Mocha's Story

by Mocha Star

Chapter 20

We reached our first camping spot on time with a bit of speed on every down slope and a lot of overgrown vegetation on the path there were few complaints. The site a dozen lengths away and was an area that was packed down and had a small fire pit set up with several split logs for sitting or lying on for barrel support.

I set up with Lom’s help while Heart picked up the sticks from around the area and put them into the fire pit. The mules unhitched and walked around grazing on the other side of the road. An hour into sunset and camp was set up; the tarp on a few stakes, just in case it rained, and our blankets.

Heart was quite clever in how she managed to roll her doll into my blanket then looked at me with those huge, hopeful eyes. Yeah, she was gonna sleep with me for the whole trip. That sly little pink pony was always a step ahead.

We ate vegetable kabobs and drank juice from a keg on the cart. One cup each, per night, should have gotten me and Lom about halfway through our journey, however I gave up mine for Heart. She needed it more, being a growing mare and all. And that was the week. Nothing of note happened.

The second week, however. It thunder stormed for four solid days. It was like we weren’t meant to go on at times with how muddy and deep it was at places. I had to get into my armor on the third day and pull the cart with the little mares on it. The mules unhitched and walked beside me and we all suffered.

No tent. No blankets. No deep sleep. The girls huddled with me on the cart while the mules rested under it. The tarp turned to drape us and over the side to provide what little help I could to the mules. Only Heart and I weren’t built for the weather, her having short fur and me being, well, human.

We’d shiver all night and be groggy all day. Bugs swarmed us as we began to near a treeline on the fifth day; sweaty, exhausted, hungry, and in need of a bath. We were all just miserable by the time we got to the halfway mark. A large, weather battered tent stood as the mark.

“We’re behind schedule. Let’s just rest and gather ourselves,” I suggested, “there’s a stream nearby so let’s get there and freshen up. Mules first.” They looked to me like I was crazy. “You’ve done more work than any of us, pulling this cart. C’mon, I’ll help scrub you.”

I turned to the cart, opened a small chest and grabbed a bottle of shampoo, then left it open as I turned to where the stream was. I stopped about ten lengths away to look at them, who were unhooking still. Hesitantly they followed me. I waited for them to catch up and we descended a short hill to the stream.

It was larger than I thought it would be, probably thanks to the rains that moved on. I took off my boots and pants and entered the tepid water that came up to our kneeswhich was knee deep to them and I. They were heartier and fell into it, rolling around a few times, before they called it good.

“Hey, get your flanks back here,” I scolded. I could see them tremble at my words, “I have to clean you still.” That got their ears to turn my way before they looked back to me with bewildered looks.

“Ya wanna clean, us?”

“Yeah, haven’t ya been cleaned before?”

They looked to each other then back to me. “Only before we’re sold.”

I sighed and looked to the sky in just one of those ‘oh my Celestia’ moments.

“I’m not selling you, I don’t want you to get sick, infested, or keep stinking up the trail,” I mused. They didn’t get the last part and frowned at me.

“‘Tis our way. No one cares fer mules, only we care fer each other.”

“Well not with me,” I frowned and pointed to the water next to me. The male came over first and I had to yell at him to do so. Obedient but timid, they were bred for service only. Ponies being slave owners. Check that off the dark past that should stay hidden from Equestrian history.

I poured a line of shampoo across his back from mane to tail and began to scratch the soap through his coat and to his skin. When I got to his sides he had the largest smile, his tongue lolled out of his mouth and he was making a clicking noise every so often.

When I got to his underbelly I was greeted by an unpleasant surprise that you can imagine was quite funny to the female as I shouted and stumbled back, falling into the water as he looked at me with ‘that’ look. I was done with him at that point and told him to roll the soap off and trade places.

When it was her turn I got the same response except her tail almost went straight up by the time I got to her belly. That stallion was still looking at me. Later I found out what the word colt cuddler meant as he went ahead and she filled me in with the details of his personal life, which was less than two sentences of information.

Same for her. They worked a lot and had never been so clean. I sent her ahead and told her to send the fillies back.

Their baths were much simpler and easier to work with, having been cleaned by me dozens of times already. They even helped me get my back when it was my turn.

I didn’t mind being naked around them, no. I was really okay with my family seeing me, however the others, not so much.

Comments

[Mix-up]

Great chapter again Mocha Star. I'm amazed at the amount of chapters that you manage to dish on on a weekly bases. What did you do to become so proficient at writing anyway? I could imagine that it is very hard to stay motivated at the beginning, what encouraged you to got forward with this?

[Mocha Star]

6604678

I sit at my computer and let my imagination do the work and my fingers keep up barely.

I only use my conscious mind when I have to check on details to make sure it's consistent with the world I've created.

I can do 1,000 words an hour when I'm lazy and 4,000 an hour when I'm not bogged down by distractions.

This applies to all my stories.

From the saddest ones I've written to the ones full of clop, I just zone out and imagine myself in the world and watching what's happening.

If that helps answer your question.

[DragonInquisitor]

6604711
Hmm never really tought about this possibility to imagine a short chapter or ever a complete story.
I will give it a shot for my own little story I am actually working on ^^;

[Mocha Star]

6604911

Just don't do it to often but yeah, it is s good way to fill time between large chapter