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// We Return to the Mountain City 
// Story: Her Eyes Reflect The Stars 
// by Lynwood 
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Dear Diary,

Four Score continued to be absolutely insufferable during the journey back from Dodge. It was a semi-constant stream of "I told you" this and "I told you" that, and he wouldn't shut up about the gigantic detour our little expeditionary family finds itself on even though nopony is even remotely happy about the situation. I wasn't even getting the worst of it. He kept on laying into poor Steady for her route ending up being the wrong choice, even though there's no way she could have known about that incredibly unfortunate (and incredibly unsettling) roadblock.

Of course, I wasn't free from his asinine wrath either. I did agree with Steady's route, after all. 

It all came to a head yesterday. We'd traveled all the way up from Dodge, past the rambling lake, and up towards the Mountain City. We were tired, we were hot, and it was still hours until we got to the river because we spent a long time hiding from a wandering machine. I'd tried everything to get Score's mind off of the detour. I tried to talk to him about school, tried to get his help telling funny stories from when we were colts. Nothing worked. He just kept complaining. Right when I was about to lose it, Auburn... exploded.

I've never seen her so angry. I've never seen such intense emotion on her at all, of any kind. Score made some ridiculous comment about all the grass and she just... went off. She shouted him down properly, told him that we all knew that he'd ended up being right and that Steady made a mistake and for the sake of everything good in this world to just give it a damned rest already. It was easily the most words I've ever heard her say at once, without a doubt.

Watching her shout was terrifying because Auburn is not a small mare, but I respect her for it. I should have spoken up days ago, but instead, I let the problem get worse and worse until the most silent pony in the group had had enough. I also thought that it was kind of attrac

Anyway, nopony spoke for the rest of the walk to the river. We set up camp where the river bends near the base of the mountain with minimal speaking, and then Score and Steady each went into their respective tents, leaving me sitting by the river and Auburn with the first watch. 

Then the strangest thing happened. Right as I was getting ready to write here, Auburn came over, stood right next to me (still keeping her head on a swivel, of course,) and said she was sorry. She said she felt like she went too far. I told her that she went exactly the right amount of far and that Score really needed to learn some manners, as far as I was concerned. I explained that I really should have been the one to speak up and say something, that she shouldn't have needed to do that. 

And then she told me that the whole reason she shut him up was that she could see me wanting to do something and decided to give me a hoof. Then she bumped my shoulder with the not-pointy end of her spearzapper and wandered off. Just like that. What???

I should get some rest. I have second watch and I really don't want to think about anything anymore. Mares are a mystery, Diary. 

Signed,
Quick Quill