I rolled onto my left side, flexing my wounded leg as I watched Ivory. She settled onto one of the antique chairs, squirming until it finally stopped wobbling. She stared over my head and I felt the pit in my stomach grow, almost certain it would pull my belly to the ground. Dread perched on my shoulder, a vulture waiting for everything to fall apart.
The realization dawned on me that I was probably about as nervous as Ivory and it took me several moments to figure out why. I wanted this filly to succeed, to be a good pony and for her kindness to have somehow paid off. I wanted there to be justice because she was, in a way, me.
There’s too many… you… you have to run! The unicorn guard was standing before me again, battered, bruised and bleeding. One of the many I left behind to die. I couldn’t save him. I couldn’t save anyone.
I shook my head, scolding myself for spacing out so easily. The past was done and reliving it wasn’t helping me any. If Ivory noticed my mental interlude, she didn’t show it. She was still staring past me, looking to the wall for a starting point.
Seconds stretched into eons and I wondered if she was having second thoughts.
She began speaking without so much as a glance my way. “Wherever Moss went, it wasn’t here. I never saw him again. The first nights were the hardest. He’d taught me what was safe to eat and where to find shelter, but that wasn’t enough. I was just a pampered filly all alone in the wild, depending on a bunch of barely-remembered facts for survival.”
Despite our differences, I knew how she felt. From the moment I could scamper after my parents, I’d spent my foalhood on the road, soaking up their wisdom. When I set out on my own, I had everything I needed for a quick, easy trip. But they left a gap, a crushing vacuum of responsibility. Routes, finances, weight allowance, all of it falling squarely on my back. For all my experience, my legs were practically giving out before I had even left Ponyville proper.
“I didn’t want to use the zombies at first, not so soon. But the woods are full of hungry creatures and a lone filly is an easy target. I needed something to protect me. What was a blessing-turned-curse became a blessing again. After the first fight, I knew they would stay by my side and keep me safe. They didn’t complain, flee or judge. Aside from Moss, they were the best friends I’d ever had.”
A shiver ran down my spine. I’d dealt with hundreds of people before and while some could accurately be described as the kind a mare doesn’t want to know, I could hardly imagine substituting everypony with zombies. That a filly would have to turn to them for friendship left a hole in my heart.
“I decided if the village didn’t want me, I didn’t want them either. I spent the next while making my new friends stronger, faster, more independant. Then I realized that I didn’t have to hide in the shadows. We could take on the creatures of the forest with little trouble. Why should I let us be bullied?”
There was a lump in my throat and no matter how hard I swallowed, it wouldn’t go away.
“The only pony who even remotely stood a chance was a soldier, the royal guard’s deputy. He might have rallied the villagers, organized them against me. And because zombies aren’t the most adaptable creatures, the militia could have won. I knew he patrolled the roads and the borders between the forest and hills. I just had to catch him alone.”
I pushed confusion from my mind. Why was she telling me this? Didn’t she want me to think that she fought bandits, that she was a champion of justice? Then a thought dawned on me. This was a confession, a plea for absolution. She had murdered the only guard the town had. Who, then, would fill the gap in guardianship?
Ivory lowered her head, but continued to look past me. “One day, as he neared the forest border, he got too close to the brush. I didn’t know why, but I didn’t care. I saw my opportunity. So did something else. Before I could send out my zombies, two timberwolves leapt from the undergrowth. They were smart, the first faking a lunge while the other attacked from behind. It maimed his hind leg and the fight was almost over before it began. I didn’t even have to do anything, just... watch.”
The air around me felt a little colder. I wanted to be angry and indignant, but leaving somepony to die was leaving somepony to die. The difference was I hadn’t watched.
“He fought back with the strength of a manticore, keeping the wolves at hoof’s length. But I think they knew it couldn’t last. They circled him, nipping at his heels and wearing him down. I moved my zombies into position just in case. As he fell to his knees, he cried out for his wife. I couldn’t take it anymore. To stand by and watch him die, it… it would make me no better than the monsters. I had tried so hard to tell myself that’s what I wanted, but it wasn’t. This pony hadn’t even wronged me, I wanted him to die by proxy. I realized that if I let this happen, if I gave myself over to revenge, then I’d become exactly what everypony thought I was. So I did the only thing I could: save him.”
My heart leapt and silently, I cheered her on. But the wariest part of me was still watching Ivory quite carefully.
“I brought him here. Nursed him back to health and sent him on his way.”
I blinked and as I opened my mouth, every thought spilled out. “Hey, hang on a second. Why did you gloss over that? Didn’t you talk? Couldn’t he vouch for you? And for that matter, where is he now? I didn’t see any real guards among the militia.”
Ivory closed her eyes. “I don’t know. I never heard from him again. I just… don’t like to think about it.”
Pain creased her face, but there was already plenty to be sad about. I had to know why she was clamming up and guesses weren’t going to cut it. “What you’re asking me to believe is a rather tall order. You said you wanted me to know the truth, so why won’t you tell me?”
“He… he promised,” Ivory whispered.
“What?”
Ivory slumped over and for a second, I thought she might end up on the floor. “He promised he’d keep in touch. He said he was my friend.”
The question was almost painful to ask, but I couldn’t stop there, not yet. “I’m sorry if this sounds harsh, but can you tell me his name? I’d like to verify the story if I can.”
Her gaze fell to the floor for several long moments. She didn’t even look up when she replied, “It wouldn’t matter anyway. If he wouldn’t say anything before, a strange mare knocking on his door won’t change his mind.”
I simply nodded. My gut was telling me to lay off, especially since Ivory was right. Still, I wanted to think I was good enough to get something out of him.
But there would be plenty of time in the coming days. Perhaps Ivory would open up again.
---
The rest of the day was spent in silence, with little more than a few pleasantries exchanged. Of course, Ivory being in and out of the cabin a lot didn’t help. I supposed she did say she was fighting a war. Although, if she was dealing with a situation each time, the bandits were alarmingly active.
With little else to do, the thoughts lingered. I began to wonder just what kind of bandits would engage in prolonged combat with a necromancer. They could have been desperately clinging to the only region they knew could support them, but attrition would quickly throw that out of whack. Or perhaps there was a bigger prize at stake. With so much untouched land, there was bound to be a node or two around.
I briefly entertained the thought that the real war was being fought over said resources. Trade would have been a tough prospect, but perhaps Ivory had found practical uses for the material.
With a sigh, I reminded myself that the situation was none of my business. Either way, the outcome didn’t matter. When I was healed, I would wish Ivory good luck and be on my way. And for that, I needed sleep.
Laying my head against the hay, I did my best to push any further thoughts from my head. It was several more hours before I fell asleep.