The Hungry Eyes

by Ammie Kindheart

Chapter 7 - Bitter Betrayal

In the heart of the Everfree Forest, the unicorn stallion who had watched at the castle, made camp for the night. Losing his blanket had been an inconvenience, but he would replace it soon. Once the search parties had left the forest by the ruin, the watcher had doubled back to retrieve his gear. He had figured that the searchers would return there, so he made sure to be gone long before they did.

His name was Zahn Blackfeather, and he had been the one to find the colts. The first night, when the little one had tripped, fallen, and hit his head, Zahn had cared for the colt until he was sure there was no serious damage. He had then placed the colt where the searchers could find him. On the afternoon of the second day, while foraging for food, he had found the second colt. Wounded, bleeding, and running a high fever, Zahn had known the colt needed treatment quickly. He had carried the colt to the ruin of the old castle and, in an interior room, he had made a fire. Drawing on the skills he had learned during his travels, he had picked the moss and other ingredients that would draw the infection out of the wounds.

Zahn had gently cleaned the colt’s leg and hip as best he could. The wounds were long, deep, parallel cuts, angry and inflamed, and had needed to be stitched, but, having no supplies, he’d had to do the best he could with what he had. It had been obvious to this seasoned warrior that this was no accident, and, left unattended, the colt would have lost the leg or died. The colt had woken when Zahn had applied the salve to the wounds, the salve burning as it had begun its work. The poor, young thing had been terrified, so it had taken a few minutes to convince the colt that Zahn meant him no harm. The warrior had begun to tell the colt some of his lighthearted adventures, even winning a few chuckles from his patient. Finally, the colt had relaxed a bit, told the stallion his name was Troy, and drunk a bit of broth laced with a medicine that would relieve the pain and help him rest. Soon, the weary colt had drifted off to sleep. Having planned to take the colt to the healer’s yard as soon as it was safe to move him, and get away before being seen, Zahn had gone outside to get some water.

Then Zahn had heard the searchers coming close. Knowing that most ponies tended to get a bit irrational when it came to their young, Zahn had moved to where he could observe but not be seen. He wasn’t afraid of the stallions, nor had he done the colts any harm, but, being a stranger with a wounded colt, he would have been suspected, and they wouldn’t have stopped to listen if he said anything in defense. No, knowing equine nature, it was better to stay unseen and be left alone.

Alone. How long have I been living by myself? Zahn wondered. Seven years? Yes, ever since he had been betrayed by the one he thought had been his best friend. If only he could have seen through Rodolfo’s traitorous heart back when he first met him. It would have saved Zahn years of pain and the loss of his faith in ponykind…

When Zahn was just a toddler, he and his mother had lost their father and husband in the changeling attacks. Zahn watched his brokenhearted mother struggle to go on, but it was obvious the light had gone out in her. Though her grief devoured her from the inside-out, the only reason she even woke in the morning was because Zahn needed her. Forcing herself to go on, each day made her more fragile. One day a few years later, when he came home from school, the colt found to his horror that he was an orphan.

He spent the next two years with an old neighbor mare. Both had lost the ones they loved to the changelings and their hive-mother, Queen Chrysalis, leaving them bitter in their loss. Granny, as he called the old mare, forbade magic in their home, and he agreed with her that magic had been the cause of their loss, so Zahn never learned to use his own. To be honest, they knew it had been dark magic that had brought Chrysalis into being, and darkness that ruled her life, but Zahn and Granny never saw much significance in that distinction. It was more comfortable, and perhaps easier, to turn from all magic.

Zahn ran away when he was still pretty young. His coat, mane, and tail were always just a dirty-grey color, something that the colts at school liked to tease him about, besides being an orphan and living with Granny, whom the other colts called a witch. Zahn had soon had his fill of the teasing. So he slipped away from home, taking a little boat and setting sail from all he felt was wrong with his life. When he woke the next day, his boat was stuck on a sand bar near a big city. He climbed out and went eagerly in search of a new life.

Zahn met some colts who seemed to know everything about the big city, and one took him under his wing. Rodolfo was slick and friendly and, in young Zahn’s eyes, could do no wrong. They saw the best of the city, and, before long, they were on a ship sailing to parts unknown. Zahn liked the older colt, who always seemed to have a bag of bits to spend on whatever they chose. He and Rodolfo lived fast and loose, traveling all around the known world, never letting any moss grow under their hooves. As he grew, Zahn’s coat changed. Now his dark grey and black coat was complemented by a raven mane, tail, and horn that glistened in the light.

Both young stallions liked to flirt with the beautiful mares in every town and country they visited. Not only did Rodolfo like the mares, he liked to gamble. Zahn had never enjoyed the cards, so he would find other things to occupy himself while his friend wagered his fortunes. The last night he saw Rodolfo, they were in a club in a coastal town in the realm of Camelu.

Rodolfo had always flaunted his wealth, but Zahn had never questioned where it came from. That night, Rodolfo, who was always overconfident, played with a large camel, who was older than Rodolfo and far more experienced. Zahn found out later that his friend was a thief and a con. The whole time they had been together, Rodolfo had stolen or won large caches of bits, and they would hop ship and move on to their next adventure.

The camel, Chuma by name and a Camelu Prince, allowed Rodolfo to win for several hours, and thus Rodolfo became more and more arrogant. When Chuma turned the tables on his opponent, the Rodolfo lost everything. In desperation, Rodolfo asked for credit, to give him a chance to win it all back. The wily Chuma “graciously” gave the younger player his lifeline, even allowing Rodolfo to win a few more hands. At last, the bait firmly in the fish’s mouth, Chuma reeled in the line and landed his prey, who now owed twenty thousand bits.

In order to save his own skin, Rodolfo gave up all his gold jewelry, which he was fond of wearing. When that wasn’t enough to pay his debt, he then sold Zahn to Chuma, in to slavery. Prince Chuma ordered his guards to take possession of Zahn—and to whip the furious but beaten Rodolfo and throw him on the next ship out of port. Before Rodolfo was led away, Chuma stood looking down into the cocky pony’s eyes. With a steely gaze and a voice barely above a growl, he told Rodolfo never to return.

The Camelu Princes enjoyed the sport of watching their slaves, taken from the various realms of the known world, fight. The battles quite often were fought to the death. Because he was a slave in Prince Chuma’s Royal Fighting Stable, Zahn had been branded with an iron shaped like a shield and sword. The burn was deep, and it nearly killed him. Made to fight or die in an arena every day, his body, though weary and battered, gained strength and endurance. His mind, too, grew sharper over the years of his captivity. Learning from his and others’ mistakes, he worked his way up the ranks of the slave warriors until he gained the respect of his foes as well as his captors. When he became a top fighter, Zahn was given new freedoms. More food, his own rooms, small money prizes, and he was watched less in the off hours.

One day, he was finally summoned into the presence of Chuma himself. Zahn was told of an upcoming tournament. Princes, kings, and rulers of many nations would be bringing their finest fighters. Chuma told Zahn that he would fight in the premier rounds. If he were to become the overall champion of the tournament, he would win his freedom. If he lost, he would bring dishonor to the Prince, which meant he would be put to death fighting beasts unarmed. For one who was at the top of the leagues of fighters, this was considered a shameful death in Camelu.

On the morning of the tournament, the day broke clear and mercifully cooler than the desert had been of late. The city surrounding Prince Chuma’s castle was packed with spectators of every kind. Ponies, griffons, camels, ibex, bison, yaks, and others Zahn did not recognize. Rulers had each come with their entourage, containing families, friends, servants, and of course their best fighters. From a tower inside the castle, Zahn stood looking over the surrounding valley. Tents for each prince’s fighters stood, their colorful flags and banners waving in the morning breeze. That sweet wind was heavy with the smells of the many vendors selling their delicious wares and smoke from their cook fires.

He saw crowds moving through the marketplaces. Mothers tried to keep track of their young. Elegantly dressed young females in small groups eyed the rulers and the strong fighters. The males of each species were either eyeing the females or clustered around the booths serving alcoholic beverages. Many placed wagers, bragging or arguing which favorites would win each round of the competitions. The amphitheater began to fill as various musicians took turns entertaining the excited crowd. At the noon hour, the lesser fights began.

Zahn spent his day getting a massage after a light morning meal. He went for a cooling, easy swim to warm his muscles gently. At three, his first round began, pitting him against a large kudu buck, whose idea of fighting was to play dirty. Zahn soon found that the ungulate had greased his horns as well as large portions of his coat. Although Zahn could have called the fight and reported the illegal practice, he was determined to win against all odds. The sly kudu rubbed up against the pony’s face as they struggled, causing the grease to get in Zahn’s eye. Temporarily blinded in that eye, pain and tears ran down Zahn’s face. The kudu was able to get in several massive blows, rattling the stallion, and it looked like the trickster would prevail.

Overconfident, the kudu began playing to the crowd, giving the stallion an opening to turn the tables. Thinking Zahn couldn’t see and therefore couldn’t strike, the kudu turned his back on the pony. Zahn struck, knocking the kudu to the ground. As he fell, Zahn pinning him down, the kudu’s head hit with a resounding crack. The stunned audience, suddenly silent, seemed to hold their breath, waiting for the buck to rise. After a few moments, it became clear that the kudu was unconscious. The spectators surged to their feet, cheering, as Zahn moved on to the next round.

In the next two hours, while others fought their scheduled matches, Zahn rested and had the doctor treat his eye. The healer grew angry at the stink of the grease, for it contained an ingredient that could have permanently blinded Zahn. The doctor reported the attempted poisoning to Prince Chuma. The angry prince, as well as most of the other rulers, commanded the guilty buck be brought before the crowd. His guilt was shown and, as punishment, not only did the kudu lose, he was put to death then and there. His owner was shamed, and he and his entourage were banned from the games in the future. Cheating was simply not tolerated. Because he had not called the fight but persevered, Zahn earned even more respect from the entire assembly.

By five-thirty, it was time for the next round of fights to begin. In this second elimination, there were sixteen fighters. This time, Zahn’s opponent was a wiry ibex. Its massive horns would have easily intimidated lesser foes, but Zahn quickly bested his opponent. It took a couple more hours for the remaining fights of that round to be completed. At eight, the fights over for the day, there were banquets held in various parts of the city. The spectators and guests took part in the feasting and revelry, before retiring for the night. The athletes ate, rested, and worked on strategies for the morrow.

The second morning found Zahn swimming and stretching to ease his tired muscles from yesterday’s battles. The four fights in the quarter-finals began at noon. Zahn’s match was the last in this round. Carefully watching every match, he studied the fighters, learning their traits and flaws. Zahn’s match began at one, against a small camel, who was deceptively quick on his hooves. Zahn got several good blows in before the camel’s right fore hoof connected with the pony’s head. Zahn’s world spun and quaked for a few minutes. Making corrections in his plan, he finally clipped the camel on the chin with his shield, knocking the fighter to his knees. Shaking his head, trying to get his balance back, the camel suddenly fell facedown, unable to get up again. Zahn moved to the next round.

At three, the semi-finals commenced. Again, Zahn watched the first fight, studying the fighters for any weaknesses or faults that he could use to win should he fight them later. Zahn was pared with a zebra at three-thirty. This time, they were very well-matched. Trading blows and parries, it looked like there would be no victor. Then Zahn feinted to the right, and the zebra moved to counter. Zahn switched back the other way, giving him an opening to conquer his foe. He would fight in the final round, which would take place at six. The arena emptied as the crowd went in search of refreshments and fun while they enjoyed their afternoon.

This round, Zahn was up against a bison, who was a giant beside Zahn. It was the toughest battle he had ever fought. The bull’s massive blows seemed to shake the ground, and it looked nearly hopeless for the stallion. As the minutes passed, though Zahn was bloody and appeared ready to give up, the bison started to slow down. Weaving on his hooves, Zahn began to connect blows of his own, his slighter form giving him an advantage over the bison’s bulk. Zahn moved around more, forcing his opponent to move, too. This tactic wore the heavier fighter down even further. By studying his competition, Zahn deduced that the bison was used to wading in and powering over his competition fast by knock-outs. Finally, the big bovine was winded. Although Zahn had been moving as well, he had reserved his energy. Seeing his chance, Zahn kicked into a whirlwind of punches and kicks that rained upon the weary bison, who staggered backward and fell to the ground in a heap. Giving a rumbling groan, the bison passed out.

Zahn had won the tournament, saved his life, and gained his freedom. In addition to his letters of freedom, Prince Chuma gave Zahn a bag of coins, sufficient to make his way back to Equestria and live comfortably for a few years, if he were careful…

Shaking his head, Zahn brought his mind back to the Everfree and the darkness that seemed to grow stronger each day. He was watching the group of searchers that stayed the night at the healer’s home. He sensed darkness in the forest, the evil that had tried to kill the older colt. He couldn’t locate the direction the evil was coming from, and, for the first time in his life, he wished that he had learned to control the magic of his unicorn heritage. Zahn watched the dragon dropping the bundles that glowed as they fell. As with new eyes, he saw the magic ring form and realized the good magic was there to protect. He slipped closer to the clearing, inside the protective ring, and rested behind the wide bole of a tree, safely hidden from sight.

When morning came, he watched the healer and searchers as they loaded the wagons and headed for town. He suddenly realized that, as they moved away, so did that evil presence. Zahn backtracked to where he had stashed his bags, threw them on his back, and moved out of the area. He wasn’t sure why, but he knew that, before this was all over, his life would be in danger, too.

Bring it on, he thought. I spent those years fighting and training to be a warrior. There’s nopony better prepared to do battle.

Although he still didn’t trust these ponies, Zahn felt like he needed to help, for nopony he had ever known in Equestria had the fighting skills needed to combat this evil, save maybe the Royal Armies. Maybe there was an upside to the last eight years after all. Turning toward Ponyville, Zahn began his walk, keeping to the shadows of trees so he would not be seen.

About two hours after sunset, Zahn was on the edge of town. He saw three mares coming out of a home and begin walking toward the center of the city. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Zahn saw a figure dressed all in black running up behind the mares. And the glint of metal.

All of the old training kicked in, and Zahn jumped forward, galloping at full speed. The attacker hit the red-haired mare first, knocking her to the ground. As the fiend’s foreleg was arcing down to strike her with what looked like daggers extending from his hoof, Zahn barreled into him, throwing him sideways. The attacker screamed in rage and ran off into the trees.

Zahn turned and helped the mare to her feet. Her large, brown eyes met his as she swayed for a moment. “Th-thank you,” she said softly, her voice quivering. Zahn could tell that she was on the verge of tears.

“Are you okay?” asked Zahn. He felt a bit unsteady himself at the moment, looking into those eyes.

The other two mares moved closer, checking their friend. The red-haired mare seemed to collect herself and stood straighter. Extending her hoof toward him, she introduced herself. “I’m Morgan Longmare,” she said. “This is my cousin, Ammie Kindheart, and our aunt, Peach Frost. Thanks so much, Mr.…?”

“Zahn Blackfeather, ma’am. I’m glad I was here to help. Were you planning to go into town?” he asked.

“Yes,” said Ammie, “Morgan needs to talk to Zecora. We were a bit uneasy about her going alone. It’s lucky you were here to save the day.”

So, to his own amazement, Zahn found himself escorting the mares into the center of town. But his mind was churning as they walked, wondering who that attacker was and why he had attacked this Morgan Longmare. Zahn decided he very much wanted to find out.

Comments

[Outa-here]

AWESOME! JUST AWESOME! I'm really getting into this. It's just too good!

[Ammie Kindheart]

6411176 Thanks babe! That makes my whole day!!

[Ammie Kindheart]

6414960 Thanks so much, and it's not even to the scary part yet heehee