//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: Ambassador 
// by THOSEideas 
//------------------------------//

As Mockin and the others traveled along, they encountered a cottage. They all decided decided to take a look to see if there was anypony inside, and if there was, then they would ask for food and warmer clothing for the colder part of the trip. As they approached they looked for any signs of a pony living there and Arrow saw that there was a wild flower garden which was weeded. There was definitely somepony living here. Not wanting to scare the pony or ponies inside they walked up to the fence that surrounded the cottage.

"Hello? Anypony in there?!"

"We just need some food and help for my friend here! We mean you no harm."

As nopony responded they started to wonder what they should do. If there was a pony inside and wasn't responding, that could mean that they want them to go away. But, how could they know that? They weren't responding to tell them they were there. So they decided to calmly walk forward and announce they were doing so. Hey, they didn't want to be magicked away if the potential pony inside was a unicorn. When they got to the steps leading up to the door they paused, then Mockin spoke.

"Well I guess I'll go first, wish me luck."

Mockin walked up to the door and knocked, then when nothing happened he decided to slowly open the door. Mockin took one carefully placed step inside, then another, and another. He started to calm down but decided to say hello once more just for good measure. Positive that nopony was inside, he turned around to the others.

"Nopony is inside, should we just wait here until somepony does arrive?"

"Ok, but we shouldn't touch any of their stuff and make it obvious that we are here, so we don't wake up to a knife at our throats."

So, Mockin and the others settled down on the wood floor and looked around trying to find out more about their "host". What they didn't see were photos, but they did see lots of food and various plants. That might mean there were more then one pony. Crash was getting antsy.

"I'm going to check the perimeter and see whats out back."

Mockin and Arrow just nodded and continued their search of the cottage. Arrow found some potions and medical equipment and started to work on his leg, he figured the host wouldn't mind it if he did. Mockin however, looked in the room branching off of the main room and found ONE bed. With the sheets made. Another sign that the pony was still around. 

"Hey guys? Come out and look at this for a second."

Mockin and Arrow scrambled out of the cottage over to Crash who was staring at a well. 

"This is definitely somepony's HOME not just a quiet place to stay at for a week or so. However, I don't see a garden to grow food, do you think they just eat wild stuff?"

"They could if they wanted too I guess, how long should we stay here? Judging by the map we have one night that we can spend, do you want to spend it here?"

"It's the only place from Canterlot to the mountains so I vote yes."

"Yea"

"Agreed, then we are staying here for the night."


For the rest of the day they set down their saddle bags and put up a fire in the fire pit for the night. For safety reasons they agreed that they should keep one pony as a sentry then rotate. However, as the night dragged on and no pony came to the cottage-home they all decided to fall asleep and get as much rest as possible, the door opened. And a split second later a blackish blue blur pinned Crash and Arrow down while holding a knife to the throat of Mockin.

"Sweet Celestia!"

"Agh, my leg!"

"I'm going to kill you if I get the chance!"

The blackish blue form just kept on staring at Mockin with the knife at his throat, completely unfazed by the struggles of Crash and Arrow. As Mockin stared at the figure in front of him he realized it was a Lunar Pegasus! What was a Lunar Pegasus doing in the middle of nowhere?

"State your business before I slit your throat!"

"We were just looking for food and some warm clothing before we traveled to the mountains! We didn't take anything I swear!"

The Lunar Pegasus still looked critically at Mockin before spitting out the knife and letting Arrow up. He didn't let Crash up until he calmed down a little. 

"Let me up!"

"No. What are you three doing in my home? And what gives you the right to trespass on my property?!"

"As I said before we were looking for food and clothing and a warm place to sleep."

"Hmm, what business do you have with the mountains?"

"Can I get up now?"

"Yes"

"We have been sent by Princess Celestia and Luna to talk to the dragons and persuade them not to go to war with the ponies in Equestria."

"So you say, do you have any proof?"

"Uh, no... No we don't"

"Then why should I give you my resources for a cause that I don't even know exists?"

"Well bec...you... I don't know how to prove it to you."

"Hmph, there is warm clothing over there in the cellar and plenty of dried and salted food over there, take whatever."

"Thank you very much, what is your name?"

"Something I keep a secret on purpose, and I won't tell you the purpose either so don't ask."

Mockin and Crash both went over to where the Lunar Pegasus pointed for clothing while Arrow went over to the food to fill up their saddlebags. The Lunar Pegasus just sat there staring at them all as the trio wandered around his home. What Mockin saw in front of him was jackets and fur coats made out of animal pelts, there was wolf, cougar, bear, deer, reindeer, fox, and others he couldn't name. Mockin just sat there looking at the coats, Crash sat there too, staring, open mouthed at the animals on the wall. Mockin couldn't fathom why a pony would kill all these animals and use their pelts as coats. The Lunar Pegasus came over and stopped behind the two ponies.

"I kill them because I need to eat, I kill them because I need to keep warm. I do not kill them for sport or because I want to, do not think me a monster for what I need to do to survive."

Both ponies thought about the position that the Lunar Pegasus was in, and he was right, because he had to eat meat didn't make him a terrible pony for killing to survive. So Mockin looked at the pelts with a new eye and saw life lines and warm bodies instead of dead creatures, he sighed and went over to a wolf pelt that was made into a coat. He saw that the fur was facing inwards to keep the heat in better and so that the rough skin didn't chaff anything. He also saw the wolf skull which was made into a hat/helmet, it had fur lining the inside the skull. The scariest part was that it was big enough for him to stick his head in it, he looked at the Lunar Pegasus with a new eye and respect, if he could kill a bear or a wolf that was bigger then him, then he shouldn't have to live out in the wilderness.

"Why do you live out here and not in a village or city?"

"I like the quiet and the freedom, I do sometimes visit the neighboring villages and towns but i'm mostly feared. They think I will eat their foals if I had the chance."

Arrow who had finished packing the saddlebags came over to pick out a coat himself. When he came down the steps into the cellar he stopped when he saw the pelts, he just stared at them wide-eyed and shuddered. Eventually he came down the remaining steps and scowled at the wolf pelts, instead he got a cougar coat, which didn't have a hat. Crash who was larger then the other two ponies got a Black bear pelt, with a hat. The coats all had front sleeves with the coat hanging over their back and extending slightly past the base of their tails. No they weren't like dresses, in fact they looked like a force to be reckoned with.

"As much as I hate to admit it, these coats are really warm."

The trio followed Arrow as he walked up the steps into the living room and layed down for the night. The lunar Pegasus just walked out the door and tended to his flower garden.

~~~

In the morning the Lunar Pegasus was yawning and looking bleary eyed at the trio as they woke up. They all said good morning to the Lunar Pegasus as they got up and ate their meager breakfast. After breakfast the trio got their saddlebags and walked to the door. 

"Wait."

The trio turned around and stared at the Lunar Pegasus.

"My name is Watching Fangs, please do not tell anypony this and take care of yourselves when you reach the dragons."

"Thank you for everything, we don't have much money but you can have this."

Mockin threw down the bits that they had, which was 100 in total. Fangs just sat there and stared at the bag of bits then thanked them but said he would give it to the ponies in the neighboring villages that needed it the most. As everypony said their goodbyes the trio head out and walked northeast drawing closer to the mountains and the Dragons with every step they took.