//------------------------------// // Is this what you call a Random Encounter? // Story: Hoofswell that Ends Well // by SpearmintSonnet //------------------------------// The next morning, the warm Equestrian sun cast a gentle glow across the country, obliviously unaware of the tension that was gripping Dovetail as she rechecked, repacked, and stressed over the contents of her saddlebags. “I just can't forget anything,” she mumbled to herself as she glanced around her small home for the hundredth time since the day before. Seeing a large map of Equestria pinned to her wall, she quickly pulled it down with her magic, rolled it up, and stuffed it haphazardly in amid the food and traveling supplies already filling the bags. Finally convinced that she was not forgetting a thing, Dove tail levitated the bags over her flank and left her house, remembering to lock the door securely behind her, “who knows when- or if- I'll see this place again...” she murmured sadly to herself. Stepping out onto the street, Dove walked at a slow, sedate pace, wanting to remember as much of the little town as she could. She waved to several ponies as she walked, all of whom waved back. They were friends, neighbors, and even strangers, but for once Dove didn't care about hiding carefully in the shadows, she wanted to remember everypony... and to be remembered by them. It was almost too soon before she reached the Library tree and she wondered if she might have time to walk down to the park and back before she was missed by her friends, but as she approached, she saw Blazer standing out front. She could tell he had run all the way there by the way he was panting. With a sigh, Dove realized she wouldn't be able to put off the inevitable any longer. “Good morning, Blazer!” She called out with a smile. The yellow stallion turned in surprise, a look of relief washing over his face as he slowly got his breath back, “Oh good! I'm not late! I slept through my alarm and...” he shook his head, “ah, never mind. It seems my fears were unfounded.” “I wouldn't have left without you, Blazer,” Dovetail reassured him, “even if you were late.” Pushing open the door into the library, Dove was happy to see both Cloudstriker and Minty were already inside, both with saddlebags weighing them down. “Good morning Striker, Minty,” she said to get their attention. Minty waved excitedly, “Morning Dove! Morning Blazer! You ready to go?” Blazer and Dove both nodded, “Then I guess that's everything!” Striker grinned, his wings flaring away from his sides in anticipation of flight. “No reason to stay here any longer.” “I agree,” Dove said, “the sooner we're on our way, the sooner we can get to Hoofswell, but first we need to work out a route there.” Using her magic, she pulled the now folded map of Equestria from her bags and laid it out on one of the tables. All four ponies gathered around as Dove placed a hoof at the lower right quadrant of the map. “Here's where we are, Ponyville. And we're going up to Hoofswell here,” she used her magic to place a small green token on the opposite side of the map.” She took a moment to glance over the vague topography of the map before continuing, “The way the crow flies, the most direct route, takes us over the Canterlot Mountain Range as well as the neighboring Jagged Peaks. Not exactly the easiest route. Or the quickest, considering we'd have to traverse the mountains.” “I suggest we head north towards Germaneigh,” Striker said, using his wingtip to trace a path from Ponyville to the northern border. “It's a little longer than going through Canterlot, but it'll get us there the fastest.” “But won't we have to traverse the Tambelon Forest?” Blazer asked, indicated the wide swath of green that dominated the no-pony-land between Equestria, Griffon Territory, and Germaneigh, “it'd be really dangerous. Maybe we should just stay in Equestria all together, take a southern route around the mountains. It'd take a while, but at least we'd all get there in one piece.” “Ah, Blazer, where's your sense of adventure?” Minty teased, giving the stallion a nudge with her shoulder and a smile, “but in all seriousness, we can't just think about comfort here. If Dove's family is in trouble, we need to focus on speed- even if it is more dangerous.” “As loathe as I am to deviate from a safe path,” Dove said quietly, “Minty's right. Speed is a priority...” She looked up at Striker, “you said you're stationed up north? So you know the area fairly well.” Striker nodded, “I'm familiar with the land between Fort Colting and the Tambelon Forest, after that...” he paused, “well, let's just hope we don't lose the map.” There was silence in the group for a long moment before Dove spoke again, “We're taking the northern route. There are only rumors about Tambelon, and so long as we're careful to cross it during the day we should have no problems.” She glanced around the table, but when no pony argued she nodded, “alright then.” Gathering up the map and stowing it away in her pack, she resettled the bags on her flanks before turning towards the door. The four ponies exited the library and began walking towards the edge of town in silence, but the quiet lasted for only a short while as none of them wished to be alone with their thoughts. Striker immediately took to the air, flying in low arcs around the group, keeping a careful eye out ahead of them. Equestrian roads weren't known for their danger, at least not the inner most roads, but the closer their group traveled towards the boarders, the more likely they were to encounter unforeseen circumstances. Something the military pony was all too familiar with. He glanced down at the other pegasus traveling with him and his brow furrowed slightly. On a day like today, any pegasus worth their wings would want to be up in the sky. He called down to the mare, “hey Minty! Not flying today?” The green pegasus looked up at him in surprise, “Uh...” she smiled, but it looked forced, “not right now, Striker. I... strained my wing flying to the library this morning. I think I'm earth-bound for the moment.” “Are you going to be okay?” He asked, his voice taking on a worried tone. “Oh yeah,” Minty waved him off with her hoof, “trust me, all it needs is a little rest and then I'll be good as new. Nothing to worry about, I promise.” “If you're sure,” he called, taking a moment to flip backwards a couple times as he reveled in the warm sun and cool breeze. “It's too bad, though, weather's perfect for flying!” Dove stepped back from leading the group to walk next to Minty, “are you sure there's nothing we can do for your wing, Minty?” The pegasus mare shook her head, “nothing except rest it. A good morning's walk should take care of it.” She smiled, “thanks for your concern, though Dove.” The other mare smiled slightly, “oh, no problem.” Again silence overtook the group until Blazer spoke up about a mile farther down the road. He was quiet and hesitant as he asked, “Dove... if you don't mind my asking... could you tell us about your family?” Dove didn't answer immediately and a new, much more awkward silence stretched between the traveling ponies. Blazer was about to open his mouth and retract the question when Dovetail sighed, “I suppose I should, shouldn't I?” She took a deep breath before beginning her explanation, “my family is... or was extremely close. My parents owned a small shop in Hoofswell selling furniture, carpentry was their talent as well. They wanted my brother and me to help as we got older... but we wanted to leave.” Striker landed quietly, wanting to hear what Dove had to say more than he wanted to enjoy the spring sun on his wings. Dove smiled as she watched him and the others move a little closer to hear her better, but soon her gaze turned towards he horizon and her eyes glazed over as she searched her mind for the few fragmented memories of her family. “We wanted to leave Hoofswell, try our luck elsewhere in Equestria, see more of the world... So... we left, but not on very good terms with our parents, unfortunately. “We moved around a lot that year, trying to settle in several different towns, including Canterlot for a time, but there wasn't a place for us anywhere. We finally decided to try Manehatten, but we had no money so we ended up in Ponyville, homeless and penniless.” Dove's head drooped slightly and she sighed, “Some adventurous ponies we turned out to be...” Minty stepped up and tried to offer some words of comfort, “at least you had each other, right?” Dove nodded, “yes... I suppose you're right. Anyway, we had to beg for a place to sleep for several nights while we both tried to find work. Thank Celestia for the kindness and generosity of the ponies in that town... No other place we visited had the heart that Ponyville does. Which is why I had to stay... no matter what. Hardnail, the Master Carpenter who taught me my craft, found us on the fourth day. He offered both my brother and me jobs working for him- fixing odds and ends, building, and whatever other things he needed help with- and it was great... for a time.” Striker moved to place his wing over Dovetail as she took a moment to gather herself. The unicorn smiled as she felt the warmth of Striker's wing rest over her back and while it did make her feel a little too warm, she wasn't about to shake him off, “but then... my brother started to change.” She continued, this time much slower and more deliberately. “He began to get angry easily, snapping at me and our friends at the slightest provocation. One night, I finally confronted him about it, but instead of explaining his attitude, he simply said he was leaving and that I should come with him.” Dovetail shook her head slowly, “I couldn't believe, after all we'd been through, that he just wanted to get up and leave again. I asked him if he was going to Manehatten like we'd talked about previously, but he said no. He was returning home to Hoofswell.” “But you didn't want to leave...” Blazer murmured quietly, but Dovetail shook her head vehemently. “No, it wasn't just that I didn't want to- I couldn't leave. Ponyville... it was, it is, my home now. I love it more than I loved anyplace before, even Hoofswell with my parents. And Hammer... my brother... he just didn't understand.” Glancing up at the sky, she closed her eyes as tears began to prick at the corners. “Or care... He left the next day without another word to me or Hardnail or anypony else. Not even a note explaining why he disappeared.” “Dove, we're going to find him...” Striker murmured as he pulled her closer with his wing, “and then you can find out why he left.” Dovetail was silent for a long moment before she sighed deeply, “Striker... I'm not sure I even want to know why he left... he was so unhappy... so angry at everything... but now that I'm going back...”her words petered off into silence and she shook her head, “never mind.” “What is it?” Minty asked, her concern evident in both her eyes and voice. “No, please... it's just complicated.” The other mare murmured, ending the conversation in its tracks. Striker tried to smile and though it was forced, he said excitedly, “let's not worry about things like that right now. We're on an adventure! There's going to be all kinds of interesting things to see, but we're going to miss them all if we're moping and looking at our hooves all day!” Just then his stomach growled and broke the awkward tension in the group. He grinned again, and this time it was much more genuine “but first... Lunch!” The four ponies stepped off the beaten track and onto a field. All around them for many miles were grasslands, but flanking them to the west were the tall, foreboding mountains of the Canterlot Range. As she pulled a blanket from her saddlebags, Dovetail glanced at the mountains, her brows furrowing into a frown. They'd have to cross them eventually, Hoofswell lay just beyond the northern most portion of the Canterlot Range, known by the locals as the Jagged Peaks. Just like their name would suggest, the Jagged Peaks were dangerous to cross, even in the best of conditions. Most ponies would only dare travel through the Shivering Pass, the only way in or out of Hoofswell. “What are you thinking about now?” Striker's voice was so close to her that it made Dove jump. She gasped, “Striker! Please don't sneak up on me like that!” The pegasus gave her an odd look, but shrugged, “sorry, but you were just standing there with your blanket. Seemed to me like you'd forgotten about the rest of us.” The mare blushed as she quickly used her magic to drape the cloth over the grass to let her friends sit, “no, I'm sorry. I just got distracted is all.” She sat down quickly as everypony reached into their packs for food. After taking a large bite from an apple, Striker said, “mmm, since we're heading north, we're going to pass close to my base on the way to Colting Pass.” “Really?” Dove perked up slightly as she turned to Striker, her magic deftly slicing the pear she held into wedges even after her attention shifted. “Yep!” Striker smiled, “we'll have to go through Redtail Woods first, but it's a pretty small forest. Then we'll be heading through the Pass. After that it shouldn't take more than a day, maybe a day and a half to reach the Tambelon Forest by hoof.” “Will we have to sleep in the pass?” Blazer asked, his ears laying back against his head. “I doubt it,” Striker said, shaking his head, “unless we seriously pick up the pace, we won't even see the pass before night fall, but it's alright. The plains are safe enough to sleep in, so long as we're careful.” “So... there are bandits?” Minty asked, her wings laid out flat along the grass as she looked up at the sky. She held half of an apple in her hoof, eating it lazily as she watched the clouds float by overhead. “Not here,” Striker sat up just a little straighter, “me and my buddies up at the Fort keep the area very safe. But there are wild critters- Timber Wolves and the occasional Manticore. We'll just make sure to have a look out and we'll be fine.” He added with a reassuring smile to Blazer who looked rather unnerved by the idea of being stalked in the night. Flipping back over, Minty stretched her wings towards the sky. Dropping them quickly towards the ground, she thrust herself up into the sky a few pony lengths where she hovered, enjoying the midday sun on her back. She circled slowly around the picnic blanket for a few moments, content and completely forgetting that her wing had been aching until minutes before. Until Striker sat up and grinned, “Awesome! Your wing's feeling better then? How about a race, Minty?” Dropping to the ground, her wings frozen mid-stroke, Minty coughed slightly, “Um... well, yeah, my wing's feeling a little better... but I don't think I can race...” She stretched her right wing out fully and winced, pulling it back against her side. “Yeah, racing is definitely out... Sorry, Striker.” The white pegasus's face fell, “oh... well, alright. That's too bad. You'll have to tell me when you're really feeling better, then we can race! Okay?” “Yeah, sure,” Minty mumbled halfheartedly, her hoof scuffing against the grass as she held her wings close to her sides. Dovetail gave the other mare a worried look, but didn't say anything. Instead, she stood up, “If everypony's done eating, I think we should keep going.” Blazer stood up with a quiet groan, “I could stand to stay here a little longer, but we do need to keep going.” With everypony off the blanket, Dovetail grabbed the cloth in her magic, folding it carefully before replacing it in her very full looking bag. The earth pony gave the satchel across her flank a curious glance. “Dove? How on earth can you fit that blanket in there? Isn't your bag already full?” The unicorn blinked, “No, it's really not.” Glancing back at the stallion she cocked her head to one side, “why do you ask?” “Uh...” Blazer was taken aback by her reply and caught off guard, “Well... because it looks full!” Again the mare blinked in surprise before she realized what he was talking about, “Oh! Of course you don't know- my saddlebags are enchanted. They might look full, but they have room for just about anything I want to put in them.” “That's really cool!” Striker grinned, “What kind of other cool stuff do you have in there, Dove?” The mare blushed, “not a whole lot, mostly just food and money. Blankets if it gets too cold. Stuff like that.” “Awesome, you really came prepared,” Striker glanced at his own bags, “I feel like I'm forgetting things now!” “I'm sure you brought everything you thought we'd need,” Dove said quietly, her face turning another shade of red as she ducked her head in embarrassment. Striker just shrugged and jumped into the air, “we need to get moving! We should try to get to the Pass before night fall. I don't think we will, but the closer we can get, the better.” With that the four ponies stepped back onto the road which meandered east and west by turns, but moved predominately north. Of all the ponies, Striker was the most determined to enjoy the rest of the warm spring day. As the other three ponies plodded along the path, the white pegasus flew recklessly above them. Turning loops and speeding high into the air only to stall and fall hundreds of feet before catching himself bare feet before he would otherwise crash to earth. “Yeah!” He cried out as he flew low to the ground at high speed, his belly brushing the tips of the grass. His voice grew loud and then quickly faded away as he passed by his friends in an instant. Striker enjoyed flying so much, he couldn't imagine not being able to, for any reason. But thinking about not flying reminded him of Minty. The young pegasus was walking slowly in front of Dove and Blazer, who were now talking quietly together. Landing next to the mare, he put a wing over her back to get her attention, “Hey... so what's up with your wing anyway? I don't think I've ever seen a pegasus so hesitant to fly before.” Minty jumped slightly as she was jerked from her thoughts by the other pegasus, “Oh... it's just... uh... just a sprain, ya know?” She turned a smiled weakly at him, “it's probably not that bad, but I don't want to take chances. Just in case... right?” He looked at her for a long moment with a blank expression on his face. She smiled again, or tried to, but it looked like a grimace. The stallion sighed, “But... don't you want to feel the wind whistling through your feathers and mane? I've had worse injuries and been up in the air way before I was supposed to...” The green mare ducked out from under his wing, cutting off the other pony, “I just don't want to make it worse than it is. I'll be fine, okay?” Her words came out sharper than she meant and she could see the hurt in Striker's eyes. Minty sighed, turning away from him slightly, “I'm sorry, it's just that we're out in the middle of nowhere and are going to be for a while. I don't want to slow you guys down just because I messed up my wing, or worse, trying to fly too fast.” Watching her for a moment, Striker stepped back up to her, his voice quiet and serious, “Okay, Minty, you don't look find to me, but if you don't want to talk about it now, that's okay. I'll be here if you ever want to talk about this. Okay?” She nodded slowly in response and he smiled, “alright. Don't dwell on this stuff, it won't do you any good.” Spreading his wings, the stallion lifted back up into the sky. As she watched him fly off again, Minty rolled her eyes, No one ever just... leaves well enough alone. Minutes turn into hours as the small party made their way towards the low mountains rising from the grasslands before them. The Drackenridge Mountains were hardly the largest or tallest range in the region, but it was well known as one of the more dangerous for climbers because of the dragons that loved to roost in the high crags and rocky outcroppings. Usually the flying creatures would leave ponies alone, but they were very territorial and didn't like intruders at all. Only the Pass was perfectly safe to travel through, and only because Princess Celestia was a well-spoken diplomat. Eventually the sun began to set in the west, signaling the end of a very long day. All the ponies were showing signs of wear as they began to camp for the night, the exception being Striker, who looked almost more chipper than he had been that morning. The white pegasus dropped back to the ground as Dovetail called for everypony to stop, “We should rest here for the night.” “Good idea,” Striker agreed, his hooves digging small furrows into the soft earth as he skidded to a halt. “I can see the entrance to the Pass not too far from here. We made better time than I thought.” Turning to Blazer he said, “can you go gather wood for the fire?” “Won't fire attract animals?” Blazer asked, his ears laying back against his head. “Actually it's the opposite,” Dove said with a smile, “most animals avoid fire.” “Oh... okay,” Blazer looked relieved and quickly galloped back towards the woods they'd just left to find twigs and branches. While he was gone, Striker painstakingly dug out a fire pit, lining it with stones. The younger earth pony returned and, with the soldier's help, they were able to build a passable fire. “Alright,” Striker grinned, turning his attention to his saddlebags, “now where'd I put those matches?” Dove smiled slyly and as her horn ignited with magic, so to did the branches in the pit. Instantly they burned brightly with playful red and orange flames. “Thanks for the light,” Striker said before he glanced up to see the fire burning merrily. His mouth dropped open in surprise, but he quickly grinned, “that's awesome, Dove! You're pretty useful to have around.” The mare blushed as she settled down next to the fire. “It's just a simple thing, any unicorn could do it,” she murmured quietly. “Doesn't make it any less useful,” Striker insisted as he settled down across the fire from her. “I know you said animals won't investigate our fire, but what about other ponies?” Blazer asked. “Nah,” Striker waved his hoof dismissively. “Like I said, we're totally safe around here. Fort Colting isn't far away from here. Maybe three miles north west.” Minty settled quietly near the fire, her eyes watching the flames dance as her ears barely registered the conversation around her. Dove glanced at the other mare before turning back towards the stallions, “Didn't you say we should have a night guard?” She asked Striker. “Well, I don't think we need one here,” Striker shrugged, “but if you'd like, I can stay up a little later and keep watch. I'm not really tired.” Standing up again, he stretched his wings, “Maybe I'll even do a quick perimeter check, if that'll make you feel safer.” “Sounds good,” Blazer yawned, resting his head on his hooves as his eyes drooped. The long walk had exhausted the young stallion and as darkness settled across their camp, he found it harder and harder to resist sleep. Striker nodded and lifted off into the twilight sky, quickly disappearing into the distance as he began to circle the camp. Silence descended upon the small group as everypony began to drift to sleep. Everything was quiet for several minutes until the sound of wingbeats filled the air around them. Jerked from their dozing, all three ponies sat up with a start. “What's going on?” Blazer mumbled as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. “Is it Striker?” Dove's eyes flew open and she glanced towards the sky where the sound was coming from, “It sounds like more than one pony...” The words were barely out of her mouth before three fully-armored stallions came into view. They landed in the middle of the camp, facing the three groggy ponies. “What are you doing out here? State your business,” the stallion who spoke had red and gold accents to his otherwise plain silver armor. He glared at each of the ponies in turn before turning his attention to Blazer, “Well?” The yellow stallion shrank back slightly, “W-we're just travelers, sir.” He spoke loud enough to be heard, but his voice shook ever so slightly. “Really? And where exactly are you 'just traveling' to?” The stallion narrowed his eyes, “answer me!” “Whoa, whoa!” Blazer stood up, “We're just passing through! We're heading to Hoofswell!” “Hoofswell?” The armored stallion raised his eyebrows high enough they almost disappeared under his helmet. “That's a load of pony feathers. No pony travels this way to reach Hoofswell. Now, where are you really going?” “Hey!” Minty shook her head to brush off the last vestiges of sleep, “we're telling the truth! And who are you to interrogate us?” A second stallion turned towards Minty, his eyes narrowing, “we're from Fort Colting, miss. Or don't you recognize the royal insignia?” He turned so he could show off the crest emblazoned on his brestplate. Minty's ears laid flat against her head, “I recognize the armor just fine, sir, I just don't always trust ponies who wear it when they attack in the middle of the night!” “Hey! Calm down!” A voice from overhead stalled any further argument between the soldier and Minty. Striker dove towards the ground and landed just outside the circle of ponies, “Everypony hold your horses!” He said glancing at the group. The stallion with red and gold on his armor stepped up to Striker, “And what are you doing out here, Sergeant?” He asked with a raised eyebrow, “Aren't you supposed to be back at base?” Saluting the stallion quickly, Striker said, “I'm escorting Dovetail, Minty, and Blazer through the area, Sir. We're making a trip north to find Dovetail's missing relatives.” Dove stepped forward then and nodded, though her knees shook slightly, “I-it's true, sir. W-what he says is... is true.” Her voice faded quickly as the armored stallion turned his attention towards her. The stallion narrowed his eyes, “Likely story... very well, we'll leave you to go your way, but,” he turned back to Striker, “your Captain will hear about this, Sergeant Cloudstriker.” All three stallions lifted off into the night, leaving the small camp in the same abrupt fashion as they had arrived. Striker watched them go and sighed, turning back to his friends, “I'm sorry. I should have been here sooner... I didn't see them until it was too late. It would have been much simpler if I'd been here when they showed up.” “It's okay, Striker,” Minty said, sinking back to the ground as her legs refused to hold her upright any longer. The stallion shook his head, but settled down next to the fire, tucking his head under his wing as he curled up to sleep. Following suit, the other ponies allowed themselves to fall asleep as well, hoping that there would be no more rude awakenings before morning. ~~~ Midday sun was streaming through the windows of the Workshop, creating a warm glow in the room full of newly sanded wood. Small shavings still floated in the air as a pair of ponies sat at a table pushed up against the wall. The table and the pair of chairs on either side were the only finished pieces of furniture in the room. Dovetail sat down across from her mentor, Hardnail, as he brought their lunches from the back room. The morning had been busy and Dove was grateful for the break. She wiped a hoof across her brow to keep sweat from dripping into her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak to Hardnail, but when she looked back at him, his face had changed. Instead of the gruff yet compassionate face of her mentor and friend, the stallion facing her looked older, more haggard. Though she could tell that if he smiled a little more and worried a little less, he would look much younger. She watched him silently for a moment, wracking her brain for who this stallion might be. When it finally clicked, her eyes widened, “Dad?” she asked. The word was barely out of her mouth when the front door of the Workshop- no not the Workshop anymore. Along with her mentor, the building around her had shifted as well. The warm and familiar walls of her Workshop in Ponyville had be replaced with an unfamiliar entryway. The hall was long and lead deep into what had to be a much larger mansion, but Dove had no time to look around the room as a dozen soldiers in unfamiliar armor filed into the entryway and began roughing up the place. They tore pictures from the walls and porcelain figures from shelves. Dove watched open mouthed as her father turned and yelled something at the soldiers, but she didn't hear what he said. Her eyes were pulled from the soldiers as they moved deeper into the mansion back towards the front door. Silhouetted against the midday sky was a large stallion, his wings spread so that the tips brushed the frame as he walked through the door. His gaze moved lazily from one side of the entry way to the other until his gaze caught Dovetail's. His expression, unconcerned and disinterested before, was suddenly hungry and full of desire. He moved towards her slowly, impossibly slowly as the world around them seemed to move faster and faster. Dove's eyes grew wide and she felt herself grow ever smaller as the stallion moved towards her. She felt smaller than a kitten as his hoof reached out towards her, but before she could feel his cold hoof against her chest.... ...Dovetail awoke in a cold sweat, her mouth hanging open as she panted, her eyes wide as she glanced around her. No walls, no summer sun, no dark stallion with purple eyes. She shuddered, those eyes. Where had she seen them before? In her dream? No, they were too vivid in her memory to be just a dream. As she slowly calmed down, the details of her dream became fuzzy and less distinct, but the fear of those purple eyes stayed. Each and every time she closed her eyes, Dove felt a shiver run up her spine as those eyes stared at her from the depths of her subconscious. Looking up at the sky, the moon was barely cresting its zenith and the sky around was fully dark. Still the middle of the night, she thought with a sigh as she shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position. Turning around, she moved closer to the mare sleeping next to her. Dove didn't notice just how close she was getting to Minty until her hindquarters bumped against the mare's back. Jerking away and hoping she didn't wake her friend, Dove turned over and tried to force herself back to sleep, but she felt Minty roll over against her, extending her wing to cover the unicorn. Dove thought about moving away, slipping out from under her wing, but as she closed her eyes instead, she felt the violet eyes fade away until they disappeared entirely in the dark fog of her mind. With a sigh of relief, Dove moved just a little closer to the sleeping mare before falling into a deep, blissfully dreamless sleep.