//------------------------------// // Room For One More // Story: The Ecstasy of Defeat // by AgentSnail //------------------------------// Room For One More Eldon dove onto the griffin, catching him by surprise and causing them both to tumble to the ground, rolling a few times before they came to a stop. Eldon clutched at his knife, bringing it up towards the griffin's throat. It was blocked by a talon, which the sharp tool neatly went through. The attacking griffin panicked, putting a talon across the soldier's mouth as he screamed out in pain. It was muffled a little, but Eldon still heard noise from the others as they figured out something was afoot. He looked away for a moment, still trying to pry the knife from the griffin. Talons ripped across Eldon's face, leaving long cuts down one of his cheeks, all the way to his jaw line. All of a sudden the knife came free, a loud crack making itself known as Eldon grasped it with both of his talons, leaning backwards before he plunged the blade downwards. It found purchase in the griffin's neck, and Eldon hardly skipped a beat as he pulled the knife and rolled from the body, picking up his spear along with the griffin's. He charged out of the brush, rearing up on his hind legs as he let the first projectile fly. The remaining griffins didn't even need to move to dodge the blade, as it landed several feet to one side. The second, however, was thrown much more carefully. The weapon lodged itself in the back of the griffin that wasn't attached to the cart, as the other feverishly attempted to untie himself. The injured griffin only grunted and pulled the spear free, clearly glad that it hadn't penetrated far enough for the barbs to matter. Eldon felt another wave of adrenaline to counter his sudden lack of ideas. The griffin closed the distance between them in only a moment, laying a heavy blow on the same cheek that was torn to ribbons. The soldier didn't let up, throwing an eagle style punch straight into Eldon's exposed shoulder. The inexperienced griffin cried out in pain, knocking away the claws that were digging into his flesh before they could do much damage. He succeeded with a heavy blow, ducking under a spear thrust and gripping a talon around one of the soldier's front legs. The escapee pulled, tossing the griffin onto the ground a few feet away like he was throwing a small rock. It must've been the adrenaline, some part of his mind mused. He couldn't have done that under normal conditions, as sore as he was. But as soon as Eldon took a step forwards, the griffin was back to his feet, charging again. He tried to block a punch that turned out to go somewhere else, and suddenly the air left his lungs. Eldon stumbled backwards, barely moving his head out of the way fast enough for a spear to whistle past. A blow broadsided him and he toppled over, looking up through tired eyes at the other griffin. They said something to one another in a whisper as Eldon focused instead on the mare, who had pushed herself as far back into a corner as she could, watching the three with wide eyes. Then the air was knocked out of him again, as the two had simply come down to kicking and punching. He tried to curl up into a ball, but every time he tried another kick just made him splay out in pain. Talons dug into a spot without armor on his flank, digging more cuts on a journey towards his knee. Eldon heard the clang of metal on metal and opened his eyes again, moving to get up as the griffins became distracted by something else: Cato. The kid had thrown a spear at the two, and had managed to hit the helmet of one, who was currently on the ground holding the helmet where his ear was. The older griffin pulled himself up, unsure as to how he was still conscious, and threw himself on the griffin once again. The pair fell, as Eldon picked up the spear that Cato had thrown and jammed it through the griffin's chest. As he moved to turn, a spear clipped his chest, making him double over once again. It hadn't done much more than leave a deep cut, but everything just burned with pain by now. The last griffin pinned Eldon to the ground, holding him there as he tried to get his friend to say something. The griffin barely made a sound back, but the tiny rational part of Eldon's brain had made a plan by now. He reached backwards as far as he could, gripping at a feather from his wing as talons dug into the back of his shoulder, worsening the wound the griffin had started earlier. Eldon screamed in pain as his feather popped free rather easily, probably one that would be molted regardless. He threw it back at the griffin, feeling it hit something that wasn't armor. The griffin screamed in pain, tottering just enough for Eldon to squirm free and avoid a talon thrust towards his throat. He'd stabbed the feather into the griffin's eye, and the guy didn't seem like he would recover fast enough to block another blow. As it turned out, he didn't, and with a final spear thrust, Eldon found himself in the clear. So he threw up. Then he fell over, tears already in his eyes. Dirt found its way into his cheek and burned, his eyes already overflowing with tears. He sobbed, not for the griffins, or only for his injuries, but for the fact that he knew this hadn't been worth it. He knew even walking was going to be unbearably painful, and that meant more for Cato than it did for him. If he wasn't there to delay griffins so that the kid could get away, well, he was pretty useless. Eldon didn't want to be useless. Useless was what they called workers that were injured or old. Useless was what they called his dad the week before he disappeared. And now he was just another griffin that fell into that category. "Eldon!" Cato yelled, skidding to a halt in front of his brother as a few tears continued their momentum, landing on his brother's beak. He felt his brother hug around his neck, sending a few bolts of pain through some cuts. "You- Are you okay?" He wanted to say no, to cry with the him for hours on end. Those griffins- he had to kill them, and yet he felt grief over their passing. Everything he'd been taught his entire life hadn't prepared him at all for this, and he couldn't find the will to stop his tears from flowing. But he knew that they had to keep moving, that the best way to get this stuff out of his head was to get as far away from it as he could. "I hurt, but I'll be fine." He mumbled, somehow keeping his voice somewhat steady. Eldon got up, smiling a little as he ruffled up his brother's feathers. "I'm gunna go grab our stuff, alright?" Cato asked, looking like he was just happy to be alive. Attempting to quell the shaking in his arms, Eldon walked over to one of the griffins, searching through his bags for a key. It didn't take him long to find one, and with a few more grunts and a stumble, he was on his way towards the pony. He walked back into view around some bushes and she jumped, retreating back into the corner of her cell. "Do- Don't come any closer!" She yelled, and Eldon stopped. "I- please, I didn't do anything!" Eldon cleared his throat, a slight tinge of embarrassment seeping into his face over his breakdown moments before. He knew he shouldn't care, but after this many years of not complaining, he just felt weak. "I'm trying to save you." She shifted, pushing herself back a little more into the opposing wall of bars. "As what? I'm no prostitute, if that's what you're getting at." Eldon looked to one side, watching Cato bounce out of the woods covered in luggage. "I just want someone to lead me to Equestria, and I thought maybe you could be that pony." She seemed to relax a little at that, allowing herself to look at other things besides him. "Why kill three griffins to do that?" The pony asked, her eyes focusing back on his. "Seems like a little bit of overkill for a shot. You're probably just like them." "Look, I didn't come here to explain my fucking motives. I don't need to." He said cooly, annoyance beginning to solidify in his body. "So I'll tell you what. I can let you out and you can help me, or I can just leave you here." "I-" She said, eyes going wide. "No, just- Please?" Eldon shook his head in annoyance, before he climbed onto the wagon and undid the lock, letting the door slide open. The mare went to leave, but Eldon didn't move. She quickly retreated again. "No, don't kill me, please…" "Listen." He said, cutting her off. "I don't know you, and I can't trust you. But if you try anything, I will come out on top, alright?" He continued before she could answer, partially enjoying the way he dwarfed her. Maybe that was a little extreme, but it fit. "I won't try anything against you either, because I would have no reason to. Chances are, I hate the griffins more than you do right now, and I'm sure you're familiar with a certain phrase that's applicable?" "The enemy of my enemy is my friend?" She asked, her frown not changing. "Like I would take any of that seriously. I heard the other voice, you could have anypony out there." The mare said, still trying to force herself as far away from Eldon as possible. "It's just my brother, I-" "You just took out three griffins! I hardly got in a punch and a buck when they tried to capture me, and you stabbed them to death! If you can do that, then I don't want to know what two of you can do." Eldon raked a talon down his face, cringing as one claw slipped into his cuts. He grabbed the lock with a talon and made to close the cell again. "You know what? This was a waste of time! I risked my life for you, and all you can do is worry about yourself. I-" His front leg buckled under a sudden shiver, and he toppled to the ground. The mare peered out over the edge of the wagon a moment later, watching him try to stop his shivering. The damn adrenaline was wearing off already. "Bro, I-" Cato began, before his eyes locked onto the mare. "What did you do to him?!" He yelled, sprinting over to Eldon as the larger griffin rolled over to get up. He was knocked over just as quickly as Cato rocketed into him, hugging his neck so tight it became hard to breathe. Eldon pried his brother's arms away, taking great gulps of air. Oh, he hurt so much. "Well?!" Cato yelled, still awaiting an answer from the mare. She sighed, her tired eyes drooping. "That explains the voice." Eldon ignored her, instead pressing a palm into his flank and attempting to slow the bleeding. "The name's Roseluck by the way." She said after a few moments of silence. "Eldon." He said, outstretching a bloody talon for her to shake. She looked at it for a moment before reaching out a hoof and allowing him to gently take it in his grip. "And that's Cato-" he arched his back a little in pain before continuing, "my brother." "I'm watching you." Cato said, as the pony stared. "I mean it, you better keep yourself in line." Eldon grunted and slowly pulled himself upright, grabbing his saddlebag and putting it onto his back as Cato walked over and waited for Eldon to hoist him up. Roseluck grimaced, looking at the cuts that were still oozing blood. She hesitated a few times, stuck halfway between fear and slight gratitude, not that she wanted to admit the latter was there just yet. She quickly trotted over, taking the saddlebag from Eldon's back and putting it on her own before he could react. "I'm carrying this until I get you fixed up, alright?" He noticed that she still kept her eyes on him, not dropping her guard for a moment. Maybe the saddlebags were collateral. "I have rags in there to use as bandages, it's fine." Eldon responded, pointing. "Pfft, rags. I'll show you where the good stuff is." The mare said with a slightly forced grin, before she turned into the forest and trotted off. Eldon's eyes widened and he threw Cato on his back before sprinting after her. She was trying to steal his stuff! He caught up with her a few seconds later, as she was bouncing happily around a tree, and he began to feel stupid. And so very much more painful. Maybe this mare was defective… "You shouldn't run like that, you'll just reopen the cuts." She said, making him narrow his eyes at her. "What? I can't act a little happy that I've been rescued?" Rose asked, though her eyes and voice never really conveyed the smile. It was still an improvement though. "Only to an extent." Eldon replied, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly. "Can I just borrow your knife?" Roseluck asked, and he hesitantly handed it over, gripping at the spear instead. She held the bladed side against the tree and punched the dull side a few times, as a blood red substance started to drip from below the blade. "This sap has antiseptic properties, so it should help you heal up a little bit faster." She said, scraping up a blob and pushing it towards one of Eldon's cuts as he jumped away. "What if you're just trying to kill me?" He asked, watching as she spread some on a little cut on her arm. "What do I need to tell you so that you'll trust me?" Rose asked, watching the sap slowly flow around to the bottom of her hoof. "At least enough to get out of here?" "Why you were in that thing. And if Equestria exists, and if it's still free." Eldon said quickly, still eyeing her hoof. "Well, in that order, I run a shop that sells flowers and other plants, though I specialize in roses." She gestured to a picture of a rose on her flank, which Eldon stared at in confusion. "Anyway, I was trying to find a few rare plants that only grow in the Whitetail Woods, and then those guys took me and called me a spy." "And Equestria?" "It's real. Free and all. What's it like here?" "Just-" He shrugged. "Can you get that on me, and I'll tell you while we walk?" "Sure, I guess. It's been a little over a day, I'm pretty eager to get away from these psychos." "Yeah, you seem pretty nervous." Eldon said, moving a little closer. She didn't attempt to move away, which was probably a good sign. "I'm just glad to be out of that stupid cage." Her stomach grumbled. "By the way, do you have any food? I mean, I know I'm not really the best pony to give food away to, and you'd probably just keep it for yourself, but…" "Yeaaaaaah!" He yelled, the end of his response turning into a pained yell. Rose looked up at him for a moment before returning to her work as a numb sensation began to set in, making the pain fade slightly. Eldon sighed, feeling a little awkward as she moved to the cuts on his flank. More stinging ensued, but he was at least ready for it this time. The mare turned for some more sap before she moved up to his face, studying him as she went to fix up his cheek. "You'll tell me where you got some of those scars?" She asked. "All the old ones, I mean?" That one caught him by surprise. "Do you really care?" No, she could just be trying to distract… She had to be up to something… "I think it'll help to pass the time." She replied, attending to a few smaller cuts. "I know there are better ways to meet, but at least talking will take your mind off of the pain a little. Do you not want to talk about them?" "I don't think I really ever have." He said, watching her adjust his saddlebag on herself that didn't fit at all. "I mean, most of them were before this kid ever said his first words." "Was it a fight?" She asked as they began to walk. She showed no signs of returning the saddlebags, which worried him. Eldon laughed, and she furrowed her brow in confusion. "Back where I live, everything's decided for you. Your job, your pace, what you eat every day, when you get off the streets at night. If you break any of those rules, chances are you'll be taken in the middle of the night and whisked away to wherever it is that they kill all of the griffins that break laws." "Wait." She said, trotting a little to keep up. "Kill?" "Well, yeah. Apparently being out after nine is worth killing someone over." Her jaw hung open. "But then again, some of them kinda make sense, like murder. Death seems about right for that, but then again..." He looked away, thinking about the griffins he'd felled, through his own conscious will. The mare seemed to read his mind. "Don't worry about them, you didn't have a-" "I had a choice, those griffins hadn't done anything to hurt me." He said, feeling his face heat up as a tear fled down his face. He shook his head, clearing his mind at least partially. "But those guys that are coming after us, I wouldn't think twice to attack." "Guys-" She paused a moment, before the thought hit her. "Ah, I'm guessing that you escaped?" "Yeah." "Punishable by death?" He nodded. "Your life sucks." She said, a little more bluntly than he would have liked. "Not really." He said, and Rose stopped abruptly. "How can you say that?! Are you insane?" "No, I just-" "You can get killed for anything, you have all of these scars, you're being trailed by the same soldiers that treated me like an animal, and you seem to think that things could be worse." She let out an angry sigh. "Look, I don't know how optimistic griffins are, but what you're saying is just stupid!" Eldon tried to shush her, but she seemed intent on voicing her opinion. Maybe this had been a stupid idea for more than the trust issue. "Things may be able to get worse, but we're at rock bottom right now, as far as I'm concerned. We've got a lot of hope, and everything involving getting back is hanging from one little thread of probability, especially after you got those cuts." The mare tried to brush something out of her fur before she gave up and turned to walk away. "Come on, you said yourself that we can't waste time." Eldon sighed and followed her, his tail flicking from side to side in annoyance. The three remained silent for a long while as Cato got bored and went back to sleep. The lack of talk quickly stretched into the span of a few hours, and the mare still seemed intent on remaining silent. Eldon wasn't sure if Rose wanted to simply keep talk to a minimum, or if she was scared. It was an understatement to say that he couldn't read emotions too well. At least, outside of Cato, but that kid was an open book. Eventually Eldon spoke up, walking to the trunk of a tree to rest. He gently set Cato down and allowed himself to collapse, breathing heavily. Just walking was getting to be a chore, and he hated it. Everything still hurt, despite the slight painkiller. "We've walked long enough." He said shortly, looking through the branches of the trees at the noontime sun. Roseluck set down his saddlebag, quickly opening it and searching for something. Eldon wasn't happy, but trying to stop her seemed pointless. Pony or not, he probably couldn't expect to take her in a fight for a good while. He felt so goddamn weak. "What?" She asked, a drop of drool dripping to the ground at the prospect of food. "What is this?" She asked, holding up a piece of jerky. The mare bit at it, tearing off a chunk. Huh. Eldon had thought that ponies were vegetarians. "What is this stuff?!" Rose exclaimed, going back for more. "It tastes pretty good!" "It's beef." Eldon murmured, watching the mare stop in her tracks. "What?" "It's meat. Beef jerky." He shrugged. "Try not to eat all of it." Roseluck stared downward at the flat piece of meat, before she turned her head and spit out a wad. "Oh Celestia!" She screamed, wiping her tongue with a hoof. "Ewewewewewewewew!" "Woah!" The griffin yelled, pulling himself to his feet painfully. "Don't waste it!" "Why didn't you tell me I was eating meat?!" "Why didn't you ask?!" She didn't respond for a moment, allowing her emotions to cool off. "I don't think I would've cared if it hadn't tasted good." Rose sighed, looking away. "Do you have any plants to eat?" Eldon debated saying no outright, or pushing the mare away. She'd caused enough trouble, wasted a mouthful of beef… But she'd also helped heal him, and she was still worth something as an asset, if nothing else. Besides, she was good for conversation. Or at least, she had the potential to be. "I have some mushrooms, but-" "But…" Rose said after Eldon trailed off. "They were supposed to be for my brother." He sighed. "Look, I'll be frank, but I don't want to keep dancing around these things. I didn't rescue you because I wanted to save you." She stared. "I rescued you to help get me out of here, and honestly, I'd like to think that I made the right decision. But look, none of us are going to get to Equestria if we don't at least work as a team, and have some primitive amount of faith in one another." "So you didn't-" She began, looking downward. "How could I just rescue you?!" he yelled, "Especially if you just became dead weight?!" "But I'm not-" Rose tried again, her voice wavering. "Stop!" Eldon screamed, and her mouth flapped shut. "I know you can do things, and I know that you're intelligent. All I want is for you to see the same in me, and know that if you don't look out for me the way I did for you, we won't get too much further!" Oh, so much bluffing… If anyone was dead weight, it'd be him right now. The mare only stared. Evidently he still looked like he had enough power around here. "Fine." She said. "I guess I'll have to." Eldon sighed, walking back to the tree. He sat down again, his body suddenly allowing the pain to ease. He still let out a grunt of dissatisfaction. Rose watched him with her tired eyes, almost as if she was waiting for him to slip up. He let his eyes close for a moment, only to open them again a fraction of a second later. They felt heavy, and he was still horribly tired. Eldon let them close again, feeling his mind go foggy for a moment as he began dreaming about a good meal. When he opened his eyes again, Rose wasn't there. Eldon moved to get up, but found that his shoulder was- there was a rag tied around the wound, along with the one on his flank. Eldon's blood froze, and he realized with no small amount of fear that he'd fallen asleep. Cato was still asleep next to him, but as he turned his head this way and that, he couldn't find Rose. His plan was falling apart by the second, and to make matters worse, he could see a few clouds of smoke rising a much shorter margin of space away. "Rose? Roseluck?!" He yelled, looking feverishly for his saddlebag instead. That was more important, and a saddlebag couldn't hear him yell. The mare peered back into the small clearing, and her face flashed with a hint of worry. The sun reflected off of a few pieces of armor she had put on. "What?" Eldon sighed in relief, looking at the stuffed saddlebags on her back. "I thought you'd left." She shrugged. "Like I could fight griffins if it came down to it." Roseluck walked over and sat down, taking off her saddlebags. "How long was I asleep?" Eldon asked, cringing at the dropping sun. "Less than two hours." She replied, opening one side of the saddlebag and grinning. "Gave me time to go forage for stuff." "Two?!" Eldon blurted, annoyed. He put a talon to his head, letting out a sigh of distress. "I closed my eyes for two fucking seconds!" "You needed the sleep." She said. "Don't think I couldn't tell that much." "I could've waited." "Look, it's okay." Rose continued, the corners of her mouth turning upwards. "Look!" She gestured to the saddlebag, and Eldon couldn't help but feel a little worry fly out the window. It was full of berries, topped with at least a few leaves. "I found blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and…" She trailed off, picking up one of the leaves. "This." "And that is…" "It has caffeine in it. Usually, it's hard to find because it only exists in new growth in a high branched tree. But I found a fallen limb." "So, what's caffeine?" Eldon asked, still staring. Roseluck's jaw dropped a little. "It helps you stay awake." "How?" The griffin queried. "It's a drug, it just…" She pointed to her head. "It does something with your brain." "Why?" "I don't know!" Rose responded, getting annoyed. "It just does!" Eldon decided to change the subject. "So are those red ones kind of like blackberries? Or are they just not ripe?" "They- they're a separate berry." "Really?" He put a talon to his chin, looking at her with an air of disbelief. His shoulder yelled at him, but the pain was notably less. "How come my arm doesn't hurt?" "I made a dose of some painkillers from willow bark." Rose said, pointing to a bowl that was next to Cato. "I made it strong, but I'm going to try to slowly take you off it as you heal. Don't want you becoming addicted or anything." "Huh?" "It's just-" She stopped, putting a hoof to her forehead. "It's amazing how little you know." "Well, it's not li-" "Hey." Rose interjected. "I understand. It's pretty crazy though, because the more you talk normally, the worse I realize it was over there." Eldon shrugged, reaching over to poke one of the raspberries with a talon. He put it into his mouth, grinning as the sour taste met his tongue. "I guess these things aren't too bad." "At least you can eat them." Roseluck said, waiting for him to take another talonful before she closed the bag and transferred it to her back. "Yeah…" Eldon replied, before he jammed the berries into his mouth. Rose watched, her mind unable to keep out the thought that the berry juice bore a slight resemblance to blood. "Probably can't eat too many though." He picked up Cato and put the kid on his back, eyeing Rose's use of some of his armor again. She had put some on her fore hooves, and the rest around her flanks and her neck. Parts that Eldon knew were meant for different parts of griffins seemed to fit on her in different places, especially given the size difference. She looked like she could fight something. "Do you want a weapon?" He found himself asking, pushing away the part of his mind that said he shouldn't give her one. But then again, he hadn't given a second thought to the berries… "I-" She looked away. "If you want me to have one." Eldon unsheathed his knife, handing it over. Roseluck grabbed it in her fetlock, looking at the thing for a moment. "Don't you need this?" "I'll just use this spear." He replied, picking the weapon up from the ground. "And if we can fashion some sort of club, I'll use that." Roseluck began to walk, handing Eldon another hoofful of berries. He took them and nodded, tossing them into his mouth one at a time. He was hungry, but there was nothing wrong with enjoying the taste. "Wait, I-" She gestured with the knife, and Eldon started. "Oh, the sheath?" He took that off, wondering why he'd expected her not to need it. He hesitated before attaching the thing to the outside of her hind leg, tightening it with a grunt. Rose stared back with a blush, and carefully put the knife away. Eldon took a step back, admiring her for a moment. Her blush got a little worse. "What's wrong?" She sniffed at her armpit. "Do I smell?" "No, you look good." He scratched his chin. "Like a soldier, even with all of the missing armor." "I'll take that as a compliment." She replied. "You should, you know." Eldon said. "Those guys are pretty awesome. Well, not really awesome, but uh, they command a lot of awe." "And you think I look remotely like that?" Rose asked, holding up an armored hoof. "Not really, you just remind me of that. But I can kinda see why ponies haven't been hunted to extinction. You look like you could kick some serious ass." "Too bad I can't fight with this." She said, pointing to the knife as she broke into a trot. Eldon followed, easily keeping up with a lot less pain. "How about next time we stop, I teach you a little?" He asked. "I don't know much, but there's probably some stuff on stance I could apply, some steps and junk. Worst case scenario, I'm sure hooves can be pretty painful." "A good buck seems to keep most things away." She replied with a grin. "But yeah, nothing wrong with a little preparation." "So how come you don't have a horn?" Eldon asked, changing the topic. "What?" "Well the author in my book has a horn. He says that other ponies can fly, so I assume that they have wings. Why would there be ponies that have neither?" Roseluck smiled, and Eldon furrowed his brow. "Because we support everypony else. Nopony else can grow food with any large success, so we do." "Is that it?" He asked, worrying that he might have offended her before she shook her head. "We might not have any wings or horns, but we're stronger and tougher. And we heal faster." "Like how fast?" "Not that fast, but it's noticeable." "I'd love to heal faster." Eldon said with a sigh. "Or maybe you heal as fast as I do, and those other ponies are just slow." Rose continued. "Besides, I've got the antiseptic on there. You'll be fine in no time." "Thanks for that, by the way." "Hey, we have to look out for one another, right?" Eldon nodded. Maybe distrusting this mare had just been inefficient. But going through it again, he couldn't really find much he would've changed. _________________________________________________________ Eldon looked up at the sun, or what he could see of it through the branches anyway, and felt a little grin appear on his face. They'd made it through another day, and he knew that searching was all but impossible at night. So they had some time to build up a lead again. The griffin let his shoulders droop a little, aches and pains picking up again as his thoughts began to wander once again. The mare was a magnet for his brainwaves, and he threw a small glance her direction. His first thought wasn't that she could be dangerous, so much as disloyal. He didn't expect her to stick around this long, or even try to help him. If he were in her position, he would've taken off as soon as he got the chance. Eldon averted his eyes as she looked over, furrowing his brow in thought. It still bothered him, that she'd done things to him while he'd been asleep. He trusted her enough, but some part of him couldn't get past the fact that she could've done anything to the bandages. There were animals out here he'd never seen before or thought possible, so the same could go for plants. But then again, he was important. He was their protection, and he liked to think he was the mastermind of how things worked. He'd survived in a place a million times worse than this, and he knew he would be the last to break. That part gave him a little rush of pride. His stomach grumbled, and the mare peered over. She stumbled at the same time, a fore hoof crumpling underneath her as she hit the dirt with a quiet yelp. Eldon's eye twitched, and a few neurons fired. She'd helped him… She yelped again, louder this time as he snaked a talon under her breast, gently pulling her onto her hooves again. God, she was light. Or he was just strong. "Thanks." She said quietly, a little blush running across her cheeks. Eldon began to walk again, but she didn't follow. "What's wrong?" He asked, feeling Cato stir. "I- Just tired, I guess." She replied, sitting down. "I feel so crappy." Rose peered at him, looking to one side. "I probably sound ridiculous, complaining without a scratch on me." Eldon looked up, figuring it was dark enough to warrant stopping. A few stars had begun coming out, slowly painting in the night sky. He looked back at the mare, who was still staring at him, and shrugged. "You're tired. Probably didn't sleep too much when the griffins had you, and probably haven't slept since then. I wouldn't have made it as long." That wasn't a lie, he already doubted the health of his mental facilities, and it had only been a day or so. To be honest though, that nap had worked wonders. Rose's head drooped, springing back up again as she kept herself from falling asleep on the spot. "I just need- something to do." She mumbled. "Not dead weight." Eldon cringed, watching her stand again. "Look, I didn't mean it like that." He sighed. "Besides, it's no use tiring yourself out when we can rest." "Non- sense." She replied slowly. "I can help. It's a team effort." Oh god, he felt guilty. He never felt guilty like this. He didn't like it. "No, you're not doing anything." Eldon said forcefully, but Rose just ignored him and walked past. "Firewood, I assume?" "Kindling, act-" He slapped a talon to his face. These ponies were stubborn. "Stop." Rose turned away, swaying a little as she walked into the nearby woods. "Make me." Eldon groaned, looking up at the sky again. There was just no reasoning with her when it came to this stuff. He shook his head, walking to the side of the clearing to pick up a bunch of sticks. He drew some rocks into a circle near a couple of trees at the edge and stuck the pile of sticks down to the side. Rose tottered back, pulling some dry grass and chewed up bark from her saddlebag. Eldon stared at her for a moment, before he began striking the blade of the spear against the flint. A spark took and smoldered, giving Eldon some time to blow the cinders into the beginnings of a flame. It took quickly, and the griffin pushed some more kindling in along with a few twigs. He built the fire to a low blaze, making sure to keep it from becoming too obvious. With the kind of tree cover they had, there was no way things would shine through. Roseluck laid down next to the fire and closed her eyes, giving her limbs a stretch before folding her fore hooves back into her body. Eldon dragged her saddlebag over, setting Cato down and returning to the berries. The more he could eat of these now, the less he'd have to worry about them going bad later. He just hoped he wouldn't get too bad of indigestion if he went overboard. But he figured that wouldn't be a problem anyway. Griffins ate some plant material, and he was sure they had for decades. Eldon wasn't really sure why, but he didn't question it. More berry juice greeted his taste buds as he put a few more into his mouth and chowed down. These things tasted amazing, way better than any of the fruit they had before. Those tasted almost like dust when he compared them to these… whatever berries. He felt something poke his flank and jumped, grabbing his spear from the ground once again before he realized that Cato had woken up. The kid blinked at him through tired eyes and Eldon replaced the spear, pulling his brother a little tighter against his flank. He stared at Roseluck across the fire, running through a range of expressions. "How come she'd still here?" He asked. Eldon chuckled. "Because she's helpful, at the very least." He whispered. "She fixed me up, got us food…" He pushed over the saddlebag so that it was between them. "Even fixed my pain a little." "She- huh?" "Called 'em painkillers. Made it from some tree bark, but it's great stuff." He let his eyes droop a little, and laid down on his stomach. He stretched his hind legs and then his wings, leaving one at full span as he rolled onto his side. "Can you wake me up in a few hours Cato?" "How many's a few?" "Five, we'll say. Can you handle that?" "Maybe? How am I supposed to tell time?" Eldon paused, before he pointed to a star by what little of the horizon they could see. "When that moves below the tree line, that red one there, then wake us up." "Alright." Cato replied, watching Eldon drift off. A wing fell over him a moment later, and the kid smiled. _________________________________________________________ Roseluck awoke in a fit of shivers, her eyes finding the fire and staring at it with a look that could kill. It was fire for Celestia's sake, and she was freezing her ass off a few feet away. "I see you're awake." A voice said, and Rose jumped. Cato stared at her from across the fire, and she sighed. She tried to get her shivering under control, but it only got worse as some wind blew past and the fire flickered. "Y-yeah." "And I hear that we're keeping you around." "Look, I a-already got the talk, I-I'm not dead weight." Cato peered at the bandages on Eldon, sighing to himself. "You're cold?" "A l-little." She replied, hugging herself. Cato scooted towards Eldon's wingtip, pointing to the wide open space. "There you go." "Oh n-no, I can't possibl-" She began, before Cato cut her off. "You're cold. He's warm. What could possibly be the problem?" He shook his head. "Ponies…" He muttered under his breath. Roseluck stared for a few seconds before her shoulders slumped and her eyes took on the same tired look as before. "Fine." She whispered. It didn't mean anything. It meant nothing. They were a team, he was just watching out for her, that was all. And most importantly, she wasn't weak by accepting. The mare plodded over, sliding beneath Eldon's large wing. She felt warmer almost immediately, as the wind was blocked and new heat transferred to her body. She pushed her back up against Eldon's side, feeling the down of his shorter feathers against her side. "Just a team, just a team." Rose whispered to herself, trying to allay any remaining fear along with her slight dissatisfaction of building an emotional bond she wasn't sure she wanted. This felt too intimate, but her mind was too tired to dwell on that fact. Nopony would know anyway. She quickly passed out again, feeling Cato push up against her as Eldon's wing curved around the both of them. One thing she couldn't deny: It sure made her feel safe.