//------------------------------//
// Building Bridges 
// Story: Meet and Greet 
// by Some Leech 
//------------------------------//

With her head dipped to the babbling brook, keeping her ears lifted, Karakusa drank from the cool, clear water. She’d been quite lucky to stumble upon the little stream, but she couldn’t spend too much time relaxing. As she straightened up and wiped her face with a foreleg, her eyes drifted up to the dense canopy above.

Though the forest was dense, she could tell the sun was already dipping toward the horizon. Glancing back at the small saddlebags slung over her back, she grabbed her canteen, hastily filled it, then jumped over the creek. This was bad. Though she carried a small pup tent along with her, the prospect of camping out by her lonesome wasn’t exactly what she’d consider a good time.

Things might have been easier if she’d been using a trail, but an old pony at the hostel she’d stayed at the night before had told her about a shortcut - well a supposed shortcut. He’d said that all she had to do was bear straight east, move through a valley, and pass an abandoned griffon outpost before she made it to her destination - unfortunately for her, she’d either been duped or her compass wasn’t as accurate as she thought it was. Trotting along at a decent pace, staying mindful of roots or partially buried rocks in the earth, she slowed when an odd noise caught her ear.

She stood motionless and listened, her ears swiveling in different directions for the source of the sound. Songbirds chirped, the stream ran behind her, and a soft breeze were the only things she could hear, momentarily making her second-guess herself, until it happened again. It was faint, almost imperceptible, but she could swear somepony was talking in the distance. Suddenly finding herself at a crossroads, she frowned

There was a good chance she was lost, having either missed some landmark or wandering off course along her way, so finding whoever was talking might not be a bad idea - then again, given the secluded nature of the woodland she was traveling through, she had no idea who or what may be out there speaking. As the noise came to a halt, drowned out by the sound of the woods all around her, her thoughts started to race.

If she was lucky, she’d have another hour or two of sunlight left. Finding somewhere to hunker down for the night was the only reasonable option for her, since traveling in the pitch-black of night would be absolutely hellish, but that presented a problem in and of itself. A camp, regardless of how small, would require a fire - a fire which would alert anyone in the vicinity of where she was. Looking in the direction the voices had come from, she knit her brow and pressed onward.

There was no way for her to know who was out there, where they were from, or even if they were ponies or not, so she had to be extra cautious. As much as she’d like to think the best of everypony, she was well aware that there were ponies out in the world who were less than savory. She slowed, carefully moving one hoof in front of the other, and moved as quietly as she could manage.

Only pausing to occasionally get her bearings, she steadily drew nearer to the source of the voices. In a way, she was actually lucky; unlike a great many ponies she’d met in her travels, the boots strapped to her hooves managed to silence her steps. Moving to the crest of a hill, keeping herself hidden behind a particularly tall tree, she scanned the landscape and spotted an anomaly.

Crumbled walls and what appeared to be the remnants of a tower rested at the far end of the small gully. It was no secret that the land hadn’t always been abandoned, being the site of several skirmishes between the Griffish and Equestrian empires, but it wasn’t the ruins that caught her attention. Something - no, two somethings moved about the debris of the ancient structure.

She squinted and lowered herself to the ground. The figures looked to be about the same size as ponies, and they were both relatively colorful, but that told her little. Griffins, Hippogriffs, and several other species on the continent typically had colored hides or plumage, though she was able to tell she wasn’t looking at changelings or some sort of wildlife. Crawling closer, hoping for a better look, she held her breath and watched.

Though they were too far away for her to make out what they were saying, the pair definitely were talking with one another. Close enough to make out a stallion and mare’s voices, she grew increasingly optimistic. Maybe the duo were traveling and were going to use the collapsed building as cover for the night - if that was the case, they might be willing to let her set up her tent near them!

With her hopes and aspirations outstripping her reservations, she crept forward. The closer she got, the more she could make out - the more she could make out, the more interested she became. The two were definitely ponies, a pegasus stallion and an earth pony mare; while that wasn’t enough to tell her they were nice, it was certainly more comforting than stumbling on a pair of giant diamond dogs or chimera. She stopped just shy of a large boulder and peeked out from beside the rock.

“Kara?” the stallion called, looking behind himself. “Kara, where’d you put your bedroll?”

“It’s right…” Karakusa reflexively began to reply before jamming a forehoof to her muzzle.

The mare appeared from a decrepit wall, looking about with her cool, blue eyes. “What was that?”

Shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot, Karakusa mutely cursed to herself, wiggling back behind the boulder.

She didn’t budge, she didn’t breathe, she didn’t make a sound, making the sound of approaching footfalls all the more menacing. They’d heard her - darn it, she’d given herself away. How in the world did they know her name? As the strangers steadily approached, she slowly exhaled, pushed herself up, and prayed she wasn’t about to make a terrible mistake.

“Hello!” she chirped, leaping to the side and into view.

The duo stopped dead in their tracks, mere feet from where she landed, and stared in open awe at her. Holding the hilt of a sword in her mouth, the mare looked her over with a mixture of shock and incredulity. The stallion, though unarmed, was a bit more imposing than his traveling companion; his dark, cat-like eyes smacked of a thestral lineage, as did the fangs in his open maw, yet the odd, woody growths around his lower limbs was a complete mystery.

“It’s just some filly,” the mare coughed, leering over at her associate.

“I’m not some filly,” Kara scoffed, rearing back askance, “I’m Karakusa the Adventurer!”

Undeterred or possibly unimpressed with the assertion, the stallion’s eyes never left the little mare. “Are you out here all by yourself?”

“As a matter of fact, I am,” Kara proudly stated. “This is the - wait, I mean, no,” she bleated, scrambling to correct herself. “I have friends around.” The pair shared a glance before turning their attention back to her.

“You’re either a really bad liar or your friends are sneakier than any pony I’ve ever seen,” the mare chuckled.

“Kara, hush, don’t be rude,” the stallion tutted.

Karakusa blinked in disbelief, taken completely off guard by what she’d heard. “Your name’s Kara too?”

“Kara Waypoint, yeah,” the mare responded after a moment. “And who are you again?”

Karakusa gazed in awe at the proud, well-built mare before her. Her anxiety from the sudden exchange was eclipsed by excitement and unabashed admiration. An adventurer - Kara Waypoint was an honest to goodness adventurer! If she kept working hard, trained, and learned as much as she could, she had little doubt that she’d end up just as cool and confident someday.

“I’m Karakusa,” Kara exclaimed, proudly holding a hoof to her chest, “but you can call me Kara.”

“Kara and Kara, cute,” the stallion snickered before extending a forehoof. “Well, Kara, I’m Fenris - Fenris Ebonyglow. If you don’t mind me asking, what brings a filly into the woods all by herself?”

Shaking the proffered hoof without a second thought, Kara scrunched her snout. “I’m traveling to…”

She cut herself off and gazed up at his smiling face. Darn it, she’d almost done it again. It was one thing to tell her friends about what she was doing - but it was quite another to go speaking at length to strangers. Withdrawing her foreleg, she adjusted the scabbard on her back and brushed herself off.

“Traveling to…?” Waypoint pressed, inching closer.

“Just…just traveling - traveling east if you have to know,” Kara glibly stated. “What about you two ~ where are you going?”

Fenris grinned and peered down at his pint-sized visitor. “What a coincidence, we’re going east as well. Kara, I think you can put your sword away now…”

“It is away,” Kara grumbled, looking over her shoulder to her back.

Though the blade she carried was as far from a sword as a jewelers hammer was to a maul, she liked to consider her dagger a miniature gladius. A day would come when she’d own a proper piece of steel, more than likely when she was older and had the bits to afford one, but she was happy with the equipment she had. Her little knife was small, functional, and it served its purpose just fine.

Turning her head, the other Kara moaned. “I can already tell that this is going to be fun…”

Kara watched as the mare tapped an amulet hanging from her neck. With a small flash of light, the sword Waypoint was carrying was simply gone - disappeared into thin air. She’d seen all sorts of stuff in her day, but the mystical act nearly made her jaw hit the floor. 

“Oh come on, it’s not that bad,” Fenris sighed. “I’ll just call you Waypoint for the time being.”

“Great,” Waypoint sighed, “just like old times.”

“Wait wait wait -” Kara excitedly began, staring intently at Waypoint’s necklace, “what just happened with your sword?”

“I keep it in here ~ see?” Waypoint answered, pressing a forehoof to the jeweled amulet and making the sword appear just as astonishingly as it had vanished.

“Gosh - that is so cool!” Kara whispered, only snapping from her awe-struck stupor when the stallion snickered. Turning her head from left to right and back again, studying the mismatched duo, Kara was stricken with an idea. “Are you two camping out here tonight?”

With a smile that displayed his pronounced canines, Fenris dipped his head. “We may be ~ why?”

“Can I camp here with you?” Kara inquired, turning in a circle and pawing at one of her bags. “I’ve got a sleeping bag, a pup tent, and a little pillow, so I wouldn’t have to borrow yours or anything.”

She’d been fully expecting to find somewhere to post up for the impending night by herself, so finding the duo was a stroke of luck. Though she could go about by herself without much trouble - heck, she’d done so on a hoofful of occasions before, she much preferred having company. Clumsily reaching into one of her twin satchels, she pulled out a small burlap sack.

“I’ll share some of my oats with you,” she continued, smiling broadly. Fenris lifted a hoof and opened his mouth to reply, but he was quickly pulled away by his companion.

Dragging the stallion behind herself, Kara glanced over her shoulder at the diminutive mare. “Give us one minute…”

Kara nodded and stayed put. While the duo seemed decent enough, she couldn’t help but offer a bit of her provisions as a peace offering. Hearing the two quietly discuss something out of sight and behind one of the many dilapidated walls, she drifted to the side to give herself a better look at the ruins.

She couldn’t imagine what the structure would have looked like in its prime, though she assumed it must have been a fort or outpost of some type. All but three of the walls had collapsed, the roof was long since gone, and the only thing that remained was the hewn stones of the foundation. The place wasn’t much to look at, and it would probably be consumed by nature after a few more years, but it broke the wind and gave a perfectly level spot to sleep on.

“Alright,” Fenris huffed, “you can set up your tent next to ours, but -”

“But there are going to be a few rules,” Waypoint interjected. “No touching our stuff, no weird questions, and definitely no-”

“Can I see your sword?” Kara interrupted, hungrily eyeing the mare’s blade. Greeted by a pregnant pause, she swung her attention to the earth pony’s face. “I’ll show you mine if you want!”

“Why would I - Oof,” Waypoint grunted as she was softly elbowed in the side. Rolling her eyes, she sank her blade between two of the paving stones beneath them.

Unsheathing her dagger, Kara tenderly sat her weapon on the ground at Waypoint’s hooves. She really wasn’t much of a brawler or swordsmare, but she did know a thing or two about how to defend herself - as such, as much for practicality as anything, she typically went armed. As she turned and peered over at the comparably giant blade, her thoughts began to wander.

The polished edge, brass guard, and jeweled pommel of the bastard sword were beautiful - way fancier than what she had on her little short sword! Running her frog along the fuller, she twisted her leg and tested the edge against her hoof. The blade was razor sharp, carving a sliver of keratin off as though it was air, making her grin broaden, but it wasn’t nearly as impressive as the finery.

Silver filigree was traced along the guard, and the hilt bore a gemstone similar to the one hanging around Waypoint’s neck. There was no way that the sword wasn’t worth a fortune, though its arcane ability to hide within an amulet surely increased the value several times over. As Kara affectionately caressed the handle, a covetous thought crept into her mind. What if she just…

She shook her head and closed her eyes, attempting to dislodge the unwanted thoughts. No - no no no no no! If she worked hard and saved up her bits, she could earn a sword like this someday - not before. Wheeling around to distract herself, she found Waypoint hopping about and slashing at the air with her blade.

Only stopping when she heard Fenris’ stifled laughter, Waypoint ceased her impromptu practice and placed the blade back on the ground. “Not a bad little toothpick you have there - reminds me of one I had when I was a filly.”

“Well I’m not a filly,” Kara harrumphed, marching over and picking up her sword. “I’m just short.”

Waypoint peaked a brow and fought back a smirk. “How old are ya?”

“I’m - uh -” Kara falteringly replied, “I’m old enough to handle myself in a scrap!”

“Oh really now?” Waypoint mused.

“Uh-huh,” Kara insisted.

“Not to interrupt,” Fenris groaned, drawing the two’s attention over to himself, “but since it’s going to be dark soon, would you two fine mares mind putting your dispute on hold until we get a fire going?”

Giving a small snort, Waypoint turned and trotted away. “Fine with me.”

“Yeah, me too,” Kara added, picking up and magically sheathing her sword. Looking over and up at Fenris, having sat the oats down, she nudged the burlap sack of grain with her hoof. “What can I help with?”

He rubbed his chin and glanced over his shoulder. “Are you any good at cooking?”

“Not…not really, no,” she admitted, hanging her head. “I’ve got a little butter and salt packed away, so I could probably make us some porridge. Porridge is easy enough to make ~ right?”

If there was one thing she needed to work on, it was her culinary skills. Things as seemingly simple as making toast could be a trial, though it wasn’t from her lack of trying. Ordinarily speaking, when she was out and about by herself, she’d stick to simple basics like gruel, bread, or raw veggies.

Slowly wheeling around and trotting away, he motioned for her to follow. “Come on. We’ve got some carrots and potatoes you could help cut up, or you could help me gather some kindling - honestly, I’d be happy if you did either.”

Watching him trot away, she blinked. As excited as she was to learn more about Fenris and Waypoint, a memory she’d hoped to forget bubbled to the surface of her mind. It had to be a coincidence, no more than an innocent twist of fate - still, her mirth faltered for a moment. So long as they weren’t making soup, she wouldn’t let that fateful, unfortunate night sully her mood.

“I’ll do both,” she beamed. “Just let me set my stuff down. Where do you want me to put my tent?”

“Beside ours is fine,” he answered, moving around one of the walls and nodding to the side.

Kara came to a halt as she got her first good look at the camp. Apparently she’d found them before they’d been able to set much, if anything up for themselves. Their packs rested against one another, their tent was down and held in place under a rock, and they’d begun constructing a ring of stones to form a fire pit. Realizing she could make herself useful, she scampered over to their belongings and started unbuckling the leather strap around her barrel.

Though she’d been a bit disheartened earlier by the fact that her trek would take longer than she’d expected, she was overjoyed with her serendipity. She couldn’t be completely sure, but her gut told her that Fenris and Ms. Waypoint were adventurers like herself - older, likely more experienced adventurers, but adventurers nonetheless! As she hastily retrieved and unrolled her tent, a gentle nudge on her shoulder caused her to start.

“Here,” Fenris whispered, holding out the bag of oats, “you forgot this.”

“You don’t want them?” she asked, hesitant to take the small sack.

If there was one thing she wasn’t going to do, it was to become a burden for her newfound friends. It was a common occurrence that ponies extended a helping hoof to her, assuming she wasn’t able to contribute or be of use, and it was endlessly frustrating. Just because she was small and a bit inexperienced didn’t mean she couldn’t chip in!

He shook his head. “You keep ‘em for now. We have enough for the three of us tonight.”

Reluctantly taking the oats, she stashed the food away and waved over at him. “I’m gonna get some firewood. Don’t go snooping through my stuff!”

“I won’t,” he chuckled, shaking his head.

Kara ran off in the direction of a dead tree she’d passed earlier, grinning from ear to ear. A free meal, new friends, and a chance to hear some nifty stories? Yeah - this wasn’t turning out to be nearly as bad as it could have been! Cantering back to the felled timber, she kicked off a decently sized limb, bit the base of a branch, and began hauling it back to their camp.

While she would mind having a horn or wings, being able to fly or use magic, she was happy with who and what she was. Being an earth pony was, in her humble opinion, the best. She was strong, fast, and some of the best adventurers on the planet were just like her - maybe a little older and with more experience under their belts, but she’d be just like them someday. As walked in reverse, kicking one log along while biting and dragging a second, she contentedly hummed to herself.

Three trips later, as well as a bit of foraging around the campsite for kindling, and her enthusiasm was starting to be outstripped by weariness. She’d spent nearly the entire day trotting over uneven terrain, she hadn’t stopped to eat, and the sun had set several minutes prior, leaving the derelict ruins lit only by the fire Waypoint had lit. By the time she fetched a third piece of lumber, she saw Fenris nudging several potatoes into the growing mound of coals.

“Don’t sweat it,” he hummed, apparently noting the crestfallen look on her face. “I figure baked potatoes would be a good, simple meal.”

“And roasted carrots,” Waypoint added, trotting up with a trio of sharpened sticks. “Hey, kid, you got any seasonings in those bags of yours?”

Without saying a thing, Kara rushed over and rooted around in one of her satchels. “Yeah, I’ve got some butter, salt, and - um - sage? Yeah, it’s called sage. Does sage go well with potatoes or carrots?”

Fenris trotted to her and gingerly plucked the ingredients from her hoof. “Only one way to find out.”

“I guess you’re - hey!” she squawked, only then seeing her tent had been erected. “You didn’t have to do that!”

“Thank Kara - I mean Waypoint,” he muttered, giving the filly a wink. “Just don’t be surprised if she tells you that I made her do it.”

Watching him trot back to the fire, Kara found herself at a loss. She could have sworn Waypoint hadn’t wanted her there, yet the well-built, well-armed mare had done her a kindness. After stowing her effects in her tent, she trotted over to the pair, cleared her throat, and caused them to look over. 

“Ms. Waypoint, thank you. You didn’t have to do that,” she murmured, stepping forward and giving the mare a brief, albeit tender hug. Withdrawing quickly, having felt the adventurer stiffen against her, she warily smiled. “I have a question - if…if you don’t mind me asking.”

Waypoint stared down at the filly, trying and failing not to smile. “What’s that, kid?”

“So - um - are you two married?” Kara inquired, looking from one pony to the other.

Fenris and Waypoint’s eyes widened as they glanced at one another. Shuffling apart, with the stallion rubbing his neck and the mare finding some sudden interest in a pebble by her hoof, their cheeks darkened. Kara cocked her head to the side, confused by their odd reaction, but then it hit her. Peeking at their forehooves, not seeing any ring to speak of, she giggled and trotted over to the carrots.

As she slathered the delectable little root vegetables in butter, using a spoon which had been thrust into the butter she’d provided, she did her best not to laugh. “Do you think the potatoes will take long?”

“Shouldn’t take that long,” Waypoint remarked, grabbing and offering one of the sticks impaled with carrots. “So you’re headed east ~ eh?”

Kara nodded, accepted the skewer and leaned it over the soundly burning fire. “Yup, I’m headed to the Berry Bog. I’m gonna meet a friend - well, no, she’s not a friend yet, but I’m supposed to meet a mare there who’s gonna teach me how to track!”

“Huh,” Fenris grunted. “We’ll actually be stopping there ourselves.”

“That’s so cool! Do you think I could…” Kara trailed off, reeling herself in.

The stallion smirked, his eyes twinkling in the firelight. “Do you think we could…?”

“N…nothing,” Kara sputtered and dismissively waved a hoof, “it’s not important.”

Waypoint groaned, rolled her eyes, and pinched the bridge of her snout. “Since you two want to beat around the bush, I may as well deal with it myself,” she groused, peeking over at the filly with a single eye. “If you want to travel with us, you can - that said, you’ll have to get up early, match our pace, and do what we tell you to do.”

“Within reason,” Fenris added. “You stop when we stop, you help us if we need help - you know, those sort of things.”

Springing to her hooves, dropping her roasting carrots into the flame, Kara faced the pair. “Yes, absolutely yes! I’d love to travel with you - I mean - Ahem -” she coughed into her forehoof, attempting to compose herself. “Yes, I agree to your offer.”

Fenris nodded to the fire. “I’m happy to hear it, but you might want to get your dinner. I’d hate for you to burn it.”

“What do - Shoot!” Kara squawked, her eyes turning to the fire.

Turning and grabbing the base of her stick, she pulled her carrots off the coals. She really needed to get herself together; not only was she acting particularly energetic, very unlike a tried and tested adventurer, but she was making herself look bad! Unless she could do something to prove her worth, Fenris and Waypoint might think she’s a novice - or worse yet, a pretender! As she blew the soot and ash off her meal, she recalled something an old friend had told her.

“Did you know that coal can actually be good for you?” she asked, drawing an odd look from the duo. “It’s true! If you grind up charcoal super fine, you can use it to treat some sorts of poisons!”

“That’s…that’s actually pretty impressive,” Waypoint muttered. “Where’d you learn that?”

With a haughty waggle of her shoulders, Kara seated herself. “Friend of mine taught me that - heck, he taught me all sorts of stuff.”

“Well do you know how Berry Bog got its name?” the older mare countered.

“I…no, not really,” Kara admitted. “It has to have something to do with swamps ~ right?”

“Close,” Waypoint snickered. “It’s actually called Berry Bog because they grow cranberries. Believe it or not, you harvest cranberries by flooding the fields they grow in with water.”

“No way!” Kara gasped, looking over to Fenris. “That can’t be true.”

Giving a nod, Fenris prodded and flipped the potatoes. “It’s true, but I didn’t believe it at first either.”

Unsure of what to say, wondering how somepony could gather berries in a flooded field, Kara turned her attention back to the fire. Hearing about different places was all well and good, but she felt absolutely certain that the pair were sitting on some darn good stories. She wiggled closer to Waypoint and caught the mare’s eye.

“So have you had to use that sword?” she reverently asked, peeking at the strange, weapon-producing amulet.

“A few times, yeah,” Waypoint grimly stated, “but it’s not…”

Left listening to the sounds of the crackling fire and a breeze whistling through the trees, Kara cocked her head to the side. “Not what?”

Neither Waypoint nor Fenris said a thing, as they continued slowly turning their skewers beside the flame. Stretching one foreleg up and over her head, giving a small yawn, the mare’s hoof drifted to the grip of her sword, while the stallion peered into the shadowy distance. Though Kara couldn’t put her hoof on it, she knew something was off.

“How many,” Waypoint breathed, her voice faint.

Shifting ever so slightly, Fenris adjusted his wings. “Three at least - maybe more.”

Kara followed his gaze and squinted at the darkness. Something had set the duo off, though she hadn’t the faintest clue what it could be. Getting to her hooves, ignoring a hushed hiss from the mare beside her, she moved around the fire. If someone or something was out there, they may be in the same predicament she’d been in.

It wasn’t until she had her back to the fire, hearing her newfound friends stand, that she saw it - two pairs of gleaming, segmented eyes staring at her from beside a tree. Changelings - she could tell what they were in an instant, although she had no way of knowing what their intentions were. Maybe they were cold and hungry, or perhaps they’d been drawn to the fire - whatever the case may be, she wasn’t going to jump to conclusions.

“Kara, come back to the fire,” Fenris firmly instructed.

When Kara glanced back over her shoulder, her blood ran cold. Both Fenris and Waypoint were at the ready, their blades drawn and held to their sides, but there was something else; while neither of them were unicorns, their eyes glowed in the dim light. Whatever doubt she may have had about the two being able to handle themselves was gone in a flash - nevertheless, she hesitated to obey them. What if they were wrong? What if whoever was out there wasn’t out to hurt them.

Against her better judgment, she looked back into the gloom and drew a breath. “Hello?”

“Kara,” Waypoint spat, “get back here right now.”

“I can see you,” Kara continued undaunted. “You might as well come out.”

Drifting closer, two silhouettes appeared, each equal in size, with a third lumbering up behind them. She’d been right about one thing, the eyes she’d spotted did belong to a duo of changelings, although she hadn’t realized they weren’t alone. A tall, hulking shape moved between the pair of shapeshifters, dragging what looked like a small tree behind itself.

Before she could react, moving faster than she could comprehend what she was looking at, blur sailed past and in front of her. Seeing Fenris’ leathery, outstretched wing, she shied back. He’d quite literally leapt in harm’s way for her, somepony he’d only just met, and he was quickly joined by his companion.

“And how can we help you fine gentleponies?” he glibly inquired.

“Out of our way pony,” one of the changelings spat, “we seek no quarrel with you.”

Waypoint grunted around the grip of her sword, only lowering the weapon to speak. “You expect us to believe that when you were watching us from the treeline?”

“Curiosity - nothing more,” the other drone answered. “Yet you come with blades drawn and teeth bared.”

Kara sidled over and away, creating a gap between herself and the standoff - that was until she noticed the towering figure sway. Leaning against an utterly titanic club, the giant clutched its stomach and softly groaned to itself. Though she could scarcely make it out, she could see the outlines of a muzzle, two floppy ears, and a short, studded tail tucked between its legs. She’d only ever seen diamond dogs on rare occasions, and always at a distance, but she instantly recognized what she was looking at.

“Hey,” she called, shattering the tense silence and pointing a hoof at the colossus, “is your friend sick?”

“Uh-huh,” the behemoth rumbled, taking a shuddering step forward. “Stomach - Hrk.”

Falling to his knees, the titan dropped his club, heaved, and emptied his stomach to the ground. It was an unseemly sight, yet Kara was the only one to meaningfully react. Whereas Fenris, Waypoint, and the two drones went back to leering at one another, the filly winced and averted her gaze. Intimidating or not, she felt bad for the creature - after all, nopony liked being sick.

Wheeling around and running headlong into the camp, past the fire and the abandoned carrots, she charged into her tent. She didn’t know much about diamond dogs, but she reckoned they had some similarities to ponies - after all, they were both mammals. She unclasped a pouch on her satchel, thrust a hoof inside, and blindly felt around.

“Come on,” she grumbled, digging her hoof deeper. 

It was in here - it had to be! The only supplies she’d used were the granola bars she’d picked up before leaving town, even though she said she was going to save them for an emergency, which meant the rest of her things should still be stashed away! When something small and cold graced her frog, she smiled, righted herself, and rushed back outside. She only slowed as she moved past the fire, taking a moment to prod the steaming, partially burnt potatoes away from the blaze, before continuing on her mission.

“I have it!” she shouted, holding up a hoof while awkwardly cantering on three legs. She barely noticed the confused, concerned looks on her friends and the changelings’ faces as she ran up to the doubled over canine and offered the tiny vial. “Drink this.”

“Karakusa, if you don’t -” Waypoint fell silent when Fenris held a hoof to her chest.

The giant lifted its head and wearily eyed the little bottle. “What this?”

“It’s medicine,” Kara explained, biting and pulling the cork stopper free.

Taking the vial in a shaky hand, the canine brought the elixir to its nose and gave it a sniff. “It safe?”

“I think it works on anypony, even if they’re not a pony,” Kara unsurely muttered. Turning and glowering over at the drones, she petulantly stomped a hoof. “If he’s -”

“It’s a her,” Waypoint tersely corrected.

“Sorry - if she’s sick, why are you making her travel at night? She needs rest!” Kara insisted.

The changelings looked to one another for an instant then stared over at the irate filly. “We were looking for water and a place to set up camp.”

Pointing behind herself, Kara shook her head. “There’s a stream a few minutes’ trot in that direction. If you go get her some water, we’ll keep an eye on her.”

“Euch -” the goliath croaked, sticking out her tongue. “Tastes bad!”

“It’s medicine - it’s not supposed to taste good,” the filly insisted. “Come on, come sit by the fire and rest. You two,” she continued, glancing over at the drones, “go get her some water and come back.”

The changelings faltered and slunk off, giving the trio of ponies and their ill associate a wide berth. While Fenris and Waypoint watched the strangers depart, none too keen on leaving them to wander off unobserved, Kara stroked the giant beast’s shoulder. Wiping her slavering maw, the titan reached over and patted the small pony’s head.

“Thanks,” the great creature huffed.

“Let’s get you warmed up - the fire is right over here,” Kara softly said, offering a hoof to the brute. “What’s your name?”

“Sapphire,” the behemoth growled. “You?”

“I’m Kara - Kara the Adventurer,” Kara began, “and those are Fenris Ebonyglow and Kara Waypoint - I know, it’s funny that she has the same name as me.”

Giving a small laugh, the mountainous canine pushed herself up and started wandering to the fire pit. She reached for her neck as she unsteadily plodded along and untied something from around her neck. “Here…”

Kara looked up in confusion, walking beside the behemoth, and found a simple leather braid with a tooth hanging from its center in the beast’s grasp. “What’s that?”

“For you,” Sapphire stoically noted. “Pony give Sapphire medicine - Sapphire give pony gift.”

“Oh wow,” Kara softly exclaimed, reverently taking the small offering. “Is that a tooth?”

The canine nodded and eased herself down by the fire. “Is from my tribe - mark of respect.”

As the filly seated herself right next to the heavily breathing diamond dog, Fenris trotted over and cleared his throat. “That was very nice of you, Kara. Would you mind watching the potatoes and carrots for Waypoint and I? Since we have…” he paused, his smile growing pinched. “Since we have guests, Waypoint and I are going to sleep in shifts after we eat.”

Kara saluted the stallion and beamed, heedless of the implications of what he’d said. “Will do! I’ll even stay up all night if you -”

“No no,” he cut her off. “As appreciative as I am, I think you’ve done enough for tonight,” he sighed and strolled to the opposite side of the fire. “Just don’t lose that necklace; if it is what I think it is, you’ll want to keep your hooves on it.”

Looking to the cord-wrapped fang, Kara peaked a brow. “Is it expensive?”

“Hmmmph,” Sapphire grunted. “Worth much - worth respect.”

Kara dutifully lifted the skewered carrots and placed them next to the flame, close enough to cook but far away enough to prevent burning, before she flipped the potatoes. “I can’t - Yawn - I can’t wait to tell my friends about this.”

“I’m sure,” Fenris chuckled, lowering and shaking his head.

Staring down at the strangely simple necklace, Kara couldn’t help but smile. Not only had she met two adventurers, but she’d helped a sick diamond dog - a big diamond dog! She couldn’t say how long it would take them to reach Berry Bog tomorrow, or what other excitement they’d find on their journey, but she was sure her new friends would have plenty of stories to tell along the way…