A Filly's New Hope

by Mocha Star

Chapter 27

Rild stood outside the cave, looking out into the direction they came from. “I hope we didn’t just ruin a family.”

Klinn walked to his side and leaned on him. “You may have a heart of stone, but I know stones can bleed,” she replied, following his gaze. “I know that it will be fine. The ponies are travelers, afterall. If she didn’t leave them now, she would have once she got her magic mark.”

“Cutie mark, my beloved,” he said as he inhaled deeply and let loose a long, low growl. “They don’t know how great they have it. An entire land of peace, equality, plentiful foods, fresh air… And they don’t even see it.”

“They’re not gryphons, Rild. They’ll never know pain, loss, hate, or the fear that we’ve had to endure. They have the princess as a beacon,” she felt him leave her side and begin walked ahead. She watched as he took several paces.

“And, I hope they never have to. The lives they live are truly unique and they deserve to live in peace.” He turned to Klinn. “Have you ever seen a pony fight?”

“I’ve heard stories,” she snickered into a claw, “and none good.”

His gaze settled at her. “They would tear the gryphon empire to shreds within a year and we’d be without a hope.”

Klinn hiccuped as she looked at his stance, the wind in his feathers, the firm belief in his face. “What’re you talking about? These little things are-”

“Controllers of the weather, the sun and stars themselves, and can wield magics that we have no defense against. Never,” he said turning to face Klinn,” underestimate a pony, or its family. We have to get unloaded and this pony back to where it can and will be found, lest they begin a hunt for our hides.”

“Rild, y-you’re joking,” Klinn asked hopefully as she took a step closer to him, “no creatures as passive and pathetic-”

“Don’t challenge me on this,” he grumbled as he stood taller, towering over her, “there’s a reason why the races of the world avoid Equestria. Give Vacca some time, then go help her gather the pony and prepare to take wing. We can not tarry, the cart and its goods are ours to trade when we get further north.”

“Uh- … Okay,” she relented under his gaze after several long seconds, “I’ll scout the area quickly then…”

“Very well. I need to rest, if I am to be carrying the fool’s load while she rests her weak wings.”

Klinn giggled softly. “She’s half pigeon, no wonder she’s a weak flier.”

Rild looked at Klinn before she took off. “She’s also half panther and can outrun you, so don’t let her hear you insult her.”

Klinn rolled her eyes and hopped into the air, flapping her wings and taking flight in a clockwise spiral.

…

Hours passed before Nova was done playing and the day was coming to an end. “So, when can I see Tree and Trek again? I bet they’re worried of me being foalnapped,” Nova said as she worked to finish folding the tarp.

“Urrg, not long. Just, do the task you were assigned,” Vacca cooed as she lay in the empty cart, just large enough to fit two gryphons; she was enjoying the space.

“Vacca,” Rild said in a scolding voice causing the comfortable gryphon to sit up on her backside as he entered the cavern, “what are you doing? You should be doing an inventory of our new items.”

“I-I’m just relaxing, Rild.”

“Like a hatchling after playing clawball? I will not indulge your laziness. Back to work or I’ll show this pony what color your blood is.”

“Red! Mister Yellow, across from us at the plantation, was caught stealing a carrot and was whipped,” Nova said as she stomped a forehoof on a stubborn corner of the tarp, “and his blood was red. Mom said all blood was red because that’s how we know we have love in us.”

“...”

Both gryphons looked at the filly as she struggled to flatten the corner, then they looked at each other.

“Pony-”

“We’ve named her Huggy. It’s a female, a ‘filly’.”

Rild glared at Vacca who was looking at her claws now. “Huggy, then, you have seen blood? Spilt from one of your own?” His voice took on a calmer tone.

“Uh-huh. It was scary, but not as much as when I was bitten.”

Rild snapped his beak, a look of pride shown over his features. “Was it by a wolf? An eagle, by chance?”

“No,” Nova turned to him with a curiously raised eyebrow, “it was miss Little Hoof, the guard. She took a chunk of my neck off to free me,” she said turning and moving her mane to show her scar.

Both gryphons’ feathers fanned as they recoiled at the scar on her scalp.

“Huggy? The guard did this to you?!”

“Yeah, Rollo,” Nova nodded, “and my names ‘Grape’.” The gryphons looked at the filly who was standing, facing them. “And I wanna go back to Tree and Trek, and with Tree’s stuff.”

Nova was frowning slightly as she looked at them. Her gaze lowered and noticed the staff against the wall behind Rild. She raised it slowly and held it in place.

“Pony, you have to wait until we leave. A day, at the most. Then we will take you to the road and you will be reunited with your, ‘Tree’.”

“No, I wanna go now. It’s almost dinner and Tree said he was making stew…” she glared, “I love his stew.”

“I have no time for this nonsense. Vacca-” a low hum filled the air and with a yelp that reverberated through the room and outward as Nova brought the staff down. Rild jumped and opened his wings suddenly, sending a gust of wind that knocked Nova to her side; the staff clattered to the floor behind Rild.

“What?! Where? Who?!” He shouted, spinning around and looking at a welt growing above his tail.

“I don’t know, Rild,” Vacca recoiled in response, “I was here, you saw me!”

Rild looked down to the filly, who was cowering in his looming shadow, ears against her head and a wet spot beneath her. “...You struck me?!” He shouted as she landed to all fours and stomped towards Nova; wings spread and head crest furrowed.

Nova began to hyperventilate as the predator loomed, angrily, over her. She stammered and mumbled, leaning away from him. “...I-i-if y-you t-take stuff th-that isn’t yours y-ya get a w-whippin’,” she squeaked and then whimpered as she emptied the last of her bladder in fear.

Rild opened his beak and hissed slowly, leaning down in a savage pose. Nova looked into the hollow beak to see a set of sharp predators teeth a ways back; her pulse raced like it never had before.

Just before he snapped his beak around her neck he stopped and slowly moved back, clenching his jaws tight. “The seventh law of Vet’lax,” he sighed and looked to Vacca, “do not take that which you can not replace.”

Vacca looked to him, to Nova, then back to him. “Are we taking everything back, then?”

“No,” he snapped at her before looking at Nova,” but we’re taking this little monster back. She’s worth the cart and herself twice over. Vacca,” he glared at Nova, “take her now, away from-”

Whack! “AARRGGHH!” Rild roared with the full might of the tiger in his blood and body into the confines of the cavern, sending an ear ringing scream through Nova and Vacca’s heads.

“Move and I’ll skewer you like the birds you are,” Trek growled at Rild, who was scooting his now doubly welted backside toward the cart, “if you so much as hurt the filly while she’s been here I’ll do what your mother should have done the moment you were hatched.”

Rild growled deeply and fanned his neck feathers. “Who are you to speak to me, us, in such a manner? You, who drew blood from the filly you guard. You’re more beastly than we.”

Trek spun the staff in the air and brought it down across the side of the cart, next to Rild’s head with a clack that startled him. “I have never hurt a child,” she hissed, “much less foalnapped one from in front of her only family. I have a small militia with me and we’ve taken care of the other one.

“Come with me willingly, or I’ll make you come with me,” Trek glared at him. Her eyes darted to the trembling, cowering bundle of purple fur then back to Rild. Swinging the staff she brought it across the side of his head with just enough force to scare him. “She’s scared, why?”

Vacca sat up from the cart and looked at Trek. “She whipped him good,” she snickered.

Nova’s ears perked and she looked around, locking her gaze on Safe Trek a smile formed. “He… was a bad bird-cat.” Vacca laughed openly and reached into the cart, pulling out a small carrot.

“Eat up, Huggy, you’ve earned it.”