//------------------------------// // A Not-so-Fond Farewell to the Forest // Story: The Ties that Bind // by the7Saviors //------------------------------// Fia knew it was coming. She had prepared for a lecture from Ancient Scroll about her admittedly foolish actions, but what she hadn't prepared for, was the earful she received from Corona and Blue Moon. In fact, Ancient Scroll barely had to say anything at all. He expressed his disappointment certainly, but he didn't have the heart or the energy to scold the black filly too harshly. Corona and Blue Moon had no such issues holding them back and were all too glad to make their displeasure known to Fia. Aside from a few words about running off to cast potentially dangerous magic alone, he largely let the other fillies do the scolding. Rouge also had quite a bit to say, surprising everypony there. It seemed the normally soft spoken Abyssinian had been just as worried as Ancient Scroll and the other fillies, if not more so. Yojimbo still hadn't yet caught up with the caravan, so he naturally had nothing to say on the matter... for the moment. The berating had gone on for quite some time, but despite Fia's cowed and sullen demeanor, she was still relieved that everypony had made it out okay and that she was back with her friends... her family. By the time things had calmed down, the Vardo had almost reached the edge of the forest and the barrier just past that. The rest of the ride was spent discussing what had transpired from all sides, with Ancient Scroll being careful not to mention anything incriminating with their escorts just outside. Eventually they reached the blockade and the caravan was stopped short by the Guards still patrolling the border. With a quick explanation of events, a message was sent via Telepathy from one of the mages informing Iron Heart that the missing filly in question had been found and that they had all made it to the forest's edge. The next hour or so was spent in equal parts hushed conversation and tense silence as Ancient Scroll, Rouge, and the fillies waited at the blockade for Iron Heart and her team to make it back to the barrier with Yojimbo in tow. Each moment they spent near all the Guards and the massive amber colored barrier that stretched across the forest's edge and rose above the trees made the fillies a little more nervous about being discovered. Thankfully however, their fears were somewhat laid to rest as the arrival of the Captain was announced. Fia, Corona, and Blue Moon stayed in the caravan while Ancient Scroll went out to meet the Captain and the husky. "Mister Scroll," Iron Heart called out as she made her way over to the stallion, "I believe this is the companion you told me about?" She stopped and turned to face Yojimbo, who trailed a little ways behind, two Guards trotting on either side of him and the rest of Iron Heart's squad taking up the rear. "That he is, Captain," Ancient Scroll confirmed, eyeing the somewhat irritated looking diamond dog for a moment before giving Iron Heart a cordial smile, "hopefully he didn't cause too much trouble for you and your squad?" "Oh come on, Scroll, you know me," Yojimbo called out with a smirk, "I've been nothing but a saint!" Ancient Scroll snorted in amusement while Iron Heart merely rolled her eyes and turned back to the old stallion. "He didn't cause any trouble for us, no," Iron Heart replied, "he might be... boisterous, but not much more than what I used to deal with back home with my kid brothers." "Well," Ancient Scroll replied with a chuckle, "glad to hear it, at any rate. Thanks for bringing the big lug back to us." "It was the least I could do after... well..." Iron Heart grimaced and Ancient Scroll nodded, his expression turning serious and his eyes hardening slightly. "I don't want to tell you how to do your job, Captain," Ancient Scroll admonished, "but you ought to pick your battlefields with a little more care," his expression softened somewhat, "you'll find no enemies here." Iron Heart tensed for a moment—her jaw clenching and a harsh rebuttal on the end of her tongue. After a second, she relaxed and let out a long sigh before looking back at the caravan. "I suppose you're right," she conceded, turning back to the stallion before her, "I've been at this a long time, and though the Princess tries to hide it as best she can, I know for a fact that Equestria isn't as peaceful as ponies want to believe it is." "From the rumors I've heard, I can imagine they're finding that out first hoof," Ancient Scroll replied with a knowing nod, "believe me, Captain, I'm fully aware of the harsh reality we truly live in. All the same though, I do hope you show a bit more restraint in the future." "I aim to," Iron Heart replied before looking away, "what happened earlier was... eye-opening," she looked back up at Ancient Scroll with a set frown, "I think some leave would do me a bit of good—maybe pay my own family a visit." "I think that'd be a good idea," Ancient Scroll said with a nod, "Been a while since you've seen your kin I take it?" "You have no idea," Iron Heart muttered quietly before speaking a bit louder, "but first things first. I have a job to do, and until it's done, there won't be any time off for me." "Understandable," Ancient Scroll replied, watching Yojimbo pass by him. The husky gave him a subtle nod, and Ancient Scroll returned his attention to the Captain, "now if you don't mind, Captain? I think the family and I'd best hit the road again." "Right," Iron Heart replied, shuffling her wings and trotting over to the mages maintaining the barriers, "I won't hold you up any longer then." She barked out an order, and a split opened up in the barrier, just large enough for the caravan to fit through. She turned back to Ancient Scroll one final time, giving him a nod and a small smile. "You all have a good evening," she paused a moment and frowned before speaking again, "and if you're headed anywhere near Canterlot, be careful. Things in that area are a bit... volatile at the moment." "Will do," Ancient Scroll replied with his own frown, "thank you for the escort, Captain," after a second, he added, "and good luck finding your pegasus." With that, Ancient Scroll and Yojimbo returned to the Vardo and a few minutes later, the caravan hummed to life. They all passed through the barrier and out of Farhoof Forest with no more incident. By this point it had gotten late, and by the time Ancient Scroll and Yojimbo entered the Vardo, the fillies had already gone to bed for the night, and Rouge had settled down in the sitting room with another mug of cider and a book. As they made their way further and further from the forest, Ancient Scroll and the other adults began to wonder where Fell Wind was. They got their answer in the form of a loud thud as something landed on the platform outside and a far-too-loud greeting erupted from the dark green pegasus herself. Thankfully her shout didn't wake the fillies, which didn't surprise Ancient Scroll all that much, given how worn out they most likely were from the day's events. Still, the old stallion had to wonder how Fell Wind had made it past the barrier when it was created with pegasi in mind. "Oh, that?" Fell Wind had said with a chuckle and a smug smirk, "I was a Hunter, so it wasn't really a problem." With that less than satisfactory answer given, the mare retreated to the sitting room and took up the couch for the night, forcing Rouge to move to her own cot with no small amount of annoyance. It looked like things were returning to normal for now, much to everyone's relief. With the forest finally behind them, he turned his thoughts towards the long journey ahead. It'd be another week or so before they reached their next destination, and before that it'd be all grassy hills, valleys, and farmlands. They'd have to pass through the western countryside and head north into the more mountainous region if they wanted to reach Lopendale. Iron Heart hadn't needed to warn Ancient Scroll about the region around Canterlot. That was the whole reason he was taking the roundabout route through the mountains in the first place. With any luck, their path forward from here on out would be clear of any more problems. Ancient Scroll had had enough misadventures to last awhile. and was more than ready for those hot springs once they had finally reached Lopendale. The night had grown old and the moon had started its slow descent in the sky, getting ready to make way for Celestia's Sun to rise in a few hours. The still darkened forest had grown quiet and peaceful despite the many ponies in heavy armor still wandering its many trees. Beyond the occasional clink of metal, the only sounds that could be heard were the squeaks, chirps, and hoots, of the forest's nocturnal wildlife. The massive barrier surrounding the entire eastern edge of the Farhoof Forest was visible even from the west end and lit up the night sky with its bright amber glow. It was especially visible to anyone flying overhead, as the dark shape quietly soaring through the sky above the forest discovered. A pair of piercing, predatory eyes, icy as the peaks of the Frozen North, narrowed as they spotted the barrier in the far distance. With an an irritated huff, the creature doubled back the way they came and descended, landing silently just outside the forest's western edge. The creature took a moment to scan the treeline and frowned before groaning in annoyance. "This is gonna take forever," the slate grey thestral grumbled. "for his sake, I hope that barpony knew what he was talking about." Frigid Gale sighed heavily after a moment. She hadn't felt good about what she'd had to do to get the stetson wearing pony to talk, but the old bastard was stubborn and left her no choice. She needed information, he had what she needed, simple as that. That didn't mean the whole thing hadn't left a bad taste in her mouth. She made a mental note to go back and apologize later, but for now, she had a wayward pegasus to find... along with a certain little lavender filly if she was lucky. The thestral mare huffed again, blowing her teal mane out of her face. She shuffled her black leathery wings and moved forward, her hooves making almost no sound as she made her way into Farhoof Forest. The barrier probably wouldn't pose too much of a problem, but it might slow her down even more depending on who had set it up in the first place. She'd simply have to deal with the situation as she searched the forest, and if Fell Wind or the filly was here, they might be trapped behind that massive amber eyesore. that would've made her job a bit easier... unless they'd passed by before it went up. In any case, whoever had set up the barrier would be dealt with if it became necessary. She didn't want to spend too long holed up in this forest looking for ponies that might not even be here, and if the barrier got in the way of her search... Well... it'd have to go.