Flying With Damaged Feathers

by hornethead

Chapter 6: Run-in

Chapter 6: Run-in

Tiran kicked his lean-to, scattering needles everywhere. Then he picked up the branches and tossed them about in different directions. It was important to minimize the foot print of his camp however he could. Still, it wouldn't fool a skilled tracker.

He'd already taken care of the fire pit. Easy enough since there hadn't been a fire in it. Now all he had to do was grab his stuff and shift to another location. Overall it was starting to become an interesting experience. All sorts of aches and pains were announcing themselves throughout his body. Probably small internal injuries left over from the crash.

The chill of the night was starting to lift, he noticed. Morning was almost here. He needed to move and fast, but there was just one more thing he needed to check. Slinging his stuff over a shoulder, Tiran brought his pistol up and moved back towards the spring. The encounter from the night before caused him a bit of worry and he wanted to be sure about one thing.

As he slowly emerged from the underbrush, careful to check all around him first, he headed for the dirt over by the pool of water. There was definitely evidence that someone had been gathering water. There was a mark in the ground that indicated where a bucket had been put down and splash marks all around it. What he did find peculiar though, was there were no foot prints. Only more hoof prints.

Tiran would've scratched his head if he hadn't already put his helmet back on for the trip. Maybe he was just hearing things. Maybe he had suffered a little more trauma to the head than he thought. But that still didn't explain how Li had also heard it. In the end, he decided not to think too much about it.

Tiran still had plenty of water with him, so he didn't stop to top it off. Instead, he decided to follow the path that led to the spring, just to see what he was up against. If he found anything out of the ordinary, he'd just leg it back into the woods and stay there until CSAR finally came for him. Seeing as he still hadn't found any evidence of human habitation and the growing sunlight was promising such a beautiful day, Tiran thought he'd take the path itself, regardless of Li's warnings.

The path was long, but the goings easy. It was soon clear to him that this wasn't a game trail, but rather a construction, albeit a crude one. It almost seemed man made to him, but he had yet to encounter any signs of men. Just the occasional tracks of woodland creatures and the ever present hoof prints.

As the path continued, it began to widen. Soon it was to the point where he could've walked side-by-side with a man larger than himself comfortably. Tiran still kept his wits about him and his pistol out and ready, wary of running into some kind of trouble. But still, he found none. Not even a wisp or a hint that the area was even remotely inhabited. It made what he had encountered the night before even more mysterious and confusing.

Tiran came upon a bend in the path and hesitated for a moment. He could just make something out through the trees. It seemed to be some kind of building. As he focused on it longer, he decided that yes, it was in fact a building. Although a shoddy looking one. He edged forward some more, picking his way around the bend.

As the building came more into view, Tiran saw that it was a modestly sized cabin with a thatched roof. Apprehension gripped his chest. It was the first indication that there actually might be people living there. Even so, it looked as if the cabin hadn't been maintained correctly for quite a long time. It still had windows and functional doors, but the paint was fading and peeling in places and the grass and creepers slowly growing their way up the side of the house told him nature was already seeking to reclaim it.

Tiran took it slow approaching the place. There were still hoof prints planted all about, but still nothing that would tell him that any humans had been there aside from the structure itself. Even for a human looking structure, it had an odd feel to it. Like it hadn't exactly been erected by human hands. The architecture just seemed a bit...off.

It wasn't as if it came off as an impoverished hovel, despite its maintenance issues, but to Tiran it warranted a closer look. At the very least, he might get some answers as to his location or even a much better shelter in which to sequester himself. He took a deep breath and stepped out towards the building.

When he looked around and it became apparent that there was nobody around, Tiran became a little more confident in his stride. He climbed up the short steps onto the porch, clumsily trying to muffle the stomp of his boots on the wooden deck, still paranoid as he was. Gingerly, he reached out and tried the handle on the door. He gradually applied pressure until it was painfully obvious that it was locked.

Cursing to himself, Tiran tried the windows, only to be met with a similar result. It was clear to him now that getting in wouldn't be as easy as he had hoped. But why would a seemingly abandoned building out in the middle of the woods be locked?

Tiran decided to try his luck around the corner. The windows at the side of the house were too high for him to open and pull himself up, but around the back he found another door. It was also locked, but he found the frame to be much more flimsy. With a little pushing and pulling, the door finally swung free with a soft crunch as the lock tore from its frame.

He raised his pistol and gently nudged the door open. Tiran took a few cautious steps inside, scanning the room for any possible threats. Fortunately, he found himself in a quaint little kitchen. Tiran gazed around attentively and noticed something. When he drew his thumb across the counter, it came up remarkably clean. Perhaps dust was slow to accumulate or possibly there could have been a draft within the house preventing it, he didn't know. Tiran filed the new information away and continued inward, though more cautious about what he might find there.

The place was modestly furnished with only a couple of old wooden chairs and a thread bare rug on the hard wooden floor of the living room by a spacious fireplace. It still didn't give him much of a clue as to where he was. Though he did notice a small staircase leading up to another part of the house. He thought maybe that there might be something to guide him up there, perhaps old photos or a forgotten book.

Tiran took his steps lightly, as if to avoid waking the unseen inhabitants of the old structure. The stairs weren't long and he soon found himself at the beginning of a long hallway that stretched off to his right. Curiously, he started down it and stopped at the first door he came to.

He gave the handle a quick jiggle, turning it fully when he found it wasn't locked. Tiran carefully peaked inside as he cracked the door, but then swung it open fully when he found it empty. It was almost completely devoid of any furnishings except for a small mattress rack of bare metal displayed prominently like a bare skeleton. There was a dirty window, but it was only adorned with a pair of tattered drapes.

Tiran closed the door and continued down the hall to the next and only other one. This door he also found open and just like the last, cracked it some before entering. This time, he hit paydirt. The room had a few chairs, a desk ,and even a fully made bed. Tiran's head darkened as he considered that last thought.

He stepped inside and noticed the room was just as clean as the kitchen and living room below. It made his skin crawl. Peeking back out into the hallway one last time with a short bout of paranoia, Tiran closed the door and rushed over to the desk. There was a small book and some pencils on it, but his attention was caught mostly by what lay at the back edge of it.

There, looking almost lonely, was a single framed picture. That wasn't what drew him more than what it contained. In the picture was a pair of horses—or ponies, if Li was to be believed—smiling warmly outwards, but they didn't look like any he had ever seen in any picture book before. Both had unusual colors to their coats and manes. One almost as white as a wispy cirrus cloud with an almost golden mane. From Tiran's perspective, it seemed to be female.

Standing proudly next to the female was a tall stallion with a coat the shade of the darkest mist. His shoulders were round and powerful, the head supporting a close cropped mane of silvery gray streaked with strands of dull burgundy.

The most astonishing thing he noticed, however, were the two accessories they possessed, which Tiran was sure neither of them ought to have. The smaller female had a spiraling protrusion in the center of her forehead, a horn. The other, the stallion, was gifted with two enormous wings with feathers the same hue as his coat folded neatly on his back.

Tiran put down his pistol and picked the photo up, studying it as if it was some kind of bizarre joke, the punch line to which he could not fathom. He turned and examined it at different angles as if to try and catch some trick he was missing.

"Li, you got any idea what I'm looking at?" he asked.

'It seems to be a photo of two ponies with abnormal features. Both from common mythology, one a unicorn and the other a pegasus,' she said dryly.

"I know that." Tiran huffed. "I mean, is it a photoshop or something?"

'Provided that our location has the sufficient technology, it is possible. The photograph seems to be printed on standard photographic paper, but given the fact that the picture has no blurs or distortions, it is also probable the photo is genuine. In addition, the profile of the pegasus roughly matches the profile of the unknown being encountered last night.'

This disturbed Tiran even more. He'd broken into the house looking for answers, but all he was finding were more questions. Tiran was startled as something pounded lightly onto the window in front of him. He looked up and saw that there were a few drops of water on the other side of the glass. Outside, a light sprinkling rain began to fall, the sky quickly becoming gray and melancholic.

Tiran put the photo back in its place and picked up the small book. There was no text on the cover to indicate what it was so he opened it and began to flip through it. There were words, written in it, though not by print or type. Rather, they had been hand written in, or at least they seemed to be.

The entries were in English, or close to it. He could understand it well enough, but certain words had been replaced with specialized ones. For example; instead of 'anybody', it was written as 'anypony'. It was odd and caught him a little off guard. Who writes like that?

As he skimmed through it more, it became clear to him that it was a journal or diary of some sort, only the dates were wrong. The months seemed correct, even the days, but the year was way off, by almost a thousand. Eager to see what had been written most recently, Tiran flipped to the last entry in the pages:

'Today was mostly normal. At least more than it was the other day. I heard a loud crash that night and thought the dragons might be back, but I didn't see any smoke or fire. The rain still won't go away, I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with it. Everypony else could deal with it just fine at the Weather Academy, but I could just never get the clouds to act as they should. Maybe I'll go to Tall Tale tomorrow and ask Dewdrop for some advice. She always could handle herself in the clouds.'

Below that, on the same page, were hastily written lines, as if the person was in a hurry:

'I went to the spring to get more water for the tank this evening. It was getting dark, but this part of the mountain is usually quiet, so I didn't mind it too much. I was almost finished when I heard what sounded like whispering in the bushes. I asked if anypony was there, but I didn't get an answer. I was about to finish up when something just took off through the brush. It made so much noise going through the branches and twigs that I thought whatever it was must huge. I was so scared, I grabbed everything and ran. I know it's dark, but I don't think it's safe to stay here tonight. I'm going to Dewdrop's right now.'

That was it. Tiran flipped through the pages with the strange writing some more, but that had been the last entry. It brought a strange chill to his blood. There was some one there last night. Worse, now they knew he was there and they went to a town, it seemed. Ran probably, judging by the words. He had to move. He still didn't know where he was, but he knew there was a town close by and whoever it was he scared last night might come back with more people. Wether or not they'd be friendly, he couldn't say.

Tiran put the book back down, picked up his pistol and made for the door. He had to get out fast, there was no telling when the occupant of the house might be back. He stomped down the hall and flew down the stairs, nearly tripping over himself and taking a bad spill. Tiran rounded the corner and entered the kitchen, but stopped dead in his tracks. He heard hoof steps outside, barely audible over the rain. Somebody was there.

Tiran glanced wildly around and spotted a thin door off to the right. He opened it and ducked inside. When he closed the door softly behind him, he found himself in a modest pantry. It was stocked well, but not with what he expected to find. There were small bales of hay and bags of oatmeal. Among them some baked goods and oddly, dried flowers.

The lock on the front door jiggled. Tiran snapped his head around and listened. With a click, he heard the door swing open on creaking hinges. Tiran looked at his pistol. He was loath to use it, but he held it ready nevertheless.

Hollow stomping sounds. Hooves. He heard hooves on the hard wood floor of the house. They stopped for a second, followed by a soft rustling sound as something was put down or away. Then the hoof steps resumed, growing louder then receding upwards as they went up the stairs.

Tiran was puzzled for a moment. Who would bring an animal in the house like that? He decided it didn't matter. There were no more sounds coming from downstairs so they must have gone up. Tiran saw his chance and gently eased the pantry door open.

He slipped quietly into the kitchen and glanced around. The back door was still ajar, a small ragged hole in the jamb from when he had forced the lock out. Tiran offered a silent thanks that the person hadn't come into the kitchen and seen it.

A tinge of curiosity gripped Tiran. He edged forward to take a peek at the living room. It was almost the same as when he had last seen it, except now there was a strange umbrella leaning against the wall by the door. It looked just like any other umbrella, only instead of a handle, at the bottom it was attached to what looked like a small saddle. Tiran shuffled this odd picture into his mind and turned around to creep out the back door and make his escape.

He was almost there, just a few more steps, when as he put his foot gently down, the floorboard emitted a loud scratchy creak. Tiran froze, ears straining for any hint that he had been given away. When, after a moment, he didn't hear anything further, Tiran continued. But before he could get close and open the door, a sweet and timid voice of a young woman drifted down the stairs and petrified him where he stood.

"H-hello? Is anypony there?" Tiran's hand shook, not knowing what to do. "If somepony's there, could you please answer me?" The voice said again, colored with fear.

Tiran thought that if he remained quiet, they would assume it was just a random noise they heard and continue what ever they were doing, allowing him to silently slip away. As long as they didn't come downstairs, he should be good. The storm outside would also help to conceal him.

No longer than it had taken Tiran to finish that thought did it all begin to fall apart. He heard the hooves again, over his head, undoubtedly making their way for the stairs. Tiran decided that stealth no longer mattered and tore the door open. He dashed out into the pouring rain just as it banged into the kitchen counter.

Tiran heard a startled cry behind him, but he didn't stop or turn his head to look. The trees were right in front of him and he kept at full speed until he dove into cover. Once under the shady cover of the foliage, Tiran hefted his pistol and turned around in a crouch, waiting.

He couldn't see much through the rain fall, just the vague shape of the house and a small dark opening that was the broken back door. As he watched, a small figure stepped out warily, just as obscured as the house. Despite that, Tiran thought he could get a general picture of what it was.

About four feet tall from the head, quadrupedal. It turned its head left and right, probably looking for him, and Tiran got a look at its profile. The shape definitely reminded him of a horse. The mane was wet and sagging to one side and the thing had two strange lumps upon its back. The horse-like creature shuffled uncomfortably and, to Tiran's surprise, a pair of wings unfolded from its back briefly before settling back down.

"W-who ever you are, please leave me alone!" said the same voice from before. In a quieter tone, "I hope Dewdrop gets here soon..."

Tiran couldn't see who it was that was speaking. Just the strange pony nervously shuffling and backing slowly towards the door. After a moment, it went back inside and the door shut quickly on the now bent and broken hinges.

When it was apparent that he would no longer be pursued, Tiran lowered the gun and turned around. He began stalking away, rain dripping down his face and stinging his eyes. He had to get away from the area, that was for certain, but to where? He still had no idea where he was and now his presence had been discovered.

His experience a moment ago just threw even more doubts against his consciousness. The journal he had picked up was written in English. The young woman he had unwittingly terrified spoke in English. Yet he didn't seem to be in any English speaking country he had ever heard of.

As he sloughed along in the brush, Li spoke gently in his head, 'Tiran, I have new data.'

Tiran perked up at this, "You have our position, intercepted a sat signal?" he asked hopefully.

'Negative. I'm sorry.'

Tiran's hopes just sank a little further than they had previously been. "Ok," he said glumly, "what is it?"

'I ran further aural analysis while we were in the house and again at the tree line. The voice matches the one from the previous night.'

"Yeah," Tiran said, becoming irritated, "and you said there were no people here!"

'Correct.' Li continued, as if ignoring his tone of voice. 'However, even with my limited sensors, I detected no other large living entities within the area, nor within the structure. Infrared showed only one large heat source besides our own.' she concluded.

Tiran scoffed, "So now not only do you think that we've run into a beast straight out of Greek mythology, but you're also telling me that it can talk? This is starting to sound like guesses and less like analysis."

'I do not guess,' Li responded in an almost defensive tone, 'I merely extrapolate from earlier collected data that concurs with new data obtained. Currently, I am confident that my conclusions draw to within an accuracy of eighty-eight point three seven percent.'

Tiran wiped his face and let out a long exasperated breath, "Li, I think I really need to get you checked out."

'I disagree.'

Comments

[King of the Mad]

Love those last few lines