"So Is there anything I can do to help around here? I don't think I should stay here without doing something to help out." I asked.
"Not in your condition; I only found you two days ago. Until Brightheart says otherwise the only thing I'll allow you to do is walk up and down the stairs for food" Tracker replied.
"Fair point but when I can I'm going to pay you back." I told him.
"Fine, but until then you need to rest; Brightheart is going to be here tomorrow to change your bandages and see if she can heal you some more". he said.
"Wait ponies can use magic?" I asked, wondering how that was possible.
"Aye all ponies can; unicorns use magic in the form of spells, pegasi use it to move and stand on clouds, as well as control the weather; and earth ponies like me use it to help crops grow and heal ourselves." Tracker explained.
"Ah, I understand now." I said
"Aye now I think you should get some rest." he said, motioning to the stairs.
The next day after breakfast there was a knock at the door, "Tracker, it's me can I come in?" came a voice from outside.
"Door's unlocked." he shouted as he put some meat in a barrel of salt to preserve it.
As she came in I had to stifle a chuckle. Brightheart was a blue unicorn with a red mane.
"I see you're awake." she said.
"Yeah, and I hear I have you to thank for patching me up." I replied standing up.
"I heard what happened to you, and you're quite lucky if that coyote had torn into your left side, it would have hit your liver and you'd have bled out in minutes." she explained.
"Wait, how do you know so much about my anatomy?" I asked
"It's very similar to that of a minotaur, not much else to it." Brightheart replied.
"Alright, and your here to try to heal and re-bandage me right?" I asked
"Yes so if you could kindly sit back down I can do this much quicker." she said.
As I sat down her horn glowed the same shade of blue and so did the bandages on my leg. After removing them her horn changed color to a shade of gold and enveloped my foot in the same light as she did the bite wound became smaller. "That's as good as I can heal that injury." she said.
"wait so you can't heal it completely?" I asked.
"It would take many more years of experience than I have to fully heal a wound that bad." she explained as she repeated the process on my arm.
"This is going to sting, but I need to clean this one, a wound this severe could easily get infected." Brightheart said as she grabbed a bottle of alcohol and unwrapped my side.
"Just get me something to bite down on." I asked
Tracker then gave me a piece of rawhide to put into my mouth; as I did so Brightheart poured some of the alcohol onto a piece of cloth and dabbed my wound. Now if you've had alcohol poured on a cut or scrape, then multiply that by 100 going a whole inch and a half deep all over my side; then you have an accurate description of my pain.
After she was done with that torture she called a treatment she healed it to the best of her abilities and re bandaged it.
"So, how long until he can be put to work? he offered to help me and I intend to hold him to that." Tracker said with a smirk.
"As long as it's nothing strenuous he should be able to work in two or three days." Brightheart replied.
"Good, he starts tomorrow." Tracker said as his smirk turned into an evil grin.
The next day he worked me as hard as he could; sweeping, doing dishes, he even made me organize his pelts by animal. I suppose a few good things came out of it, he taught me how to clean and skin an animal, how to string a bow, and how to tan a hide.
'Well I did say I'd do what I could to help out.' I thought to myself.
After a few days he let up and just had me clean up my own messes. "Pretty soon I'm going to be well enough to leave." I said as I put my plate in his sink and poured some water from the fireplace onto them.
"Aye, but so long as you pull your weight you'll always be welcome here." Tracker said.
The next day as I stretched and got out of bed I noticed that the marks on my side were just a large group of scars at this point. As I came down the stairs I noticed Tracker putting some supplies in a backpack.
"You going somewhere?" I asked
"No, but I figure you're well enough to go outside so I, decided to give you some supplies to help you on your way. I also made a sheath for that knife of yours and sharpened it." he explained.
"You know, you didn't have to do this, I would have been happy to pay for all this." I said as he gave me the dagger
"I figure you've more than earned it over the last few days." he replied as he finished packing the supplies.
"Thanks, I'll come back after I've made a bit of a name for myself and tell some of my stories." I said as I took the pack and strapped the knife to my belt.
"One more thing," he said as he handed me a recurve bow and a quiver filled with 30 arrows. "In case you run into any more coyotes."
As I opened the door I was blinded for a moment, my eyes had become accustomed to the dark in the week that I had been indoors. The town was relatively small with only eight buildings including Tracker's and a small guard barracks. I decided to head to the barracks and ask if there was anything to be done.
As I went in I was met by large earth pony in iron armor. "So, your the one Tracker's been taking care of; I'm Bulwark, captain of the guard here in Greenvale." he said, extending his hoof.
"Aeren." I replied as I shook his hoof, "I was wondering if there was anything that could be counted as a job for me to do?" I asked
"Sorry, but I can't think of anything." he replied
"That's fine then I guess I'll be on my way." I said as I turned and walked away.
After that I decided to see what Tracker had given me. Inside the bag was a water skin, some meat and bread, some small metal hooks, a ball of twine, a blanket, and a small bag of coins. After the inventory check was done I decided to head out and follow the road.
I followed the road west until dusk and then set up camp for the night. That night I decided not to build a fire as it was a full moon and could see well enough. I ate one of the pieces of meat and drank some of my water skin and then went to sleep using my pack as a pillow.
The next day I cut a limb of a tree cut a length of twine and attached one of the hooks to make a fishing rod and caught myself some breakfast from a small pond. I then went to a nearby clearing and tried to get my wings to work. At first I tried to jump and let instinct take over, all that earned me was a mouthful of dirt. Next I tried forcing them by using my back muscles to force them out, that earned me a few pulled muscles.
'That's gonna hurt for the next few days.' I thought to myself. After an hour of failing to even create my wings and was about to give up when I remembered how they got to get their wings to work in Sword Art Online. I imagined the wings forming on my back and bones giving them rigidity. When I looked behind me there they were.
After that I spent another two hours just making them grow and disappear until I could do it with ease. Next I tried to actually fly but couldn't seem too keep myself in the air for more than a few seconds. During this time I noticed that I could jump much higher than I could on earth, easily jumping ten feet or more without my wings. After a while I figured out I just had to will myself to stay in the air, moving was a bit tricky and I didn't manage to get it completely before it got too dark to see. That night I ate the loaf of bread and went to bed.
The next morning I decided to learn how to maneuver while I was on the go so I could find a place to explore. After ten minutes of flight though, I became very winded. I realized that without training, I'd never survive in a real fight. I decided that when I get to the next town I'd find a work intensive job and build my strength that way.
An hour later I decided I'd set some snares hoping to catch some rabbits or squirrels. I found a small lake, refilled my water skin, and camped nearby. the next morning I went around collecting the animals from the snares; though out of the dozen I set, only four had game in it, three rabbits and a squirrel.
That night I cooked and ate the animals I caught and went to bed. I woke up just as the sun was rising, and by early afternoon caught sight of a town. As I got closer I could see that it had a eight foot wall around it and the gate was guarded by two ponies in the same armor captain Bulwark was in; one a pegasus, and the other an earth pony.
"Halt! State your name and purpose for being here." the earth pony guard demanded.
"My name is Aeren; I'm a traveler, I came here from Greenvale" I replied not wanting to anger the trained fighters with spears.
"Alright, head on in. Keep your nose clean while you're, and enjoy your stay at Mountainview." he said as he waved me through. After wandering a bit and asking around, I found a lumber camp just outside the walls. As I arrived at the lumber camp I was met by an earth pony mare.
"Not many ponies or... whatever it is you are come out this way unless they're looking for something; name's Heartwood how can I help you?" she asked in a voice that resembled that of Ralof's sister from skyrim.
" Aeren; I'm looking for a job, you need any workers?" I asked.
"Aye, we could always use another axe to split wood." she said as she handed me an axe " I'll give you two bits each log you split."
"Sounds like a deal." I said as I went to the nearest chopping block. After about an hour and a half I had earned a nice bag with sixty bits in it. I then headed to the local inn, a decent place called 'the Red Leaf'. I walked up to the innkeeper, a grey unicorn with a brown mane and asked, "How much for a room?"
"Ten bits a night." he said as he got the key out.
"I'll give you five." I countered.
"Nine." came his next offer.
"Seven and I'll pay for three nights." I offered.
"Deal," he said as he gave me the key. "it's the second door on the left when you get up the stairs.
"Thanks." I said I said as I went to my room.
I set my pack down on the far end of the room, took off my belt and tunic and placed them in the room's dresser. I then climbed into the bed; closed my eyes and remembered my family, and wept.