//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: We Apples, Three // by 8686 //------------------------------// The next morning, Apple Bloom had said yes before Applejack had even finished asking the question. Evidently the prospect of going adventuring with her big sister and her big brother was the Best Thing Ever. They'd decided on heading out to Whitetail Lake in Whitetail Woods. It had been a favourite camping spot for Applejack and Big Macintosh when they were younger, but neither had been there in years and Apple Bloom hadn't been at all. Applejack and Apple Bloom had packed up their saddlebags with their usual supplies, and Big Macintosh had retrieved his old tent from the attic. It had taken a while to clean all the dust off but when he'd examined it he'd found it was still serviceable. He'd had to go in search of everything else though – he had repurposed almost all of his old leisure gear long ago for use on the farm; everything from canteens to compass. Eventually though, he tracked most of it down and martialled it into an adequate kit for a hike in the woods and a night or two under the stars. Applejack looked a lot brighter this morning too. For her, a good night's rest had done wonders to shake off the spectre of a tough harvest. She once again walked with a spring in her step, and Big Macintosh was happy to see that whatever issues she had been harbouring about the previous day's events she seemed to have laid to rest. She was back to her usual easy-going self. Having left the homestead in the mid-morning, the three ponies walked in high spirits toward their destination deep within Whitetail. The woods were peaceful and inviting, the trees kindly allowing warm sunlight to fall through their canopy onto the backs of the three members of the Apple family. The leaves were just now beginning to turn, and the forest was alive with the sound of birds and small animals chirruping happily. Apple Bloom had been in interrogation mode ever since leaving the house. She couldn't wait to get to the campsite, but apparently wanted to know everything there was to know about it, and the times her brother and sister had spent there, by the time she did. Big Macintosh fielded all the questions that could be answered with either a "Eeyup" or "Nope" response, while Applejack handled the rest. The young filly was in the throes of edification when her insatiable questioning caused her to take her mind off where she was walking. Her forehoof struck an exposed stump, and before she could recover she tripped and cried out as she fell, tumbling head over hooves down a steep embankment that dropped away to one side of the trail. While the bank was steep, it was not all that high. Apple Bloom cartwheeled down the slope before landing on her back in a huge patch of thick brambles that hugged the bottom of the hill, which promptly proceeded to entangle her. Dizzy, but coming to her senses, she could only muster a vague "Ow," in response. "Apple Bloom!" Applejack called urgently, "Are you okay?!" "Yeah...think so. Ouch!" The brambles' sharp thorns pricked and scratched her coat. As the initial shock passed, the pain only increased. "Hold on sis, I'm comin'. Just don't move, y'hear?" "Okay," said Apple Bloom, who then proceeded to ignore both her sister's advice and her own common sense by trying to squirm free of the thicket that had ensnared her. It was ill advised, and as she tried to extricate herself, a particularly sharp thorn cut deep into her right hindleg, causing her to cry out in pain. "Consarn it sis, I said don't move!" Applejack had shed her saddlebags and was descending the steep slope as carefully and quickly as she dared. She had to rescue her sister, but she couldn't afford to fall head first into the thicket herself. Apple Bloom began to cry. The horrid thorns were everywhere! They stabbed and poked, cut and scratched. She couldn't get herself out. She couldn't stay still because it hurt too much, and she couldn't move without it hurting more. It was unfair! "Please, sis..." she managed between sobs. She suddenly felt very scared. Hearing her sister crying in pain cut through Applejack like a knife. She could see the signs of panic rising in the young filly; if she lost control and started thrashing and bucking among those thorns...it didn't bear thinking about. Recklessly, Applejack quickened her pace, almost tripping on a root, but eventually arriving safely at the base of the hill. "S'okay sugarcube, I'm here." The sound of Applejack's voice so close seemed to calm her younger sister, and her squirming lessened. Applejack carefully picked her way past the outer edge of the brambles, wincing as she earned a few scratches on her own forelegs, until she reached a point where she was standing over her trapped sister. She lowered her head toward the filly. "Now you grab holda me and hold on tight." Apple Bloom reached out. She wrapped her forehooves around her sister's neck and hung on for dear life. Tears were still streaming down her face, but as soon as Applejack drew herself back up the pain instantly retreated. Very carefully, Applejack pulled Apple Bloom upwards and using a forehoof swung her sister onto her back where she could rest comfortably. Apple Bloom hugged her sister's neck and buried her face in her mane. Applejack could feel her sister's tears dampening her coat, and she had to steel herself not to shed some of her own. She slowly picked her way out of the thicket and carefully climbed back up the hill with her precious cargo. When she reached the top she saw that Big Macintosh had shed his own saddlebags, and from them had retrieved bandages, wipes, scissors, needle and thread, and a bottle of iodine, all out and ready. Applejack put Apple Bloom down gently. The young filly had stopped sobbing, but the tears were still in her eyes, and she sniffled quietly. Big Macintosh reached for the iodine, but Applejack snatched it up first and then reached for a wipe, her attention never once leaving her sister. She put a hoof on Apple Bloom's flank and pulled her hind leg out to examine the cut. "Sorry Apple Bloom," she said, "but this is gonna sting somethin' fierce." Apple Bloom gritted her teeth and nodded. When she closed her eyes two fresh tears escaped down her cheeks. Dabbing the wipe with the iodine, Applejack set to cleaning out the cut. Apple Bloom drew a sharp breath and groaned slightly, but she didn't cry out again. Once she was satisfied that the wound was clean, Applejack took a bandage from her brother and set to applying it to her sister's injured leg. It was not the easiest trick to pull off using just mouth and hooves, but Applejack had had Big Macintosh do it to her enough times when she was younger, so she was well versed. Tying off the bandage, she turned to her brother. "Whaddya reckon Big Mac? As good as one of yours?" Big Macintosh eyed the bandage critically. "Eeyup," he nodded. In truth it was better. He couldn't remember himself applying a dressing as neatly or as quickly as his sister had just done, and felt a strange bolt of guilt at the thought he’d almost tried to tend the wound himself. He looked through relieved eyes at Apple Bloom who'd stopped crying. She was already staring at her hind leg, moving and flexing it, making sure the dressing was tight enough. Then she looked up at Applejack and smiled. Applejack drew her sister into a tight hug. "You okay, sugarcube?" she whispered. "Yeah." She nuzzled her sister's neck, sniffling again. "Thanks, big sis." Long moments passed, neither sister eager to let the other go. Presently though, Applejack realised that Big Macintosh had re-packed all the medical supplies into his saddlebags and was now sat a little way off gazing into the woods, roughly back in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. He looked lost in thought. "Guess uh, we'd better get a move on. Still got a ways to go before we reach the lake. Think ya can walk alright?" "Yeah, I'm fine," Apple Bloom replied, testing her leg and finding it in good working order. She'd probably still limp for a little while, but she resolved not to let her sister notice. She'd saved her and fixed her leg up, the least she deserved was to know she'd made it all better. "Ya can ride on my back if you don't feel up to it," Applejack offered. "I said I'm fine! I don't need to be carried around like a foal just cuz I got a boo-boo, sis." "Okay, okay," Applejack chuckled, "but you let me know if it starts hurtin' any worse." The three family members continued their journey onwards towards the lake. Big Macintosh leading the way, and the two sisters behind walking a little closer together than they had earlier. --- "An' these red ones here – these'r good eatin'. Those ones over there, not so much. They'll give you a terrible tummy-ache." Apple Bloom trotted over to retrieve one of the berries from a bush a little way off and brought it back to compare with the one her sister held. "But they look about the same...how can ya tell the difference?" "Sometimes it's not just the berries ya gotta look at, but the leaves on the bushes they grow on. See?" She pointed out an example as they passed another bush festooned with delicious wild redberries. "Okay. But, how do you know which ones are safe to eat in the first place?" "I learned it off Big Macintosh. He taught me all about foraging in the wilderness when we used to come camping out here. Reckon I learned everythin' there is to know about the outdoors from our big brother there," she said proudly. Big Macintosh's ears were burning. Not for the first time his interpretation of events was apparently different from Applejack's. He'd never really been trying to 'teach' her, he thought. Never presumed to have imparted any Great Brotherly Wisdom. It just happened to be that the night before their first camping trip he'd read an interesting, and thankfully credible, book on outdoor survival. Then on the journey the following day, he'd proceeded to recite practically the whole tome to his sister in traditional "Did You Know...?" style. Every so often afterwards he'd re-read that book, find one or two snippets he didn't remember, and the next time they did anything outdoors he'd have some more facts to reel off. He never really thought that she would take any of it to heart. She was also embellishing a little – those trips years ago might have been the catalyst, but Applejack been out adventuring in the wilderness enough times since then that Mac was confident most of her actual survival skills came from practical experience, not the second-hand ramblings of an older brother eager to show off to his little sister. The sun passed the halfway point in the sky signalling the onset of the afternoon, and about an hour after that the Apple Family finally reached Whitetail Lake. The lake was a huge, spectacular thing. Its surface was beautifully calm, and it shimmered enticingly in the afternoon sunlight. The water was so crystal clear that you could see the lake-bed even at the deepest point. Around most of the perimeter the treeline extended all the way to the shoreline, as though the trees of Whitetail Wood were themselves drawn to the lake's beauty. Here and there though small semi-circular clearings of flat land dotted the lakeside, and it was in the largest of these that the Apples pitched their tents. Big Macintosh lent Applejack a hoof in setting up the tent that she and Apple Bloom would be sleeping in – and joked that clearly she needed his help pitching a tent after all! – before setting up his own. His tent was larger than his sisters', though it would only be sleeping one. It was a deep red like his coat, and adorned with the familiar apple motifs that seemed to pervade just about every piece of property the Apple farmers owned. Apple Bloom had set herself to work building a fire pit and gathering kindling and wood which she stacked neatly nearby. The fire wouldn't be lit until later in the evening, but it made sense to get everything ready. With camp set, Applejack turned to behold the gorgeous lake. "I can't believe it. I mean, it hasn't changed at all! Don't you think, Big Mac?" she said with notes of excitement and wonder. "Eeyup." "Whaddya say brother? Fancy a dip, like old times?" Big Macintosh hesitated at that. He looked meaningfully at Apple Bloom. She wouldn't be going swimming at all with the bandage on her leg. Applejack, catching his meaning quickly, looked abashed. "Ah...uh...I mean, I guess we'll just...um...instead." She absently scratched the ground. Apple Bloom quirked an eyebrow in obvious confusion. She looked at Big Macintosh looking at her, looked at her bandaged leg, looked back to Applejack. Then she twigged. "Seriously? Oh, come on! Y'all'r not gonna go have fun swimming just cuz I went and fell down a hill?" "Well, uh...it don't seem right is all–" "Go!" It was an order, and the young filly emphasised it by putting her forehooves on Applejack's flank and shoving her rudely in the direction of the water. Applejack tried to protest again, but Apple Bloom was resolute. "Go on sis. Have fun. Please? I don't wanna feel responsible for y'all missin' out. Besides, it's not like I can get myself into any trouble over here..." she finished innocently. Applejack looked to Big Macintosh, who simply nodded. "Okay okay. You win. We're just gonna take a quick dip though, and we'll be right back. Don't you go doin' nothing foalish y'hear?" "Go!" Applejack took off her hat and set it down carefully inside her tent. Then she removed her mane and tail bands and placed them alongside. Big Macintosh shrugged off his yoke, and the two ponies walked down to the water's edge, to where a flat stone outcrop jutted into the lake like a natural jetty. Applejack set herself at the shore end, and with little warning, galloped as fast as she could along the impromptu pier before launching herself off the end as high as she could. "Yee Haa!" she yelled, before tucking her legs and cannonballing spectacularly – and gracelessly – into the still waters of the lake. She resurfaced a moment later, treading water to keep her position, and Apple Bloom watched with rapt fascination as her brother looked about the do the exact same thing. And he did. Big Macintosh raced along the short outcrop at full pelt, launched himself high into the air, and bombed with a splash so massive, the filly felt sure the lake would only be half full once it settled. It was a distance contest, Apple Bloom realised as Big Macintosh's head reappeared above the surface. Applejack had won by about five feet and she whooped with glee. She opened her mouth to gloat at her big brother, but immediately found it filled with water as Macintosh, grinning stupidly, aimed a huge splash in her direction. Applejack, shocked and caught off guard, looked disgruntled. Then she looked determined. Breaking into a wicked grin, she mustered the biggest wave of water she could and sent it back in Big Mac's direction. It rather degenerated from there. The normally calm and picturesque lake and its peaceful soundscape became a relentless cacophony of the shouts and laughter of two grown ponies engaged in a juvenile splashing contest. They both looked happier than Apple Bloom could ever remember seeing them, and seeing them so happy made her happy too. It didn't even matter that she wasn't in the water with them. By the time they dragged themselves out of the lake they were both out of breath, and neither seemed to be able to stop laughing as they reached the campsite. Their manes and coats were sopping wet and the late-afternoon sun, having by now descended below the level of the tree canopy, did little to warm or dry them. As with the previous evening there was a chill breeze on the air which seemed to catch Applejack just so, and she gave a small shiver. "Whoo," she gasped, "Think we'd better get that fire lit, and then I reckon I'm hungry!" Big Macintosh set the fire – which took quickly thanks to Apple Bloom's sensible selection of kindling and wood – while Applejack retrieved their food supplies from her saddlebag; a wide variety of sweet and savoury apple-based treats, augmented with some of the numerous berries she'd gathered on the trail. It didn't take long to prepare, and the three ponies soon settled themselves comfortably in front of the campfire. They ate, and talked, and joked, and laughed. They reminisced about the past and conjectured about the future. Apple Bloom would talk about what she and her friends would try next to earn their cutie-marks; Applejack would tell tales of the adventures she'd been on with her own friends; Big Macintosh would, well, listen actually for the most part, but that was okay. He sometimes seemed a little distant and a couple of times Applejack thought she caught a sad smile on his lips, but then it would be gone. They enjoyed the comfort of each others' company long into the evening as the sun slowly made for the horizon.