was prepared for guards, for him to pull a weapon out, for anything. Well, not everything it seemed. She hadn't counted on her getting one. She just stared at it for a solid minute, taking it in. She turned the roll around in her hoof, examining each surface. She then, not being able to restrain her hunger, took a bite.
She melted into it. It was the most delicious thing she had eaten in a long time. The bread was soft, and her flaft teeth tore through it with ease. The soft flesh was the perfect mix of warm and flaky, and made her shudder in bliss. She had barely swallowed when she took another bite, followed by another. In a matter of seconds after, the roll was gone, and Void was a happy mare. She was still hungry, but it was satiated for the moment.
She looked up at Skystride. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you."
He just continued to smile. "No, ma'am. It was my pleasure. However, I must ask, do you have no money? Is that why you were going to steal from me?"
Void nodded, but his smile didn't fade. "Well, I just can't turn away a simple, lost soul! Meet me here at sundown. I'll give you some more help. Until then!"
A grateful Void walked off. She was admittedly curious with the older Hippogriff. He had given her the bread, and now was offering her more help. She didn't know why, but considered her options. She could take him up on his offer, or not take any chances. However, she decided she would come back. What did she have to loose?