The Diamond Dog's Guide to Engineering

by Tolerance

Indignant Indigenous Individuals

A few days into the regime change, and it was obvious that some of Aaron's changes would be more acceptable than others. Breaking up the pack into shifts that shared the workload was seen as a good thing. Scheduling those shifts their own weekly bath schedule? Not so much, but at least they were still willing to try. Aaron wanted to do something about a rail system that would assist with the mine's transportation problem, but the Diamond Dogs were barely into their tool age, let alone the iron age.

Aaron's own problem was beginning to mount though, after a few more days on the stuff, the gruel that had been used for the formerly enslaved was simply not going to work long term. From what he'd been able to gather, he should be able to barter with the ponies in town for his meals, but the relationship between the canine and the equine races was strained at best. It wouldn't be a problem if he went alone, but he wouldn't be able to carry everything he needed to town and back. He'd have to bring some of the dogs with him, preferably some of the ones who haven't been skipping out on their bath time.

In the end, Aaron decided to take All Ears, or Allee as per her recently acquired nickname, Gruff, and two of the younger Diamond Dogs who haven't been assigned jobs yet.

"So what are we doing with the stuff?" Asked Allee, who was still getting used to being second-in-command.

"We're taking the portion of gems I've earned during my time here and trading them for things from the town downstream."

Every Dog present seemed to not understand what bartering was, or why one would do it to their food supply. "Look at it like this, I can't eat my portion of the gems, but where I'm from these kinds of things have value. I think we can trade some of them for some food that I can eat, and if we have anything left over, I can trade for some other stuff we need."

"Ooooohhh...."

They still didn't get it.

"We need bring all your gems? Yes?"

"Well, I have no idea how much they're worth around here, or anywhere, for that matter. Although I believe we'll need to use some of them as a sort of 'peace offering' to help smooth things over with the locals. I seem to recall that you were keeping some of them in cages until a few days ago."

"Oh, right. That." The two former boss members said, hanging their heads. At least they understood what they had been doing was wrong.

"Anyway, we need to start heading out before it gets too late. I have no idea how far away the town actually is. Think you can keep the pack in line while were gone, Chaser?"

"Yes, yes, now go. Make friends with ponies!"

"We'll certainly try." Aaron said as he led the group towards the tunnel entrance. He was still trying to map everything out, so it only took him getting lost twice before they finally found the exit. "Ah, sunlight at last! Oh how I've missed you!" He shouted as he ran outside.

Basking in the warm rays of the sun for the first time in what seemed like forever, Aaron was pulled out of his reverie by some commotion inside the cave.

"Aaron, sir, what is this thing." Asked Allee while cautiously poking the shiny black canvas of Aaron's backpack.

"Oh hey, I'd forgotten all about this. This is my bag. It kinda got left up here when Watch Dog captured me." Aaron said, inspecting it. The exterior remained dry so he assumed that the contents were still somewhat intact. He setting it back down, out of the way. "I wonder why the ponies left it here. Didn't they use this access point when they left?"

"They did. Yes."

"Hmm, maybe we'll ask Mint about it when we see him."

"We bring it too?"

"No, I don't need anything from it right now, better leave it here for when we come back."

And with that, the group continued their trek along the river.

~~~~~

The two-hour-long journey was uneventful, if not downright peaceful. The arrival, however, was punctuated with no fewer than three piercing screams.

"Come on now, we don't mean any harm. You may have had trouble with these guys in the past, but I hope to put all of that behind us." Aaron motioned for Gruff to drop his bag. When he did, a few of the gems spilled onto the ground.

The sudden motion cased a few ponies to jump, and at least one mare outright fainted.

"Skittish bunch of horses aren't they?" Aaron whispered to his group, "Look, we just want to trade. You guys do trade for stuff, right? Once we're done we'll be on our way."

"We don't want whatever junk it is that you dogs have to trade!" Said one enterprising individual with icon of golden grass on his flank. Cheers of agreement sounded of through the crowd.

"Calm down, Hayseed." Speara Mint shouted above the growing din of the crowd. "Aaron's the one I told you about, remember?" The stallion wedged his way in between the two parties. The older stallion and his supporters began to back down after seeing one of their own glare at them.

Seeing his work done as the other ponies made their retreat, Mint turned to Aaron. "About time you showed up, big guy. I was starting to get worried. Speaking of which," Mint motioned for his friend to lean closer to him and lowered his voice to a whisper, "what the hay are they doing here."

"Oh, man are you in for a story. For now though, lets just say that they'll do whatever I tell them."

"...Okay, sure, but what are they doing here, specifically."

"Right, sorry, you weren't here for that little spiel earlier. We hope to trade some of the gems we have for some supplies."

"What kind of supplies?"

"For now? Food mostly. Maybe some tools if you can spare them. I'm supposed to be sticking with these guys for the foreseeable future, but I need to make some improvements around their den before that can work."

"Hmm, well whatever you've got planned, Aaron, it's fine by me. I'll take you to the market, but make sure that the dogs don't go wandering off. Wouldn't want the likes of Hayseed to grow a spine again and do something stupid."

"That sounds reasonable. Shall we?"

"Yep. Just follow me."

~~~~~

During their shopping spree, Aaron explained the situation to Mint in detail, while the stallion helped keep the group from paying too many ridiculous prices. Many of the shopkeepers, while happy to take the gems on as a form of currency, were more than happy to take what Aaron surmised was a fake 'inter-species trade tax'. Gems themselves were worth a few bits a piece, depending on size, but that didn't stop some merchants from charging double just for doing business with the pack.

"So they really put you in charge? I guess that makes some sort of twisted sense."

"How so?"

"Well, for one thing, you managed to take charge of us ponies pretty well when you were building up those challenges. And I seem to remember that it was you that convinced the Diamond Dogs to participate in those challenges in the first place. Then there's that fact that that one, "Mint pointed a hoof toward Allee as she was busy placing some more gems on a carrot-seller's counter, " doesn't outright hate you. So you've got to be doing something right."

"I suppose so..." Aaron replied as his thought's trailed off for a bit.

"So what are you planning on doing with this stuff?" Mint asked, breaking the human out of his train of thought.

"Hmm, well I'm going to eat the food. As for the other stuff, well, it'll go towards building up the Diamond Dog's pack. If I can make them self-reliant, then you'll never have to worry about being used as slave labor again."

"That's kind of a lengthy project, isn't it?"

"You have no idea. The dogs have pretty much dug up the entire supply of gems nearest the den. At this rate the mining crews will be working several miles away from home just so that they can feed themselves."

"So that whole time you're going to be coming into town and buying your food from us?"

"Is that going to be a problem?"

"No, not really, I mean besides the fact that you're pretty much throwing the gem commodities off track for the foreseeable future. But couldn't you just grow the food yourself?"

The only thing Aaron could think of after that statement was why he hadn't thought of it.

Author's Note:

The Metroid Prime OST is the best music to write to!

Comments

[fractalman]

Aaron's, the one I told you about

unneeded comma

"No, not really, I mean besides the fact that you're pretty much throwing the gem commodities off track for the foreseeable future. But couldn't you just grow the food yourself?"
The only thing Aaron could think of after that statement was why he hadn't thought of it.

Well, yeah, but that takes time unless you're an earth pony and can cheat, or at least high-quality, earth-pony enhanced seeds.

[Oh hi there]

6808563 and he's underground.

[Cursed Quill]

wan't

want

where more than happy

were

The dog's have

dogs have
6808563
Including the cheating rock-farmers.