Howling Shadows

by 10 Florins

Chapter 3: Unfriendly Detours

My tedious trek towards Ponyville began that night. Map in hoof, I took flight high in the sky. The crisp night air was chilly on my back, but at the same time it was refreshing. The moon shone its gloomy light, and once my eyes were adjusted to it, I began to study to map.

It seemed that Ponyville was located to the far northeast, and the town I came from was squarely on the opposite side of the continent. Perfect. That would mean at least ten days of travel by air, and closer to thirty by hoof. Not to mention the fact that an entire mountain range blocked a straight path.

Flying over it would prove impossible; that mountain reaches heights far beyond safe breathing level. No, I would have to go around it.

On the one side, there was the Barrens, plagued by conflict. Its ruler had longs since abandoned it, freeing the populace do to whatever they please. That includes everything from mugging travelers to massacring entire villages. Not an optimal choice to take.

On the other side lay an ocean, which appealed to me much more than the Barrens ever could. After all, an ocean never killed anyone simply because they looked at it funny.

I now turned my attention to more immediate problems: If it would take ten days to reach Ponyville, how will I survive without Essence that long?

There were no towns between the village and Ponyville. No where I could stop and refuel, only thick forest and lofty mountains. Coming to this realization, I halted mid-air, and perched atop a large branch.

"The next nearest town on the map is... Ferlis." With horror, I found exactly where it lied on the map.

"Dead center of the Barrens. Great." Ferlis was only two days away from me, and was the only town visible that wasn't further than Ponyville. Furthermore, from Ferlis, I would have a straight shot to Ponyville while avoiding the mountains.

"Looks like Ferlis it is..." Even though my lips said it, my mind didn't agree. "It's too dangerous. Not only are you likely to get into fights, you'll probably fight ponies who are more skilled than you! You could lose your life." My brain continued to make such valid arguments, even as I set a course for Ferlis.

It didn't matter what kind of place it was, it mattered that it was my only hope of survival. Mind begrudgingly made up, I spread my wings and flew towards Ferlis. Once more did I feel the cool breeze on my back before it was time to set up camp for the night.

My bedroll was crumpled, but still good. It was nice to finally lie down and reflect on what had happened earlier. I couldn't help but feel angry at and sorry for Landlord. What I did to him was terrible, but then again, so were his actions towards me. Had I made the right decision in cutting him off? Should I have let him finish his words? Perhaps so. But what's done is done, and it can't be changed now

My thoughts turned to the origin of my name. "Howling Shadows... It represents the battle inside you." I think I finally understood what he meant. My very being was controversial. "A Changeling who refuses to harm others? What a spectacle I must be."

But then I pondered over that mysterious pony's other words: "There is a purpose, only time will tell you what it is." What purpose could I possibly have? My existence was irrational; I could hardly see myself fitting into anything at all.

For now, it was better to set aside my concerns and simply go to sleep. I rolled onto my side, and brushed off any more laborious thoughts.

Come morning, all was quiet, save for the few birds chirping in the distance. Having a belly full of Essence, my rest was the most refreshing one I had all week, even though I slept on the forest floor. For breakfast, I ate one small loaf of bread and some grapes. The sweetness of those grapes made my enjoyable morning even better.

However, I could not dawdle, for I had an eventful day ahead of me. Folding up the bedroll, I realigned myself with the map, and made sure I was heading the right way. I took a long sip from my canteen, and shouldered my bag. Now, I was ready to travel to Ferlis.

The morning air was humid, but relatively pleasant. It very much reminded me of the forest where I came from. Despite how recently I actually was there, I felt nostalgic about the place. It was technically my home, after all. There was some emotional value in that.

I then took high to the sky, and made my way towards Ferlis. The day lazily dragged on, with the only half-interesting thing to happen was some birds following a grey pegasus north instead of south. Winter wasn't that far away, which drove me to wonder why they were headed the wrong direction.

Other than that, not much occurred. Towards dusk, I could start to see the border of the Barrens. Not such a difficult task, as the contrast between the two lands was rather jarring. On the one side, you had lush, green forests. On the other lay only a dry, cracked earth which had long since lost its color.

The scene made me think of how long the Barrens have been in dire straits, and exactly what kind of effect such things could have on the land. But enough of that.

Now, I was close enough to the border to make out a guard tower. "They still manage to watch the border?" I wondered with amusement. I would soon reach said tower, so I shifted forms. "Better go with a tough version of my other form, so as to not appear helpless." Assuring myself that this was a good course of action, I approached the guards stationed at the tower.
"HALT! WHO GOES THERE?"
"Just a traveler, sir." I responded in a gruff tone. It matched my new persona quite nicely.
He retorted in a menacing fashion, "A traveler, huh? Sane folks don't travel to the Barrens."
"Yet you're stationed here to watch the border." I observed.
Thinking a moment, the guard replied, "We're not here to keep ponies out. We're here to keep them in. Celestia herself sent us to ensure that the Barrens' scourge would not spread further."
"In any case, coming here wasn't my first option. I just need to pass through in order to resupply." I affirmed him.
"Resupply, you say... What's in the bag?" He prodded.
"Have a look yourself. I have a bedroll, food, water, and a book." I said as I handed him the bag. Checking over the contents to make sure it lined up with my description, he gave me a nod, and let me through.

From behind me, I heard the guard say, "Make sure you leave town free of malice. If the patrol where you exit suspects you of being one of the wretched souls from here, they won't let you out. They may even kill you!"

I thanked him for the friendly advice, and continued down the trail to Ferlis. The town wasn't far now, and I was heading there fully believing that I would pass through without incident.

Oh, how wrong I was.