Fluttershy wasn’t moving.
This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. If I’d gotten her killed... My mind began reeling with thoughts I couldn’t hope to control. Funerals, banishment, imprisonment, exile. I was out of breath and covered in cuts and scrapes, but I didn’t notice. All I could feel was a cold emptiness inside. I stumbled the few feet over to her, praying to the Matriarch that I was wrong.
I leaned in as close as I could, and placed a hoof on her chest. At first, I felt nothing, but then my hoof started to rise and fall, slowly. She was breathing. “Praise Celestia!” I cried. She was breathing! I barked a breathless laugh, wiped the dirt and tear stains from my eyes, and proceeded to look her over, to judge the extent of her injuries.
Her left wing was obviously wounded, lying bent at an odd angle. It was more likely badly dislocated than broken, judging by its positioning... at least, I hoped. She was bleeding from wounds on her wing and withers, not fatally, but she’d need bandaging. She was covered in dirt and debris, scratched up from rolling onto the stone, and there were plenty of bruises already developing across her body. She was a mess, but she’d live.
I wasn’t in mint condition myself, but I noted with surprise that my cloak seemed almost untouched. Dad had told me that these hunter’s cloaks were weather and stain-resistant, and that he’d had every one of them enchanted for improved durability. He loved to tell me about the time his favorite cloak had taken a direct hit by dragon fire, and had never so much as singed. It was exciting knowing I had been given the same protection.
I needed to focus. Having a cloak take a hit from timberwolves without tearing was nice, but Fluttershy hadn’t been so lucky, and I needed to see to her quickly. That wing needed to be stabilized, to ensure it didn’t heal wrong. I needed something to make a brace.
The forest provided everything I needed. I snapped a branch off one of the nearest trees, and grabbed some vines that had fallen during the timberwolves’ attack. I set the wing back into place, tying it to the branch with the vines. My old colt scout training came back to me fairly quickly; I’d worked hard to prove I was worth more than a blank flank, and I thanked my stars that first aid had been one of the things I had worked hardest at. I finished tying it together, and examined my work. It wasn’t pretty, but her wing would heal all right, as long as she didn’t try using it for a few days.
I looked over her other injuries, trying to remember the things I’d learned as a scout. She was unconscious, but she didn’t seem to be hurt in any vital areas, and she didn’t appear to have any significant head trauma. She was probably safe to move. I tried to maneuver her onto my back, but quickly realized that, by myself, it would be near impossible to position her properly without hurting her wing further. I would have to find another way. If I had something to lay her on, I could drag her, maybe. I looked around for a moment, and then it hit me.
My cloak would work perfectly. I quickly removed it, and a few more sticks and vines later, I had a crude stretcher. Making sure I got it as close to Fluttershy as I could, I rolled her carefully onto the cloak, holding my breath to listen for groans or cries from her as she moved. She was quiet, and in moments I had her situated in the center of the cloak. I looped a length of vine around my neck like a harness, and started to drag. The frame creaked slightly, but it held together. Praise Luna for the little things.
***
I couldn’t tell how long I’d been walking. The trees overhead were too dense to tell where the sun lay in the sky. I guessed it had been close to two hours, which made it around noon. I had made good time at the start, but once the adrenaline had run out of my system, I had been forced to slow down. The crazy rush I had put myself through searching for Fluttershy, and the injuries I had sustained fighting the timberwolves, had reduced my limbs to stiff, aching weights. I wanted to stop, but I had to get more distance between us and the wolves.
Fluttershy lay sleeping the whole time. I glanced back every so often to make sure she was alright. She seemed to be resting peacefully, although I doubted she’d be so relaxed when she came to. I hadn’t had anything clean enough to use for bandaging, and her wounds had bled for a little while before finally sealing; the matted dark patches looked terrible against the pastel of her coat . She hadn’t lost a lot of blood, but she’d probably be a bit unsteady on her feet when she came to, all the same.
I thought about how long it would be until we were found. It couldn’t take them that long. We’d been a ways into the woods, but I trusted that Rarity would be able to round up a search party in no time. There were other pegasi in town, and if I could find another clearing, I could fly up and signal them if they came into view.
After about another half hour of trudging my aching hooves across the moss and dirt, I found a spot that might be safe enough, though even if it wasn’t, I had to stop. I pulled Fluttershy’s cloak-stretcher under a fallen tree. The tree was bigger around than both of us standing end to end, and looked to have fallen some time ago. It had landed on a group of smaller trees, which had managed to survive, and had grown around and through the dead giant, forming a strange natural shelter. At another time, I could have admired the beauty of it.
I leaned up against one of the supporting trees, letting out a low groan as I felt the throbbing in my legs. I was confidant that we’d put a reasonable distance between us and the wolves, finally. Now it was time to make sure they stayed away.
My father taught me that most animals have an instinctive aversion to fire. Timberwolves, being made almost entirely of wood, took this to an extreme- if I could get a fire going, I could keep them away indefinitely. A fire would also give the added benefit of smoke, which would be easily visible through the canopy, alerting any rescuers to our location, so I wouldn’t need to go searching for a hole in the treetops..
Unfortunately, I didn’t have anything to start a fire with, which seemed darkly ironic considering the sheer volume of readily available tinder and wood. Had I not been so tired, I might have laughed. I had learned how to make a bow drill in the scouts, but I was so tired that the thought of doing even such a simple task sent me near another spout of depression.
I looked over at Fluttershy. She looked so small and fragile right now. If it hadn’t been for me coming here, she never would have come to these woods, and she wouldn’t be hurt. “I’m so sorry, Fluttershy.” I forced myself to stand back up, and I marched over to her. “I got you into this. I’m going to get you out. Don’t worry, though,” I brushed her matted mane out of her face, “I’m not going far.”
It didn’t take me long to find everything I needed. Gathering enough tinder to get things going was laughably quick. I also found some smooth wood for a fireboard, vines and a few fairly straight sticks to make a bow and drill, and two rocks. The first one had a relatively sharp edge on one side, which i used to sharpen the drill and cut a groove in the fireboard. The other rock had a small indent, and I could use it as a socket on top of the drill.
Assembling my makeshift fire starting gear had taken about fifteen minutes, and I was feeling pretty proud of myself. I had graduated the Colt Scouts as a Life scout, the second highest achievable rank. I had worked my flank off to get there. Despite everything I’d done, I’d been unable to earn Griffon, because of the requirements concerning... talents and cutie marks. It had been a damning experience as a colt, and one of the lowlights of my growing up. I couldn’t be completely upset about it, though, as it had allowed me more time to practice my skills, and what I lacked in natural talent, I had made up for through rote memorization and mind-numbing hours of practice.
The thickness of these woods kept rain from getting in quickly, but also blocked the sunlight needed to dry the forest floor properly, and everything had a slight dampness to it. I spent the next twenty minutes trying to make a few sparks to get the fire going. My legs burned with exhaustion, and I had begun crying from a combination of pain and anger. I was seconds away from giving up completely, when I saw the starter in the fireboard beginning to brighten and turn red. I yelled, and the sudden burst of energy that I felt gave me the push I needed. In moments, thick smoke had begun to unfurl from the fireboard, and I dropped the drill and bow to the side, blowing on the starter as I threw tinder carefully on top and around the board.
A few minutes later, I lay on the ground, a smoky but stable fire warming the area. Everything ached, but I felt good. I had done something right today, finally. I mused to myself that the firelight was probably the brightest lighting this area had ever seen. I needed rest, but I found myself unable to sleep, so I lay with my face turned towards the treetops, a few feet from Fluttershy. We were safe now, at least from the wolves.
I stared up into the trees for a long while, thinking about the incredible morning I’d had today. I would definitely not be counting today among my best days ever, but I had to admit that it had been the most surprising and the most exciting day I’d had since I could remember. I glanced over at my resting companion, and felt the pang of guilt return. I prayed her wing would heal. I was sure it was just a dislocation and strain, and would be alright in a few days, but if it wasn’t? If I was wrong? And what if she took sick from infection, because I hadn’t been able to bandage her wounds? What if she’d suffered major trauma internally?
I forced myself away from the painful questions. Thinking like that never helped. I had to stay calm, and focus on getting us found and out of here. I tried to look on the positive, counting the things to be immediately thankful for. It was one of several exercises I’d taught myself growing up, to counter my intermittent bouts of depression and anxiety.
“One,” I began. It always helped to say things out loud. “we’re both alive... Two, we’re away from the timberwolves. Three, we have a fire. Four, there’s a rescue party on the way.” That sounded pretty good for the moment. I repeated the small list a few times, then looked over at the fire.
“Well, Chaser,” I said to myself, “this is you, finding your destiny.” I was used to having one-sided conversations. “Not exactly going the way you had hoped, huh?” I glanced over at Fluttershy. “Not the mark you wanted to make in this town. It’s gonna be okay, though. Everything is gonna be okay. She’ll get home, and maybe you can find another town, and try again...”
***
I started awake. I hadn’t realized I had fallen asleep, and I didn’t know how long I’d been out. It couldn’t have been long- the fire was still going, barely. I rolled over, discovering soreness in many places I wasn’t normally conscious of. Rubbing the stiffness from my legs, I reached over and threw some more wood onto the dying flames, watching them lick at the new food hungrily. After I got the fire going strong again, I glanced over to Fluttershy’s makeshift stretcher. I leapt to my hooves. She was awake. “Fluttershy?”
She was looking into the fire, absently fretting with her good wing. She startled a bit, and an adorable gasp hopped out of her mouth. She looked up at me, then back at the fire. “...”
“It’s me, Chaser. We met this morning, before you ran out of Sugarcube Corner?” I took a step towards her.
“I... I know who you are... I mean, I remember.” She was so softspoken, the fire threatened to swallow her words on their way to me. “You’re the... the, um...” She didn’t finish her sentence.
“The hunter?” I finished, and I watched her wince. It probably wasn’t from pain. “No, I’m not.”
The wince was replaced with confusion. “What? B-but, back in town, you said...”
“That I was wearing a hunter’s cloak.”
She stared at me for a moment, and I saw realization slowly dawning across her face. “Oh, my.” She brought a hoof to her mouth. “You aren’t a hunter.”
“No. The cloak belonged to my father, who was a hunter, years and years ago. He gave it to me when I left home.” I was right next to her now. “I am so sorry, Fluttershy. If I had known... I wanted to explain, but you ran off before I could get a word out.” She stared at me for a moment, then looked away, her eyes tearing up. “I’m so, so sorry. This is all my fault. I never meant for this to happen...” I stopped. I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“Oh, Mister Chaser, it isn’t your fault!” Her voice was full of concern, and surprisingly strong. “I should have asked, instead of just assuming.”
“No, Fluttershy, it is my fault. You wouldn’t have come here if it wasn’t for me.”
We shared awkward silence for a few lingering moments. Fluttershy finally broke it, as she reached back and tenderly brushed her wounded wing. “You... you did this?”
“Yeah. I know a little first aid. It’s not too tight, is it?”
“Oh, no, it’s fine.”
“Good. I’m just sorry I let you get hurt in the first place.”
Her eyes widened as she spoke, “Oh, but it really is my fault, Mister Chaser! I shouldn’t have come in here alone.”
I sighed. “I told you before, it’s just Chaser...”
“Um, okay... Chaser. Th-thank you for, um, tying up my wing.”
“You’re welcome.” I smiled. “So, how about we, uh, share the blame on this one?”
“Oh, no, Mist- uh, Chaser. I mean, you didn’t do anything.”
“Well, neither did you.”
“Yes I did.” She hung her head.
“Really? It seems to me that all you did was selflessly try to warn some animals about a dangerous hunter, to keep them safe. That doesn’t sound wrong to me. It sounds pretty brave.”
She looked up. “I’m not brave. I was just, well, I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.” She turned to look at her wing. “I didn’t do a very good job.”
There was a large crackling sound from behind us. Fluttershy jumped with a yelp, and as she did, she fluttered her wings. “AH!” She screamed from the pain, and fell, clutching her side and reaching for her bound wing.
“Fluttershy!” I barely managed to catch her before she slammed her wings into the ground. “It was just the fire. It’s safe.” I set her down as gently as I could, trying not to let it show how sore I was. “Try not to move your wing. You need to keep it as still as you can.” Her wounds hadn’t reopened, so that was something. I placed a hoof gently on hers, and pulled it away from her wounded side. “And try not to touch the cuts. That’ll just hurt more, and they might start bleeding again.”
When she opened her eyes, they were rimmed with tears again. “I’m s-sorry. I didn’t mean to- Oh, I’m so stupid!” she yelled... softly?
“No, you’re caring, and kind. The only reason you got hurt was because you were trying to help others.”
“But I...” she began, looking to the fire.
“Fluttershy.” I put a hoof to her face, and turned her to look me in the eyes. I couldn’t just let her sit there and feel sorry for herself over something that was my fault. “It’s okay. We all make mistakes sometimes, right?” I smiled. “At least your mistake was a brave one.”
She looked at me for a long moment, and then smiled briefly. “Well, I guess,” she sniffled, “but usually my mistakes don’t get me stuck in the Everfree forest with a busted wing.”
“Probably not, no. It’ll be okay, though.” I pointed to the fire. “The smoke here should be pretty easy to see from above the trees. Someone’ll find us, and you’ll be back in Ponyville in no time.”
She looked at me for a few seconds, then smiled again, larger than before. The butterflies in my stomach seemed to settle, and I felt myself relax. She was very pretty when she smiled. Er, prettier. Not that I was taking advantage of the situation.
Abruptly, her expression changed to one of confusion again. “What is it?” She was looking at something behind me, and I turned around to look. Nothing was there. “What do you see? Is something...” I turned back, and I realized she wasn’t looking behind me. She was looking at my ... “Oh.” My face fell. In my relief over finding her alive earlier, I’d completely forgotten that she was lying on my cloak, and I was exposed. I backed up, turning my flank so she couldn’t see it any more. “I-I can explain. See...” I stopped, and hung my head.
She leaned forward, blinking a few times. “You...you don’t...”
I had hoped I would have had a little more time before having to reveal my hidden shame. At least a few days. I felt tears welling up in the corners of my eyes, but my voice was steady as I answered. “No, I don’t. Th-that’s why I was wearing the cloak... So no one would see.”
“Chaser...”.
“I know. I’m a blank flank.” I started to walk around the fire. “That’s why I left Snowfall. I’ve been an outcast in my home most of my life. I came here to... Oh, frostfeathers, I don’t even know any more.” I kicked the ground in frustration. “I thought maybe... I could finally find my talent, or at least see what it was like not being stared at everywhere I go, like a freak.” I had made a full circuit as I spoke, and was now at her side again. I looked up into her eyes, and stopped. She wasn’t looking at me like I’d expected. In fact, she was crying. Her tears reflected against her face like stars in the firelight. “Um, is everything okay? Are you in pain?”
“No. I mean, yes, but... Oh, Chaser, that’s so sad!” She leapt forward and embraced me in a hug, startling me. We shared a moment like that, and then she came to her senses, and leapt away just as quickly as she’d come. “Oh, gosh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to... I don’t know what...” Her face grew redder and redder as she spoke.
“Um... it’s okay.” My face felt as hot as the fire. I hadn’t expected that at all. “But you, uh, shouldn’t do anything like that. You’ll strain your injuries.”
We didn’t speak again for a few minutes, and I tended the fire to keep myself distracted. I tried not to think about what had just happened. Fluttershy just kept looking at me, and I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
“Chaser,” she finally asked, “Um... Does anyone else in Ponyville know... about...?”
“No. It, uh, didn’t come up in conversation.” And I wasn’t in any hurry to tell. Not that it mattered anymore.
“Ok. Do, um, do you want me... to keep it a secret?”
What? “You’d do that?”
“W-well, you don’t seem to want anypony to know, right?”
“I... well, not right away. I don’t want anypony to judge me before they know me.”
She nodded. “I understand. I won’t tell anypony. I mean, if you don’t want me to.”
I felt a warmth inside that had nothing to do with the fire. “I... don’t know what to say, Fluttershy. Thanks.”
She smiled at me, and slowly tried standing again. She got to her feet, and came over to sit next to me, and rest her good side against the trees. “You said that... that I was brave for coming into the woods.” She looked at me and smiled again. “I think you’re brave... for lots of things. For fighting those timberwolves, for searching for me... for coming here at all.”
Was I? Did leaving home for anonymity count as bravery? “Th-thanks.”
Suddenly, I heard something moving off in the distance. I jumped to my hooves, ignoring the aching resistance, and stepped in front of Fluttershy. “Who’s there?” She clung to my back legs as she hid behind me. My mind raced. It couldn’t be the wolves. A manticore, maybe? Or a dragon? Please not a dragon.
“Hello, there, my fire starting stranger!” Came a reply. “I assure you, I present no danger! I saw smoke in the sky, and thought it strange to my eye.”
The silhouette of a pony-like figure became visible as they came closer, until the firelight revealed...
“You’re a zebra?”
“I am that which you spy.” She looked behind me. “Is that my good friend, Fluttershy?”
“Oh!” Fluttershy let go of my legs, and stood up. “Zecora! Thank goodness you’re here.” She turned to face the zebra. “Zecora, this is my new friend... Chaser. He’s, um, from out of town.”
Zecora nodded, the rings on her neck making a soft metal sound as it moved. “I extend to you a warm welcome. But why to these dark woods have you come?”
“Well, Zecora,” I started, “Um, it’s a bit of a story. If you could help us out of here, I’d be more than happy to tell you.”
“Certainly, though I must first say, as pegasus, could you two not simply fly away?” Did she have to make everything she said rhyme?
“Well, Fluttershy has been injured.” I pointed, and Fluttershy turned to show off her wrapped wing.
“Oh my, what a terrible thing! You have a busted wing!” She approached the fire, examining Fluttershy’s wounds. “And you have cuts and scrapes, of all sizes and shapes! What did this pain by which you came?”
I realized I was still exposed, and took a moment while Zecora was examining Fluttershy to casually make my way to the cloak. I quickly stripped off the vines and sticks, and was again happy to see it was unstained, and untorn. As I placed it back on, I turned to face the Zebra. “Timberwolves. They were chasing her. That’s why I built the fire, to keep them away.”
“Timberwolves, this far east? Something must disturb their peace.” She began to kick dirt into the fire to put it out. “I will take you to where I stay, but first we must make this fire go away.”
“Let me help.” Together we buried the fire. After it was gone, I waited a moment for my eyes to readjust to the dim forest light. I turned to the mysterious zebra. “Well, uh, I guess we’ll follow you.” I took a few steps over to Fluttershy. “Are you okay to walk on your own?”
She nodded. “I’ll be okay, I think.”
“Okay.” I leaned in close. “Thank you again,” I whispered. She smiled at me.
“Come,” Zecora chanted, “my home is but a few miles away. We will surely reach it by end of day.” She started to trot off, and we followed closely behind.
“I’m really glad you showed up. I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to find us.”
Zecora smiled. “Does anyone else know you are here? Finding you should bring them much cheer.”
“I sent Rarity into town to find help.”
“For Fluttershy’s injury. That much I can see. You said you would explain, so please, what caused her this great timberwolf pain?”
“Well,” I glanced up at her, “It all started yesterday, really...”
***
Zecora’s hut was decorated with all sorts of strange tribal masks, hanging herbs, and odd jars and baskets containing a variety of weird-smelling plants. We’d made it there just in time; I wasn’t sure Fluttershy could have gone much further.
Zecora had listened to my story as I had given her a brief overview of the tale, leaving out my lack of cutie mark. She had listened solemnly on the walk, and had not spoken since I had finished. As she went about mixing together several plants into a steaming cauldron in the center of the room, she began to speak.
“I know what it must feel like, to be so far from home. I, too, am on my own here, though not so much alone. I hope that Ponyville finds you fair, as long as you decide to visit there.”
“Uh, thank you, Zecora.”
She didn’t say much more until she finished her brew. Taking a mug from off a shelf, she filled it with the sweet-smelling liquid, and brought it to a very tired looking Fluttershy. “This will help your pains to ease. Drink it all, if you would, please.”
Fluttershy took the cup and nodded thankfully, and began to sip at the warm liquid. “Mmm. Juniper berry!” She smiled.
“You too, Chaser, if you’d care,” she said, offering me a mug, “There is plenty of this drink to share.”
I took the mug, watching the steam rise lazily off the drink. “Thank you.” I sat, and began sipping at the hot drink. It did taste like juniper berries. And mint.
Zecora walked over to a mortar and pestle sitting on a table, and began grinding some herbs into it. “Now, my little ponies, to make something for those injuries.” She began humming an unfamiliar tune as she worked. It was nice, and the drink was starting to work its way into my system. It was almost like a soft pillow for my ears. I looked across the table at Fluttershy, and she seemed to be feeling the effects more strongly than I was. Her cup was already empty, and she lay with her head on the table, looking almost relaxed, a gentle smile on her face.
“Oh, thank you, Zecora. I feel much better,” she said.
Zecora turned to face us a moment later, carrying the pestle full of herb-goo over to Fluttershy, along with some bandages. “You are welcome, Flutter, my friend. Now, let me help your wounds to mend.” She applied the newly made salve to Fluttershy’s wounds. “Your cuts and scrapes, this salve will help repair, then I will go to find a doctor’s care. Stay here, both of you, and rest.” She finished wrapping loose bandages around Fluttershy’s wounds, and helped her up from the table, over to a cot on one side of the room.
“Will you...” Fluttershy asked, “come back soon?”
Zecora headed for the door. “I will do my very best.” She turned to me. “I know you must be weary; I will not be very long. You should help your new friend relax, with perhaps a story, or a song?” She smiled at me.
I nodded. “Uh... sure. I’ll make sure she gets rest until you get back with a doctor.”.
Zecora left, and I walked slowly over to the chair next to the cot. I felt a bit wobbly, like my limbs were a long way away, but at least they didn’t hurt quite so bad. Sitting down in the chair, I looked at Fluttershy. She seemed a little better, and I was incredibly grateful for her Zebraharan friend and her timely arrival. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” she sighed. “Chaser, I-I wanted to thank you, again, for saving me.”
“I wouldn’t have had to save you if I hadn’t gotten you in trouble.”
“Well, maybe. But you still saved me. Right?”
I scratched my head. “I guess so, yeah.”
“Well, then... thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And thank you for, you know, not saying anything.”
“About what?” She grinned at me. I couldn’t help grinning back. There was a minute or two of quiet in the hut, and then Fluttershy asked, “So, are you, um, going to sing, or tell a story?”
“Huh?”
She looked up at the ceiling. “Zecora said that you should tell a story, or sing something. I mean, if that’s alright. You... You don’t have to.”
“Oh... I-I guess I could, if you want me to. I mean, I only know one song, and I think I know a story or two...” Why had she said that? Dumb Zebra rhymes.
“What song?”
“What? Oh,” I fidgeted, “it’s a lullaby my mom used to sing me when I was a colt. It’s silly, really.”
“I’d like to hear it... if it’s okay.”
Well, she asked. “Okay, but I warn you, I’m not very good.” I cleared my throat and took a deep breath, remembering the song my mother had taught me so long ago.
“The snow is cold and deep, the world is cast in white,
But we are safe inside, kept warm by firelight.
No matter what the morning brings,
I always will be here
So sleep, my child, and dream your dreams tonight
“The wind blows hard and cold, and howls against the night
But we are safe inside, kept warm by firelight
No matter what the storms may bring
You rest within my heart
So sleep, my child, and dream your dreams tonight
I glanced down at Fluttershy as I finished my mother’s lullaby. She was fast asleep. Zecora’s medicine was effective, at least.
I was drowsy myself. I settled into the chair as comfortably as I could, and closed my eyes. Zecora would be back soon, with a doctor, and Fluttershy would be alright. I could rest... for a little while. I still didn’t know how to go about finding my talent, but I had solved one self-imposed crisis today, and I couldn’t help but feel as though I had accomplished something. At least things would settle down after this.