My Little Fortress: Dawnpick

by Paaaad

11: Work in the Hospital

Virtue's Diary - 7th Galena, 254

Now that the curtain wall is finished, our masons are free to work on less important projects. The town hall has been sort of sitting in the back of my mind for a while, so that's what I set them to next. It's going to take a few months to get it completed, but I think Carmine will be pleased. It's not far from the barracks though, so I hope the noise of the militia sparring doesn't bother him too much.

I've also started thinking up some plans for an enclosed fishing pier. Now that the wall is finished, Ocean Breeze has been having to run all the way around the settlement to get to the fishing pond or river. More importantly, if she had to run from anything dangerous, she might not make it in time. The badger pony thieves have been quiet for some time, but I know they can't be far away. They'll be back, and when they return, I don't want her caught outside with no help.

For the moment, I've asked her to take some time to relax and be with her family. We have plenty of fish in our stocks right now, and perhaps enough food for a full year if we couldn't grow any more.

14th Galena, 254

The caverns are beginning to worry me again. Today some new... ape monster with long arms showed up and started attacking our miners. The militia hurried down to deal with it, where Fuscina put it down with commendable skill. As we continue to mine out marble deep below, we need to keep on top of keeping the caverns sealed. We've already run into a few unpleasant things below, I fear what else lives there.

16th Galena, 254

Today was a bit hectic. A zebra caravan arrived early this morning, and brought with them a small gaggle of more badger ponies. I knew they would be back, and I'm very glad now that I asked Ocean Breeze to lay off the fishing for now. The thieves managed to sneak up to our gatehouse somehow, where they were spotted by Arbalest at his catapult before they could get too close. The militia met them on the drawbridge, where they cut the badger ponies down. I'm pleased to say that nopony was seriously hurt, although Halberd got a pretty bad bruise on his flank.

The merchants have spent the better part of the day settling themselves and unloading. I'll take a look at their wares tomorrow if I have time, there are a few things that we're in need of.

20th Galena, 254

I couldn't believe it when I heard from the militia that there were even more badger pony thieves today! Counting the three a few days ago, this brings us up to six in a week, which is a new and unsettling record.

Worse, they got the jump on us this time, and a few of the militia were hurt. Halberd was furious, I could tell, and I later heard from the merchants that he sent one of the thieve's heads sailing off into the trade depot. I'm glad I wasn't there to see it...

Partisan had a bad cut on his wing, but he should be fine. Falcata broke her hoof in the melee somehow, but nopony really saw what happened. I'm most worried about Fuscina, who has a very bad cut on her leg, which Panacea thinks is broken too. She was bleedy badly, and was beginning to get faint. I feel terrible for them... but we're working on getting steel boots made for them all as soon as possible.

After that unpleasant news, I added some thread and cloth to the list of things to get from the merchants, which I was happy to see they brought plenty of. I took a few bins of cloth, a few bolts of thread, some pegasan wine and a bit of cheese to add to our supplies. Longshot was kind enough to tell me that the zebras are pretty fond of stone trinkets, so prior to their arrival I had our stoneworkers make a few bins of the things. Sure enough, the zebras took them happily in exchange for the supplies.

I dropped the cloth and thread off at the hospital, but Panacea was busy tending to Fuscina, so I left her to her work. I'll check back in the morning... I dearly hope they're all alright.

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Falcata lay on her back, wings splayed out for balance, and sighed. Back in the hospital bed again, only this time not as serious. She absentmindedly trailed a hoof across her scar, her gaze fixed on the roof above. She stared deep into the patterns of the wood grain, resolving to do better next time. Even barring the fact that anything less than perfection could cause her or someone else injury, she hated not excelling at something. Though she hated the idea, she would really have to think about asking Halberd for some tips on axe wielding. Her tail lashed in irritation, her normal good humour and upbeat nature offset by the day's events.
She rolled over, injured hoof gingerly positioned as comfortably as possible, and tried to get some sleep. She was lucky to be alive, and that thought was not lost on her as she gazed out the window at the russet glow of sunset.

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Glyphs journal 7

I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever be good enough to fight alongside Captain Naginata. There was another group of
badger pony thieves discovered today... I couldn't even hit one. All the training and I can't even score a blow on some
pathetic thieves! Even worse some of the other ponies got hurt in the fight. I can't let this chance I've been given
go to waste, but I'll have to be much stronger before I can even start to think of myself as able to prove myself to
Naginata, Not to mention Virtue. She's been seeming stressed lately... I would ask if there was anything i could do but...
I have to train more. Once I'm stronger, then Maybe I can help the others. Nopony else will get hurt on my watch, Not if I can help it.

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Flux' Journal, Galena 20

I showed Virtue the design almost two weeks ago, and I think she liked it. She also agreed that it looks pretty complicated and would take a bit of time to finish. With all the trouble the last few days, though, maybe it'll get moved up in priority? A few of the fighting ponies took some pretty serious looking wounds. I don't think it's anything Panacea can't handle, but still. And that thing from the caverns! I don't think it hurt anypony, but it just looked so weird!

Maybe I should try to work on something to help secure the caverns also? I feel particularly uncomfortable with the thought of somepony getting hurt because of them. After all, we only dug that deep looking for my namesake. I'd hate it if somepony got hurt.

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Virtue's Diary - 1st Sandstone, 254

We really need more doctors. Poor Panacea has been running ragged trying to care for our four currently wounded ponies. The news is good and bad. She tells me that Fuscina has some nerve damage like Glaive suffered, but since he's been getting along reasonably well despite it I think she'll pull through fine. Falcata's hoof has become infected, despite the fact that we have plenty of soap, but Panacea doesn't think it's too serious. At least she tells me that Partisan should be fine, she already took at look at his wing and the cut wasn't as bad as she thought at first.

The better news is that we've started in earnest on smithing some steel boots for everypony in the militia, so this will hopefully be the last we see of injured hooves and legs. Oh, and while the smiths are busy toiling away at protecting our militia, the town hall is coming along nicely. We just need to get a roof over it now, but from experience I know that will take longer than it looks.

3rd Sandstone, 254

I was standing out at the drawbridge, trying to figure out how we were going to fix some architectural problems when Diamond Shard came trotting up to me, telling me she heard something massive flying around in the caverns below. She couldn't see it, blocked off from us as it was, but she and the other miners were quite nervous.

I completely understand their worries, and I asked Halberd and Naginata to go check it out, just to be sure. They came back half an hour later confused, having neither seen nor heard anything. I believe Diamond Shard and Chic, but I think perhaps we lucked out and whatever it was took no notice and went about its business. Maybe it can't reach us anyway.

So I went back to reviewing the drawbridge. Flux came to me a few weeks ago with some plans for a more elaborate trap network to defend our entrance, and I must say I'm impressed. If I didn't know better, I'd have pegged him for a bit of a tactician! The final design will allow us to let in merchants and anypony else we want in, and when the situation warrants it, we'll be able to force intruders down a hallway of traps. Coupled with the moat that we've set back to work on, I feel safer already!

7th Sandstone, 254

Mortar stopped by my office this afternoon to tell me that we're running dangerously low on stone and blocks for the town hall. With them mining up marble for making steel, I'd nearly forgotten that was even possible, so I put in the order for some more shale and gabbro to be quarried. We'll get the town hall fixed up soon enough, I hope.

We finished tearing down the old drawbridge today, and I asked Totem, our residen bone carver with no bones to carve, to lend Flux a hoof in setting up some of the initial traps for the defense network. He didn't seem to mind, as I'm sure he's been quite bored sitting around with nothing to do all day.

Speaking of Flux, when I made my rounds to speak with him, I found out that we're running very low on charcoal again. I'll put in a word with Ashwood to see about getting some more trees cut.

It's still very much a work in progress, heh. The first row of traps are down past a drawbridge over the future moat. I might extend the moat into the dodge me fall areas, but at the risk of friendlies drowning I might just opt for more traps. We'll see.

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Ashwood's Journal - 7th Sandstone, 254

Things have been pretty quiet around here for me lately. When we first settled here four years ago, I couldn't get a break, but lately I haven't had a whole lot to do. I've been spending time talking with everypony and lending a hoof at the carpenter's shop when they needed me, but I've been a bit bored.

Thankfully, Virtue took me aside today and told me that we needed some more trees cut, and the saplings outside the walls were beginning to get big enough to be worth chopping down again. I never thought I'd say I was happy to have to work, but it did feel good chipping in again. Apparently the unicorns can't turn the plants into wood fast enough!

I'll admit I was a bit nervous first stepping outside though. The badger pony thieves have been a real nuisance lately, and I didn't want to be joining Brook by one of them catching me by surprise. Fortunately, that didn't turn out to be a problem. At least, not yet.

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Virtue's Diary - 9th Sandstone, 254

Today it was Barley's turn to be taken by one of these strange moods. He was down in the stills, working hard like he always does when he just walked up to the surface and took over our leather works. He grabbed the sole piece of leather we had, and set off to scrounge up whetever else he thought necessary. I'm not sure I like the expression he had... it was almost like his eyes weren't even his. He just kept mumbling the same things over and over again, different from what we've seen so far. I'll have to keep an eye on him.

In happier news, Partisan left the hospital today. Panacea had his wing bandaged up, and he looked well. I'm sure Halberd will have him back training in no time.

18th Sandstone, 254

I had a good scare today. Somehow Pewter found herself stuck in the bottom of one of the dried up ponds inside the settlement, and it was only by chance that Flux happened to be near enough to her to hear her cries for help. We immediately sent Diamond Shard to channel a ramp for her to get out. She was pretty weak from dehydration, but after a quick examination from Panacea, she went off to get some food and drink and to rest for a while. She should be fine. I'm thinking we might better floor over those ponds...

5th Timber, 254

Barley finally got a hold of everything he needed today and started working furiously on something. I'm pretty interested to see what it is, but I'm mostly just happy he got everything he needed. That possessed look he had was beginning to worry everypony in Dawnpick, not least of all me.

I'm extremely happy to note however, that Sarissa finally left the hospital today! Her hoof still isn't completely recovered, but she's getting around well enough to at least go back home. I think Halberd will keep her on light duty for a while at least, but I know she has to be happy to be out of the hospital finally.

Comments

[Ultraviolet]

Sorry for not posting any comment until now, I will try to comment from now on. I hadn't the opportunity to play DF yet, my PC has broken and I'm stuck with my cellphone. But I've been reading all about the game and I'm loving it!

I'm also loving Dawnpick! The diaries are very intense and the illustrations are amazing! Plus, Virtue is my favorite pony yet.

I will resume my reading now. You can expect comments.
Have a lovely day!