Zian handed me her canteen. “Thirsty?”
“A little,” I said softly, accepting the water. “Are we almost there? It’s getting dark…”
Grella looked forward, “It’s right there.”
After a few minutes of walking, we came up to a village, or more like a fortress. Torches lined a large stone gate, a pony visible from the top looking down at us. “Who’s there?” Said the stallion, “none of ya’ bitten?”
“We’re just refugees on a journey, hoping to stay at your town for a day or two.” Zian said, “we just lost somepony.”
“Alright… but we’ here at Stone Whooves got some rules. We don’t take ponies in for free, not my rules, I’m just n’ enforcer.” He said. “Gate toll for the lot of ya’ would normally be bout’ 30 bits… but since ya’ll have been so friendly n’ see’n your perdic-e-ment, I’ll only charge ya’ll 10.”
“Sounds fair.” Zian reached into her bag and pulled out a coin purse, and pulled out the coins. I wondered how she even got that money living in the woods.
The stallion sent down a basket for the money, and once he acquired the mystery coins he opened the gate for us.
Stone Whooves Valley wasn’t as small of a town I had expected from the outside alone, but instead it was a rather large settlement with stacked buildings and neon lights only visible from the inside. To be honest, it would be more compared to an inner city of Manehatten. Although, through further observation, there were surplus of buildings when compared to the actual population.
The pony who let us in closed the gate and took a small pull elevator down. He was an ugly type of pony, probably from old age and a lack of showering. He had a ratty short Mohawk of a mane and tail with a splotchy coat, and his cutiemark was a quill, so I assumed he used to be a writer of some sort. He looked more like a cow. “Wellllcome to Stone Whooves Valley!” He said, “My name is Inkwell. I’m the Gatekeeper and tour guide of our little community!”
“Hi,” I said.
“Our city is a safe haven for those forced into exile by this Arm-e-gedon!” Ink well galloped to the town square. “Perfect, too! This here city used to be an army base for none other’ den the elo-mints of hormoni!”
“Army?” I said, surprised.
“Yeepers’! Course, we never needed one til’ now!” he pointed at a wide metal and wood building. This is our leader’s place, she helped us turn this little rat-hole into a glorious paradise! Well, a glorious paradise compared to living on the outside surrounded by cannibalistic pony zombies!” he leaned in, “Referin’ to your army question, don’t worry yourself, lil’miss, we never needed it. Just encase. Course’ the rats of the city’s adjacent made a home prior to our predicament.”
He walked us further down to assortment of stacked buildings accessible by elevators and ramps, though it seemed like they had been there before. “These are the bunkhouses, where ya’ll will rest yer’ heads fer’ the night. It ain’t luxurious by a long shot, but hey, it’s somethin’. Safe. Somewhat clean…” he pointed his hoof to bigger buildings with magic powered neon signs. “N’ these are the’ food, drink’n and… entertainment plaza. You got the more filly- friendly place downstairs run by Blightlight, and upstairs are the… adult places.”
Once Inkwell was done, he divided us up into our rooms. Cherry and Grella took the room closest to the exit, Whirlwind (still in shock and silence) and Morning Glory took the house at the end. That left Zian and I in the middle.
Once everyone was settled into their houses, that left Zian and I to our devices. Alone. “Lucky we found this place, isn’t it?” Zian smiled, peeling her stuff off onto the floor in front of the bed. Our small boarding didn’t offer much room, but it at least had a small window, a dresser, a small kitchen table with metal chairs, a small side bathroom barely big enough for a pony on all fours, a ratty homemade mattress, and a lantern. “This should be fine. We could use a day to relax after… that…”
“Y-yeah…”
“Autumn.” She sat next to me at the table. “I have actually been waiting to talk to you… since last night…”
“What is it?”
“Do you…” she paused, thinking over what she was saying in her mind. “... do you have feelings for me? Beyond friendship?”