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// Chapter 4: The Tinker and His Assistant 
// Story: A Knight in Saddle Arabia 
// by Nocturn Dreamwrite 
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A Knight in Saddle Arabia

By: Nocturn Dreamwrite

Chapter 4: The Tinker and his Assistant

Sandy Pipe sat at his desk in his shop in the Low Side. He was attempting to glue back together a ceramic bowl that Butter Hooves had accidentally dropped. 
“I’m really sorry Master,” said Butter. “It’s my fault. I know it is.”
“No, No,” said Sandy, “It’s all right, and it’s my fault. I gave you the bowl. I shouldn’t have been trying to handle too many pieces at the same time. It’s piecing together nicely though. You won’t hardly be able to even see that there’s a few little cracks when I’m finished.”
“Yes, master,” agreed Butter. “Well I suppose I’d better start with dinner then.”
Butter began to walk toward the small kitchen in the back when suddenly both he and Sandy heard what sounded like a racket outside.
“You hear that?” asked Sandy looking up from his desk toward the shop’s window.
“Yeah, I do,” said Butter, “I wonder what’s going on.”
“It sounds like a lot of dogs are upset about something,” said Sandy.
It was at that moment, that a blue, unicorn mare with a gold and white mane and tail ran shakily by. She looked as though she had just been through quite an ordeal, and she was running on three legs! Her fourth leg limped. Only a moment later, a pack of dogs ran by the shop. They were chasing her.
“Help!” Sandy and Butter both heard her cry as she ran down the street! 
“Great Heavens” shouted Sandy, “She’s in trouble! She needs help!” With that Sandy rushed out of the shop and after the dogs. “Watch the shop Butter!” he called over his shoulder.
“Yes Master!” Butter yelled back, “Be careful!”
Sandy ran after the dogs as fast as his legs could carry him. His hooves beat hard on the sandy ground. The blue mare was in trouble, and nothing was going to stop him from helping her. He was quickly catching up with the dogs, and be could see the mare up ahead, but he could tell she was tiring. She was slowing down and the dogs were catching her. Sandy wasn’t sure if he could get in front of the dogs in time before she gave out. Just then he noticed that the mare had turned into an ally way. An idea came popped in his head. 
“If I turn right now, I can enter the alley from the other end, and stop those dogs!” Sandy said to himself. It was a gamble, but he needed to get between the mare and the dogs as quickly as possible. They looked like they were all going to take a bite out of her as soon as she stopped. Sandy turned right. His determination seemed to make him run even faster. He reached the end of the ally he was aiming for and turned a hard left into it. The mare had already collapsed. She had made it about halfway through the alley before she gave out, the dogs were close, but they hadn’t reached her yet. 
“I can do it!” Sandy said to himself. He charged toward the dogs, leapt over the fallen mare, and landed between her and the dogs. The dogs, seeing their pathway blocked, attacked him, but Sandy was ready. He spun around and nailed the first two dogs with a single kick of his hind legs. He then turned around and punched the next dog hard on left side of his head so that he fell against the wall. He did the same with all the other dogs that came close. Most of the dogs tried again several times, but some ran away after one blow. One managed to get on his back, but he shook him off. Another tried to sneak past him and get to the mare, but Sandy slammed him in the guts with both of his fore legs, picked him up and threw him back at the dogs, knocking several over. Sandy wasn’t finished though, he kept punching, slicing, and kicking, until every last dog turned tail and ran back out of the alley. Sandy had won. He had saved the mare.
Sandy turned back to the mare to assist her.
“Are you all right miss?,” he asked as he crouched down next to her. 
The mare looked up at him, and in a weak, desperate voice said “Help me…Please.” Then she passed out. 
“Who is she,” wondered Sandy as he looked at her. “I don’t remember ever seeing her before. She’s beautiful.”
“Miss?” asked Sandy again as he put his hoof on her shoulder and tried to wake her by gently shaking her, “Miss?! Please wake up!” Sandy looked at her body. “Oh no.” he said, “What happened to you?” Her blue coat was covered with cuts and bruises. “Don’t you worry,” said Sandy as he lifted her up. He crawled under so that she was resting on his back, then he stood up. She didn’t weigh very much. “I’ll take you to my place, and take good care of you. You’ll get better. It’ll all be all right.” Sandy then began to walk back home carrying the mare on his back.
It wasn’t long before Sandy arrived back at his shop. Butter ran out to see him. Then he saw the blue, unicorn mare on his back. “Oh my goodness! What happened Master?” asked Butter.
“She’s out cold,” said Sandy. “The dogs tried to attack her. I stopped them, but she’s hurt real bad. Help me get her upstairs.”
“Yes, Master,” said Butter as he held the shop door open, “Poor dear.”
Sandy and Butter soon carried the mare through the shop and up the stairs to the room above the shop where they lived.
“Lay her down on my bed,” said Sandy. They put her down gently on her right side, so that her hurt leg was accessible. Sandy looked again at all the cuts she had.
“Butter,” said Sandy, “Run downstairs and get me two towels and a bucket of fresh water as quick as you can.”
“Yes Master,” said Butter “At once.”
“Then run and find Doc Shot,” said Sandy before Butter left. “She needs a doctor quickly.”
“Yes Master,” said Butter again. Butter soon brought Sandy the water and the towels (even though he accidentally dropped the bucket once), and then rushed out to find Doc Shot. He was the only Doctor in the Low Side, but Sandy was right, she needed a doctor as quickly as possible.”
Sandy began to clean the mare’s wounds. He dipped one towel completely into the water, rank it out, and placed it on the mares forehead, and used the other towel to clean her cuts, dipping it occasionally. “Don’t worry,” he whispered, “You’re going to be all right.”
…
Felicity woke up with a start. She had dreamt that the dogs in the ally had caught her and they were biting her all over. She took a few deep breaths before she calmed down. It was just a dream, but where was she. Felicity looked around. She was lying on a small bed in a small room. Her head was resting on a pillow and she was covered with a sheet. By the light coming through the windows, she guessed that it was morning. There was a small table in the corner with a few books on it, and a small vase with a fake desert rose in it. In the other corner sat a young, brown, earth pony, stallion. He was asleep with his head leaning against the wall. Then she remembered, “That’s the pony who saved me!” she said to herself. “This must be his house, but how did I get here?” she wondered. Somehow the stallion must have brought her here, but when? If it was afternoon with the dogs chased her, and morning now, what had she missed? She must have been out for hours, and the whole night for that matter. Strange though, she was awake, but it still felt like something was biting her. She carefully lifted up the sheet covering her to check. Her eyes widened. She was covered in bandages, and she couldn’t even see her left hind leg, it was bandaged all the way from her hoof to her flank. Felicity moved the sheet to one side, and tried to sit up. “Oomph,” she groaned.
The brown stallion woke up instantly. “Thank goodness you’re awake,” he said. He was soon at her side. “Tell me how do you feel?”
“Well,” said Felicity, “I feel a little better, but what happened? Where am I? And... and who are you?” she asked as she tried to rise. A shooting pain ran through her body from her left hind leg making her wince.
“Please don’t do that,” said the stallion helping her lay back down. “Doc Shot said you bruised your leg really badly. Thankfully it’s not broken, but you’re going to have to stay in bed for at least a week before you can move around. See? I said everything would be all right.” 	
The stallion then paused. “Oh I’m sorry, let me introduce myself. My name is Sandy Pipe. This is my place, mine and Butter’s. Butter!” called Sandy. “Come up here” She’s awake!” A rumble was heard as some pony ran up some stairs, then a yellow pegasus burst into the room. “She is?” he asked, then he looked at Felicity, “She is!” “Wonderful! Well done Master!”
“This is my assistant Butter Hooves,” Sandy told Felicity, “He live here too and helps me run the store.”
“That’s right,” said Butter to the mare, “I must say though, that you are very lucky. If Master here hadn’t fought off those dogs and carried you here when he did, well… I don’t like to even considerer what could have happened.
“You carried me here?” Felicity asked Sandy.
“He sure did,” said Butter, “Carried you all the way here on his back, and told me to get the Doc, and then he sat right there waiting for you to wake up for half the night.”
“Thank you good gentleponies,” said Felicity, “Thank you for saving me, and for your kindness I don’t know how I can repay you, or if I even can.”
“Oh no,” said Sandy. “Don’t worry yourself about it. Our pleasure. We’re just happy that you’re going to be all right, but please, we’re at a disadvantage. Please tell us, what is your name?”
“I’m…” Felicity began, but then she remembered something. She burst into tears, and burring her face in the pillow. “I’m no pony!” she said between sobs. “Not anymore!”
“Oh come, come now,” said Sandy “Please don’t cry.” He turned to Butter. “Butter, quick, bring her some water and something to eat.”
“Yes, Master,” said Butter and he hurried away back down to the kitchen.
“I’m sorry,” said Sandy, “Please forgive me.”
“No, no,” said Felicity, “You didn’t do anything, It’s me. I don’t know who I am anymore!” she said as she continued sobbing.
“Shhh… It’ll all be just fine,” said Sandy.
Just then Butter arrived carrying a bowl of porridge with a spoon in one hoof and a cup of water in the other.
“Well done,” said Sandy.
“Thank you, Master,” said Butter.
“Please stop crying,” said Sandy, “You need to eat. You must get your strength back.”
After a moment, Felicity stopped crying. She looked back up at Sandy, her eyes full of sorrow, but when she looked into Sandy’s eyes she saw pure kindness. She smiled and began to feel better. 
“Come now,” said Sandy, “You must eat. Trust me.” He dipped the spoon into the porridge and held it toward Felicity. She cautiously opened her mouth, took it, and swallowed. She had never had porridge before, but it tasted good, and she hadn’t realized until now how hungry she was. She kept eating every spoonful Sandy gave her, until the bowl was empty.
“Well, done,” said Sandy as she held the cup of water for her to drink. “Keep eating like that and you’ll be well in no time.”
“Thank you,” said Felicity once she’d finished. 
“You must have a name though,” Said Sandy “We must call you something. Every pony’s a some pony. Do you mind if I give you a name?”
Felicity shook her head.
“All right then,” said Sandy, “How about if we call you… um…” he thought for a moment then smiled and said “Blue!, how about Blue, after the most beautiful of colors, in my opinion anyway. Would you like that?”
“Yes… yes I do like that,” said Felicity.
“I like that too, Master,” said Butter.
“Good,” said Sandy. “Blue it shall be, and don’t worry. Leave everything to us, and you’re welcome to stay here with us even after you recover.”
“Oh, thank you,” said Felicity, “Thank you both very, very much.”
“Oh and please, call me, Sandy,” said Sandy.
“And me, Butter,” added Butter.
“Thank Sandy,” said Felicity. “Thank you Butter, my friends.” 
“Now you must rest,” said Sandy. “If you need anything just call. We’ll be right down stairs.” He gave her a smile then left the room with Butter leaving the door open.
Felicity closed her eyes, and smiled happily before she fell asleep.