//------------------------------//
// The Lake, The Curse, The Rain 
// Story: Re:) Lupa's Quest: The Wolfmother's Path 
// by Ringtael 
//------------------------------//

We stayed near the Grand Salt Lake for another couple of weeks, though it was through no fault of our own and there was actually much for us to do. Krel met a she-bear that was friendly with him, if not a little too distant for his tastes. Foxy commented on it from time to time, but I could hardly say that it bothered me. I’d long since told Krel to find his she-bear and it seemed like there was a good one for him with the Naga of the Salt Lake. I was not jealous as Honey claimed, nor was I avoiding him as Foxy persisted. Summit, even while being a cat, knew my mind better than any of the pack and let me know her opinion while hunting. She understood that I was both happy and sad for my friend, for my pup-hood pack-mate. Summit had found her mate and he was foreign to her after the moons they’d spent together while he was trying to breed with her. I suppose the same fate is unappealing to me, though I can’t say that I like the idea of Krel taking his she-bear. He should find a better one, surely, and could if he would just give himself time, but it’s none of my concern any way.

In any case, the Lulamoon waylaid us to satisfy her own needs and desires, but even as the Naga weren’t the most social creatures, they offered her the same berries that the tribe of the Everfree had given Max and in the final days of our stay with the Snakes of Knowledge, I often found myself spending time in her company. As such, we had some time to talk while she, for the first time since coming to the forest, pawed one of her cacti with a sad smile. I’d decided to join her and was informed that she could understand me. After we’d explained some things about ourselves that I found unimportant, the Lulamoon picked up on my reluctance to engage with the... tiny talk that Maximus finds himself trapped into.

I had a question I wanted to be answered, and the Pony in front of me was the only one with my desired information.  “Lulamoon, what does the cactus do to you that makes your mind run so wild?”

“Ah, it’s… Trixie feels like it’s very similar to Magic Bark, like she uses on the road to make her shows more interesting. Why do you ask, Nashoba?”

“The night we landed in the forest. You were quite inconsolable.”

“... Trixie is sorry-”

“For being in pain?”

She furrowed her brow and stared at me. “... Trixie was not hurt, Nashoba.”

“Not all pain rests upon the pelt.” I laid down since there was no reason to stand. 

“... Trixie does not wish to speak about it.”

“And who would I tell your secrets to? Krel, who could hardly care less? Summit, who has no concept of Two-Leg emotion? Foxy, who would never leave you alone until you smiled?” Her brows raised. “And Honey, like Krel, does not care about why you are hurting, just that you are.” The Lulamoon stared at me. “I will hear your tale, Lulamoon. Speak and I shall listen.”

“... Will- Will you promise Trixie something?”

“Yes, within reason.”

“... This stays between you and Trixie, o-okay?” She wrung her hands, much like the short horned one that Max liked. 

I found it endearing, so I got up and laid my head on her lap. “Nothing shall leave this conversation, lest you wish for such a thing.”

And so the Lulamoon did tell me many things. I feel no guilt in speaking on her reverence of her father. The Mare obviously loved and missed the Stallion dearly, and knowing the Ponies for the creatures that they were, it was no surprise that she had been a father-follower. However, that is all I will speak upon. I do not wish to relay any information of the Lulamoon’s namesake, and should I find the Mare, the Wolfmother’s will feast.

After having heard much of the Lulamoon’s tale, I found that she was less annoying than I’d originally thought. My muzzle had long since stopped itching around her, but Summit and Honey were curious as to why I was taking a liking to the Mare. Krel had an inkling since he knew both Maximus and the Alcohol Horned-One, and Trixie had been a very arrogant combination of the two during our travels. However, from Trixie I learned that she had been kicked out of the Two-Leg place in the Sun-Drenched Sands for the same reason she’d been kicked out of Ponyville; Two-Legs assumed that her flash and fire was true strength. When her abilities had been tested, despite her knowing that she would fail, I found it admirable that the Lulamoon would press on. However, if she had simply given them the truth, she could have stayed longer. 

I spoke with the Lulamoon often, though it was rarer that we were alone rather than being accompanied by either Krel, Summit, or Foxy. Honey was happy enough to pick her fights and win her battles, but something about the Lulamoon interested me. She often spoke of her adventures and grandeur, but a simple question would usually poke holes in her tale and she would fall apart like so all things do to time. It took me a while to understand that the Lulamoon aspired to greatness, but didn’t find herself worthy of her true accomplishments. I knew little of what she spoke, but apparently the sense of an animal was ‘grounding’ for her, despite the fact that none of us knew why what I said was important to her. 

Two-Legs. They are a strange breed indeed.

In any case, the Lulamoon was happy to perform her tricks until she was prepared to leave. My Pack had been pampered during our visitation in the Naga settlement, but being treated as a pet, even as a venerated pet, was an insult to my lineage and the wild heart that beat within me. Krel felt much the same way and Summit had never even met Naga before, so they were content to join me in the forests while the sun shone, hunting and spending our days tracking more difficult meals. We often shared deer that I caught, though Summit was lucky enough to ambush a few during our stay. It was not Krel’s kind of hunting ground, though he made short work of a brave boar that thought its territory was worth a swift end to its life. It was tasty, as there was not even a hint of fear in its flesh. Truly a beast worth knowing, and doubly worth conquering. It made me wonder what Krel would taste like if I were to challenge him, but I saw Summit eying me and was curious if she was as suicidal as her gaze implied. 

She was not and all was well.

The Lulamoon had gained a few gifts from the Naga in the form of a knife and a thin Two-Leg collar, thus signifying that she was ready to leave the company of the Naga. She was stalwart with her departure, and curiously she told the truth of all her tales, letting everyone present know the truth behind the spun stories. She was shocked to hear that there was only one person, a two-year-old Naga, had thought she was anything other than a traveling Minstrel. The amazement and joy on the Lulamoon’s face as she laughed at the simple thing was odd, but it was another moment that reminded me of Max. Perhaps I liked the Lulamoon because she was cut from the same tree, though less ripe when she was plucked. 

The Lulamoon thanked the Naga for their hospitality, kindness, gifts, and most of all, their ‘ever-precious, most valued time’. Her reason was that they could have been pursuing any other means of entertainment, but many had gathered to hear her weave webs of mystique and throw her illusions into the air. The Naga were quick to assume that she was interested in joining the next Mating Tangle, but I spoke for her when she almost agreed and had the Tribe’s Elder explain what it was. On our way toward the Grand Salt Lake, the Lulamoon thanked me. It would have irritated me to see her taken advantage of while clearly full of Two-Leg feelings and that was the explanation she got. I was stopped for a hug that I did not need, but accepted all the same.

As odd as the Lulamoon was, it was rare that a Pony tried, let alone succeeded, at seeing other lifestyles and not casting judgement. She spoke fondly of the Naga and I learned that she’d partaken of smoked fish, finding herself liking the flavor, but not the texture. Krel asked if the Lulamoon would eat Pink-Fish and the crazy Mare said that she would try some if she could cook it. She also made it clear that she would happily take any or all of us along with her while she was traveling Equestria. No one was interested, but she was not put down by our reluctance to join her past her current destination. The Lulamoon had often asked why we were following her in the first place, but my Pack referred her to me each time she asked and the only answer I would give was simply ‘Magic.’. It had taken a few droll stares, but unlike the Broodmother, she was not one to needle. Unlike Master, she would not let it recede from the forefront of her mind. She warranted no further explanation, though I suppose I may have kept the fact that she was a reserve supply of food to the Pack. There was no reason to scare her. It would've made her taste and smell terrible, as all things do when filled with fear.

In any case, The Grand Salt Lake was supposed to be the second easiest leg of the journey since Krel was an expert in catching fish and the lake would provide plenty of water, so there was little holding us back from crossing it. After having sparred with Summit and Honey, wrestling with Krel and matching wit with Foxy, I was feeling prepared and restless. Summit had lost much of her subservience and was all too happy to bat my shoulder if we had the time to play, though Honey had calmed after a battle with three boars. She won, but Foxy had been injured while helping her. It was his own damn… Foxy had known better. He was fast enough to call for aid, but he and I knew damn well he couldn’t have run far enough hard enough and got back to help as well. Foxy was already ill, and it had been eating him slowly. The boar that tusked him had its face torn off by Honey shortly before she obliterated all three in a fit of deranged madness. It had been chance that Summit and I heard her yowls of fury, though the waste of flesh we came across while she was rending the remaining boars limb from limb was indeed a bad omen.

The Naga healed him all the same, but even as we made our way through the forest, he avoided being upwind of me. It didn’t matter as Summit said, “Sickness lies here.”

Krel grunted. “I smell decay, not sickness.”

“I know decay. This is not decay.”

Honey sniffed the air. “Maybe it’s your bear nose? I can’t smell anything other than decay too, and you know what we can eat.”

“True.”

Summit looked to me. “Surely you smell it as well?”

I already knew the wishes of my comrade. “The scent does not cross my path. We continue.”

“Trixie thinks-”

“We continue.”

The first day of our journey was through forest, but the lands we’d known for our stay were of smaller, thinner trees. The closer we came to the lake, the more irksome it became to try and see the tops of the massive things. Krel took the time to paw the bark of one, saying that it would be good for a climb. Summit called him a fool, but then again, I’ve never seen a cat climb down a tree like a bear. Unfortunately, another bad omen was to come as sickness truly did lace the air in spots, the forest unhappy for its own reasons. A tree came crashing down during our travels and the forest was clearly furious. The enormous obstacle had come from ahead, and when we came to it, the omen barred the trail we’d been following. It would have been simple for most of us to climb it, but the trunk was too large for the Lulamoon to scale. I asked Summit to see if she could spot the cause of the tree’s falling from atop its trunk. 

It was a simple task for her, but she could see nothing for the time being. We traveled to the roots together, unwilling to let the omens lie as they were. My vantage point was better as I took my time in examining the damage, but all I could see was that the roots had rotted away. Summit cantered toward me and called out from above. “Sister Wolf! Why has the tree fallen?

I snorted. “Rot, decay, and disease. Tread lightly, this path is cursed.”

Krel trundled along with the others. “Nashoba, we’ll have to go around.”

“We must find another path, Krel.”

Summit growled. “Spirits surround us.”

I summoned my Ancestors as the Lulamoon looked at the roots herself. Summit’s claws popped as the first of the Wolfmothers shaded in. “Hmm… Trixie sees that the roots were worried away by magic. Nashoba, do you know why this tree fell just as we were coming along?”

I made my point and spoke as I did so. “Get off the ground, this earth is cursed.” Trixie got a decent start on trying her way up the tree’s trunk while Honey made her own way. Krel picked Foxy up and flung him to the top before fetching the Lulamoon. “We must abandon this trail. The forest is enraged.”

All hopped down besides the Lulamoon. “Trixie does not understand-”

“Waste no time, Pony.” I snapped. She fell. It would’ve been amusing if it weren’t costing us precious seconds.  I trotted over and nudged the Lulamoon until she rose from the ground. “Lulamoon, we must continue. Your face does not belong with dirt.”

The Lulamoon pushed herself off of the ground. “Blasted hooves. Blasted trees. Blasted ground. Blasted Forest. Blasted wolf. Blasted animals following Trixie around. Blasted-”

“Yes, we get it. Things must be blasted, but you lack the offensive magicks,” I said tersely. “Complaining is unbecoming of the great and powerful.”

“You forgot to add ‘Trixie’ to the end of that,” She scoffed.

I sat in front of her, giving her a look that Max would have perceived. She lacked the aptitude, however. “I did not. If you are great and powerful, you will prove it in time.”

The Lulamoon grumbled and allowed herself to shut up once she got to her hooves. Ponies really do spend too much time complaining, and Two-Legs in general? Pathetic. Still, once you could get them moving, they weren’t all that bad, even if they did tend to smell like delicious food. The Lulamoon smelled like a berry of some kind, but since I had not licked her, I did not know out what exactly it is. Krel told me that she tastes of white-bark-sour-berries and Summit implied that she just tasted terrible, but I surmised that my taste would follow Krel’s.

After the first tree, three more fell to block our path, but we did not climb over any more of them as per the Lulamoon’s request. It took time to walk around the giant logs, but it was better on my claws anyway, so I did not complain. There was still daylight by the time the forest calmed down, though whether that was because Foxy was medicating himself with the forest’s bounty or if it had just been moody, I didn’t know. Either way, the smell of sickness still lingered, but Krel did manage bringing to back some of his finds for the Lulamoon to keep her entertained and fed so we wouldn’t have to stop as often. They did their job, but some of them caused the Lulamoon to be ill for an extended period of time, though she did not vomit. It was unfortunate since she lost a lot of water while under Krel’s watch, but he was the only one who would be bothered with the smell. Instead of making her walk with a sore tail, Krel offered her his back and commented that she was lighter than he remembered. She didn’t comment on it and thanked him for the favor.

Once the Lulamoon was up and walking again, albeit with an odd step or two every now and again, we made camp since night fall would soon be upon us. There was plenty of deadfall for a flame, so the Lulamoon treated herself to one while Summit and I went out to hunt. Foxy and Honey busied themselves with inspecting rotten logs for grubs and snakes, and Krel stayed behind to watch over the Lulamoon since he’d had his fill throughout the day. The Pony went to sleep rather quickly and Summit helped me drag back an odd kill that I’d never seen before so Krel could have a real meal on his stomach. Foxy had little luck in finding any snakes, so he treated himself to what appeared to be the liver of the kill. I took the heart because I was growing fond of them and Summit ate its genitals, while I found to be disturbing, despite not being a male. Krel tore off a haunch after she’d done that and had his meal elsewhere, though I could not blame him for being squeamish. I may have threatened to do something similar to him in the past, but that doesn’t mean that it would be my first choice of targets. As quick as it would make the quarrel, it would be incredibly dishonorable and quite beneath me.

All too soon, the forest became far less hospitable. The air was stale and heavy, berry-rich bushes turned into withered shrubs, the grass beneath our paws became sharp and unpleasant. The trees were so obviously dead that there was little in the way of prey that could live there. A song of peril and turmoil whistled through the dead lands; Cursed ground, and the reason for the forest’s warnings. The melancholy wails of the wind told its tale former glory that seemed to resonate through the thick air. Unsettling is an inappropriate description. Honey was coated in fear. Foxy was muttering to himself. Summit refused to leave my side. Only myself and the Lulamoon forsook any attempt at comfort, for even Krel went to her side, paranoid to say the least.

Other than the cries of the land itself, we could hear little in the way of life. No, the only things living in this part of the forest were abominations that had no place on Equus.

The first confirmation of my suspicions came across our path all too soon. It appeared to be a bear of some kind, but its face was squashed and its pelt riddled with mange and infection. The creatures paws were too long for it to walk normally, so it strode as a two leg, dragging each of its long, filthy claws in the dirt as it strayed over the trail in front of us. When it stopped, the Lulamoon whimpered, but she was not alone. The bastard abomination was an affront to the forest; A blighted creature worthy of a death methodically carried out. I gave my orders and Summit parted from my side. We winged Krel and stalked through the trees, taking a wide berth as we kept pace with him. The closer we got, the clearer the reek of foul magicks and cursed blood was. The Monster was no creature, and it would not make for a meal. It was Waste Flesh, and there is no point in Waste Flesh.

Honey and Foxy stayed back with the Lulamoon to guard her as I Summit and I scouted on our respective sides of Krel, intending on having him be our main combatant since he was similar to the creature. It faced Krel as we approached it and spoke, but its words made no sense, mere pup-blubber in the winds. Once we came within ten tail lengths, the creature let out a roar that sounded unlike any I’d ever heard, infuriating me with it’s damned gibbering. It was deeper than a Manticore's, but louder than Krel’s by far and that made me far more eager to kill it than it I. Our opponent seemed quite worthy, and in normal circumstances I would have fought it by myself. However, only a fool does not use their Pack to their advantage when they should have it prepared.

Krel ran forth and took the lead, gaining the abomination's attention and making it approach in turn. Summit caught my clue and circled further behind it as Krel made contact with the monster. It was slow, but even an adult Grizzly could hardly make it stumble. The dumb thing thought it would be allowed to hurt my friend. The dumb thing had its arm broken as I dashed forth and bit into the putrid flesh, snapping the bone in one solid tug before whipping my head the other way, earning a lovely, wet, joy-inducing sound from its shoulder. Its arm fell limp before Krel took it down and pinned it. Summit held the other arm in her jaw and we had the creature under control until we heard rustling in the surrounding ‘foliage’. From the dead trees, more of the creatures came down to the ground, so Krel quickly finished off the one we were handling at the moment and I did a quick count. Three more had come down from the trees, so Krel, Summit, and I picked a target and moved as a Pack since the creatures were slow enough to warrant taking them down one at a time.

Krel picked up his pace since Summit and I were faster in a sprint than he was, and once we came up to our first target, we attacked it in the same way we had done the other one. Instead of taking an arm apiece and making Krel bring it down, we teamed up to test how taking out an entire arm would do. We sent it sprawling to the ground face first and it was slain easily. Although its blood was even fouler than the reek hanging on their fur, it was worth the disgust to be safe. I told Summit to join Krel for the final kill while I took one for myself, fury coursing through my veins as I considered the affront to my honor. The disregard for my bloodline. I called upon the Wolfmothers and we tore it apart, the howl already going up to cleanse the land as Krel dispatched the last one. Once the Wolfmothers faced and the Blight was made aware of its folly, Krel lumbered over with Summit and grumbled about being the only one to get a mouth full of the thick, oily substance. He was corrected while he was still complaining and promptly shut up when he actually looked at my muzzle.

We returned to the Lulamoon to find that she was sitting around talking to Foxy and Honey like nothing had happened. I was tempted to chew on her mane for a bit, but I settled for giving her a brief synopsis of the events that had unfolded. The Lulamoon accepted that our actions had been the way of the wild and that we weren’t going to be tamed any time soon. That, and I explained to her that the Monsters were cursed and had most likely been the cause of our delays. If we had not slain them, it surely would've been our deaths to come when night fell.

The Dropping Monsters watched as we passed through the forest, waiting for the moon to shine upon them and cleanse them as the Wolfmothers had cleansed the land. Summit, Krel, and I learned how to dispatch them quickly enough on our own, but it was not necessary. Honey was eager to assist, but there was little she could do to things that were on their own territory. Foxy’s advice and observations were invaluable in shutting her up. The Lulamoon was only ill once or twice while we were passing by the Monsters, and I commended her for her constitution, especially because I myself wanted to be ill. She’d still turned green at the sight of what we left behind, but she no longer vomited after seeing the results of a hunt. A better Pony than most.

We spent four days traversing through the worst of the forest, and it was only by the Lulamoon’s stores that we made it through it. Once we cleared the dead trees and the Monsters, we found ourselves on the bank of the Grand Salt Lake. My Pack and the Lulamoon rushed towards the water’s edge to get our first drink in two days, taking our fill of the clear water. It did not taste of salt at all, and it would have been obvious through the Lulamoon if it was. She still overindulged and took herself away from the bank to void her stomach along with Honey, but Summit, Foxy, and Krel were wise enough to sate their thirst in bursts. We held no pity for our ailing companions since I’d warned them mere seconds before reaching the banks, but they were fine once they had a moment to rest.

Once the Lulamoon was okay, I approached her. “Lulamoon. Where does our path take us from here?”

She rifled through her bags until she pulled out a map. It took a moment to find our location with magic as she hummed. “It would seem like we have to go around. The lake is too wide to swim across, and we don’t exactly have a boat.”

I nodded. “Then so we shall. Summit will be happy to hear the news. We can take the day to rest if you require time to get your bearings.”

The Lulamoon shook her head. “There’s no food for you in the dead part of the forest. We still have a few hours of sunlight left, so we need to see if we can fill your stomachs.”

“A wise decision. Perhaps you are not as foolish as I thought.”

Krel snorted from behind me. “Foolishness is relative.”

I gave him a baleful glare. “And I believe you possess much of it. Perhaps you could spend some time fishing in the shallows?”

Krel looked to the Lulamoon. “I agree with the Lulamoon. We must keep moving.”

“Then so be it. We’ll waste no more time.” I declared.

We took a little time for the Lulamoon to refill her stores of water so that we could have it in reserve, just in case. When that was finished, I allowed her to lead the way around the lake but kept a close eye on the forest and the scents within to see whether or not I could smell prey nearby. It took hours of careful attention, but I was successful in catching a scent on the breeze. It smelled like nothing I’d ever had the displeasure of smelling before, but something told me that it was edible so I took Summit along with me and we tracked whatever it was. My nose was the best out of our group for tracking down live prey, so it took but a few more hours to get us to our mark. Summit wanted to have her chance at it, so I allowed her to do so since the setting sun played off of her coat in a way that made her hard to see.

We circled the antlered thing until we were in position: I was in front of it and Summit snuck from behind. She got rather close before the creature caught her scent and bolted, but I was already on it, my long strides eating up the distance between us in seconds. I had Summit help me drag our kill back to camp, and once we arrived, we were met with excitement from the rest of the Pack. The Lulamoon ate her pony food in silence as we tore into our meal, and once I had the chance to clean my muzzle, I came and sat next to her.

I waited for her to speak since it was obvious that she had something to say. “... What does it taste like…?”

“Food. Better than most, not as good as a brave boar. The less scared it is, the tastier it is. A good hunter eats well.”

“... So you try to just… Hurry and end it?”

“Why draw it out? A hunt is not a battle unless you make it one. A fool hunts prey tougher than itself alone, but with a pack, it’s easier to make the kill quick. To suffer is to be offended in the deepest regard while sacrificing your life for sustenance.”

“That’s why you always bite the neck first.”

“I prefer to tear the throat out. The bleeding causes the first death, and that will not be broken for the second. It is kinder than suffocating your prey as Summit does, though her method is not to be judged for inefficiency.”

The Lulamoon nodded. “... Nashoba?”

“Yes?”

“... What would you do if Trixie dies on our journey…?”

“Would you want us to eat you?”

“... Trixie thinks so. If you eat Trixie, you won’t have to end another life.”

A strange feeling blossomed in my heart, as if a bud had chosen to bloom with her words. Her worries were not to feed the pack, but to save another from being a meal as it would no longer matter to her. “... You will not die, Trixie. I will see to this.”

Her smile wasn’t genuine, but it held truth all the same. “Thank you, Nashoba.”

“... You are strange, Lulamoon.”

“Trixie accepts you for what you are! Even the parts that she does not like!”

I butted her with my head a couple of times and she scratched my ears. “And we accept you, Lulamoon. Perhaps not all Ponies are soft, weak creatures.”

She scoffed. “The Great-" The Lulamoon paused. "... No…. Just Trixie thinks that most ponies would have given up by now. Without your Pack, Trixie thinks she would have given up. Coming all this way with you all… Trixie is very grateful for your strength, and that which you have helped her find in herself.”

I rose and whacked her with my tail. “You are made of tougher stuff than most Ponies and many Two-Legs. I believe that you would have made it this far at least, though you did seem quite happy with the Naga.”

The Lulamoon chuckled. “They were entertained by my tricks, but being with them has taught Trixie that she is not as 'great and powerful' as she once thought. Maybe Trixie will return to the mainland and make new friends once she attains her goal....”

I yawned. “The path is clear. We shall walk it carefully.”

After our conversation, we joined the rest of the Pack in sleeping under the stars. The Lulamoon brought her blanket with her and it was an odd thing, but it was nice to be warm all night. The moon’s passing was peaceful and our watches held no interruptions. Once we left the dead forest far behind us, our journey was easier. Water was bountiful, travelling through the forest was easy, and prey wasn’t that hard to find with five experienced hunters checking for scents at all times. The Grand Lake itself only took two days to walk around, and once we did, the Lulamoon’s Magic steered us north.

The meddlesome path set by her stupid, stupid Magic was inane as we were mostly traveling over hills. I kept my dark mutterings about the nonsense of magic and prophecy to myself so that I wouldn’t demoralize the Lulamoon, but it bothered me to no end. Why have something that doesn’t work efficiently? We meandered on through stupid hills and stupid valleys and stupid grass, but it was progress all the same.

As we headed north, the weather became rainier and colder, so it was pertinent to keep the Lulamoon warm at night and dry during the day. Summit and Foxy were miserable through the rain, but Krel, Honey and myself were perfectly fine, occasionally shaking the rain from our coats. Summit and Foxy grew weary after two days of the incessant rain, but the molly still padded through the drained energy, so I kept by her side with Foxy under my belly, trying to keep him dry. The Lulamoon, oddly enough, was a bright beam of sunlight in those rainy days, cheering us up with her tales and taking our minds off of the obvious. With our second-best hunter and our greatest mind under the weather, things weren’t looking good. Foxy himself was reduced to riding myself or Krel for hours at a time, his weak constitution proving a challenge to our progress. There were few medicines in the plains, and even if there were any, Foxy could not have identified them for himself once the eye-clouds started to fill his vision.

It did not take long for morale to plummet, even through the Lulamoon’s efforts. My friend was breathing his dying breaths, and our heads were lower than they had been the desert. The Lulamoon grew taciturn, so Honey kept her company. Things were tough, but I had expected there to be more challenges along the way. I expected someone to get hurt, and I expected us to lose someone. Foxy declined quickly, and there was no discussion of eating our pack mate. Our brother... 

When I felt Foxy breathe his last on my back, I stopped us and a blessing came. The rain ceased and light shone toward a copse of trees to the west. The sign was clear, and the task protected our hearts from the ache for the moment. The forest was nice… It reminded me of a more-damp Whitetail Wood. Krel and I dug a hole for Foxy and the Lulamoon placed him inside so that he would give his body back to the life-stream beneath us. Morale took a heavy hit with Foxy’s passing, and I dreaded telling the Broodmother that I had cost us one of our own, but Foxy had known the risks in coming along. I’d known the omen from the start; a bloody sunset. Omens were never a sure thing, but the red one did indeed pass in the evening. Even then I still felt the weight of responsibility heavy on my heart. We had expected there to be death on our path… And when it came, it was no surprise. For some reason, it wasn’t the same as losing another back home… Foxy was far from his hunting grounds, and I could only hope that he could follow us home.

We mourned our Pack brother for the rest of the day and I sat vigil to honor his memory. Krel and Honey focused on keeping Summit and the Lulamoon alive so that they would not fall to the same sickness that took Foxy, but it was a hard time on all of us. The forest accepted our friend, and I knew that we would not bother coming back. It is not the way of the Zgon to dwell on the passing of kith, regardless of how close we may be to them. A fact that I reminded Krel and Honey of as we made our focus toward getting Summit and the Lulamoon away from the Mourning Forest, hoping that we would avoid more of the final rest before it took another of our number.

We cleared the obstacle two days after Foxy’s passing and the rain let up. It was too little too late, but letting that fact weigh on our minds was doing us no favors. The Lulamoon required more help than any of the remaining Pack could provide, but she muddled through her own sadness and aches to keep things moving. I was proud of her for keeping her chin held high and she set a great example for Summit to follow. Until we’d gotten out of the forest, I’d worried that she was going to be the next to fall, but when we entered the empty plains, my worries proved to be for naught. I'd spoken true when I'd said the Lulamoon was stronger than a normal Pony. She was better by far. I had to admit that if Max were not my Master, then I would consider joining Trixie to see where her path takes her. That alone told me that she would at least be happy with her life, seeing as how she had my blessing naturally. However, if she mated with Master... I suppose I saw pieces of Max in her when she chose not to cry over the death of a friend, but even then I hoped that she would not hold her pain and let it fester.

We met another plain as our final destination loomed on the horizon, daunting and taunting me. It irked me, and I wanted nothing more than to finish the quest and be done with the damn thing. However, I saw the way Trixie was walking, and Summit needed a break of her own. Pushing the pack after a loss would be pointless, and it would be nice to roll around in tall, dry grass. Well, if the Lulamoon didn’t eat all of it. She made for a good goat, but it was a boon to see that she was eating without being told for once. Honey and I left Krel to watch over them, going for whatever we could find in the tall grasses, though the pickings were slim. I managed two rabbits and another big rodent of some kind, and Honey actually made multiple trips back to some dens and slaughtered most of the residents.

I did appreciate her enthusiasm. It was good to wipe the den; Krel needed the meat and I was starving myself. As we made do with our grass bed for the night, Finally, we could head to the Place-Where-Moon-Touches-Equus and my quest would be complete... I just... I suppose I wish that I hadn't brought Foxy along. His knowledge was irreplaceable, but his life had been more valued than simple facts. His encouragement and quiet resolve were always admirable to me, even if he was part cat…

Rest in peace, brother. Your pelt is still felt among us.