Chapter 2: Trust
Gilda shivered slightly as she tried to not move as the blade dug slightly deeper between the soft flesh of her neck.
“ah'm gonna ask once more, and if you keep on ignoring me I will feel no remorse in slitting your throat for stealin' what is mine”
“ I-I’m sorry” Gilda gasped feeling more of her pride break further having to apologize” I just haven't eaten anything like this in almost a year and just jumped in seeing the spread.”
the other gryphon loosened his grip on her and eventually let go all together. Turning around, Gilda realized the that the gryphon that had grabbed her was in as bad a shape as she was, his plumage was slightly brighter than hers but there was no mistaking it, this gryphon was a night watcher. Centuries before, the gryphon kingdom held out as the strongest land in all of equestria, destroying whatever stood in their way. But a group slowly formed in the capital, consisting mainly of the hunters and young warriors of the gryphon kingdoms, they dubbed themselves the night watchers. These night watchers disagreed with what the king was doing with the land and slowly attacked his reign. In the end the king captured most of them through a traitor in the organization and banished them to the everfree forest, only making them more strong and allowing them to take the forest, and that is where they have stayed ever since.
Gilda gasped as she remembered the story, wondering if he had other companions with him.
“if you're wondering if I have more friends, your wrong”
“how did-”
“Actions speak louder than words miss, your eyes have been darting around my campsite for the last minute, you were obviously worried that there were more coming.”
Gilda simply stared at the old gryphon, he had been able to read all that from my eyes?
“now come and sit down already, if you had asked once I had come back I would have gladly shared, food's always better when you share it with others.”
Gilda slowly sat down, as he took the already half eaten vole and handed it to Gilda. The two talked for hours after that, allowing Gilda to get to know him a bit more, his name was rucks, he had been born in the forest and hardly ever left it except on “special” circumstances. Gilda also let him in on some of her life, telling him that she had been born in the gryphon capital(even though she remembered nothing of it since she had been to young to remember it before her family left it behind when she was 3), how she had gone to flight school and graduated near the top of her class. By the time they finally wrapped up the talk, it was only a few hours before daylight and rucks had decided to let her sleep on his extra sleeping bag. The crickets chirped silently as Gilda got settled into the makeshift bed, sighing as she pulled out the old picture of her and dash on the day of their graduation. The picture was slightly crumpled due to her nest crashing earlier, putting it back in her bag, gilda slowly drifted off to sleep, hoping that it would be better. Yeah right, gilda stood on a pillar, shivering as several magenta eyes glared at her. Shrinking down Gilda screamed, she could feel all of them watching her, judging her, and yet she couldn’t hold her cool, and that’s when it happened, a voice spoke.
“nobody can trust you”
“ you are nothing”
“not cool”
“DIE!”
gilda crumpled, she knew each and every voice as it shouted the insults at her, they were all Dash, and they all hated her, all wanted to kill her, all of them wanted nothing to do with her. Tendrils shot out of the darkness, trapping her and slowly she felt them ripping her apart, yet she didn't scream anymore, she deserved this and let them rip her apart.
“not cool!”
Gilda woke with a start, bashing her head into Rucks, making them both go back to the ground holding their heads.
“fine good mornin' that is”
“Whatever”
Rucks had already started to shut the camp back down into a solitary bag, which he said the night before, “borrowed” from a unicorn nobleman.
“where are you heading rucks?”
“well if you must know, I found a better place to stay, near the edge of the forest, lots of game, and close to the local town.”
“good, do you mind I tag along, I got nowhere to go, it would be nice to have company also.”
Rucks seemed to ponder the subject for a few seconds before finally sighing and signaling for me to follow, making me squeak slightly and quickly catch up to him. The day seemed like it was going to be rather pleasant, not to cold and not to hot either. We quickly hooked up with a makeshift trail that lead down a small path, which hooked up with a river and eventually ended at the base of the everfree.
“Rucks, thought you said there was a place to stay”
“I did, and there it is.”
Oh no, it was the cabin of that friend of Rainbow Dash, the one that liked animals way to much and spent to much time with those animals instead of thinking beings.
“It will be surprisingly easy to take since I have gathered that the pony living inside is surprisingly weak and easy to manipulate.”
damn this guy was stupid.
“maybe we can find somewhere else”
“you can go if you want to, but I will take this place on my own.”'
with that he dashed down the small slope and bashed the gate open, I saw the yellow one in her backyard, and I then did the most stupid thing I could have done, I flew to her as rucks slammed on the front door to the cottage. I literally barreled into her, since I hadn't used my wings in a very long time, startling her and making the animals run away. back on my hooves I noticed that Rucks had gotten inside the house and was now tearing about the house. The yellow pony on the other hand was cowering and repeatedly asking me not to hurt her.
“look” I yelled, grabbing her and pulling her up to eye level” I’m not going to hurt you, I am trying to save you from... him.”
Rucks looked furious,” I thought you were on my side Gilda! I thought I could maybe trust you, but I was wrong once again, you'll die too then!”
Gilda shoved fluttershy away, not wanting her to get hurt too as Rucks lunged with his dirk unsheathed and wanting to draw blood. He hit full force into gilda making them roll for a few seconds, before they both rose, gilda having a deep cut in her arm. Rucks lunged, yelling with primal rage as he slashed gilda multiple times and aimed one last one at her heart. Gilda blocked it with her hand, feeling the blade go straight through the middle of her right hand, yanking it out in a fluid moment and plunging it deep into ruck's chest. His deep blood spurted out the wound and sprayed over gilda, lightly coating her in the substance. Rucks grabbed gilda quickly and smirked, blood leaking out his mouth
“something.. to.. remember.. me.. by”
using the last of his strength, he plunged a large needle into my arm wound and pushed the liquid into my veins. Gilda screamed before falling over, her vision starting to give out as she felt fluttershy start to drag her somewhere, probably to her house, I remember how caring she was before. Maybe this was the end, the blackness starting to consume me. I only her face before blacking out completely as she smiled gently at Gilda