Fallen Leaves

by SilentBelle

Chapter 1 - His Choice

His horn glowed a fiery orange from its magic, which ignited his tear-spattered vision. With the tight claw of fear gripping his throat, and doubt bringing a slight tremor to his legs, he drew a few ragged breaths to steady himself. He closed his eyes and set the world around him out of his mind. He focused solely upon the spell before him, it was all that mattered. He couldn't afford to mess up now.

Almost there, he told himself, as he felt his spell touch down on the figure before him. He willed warmth into its once-cool form. It's working! He felt a smile creep across his lips and hardened his resolve.

He flared his magic, feeding it into the two separate spells: warmth and movement. He heard the sounds of breathing falling into sync with his own and he felt the heartbeat, so faint, pulsing along, echoing his own. Then there was a larger movement. Standing? Yes, I knew it would work! It had to!

He dared to open his eyes to look upon the subject of his spell. A pale, beige-coated mare stood shakily before him, taking laboured breaths. Mother! He forced more magic into the spell. He projected it as a warm and loving caress, which kept the mare from collapsing to the floor. She was standing, and breathing. Just wait a minute and you’ll be back. I promise! I can fix this!

A movement caught his eye, even as he continued to feed the spell. The mare's eyelids fluttered slightly and then opened. But the soft pink eyes inside did not show any reaction to the world before her. They just gave a blank stare, right past the young stallion.

No! Come on, look at me! Focus! Please! You have to! He would have shouted the thoughts had he air to spare in his own lungs. Don't give up on me! You promised me you wouldn't give up!

“Willow!” a shout came as the front door to the house slammed open. “What in Tartarus is going on in here?!”

Willow turned to see his brother standing in the doorway, a large silver-coated pegasus stallion, with fiery golden eyes. “A-Argent? What are you doing back already?” As he spoke, Willow felt the spell beginning to slip from his grasp. With a grunt, he turned back to the task before him. “Just a bit more. Come on, focus damn it!”

“Willow, is that...?” Argent couldn't mask the horror in his voice. “What have you done to her?!”

Willow turned in time to see his brother's hoof collide with his horn. The blow took his legs out from under him, and he reeled backward, crashing into nearby wall. His tenuous grip on the spell slipped entirely.

“No! The spell!” Willow managed to shout as his mother fell to the ground as a once-again lifeless shell. Magic shot out from his horn, crashing into the the walls of the living room, carving jagged dark scorches into the wood and crashing into his mother’s body with a sizzling snap.

“Mother!” Willow pulled himself back to his hooves and ran toward her body. “Argent, what have you done?!”

His brother, however, didn't stop his assault, and slammed into Willow before he made it halfway across the room. The magic outburst wasn't enough to faze a pegasus who had the makings of a royal guard. If anything, it only spurred him into further action.

“I could ask you the same thing, brother!” Argent shouted as he pulled Willow to the ground and pinned him. Willow felt a sharp twinge as his brother's hoof smashed hard against his horn. “That magic! What were you doing to mother?!”

The pain was nearly unbearable, and Willow gave up any attempts to struggle against his older brother's grip. He began to shake, and tears flowed from his eyes. “Damn it! I was trying to save her! I was so close, so bloody close! Just a bit more and I could have-”

“She's dead, damn you! She died this morning!” Argent tightened his grip. “And you go defiling her body like this?! You think that's what she wanted?!”

“She wanted to live!” Willow sputtered. “She promised she wouldn't give up!

“Stop being delusional! Everypony has to pass on eventually!” his brother shouted, and Willow could feel warm tears fall into his mane. “We all knew she was going to pass on. I did, you did, and she did. We all did...”

“She said she wouldn't... She said...” Willow sobbed into the floorboards as he struggled to raise his head. Out of the corner of his eyes, he managed to see a motionless, charred husk. The stray strands of her fiery hair were the only indication that it had once been his mother’s body.

“And now we can't even have a proper funeral! Look at what your magic did to her for Celestia's sake!”

Willow took in the sight in earnest. The the ink runes he had scrawled on the floorboards now smoked and the room was filled with the distinct smell of burned wood, mixed with charred hair and flesh. At the center of the runes, his mother lay, sprawled on her side, seemingly more lifeless than ever. All that had made her beautiful and whole had been shattered. Her flesh, a blackened mess, and small white sections where bone peaked free from ashen pile. All because Argent had interrupted him.

Willow’s eyes locked on the the few strands of her red hair.

“Mother,” Willow called out happily as he entered the bedroom. “You’re awake. How are you feeling today?”

She gave him a welcoming smile as she slowly worked at her mane with a hoof-brush. “I’m fine today, thank you for asking, dear.” She dragged herself into a determined sitting position. “I was just thinking, once I finish brushing my mane, we could go for a walk and see your br-” She was interrupted by a wave of wracking coughs and the brush slipped off of her hoof.

Willow was at her side in an instant, rubbing her back as the coughing fit abated, and slowly eased her back into bed. “Mother, it’s okay. I’ll just tell Argent to visit with you when I see him next. Just rest for now. Soon enough we can go out and visit Argent whenever you want.” Willow picked up the hoof-brush with his magic and began running it through her silky hair.

“I’m so sorry for putting you through this, Willow.” She reached out with one hoof and managed to snag the brush, at the same time she ran her other hoof through Willow’s hair. “I know I’m not very strong, but let me at least do this. Each brush is calming, and each time, it reminds me of you, Willow. You’ll always come back, like a fiery leaf the never falls from the tree.”

Willow, ran a hoof of his own through his hair. “I promise, mother. I’ll never leave you. I’ll always be here for you.” I’ll find a cure.

“You know, as well as I do, that this kind of magic is forbidden. Using magic on the dead… Oh, mother...” Argent let out a haunted whisper, and moved toward the door. He glanced back, giving Willow a disgusted look. He took a deep breath and hardened his expression. “I'm going to tell the authorities what happened here. After that, I'm going to Canterlot—like mother wanted—and leaving this sad life behind. Don't cause the guards too much trouble when they arrive. I'll tell them that you acted out of grief.” He walked out the door, without looking back. “Goodbye, Brother.”

“So you're leaving just like that? What about mother? What about her funeral?!” Willow shouted as he struggled to get up on his hooves.

“There isn't going to be a funeral any time soon. Not after what you did here! They'll take her body and have to perform an autopsy and determine what you did to her. This is goodbye, Willow.” Argent merely shook his head one last time, and took to the skies, the door slowly swinging to a close behind him.

What I did to her? Willow slumped in front of his mother's remains. I was just trying to save her. Is that such a bad thing? The sickness took her, and I was just trying to stop it, to bring her back. Was it a mistake? What if it had worked, Argent? Wouldn't you be happy that she was alive like she's supposed to be? He shook his head. No! I wasn't wrong! I just wasn't fast enough. If only I had helped her right away. If only I had been there when she died, I could have saved her.

Argent is wrong! I did the right thing, I know I did. Trying and failing is better than doing nothing at all, and he did absolutely nothing to help her! Now he's going to send the guards after me, just for trying to help? Willow pulled himself off the floor. The guards won't listen to me. They'll think I'm mad with grief, while Argent's always been a top candidate in their books; they'll take his word over mine any day.

Willow shot a glance out of the window and noted the nearby woods. If I leave now, they won't be able to catch me in time; they'd never waste the time on a hunting me through the woods. They don't have the resources to spare for a search. He looked back down at his mangled mother and winced. Am I just running away?

No! he shook his head. I'm stopping them from performing an unjust action. I did nothing wrong, and I'll prove it when I can. But I can't if I just stay here!

He got into motion even as he cobbled his plan together. He ran up the stairs to his room and found his half-empty brown saddlebags and quickly used his magic to strap them onto his back. Where will I even go? he wondered as he quickly looked over his shelves of books on medicines, magic, and anatomy. He shook his head at the impracticality of carrying books with him into the wilderness. He grabbed a small kit of medical utensils and shoved it into his bag.

'Where' doesn't matter, I'll figure that out on the way. It's early summer, so it shouldn't be much worse than camping. I'll have plenty of time to figure out what to do when I'm on the move. For now, I'll just grab what I need.

Willow made his way downstairs and threw open all of cupboards with his magic and filled his bags with some dried foods, but mostly he picked out some items with more of a utilitarian focus: a small hatchet with a holster that fit snugly at his left side, a knife, some scissors, a canister of water, and a length of rope.

He frantically cast one last glance at all the cupboards. I'm certain to have forgotten something, but there's no time, I've tarried long enough as is.

Willow moved to the entrance and forced himself to look into the living room one last time. “I'm sorry, mother. I wasn't good enough to save you. But I won't give up, I will make you proud. Goodbye.” He ran out the door, not bothering to close it behind him.

Amber trotted away from the sturdy wooden house, quickly and quietly. She knew her brothers, and especially her father, would be entirely unamused when they found out that she hadn't done her morning chores, but she didn't care. Let them be angry, she thought, spitefully. All they ever want me to do is gather acorns and cut wood around the 'farm'.

She made her way across the open field toward the Autumn Wood. About half its trees had coloured leaves and the other half held the vibrant green leaves of early summer. Who ever heard of running an acorn farm, anyway? We could have a proper orchard with delicious fruit, or a field full of vegetables like our neighbors. Not those dumb oak trees.

Her half-hearted indignation came to a halt as she caught sight of a figure dashing across the open field in front of her, heading toward the Autumn Wood. That light brown coat, and red and orange mane and tail were unmistakable at this distance. She smiled to see her best friend. Sweet, how lucky! And if I play my cards right, I should be able to use him as an excuse for skipping out on chores. A smiled crept onto her lips as she ran toward Willow.

“Hey, Willow!” she shouted as she chased after him. “What brings you out here this early in the morning?!”

If Willow had heard her, he had certainly paid her calls no heed. Amber frowned as she noted the saddlebags he was carrying. Going to look for more medicinal herbs in the forest? Didn't we do that just two days ago? She watched him until he disappeared past the threshold of the forest, his form blending in with the surrounding flora. With that coat and hair, he always had a way of blending in with the perpetual half-autumn of the woods.

Amber looked back at her own body, with her deeper brown coat coupled with her solid green mane and tail, a playful smile crept onto her lips. You aren't the only one who looks like a tree, Willow! She let out a small laugh as she chased after him into the woods. Don't think that you can get away from me so easily!

At the edge of the woods, she turned her gaze toward the ground and looked for the telltale signs of Willow's passing. Her eyes were quick to spot the disturbed leaves, freshly snapped bush branches and deep tracks.

“Hah! Sprinting through the forest?” Amber asked aloud and laughed at his blatant trail. “You're making this far too easy!”

She took after the trail at a quick trot, normally she would have walked when following tracks through the woods, but Willow had done such a good job at at making the tracks, she needed only to give the surrounding area the slightest of glances to follow the trail.

As she passed through the colourful forest, she wondered at what herbs or plant he could possibly be looking for. Willow bark? Probably not... We've already passed a bunch of the trees. Chamomile, lavender, poppies... She shook her head free of the thoughts. Hay if I ever know what Willow's going to be looking for out here. He's the doctor, not me. I'll just have to ask him myself.

She quietly continued onward, the dead leaves creating a cold, wet caress for her hooves, muffling her movement until it was as quiet as the sound of her own breath. And the best way to get a truthful answer out of a pony is to catch them off-guard.

A couple minutes later, she passed a low-hanging golden bough of a large birch tree and spotted her prey. Willow had stopped running and appeared to be sitting on the ground amidst a number of bushes. Amber didn't remember the name of those particular plants, but she grinned at how focused he appeared to be.

Quickly, she planned her approach and slowed her pace down to a silent walk. She edged her way between various shrubs and ducked her head under branches, always making sure not to rustle the plants any more than she had to.

With only a large bramble bush separating her from her target, she stepped out behind him, a grin wide on her face.

He hadn't heard her, he remained hunched over in front of the bush. His two-toned red and orange hair was an uncombed mess, and his body shook slightly, as if shivering.

Amber's smile fell into a frown of concern. “Willow,” she called out tentatively, “are you o-”

Willow jumped up and let out surprised, raspy cry. He spun around while his horn sparked to life. His yellow eyes quivered as much as his body had been, and tears stained his face.

Amber felt his magic encompass her. It was a chilling feeling, as if the air around her had become solid, holding her in place. She felt her eyelids beginning to close of their own volition. Sedative magic?“W-Willow! What the hay?! Cut it out, I didn't mean to startle you. Its me, Amber!”

The unicorn blinked and his eyes widened. “Amber?” he asked in horror. The magic dissipated and Willow stumbled backward. “I'm sorry! I didn't think it would be you.”

With a shake of her head, Amber walked right up to him and gave him a wilting stare. The young stallion turned his head nervously at her approach.

“Willow what happened?” She noticed the unicorn flinch at the question, and Amber gasped. “Could it be your mother? Did she-?”

Willow turned back to face her and pulled her into a hug. Tears fell, staining her coat. “Damn it, Amber! She wasn't supposed to die! If only I had been faster! If only I had known! I could have been there, by her side, instead of waking up to find her like that!”

“Willow, I'm so sorry.” Amber tightened the embrace and felt tears of her own cloud her vision. So, she's gone? Even after years of watching Willow's mother waste away, it seemed so disturbingly false. Even behind the sickness, Amber had always respected and looked up to the strong mare that had faced everyday unflinchingly. Maybe I just assumed that she was a golden leaf that was never going to fall from its branches.

A gust of wind stroked the uppermost reaches of the taller trees causing a rustling rain of autumnal leaves to fall. A veil of reds, yellows and browns encompassed the two ponies, and Amber was content to share in Willows embrace until his tears stopped.

“We should probably head back to town,” Amber said solemnly, after a while had passed. She gently eased herself from his embrace. “Your brother is probably wondering where you are, and the whole town will be preparing for the funeral. Besides, my brothers are probably out looking for me by now.” She let out an awkward chuckle.

“I can't,” Willow muttered bitterly. “I made my choice. I'm going to leave Autumn's Reach.”

“Wait, are you serious?” Amber quirked an eyebrow. “Your mother just died, you can't just-”

“I know she died, damn it!” He kicked up a spray of decaying leaf matter from the forest floor and shook his head. “I know what happened, Amber. And I can't go back.”

Amber shot him a measuring look. “Why are you running away, Willow? I know the funeral won't be easy, but I'm here with you. The whole town will be there too. You aren't alone.” She rested a hoof on his shoulder. “So come on, let's head back to town. Okay?”

“No.” He brushed her hoof firmly aside and began walking away from her, deeper into the woods. “I can't go back. I need to go.”

“But why?!” Amber shouted in frustration and ran up beside him. “Why are you leaving? Why are you running away?”

“I'm not running away!” Willow said as he ducked under a branch of a small elm tree. “I'm moving on, damn it!”

“Moving on would involve going back to the village to mourn with the whole town, not running away from it. What the hay aren't you telling me?!” Amber yelled at him. “I thought we were friends, Willow! What else happened? It has to do with Argent, doesn't it?”

He rounded on her, and stared at her with his deep yellow eyes. They glistened from the tears he had shed, but there was a certain sense of strength in the stare that he held, which made Amber uneasy. “It's because you're my friend that I'm not telling you. Can't you see that I don't want to drag you into this?”

“And can't you see that I care about you? I want to help you.” Amber turned her gaze from his intense expression and looked at a nearby pine laced with red needles. “I can handle whatever it is that you are hiding from me, we're both adults. Stop treating me like some dumb foal! I'm going to follow you until you get it through your thick skull to go back to the village!”

“I know you're not dumb.” He sighed and came to a stop, resting against a tree trunk. “But I don't want to ruin your life by dragging you into this. Go home, Amber. You have a loving family that would miss you if you got caught up in this. I can't do that to you.”

Moving up to him, Amber reached out and wrenched him away from the tree. “I'm my own mare!” she shouted at him as he tumbled into the thick carpet decaying leaves. Now you tell me what in Tartarus happened and I'll be the one to decide whether or not my whole life is ruined! Don't keep secrets from me, Willow! It doesn't matter what happened, I want to know. So spill it!”

“I... I tried to bring her back...” Willow said quietly, his voice became a chill whisper.

Amber blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Argent and I, we woke up to find her... dead. I sat there, stunned for a while. I couldn't believe it... I still can't. After a while Argent told me he was going to tell the authorities what had happened and make the proper arrangements: paperwork, funeral plans...” Willow shook his head. “He left, and I was desperate, she couldn't be gone. So I used my magic. I warmed her, got her lungs pumping again, and her heart beating again. She was standing, breathing, and even looking around by the time Argent came back. I almost saved her Amber!” Willow's eyes were desperate and pleading, begging Amber to understand. “But then Argent stopped me before I could get her to a self-sustaining state.”

“Willow... you tried to bring her back from the dead? That's necromancy. It's forbidden.” Amber couldn't mask the fear in her voice.

“I was going to save her, Amber! Necromancy is where you use a dead body for your own means!” he rebuked and pulled himself off the carpet of decaying foliage. He gave her a fiery glare, daring to be challenged. “You know it's my dream to be a doctor! What is a doctor if not a pony who aims to stave off death at every possible turn? I've studied for years: anatomy, healing magics, herbs, and poultices. And I would have saved her! I was so damn close! If only Argent hadn't interrupted...”

“So that's why you can't go back? Your brother...” Amber trailed off. She knew Argent to be a kind and loving brother, though he had a rigid adherence to duty and law that trumped all else. He was aiming to be part of the royal army, and Amber knew that he had the attention of some of the Canterlot royalty. It was all too clear in Amber's mind what Argent would have done, given the circumstances. “Argent... didn't take kindly to your attempt to save her.”

Willow let out a bitter laugh. “If I go back I'll be arrested and probably tossed into prison or worse.” He walked past Amber and shook his head. “Look, you know I'd accept such a punishment if I thought I had done wrong—if I really deserved it. But I know I wasn't wrong, Amber. I know I was close. I just wanted to save one life, and just because of this one failure, I'm not going to let that stop me. You've said it to me before, many times. I have a gift with healing, Amber, and I'm not about to let that go to waste while I rot in a some prison. That's why I'm leaving. This is goodbye.”

Amber looked at him as he moved deeper into the woods. It was strange the way her idyllic friend had seeming changed into a whole new stallion from who he was only yesterday. Choices and growing up? she wondered. She thought back to her family farm, her two brothers, her mother and father. Well, Willow, you aren't the only one that can make important choices. With a curt nod to herself, she ran after the unicorn before he all but blended in with the remaining foliage.

“Hey, Willow! Wait for me, I'm coming with you!”

Willow turned in surprise, and his look of disappointment was plain to see. “Damn it, Amber. Why? This isn't some dumb game of tag! Following me will ruin your life as you know it!”

“I know that, you idiot. I did give it a bit of thought, and I'm not about to let my best friend just disappear on me. Look, we both made our choices, so there's no sense in arguing about it further,” she reasoned with a sad smile. “Besides... remember that promise you made me last year?”

“Promise?” Willow glanced at her nervously.

“Seriously? You don't remember?” She let out an exasperated sigh. “Remember, you said you were going to head to Canterlot to become a bona fide doctor, and that you'd take me to Canterlot with you when you went? You know, you aren't the only one who wanted to get outta this place.”

“But that was under the assumption that mother would get stable enough to travel,” Willow protested.

“Well, things change, Willow. If I don't leave with you now, I'd probably just run away from home sooner rather than later, anyways. We might as well travel together now. Two birds with one stone, or something like that.”

“That's a poor reason...” he said with a shake of his head.

“What? You really think a mare would want to travel alone in times like these?” she argued back as they passed through the colourful woods. “It's reassuring to know you have a friend watching your back when some random gryphon could come and assault you out of the blue.”

“We both know there haven't been any major skirmishes or battles for the last five years, Amber. I think you'd be as safe by yourself as you would be with me. Besides you really think I’d be any help if we came across gryphons?”

Amber offered a small grin. “Well can't you at least admit that you'd enjoy the company as we travel?”

“I suppose there's that,” he admitted with small, defeated sigh.

Their hoof-falls fell in a rhythmic slog on the decaying foliage of the forest floor. The wind gusted through the trees' leaves as predictably as an ailing pony's fit of coughing. The coloured leaves graced the two in small showers, but their colour held no beauty to Willow's eyes. He only saw the paling coat of his mother in every leaf. A leaf that I couldn't save... I just let her fall to the ground...

Willow shot a small glance at the mare following behind him, her bark-brown coat and green hair would have been perfect camouflage if they were traveling through any other forest. Why did she have to follow me? I didn't want to drag her into this. Damn it, she should be back at Autumn's Reach. Another wave of doubt crashed against him. We've only been gone for three hours, we could still easily head back before the day is over... Head back so I can just be wrongfully arrested? No! That wouldn't serve any purpose...

“Hmm? What is it, Willow?” Amber asked with a small grin. “Thinking of heading back home?”

“I told you, I'm not going back. I'm just trying to figure out where we should go...”

“What? You ran away without planning out where to go?” Amber moved up beside him. “That's not like you, Willow. Don't you always complain about my 'impulsive decisions'?”

“Well, I didn't exactly have much time to plan,” he retorted and glared at her. And now that you're here, it just complicates matters further... “I guess we'll bring you to Canterlot. Isn't that where you always wanted to go?”

She paused for a moment then scowled. “Hey! What do you mean you'll bring me to Canterlot? Do you just plan on dumping me there?”

“Amber, I told you before, this isn't a game! I'm sure that my brother has told the authorities in no uncertain terms that I'm a criminal. I'll have to stay away from guards from now on. Which means I won't be able to enter a city like Canterlot.”

“You really think that Argent would do that? You're family,” she insisted as she poked a hoof into one of Willow's saddlebags. In a moment she procured a metal container of water and unscrewed the stopper. She took a long swig of water before continuing. “Didn't Argent give up on moving to Canterlot in order to stay with your mother? He cared for her. Surely he wouldn't want you to be taken to a dungeon or anything.”

“He cared about mother?” Willow asked in disgust as he pulled the water flask back with his magic, closed it, and quickly stowed it back into his bags. “Sure, Argent stayed in Autumn's Reach while mother was sick. But where was he when she was coughing up blood? Where was he when mother was shedding tears of worry over whether or not she would see him before she passed on? Where was he when she actually needed him?!” Willow gave Amber an accusing look. “He was around, but he was never home. He should have just gone to Canterlot. At least it would have made it so I didn't have to lie to her... I always had to promise her that if she just got some more sleep she'd see him in the morning. But he never visited with her beyond a stray look through the doorway. He's always cared more about the law and becoming a royal guard than about family.”

“You can't mean that, Willow...”

“Can't I? I did my best to save her. I would have saved her if it weren't for him! All he ever did was stay away from her and ask me how she was doing, instead of asking her!” Willow gave a nearby tree a solid buck and heard the bark splinter beneath his hoof. “And after all that, he's making me out to be a criminal? Let me ask you this, Amber. If he really cared for his family, would he have given up on mother and disowned me? I think it's painfully obvious how much he cares about family.”

“I-I-” Amber was at a loss for words. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean...” she managed, and lowered her head.

“Damn it! No, Amber...” Willow's voice fell to a whisper. “I didn't mean to say that to you. None of this is your fault, and I don't want to drag you into this.”

“I know it's not my fault!” she said and rounded on him. Her aquamarine eyes widened with indignation. “But I can still be sorry for you even if I had nothing to do with it! And get over yourself, Willow. I don't care if you don't want me involved with this, you didn't drag me into it! I chose to be involved and now I am. There's no turning back on that. You're my best friend, and I'm not about to let you just go on alone and disappear, never to hear from you again. So get that through your damnably thick skull already!”

Willow let out a bitter laugh. “Well, I definitely know something strange has happened when you are the one calling me 'thick-skulled'. Look, I'm sorry I've been a bit of an idiot for the last few hours.” He let out a small sigh. “And thanks for following me. I do appreciate the company.”

“A bit of an idiot?” Amber laughed coldly. They walked on at a sullen pace for a while until Amber spoke once again. Her habitual smile had made its way back to her lips. “So, where are we going to go?”

“We'll stick to the woods and travel along the border. We should be able to stay ahead of any news of what happened back in Autumn's Reach,” Willow reasoned. “Maybe there will be a small town in need of somepony with my training. I'll serve no useful purpose if I'm just locked up in some dungeon.”

“How serious of a charge is necromancy, anyway?” Amber wondered aloud, her smile fading once again. The mare shivered at the thought.

“It's bad. Right up there with murder, compulsion and possession.” Willow shook his head. “But I wasn't doing necromancy. I was just trying to save her. Argent stopped me from saving her, and that's what really killed her.”

Amber gave him a doubtful gaze. “But you're still going to be charged with necromancy, regardless. It'll be hard to stay away from the authorities if that's the case, even in a small town.”

“But if I can at least make a difference before they catch me, then it's worth it.”

Amber shook her head. “There must be another way...” she trailed off as she sniffed at the air. “Hey, Willow, do you smell that? Smoke...”

Willow gave the air a whiff. “I wonder if it's a campfire.”

“That's not just wood burning... smells like fresh grasses too. Like burning fields.” A quizzical expression made its way onto Amber's face.

“So we're close to a farmers' field? What's wrong, Amber? Farmers burn their fields all the time.”

“Not now. We're just past the planting season and in the first leg of the growing season...” She hummed in thought. “That’s rather peculiar…”

Fires in fields? Willow wondered for a moment as the scent of smoke thickened. A chill sense of dread ran through his veins. Could it be? Gryphons?

“Amber, we have to check it out. But we should be careful… Try to stay under the trees if possible.”

The mare was already ahead of him, each step she took was muted as she pushed through a series of bushes with fiery red leaves. He moved to catch up.