Thorned Rose

by Salty Alty

The Dirt Road

The Verlassen woods had a certain charm once you were inside them. The noises of various insects dominated the ambience, and the shades of green and brown softened the deeper you went, inspiring many an artist and poet that visited the natural work of art.

Even to Equestrians, the scent of the place was pleasing. A soft pine scent mixed with an earthy, grassy undertone. The dirt road that cut through the forest was immaculately kept, despite the lack of maintenance workers or general population. Various bushes dominated the area around the road, from blackthorn to raspberry bushes. The verdant and lush expanse of bark, grass, and pine was in and of itself a feature of the woods. Dew gathered on the grass and leaves, a faint fog constantly dominating the forest. Vast swathes of undergrowth became home to predator and prey alike, and even Bugbears could find safety from poachers within the forest's canopy.

As Rose pulled the cart along, she let herself become lost within the tranquility of the most sacred location in Gryphon history. No battles had ever been fought in or around the woods, and any Gryphon with a hint of wisdom would respect the forest as one would a docile predator. The only recorded conflict in the Verlassen was when a Yak raiding party chased a battalion of Rangers in to the woods. The Rangers would explain in their after action reports that once the Yak's entered the woods, the forest itself seemed to darken in anger. As they hid in the trees, the last they saw of the furry brutes was their corpses impaled on tree branches.

One could consider the Verlassen the Everfree's cousin. Wild and untamed in it's own right, but tranquil and peaceful to those who respect the unspoken rules of it's domain.

Rose bumped in to something while she was lost in thought, and as she opened her eyes her breath caught in her throat.

A Bugbear had fallen asleep in the middle of the road. As it awoke and roused itself, it looked at Rose almost in... amusement. Once it had stood itself up, it sniffed around Rose for a moment.

Satisfied with whatever it had been looking for, it lumbered off to the side of the road, falling back asleep once it cleared the path.

The pegasus, who Rose learned went by Aquila, stuck her head out of the cart and shouted. "What's the hold-up graverob-!" She had much the same reaction as Rose, and her jaw went slack for a few moments before she quietly stuck her head back in to the cart.

Rose, now much more aware of her surroundings, continued pulling the cart, giving the slumbering beast a wide berth. A dim twilight fell over the forest but an hour later, fireflies flitted about, and the insects of the woods beginning their song anew, much loader and far more robust than before.

Rose's muscles ached with exhaustion, as she began unhooking the cart from her body, she walked over to the cart doors and opened them, giving Aquila a pointed gaze

"You're up for pulling, I'm tired and sore from hauling this damn thing all day." She said gruffly. Aquila frowned, but hopped out and began fastening the Cart's harness to her body.

"Yeah yeah, get some rest you damn savage." She said with a sneer, as Rose hopped into the cart and promptly, as Gilmore would say, flopped on to the floor of the cart.

As she lingered on the floor for a moment, she remembered that the seats of the cart were cushioned and clambered onto the soft and heavenly benches. The Minotaur, who had prior introduced himself as Gavin, chuckled and patted her on the head.

"So, where are you headed after Hafenstadt?" He asked, looking down to her with a raised, questioning brow.

Rose stretched herself out on the cushion before replying. "Equestria. I'm going there to, hopefully, get into a college. Failing that, I'll self study magic." she finished with a yawn.

Gavin gestured to her unarmored flanks, Rose having doffed her armor so that it wouldn't get soaked with sweat while pulling the cart. A large patch of scar tissue dominated the side of each flank, in a square shape that couldn't have been anything but intentional.

"I've been meaning to ask... What happened to yer... 'Cutie Marks'"? He asked, a slightly worried tone in his voice.

Rose scoffed, before pulling a hard tack biscuit over and munching on it idly. "Got captured by the furballs. A few traitors that had defected decided it would be funny to cut them off." She said with a tone of finality, and her ear flicked in annoyance.

"Ah." He said lamely, the inside of the cart having lapsed into an awkward silence.

A half hour passed, the rocking of the cart having lulled the large Minotaur and his Gryphon compatriot to sleep. Chessur, having kept silent throughout the exchange, suddenly spoke, softly as to not wake the others.

"If you are heading to Equestria, I wouldn't object to you coming with me. That is my destination as well. I was only visiting Aurighast to finalize a few business deals when the war had come to a close."

Rose's ears straightened, as she turned her gaze towards the milky unicorn.

"I'm going to assume you've either a boat or airship?" She said, finishing her biscuit with a crunch.

"The latter. She's a small thing, but she does her job well." He replied, sipping his tea before speaking once more. "10 Aviars, and you may ride with me the entire way to Fillydelphia. Food and board is included."

Rose frowned, she studied him for a moment before saying anything. "What's the catch?" She asked apprehensively.

Chessur gave a tiny, almost imperceptible grin. "That you do exactly as you have been doing, and that is being a security guard."

Rose let a small smile wander onto her face. "Alright. We've got a deal then. Once we make it to Fillydelphia, drinks are on me, you hear?" She said, her voice raising in volume a tad.

Chessur chuckled in response, and poured himself another cup of tea. "On to other matters, what would you say to-" He began to speak, but was suddenly cut off as the wagon rocked forwards. Gavin's head immediately shot up, and he made to grab his axe as Rose barreled out of the wagon.

Once outside, she saw that Aquila had stopped completely. In front of her were numerous corpses impaled on tree branches, all of them gryphons. The bodies had long since decayed, nothing but bones and sundered armor left in the wake of whatever did this to the group of avians.

Rose trotted up to Aquila, who's eyes had become but mere pinpricks, and her hair stood on end. Her teeth chattered, and when Rose laid a hoof on the mare's withers she jumped a foot into the air from fear.

"W-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS PLACE?!" She shouted, trying to back up to no avail. Rose hugged her tightly, speaking into her ear.

"Shhhhh sesatna, it's okay. The forest is not angry at us." She said softly, stroking the distraught mare's mane.

"No! What happened to them?! How did it happen to them?! They have to be at least 15 meters in the air!" Aquila continued, now gazing wide eyed at the spectacle in the canopy.

"They broke the forest's rules. They knew what would happen, and they paid the price for it." Rose said grimly, now turned to gaze with pity at the object of the blue pegasus's shock. "There are 5 known rules to the forest, that all wise Gryphs abide by. You don't fight within it's grounds. You don't take from it what you will not give back. You do not hunt it's denizens. You do not fell it's trees. And the most recent rule... You don't poison it's hallowed grounds." She stated cryptically, helping Aquila unhitch the cart.

Aquila complied, setting herself straight as she took a final look at the carnage, before walking back to the cart and laying down inside.

Rose hitched herself to the cart once more, proceeding to march again. The wagon's bright lanterns illuminated the path and all above as she struggled to stay awake. Her body ached with exhaustion, her mind desperately wanted for sweet rest and respite from the waking world. As she marched on half awake, she became aware of the marching of something directly beside her. As she wearily looked over, she saw the same bugbear from before. Marching with her.

Rose chuckled, scratching behind the beast's ears, the creature as large as the wagon itself. It nuzzled into the magical force affectionately, giving a pleasured growl at the contact.

The hours would pass by, and the sun soon shot into the air, casting a soft orange glow on the world and through the Verlassen's canopy. The edge of the woods came into view, as Rose stumbled on her hooves, struggling to stay upright. She finally stopped when she felt a tapping on her left side, Aquila motioning for her to release herself from the harness. The bugbear had long since left, having stopped once it came upon some invisible boundary.

Rose unhitched the harness with haste, stumbling over her hooves as she scrambled to get in to the cart, and in to the sweet embrace of sleep. Hopping groggily into the cart, she clambered onto the cushion she previously occupied, and passed out in exhaustion.

As she opened her eyes, she recognized she was not in fact inside the cart any longer. A white sky and expanse filled her vision, as she spied a large gray shape on the horizon. She began walking towards it with haste, a sigh, frozen in the bitter wind and cold climate of the area she occupied, left her mouth. She felt the familiar weight of her gear on her body, and the bitter cold enter her lungs. She grew closer, recognizing the shape as a castle now. Foreboding crept into her very being, and she crept into full view of the structure. The drawbridge was down, as she walked in to the courtyard.

Yaks filled it, slumped over dead. The cause of the death not readily apparent until one looked to the liquid spilled out of their mouths. It was a soft purple in color, and was slightly foamy. Rose knew this mixture well. As she looked to the center of the courtyard, she saw a pony. It sat, it's back facing towards her. A great white cloak, adorned with soft red specks of blood, shrouded it's mane and tail from view.

Rose marched towards the figure, a grim look of determination upon her face. The figure turned to look at her, it's face a pure white, and it's eyes a crimson red, a white shawl wrapped around its face. The figure had no mane, at least not a readily apparent one.

Rose growled at the apparition. "You don't define me. You are not what I am."

The equine tilted it's head, before speaking softly, with a thousand voices. "Are you so sure?"

Rose scoffed. "Quite. Must we do the same song and dance every night?"

The shawl shifted upwards, as the creature nodded slowly, almost as if pained. "Sadly." It drew a large scythe, jagged and not like the farming implement it's name implied.

Rose let her head hang low. She'd long since learned that this thing could not be beat. It could only be accepted.

The blade swung through the air, through Rose's neck. Rose was not beheaded, but the dreamscape around her crumbled and cracked.

As Rose looked up at the figure once more, she opened her mouth to speak.

And then she awoke.

Comments

[Yellow Gate]

One could consider the Verlassen the Everfree's cousin.

Ok, I was wondering if they were one in the same. Guess I got my answer now, lol.

[Jatheus]

Creepy forest is CREEPY!

Also... that dream was creepy... all in all, a creepy chapter.

[Salty Alty]

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I'm glad you enjoyed the story! I will admit I've stopped working on it in favor of other projects, but it makes me happy to know that what I consider my "worst" story still manages to impress some people!