Blood Red Road

by Dawn-Designs-Art

Darktrees

Jest before midnight, we walk into the Free Hawks summer camp at Darktrees.

Nero flies on ahead to tell ’em we’re comin. Penny Rose runs up the moment we come into view an runs an skips along beside us.

"Moon! Yer here!"

"You should be asleep, Pen," I says.

"What took you so long?"

"We got here soon as we could," I says.

I stop. She leaps at me, wrappin her arms around my neck.

"Are they dead?" she whispers. "Did you kill ’em?"

"You don’t need to worry about ’em no more", I says. "How’m I s’posed to do anythin with you hangin on like a leech?"

I give her flank a swat an she lets. She chatters on, about Epona an how we’re gonna sleep in the same bunkhouse as
Feath, but all the time she sticks real close.

I turn an jest about trip over her. I kneel down an take her hoofs. They’re tremblin. "Hey, hey, Penny," I says. "It’s okay. I’m here."

"No you ain’t," she says. "Yer leavin to find Sun. An it could be dangerous. You said so yerself."

"I’ll be fine," I says. "I’ll be back before you know it. An I’ll be bringin Sun with me."

"Yer sure I cain’t come with you?"

"I’m sure," I says. "I promised Pa an Sun I’d keep you safe. I ain’t done a very good job so far."

"You done okay," she says.

"Hey," I says. "I dunno about you, but I’m startin to feel mighty tired. Why don’t you show me that bunkhouse you was talkin about?"

"Okay. Hey … Moon?"

"Uh huh?"

"Would it … would you give me a pickaback ride to the bunkhouse?" She says it shylike, not lookin at me but at the ground where her hoofs tracin a line in the dirt.

I ain’t never let Pen ride pickaback on me in our whole lives. Sun was the one who played with her like that. He’d grab her by the hoofs an swing her around till they both fell dizzy on the ground. Or she’d jump on his back an he’d gallop around an leap while she squealed with delight. I never used to like it when he spent time with her. Or anypony else fer that matter. I always wanted him all to myself. I look down at her. At the back of her neck, scrawny an grubby. She always was small fer her age.

'She’s only nine, Moon. You might try bein nice to her fer a change.'

"A pickaback?" I says. "I thought you’d never ask."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Pony sacrifice." Feath frowns. "That’s … crazy."

Her an me’s sittin on a log in the cool mornin shadows of the clearin where the Free Hawks camp is. I check to make sure Penny ain’t in earshot. She don’t know none of this an I don’t want her overhearin. But she’s over by the bunkhouse with Nero. They’re playin some countin game with twigs laid out on the ground. Nero loves to count things.

"I know," I says. "But that’s what Wysteria said."

"An you believe her," says Feath.

"I do," I says.

"An she says it was the Tonton took Sun to this place … Freedom Fields."

"Deep in the Black Mountains," I says. "That’s what she said."

"I wonder what goes on there," says Feath.

"Wysteria got killed before she could tell me everythin. But from what she said, it’s all to do with chaal."

"Everythin’s to do with chaal," she says. "An the Tonton’s right in the middle of it."

We’re silent fer a minute, then I says, "You know, Feath, when Ruby Pinch saw my birthmoon tattoo, he looked like he’d seen a ghost."

"Whaddya mean?"

"What I mean is, I don’t think it was the first time he seen it."

"Where’d you git it anyways?" says Feath. "I ain’t never seen one before."

"It was my pa," I says. "He tattooed me an Sun. Midwinter twins."

"You think that’s where he seen it? On Sun?"

"I’m certain of it. What else could it be?"

"Well, Pinch is dead now, so it don’t matter. They won’t be goin ahead with, you know … the sacrifice."

"We cain’t be sure of that. An when they find out what happened to their King, they might be so mad they do somethin to him anyways. He won’t be safe till he’s outta there. I gotta git goin."

I stand up.

"Oh no." She stands too, puts a wing on my shoulder. "You ain’t in a fit state. Look at you. You need to rest an eat. We need to see to them bruises. Epona worked you over good in the Cage."

"It don’t matter," I says.

"Yes it does. You don’t know what you got ahead of you. You gotta be strong."

"Leave me alone," I says. But I know she’s right. I’m dog-tired an I ache all over my body.

"C’mon, Moon," she says. "I ain’t yer enemy, I’m yer friend."

"My friend," I says.

"That’s right. Yer like me. Yer a survivor."

"I’m jest stubborn," I says.

"I’m sorry to hafta say this," she says, "but bein friends an all, it gives me the right to say … when was the last time you had a wash?"

I realize I cain’t remember. "I dunno," I says. "A while back, I guess."

"A long while back, I’d say," she says. She pushes past me, heads down the path further into the woods. "I got a surprise fer you," she says. "This way."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We step outta the darkness of the forest into the shock of bright sunlight. We’re standin on a narrow shelf of bare rock that juts out into thin air. Straight across from us, water roars outta the side of a mountain. It rushes an tumbles down the rocks till it plunges into a deep pool below, where the sunlight dances an sparkles.
Feath disappears over the side of the rock.

I stare at the waterfall. It’s beautiful. Clean. Pure.

"Are you comin or not?" Feath hollers. Her voice echoes offa the canyon walls.

I follow behind as she picks her way over the rocks to the bottom. I ain’t bin swimmin fer such a long time. Me an Sun used to swim in Silverlake all the time when we was little. Back before the lake dried up an everythin went wrong. I’ll take one dive into that cool water. Jest one. It’ll help clear my head. Then I’ll be able to think.

Maev jumps down onto a big flat rock at the side of the pool. She shimmies outta her tunic an cloak so I can see her fully fer the first time. Golden coat specked with slightly darker specks, long strong legs, perfectly kept wings, a thick, tangled mane and tail of copper hair. Her cutie mark is sword. She takes a runnin leap, her wings stretched, an disappears unner the water. She breaks the surface, a big grin on her face.

"It’s fantastic!" she yells.

I realize I ain’t never seen Feath smile proper before. She looks young. Like a filly. Feath kitted me out this mornin, everythin from a new tunic to leather armour. At first, I didn’t wanna take their stuff, but she said the Free Hawks is by way of bein highway robbers an that’s where it all comes from. When she told me that, I should of said no thanks. I know that stealin things is bad. But my clothes was nuthin but dirty rags compared to their stuff an my ideas about what’s right an wrong ain’t so fine as they used to be. I take off my stolen clothes an fold ’em in a neat pile on the warm rock. Then I dive in.

The icy cold water shocks my eyes wide open, slams into my heart. I shoot to the surface, gaspin. Feath’s laughin her head off.

"You rat!" I yell. "It’s freezin cold!"

"It’ll do you good!"

I duck myself, over an over, in the sparklin cleanness till the filth of Hopetown’s washed from my body. I pull a hoofful of needles from a low hangin pine tree an rub ’em over my coat. Then Feath starts to chase me around an we splash an dunk each other.

After a bit, I realize I ain’t thought about Sun fer the past few minutes. Not even once. Right away, I turn an swim back to the rock. Feath follows. I pull myself out an gather my clothes.

"What’s the matter?" Feath climbs out.

"I ain’t got time fer this," I says. "I cain’t stop till I find Sun. I promised him."

"Oh, not this agin!" She grabs the clothes from me. "What, you promised him you wouldn’t wash? Or eat? Or sleep? Don’t be stupid."

"Gimme them clothes," I says.

She leaps into the air, hoverin as best she can with wet wings to hold ’em away. "No," she says. "It was a wash an a swim. It ain’t like you was dancin an singin. Now siddown an jest be quiet fer a few minutes while we dry off."

"No. Gimme my stuff, Feath."

"Gawdammit you stubborn mule … siddown!" She roars it at me. She lands, grabs me an pushes me down. I’m so surprised, I don’t even try to git up. She drops the clothes an sets herself down beside me, holdin tight to my hoof. "Now," she says, "we’ll jest sit here fer a bit an be quiet."

"Feath—"

"Shhh!"

"I jest—"

She holds a hoof to her mouth. She lays back, closes her eyes an raises her face to the sun. I lie beside her, starin at the sky. After a bit, I’m feelin warm, a little drowsy.

My eyelids is heavy. They start to close. "I don’t unnerstand it," I says.

"Unnerstand what?" she says.

"I cain’t believe you never heard of Freedom Fields. This is yer territory. You must of bin all over the Black Mountains."

"Not all over," she says. "Hawk Territory ends a day’s ride north of here. You don’t keep what you cain’t defend an there’s only forty of us."

"But you meet ponies," I says. "You must talk to ’em when yer … you know … robbin ’em."

"We don’t ezzackly stop to chat," she says.

"Even so," I says, "I cain’t believe you never heard anythin about it, ever, not even the slightest hint."

"Well believe it," she says. "Cuz I’m tellin you, I ain’t never heard of Freedom Fields."

A stallion’s voice comes from behind us. Deep. Husky. "That’s because they don’t want you to know about it," he says.

Neether of us stop to think. We don't have weapons, we caint leave without goin past him an riskin an attack. We roll offa the rock an into the water. Feath races away, but somethin stops me followin her. A familiar heat’s crawlin over my skin. Shudderin up my spine. It’s the heartstone. It’s hot an no matter that the water’s freezin. I bob to the surface.

"Arrow," I says.

He stands there lookin strange, leanin against a tree on jus his hind hoofs, his arms crossed over his chest, his hat down low over his eyes. He smiles his lopsided smile. My stupid stummick does a flip.

"Fancy meetin you here, Angel," he says.

Feath’s head pops up over by the waterfall. "What’re you doin Moon?" she yells at me. "Are you crazy?"

"It’s okay, Feath," I says. "This is Arrow."

"Arrow?" she calls. "Who’s … oh … Arrow!"

I flush red. Feath knows I went into the burnin cellblock to git him out. Ash told her about it.

"Are y’all right, Moon?" says Arrow. "You look kinda warm."

"Too much sun on my head," I mutter. I swim back to the rock. Feath joins me. We climb outta the water to dry off agin.

"What’re you doin here, Arrow?" I says.

"How’d you git past the Hawks?" says Feath, soundin annoyed as she shakes off her wings.

He shrugs. "I asked where I could find you. Ash said to try here."

"You got past Ash?" says Feath, suprised.

"Uh huh," he says. "She took a bit of … persuadin but in the end she came round. Nice young mare."

"Nice young mare?" says Feath. "Are you sure it was Ash you met?"

"Listen," he says, "I know it ain’t my business, but you might wanna have a word, tighten up yer security."

"Yer right," she snaps, "it ain’t yer business. See you back at camp, Moon," she says to me. She picks up her clothes an brushes past him an disappears into the forest.

He wathches her go than turns around as I’m startin to pull on my tumic. "She likes me," he says. "I can always tell."

"D’you rile somepony every time you open yer mouth?" I says.

"Pretty much," he says.

"You didn’t answer my question. What’re you doin here, Arrow?" I frown. "Are you followin me?"

"My my," he says, "you do have a high opinion of yer charms, don't you. No, I jest … happened to be passin by is all, an I remembered you sayin somethin about hookin up with the Free Hawks. I jest wanted to make sure you got here okay an … all that. So. Is … everythin okay?"

"Uh huh," I says.

"You found yer sister okay?"

"Yup."

"Good. That’s good. Did I mention I always wanted a sister?"

"Yup."

He smiles at me. I stare at him. Finally he says, "I know the way to Freedom Fields. I can take you there."

Every bit of my body tightens with excitement when he says it. But right away there’s somethin nigglin at me, so I says, "It’s mighty strange, Arrow, you jest happenin to turn up here an you jest happenin to know the way to Freedom Fields."

"I told you before," he says. "It’s fate."

"An I told you I don’t believe in fate," I says. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"You can trust me," he says.

"You would say that. How do I know you ain’t lyin?"

"You don’t. But I ain’t."

I feel the blood rush to my head. I throw up my hoofs an yell, "You are the most infuriatin pony I ever met in my whole life! Talkin to you’s like talkin to a eel!"

He gives me that crooked, cocky smile.

"An don’t look so pleased with yerself," I says. "It ain’t a compliment."

"So," he says, "d’you want a guide or not?"

"Tell me, Arrow," I says. "What’s in it fer you?"

Instead of answerin my question, he takes a step closer to me an says, "Why’d you come after me?"

"What?"

"Why’d you come after me?" he says. "Back at Hopetown. That cellblock was on fire. You’d hafta be crazy to go in there. But you did. You risked yer life to save mine an you didn’t even know me, jus my name really."

The heartstone’s almost burnin a hole right through my coat an skin. I sure ain’t gonna tell him that sorry yarn Mercy spun me, about it turnin warm when you stand in front of yer heart’s desire. You wouldn’t think a grown mare could be so silly.
I pray he cain't hear my poundin heart an stare down at my hoofs. "I dunno why," I says, "I jest did."

"An I dunno why I’m here," he says. "I jest am. I mean, it ain’t like I don’t have better things to do. I got people to see. I got … business interests."

"Then go," I says. "I didn’t ask you to come after me. I can manage perfectly fine on my own. I don’t need yer help. Go on, git outta here."

"Ain’t you bin listenin?" He stands normally now, an grabs my arm. "I cain’t!"

We glare at each other. The space between us feels heavy somehow. It presses aginst me, makes it hard to breathe. Finally I says, "So, are you gonna take me to Freedom Fields or not?"

He runs a hoof over his head. "I must be crazy to even think about it," he mutters. "Yes. I am. But first … I need to cool down."

He pulls off his cloak an yanks his tunic over his head.

I stare at his chest. I cain’t seem to make my eyes move away. When I seen him without his shirt before, back at Hopetown, all I noticed was the scars. But now all I can see is how lean an strong he is. With wide shoulders an strong lookin muscle. His coat looks soft. My hoofs itch to touch it. Find out if it feels as soft as it looks.

"Be careful, Angel," he says. "When you stare at a stallion like that, he’s likely to git any number of … innerestin ideas."

I don’t move.

"Well if you like what you see, keep on starin, I might even give ya a closer look" he says.

I turn an run.

I can still hear him laughin when I’m halfways back to camp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feath sits on her cot in the bunkhouse, watchin me pack the gear she’s gived me. She tosses a pebble from one hoof to th’other. "Whaddya know about this Arrow character anyways?" she says. "It don’t feel right, him showin up outta the blue like this."

"I know as much about him as I know about you," I says. "So not much."

She chews on her bottom lip. "I don’t trust him," she says. "D’you?"

"He says he knows the way to Freedom Fields," I says. "If I’m gonna find Sun, I gotta trust him. Jest like I trusted you to help me git outta Hopetown. I didn’t know you but I …"

"Took a leap of faith?" says Feath.

"Yeah," I says, "that’s it. A leap of faith. An you turned out okay."

"Yeah, well …" Feath mutters. She don’t look at me when she says, "I’d send a couple of Hawks with you, but I got a territory dispute with some chancers on the western road to sort out."

I git the feelin she ain’t bein entirely truthful but I says, "You don’t owe me nuthin."

"There’s jest … somethin about him," she frowns. "He’s got secrets. An he’s, uh …"

"Arrogant?" I says.

"Oh yeah."

"Annoyin?"

"Definitely."

"Slippery?"

"As a snake," she says. She watches me fer a bit, then she seems to throw off whatever it is that’s botherin her. She gives me a sly little smile an says, "He’s pretty good lookin, I’ll say that much."

"Is he?" I feel my cheeks go hot. I shrug, don’t look at her." Cain’t say I noticed," I says.

"He’s got nice eyes."

"Too big."

"Nice smile."

"Too many teeth," I says. "Anyways, he ain’t my type."

She throws the pebble at me, laughin. "Yer type! Don’t you kid yerself, he’s jest yer type. The trouble type, that is."

"I already got enough trouble with findin Sun," I says. "I don’t need no more."

"You sure of that?" she says. "You look a bit … warm whenever he’s around."

"It’s ever since that damn fire," I mutter. "All that heat must of got in my blood or somethin."

"Or somethin," she says with a smirk.

I finish packin. I tighten the buckles on my saddlebags so nuthin falls out while I'm walking. "Thanks fer keepin Penny Rose," I says. "Sun an me’ll come back fer her soon as we can... Umm, Feath?"

"Uh huh?"

"If … if anythin was to happen … if fer some reason I don’t come back—"

"Oh no, Moon, don’t—"

"If anythin happens to me, promise you’ll take care of Penny. Raise her up proper. Please. I gotta know she’ll be okay."

Feath looks at me a long moment. Then, "All right," she says. "I promise."

"Thanks," I says. "She don’t like to wash. Make sure she does." I heave my saddlebags over my back. "I better go make sure Arrow's ready to leave," I says.

She touches my arm with her wing, stops me as I pass. "Listen," she says, "if you ever git the itch to join up with a bunch of thieves an no-goods, we’d be glad to see you back here any time. You’d make a damn fine Free Hawk."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arrow slings his saddlebags over his back. On his way outta Hopetown, he managed to steal hisself some really good stuff to fill 'em. He looks over to where Penny’s drawin circles with a stick in the dirt. Her head droops down like a wilted wildflower.
"Are you really gonna leave her behind?" he says.

"Of course," I says. I'm eatin bread with some wildberrys. "She’s jest a child. It’s too dangerous. Anyways, she’d only slow us down."

Arrow knows why I gotta git to Freedom Fields before midsummer eve, how important it is. Last night I told him everythin I know, everythin that Wysteria told me before she died. He listened but didn’t say nuthin, jest grunted a couple of times.

"SUN ain’t jest yer brother, he’s Penny’s too," he says. "Don’t you think she’s got as much right to go as you?"

"No I don’t," I snap. "An mind yer own business. Feath said she’d look after her an that’s way it’s gonna be."

"If you say so."

"I do."

Arrow whistles. Peeny’s head shoots up. He motions her over an she comes runnin. "Yer sister don’t want you to come with us," he says. "She says you’ll slow us down."

"Arrow!" I says.

"I wouldn’t slow you down!" says Penny. "I’m a good fast walker now, an I can hover real fast too!" She jumps and starts to hover, then zips around us real fast. I didn't know she could do that, she must've learnt in Hopetown. "I walked all the way from Mercy’s all by myself an too! An then I walked all the way across the Sandsea desert to find Moon. I nearly skeered her to death."

"Is that right?" Arrow lifts a eyebrow at me.

"It ain’t jest that," I says to Penny. "Things could git dangerous. I don’t want nuthin to happen to you."

"I can take care of myself," says Penny. "I can fight."

"No you cain’t," I says.

"Can too!"

"Here." Arrow unhooks his slingshot from his bag. "See that shimmy?" He points at one of the shimmer discs the Hawks got hangin from a tree to keep the rooks from roostin. "Let’s see if you can hit it right in the middle."

"C’mon, Arrow," I says, "this is a complete waste of time. She ain’t never shot nuthin in her life."

"Ignore her," he says to Pen. He gives her his shooter. "You give it a try."

"It’s okay." Penny untucks a slingshot from a pocket in her tunic. "I got my own."

"Since when did you carry a shooter around?" I says. "Hey, wait a minute … that’s mine."

"No it ain’t," says Pen. "It belongs to Sun."

"All right. But I thought the Pinches bartered all our gear at Hopetown."

"They didn’t take this," says Pen. "I snuck it when they warn’t lookin an kept it in my secret hidin place. I’m keepin it fer Sun. I’m gonna give it to him when I see him."

"Well, if that ain’t a nice sisterly thing to do," says Arrow. "That’s real thoughtful of you, Penny Rose. Now, go on. Let’s see you try an hit that target."

She holds the slingshot in her mouth jus like Sun would, aims, an uses her wing to shoot it. She hits the shimmy dead center.

She beams.

I don’t believe it. Pen lined that shot up an took it like she’s bin shootin every day of her life.

"She’s got a good eye," Arrow says to me. "Close yer mouth, you’ll catch flies."

I frown at him, then look back at Penny Rose. "Where’d you learn to do that?" I says.

She shrugs. "I watched you an Sun. Then I practiced an practiced till I got it right."

"I didn’t know that," I says. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"You never liked it when I talked to you before," she says. "You always told me to shut up an go away."

"I never!" I says. But I feel my cheeks go all hot because we both know it’s true. It sounds so awful when she says it like that, that I never had no time fer her, but she’s right. I didn’t. Not when I had Sun. When we’re together he’s all I need. An that’s bin the way of it since the day we was born.

"So let’s see," says Arrow, "she can walk an hover, she can shoot an she’s got guts. Did I leave anythin out?"

"What you left out is, she’s just a filly an nine year old at that," I says. "She's too young."

"Sun’s my brother jest the same as he is yers," says Penny.

"Good point," says Arrow. "An she was sisterly enough to save his slingshot."

They look at me.

"No," I says, glarin at ’em. "No, no, no!"

They don’t say nuthin. Jest keep lookin at me.

"Don’t look at me like that!" I sigh. "Aw hell. All right, you can come. But you gotta do what I say when I say it an you better not gimme cause to regret this cuz if you do, Penny Rose, there’ll be trouble an no mistake."

I’m talkin to myself. The second she hears the word “come,” Penny starts whoopin an her an Arrow’s shakin hoofs an then she’s huggin me an lookin at me with shinin eyes. I ain’t never seen her so happy an excited.

"I won’t let you down!" She skips an jumps her way to the bunkhouse, callin as she goes, "Epona! Hey Epona! Guess what?"

I point at Arrow. "If anythin happens to her," I says, "I’ll know who to blame."

He grabs my hoof. His eyes is hard as stone, cold as a gray winter sky. His hoof’s warm. His skin’s rough. A tingle runs up my arm. "You don’t fool me," he says.

"Is that right?"

"Yeah," he says. "I see it in yer eyes. All you care about’s yer precious brother."

"That ain’t true," I says.

"If it’d bin Penny Rose they took," he says, "Penny Rose an not Sun … would you of gone after her?"

I take in a breath to say of course I would but the look on his face stops me. There ain’t no point in lyin when he already knows the truth. He leaves go of me an steps back. "I thought so," he says. "Yer sister’ll be safer with me than she could ever be with you. You jest ride along on yer high horse an leave her to me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Gimme yer hoof." Feath says it in a low voice, so’s nobody else can hear. She slips a small gold medal into it. "If you ever need me," she says, "if you need the Hawks, send Nero with this an we’ll come. Wherever, whenever … you send this
ring an we’ll be there."

She steps back.

My heart swells in my chest. I look at her. She smiles at me. "Feath... You got us outta Hopetown," I says. "Saved our lives. You gave us clothes an food an supplies … the chance to find Sun. I … we owe you so much, I don’t see how I can ever
repay you, but once we—"

"Friends don’t owe," she says. "Friends don’t repay. Go well. I hope you find yer brother."

"G’bye!" Penny reaches up an hugs Epona around the neck.

"You do what Moon an Arrow tell you," says Epona.

"Keep ’em safe, Arrow," says Feath. "An if you don’t, we’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth. An when we find you, we’ll rip out yer guts an feed ’em to the jackals while you watch."

"I’ll bear that in mind," says Arrow.

Nero circles above. He caws, impatient to git goin. I look up. "Time to go," I says.We start to move out. Arrow leadin the way, Penny Rose in the middle, an me bringin up the rear, with our packs an saddlebags an waterskins filled thanks to the Free Hawks. They’re all gathered to see us off. Now they start shoutin. "G’bye, good luck, don’t ferget about us, see you soon," an all that kinda thing.

I take one last look. At Ash, Epona an the rest, smilin an wavin.

But not Feath. Not smilin. Not wavin. Jest standin there.

Lookin like she don’t especk to ever see us agin.