//------------------------------// // 708 - Battered Mare // Story: Lateral Movement // by Alzrius //------------------------------// “We might as well try and get some sleep.” Valor’s declaration was met with a series of skeptical looks and incredulous snorts, Shadow’s being the most pointed among them. “Are you kidding? The moment we close our eyes, Toklo’s dad will tell his troops to run us through, cut our throats, and bash our brains in!” “I suppose having his son’s afterlife taken hostage would make him mad enough to order all three,” chuckled Spinner weakly, only for her grin to falter when no one else cracked a smile. “Ugh, fine. All gallows humor aside, I don’t think some shuteye is a good idea right now.” She finished her statement with a nod toward the adlets, not that she needed to. With night having fallen a little while ago, the two-legged wolves had set up camp. While the majority of them had strung up hammocks between the trees, nearly a third of them had elected to remain on watch. Rather than lighting a fire, those adlets had all murmured a soft word in their language, resulting in their weapons glowing with soft illumination like that of a torch, bright enough to let them see their surroundings without being so intense that they acted like beacons in the dark. But it hadn’t escaped anyone’s notice that the adlets were using the glow of their weapons to watch the ponies as much as the surrounding forest. Even so, Mystaria shook her head. “I think Valor’s right. Their leader said we wouldn’t be harmed, remember?” “And you believed that?” snorted Shadow. “Newsflash, Mysty: when someone’s son is a prisoner, parents will say anything to protect them.” The jab made the priestess of Luminace frown. “I might be an orphan, but I know that much,” she snapped, her voice coming out harsher than she meant. Putting a hoof on Mystaria’s shoulder, Valor cut in. “I think what Mysty means is that the deal was for Lex to remove Toklo’s curses after we find the Night Mare’s shrine. If he’s going to attack us, he’ll do it then and not before.” “Or, you know, he could just take one of us hostage in the meantime,” noted Spinner, idly strumming her lute. “I mean, he said he wouldn’t ‘harm’ any of us, not that he wouldn’t threaten to harm any of us.” “I think it’s safe to go to sleep,” interjected Thermal Draft, her voice soft as she glanced back at the adlets. “Toklo’s father seems like he really loves his son; I don’t think he’ll do anything that could put him in danger. And even if he did, Lex would rescue-” “Are you kidding me with that crap?” cut in Shadow, giving the pegasus a flat look. “Assuming your boyfriend even noticed” – she canted her head toward where Lex, still in his shadow-form, remained staring out into the woods; Solvei, lying down alongside him, had an ear pointed their way, but just like when she’d been guarding Toklo after they’d first taken him prisoner, didn’t otherwise react to what they were saying – “then for all we know, he’d just kill us where we stood instead of letting us be used as a bargaining chip. Presuming he didn’t just go crazy all over again.” Mystaria put a hoof to her brow, a pained expression crossing her face. “Shadow...” “What?” retorted the masked mare. “Tell me I’m wrong!” “Of course you’re wrong!” snapped Drafty. “How can you say-” She closed her mouth abruptly, taking a deep breath and holding it for several seconds before slowly exhaling. Finally, with her composure back in place, she looked at Shadow again. “Why do you hate him so much?” Scoffing, Shadow arched a brow at her. “Gee, I don’t know. Let me ask Woodheart what she thinks. Oh wait, I can’t!” She punctuated her final statement by waving a hoof at where Littleknight was curled up in the druid’s robe. “I swear to all the gods, the real question here is why you keep sticking up for him. At the rate you’re going, you’ll end up like his previous girlfriends.” Valor, Spinner, and Mystaria all winced at that, noticing that Solvei was glancing in their direction now. Nor was she the only one, as the adlets watching them were nudging each other and nodding in their direction. “Shadow,” ventured Spinner tentatively, “maybe we should put a pin in this for the time being.” “Oh no. No no no,” cut in Drafty before Shadow could say anything, her voice as cold as the weather. “I want to know what she meant by that.” “Gladly,” sneered Shadow, waving a hoof in Lex’s direction. “We all heard what those nightmare monsters of his said, you know. The last few girls he was shacking up with all ended up burning alive, and even he thinks it’s his fault. But even after that, after he all but admits he’s dangerous to be around – after seeing what happens to the mares in his life, not to mention what he did to Woodheart – you’re still acting like a schoolgirl with a crush, despite the fact that he’s never shown you the slightest ounce of concern that I can recall.” “You,” hissed Drafty around clenched teeth, “don’t know anything!” Shadow couldn’t have been less impressed at the other mare’s display of anger. “Oh come off it. Yes, he jumped in to defend your honor when Valor lost her cool, and he took you on a grand tour of pound-town. So what? He’s never once kissed you, or smiled at you, or had anything nice to say to you. Not once! Not to mention that time when he – and I’m going out on a limb here and guessing that this is a bad thing where you come from – sliced your face open! Did he ever even say he was sorry for injuring you?!” She didn’t wait for Drafty to answer her, instead rising to her hooves. Immediately, her friends were at her side, each of them murmuring for her to calm down, but Shadow pushed past them, her eyes blazing with anger as she advanced on Drafty, who stood up and flared her wings as the earth pony stomped closer, putting her nose within an inch of the pegasus’ own. “I’ve seen mares like you before, you know,” hissed Shadow, her voice dripping with venom. “I’m from Blevik, and everyday there’d be some lady in the market with too much makeup on, or who’d styled her mane so that it covered part of her face, or would wear a floppy hat that obscured her features, hoping that it would keep everyone from noticing that she had a black eye or a split lip or a bruised jawline.” Despite her anger, a sliver of confusion ran across Drafty’s face then. “What are you talking about? The only time Lex ever hurt me was on accident!” “It’s always an accident,” spat Shadow, the words sounding like acid on her tongue. “I heard every one of those excuses growing up, from tripping and falling down the stairs to him not knowing what he was doing because he was drunk. But it all came down to the same sick song over and over: that he didn’t mean to hurt you. That he’s really a sweet guy deep down. That no one else knows him like you do. And it was always a GODS DAMNED LIE!” Drafty was backing up now, her angry expression having faded into one of worry. Nor was she the only one; Mystaria, Valor, and Spinner were all sharing looks of concern. Even the adlets were making no pretense about their staring now, watching the drama unfold from a comfortable distance. But Shadow was blind to all of it, focused only on keeping pace with Drafty as she retreated, one hoof coming up to jab the pegasus in the chest sharply. “The truth is that you’re the one who doesn’t know what sort of person your boyfriend is! You’re the one who can’t see that he doesn’t care about you! And you’re the one who’s too stupid to realize that you’re going to end up just like every other mare he’s used and abused if you don’t wake up and get away from him while you still can!” “I’ve heard enough of this!” Solvei’s growl was filled with fury, her teeth bared as she stood up. But she’d barely taken two steps when she came to a sudden halt, flinching as she looked back at Lex with a pleading expression. “But Master...!” Her whine got caught in her throat, however, as she saw that the green and purple eyes shining out from the shifting mass of shadows was no longer staring at nothing. Instead, Lex was looking at Shadow and Thermal Draft. And then, a moment later, he began to move toward them. Neither mare noticed, however, with Thermal Draft still looking flummoxed by what was going on as Shadow continued to stay right up in her face. “But no!” screamed the latter mare, her hoof impacting Drafty’s ribs with more force this time. “You’re not going to do that, are you?! Even though it’s obvious to everyone except you!” “Shadow, stop!” Finally shaking off her surprise, Mystaria was by her friend’s side in an instant, trying to drag her backward. “You’re scaring her!” “You need to calm down!” insisted Valor, putting a hoof on Shadow’s chest. “GET OFF ME!” screamed Shadow, shoving Mystaria away before bringing her elbow back sharply into Valor’s nose. The blow sent her stumbling, her expression one of surprise rather than pain. “Stop acting like it’s my fault! I’m the only one who’s trying to help! I’M TRYING TO HELP! If she can’t make herself leave the stallion who’s killing her, then she needs to be taken away from him for her own good!” She turned back to Drafty then, panting through her mask as she looked at the cringing mare. “HE DOESN’T LOVE YOU!” she shrieked, her eyes wild, seeming to look through Drafty rather than at her. “HE’S NEVER LOVED YOU! ALL HE WANTS IS A LIVE-IN MAID WHO WORKS FOR FREE AND PUTS OUT ON COMMAND! THAT’S IT!” Her foreleg lashed out again, and this time Shadow put as much force as she could behind it, making Drafty cry out in pain as the earth mare struck her ribs. “THAT’S!” – jab – “ALL!” – jab – “YOU!” – jab – “ARE!” – jab – “TO!” – j- Rematerializing right in front of her, Lex caught Shadow’s hoof. “Leave her alone.” For a moment Shadow didn’t react, as though having trouble processing what was going on. Then her eyes settled on Lex, and she drew her hoof back. “You...” she hissed, reaching for her dagger. “You think you can smack me around and I’ll fall in line, is that it?! You think-” “That’s it!” Valor barreled into Shadow a moment later, sending them both tumbling. “Spinner! Mysty! Now!” At her cry, Spinner threw a coil of rope at the struggling duo, while Mystaria took a scroll out of her saddlebag and unrolled it, rattling off the spell it had been inscribed with. Instantly, the rope began to move of its own accord, snaking toward where Shadow was struggling to get free of Valor. The brawny mare waited until the thick cord reached them both, then rolled away from Shadow, just in time for the rope to begin coiling around her. Cursing and shrieking like a wildcat, Shadow kicked and thrashed, trying to knock the rope away, but her wild movements did little except to tire her out. Within seconds, the heavy twine had wound around each of her legs, pulling them tightly together before tying itself around her middle, the ends twisting together into a thick knot. Even then, Shadow didn’t stop fighting, cursing and yelling incoherently as she tried in vain to free herself. Managing a rictus grin, Spinner gave an awkward wave to the adlets, many of whom were now sitting up in their hammocks to get a look at all the commotion. “And that’s our show for tonight, everyone!” she called out, waving as she, Mystaria, and Valor went to retrieve their hysterical friend, dragging her further away to where they’d have a modicum of privacy. “Thanks, and have a great evening!” Lex watched them go before turning around to look at Thermal Draft. “Are you alright?” Shaking as she rubbed the sore spot on her chest, Drafty managed a nod. “I... I think so, yeah.” A moment later it occurred to her that Lex was actually talking to her, something he hadn’t done in days. “Lex, are you-” A sharp cry from one of the adlets cut her off. Around them, the two-legged wolves were raising their guard, gripping their weapons tighter and nudging their fellows who were still asleep. Among them, Toklo’s father was already barking orders, spear in hand as he looked...upward? A few seconds later, a patch of mist moved down from the trees to the center of their camp. Immediately, it began to assume a humanoid shape, and a few moments later it had solidified into another adlet. “Where is he?” came a feminine growl as the newcomer stood up. “Where’s the pony who killed Panuk?” The other adlets began jabbering in their native tongue then, glancing at each other in visible surprise. But while it was impossible to make out what they were saying, a single word could be heard on every tongue, repeated by each of them. “Akna.”