Midday was met with a slight rainstorm and distant thunder within the confines of the Everfree Forest, it wasn't considered unlikely for a stray raincloud to make its way to the edge and spill it's contents across the open vale.
"Good that I'm used to the weather here." muttered Applesmith as she sat at the base of a lone tree as the rain pattered against and through the leafy canopy she took shelter at, "We're running low on food, the provisions that the Princess gave us are almost used up. If we cannot make something work, we'll have to abandon this land and go traveling again. I may enjoy traveling, but I doubt the others see it my way." Applesmith brushed her hoof against her snout as a raindrop falls through and hits her on the nose, as she noticed something grey out of the corner of her eye flutter past to take shelter in her tree as well. Applesmith craned her head up as she heard the sound of a branch cracking as she saw the same greyness fall right to her and land on top of the startled filly and sending them both into the wet grass.
"Ugh, my head." Spoke the thing on top of Applesmith, "Never gonna get used to flying is all I'll say." Applesmith turned to the right and was met with the gaze of a yellow eye facing her, as she focused out more Applesmith noticed that it was actually a Pegasus Mare that landed on her.
"Hello?"
"Oh, hello there." Responded the Pegasus as she climbed off of Applesmith, "Sorry about that miss, still getting used to having wings." Applesmith got a better look at the Pegasus now that she was off of her, the Pegasus in question had a muted blonde, unkempt mane and tail along with seven white bubbles for a Cutie Mark on her flank that was visible to her. What caught her attention was the Pegasus' wall-eyed look, her left eye was pointing to the ground while her right was pointing upwards into the canopy, a facet of the Pegasus that she immediately took notice of from Applesmith as she brought her left hoof up to cover her eyes "Sorry but I don't like it when you stare at me like that. It's uncomfortable." Applesmith coughed as she looked away to her side nervously, hoping that it'd help mend the awkward situation the two found themselves in.
"It's been a while since I last saw a Pegasus before," Spoke Applesmith as she ran her hoof along her other, "let alone a Pegasus here near the Everfree. Why are you out here?"
"Would you believe me if I say it was my husbands' idea of a trip?" replied the mare sheepishly as she looked around, "You haven't seen him around here have ya? Earth pony, brown mane? Ringing any bells?"
"Sorry, you're the first I've seen of anypony -aside from the occasional Royal Dignitary delivering us supplies- in the past month." Spoke Applesmith as she hung her head and yawned, "Sorry, had a bit of a nighttime experience, my entire schedule is knocked out of whack today."
"Traveling the Everfree Forest were you?" The mares' response was a simple slow nod by Applesmith as she sat down, resting her back against the tree.
"I was searching for food to feed my family," Said Applesmith as the Pegasus followed suit, "I even found this strange fruit tree in the forest until I lost my saddlebag I filled with it."
"D'you know where the fruit tree is?" asked the Pegasus.
"Yes."
"Do you have an idea where your saddlebag is?"
"Yes."
"Than all you need to do is go back into the forest to find the tree and your bag and continue from where you left off." Explained the Mare as she patted Applesmith on her shoulder with a smile, "Plain and simple."
Applesmith chortled at this notion. "Not plain and simple. Do you even know where both of those things are in? I'll give you a hint: it's big, it's dangerous, it's scary, it's filled with creatures that can easily tear a pony limb-from-limb, and it's right beyond that treeline." Applesmith pointed in the afforementioned direction, "It's called the Everfree Forest."
"Oh, he didn't tell me about that one." Muttered the wall-eyed pegasus to herself, "Well, I wish I could help you; I really do, but I think that I must find my husband now. Poor boy must be worried sick since I can't fly that well."
"Why can't you fly well?" Asked Applesmith, jumping slightly as she saw lightning out of the corner of her eye, "It's pretty bad out there, why not wait at our place for him to come find you? Nopony else lives in this vale."
"Well..." The sound of thunder solidified the decision for the Pegasus as she jumped into the canopy before poking her head back out at the Earth Pony sheepishly, "...Maybe he won't mind me seeking shelter with someone else." With no other words, the Pegasus followed Applesmith across the vale to her farmhouse, it's shadow growing in the distance as the two approached.