A mare and her dog

by cammera

Day 7: As food goes, clay is bad

Applejack woke up, feeling better, to sunlight entering through the window... and to a foal staring at her from the door.

She stared back for a moment, trying to remember his name.

"Clockwork?" he didn't answer "Hallo" she waved a hoof awkwardly.

He walked away from the door.

A moment later, the foal's mother appeared.

"Wak- Oh, you already are? Come have breakfast"

Applejack nodded and the mare walked away, and after a moment she jumped from the bed. People in these parts had a way to force one into polite submission.

With a sigh, she rummaged her saddlebags for the map, and checked what city she was at now. Kushta.

"Figures..." she put the map back in the bag, took out a letter, and searched the mare "Are you Reminiscence?" she asked, gesturing at the letter "A diamond dog at..." she trailed off, unable to remember the name of the city.

"Tse Tse?" she took it, nodding "Harris must be out of maps again... Oh- oh my" a small smile drew itself in her lips as she read it, and she covered it with the letter, blushing "The rascal"

Applejack blinked at her, confused.

"Oh" she said after a moment.

That seemed to take Reminiscence out of whatever she was in, as she put the letter back in its envelope and cleared her throat.

"Thanks," she turned and gestured for her to follow and walked to a small kitchen mainly occupied by a large table "I'll come with the pay in a moment, you start eating"

Applejack gave the mare a look as she exited the room and sat at the table, giving a look to what was in the bowl.

It looked like oat, if oat was small, golden balls. Filaments that looked vaguely like roots could be guessed just under the surface of the thick, golden liquid.

Well. She had mostly avoided the local cuisine up until now, with the exception of lentils and a soup, but a mare can't survive in grass and flowers alone. Well, she could, and she had in several occasions, but at some point she'd have to take the risk of the region's food being horrible. She smelled it before tasting it, anyway.

Calling it poignant would've been an understatement, something that seemed to be common in Tharata. But it wasn't bad, more like the kind of food Pinkie would love to taste.

She took the spoon and, gulping, took some of the contents of the bowl. It couldn't be worse than that rotten clay stew.

Clockwork say directly in front of her and resumed his staring.

She insulted the kid mentally and dared the breakfast to outdo rotten clay as she swallowed. It was spicy, enough to bring tears to her eyes, and it woke her up completely in an instant. So this was why no one seemed to know about coffee in these parts.

Reminiscence entered the kitchen and gave her a small purse.

"Here, eighty reis for bringing it," she smiled at her "Do you like it? Ringa is great for colds" she gestured at the bowl, then noticed Clockwork and gave him a look "What did I tell you about staring?"

Slowly and mechanically, the foal moved his gaze from Applejack.

"And...?" added his mother.

"I am sorry for staring" the foal said slowly.

Applejack swallowed, "No problem, my little sister is a mechanic too, she made a cow sized squirt gun once" The foal didn't answer, so Applejack turned back to the mare "The ringa is good, thanks. And you are a cartographer? Can I make some questions about the Prasante forest?"

Comments

[Zaid ValRoa]

Clockwork say directly in front of her

Sat?

I love spicy food in the morning. Either that or unhealthy amounts of sugar in the form of colorful cereal.