“I've been travelling these lands for as long as I've been able to gallop,” Fulltrot said as he stood at the crest of a hill jutting just above the forest. “I was mapping the rivers below us before your parents were even born, I'm willing to bet.” He turned and squinted at the blue pegasus. “Do you mean to tell me that there's a quicker path to Windthrow that I've suddenly overlooked?”
“Lemme ask you this, old timer.” Rainbow Dash hovered above him. Her neck pendant glinted in the sunlight as she turned and pointed northeast. “If you were to cross that part of the river up there, just south of the rapids, would the land on the other side offer you a far quicker path to your destination?”
“If we could all fly like you, then certainly we would cross there,” Fulltrot said with a nod. His caravan was lingering down in the woods below them, waiting for this tiny conversation to run its course. “But earth ponies must learn to take advantage of the few, meager opportunities this land allows us. There's a portion of the river a mile south that's shallow enough for us to cross. We've traversed that spot for decades.”
“Right. I'm telling you right now.” Rainbow Dash gestured northeast once again. “There's a spot up there that'll take you to where you need to go faster.”
“You mean to say that there's an even shallower spot to cross the river?”
“Something like that.”
“And what if I take your word for it and it sets my caravan back? You've been quite helpful, traveller. But I hope you understand my reticence. You are, after all, still a stranger.”
“Hey...” Rainbow Dash touched down in front of him and flexed her wings. “I give you my word. You can cross there. One way or another, I'm gonna get you to where you need to go by nightfall.”
Some of the ponies down below heard that utterance. They murmured and shifted nervously in their brown armor. Fulltrot squinted curiously at Rainbow. “By nightfall... You certainly are bold.”
“I couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror if I wasn't.”
“I'm inclined to make my own judgments in this situation, ma'am,” Fulltrot said while pacing about her. “But still, how am I to trust you? I've barely known you for a day. I can say the same for my entire caravan.”
“Ask yourself this...” Rainbow Dash smirked. “Has anything nearly as awesome as me stumbled upon your troupe in all your years of running the same, boring path?”
Fulltrot's expression was blank. “I fail to see how that pertains to anything, traveller.”
“Trust me.” She lifted up, winked, and darted towards the northern stretch of river. “If there's one thing I don't do, it's give up on loyalty.”
“And since when were you loyalty to me or my caravan?”
“Since you turned out to be pretty cool guys!” She shouted from where she flew. “Now are you following me or what?”
Fulltrot took a deep breath. From behind him, Ironhoof marched up.
“Sir, it's almost noon. Are we going to continue on the path?” He glanced over the elder's head to see Rainbow Dash soaring northward. “Where is she headed, exactly?”
“I think we're about to find out.” Fulltrot eventually murmured. He turned and marched downhill. “Gather the ponies and tell them to follow my lead.”
“We're going where she's going?!” Ironhoof exclaimed. “Sir, she's a stranger! A crazy one to boot! Who knows what could have brought her this far from her homeland—”
“Conviction, Ironhoof.”
“Huh? What was that, boss?”
“Pay attention. You just may find out.”
I'm liking this story still. The expanded cast of characters seem really quite interesting, and it's a very peaceful, good read. I'm wondering if her "episodes" have anything to do with the reason she's left Equestria. Is this a one-way trip? Is it a journey of leisure or necessity? I'm really enjoying everyone's reactions and interactions, and the mystery behind it all only heightens my interest.
Also, ponies eating meat? A bit weird, but makes sense if they lack food (although, can't they eat the vegetation around them?). They must be the kind that can digest it. Keep up the awesome work.
632669
Agreed, "peaceful" is the best word to describe this story, although "lurking menace" seems to fit as well, i'm lovin this story.
So she found a fording spot from way up in the sky? Hmmmm...
was planning on only reading the first ten chapters, decided read another ten, now am gona read up to thirty.
I can't stop reading this!
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many questions
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
Still not much in this chapter, although we do see Dash and Fulltrot interact with one another. Although this is a good story, and I really do like it, not much is happening and it is getting rather boring. Hopefully this will change with the coming chapters. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
632669 It makes sense. Haven't you seen the video of the deer eating the rabbit?
Action! I need action!n
Conviction.
Hmmm...
I just realized that I've been reading Fulltrot's lines with a Skyrim Nord's voice.
'Twould appear as though Dash is a mare on a mission. What her reasons may be for flying this far east, I likely will not know for some time...
So, um, I hate to say it, but, while still good, this chapter wasn't amazing, because it was quite boring. I know they're all in readable portions and all that, but I feel you still could've added a bit more. Let me go over what happened this chapter: Rainbow Dash goes to suggest the new route that we heard about last chapter. The leader of the caravan is unsure, but he agrees.
See what I'm getting at?
Still, that aside, the interactions and descriptions are perfect, so I guess it was still a success.
Good chapter. I'm not going to say it was amazing but it was good. The thing about these stories is that each chapter describes at most one scene. So that means that if not much goes on in a scene, that means not much goes on in the chapter. Nothing breathtaking in this scene, but nothing bad about it. As the first commentators said, it just has a serene feeling to it and sticks to the mood very well in my opinion. I like that description of Austraeho, because it really is like meditation when ICC goes into his famed imagery mode. So yeah... have a peaceful music link.
its below this comment
So everything was three hours long so I opted to use this sample track. I think 3 is most fitting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC9CTfO-VaU
Dash still seems full of herself, and she is also a little flirty. Odd...
Sounds like the author wants us to be patient.... will do, after 10 chapters, i'm in it for the long haul.
conviction he says. He's smart, He knows that her reason for being where she is has nothing to do with fear, or madness. Her talk and love of loyalty is just one reason he says that, but he can tell from how she carries herself. She's here for a reason, and it's a very important one to her, More important to her than even her loyalty, and her love for her home.
She hasn't lost her loyalty... but why is she so far from home?
Far from home
on the road I do roam
Back to the setting sun
Across a foreign place
Through river's forging grace
Towards our home we go
Now, onwards and upwards to the next chapter we go!
3833018 Mmhmm, I was going to say she seems sort of like her old self from Ponyville years ago... It could be because she's finally with other ponies again and, as she mentioned earlier, she's undeniably social... I think it's more likely that it's a false front, though... Something about it, the things she says, her bragging and enthusiasm and joking, it just seems like it's all shallow facade that could fall apart easily... I'm quite sure this isn't what she's actually feeling. I mean, it's been demonstrated that she's lonely and sad, and reverting to her old personality seems like something she might do to cover that...
1148641 I know that feel bro.
Austraeohaiku
21. Traverse
Rainbow Dash assures
There's a better place to cross;
She has Fulltrot's faith
The world was silent in response.
Damn, son. Get roasted.
It'll be interesting to see whether young Rainbow Dash or Fulltrot's old wisdom and tradition win out here.
Lol.
Wow, she convinced him to shift the entire caravan. You're bold too, Fulltrot. Rainbow Dash, you had better deliver. Yes, you are awesome, so let's see what you're up to.
Rolling high on that Persuasion Check there, Rainbow!
11563929
And oh how much higher they go as time goes by