//------------------------------//
// Trouble is never alone 
// Story: Forest Treasure 
// by MirroredHawk 
//------------------------------//

Every now and then sky lit up in a white flashes of lightning. A huge thundercloud rolled from the south covering the sun and cold wind picked up the snow. Blizzard reduced visibility to mere meters. Sound of the saws disappeared and Fire had to navigate by some trunks and stones. After a sharp turn he nearly hit the stationary saw. He checked that everypony is following him and found that Mistral and Frist are literally standing muzzle-to-tail with him.

“Frist, there is an open space ahead!” Fire shouted with a loud thunder. The storm clearly arrived. “The hut isn't far away, but I'm afraid that we can lose somepony! Do you know the protective sphere spell?” he asked raising his voice.

“I think so,” replied Frist.

“Try to support my spell!” Fire shouted. His horn lit up and green sphere began to form around them, blinking. Frist's horn lit up with light-blue and sphere finally formed, being turquoise colour. It stopped the wind from getting inside making snow fall on the sides. “Nice one, Frist,” Fire complimented the student and checked that everypony is inside. “If I remember correctly, huts are right there,” he pointed with a hoof into the blizzard, “Let's get going.”

They slowly made their way through the empty field. Fire and Frist were struggling to keep such a large protection spell. With a lightning strike to one of the pines, sphere dangerously blinked. “There is a light!” exclaimed Mistral pointing into the faint yellow light from the window. After a few minutes of struggling with the storm they reached the door. Mare opened it from the inside. It was March Gustysnows! They quickly ran into the hut. Five lumberjacks were standing in the room and right in the centre of it lied bound pegasus, actively moaning something.

“Shut up!” March exclaimed, “Do ya' understand that raiders will come here now, don't ya'!? Venal bastard!” she shouted as lumberjacks and students were standing around, unable to move from shock. Mare finally noticed clueless gazes and spoke, “He's a traitor. Hippogriffe-Falls police department got news that some raiders manage to avoid our patrols and I've decided to investigate. The reason for that is in front of you,” she nodded at the pegasus and looked at the window for a moment, “I guess others are in the second hut. Where this storm came from?”

“Most probably something happened in Cloudsdale,” answered Golden earlier than Fire.

“Seems that Celestians started their attack,” she turned back, “This would explain the raider activity in the North. ATTENTION!” she suddenly shouted, startling everypony. “Raiders from the Crystal Empire can arrive at any moment! What weapons do ya' have?”

“Only our instruments,” — replied first lumberjack.

“And since when ya''re in command?” second asked indignantly.

March quickly pulled out her Whinnyapolis police chief officer's badge and put it back with her teeth. “Ya' must have something!” she said, “Law demands to have firearms in the remote settlements.”

“Pegasi in Castle Danger surely have somethin',” third lumberjack said.

“There is a double-barrel rifle in the other hut,” answered fourth lumberjack, getting poked by his comrade on the side.

“Scorpan, this is bad,” March said, “Can we get to the other hut?” she asked looking at the Fire.

“Me— well— where?” Fire tried to get himself intact. The worst has happened and now he was responsible for the lives of six students in the extreme conditions.

“I'll show ya', come with,” March said, adjusting her earflaps, as she walked to the door, “We will come back later,” she said to the students and gazed onto the Fire. He nodded and flashed with his horn.

“Let's go,” he said and exited the building with March, making very small sphere around them, barely covering the tip of his horn. They had to lean very close to each other. March pointed somewhere to the left and they started making their way to the second hut.

“What happened in here?” Fire asked.

“Haven't I told ya', eh?” March was completely calm, even though she had to shout recently, “I'm sure that small group of raiders managed to avoid our patrols undetected. A patrol-pegasus went missing yesterday and I've seen a couple of armed crystal ponies rushing into the forest, when I was on the observation post. Later I found out that patrol-pegasus flew away with this traitor to check the snow level behind the forest. Traitor returned alone.”

Sphere blinked. Fire was getting tired. “And how you—" Fire wanted to ask, but March again intercepted the question.

“—Putting two and two together I convinced him to be cooperative,” she said and nodded forward, “Here, there's a hut,” they quickly reached the door and knocked.

Night opened the door and let them in. “That's one Tartarus of a storm! Where it came from?” he asked, “I've never seen such in here.”

“Cloudsdale,” Fire and March answered simultaneously. Fire continued, “It seems that there was an accident due to the Celestians attack.”

“Raiders will suun come,” March said straight, “do ya' have weapons?”

Lumberjacks were stunned. “Weapons?” Night asked again.

“A double-barrel must be somewhere in here.”

“Well—” Night hesitated.

“One moment,” said one crystal pegasus stallion and flew up. After several seconds he came down with a double-barrel in his mouth, taking gun into the wing and presenting it to March.

“We won't put up much of a fight with that,” she said.

“There are some ‘Lilys’ on the cloud in Castle Danger, if I'm not mistaken,” said pegasus.

“We won't get there during blizzard,” replied March.

“And how—" Night wanted to ask.

“Luuk, when ya''ll be able to, fly for the rifles,” said March.

“March, but—" Fire wanted to object.

“Now luuk,” March interrupted everypony, “they aren't expecting to see rifles in here. So, it is the best opportunity to repel them. Who knows how to shuut?” Everypony looked at each other. March rolled her eyes, “And what do ya' need it for, eh?”

“I can,” suddenly replied Fire, “I've been in shooting range with the lighter version of ‘Lily’ several times.”

“Won't help,” March replied, “Who owns this double-barrel?”

“Sturdy Planks. He's probably in the other hut,” answered pegasus.

“'Faine', give it to me,” March took double-barrel rifle over her head, “How many rounds do ya' have?”

“Give me a sec,” Pegasus quickly jumped up and gave to the March ribbon with 20 rounds.

“Now we talkin',” cheered March.

“I... I can try to fly to Castle Danger right now,” Night said unconfidently.

“That's madness, you will crush into the first tree in such blizzard,” Fire answered.

“Wai',” said March and turned to Night, “Every second is important now. Ya' sure ya''ll be able to get it and come back?”

“I've already flown in blizzard,” Night's voice mixed with the thunder, “Not the one like that though... But I have more chances to get rifle than any pegasus. At least I'll be able to navigate.”

“Try to. We need to return to other hut,” March said, “Let's get goin'.”

March, Fire and Night left the hut under the small protective sphere. Night nodded and disappeared in the blizzard with the flap of his wings. Bat squeaks were heard through the blizzard, probably it is how Night was finding his way. March poked distracted Fire and they started to crawl back through the darkness. It was harder and harder to hold sphere around them and Fire was not up for talking. They had to press to each other's side with their tales being outside of the sphere already. Fire felt something solid attached to the jacket on the mare's backside. By form it resembled a revolver. The sphere blinked for a second letting in a gust of cold wind with the snow. Something blinked from a far and March suddenly pushed Fire to the right. Sphere disappeared; cold wind hit their bodies as they fell behind a log under the shed. A gunshot sound mixed with the thunder and howling of blizzard.

“Raiders,” whispered March, “they weren’t aimin' at us.” Another couple of gunshots. March peeked out from behind the log and quickly hid back, “Can't see a thing. Hut is close. One quick dash,” March yanked Fire, “Distract them.”

“Wha—” but Fire was too late to ask, March swung over the log and galloped to the hut. Fire started to run through the options. Distracting light. But I need something pleasant for the cast. It was hard to concentrate. He peeked out and saw several flashes in the forest, they were getting closer. Sound of gunshots were getting louder, but he hasn't heard any bullets hitting the ground. March's silhouette was already at the door. Fire gathered his thoughts and the horn flashed. Green light appeared making its way to the other end of his log. Two gunshots fired right near the left wall of the hut hitting the lightened end of log. Fire quickly hid his head; it was too dangerous now.