Hearths Warming Grief.

by BronyNathan

We 3 kings.

The sun had just begun to sink below the horizon; The moon taking its roll as the dominate figure in the sky.
The temperature began to plummet fast and Squeak curled up deeper in his mane.
"Daddy?" She cooed. "I'm tired. Can we stop now and sleep?"
He laughed. "You've done nothing but sit on my head all day, Squeaks. How can you be tired?"
She yawned and leaned over into his face. "Your heads not as comfy as you think." She said as she slid down and began to walk next to him.
"Look over their, Woodwind." Twilight said pointing at a rock outcrop. "We can set up camp their tonight."
Woodwind look distraught. "But we have to keep moving! We don't know how long Fluttershy has."
Twilight frowned. "But, Woodwind, look."
He turned to his daughter to see what she was talking about.
Squeak was sitting on the ground; bags under her puffy eyes. She began to yawn.
He sighed. "Ok. Cmon Squeaks," He said scooping her up and placing her on his wing. "Time for beddybye."

The outcrop was perfect. It provided a great barrier against the wind and offered protection in case of- hostile attack.
Woodwind rolled out the sleeping bag and put Squeak in it.
"Now sleep tight, pumpkin." he said giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Where will you sleep?" Twilight asked, already snuggling up in hers.
He grabbed the knife from the saddlebag and climbed the massive rock jutting from the ground "I'm going to be on lookout tonight." he said.
"Are you sure? You've been walking all day, not to mention the four day trip to get to the badlands. You need your rest." She said. He looked back down at her.
"I'll sleep when i'm dead." He replied continued up the slope.

Twilight was taken aback by his statement. He wasn't the same anymore. Fluttershy meant every thing to him.
His world was crashing down.
She looked over at Squeak; sleeping peacefully in the large sleeping bag. She was the most precious little filly she ever met. She looked just like fluttershy, with the long pink hair; but she was more like her father with her light green fur and bravery.
She wasn't afraid of anything.
Woodwind and Fluttershy were complete opposites, like North and South.
But opposites do attract, as the saying goes.
She took one last look at Woodwind up on the hill and closed her eyes for sleep.

Og, Smog, and Gruff continued to watch the weary travelers from the brush; concealed by the darkness.
"When do we go inz?" Og asked panting. "I'm so hungry!" He said rubbing his belly.
"Lets go now, Gruff! They sleep! They know not we here!" said smog prancing from foot to foot.
"Patienzzz!" He hissed at his two brothers. "You'll give away our pozzzition with your rucuzzz." He pointed to the top of the rock. "Look up there." He snarled pointing to the top of the hill at the pony sitting their.
"They have watch? So what? We out-number!" Smog said as he began to bolt forward.
"Zzzztop!" Gruff hissed grabbing his tail.
Smog let out a loud yelp.

Woodwind shot up. That yelping was close, but he couldn't tell from where.
He could feel the eyes on him like a weight on the back of his neck. They were out there
And they were waiting.
He looked back down at Squeak and Twilight. They were still asleep. He turned back around as a massive hand clamped around his face.
"Shhhh, pony. Don't struggle or i'll kill you now instead of later." The mutt said as it pressed a crude blade to his throat.
Woodwind felt blood trickle from the wound. He tensed, but relaxed as the dog eased the knife slightly off his neck.
But only slightly.
"Grab the other two poniezzz!" It hissed to others down below. "We have our breakfazzzt." It said smiling a crooked smile at Woodwind.
He narrowed his eyes in anger at the creature.
He heard Twilight and Squeak began to yell as the dogs put them in small cages of bone.
Squeak called to him. She called for her daddy.
I'm coming sweetheart.

He bit the large hand encircling his face and pushed the knife away from his throat .
The dog yipped in pain and anger and swung the blade at him. He ducked, turned and bucked the dog off the rock in one fluid motion.
It hit the ground with a thud and let out a long yelp.
Woodwind grabbed his blade an bolted down the rock, diving on the larger dogs back. It writhed and squirmed and shook Woodwind off.
He fell to the ground. The dog jumped at him with his spear at the ready.
"DADDY! Watch out!" Squeak yelled. Twilight shielded her eyes.
The spear came down with a thud.

Twilight winced. Unable to see behind the large Diamond Dog, She could only speculate as to what happened.
Then, the Diamond Dog fell; Woodwinds knife sticking out of his throat.
Woodwind stood, but not without his share of wounds. The spear was sticking out of the soft spot where the neck met the meat of the leg. Blood seeped from the wound, staining the ground in front of him.
Woodwind pulled the spear out without a hint of pain. The adrenaline was keeping him going.
The other Diamond Dog thought furiously as Woodwind turned to face him.
He reached into the cage and grabbed Squeak. Woodwind halted in his tracks.
"You come any closer, she dies!" It yelled holding the blade of the spear to her tiny throat.
Woodwind snorted and stomped his hoof into the ground. "You just made the biggest mistake of your life, buddy!" He yelled.
"I mean it, pony! Don't try anything! I'll-"

He was cut off by a blast of purple light, launching him 20 feet into the air. He crashed to the ground with a crack and didn't move. Twilight brought Squeak gently to the ground in a protective bubble.
"Daddy!" She yelled sobbing rushing to him. Twilight stood from the broken caged.
"Woodwind! Behind you!" She yelled.
Before he could react, the first Diamond Dog lunged on his back holding the blade hard against his throat.
Squeak screamed and skidded to a halt. Twilight's horn began to glow.
"Do it, pony, and he dies." He said pressing the knife deeper into his throat.
Woodwind grunted in pain.
Twilight's horn ceased glowing and she sighed. Squeak stood staring at the Diamond Dog.
"Leave my Daddy alone you meany!" She yelled.
"Oh, little pony!" The mutt laughed. "He killed smog! And you, purple pony-" he said gesturing to Twilight, "killed Og!"
"No she didn't" Og said as he shakily got to his feet. "Og ok!"
Gruff smiled and got rite in Woodwinds face. "You killed my brother? I'll kill your daughter!" He yelled.
Twilight huddled the little filly close as Og came in to get her.
"You stay away from her you monsters!" Twilight yelled, her horn aglow.
"Ah, ah ah! You don't want to be doing that, do you?" He said sliding the knife slowly across Woodwinds throat.
A gurgled scream came from his mouth as blood seeped from the wound.
"Daddy! No, please, stop hurting my daddy!" Squeak yelled.
Gruff stood and left Woodwind on the ground bleeding.
He walked toward Squeak, who stood their defiantly.
"I'm not ascared of a bully like you!" she shouted, puffing her little chest.
"Oh, look at the scary pony Og!" Gruff said poking fun at Squeak.
"Huhuhu!" He laughed. "You better be careful, she dangerous!" He mocked.
Gruff screamed in pain.
The spear was sticking out of his neck, blood pouring from the punctured artery.
He let out a gaging sound and fell to the dirt. Dead.
Og backed up slowly as Woodwind marched forward.
"Stay back pony!" He yelled "I warn you, I-"
He didn't get the words out.
Twilight hit him in the back with a war spell.
The Dog began to disappear from existence and Squeak shut her eyes in terror.
Woodwind sighed in relief. He knew he didn't have the energy to face the Dog.
Thank goodness for Twilight.
He fell to the ground, gasping for air.
"Daddy? Are you ok?" Squeak asked with worry as she nuzzled his nose.
"Don't move, Woodwind. Let me bandage you up." Twilight said as she ripped pieces of cloth from the sleeping bags with her magic, making make-shift bandages.
"Squeak?" He rasped.
"Yes daddy?" She sobbed.
"You we're so brave. I'm so proud of you. your mother would be, too." He said, rubbing the filly's mane.
"Daddy. Come on. Get up, please?"
"We can't move him, Squeak." Twilight said as she continued wrapping his wounds.
"I love you more than anything Squeak." He said with a croak. Always remember-"
He was cut off as the ground opened up beneath him. the world became dark as he plummeted into the depths of the earth.