Chapter 1 Pioneer

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Years ago; long before Celestia the solar goddess came to power there is a time period spanning some hundred years. In this time there is are few recoverable recorded documents despite the efforts of most archaeologists especially those brave enough to endure the perils of jungles and slightly embellished depictions of action in books; there are only a few solid facts. The first and foremost important being the beginning of early depictions and inscriptions of “necklaces and bracelets adorned with gems” said to appear on select individuals. The second determinable fact of the time would be the sudden population shift among the griffon species after the discovery of a sunken shipyard containing ancient harpoons and what appear to be metal cages. The presence of these artefacts would suggest that the griffins there would collect fish and deliver them back to their homeland inside the cages in order to…

182 BCE
The world is dark and will be for a while yet. It's perhaps an hour past twilight and the crescent moon is nearly impossible to see because of the thick layer of mist hanging in the air. The ground is damp under hoof but the only sound to be heard is the soft patter of rain falling from the small collection of clouds overhead. It was truly a perfect night for travelling between towns and so the group of close to a hundred earth ponies stealthily stalked behind their leader around in the night, their only sense of direction being the tail of the pony in front of them held firmly in their teeth. Walking ahead of everypony else led Rising Dawn the esteemed guide and designated pack mule of the group.

Despite her wish to travel light most of the ponies following her had taken extra provisions following the destruction of their homes and were unable to carry the burden for the trip. Despite the extra weight though she could not bring herself to blame the following ponies, the journey was far from her worst and the issues of the extra weight and the stallion she hardly knew raising her tail aside everypony was moving quickly and quietly. Riding on top of his mother's mountain of other ponies' luggage sat her ash coloured son Shadow glaring into the eyes of the nervous stallion behind his mother. He had already talked to the teal pony before setting out and kindly informed him that if buck’s eyes wandered below his the stallion would wake the following morning as a gelding. The journey had been dull compared to the over expeditions his mother had told him about before and in some cases during her pregnancy with him, he still had night terrors occasionally when she told him about the dangers that plagued the roads of the land, the dream where a giant winged beast flew away with his mother clutched in its barbed forelegs still terrified him after she told him of the gryphons that raided unsuspecting travellers. The stallion's eyes begun to lower again and for what felt like the twentieth time for the young colt he reached for the shovel firmly secured to his mother's side and began to undo the straps holding it in place, fearing injury the stallion's gaze returned to his face and he was about to retie the knots when his mother suddenly stopped.

The pony behind her stopped and for as far as Shadow's eyes could see the single file convey ground to a halt. There was no movement and thankfully nopony had collided with another, his mother's ears flicked back and forward searching for the source of a sound to faint for him to hear. Silence hung in the air as the group stood statue still waiting for their leader to act, seconds of tense silence passed and the stillness was becoming too much to bear for some. He could see ponies fidgeting and looking around nervously in the heavy mist. Her eyes still shut Rising flicked her tail and as per her adamant instructions the stallion released her tail and in turn swished his singling the pony behind him to release his , seeing the group being given the wordless order to be ready to run Shadow swiftly started to undo the straps holding his shovel steady, his mother's words to drop everything and run if they were attacked falling on deaf ears. Slowly and deliberately Rising lowered into a running stance and held her breath, mimicking her movements the stallions behind her all dropped into a near prone position and waited, still struggling with the final clasp on the shovel Shadow stopped as the unmistakeable sound of beating wings reached his ears and turned in time to see a pair of dark shadows emerge from the mist. One to take away his mother and the other to take him, unable to do anything but watch his nightmare unfold, he turned to look at his mother one last time before the darkness took her from him. Rising violently tore the shovel from its final binding and was brandishing the tool in her teeth still standing statue still as the sound of bearing wings grew closer.

Shadow turned to see a pair of barbed talons fly just over his head as his mother dropped to the ground and rolled carrying him with her. The second beast screeched in anger and flew straight for them unaware that Rising had regained her footing was already aware of its presence. In a fluid motion she tore the shovel from the remaining strap and swung the bladed edge at the gryphon's beak. Shadow saw the figure howl with pain clutching its wounded face before hitting the ground and bouncing once, then twice, before finally vanishing into the mist and landing with a sickening crack. Spitting the now broken tool from her mouth Rising turned to see the rest of her group still standing still, those who could see the sudden attack now quaking were they stood "we've been spotted run for it" she shouted over the emerging cries of other gryphons. While the majority of the ponies following had experienced violence of some degree some had even heard a gryphon screech before and were still in shock. Looking back at the remainder of the group while his mother scrambled through the muddy ground Shadow’s eyes focused on the teal stallion running just behind them. The meagre stallion was running in pure terror in his eyes that opened wider as his mother lurched left suddenly as a white and brown blur flew past them cutting the blue pony's neck. The stallion stumbled with the force of the impact but miraculously kept running as blood poured from the gash in his neck. Shutting his eyes Shadow clung to his mother praying for safety.

A full minute later the screams stopped altogether but the sound of hoof beats grew louder and more numerous. Five minutes later he heard his mother again "open the gate" she screamed knocking twice with her hoof "are the raiders gone" a stallion shouted "do I look like a gryphon " his mother replied sarcastically "now open the gates up we have wounded ponies here" seeing no raiders in sight the guard pony signalled his three companions to remove the barring in the wooden palisade gates. Shadow opened his eyes as his mother picked him up and placed him on the ground next to her before clearing her throat "wake up you lazy layabouts there are ponies who need help and homes here" her shouting bellowing through the relatively small village lighting candles everywhere. Looking around Shadow saw the teal stallion still just behind his mother looking absent-mindedly around his hooves and most of his barrel, both heavily stained with his own blood, noticing her son and the near dead stallion Rising kept shouting for help and soon the ponies following her joined in. Ponies were coming out of their homes now and the few guards protecting the town gate were back in their tower looking for any pursing gryphons "where is a healer" she screamed to a nearby guard. The pony looked at them then at the bleeding stallion limping behind her and stuttered something incomprehensible, seeing his lack of reaction she asked went to another pony, the stallion and her son following closely behind. Shadow looked at the unfolding event behind him as his mother asked another villager, the few ponies who were actually wounded where lying with relatives or alone trying to stop themselves bleeding with patches of grass or rope. The others mingled in the crowd still trying to find relatives or were yelling profanities to nopony in particular. Among the chaos a single incredibly deep voice yelled out "quiet" stopping every pony in their tracks.

Shadow turned and saw the source of the silence around him, the largest pony he had ever seen walking into the town square "who is responsible for leading you all here". Seeing the opportunity for help Rising quickly walked up to the brown stallion with her teal companion still limping after her, before she could speak the mayor held up a hoof and waved to some of the guards "where is the leader" he yelled ignoring her entirely. The guard sheepishly pointed back toward the large stallion who looked down at Rising Dawn "You the leader of this town" she said hastily. The stallion scowled "mayor Durning” he said before Rising spoke again "are there any healers in this town" she began looking through the crowd "blacksmiths, sail makers flax weavers or unicorns any at all". The mayor signalled for his guards to come before replying "we have a forge and Patchwork has some stitching materials in her home but no healers for your husband, mare" Rising turned around and looked at the bleeding stallion behind her looking mildly disguised and surprised before answering "have her bring whatever she can spare and tell your smith to warm his fire" the mayor bellowed her instructions to the waiting ponies and his guards who followed him, dragging ponies from their activities with them. Seeing the remained of her group disband Rising turned to her son and the wounded stallion "Shadow stay close" she said quickly making her way to the blacksmith with the rest of the ponies the stallion still limping after her. Obeying without a sound he walked up beside the bleeding blue pony and looked at his face. His eyes were weary and distant simply tracking his mother’s movements as she walked, he tried to speak to the stallion but all efforts, even poking his leg as he walked failed to wake him from his trance. Rising led the wounded pony to the forge where a couple of villagers were holding their companions down as the blacksmith pressed a heated iron rod against their lesser wounds cauterizing them while at the other side of the workshop a pink and brown mare sat trying to keep a crimson filly with a blue mane carrying a ball of string away from the injured ponies. The mare spotted the lacerated stallion and dropped her thread, pushing her out of the way Rising tried laying the stallion down. Gazing into nothingness the stallion's body was shaking slightly as she tried to turn him on his uninjured side "lie down" she whispered to him "your fine just lie down and you can go home soon" seeing no response she hugged him closer and slowly eased him into the ground.

The stallion continued to stare vacantly, his breaths becoming shorter and sharper as Rising took the needle from the stunned mare and set to work saving his life while the red filly tugged Shadow’s mane "come with me" she said quietly walking away with Shadow’s mane in tow "your mom will take care of your dad" she said releasing him, he flinched as she mentioned his farther and turned his head away. Seeing his reaction the red filly continued to pester him "isn't he your dad" he shook his head still unwilling to make eye contact "well he looks like a good dad and your mom seems like him" she said innocently, he scowled and looked toward his mother trying not think of the dying stallion he had threatened earlier today. Red Thread sighed, certain that if she persisted with her questioning she could get him to talk and hopefully cheer up "my name is Red thread what's yours" she asked extending her hoof "Shadow" his mother called. Hearing her voice he rushed to her side "I have to go and fetch the blacksmith, that means you have to keep this pony safe okay" he nodded once his eyes falling to the stallion's bleeding wound and the overlapping crossed lines of yarn pulsating with every breath the stallion took like some daemon with a sharp jagged smile trying to escape its host and reach out to him "Shadow" his mother near said sternly brining his focus back to her "this pony is not wounded you hear, he is lying on his back because he is tired, he is home he is safe but he does not close those eyes understand?" He nodded once more as his mother slowly got and walked off, he watched her leave for a moment before turning his attention back to his mother's words.

He looked into the stallion’s eyes 'you are not hurt, you are home, you are safe, but you can't go to sleep yet' the words rebounded though his mind as he gazed into the eyes of the stallion. The twin blue orbs continued to stare into space however as if looking though his head and into the starry sky above him, the colt knew the stallion was dying before him, wound were usually death sentences unless you paid a unicorn to clean and treat the wound with their magic. A mare he knew back near the river village cut the underside of her hoof one day and had to have her family remove her leg or lose the last of their food to pay a for the magic to purge infections. When she was told of her choices she reportedly 'left' the village and lived alone, he knew the mare to be as stubborn as any farmer and even more so when it came to becoming a burden for her family, but he also knew Bracken Hoof's equipment well enough to notice a missing rope and stool though. The colt closed his eyes at the memory of the mare he couldn't remember and tried to speak to the stallion bleeding before him 'I can't do this' he thought as he looked at the vacant eyes before him and the hideous wound 'you will not cry, you will not die' his hysterical mind repeated echoed as he world around him began to grow silent, his entire focus was poured onto the blue orbs before him, he didn't move or think he just tried to remain inconspicuous.

A few paces away Rising nervously paced on the spot she knew the stallion needed to live, she never forgot the faces of the ponies that she left with that never made it to their home, she rarely lost ponies to the elements using her sharp mind and eyes to find a route to safety or fashion some method to defy mother nature's will for them to die hungry or freezing in the wilderness. She knew how to fashion splints, knit injuries, terrify Timberwolves and build a house using only her bare hooves and some bark. What her mind could never do however was endanger her son. She could have warned the ponies following her earlier, she could have stopped to help those who had frozen with shock, she could have simply ducked as the gryphon flew at her. But no that would leave her son alone in the world just like she was left by her first and only love, the bastard of a farmer that left her the very morning after she spent a night in his company, she could have saved lives on many of her journeys, when she or her son were at risk though she never batted an eye. The blacksmith removed his superheated tongs from the fire and tried to have the guards hold down the mare before them "you don't have to do this she's fine" the mare who had a nasty cut across her left foreleg squirmed in pain as her stallion tried to push a guard away "sir she needs to close the wound or she might die" one of the guards said trying to calm her husband “the buck she does tis barely and a cut she's no stallion but she won't need to be burnt" the blacksmith replaced the tongs for the third time as the pair continued to argue "it will only hurt for a moment" the guard stated "it'll be too much for her" her husband countered. Seeing the wounded ponies waiting for attention Rising eventually spoke "are you willing to risk her life over this" she stated "the cut is clearly across her leg and who knows how deep, it needs to be closed now" the stallion stared at her for a moment before replying "who do you think you are you, whore".

The ponies around them all turned to look and Rising Dawn for once was too shocked at the outburst to respond "you lead us into gryphons then expect me to believe you know what's best for her" the stallions words tore into her were gryphon claws could not, she had left the ponies behind, just as she was but just as Shadow might be if she didn't heal herself physically and mentally. She looked at the mare she was trying to save and then to the wound down her own leg where the gryphon scratched her. She would normally remind the stallion opposing her that she was ahead of the group killing raider while he hung back near the female contingent of the group, she hated the practice but as her family used to say 'colts couldn't be fillies about things' she would insult him. Win and have the respect of the town. But now she was tired and above all a mother. She couldn't trade her life for her pride. Raising her leg she let the crowd see the trail of blood pouring to her hooves "Treat her or don't, she won't die now but by the time you both fall sleep she may never want to wake up, all you’re doing here is wasting time, so chose now or somepony else won’t get that luxury". She stared at the stallion with a solemn look, he was about to respond when he noticed ponies bowing their heads and turned to see the mayor. Stopping a single pace away the mayor dwarfed all around him by "smith what is the hold up here" the grey stallion walked to his forge as a guard answered for him "this mare is wounded she needs treatment, but her husband doesn't want her hurt". Rising saw The mare stare at the huge brown pony for no longer than a second then look away as he turned his gaze at her "she needs to be healed we can't afford any losses" the guard present nodded and looked over to the blacksmith who was already walking toward them as he approached Rising stood in front of him "the next pony you give that to is a blue stallion with a gashed neck, I can afford to wait a little longer with this cut just make sure you help him, he's lying over there with my son". She expected resistance and was in the midst of figuring out what to say when the blacksmith simply nodded and continued walking. The ponies behind her said nothing as she walked back behind them "Rising Dawn follow me" the mayor said as he turned and began to walk off. She looked over to her son who returned a look of pride and awe, feeling proud yet weak she walked after the mayor offering an remorseful glance to the stallion as the tongs grew closer to his wife "at least give her something to bite" he said defeated as she turned away from him.

The pair reached a wooden house; the cut timber and dry thatched roof making the large building stand out among the many huts around the village. As they reached the door Rising saw the two ponies flanking each side of the door stand aside as the mayor walked inside, when Rising stepped inside she was greeted by woven tapestries of a green leaf and accompanied by a horseshoe, rugs adorned the hardwood floor leaving little room for the tables locked chests that filled the remainder of the space. Seeing her reaction the mayor smirked, it was usually easier to talk to a pony of her nature in a room such as this, he found it was easier for them to recognize the power he held without having to use his already unmatched strength "take a seat here" he said sitting on the mat near his favoured reading desk. Rising looked at the stallion sitting in front of her, in all her years she had only ever heard of unicorns possessing such fine rooms in their towns, to think such a village would have a pony wealthy enough to afford this was unbelievable "may I ask why you summoned me here mayor" she asked trying to keep composed in the presence of such wealth. His smile faltered for a spilt second before he continued "simply to discuss payment" he said causing red flags to wave in Rising's mind "I do not remember asking the town for money mister mayor" he laughed dryly for a moment before replying "this is nothing to worry about miss Dawn I am simply here to discuss additional income issues". She looked at him quizzically raising an eyebrow "you brought many families home today Rising, this was no easy task considering the threat of the gryphons nearby therefore I believe some additional payment is in order" as he finished his sentence the mayor pulled a small bag of bits and threw it too her.

Her eyes tracked the bag and after grabbing in her mouth she pulled open he top and gazed at the bits inside "I appreciate hard and honest work Rising, and I believe all work should be rewarded in kind" Rising looked at the stallion whom bowed his head to her in recognition of her task. Between the coins and the kind words Rising Dawn felt ecstatic, unable to pay the full cost for a guide ponies following her often provided food or some of their belongings to make ends meet, this meant she would either have to haul heavy loads around and find somepony else to barter with at a nearby shop, coins however where universal to any trader which meant she could easily and comfortably restock her supplies and still not have to carry unbelievable weight or linger around in town waiting for somepony in the unicorn kingdom to have need for a very useless otherwise chair or cooking pot. She was wealthy for once, all thanks to the stallion's generosity "it is always a pleasure mayor Durning to help ponies in need of a new home" the mayor nodded "indeed it is, though I must admit ponies like you are becoming less frequent, especially with the gryphons about" she stopped smiling and the mayor realized his error "but raiders are still rather diminutive of threat when you have the protection of the walls and the archers up here safety is a luxury the ponies you brought here can now enjoy" he said quickly and apologetically. Rising nodded but the flattery put her instincts back on notice "thank you mayor but I simply strive for my son and myself and deserve no greater title than any of your farmers" she said modestly "speaking if which I believe I must go collect payment from the other ponies and talk with my child" she picked up the coin bag and walked from his room nodding to him as she left". The mayor sat in silence for a moment before slamming his hoof to the ground, he knew words were not his strong suit, but to remind her of the gryphon was so foolish even for him at such a late hour, still angry he walked to one of his chests and pulled a bottle from it. He pulled the cork seal and drank the sweet smelling liquid as the morning began, he mare would continue to be trouble for his small town but despite his size he knew could be subtle when he needed to be.

Shadow waited for his mother's return, the eager colt barely able to sit still. He had been petrified with sheer terror and once again his mother had saved them, this time however she did something he had never seen her accomplish. A crowd of ponies stood in her way and in the way of a timid mare who was suffering a life a cut at the hooves of her husband who refused to let her be helped, the guards couldn't help with all of their muscle or their spears, and who should come to her rescue but another mare, his mommy. She stood against a stallion something he heard mares should never do and talked. And the crowd of ponies stood in silence hanging on her words like he was, and against all odds the mare got help, he looked away when he saw the mayor walk away with her and instead looked at his bleeding pony. His mother left him in charge of comforting the stallion and if she could save a mare and stand against a group of ponies and the unspoken law, his soul be damned he wasn't going to let his feelings stop him. As the blacksmith came over to seal the wound he began to talk to the stallion whispering in his ear just as his mother did, he couldn't emulate her soothing tone quite as well but the stallion didn't flinch as his wound was closed up. When the blacksmith asked him if he was going to be alright he nodded and continued to speak to the semi-conscious stallion, repeating the phrase and adding some words of his own making the stallion finally blink. He could see his mother walking back now with a small bag held firmly in her mouth.

Fighting the urge to run to her and take some of the luggage she was still carrying around he stayed near put and continued to care for his patient. Sighing heavily she released the bag letting the small pouch fall at her sons feet following with the rest of her shortly "good evening Shadow, how fares our friend here" she replied with her face in the dirt. He smiled and gently moved her muzzle from the ground nodding feverishly "no problems with the blacksmith" she asked smiling as he shook his head "still adamant about not speaking at writing time". He looked her in the eye for a moment satisfied that she remembered the sacred time they both put aside in the evenings teaching him to write and read, letting go of his mother’s face he began to trace letters in the dirt. Watching her son's best attempt at a word Rising tried to keep her thoughts focused on the ground before her. She would normally wait until she had collected all of her pay from ponies and found a place to sleep before writing with her son, however between her tired muscles and the fact that ponies had been killed and injured in her company she decided to let the matter rest. At least until morning came. Finished with his message Shadow sat puffing his small chest out in pride, she looked over the writing scrawled in the dirt and uttered a small laugh filled with mirth "you misspelt 'mayor', I'm fairly sure he would be offended if you called him a big girl" the colt grinned sheepishly and corrected his message. As he wrote the stallion stirred, he rolled his head towards Rising and her son his eyes fluttering trying to focus on the image beside him. Shadow stopped his writing and looked back toward his mother who had immediately gotten up and walked to the stallion and sat beside him.

His eyes blinked again trying to make out the pony beside him, he tried in vain to talk only uttering a low gurgle before faintly putting a hoof to his throat "no no no" Rising said gently holding his hoof midway "you're fine don't worry" the stallion looked up at her and blinked twice. She sighed in relief at his reaction, thankful that he was actually responsive instead of mindlessly following her, even when she confronted the mayor, and the gryphons, and even on the point of returning from shock he seemed calm and composed in her presence. She quickly glanced back at Shadow who was looking intently into his eyes "Shadow dear can you retrieve the blanket from my bag please". Watching her son leave she leaned in close to the stallion "thank you for staying with me, I- I'm sorry I couldn't" she looked again at the stallion, his face was relaxed showing no aggression or enmity toward Rising, the notion of going as far to silently forgive her making her all he more frustrated "it's my fault your like this" she concluded closing her eyes. She felt another hoof grab hers and opened her eyes again; the stallion whom she barely knew was holding her hoof with both of his. Shadow pulled the large woven blanket from the backpack and turned to see his mother given the stallion a hug. He was about to cry out in anger when heard his mother sniffle, he stopped in his tracks and tried to process what he heard, his mother the unshakable and unbeatable traveller had just shown weakness. He walked over to her and hugged her in turn, the pair both looked at Shadow who in return threw the blanket over them "I will take first watch tonight" he said assuredly. At a loss for words he walked over back the pile of bags and stood watch for any who would steal from them as they slept. Rising watched her son for a while longer before laying her head down and letting her exhausted body rest, the stallion placed a foreleg over her and finally closed his eyes promptly fell asleep, exhausted in body and mind she closed her eyes and waited to follow him for a change, despite the small sting in her leg or the nerve wracking worry she felt about the place she was in she at least had a shoulder to cry into, or in her case sleep on. Too tired for tears or thoughts she fell asleep glad she finally had somepony to lean on.

Chapter 2 loyalty

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The sunlight finally rose over the spiked palisade walls and shone into the eyes of the ponies sleeping in its shadow. Still curled up against her stallion Rising Dawn lazily tried turning her head away from the irritating beams of sunlight, she twisted her head against the chest of the sleeping pony eager to continue listening to the strong beating of another pony's heart. When her ear touched his torso her mind slowly processed her surroundings, she couldn't hear his heartbeat, she couldn't feel his chest rise and fall. She could no longer feel his warmth. The pony she leaned on, who followed her, who trusted her. Who may have even loved her lay dead. She felt the familiar sense of dread and revulsion creep back sending shivers through her entire body, once again just like the morning a decade ago she was alone in the world. Grimacing her mind fought back against the memory, she wasn't alone she had Shadow now, her precious Shadow to love her.

She opened her eyes and lazily sat up looking at her son who was still standing guard beside her backpack occasionally teetering forward then realigning himself and shaking his head to clear the drowsiness away for good measure. She looked back at the dead pony beside her and brought the blanket over his peaceful face. A proper burial would need to be conducted by her seeing as nopony had come to collect him yet. She tried to stand feeling the usual soreness from fatigue mix with an unfamiliar sting in her right leg stopping her efforts to rise entirely. Gritting her teeth she held the temptation to call for help on the tip of her tongue and slowly started to stand up. He pain reached bearable levels, but every silent step she took toward her son sent spasms of heat into her body as if something was driving a hot poker into her. She momentarily paused as she recalled her efforts last night, she was so exhausted from meeting the mayor she had forgotten to see the blacksmith about her wound and instead went to sleep with. She shook her head and kept walking toward the nearly asleep Shadow guarding her bags and prodded him with her hoof "It's my turn to watch the bags now, Shadow" she said softly. He slowly turned his head toward her and looked at her with bloodshot eyes "it's okay mom you can go back to sleeping with mister blue pony" his head wobbled for a moment and Rising instinctively reached to catch him "I'll just keep an eye out for the ponies that steal things, like the hearts of mothers for instance". Her jaw dropped "Shadow how dare you say that" she scorned "say what, that after knowing a pony for one trip it's okay to sleep with them" he nearly fell again catching himself just before his head hit the ground "what has gotten into you" Rising asked walking over to him.

He realigned himself and futilely tried to push his mother away "what's gotten into me? What's gotten into you" he exclaimed silencing his mother and drawing stares from some on duty guards in the tower above them. Despite her frustration seeing something upsetting her son like this was more painful than a few words against her pride "Shadow what's wrong" she said in her most gentle tone "it's not fair" he whined looking tired and defeated "we were doing fine without dad why do we need another one now" her son hung his head and continued speaking as rising walked over to him and hugged him "I thought if I helped enough we wouldn't need another dad" he sniffled and looked at the ground "but I can't even speak to other ponies" another sniffle escaped him accompanied by a tear "I'm so pathetic, look at me I'm even crying" he wailed burying his head into her barrel. She patted his back and held him tighter occasionally glaring at any passers-by who dared stare at her. Shadow's tears eventually stopped and Rising lay him down near the bag along with herself and began to stroke his mane. Shadow’s body remained tense and kept rapidly breathing in his traumatic state. The colt had probably been up all night trying to guard the bags letting her oversleep her fair amount; she mentally cursed herself as Shadow’s tense body began to relax. As minutes passed his sniffles became soft snores and Rising allowed herself a small sigh in respite before she began to work out the usual day's chores hoping to find some time for her son, and of course burying the stallion. She glanced at her leg which had formed a blackened scab over the wound and tried to gauge how difficult today was going to be. She put weight on it again and tensed up at the burn of an injury, yes today was going to be eventful indeed if she couldn't walk. She glanced at her son who was still sleeping peacefully by her side, he could easily collect the money owed from her trip and an inn keeper would probably take more pity on a child than a weary traveller. Money and time saved all if she let her son do her work for her.

She closed her eyes and the memories of the river village where she grew up flashed before her eyelids, images of happy and well fed ponies who could afford resting once while walked around their peaceful village celebrating the harvest moon sharing their produce with the rest of the villages save for two; Riverstone and Rising Dawn. River was carrying a huge basket on her back laden with fruit and freshly harvested wheat while Rising was walking beside her carrying an equally large basket with roughly half the load the River was; though she remembered telling River despite her apparent disbelief that her fruit was heavier and there for they were equally burdened with food. The pair approached the town and was greeted by the smell of tobacco and the sound of a few dozen voices calling out in joy. Her memory of the next parts of her evening were blurry at best but Rising Dawn would always remember finding Riverstone afterwards carrying far less food than when she started out with, she had succumbed to a bleeding heart and given most of her stock to some peasants who had enjoyed themselves too much and had run low on stocks. She of course had given them some of her food and in the process had to return to the fields to make ends meet missing the celebration and any meals for the rest of the evening.
The fable didn’t end with a teachable lesson though as Rising refused to believe ponies were that foolish without any ale being present and after a short search found the same beggars going after other townsfolk with the same stories they had told River. Even after she retrieved the food and apologised to the innkeeper for the broken furniture River refused to accept the food because of her own foolishness “I would rather be a dependable pony than dependant on others” River said sourly as she continued working. Rising remembered trying to reason with her but eventually she simply gave up and dragged her back to her home when she wore herself out trying to harvest three times the amount even the strongest stallion could manage. She shook her head to clear her mind and resumed running through her chore list; there was no way she could let an injury such as this go untreated for long and with only so many places one could be at any given time shadow would have to step up. She looked back at her sleeping son “five more minutes then” she said laying her head back down “just for you”.

Shadow woke to a wooden ceiling and the sound of conversation and fearing the worst immediately shot up and looked around the room he was in. The building was one of the nicer ones he had the pleasure of entering considering it was still standing and made of solid timber rather than vine and bark used in the temporary shelters him and his mother were used to. He shifted around on the pillow he had been sleeping on and explored the room, if his mother had let him fall asleep and left him he would usually have to clean and repair the tools they brought with them on their journey and then maybe have a stroll around town for a bit.

Supressing the urge to call her out to her he began to look around the room; he was never separated from her for long and the few times he had woken up without were only three hour waits at most. Regardless to what he knew he always felt scared when he didn’t know where she was, his dad had already left them and he couldn’t begin to imagine a world without her. Finding nothing he paced around the room trying to calm down, she was probably just going out to get their money and had taken the supplies with her just in case she needed to trade, but then again what if she was out with the blue pony. He stopped walking and shuddered at the thought of a new dad and slowly turned to the doorway knowing there was only one viable option left, looking for her in a village.

Despite his desire to know what happened to his mother and their possessions Shadow hated towns, he could handle forests were the wildlife would either have the decency to hiss or growl at him before shying away when he waved their torch at them or try to trample him before he ran to the safety of the shrubs or hid among the tress or grass. Ponies on the other hoof were occasionally smarter than the average Timber wolf or Manticore and in towns he didn’t have the any trees to hide in if they tried to attack him, and now he didn’t have his mother to protect him either. He briefly glanced around the room again, it wouldn’t help him find his mother but it was at least safe from other ponies bothering him.

He glanced out the doorway again knowing that while he may be safe his mother could be in danger, what if the pony from yesterday was angry and wanted to settle a score or worse yet the pony wanted to leave and was taking his mother with him! He dismissed his fears and walked down the corridor making sure that he didn’t look any of the grown adults in the eye as walked by. The inn or more accurately tavern where she left him was a two story building that rented four rooms to ponies who travelled between towns and needed a place to stay, the unusually slow trickle of visitors recently though had driven the owners to start drifting to other areas of business and thus the unused rooms became fermentation areas and the main room a brewery and bar well known as the only place in the village to find any sort of beverage. Seeing the unusually large group of ponies chatting and drinking murky liquid Shadow swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat and weaved his way through the crowd trying to find an exit over in the midst of the massed bodies. He was halfway to the door when the bar pony called to him “you there are kid, are you Shadow” he turned to answer him when until he saw the number of ponies looking at him “well?” the another pony asked.

He shook his head and bolted towards the door finally free of the massed group “hey” called a voice from back inside sending him running around the side of the building. Once out of sight his breathing returned to normal and he swore in relief, perhaps a dozen potential threats and nowhere to hide from them. He promised himself he would try scaling the walls from his window rather than go through the main entrance again and cantered away not intent to waiting to see if they chased him. It was roughly still mid-day as the colt walked around the outskirts of the buildings trying to remain out of sight and find his mother at the same time. While he walked around haplessly searching for his mother around a pair of crimson eyes watched from the darkness and silently followed him, he had just turned a corner reaching one of the towns few dead ends between a pair of closely built huts, he would be trapped and have nowhere to turn to.

Shadow was becoming worried now; his mother was nowhere in sight and he didn’t know the layout of the land he was in, out of his element and worse yet growing increasingly frantic. He walked behind a close trio of buildings and sat down making sure he was out of sight before he closed his eyes and tried to calm his nerves, of all the things his mother told him she was sure to put emphasis on staying calm “panic kills more ponies than pursuers” she said once after the hiding in a tree for two hours with him, it was a nice day though since he got to spend some more time learning about forests. The figure watched its prey sit down and shut its eyes; it felt a strange sensation seeing how distressed the colt looked, it felt for pity for this one and unlike the others it had pounced on before this one trigged a new feeling in its head, doubt. It quietly positioned itself in front of the colt debating whether or not to strike with such feelings; this method had served it well in the past so why not now? The colt raised his head and was a mere second away from seeing her, she was in front of it and there was no turning back at his point, it was bound to work she was depending on it.

“Hi” shouted the filly sending a shocked Shadow into the air with a small cry. He landed on his back and stared at the laughing filly before him “so you can talk” she said walking over to him “or at least yell I really don’t remember you talking to back to me but I guess that was because you were a little upset so can you talk” she said offering him a hoof to get back up. Shadow knocked her hoof away and turned back to face her, the filly recoiled and her smile fell “you’re not mad are you” he briefly considered pretending to be mute and deaf but quickly decided against having the relentless red and blue filly try and communicate with him non verbally. “No” he said flatly bringing a hopeful smile to the filly’s face again, sensing a nonsensical rant he immediately raised his hoof and more sternly repeated himself deflating her smile again.

“I thought you said you weren’t mad at me” Shadow shook his head and walked away from her. Just as he left the alley his ears pricked as he heard the sound of hoof steps and turned in time to see the filly walking far too close for comfort “don’t you remember me?” he shook his head still looking straight ahead for any signs of his mother feeling oddly safer being around the filly. “I’ll give you a hint my name starts with red” she said jovially “no” he replied trying to keep his deadpan tone despite her amusingly annoying voice asking him questions “almost keep guessing” she said walking faster to try and keep pace with him. Now becoming agitated Shadow considered his options; he could speak to the mare and eventually say something stupid, he was never very good at talking to other ponies his age or any age for that matter. Or he could keep looking around for his mother and if need be use the small filly as a meat shield in case something wanted to attack him, he smirked at the thought of throwing the filly at a bandit as he ran away to safety “is that a smile?” the filly exclaimed jumping in front of him “no” he responded curtly walking past her.

“aww come on at least tell me why you’re so unhappy” she knew something was hurting the colt and the thought of not being able to help him made her feel “no” retorted shadow “okay then” she said thinking for a moment before continuing “are you looking for something”

“No”

“Did you lose something?”

“No”

“Are you lost?” She was midway through asking her next question before she realised that Shadow hadn’t responded, his nose twitched and his eat flicked briefly “no” he retorted. Tired of the colt’s monosyllabic responses she tried her luck once more “are you looking for some pony” she asked looking for more minute expressions. His cheek twitched slightly before he responded giving her the answer, all she needed was a few more questions and she would get him to talk. “Are you looking for a guard?” only his mouth moved when he responded “the innkeeper” she said somewhat slyly as his eyes flicked towards her briefly before he repeated himself curtly. Tired of her rapid fire questions Shadow was about to run off when she asked “are you looking for your mom” stopping him in his tracks wondering how in the name of the stars could she have known that “am I right” she asked with a very poorly concealed anticipation. He didn't speak but by not answering he had already proved that she was right “I know where your mom is” she replied happy to help another pony when he immediately returned her gaze “yes” he said still looking concerned but more interested to find his mother than worry about something as trivial as his reputation in a town he would surely be leaving in a day or two.

“Yes what?” the filly said with mock confusion “I am looking for my mother can you tell me where she is”. The filly pondered for a moment before answering “I dunno I may need more information what does she look like” he shook his head, normally when ponies wanted to talk to him single worded answers usually kept them back “you saw my mother last night you know what she looks like” he said trying to keep civil “that’s right I was going to help with the stitching but my mom doesn’t let me near bleeding ponies she says it corrupts innocence”. Shadow snorted at the remembering how she thought the blue stallion was his farther and the filly caught it “do you remember me” she asked sounding hopeful “Red Thread while I appreciate your efforts to be kind I have not seen my mother since yesterday and I would very much like to know what happened to her and the ponies she tried to save yesterday”. She looked apprehensively into Shadow’s eyes “are you really that worried for her” he nodded and Red immediately returned to her usual happy demeanour “okay then follow me” he sighed in relief and trotted along after her.

An hour of walking with later he discarded his plans to dispose of the filly by throwing her to a bandit, he knew some ponies were simply bad to the bone. But after listing to Red Thread’s incessant attempts to try to get him to reply with more than three syllables he quickly determined that there were some experiences you just didn’t wish on anypony. No matter how evil they may be “and that’s why my the Mr Durning doesn’t like being called by his first name” she concluded “wonderful” he deadpanned back “aw your being all shadowy again what’s wrong”. At the mention of being ‘shadowy’ his recently discovered frustrated twitch went off again sending the filly into another fit of giggles as she watched him hold his face with one hoof and try talking at the same time “it is now mid-day and we have been across the town three times do you actually know where my mother is or are simply leading me astray”. She recovered from her laughing long enough to answer “well sure I do I saw her walk back into the tavern this morning” she replied still grinning innocently.

Hearing that he had spent all his morning with a filly three things immediately happened to Shadow; his legs became locked in place, his jaw dropped and for once in his young life he was speechless “Shadow?” Red asked poking him once. Seeing no reaction aside the miniscule twitch in his right eyelid she poked him again “you” he started still in disbelief “you knew all this time” She nodded eagerly, the carefree smile returning to her face “and this whole time I was walking around with you” he paused and swallowed while his mind still tried to understand how a pony could wrong him like this “why” he ultimately said.

“Because” Red started “why did you drag me through all of this” he interrupted waving his hoof around “my mother almost died yesterday, I almost died yesterday and now I have a deadbeat probably dead pony hanging on my mind who I still need to apologise to for threatening to geld him on the very same day he was nearly beheaded by a raider”. Red tried to speak again only to be cut off as Shadow continued to vent his now apparent anger walking closer to all the while “I don’t want to know how you got your flank marking or why fireflies gather around the town square at night right now I just want to go home”
He paused momentarily just realising how absurd having a home to go to sounded “so tell me why you dragged me away from my duties it’s the least you can do after parting me from them”. Red looked at the pony glaring into her eyes, after seeing Shadow arrive she knew the colt would need a friend but after hearing just how terrible his situation was she felt guilt getting the better of her. But despite her feelings she knew the colt still needed a somepony else to talk to, even if he was only staying a little while “because of a lot of bad things happened silly” she said softly “I know you want to see your mom again but she really thinks that you should take some time for yourself, it’ll be great” smiling sadly at the colt.
Unconvinced Shadow cocked his head “how would you know she wanted me out here” he replied harshly “because your momma’s really smart, and everypony knows that if you have a problem you can’t solve you don’t just beat yourself up about it, and if you can’t do anything about it being sad will just make things worse” Shadow looked at her digesting surprisingly decent statement about life “besides your mom left you a note in your mane and it fell out while you were walking” she said grabbing the note in mention from her own hair presenting it.
He immediately grabbed the cheap paper and softly began reading aloud “collecting money from the ponies due and having my sore leg bandaged by the local healer” he said the last word coming out more like a question “I will be back home at mid-day if not sooner, the equipment can wait another day to be cleaned go and spend the day walking around town and perhaps talk to some of the ponies, I’m sure that the little red filly” he stopped himself when Red Thread fake coughed to bring him back to reality. He stared at her blinking occasionally wondering what to say.
A minute of silence passed before he finally broke the silence “so” he began “you can read” she exclaimed throwing her hooves in the air “yes” he said quietly actually afraid of the filly’s next action for the first time since he met her “how why oh my ancestors doyouthinkyoucanteachme” and as if to appear more rational once she finished her sentence she grabbed him and held his face almost point blank to hers “maybe” he whimpered both in shock from how quickly she shifted through emotions and how he had somehow disarmed him entirely

“Bu- but that will take some time a-and I” he struggled finding an excuse to get away from the maniacal filly when held about an inch away from her face and now disturbingly large grin “yes” he finally said trying to get her to release him or at least stop smiling “really” she said in a disturbingly hopeful voice “s-sure just let me go” he said with his eyes darting around looking for some way out of the filly’s iron grip “do you promise”. “I swear on my ancestor’s graves” Shadow practically pleaded before the filly released him “great come on let’s get started” she said with her usual enthusiasm. Shadow took a moment to gather his senses to how the filly managed to overpower him before speaking “very well then” he started looking around the place “I need a patch of dirt and some sticks”. Red Thread nodded eagerly and began to lead him toward her family’s market stall, she might have used words to tell him but she was honestly too excited to care about the colt’s welfare for once. Reading was something unknown to her family and most of the village and if she could learn ponies would respect her and more importantly like her more than her other sisters, who were strong enough to work spinning clothing together and thus got more respect than be the simple thread carrier.

She led him via tugging his mane towards the centre of town, a trodden dirt road where a number of stalls where gathered to sell their various wares. Shadow marvelled at the sight of such of the town when he saw the vast fields full of crops surrounding the village. But the village itself was a sight to behold; guardhouses and the thick palisade to where sure to keep away invaders and beasts, the market however he had found the most surprising. The vast majority of the ponies that travelled with him and Rising Dawn yesterday had set up their stalls and were selling what looked to be anything but the readily available vegetables. Red pulled him near a dual wheeled cart where her sisters and farther were selling their signature pieces of clothing, cloaks meant to keep their wearers dry during the highly profitable raining season.
“Red Thread what are you doing here” one of her elder sisters said “I’m here with Shadow, he’s going to teach me how to read” she said holding Shadow close like a prised possession and beaming proudly “and pray tell what did you give him in return for such an honour” another one of her elder sisters replied sarcastically. Red Thread looked taken aback for a moment as Shadow glanced toward the her older siblings “she helped me find my mother” he replied reverting to his usual deadpan tone “looking for momma” another older sister said feigning interest drawing a small bout of laughter from the other two sisters “you got shafted kid” one said “look at this kid he’s as nervous as Grinding” commented another.

Shadow looked back at Red who was smiling awkwardly at her sisters’ comments “ I never knew it cost anything honest”. He shook his head in disappointment and walked away “hey wait you promised” Red called out much to the amusement of her three sisters. Shadow continued shaking his head and walked away quickly enough to lose her in the crowd if she dared follow him. He walked around the corner of the nearest hut when a small blue coated colt walked up to him “excuse me” he said in a timid tone far too close to Shadow’s own for comfort “you are the one Red Thread was walking with right” the colt asked while looking around for any pony in sight. Feeling mischievous for once thinking how the colt would react if he knew they sounded remarkably similar Shadow spoke to him, hoping to avoid gathering another ‘friend’ today “I was” he said doing his best to imitate the colt before him “and you were going to help her read right” he asked looking shyly toward Shadow
He refrained from answering rubbing the back of his head, if letters were so important around here the colt didn’t want his efforts to go unrewarded “I did” he said finally “really” the colt remarked, his tone changing completely “oh I mean really” he said quietly shifting back to his previous tone.

‘He only sounds like me when he’s sad, oh joy’ Shadow thought as he nodded “Stone” came a stern voice from behind him “oh no” the colt said turning away from the approaching pony “hiding from me behind buildings, you coward” the larger colt said walking next to Shadow “with a friend I see, finally tired of being alone are you” he said as Stone cowered before him “pathetic” he commented looking at Shadow for the first time “who’s the new colt” he asked nopony in particular “Shadow” Stone practically whispered “he was going to teach me to read”. The larger colt snorted before speaking “so the newcomer knows how read, what are you a unicorn?” He asked sarcastically “hey Turnip, Pot get over here”. Shadow took one glance over the shoulder of the colt and immediately knew what was going to happen. The colt obviously didn’t like him and was calling his friends for support in getting rid of him, as he saw two other ponies walk toward them he scowled as he saw his suspicions confirmed. The colt was about to turn back to him and with no ponies in sight to help him he did the first thing that came to mind, he ran. He was two paces away from danger when he barrelled into Stone knocking the pair of them over into a heap.

“Nice catch Grinding” the larger colt said picking up Shadow with one hoof, feeling himself getting lifted by a single appendage Shadow fought the urge to strike back or struggle. His mother’s rules were almost always a matter life or death and when she told him to avoid causing trouble in town that meant no fights whatsoever “put me down please” the composed tone taking all of his effort. The Colt grinned and laughed cruelly at the smaller colt in his grip “or what” he sneered moving closer toward Shadow’s face. Unable to strike back Shadow twisted from the elder colt’s grip and rolled away from him, he was about to break into a run when he saw Grinding Stone run towards him with a small battle cry. The smaller colt smashed into him knocking him over “I got him Ore Pelt” he said still slightly dazed with the contact much to the amusement of the other two colts walking behind Ore Pelt “slippery hooves Ore?” the light purple one asked “and Grinding catches him in one jump, you must be getting slow” the other commented with a smug grin.

“You’re one to talk Pot Belly” Ore said walking slowly over two the struggling colts, he could have beaten the two of them easily but experience taught him that Grinding Stone was an easy target but, knew if he called loudly enough or ran for it the guards sometimes interfered and saved him. The outsider on the other hoof was bound to be tough and the children of travellers rarely fought back if they were outnumbered and after seeing the small colt indigo colt tackle some pony how was larger and looks tougher than him maybe Grinding was finally growing a backbone “hey Ore you want to take first hit” Pot belly said walking beside his friend while Turnip continued to stare daggers at Shadow “I’ve got a better idea” he whispered walking slowly toward the tussling pair with a sinister smile “I’ll make you a deal Stone since you’re quicker than you look” he said drawing the colts attention while still holding Shadow down “you beat this colt in a fight we’ll leave you alone for a while”.
Stone’s eyes lit up for a moment as he looked back toward the colt below him, Shadow had stopped struggling in the vain hope that they would grow bored and hopefully leave him be. As he saw Grinding’s expression change at the older colt’s words, he knew that look too well as that of hope and while he never regarded himself as having much tact he doubted there was anything he could do except either run or get ready for a beating. He tried to push the colt away only to have Stone swing a hoof at his barrel knocking the air out of his chest, the smaller colt struck again and again keeping Shadow pinned the ground while he used his fore legs to deliver blow after blow to his face and midsection. Seeing Shadow make no attempt to defend himself Ore joined in after a minute of continuous hits followed by his two friends, soon Shadow was being beaten by the four of them from every direction and rolled himself into a ball tucking his legs to his chest and around his head in an effort to protect himself from the flurry of kicks.

After what seemed like an eternity the beating stopped and the gang of colts walked away with Grinding Stone following closely behind them “nice kicking there Stone” Pot said patting his back “thanks” he replied modestly catching a glance back at the colt who was still tucked in a ball shaking slightly as he walked off. He felt guilty about catching the pony who had offered to be the closest thing to a friend he had in this village, but then again he was relieved that it was finally not him being the one beaten up. Shadow waited until he could not hear their idle praise over his attack before finally releasing his limbs slumping to the ground and doing his best to crawl towards a wall to prop himself up. The short distance felt like the longest journey he had ever walked as he reached the wooden edge of a hut as he leaned against blinking every now and then to try and clear his blurred vision.

A sniffle escaped his muzzle as he tried to hold back a tear from running down his face and keep the world from spinning. He eventually gave up and shut his eyes entirely trying to ignore his aching muscles and the taste of blood. Despite his exhausted state he eventually opened his eyes again and tried to walk back to the Inn where they would stay for the time being desperate to get some relief from the bruises that dotted his dark coat. He every step of the way made him grunt in pain as he limped back trying to focus more on the feeling building within him filling him with warmth and energy, he felt more angry than he could ever remember and the burning within his chest almost made the injuries around his body manageable. He smiled grimly as he reached the front door of the inn ignoring the stares and odd comments made by some of the patrons, if he could just refrain from limping his dark coat would hide the damage and he could go to bed and not have to explain today’s events to his mother who would no doubt worry about him. He would calmly walk into their room say he was tired and wanted to get some sleep for their writing practice tonight and ask about her day, he looked at his feet and the faces of the his aggressors that he had imagined himself delightfully stepping on the entire way home “probably should calm down first” he muttered as he walked up the stairs taking deep breaths.

Rising lay down into the soft straw bed the inn provided for bedding and practically melted into the thin sheet separating her from the bedding. Today had naturally been too much for a pony of her stature to endure. The ponies she led demanded reduced cost for the griffon attack which led to painfully long arguments and an unhealthy amount of threats of bodily harm and constant reminders that she only promised to lead them there and left protecting themselves to their own accord. Then after walking around the whole town with an open leg wound she had to walk to the back around the whole forsaken town looking for a newly arrived apothecary after the blacksmith and said the wound was already healing over and ‘too damned dirty ta seal’ and sent her across town looking for the illusive pony. The old northerner was a nice change to routine especially since she spoke his language well and he hadn't met anyone yet who could understand a word he said.
After a long and painful walk around most of the village she finally met the mysteriously covered up pony who had wrapped the wound up almost free of charge seeing how long she had walked around with such a bad injury for so long. Then she had to find the family of the blue stallion, the pony had come here to try and sell pottery and instead gotten killed following her when the griffon who had lunged at her struck her leg and practically severed his neck. She cringed at the thought and tried to remain composed at his burial when she was the one tasked filling his grave and decorating it with flowers picked from a nearby meadow. The stallion had no family left alive, no kin of his own and was the most dedicated to his craft and general company. He was the perfect farther for Shadow she could think of; he wasn’t selfishly trying to take the belongings of ponies who had to bury their own relatives and loved ones, he wasn’t cowardly enough to jump away from the griffon and let some pony else die, and he didn’t leave her even when he was on his last legs. And she had to include him in her prayers to her own ancestors to carry his soul from ground to his own resting place when she left to grieving group early to her room when the pain in her leg became unbearable.

She lay down and tried to sleep, the sun was still going to be up for another four hours but she could never remember feeling his physically exhausted, let alone emotionally drained from seeing mares howl and throw themselves to ground grieving ponies who were captured by the griffin raiders and didn’t even have a body to bury. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about the poor ponies that would end up as slaves in the raider port. Eventually the sound of approaching hoof steps reached her ears, she opened her eyes expecting see the landlord expecting his payment, but instead saw her son before her. “Good afternoon” he started struggling to keep a straight face and eye contact “why are you limping” she replied sternly “I uh” he rubbed the back of his head accidently hitting one of the bruises and wincing “did some pony do this to you” she said trying to stand up only to fall to the ground immediately.

Seeing her falling Shadow ran over to her “I’m fine” she said waving him away with her bandaged leg “the village apothecary bandaged me well” letting her son run his hoof around the bandage for good measure “it does it hurt” he asked tentatively examining the quality of the cloth used. She put her hoof to his cheek “Shadow did somepony do this to you” he lowered his head and nodded as Rising’s shock tuned to very visible anger “who” she said in a dangerously low voice “it’s over you don’t have to worry about it” Shadow started “who did this” she repeated gritting her teeth “I will heal in due time and hurting the ones responsible will only bring us harm” Shadow felt the familiar fire return to his chest and spread to his throat “who did this to you” she said one last time with a wild look in her eyes. “Does it matter” he replied scowling as he talked “we’re traders and travellers, the ponies here don’t trust us, they practically hate us” he said letting the anger flow into his words “anything we do anything we say they either won’t believe or run us out of town”. He stopped to look at his mother who as just as upset as he was before talking “you said it yourself, we can’t cause trouble where we stay so we can’t fight back if a couple of colts pick a fight, ergo while here we are helpless”.

Rising would have normally told him that you could most certainly retaliate as long as it didn’t leave them in a cell for the evening, she would then tell him that he was right to not cause a fight and leave the matter to her where she would calm the offending ponies down and one way or another walk away with more than she came to town with. Now though she was tired, wounded and had narrowly avoided death along with her son only a day ago. Now instead of being remained how little power she had over their lives she just wanted to chase down whoever had hurt her son when she couldn’t protect him and add another notch to one of their tools during a duel . “Defending yourself does not mean getting us thrown out of town” she said venomously “Guards are paid to keep raiders and thieves away not break up fights among foals” she spat. Seeing how angry she was Shadow thanked her and ran out the door “I’ll be back in an hour I promise” he said as left. Rising realised what she had just suggested and futilely tried to chase after him “Shadow” she cried falling to the ground clutching her leg. She tentatively pulled at the bandage and looked at the marred flesh beneath, the wound was bleeding again and the exterior had turned a dark blue “oh no” she said dumbly before another spasm shot though her.

Shadow ran down the stairs of the tavern ignoring the protests of guests he barged past and crawled under, the colt was far from caring about their welfare let alone his own. All that mattered to him was finding an outlet for the frustration he had built up during the day and the anticipation to finally fight back against ponies who had attacked him without recourse. He ran out the tavern door and began searching for the four colts full of trepidation about evening the score and then leaving the following day with his mother. A bitter smile graced his lips as he spotted Ore Pelt walking outside the city gates with the dark purple colt Turnip. He looked around the guard towers and counted four stallions armed with bows and spears all looking around the sky for invading gryphons and not paying heed to the pair of colts.

Shadow walked as quietly as he could toward the pair watching for any surrounding ponies who might intervene, despite his young age he remembered the lessons Rising taught him when facing off against larger foe. Though he expected his first opponent to be something he would feel worse about attacking namely a wolf, the concept of getting revenge was new to the colt and strangely appealing. He saw Turnip wave goodbye to Ore and walk in opposite directions and quickly stalked behind the purple colt before he walked too close to the guards. A few paces away he tapped the colt’s shoulder “what the” the colt exclaimed before Shadow reared around and bucked his jaw with both his hind legs. Rather than clutch his jaw as Shadow expected him to the colt roared in anger and immediately tried to push him over. He jumped to the side and struck his leg out tripping his opponent over and using the opportunity to pin him to the ground as he prepared to break the colt’s jaw. Turnip feebly raised a foreleg to stop him only to have it swatted away as Shadow mercilessly slammed his hooves into the fallen colt’s face. Several hits later the Shadow stopped his beating, glancing around idly for any witnesses “you remember this moment if you ever dream about going after me again you hear” he whispered to the colt who only returned a terrified stare “am I clear” he repeated grabbing the colt’s throat as Turnip nodded faintly in reply.

He released the colt and walked back toward the city gates looking for Ore Pelt, he stopped as he reached the walls and gave himself a moment to recuperate. He was still bent of seeing the bastard beaten but fight with the last colt had left him exhausted and drained all of his adrenaline letting the feeling of the bruising all over his body come back in spades.
He huffed and tried to focus on the image of Turnip lying down as badly hurt as he was clenching his teeth to fight the pain emanating from all around his over purple and now black spotted face. He grinned savagely and instantly regretted taking a step forward as pain spiked all around his body, he grunted and thought of tackling Ore Pelt in this state. The colt was larger if he recalled and since he led the two colts and Grinding Stone against him he would presumably be tougher, he would have to be lucky to land a single hit before getting his flank kicked. He glanced at his own hooves and sighed at the lack of muscle there, he knew he wasn’t strong but if living without a roof over his head taught him one thing, he knew some old ingenuity would work just as well.

Ore pelt was walking back to his house on the outskirts of the town. When he woke this morning he expected today to be the usual three hours morning work then a short respite talking with Turnip and Pot Bell about life, mares and how badly they were going to hurt Grinding Stone. He was usually worried when they ganged up on the small colt considering his father was the town’s only blacksmith and the town guard liked him a lot more than the pony who brought them their meals. When he heard about the nomadic pony showing up however it was just too good of an opportunity to waste, he didn’t yell out like Ore hoped he would even when they all started beating on him but there was still the matter of reputation gained when somepony beat up the supposed travelling tough guys.

A scream caught his attention and he looked to see Pot Belly being held upside down by a fully grown and stallion “where is it” the he yelled shaking the colt who only stammered incoherently in response. Ore laughed at the sight and crouched down as he watched the group of ponies gather around the colt mentioning something about a stolen dagger. Ore continued to watch the interrogation unfold as more ponies came over to scream at him, just behind him Shadow emerged from the bushes he was hiding in crept up behind on the laughing colt. He dropped the stick he was carrying in his mouth beside Ore and kicked the pony as hard as he could between his hind legs.

Ore screamed in pain and turned around at the stunned colt behind him with murder in his eyes, as the colt turned to run away Ore grabbed the nearest object he could find and began chasing after him. Shadow looked over his shoulder at the colt charging at him with a large lump of wood in his mouth and continued running toward the group of scavenging ponies. He didn’t hold much respect for ponies who made a living taking the possessions from ponies who died in battle or in this case from raiders attacks, he could share their sentiment when they took from actual battlefields and only the weapons from soldiers. He knew battle fields as rich ground for profit but when they took from ponies who were struck by raiders and wanted no part in conflict their fires and cooked meals never seemed as warm or welcome.

When he was being chased by somepony who wanted to bludgeon him to death though his opinion of them drastically changed “there he is thief” a mare shouted pointing her gigantic husband toward Shadow. The pony dropped Pot Belly who ran off supressing tears and the entire group of twelve mares and four stallions ran toward pair of colts appending them both. Ore Pelt realising the accusation dropped the block of wood in his mouth, he was about to clear his name before a mare picked up the wood and bent it back. Realisation dawned on Ore as he saw the stick bend but not break, he had stolen a stick made of yew wood, one of the most expensive items around.

Shadow walked away from the group as they dragged Ore back to his adobe. The colt had tried to explain the story to them, however after showing them the bruises hidden under his dark fur and told them his side of the story in their own language they had let him go without so much as an insult. As he walked toward the inn he saw heard a whimper come from behind the building and turned in time to see pale blue body disappear behind the wall “Grinding stone” he snarled as he rounded the corner himself. Though he was still sore he knew he had a list to complete and when he ran into his intended target at decent speed he found himself once again on his face somehow. Groaning in pain as he rolled over to see the colt holding a hoof against him and immediately grabbed it and prepared pull the colt off his feet and strike back. The hit never came though as Grinding Stone pulled him back up, seizing the moment he pushed the colt into the wall holding his neck with one hoof and pulling one back to hit him. Stone felt himself being pushed to the wall and closed his eyes bracing himself for Shadow to hit him in return.

A few seconds later he nervously opened one eye wondering what was taking so long “why” Shadow asked plainly with his right foreleg still poised to strike. Stone opened his mouth but said nothing; he had asked himself the same question over and over after finding himself walking away from the bruised colt with Ore and some others instead of being the one left behind. He felt relieved that he was not being hurt, overjoyed at the mention of being at least accepted by some of the other children around the village and for once he felt pride. He could go home and tell his farther that he had made some friends today, he remembered smiling and felt giddy when he thought about how proud his dad would be. When he left the company of the colts though he felt his stomach lurch, he thought it was just his nerves acting up with the anticipation of being accepted around the town. But then his conscience started to nag at him. When he went to check on the colt he couldn’t find any trace of him except the Red Thread who was also looking for him to apologise on her sister’s behalf.
He was pulled from his reminiscing when Shadow’s hoof struck the timber beside his face “why did you stop me” he repeated firmly “I’m sorry” Stone blurted shaking in Shadow’s vice grip “I just didn’t want to be hurt again please don’t hit me” he said cringing. Shadow looked over the colt once more before releasing him and dropping back onto four legs “you’re pathetic” he said venomously as he walked back inside.

As he reached the stairs to the Tavern the sun was just starting to turn a brilliant orange signalling the coming of the late afternoon “I have returned” he started weary but happy he managed to have his revenge “victorious from comba-” his mind stopped again trying to register what his eyes saw before him. His mother was lying on the floor twitching slightly, her bandage was stained with blood and had distinctive splotches of green and blue on it, her eyes where flickering and her mouth was barely open grasping for breath. His disbelief lasted a single second and all her advice and teachings save for how to identify poisonous plants disappeared from his mind. He screamed.

Two ponies came running into the room and froze at the sight of Shadow deftly trying to wake his mother up. Unsure what to do they went to the barkeep and told him of what they saw. Five minutes after the barkeep ran into the street screaming for help guards arrived on the scene and requested the help of the town healer. After twenty minutes of trying to find the healer Shadow had begun asking the villagers for gourd seeds. The blacksmith being the only pony who knew the plant ran outside gates alongside Shadow passing the newly constructed graveyard began looking around in the nearby woods for gourd seeds with the frantic colt. An hour after having found his mother poisoned in her own room Shadow returned to their apartment and with four seeds clutched in his mouth.

The two guards had been under orders to not let anypony in lest they try to murder Rising in her weakened state. Refusing to restrain the colt one guard was dismissed from duty and left the scene as his partner pushed the crying colt away crushing two of the seeds he was carrying. The blacksmith seeing such an act roared in rage pushing the stallion over clearing the way for the colt to wash the Rising’s leg with water and rub the remaining seeds over the wound.
After completing his work the colt collapsed into a hug with his mother and cried with her long past the point of sunset, seeing nothing to do the other ponies left the scene leaving Rising and Shadow alone.

Chapter 3 Picking up the Pieces

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Rising’s eyelids flickered as she opened her eyes. Her mouth was dry, her limbs were numb and the world was nothing but a blur of colours and blinding lights. Grunting in pain she closed her eyes again and tried to speak “water” she croaked trying to speak with her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She flicked her ears around listing for anypony around; it was completely quiet, eerily so considering it was supposed to be a village full of ponies. She wanted to open her eyes and look at her surroundings but she didn't trust her other senses, her eyes simply blurred objects and she could feel her one of her legs sweating, the other two shivering and her last one she couldn't feel at all. Mystified but not nearly enough to warrant fear she cautiously opened one eye and tried to look around her. Her vision was blurry at best but at least the light didn't burn her eyes quite as much as before and now she recognised the room she was in, yes it was the same room as when they arrived in Durning’s village. She couldn't remember the place’s name or if it even had one for that matter but her location never mattered to her that much when she didn't know where Shadow was. Her limbs where unresponsive and for that matter she could barely do more than croak and look around the room she was in how did this happen she wondered to herself trying to recall some of the details from the previous day.

Her gaze drifted toward the hard wooden floor her head lay on and the small puddle of drool that was gathered around her mouth lovely she thought rolling her eyes when something else caught her attention. It was just in front of her, a single black coloured nail with six red marks stemming from its centre radiating to at different angles a sun dial she concluded looking at the lines themselves. The closest one where the shadow of the sun was nearly touching was marked with the short-hoof symbol for water she used when making maps for the areas she visited. She feeling a wave of nausea passing over she blinked once and saw shadow jump so close to the line that it was almost touching thirteen minutes, but how? She wondered blinking again to clear her eyes, if she was seeing things hopefully shutting her eyes would clear them up. As she opened her eyes a wooden bowl filled with water had materialised in front of her and the shadow of the day had passed well over the marked line. A coded care schedule and means of telling the time, well done Shadow she though happily, before whining in fear. Every time she shut her eyes she was passing out or falling asleep, she was so delirious and weak she was now becoming delusional, she had her son caring for her every whim and for once she was utterly dependant on him. The words of Riverstone crossed her mind telling her to get up, telling her to not be utterly dependant on her own son. She tried moving her legs again and winced as pain flooded from around her body as the numbness receded. She gave up not even having moved an inch and stared accusingly at the bowl of water in front of her and tried to lick her lips.

Surprisingly her tongue moved without opposition, as did her jaw to some extent. Rather than marvel on how she avoided succumbing to the infamous locked jaw that sometimes came with open wounds she graciously lapped at the water in front of her making sure to not spill a drop and defiantly keeping her eyes open while doing so. The last thing she wanted to do was fall asleep and knock over her only source of sustenance. The shadow moved slowly across the floor and she felt weary again, her thirst out weighed her aching jaw though and she fought to keep her eyes fixated on the water in front of her and keep the tasteless liquid flowing. When she saw none remained she relaxed her muscles and closed one eye leaving the other on the miniature sun dial; tracking the slowly shifting shadow as it moved closer to the next red line with the inscription of ‘flower’ next to it.

Shadow looked at the field of flowers in utter contempt as he picked another group of herbs and placed them into the pouch he carried on his left side to disguise and clear the mud and moss stains he acquired falling down the hill he was collecting flowers from. The forest was a naturally dangerous place and regarded as pure wilderness for the majority of ponies in the village, the guards didn’t bother asking him where he was going through and unsurprisingly not one pony batted an eye as he stepped beyond the tree line. His tears were still fresh from last night and the fact that nopony followed him here was more of a comfort than anything regardless of the countless eyes of animals that watched him with malicious intent.
His ears pricked as he heard the sound of a twig cracking and nonchalantly turned his head toward the disturbance and saw the filly Red Thread looking at him with eyes wide in surprise. He turned back to picking the flowers from the field ignoring her and the rest of the forest’s sounds entirely. While he would normally fear for his life in such a situation right now he felt empty and depressed as he had the entire way through the woods and small town. Ever since he woke up and began tending to his unconscious mother he felt nothing but emptiness stalk him, ponies treated him as a ghost when he walked around them occasionally bumping into him. Few would have the courage to berate him knowing he was now an ‘imminent orphan’ or so he told himself. As he picked flowers Red walked over to him trying to think of something to say to make him feel better, she found no words though as she saw him carefully choosing flowers as if for a grave.

A minute of deliberation and him continuously picking a mix of herbs and flowers she finally settled on something she could tell him “I came here to apologise for my sisters”. He nodded placing another plant into his small bag “I forgive you” he said walking away to find more poppies “no they were really being mean and they just met you, they really shouldn't do that to ponies you just came into town” she followed him trying to push her fears of the forest away as she walked behind him. But the countless tales of poisonous plants and evil animals cashing her farther from his early flax fields kept returning to mind as she trudged along timidly looking around “you did nothing to me you need not apologise on their behalf”. Her usual smile had long since gone after seeing Shadow walk off in a huff after her sisters made their usual fun of her then immediately went to him, her smile disappeared entirely to a frown when she saw him running though the town centre literally crying for help to almost no avail “is your mom okay” she asked nervously letting her fear of the forest get the better of her.

Rather than answer Shadow stopped in his tracks momentarily and stared at the forest before him, his brain was avoiding the question all morning, even when he visited her to deliver water or change her bedding “I don’t know” he said letting a tear run down his face. Red wordlessly for once hugged him letting the colt drop his head in defeat, she couldn't imagine how she could cope if her family suddenly disappeared no matter how badly some of them treated her sometimes. Shadow didn't bother tensing or moving as he felt her fore hooves grab his neck, he was beyond caring about anything at his point except trying to keep Rising Dawn alive. He slowly shook his head letting the tear land among the foliage “there is no use crying about things you can fix he” he said gently pushing her off him “Rising Dawn will not die because I stood around crying”. Red felt her heart skip a beat; his mom wasn't dead! He was not collecting flowers for a grave he was doing some strange ritual to make her better. She was about to speak when another voice caught her attention “I” the low male voice spoke “I could help”. They both turned to see Grinding Stone walk out from a nearby bush, not daring to make eye contact with either one of them.

“What are you doing here” Red Thread snarled at the purple colt as he approached. She had heard of the dispute when Grinding stone and three other older colts beat Shadow to a pulp yesterday from another filly who was watching the entire event. She was going to tell the guards what transpired only to find that responsible colts had already been confronted by the prior victim and a band of heavily armed and angry scavengers. They each slept sorely after being beaten by the Shadow himself or their fathers when they found a large group of ponies demanding they punish them for theft. Grinding Stone was the only one who left untouched and after encountering Shadow and allegedly being let off free. As the colt entered Shadow’s striking range Red seriously doubted that he would leave this forest without new bruises after attacking her friend, the question in her mind was who would hit him first.

“I came here to help Shadow” he said looking apologetically at the dark colt “why should we believe you” she inquired causing the colt to cower slightly but still somehow remain standing “we heard what happened to your mom” the colt started “whose we, do you have some pony else with you?” Shadow looked around after hearing Red’s accusation, scanning the area for any movement “I came here alone I swear” the colt raised his fore hooves to defend himself hoping that Red Thread would stay as one of the few ponies in town who hadn't hit him “my dad was the one who ran into the woods to get find some plants that were supposed to help her”. Shadow’s eyes shot back from a nearby tree into meet Stone's “your farther came out here” he said venomously “y-yes” the other colt stammered meeting Shadow’s gaze nervously. For a solid minute Shadow neither blinked nor spoke as Stone slowly shrunk under his stare, he should by every honour code he knew return the beating given to him at the hooves of the small colt “I forgive you”.

“What” replied both Stone and Red almost simultaneously as Shadow simply undid the strap holding his bag and threw it around Stone’s neck “if you want to help carry this and follow me” the colt blinked in confusion but trudged along after Shadow as he walked to a nearby tree. Red stood her ground with her mouth hanging open, more surprised than upset at his reaction, Shadow the lean mean and antisocial Shadow she talked with yesterday scratch that talked to she thought, just let Grinding stone get away with causing him so much pain. As she followed Shadow to a nearby tree she never took her eyes off the Indigo colt carrying his saddlebag, he may have gotten forgiveness from him but if somepony hurt her friends she would be keeping an eye on him. Shadow stopped at the base of the tree looking up at the fruit hanging there, typically plants grown nearby earth ponies tended to have thinner limbs and larger fruit than average plants which made collecting the fruit far easier if you could simply kick the tree and gather the fallen fruit.

Wild trees like this one however where huge with thick branches and small fruit that was almost impossible to harvest by bucking it, the fruit however where roughly the same size as crab apples that grew where he lived for a while and due to the thin trunks the farmers had invented a new way to harvest the fruit without damaging the tree. He looked around the high branches and made some rough estimates "wait here and get ready to catch would you" he said as he coiled his hind legs and offered a quick prayer to prevent injury and if need be have one of his companions break his fall. Red walked beside the colt as he bent his back legs and fixated his gaze on the lowest of branches “you’re not thinking of-” he leapt toward the lowest limb he could find and sunk he teeth into it. Without hesitating he let go and hooked both of his fore-hooves over the tree and dangled in mid-air as the branch creaked under his weight “get ready to catch me” he said anxiously hanging three feet from the ground trying to pull himself to up and onto the branch.

Once he was safely suspended over the ground he turned back to his two slack jawed companions “is there a problem” he said jovially unable to keep a straight face at their reaction. Red recovered faster than Stone did and punched him “ow, what was that for” he whined rubbing his side “just making sure I'm not dreaming” she replied smugly “don’t fight” Shadow hissed suppressing the urge to shout at them “why” Red challenged “for starters we’re in a forest full of hungry predators” Red closed her mouth and nervously looked around for the aforementioned pony eating monsters. Satisfied that they wouldn't attract any attention while he was safely in a tree the colt began to cautiously walk over the branches of the tree looking for fruit to pass down to the awaiting collectors.

"Where did you learn to climb trees" Red asked trying to occupy her mind on something other than thinking how they were going to be ambushed "experience" he replied smiling slightly "I can't run very fast but not many beasts look up when they rely on their noses so much so you can hide from them as long as you can disguise your scent". She watched him as he elegantly walked to the very end of his tree branch and carefully dropped a hanging piece of fruit onto Stone's head "sorry" he muttered as he continued looking for fruit. Stone rubbed his head and put the offending apple into his bag without a word "is that why you're up there now" she asked still looking around nervously "there is enough room up here for all of us and this is the fastest way I know to get fruit" he replied dropping another apple down to Stone's waiting hooves "wouldn't it just be easier to buck the apples down" Red inquired looking at the thickness of the tree's trunk "even with us all kicking barely any would fall and even if some did the ripe ones would get damaged, this way I can pick the best fruit and pull you two up if we anything bad comes along".

Hearing no more questions Shadow returned to his work dropping several more apples down to Stone. He was making good time and if he kept going at this rate he could probably find some oranges before having to return home as long as he kept focused "um Shadow if you don't mind me asking what is it like living on the road". He tapped his chin in thought before answering Stone "scenic as long as you know what you should be looking at" he replied cryptically releasing another apple directly over Grinding's head "but what about the beasties" he asked deftly catching the fruit while timidly looking at Red who just rolled her eyes "you learn to deal with them" he replied. Red looked up at the colt in the tree, he was happier here in his seemingly natural element, normally she could barely get a word out of him but somehow up a tree he was actually answering questions from the traitors colt. Shadow was one cautious step from another branch when a high pitched wail swept though the forest, he fell but by sheer serendipity he tumbled toward another branch grabbing it firmly with one hoof "get up here" he whispered sternly grabbing hold of the branch with another hoof. Red tried to jump up, just missing the branch "grab my hoof" Shadow whispered nervously jumping to the lowest branch and extending a hind leg. Pulling Red Thread reluctantly into the tree Shadow saw Stone try to jump and barely leave the ground "leave the bag and jump up, come on" he whispered gritting his teeth as Rising's best and perhaps last chance was carefully placed at the base of the tree.

Secure in the tree Shadow hugged both of them and put his back against the tree to keep balance. His ears flicked back and forth trying to find the source of the screech, he knew that they would have little hope if the airborne predator was nearby and listening for the sound of wings only made him jumpy, but there was little else to distract him aside from the pounding in his chest. Tense minutes passed hours until Shadow delicately moved away from the quaking pair and looked around, hiding he could handle in any situation other than today, he could wait hours maybe even more than a day in a fruit tree such as this. Time was not a luxury he could afford though with his mother sick, he felt something grab him from behind sending a jolt of fear run though his entire body. Fighting the urge to lash out he whipped his head around to see the wide eyes of Red Thread slowly shaking her head, he shoved her hoof off his head and put his own over his lips uttering a near silent "shh" as he climbed up and silently looked around the skies, he would not risk Rising's desperately needed meal of crushed fruits.

And at the same time he could not bring himself to leave the two ponies who followed him here alone in the woods, he knew Rising was in very mortal danger, he knew that she was his only family left alive and he knew that the contents of the bag where her best and last chance. And yet he didn't want to just bolt and leave them behind "I'm sure other children do this a lot" muttered to himself as he climbed to the very top of the tree and peaked out at the clear skies above seeing nothing but forest and blue skies below and above. He let go of the breath he held and just as quickly filled his lungs “we should be clear now” he called “are you sure” Red called back “trust me you can let go of the tree now” he smirked making taking a last look at the sky to make sure neither of them suspected that he could see them huddled together though rows of leaves and branches. He was about to climb down when his thoughts caught up with him. He was relieved. He was used to feeling calm when it came to forests even without his mother there to protect him he knew the animals there like the back of his hoof and not even the deadliest of animals scared him when there was a safe place to hide any more. His mother was hurt though and he just sacrificed some of his precious picking fruit time to keep a pair of ponies he despised only yesterday safe. And he was glad they were safe when Rising Dawn wasn't. That scared him. Or more accurately it should, he couldn't hear his heart pounding in his chest or the creeping feeling of failure in the back of his mind, he felt calm “you alright Shadow” Stone shouted.

“I am fine Stone” he answered putting one hoof in front of the other while still confused about his feelings. Thankfully Stone caught on to his defeated tone and stayed quiet as the colt lowered them to them both to the ground “Shadow” Red asked poking his side “yes”. She took a deep breath before answering “what in the name of all that is holy was that” she exclaimed “not so loud” Stone said looking nervously around for the gryphon that cried out to them minutes ago “shut it Grinding”.
“Please don’t argue” Shadow said softly “No, no way. First you let this, this meanie here of the hook and then you lead us all up a tree and leave us there while you go looking for a gryphon” he looked at her with pleading eyes as she paused to catch her breath “what is the matter with you Shadow do you really hate us so much that you drag us out here to scare us that bad, I apologised for my sisters you should be mad at this bastard for beating you up”.

“Shut up” he said gritting his teeth at her “I don’t Stone because he didn't have a choice at all yesterday, when you have been beaten a hundred times and then some pony offers a chance to end it all how quickly would you jump” he shouted prodding her “you sure as Tuataras didn't just bring me to your sisters to say hello you wanted to brag to your elders” Red looked at him fearfully as he stood head fast in front of her “ I'm right aren't I” she looked away unable to answer.
He snorted in disgust “do you know the first thing I did when I found Grinding? I grabbed his neck and threw him away just after he apologised”. Red looked back at the colt and saw his expression change completely “It’s not difficult to see he had history with those colts and only a fool would miss the signs that he didn't want to be the victim for the millionth time. And no normal pony would beat a puppet on strings” he turned away from both Red and Grinding and began to walk to his backpack

“After I crawled back home all I could think about was getting revenge, and when my mother was in trouble all I did was run through the door on some foolish revenge quest” he collapsed in front of his small bag cradling it “I could have helped her and all I did was hunt down three colts for petty vengeance”. He wiped a tear from his muzzle letting the droplet fall to the ground “When I finally got home everything became a blur, momma needed me and I had left her, the anger inside me had left me and then ponies started to leave us, the only one that tried to help was your dad” Red looked toward Stone who was trying standing statue still absorbing every word that Shadow said. He decided to hide for the rest of the evening and the weight of choosing to attack Shadow had tripled “I don’t want to be angry, being mad just makes things worse. So I’m sorry I left you two alone in that tree but I promised nopony else would die because of me and I need to keep that promise” he quickly hauled the saddlebag onto his back and turned to around to face Red.

“Hate me if you want to or help me if you can but don’t take it out on anypony else when it’s my fault” his eyes were still red as evidence of crying accompanied by fresh tears stains down his face “I have to help Rising now and I do not have long please follow me back”. Red felt her chest ache; she often heard sad stories from the children of merchants that she quickly befriended that would often tell tales of entire villages flooded because they refused to pay tribute to the Pegasus clan or sometimes weeks on the road looking for a home. And as if to add insult to injury she called him a bastard. She slowly stood up and looked at Grinding Stone who was making his own way to them.Shadow waited until she was standing and checked to see Stone following him, he shot him a weak grin and headed off with both of them in tow “I believe I owe you an apology Red whispered in Stone’s ear “do you think she’s going to make it” Stone asked with a quivering lip “if I hadn't gone near him do you think that…” she swatted his side with her tail without breaking stride “oh no if somepony is to blame for this its those bullies”.

“But still if I said no do you think Shadow would not hate me” Red sighed walking closer toward the distraught colt “you two would be the best of friends” she said honestly as the sight of the palisade wall came into sight. As Shadow walked toward the inn he felt a hoof tap his shoulder “I have to have a talk with Stone here will you be alright” he nodded once and she immediately turned away “thank you for listening” he called “come around later if you still need a help” she called back “same goes for me” Stone added surprising both of them. Shadow allowed himself a small smile at the colt’s tiny outburst, he didn't seem like pony who yelled much and raising his voice wouldn't be a bad thing for his confidence.

He walked back home trying to push the feeling of loneliness away to the corners of his mind, despite the feeling of worrying for Rising’s life he doubted that either one of the ponies that followed him to the forest would want to speak to him again. “Maybe this is how Rising feels” he muttered aloud, ponies followed her all the time and dangerous routes usually led her up trees and off cliff faces all the time, she rarely received thanks for it even when she was returning lost luggage. He scowled at all the times he remembered scolding her for doing such dangerous things as a mother. He would try to think up safer paths or beg her to leave the pony’s things behind, and she would always reply with “there was no choice to be made at all” infuriating him to no end. And yet even when she was in danger he couldn't help but delay his return for the sake of two ponies. He himself didn’t know the reason why, he knew the facts and he knew the risks but the only thought that ran through his head was how they could all make it from the forest. He sighed in contempt and kept walking, if he started to act like Rising he was bound to suffer like her, and if he didn't find a way to heal her then he would die like Rising Dawn “alone” he spat breaking into a canter.

He was nearing the market place when the crowd of ponies made it impossible to run though, ducking and weaving with his precious cargo he noticed a familiar scent. Vinegar. He followed the bitter-sweet smell to a large stall that had been set up selling barrels full of pleasant smelling liquid “come on and all” the merchant cried standing on one of the barrels to the crowd shouting various details about the taste. Shadow ignored him focusing on the quickly vanishing stores the vendor was selling and the various objects going back and forth the merchants's guards and the various ponies, he would not have enough to buy any of the liquid itself and he didn't have anything to carry it in. Quickly battling his way through the crowd he found a stall the carved wooden bowls.

He hesitated when he reached the stall and looked out at the crowd busy pushing each other aside, there was little left and even if he did manage to buy some it would probably get spoiled as they pushed him aside. And if by some miracle he could carry it to safety he wasn’t depressed enough to venture to the forest for more fruit twice today let alone find any more herbs. He looked at his meagre holdings of fruit and flowers then back at the quickly disappearing barrels and back to himself, he remembered learning about antiseptics when he was injured himself and the lovely liquid could improve a pony’s chances tenfold if they kept the wound clean and sterile with it. It was also a valuable tool for breweries though and tasted much sweeter than fermented fruit when brewed correctly.

He looked at the few remaining barrels and the ponies eagerly hoofing over grapes and other various materials to waste the lifesaving liquid on home-made stills. A familiar anger returned as he pushed his way into the crowd he wanted to scream at the ponies that he needed this more than them but that will not save Rising he thought as he walked closer to the stall. He didn't need to be angry he needed to think. Taking a deep breath he looked around for any unattended barrels. I only need a little, perhaps I could beg a pony for a little of theirs, perhaps the inn keeper will have some, maybe I could trade a little of my fruit for the…his thoughts trailed off as he spotted a tiny barrel of bitter scented vinegar. Nopony was paying any attention to it, the smell was probably an indicator It was too bitter to be drunk, but still perfect candidate for medical usage.

He walked slowly toward the stage glancing at the stallion pulling a huge bag of citruses into a chest he’s not poor he thought staring at the barrel again he would not need this nearly as much as I he found himself checking around for any occupied guards and found nopony paying attention to him “guards don’t care about anything but keeping order” Rising’s words echoed in his mind as he hid beside one of the few remaining barrels. He could just take it, run back home and save his mother from her injuries, no ponies hurt, no livelihoods destroyed and best of all enough food for both of them tonight.

He felt fear bubble inside of him as his hoof inched toward the small barrel, images of him getting caught and put into the stockade flashed though his head withdrawing his hoof, another came of him having the guard prepare to remove his hooves for stealing. He winced as the imaginary blade came down and offending fore hooves twitched as a result, his life teetered on his decision. Get caught and he might as well be killed. If he could escape however he would live in a world with by his mother’s side, a world worth risking everything to live in.

His fore hooves darted toward the barrel and snatched it from its place, he swiftly undid the strap holding his saddlebag closed and put the small container inside. Satisfied the wood didn’t show through bag he jumped down and made his way through the crowd. With every step he took he could hear the crowd roaring for purchases, the stallion selling barrels raising prices, the clopping of hooves in outrage at cost and the all too familiar sound of his heart beating though his chest. Every step he took he expected ponies to lash out and take his belongings, he had seen wild animals fight for meals before and the situation he was in felt all too similar to being in the middle of a pack of wolves.

As he left the crowd the feeling vanished suddenly and like a heavy weight being lifted from his shoulders he relaxed. Walking slowly he turned back to see what must have been the entirety of the small town gathered together, the group had seemed miles thick as he walked though it and in complete disbelief in himself he simply laughed and walked away. He couldn't have stood among those ponies and not suffered a heart attack, he didn't just walk through them and take some of their precious treasure like meat from hungry carnivores. His nerves would break and his legs would give out in such conditions.

And yet the barrel was there in his saddlebag, safely tucked away like the precious treasure it was. As he reached the tavern his smile hadn't faltered as he walked up the stairs, things were starting to look up in the world. With the barrel beside him he could redress his mother’s bandages daily with the stuff, with the fruit in his bag he had enough for himself and her for the day and enough to keep her cared for until she healed.

He looked at the sundial drawn on the floor and the empty bowl of water and felt his spirits reach the sky. She had been drinking and was fast asleep with her chest rising and falling rhythmically, he quietly unpacked his bag and set about unpacking the apples for her dinner when she awoke, and with their equipment safely stored by the innkeeper they were safe, nourished and alive. Which in the life of a traveller was more than they could ever ask.

Chapter 4 Going Native

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“Where did we go so wrong” the guard said dramatically putting a hoof to his forehead in mock distress “the day is certainty dark my stallions if we have foals fiddling around with locks”. As the other guards laughed at their comrade’s performance Shadow slumped down in his cell trying to get comfortable in the rotten smelling windowless room. He had been practising his skills in picking locks when the guards caught him and arrested him for accused theft. Though tired he at least was at peace of mind in the dimly lit room with four grown stallions taunting him, he had been practising with that particular chest for an hour before it finally clicked and in hindsight he was a lot quicker in his second attempt before being accused of stealing the contents of the merchant’s locked chests.

He calmly put his head to the vile smelling floor and tried to drown out the sound of the guards’ banter. This was his seventh month living in the village and although he was staring at the reinforced bars of iron meant to keep ponies captive before their trials things were looking up for the charcoal coloured colt. The small fortune Rising Dawn had amassed had finally run out just as the final days of winter ticked over and the innkeeper, and now proud owner of a speakeasy some of the town guard secretly sanctioned, was no longer threatening to throw out some of their belongings after a series of quick sales made entirely by him. And perhaps the best of all events during the seven months he had been living in one spot, an ongoing record by about six months by his count, he had only stole twice.

The first instance for him was a barrel of vinegar from a very wealthy travelling trader just a day after arriving. He needed the liquid more than any pony in the crowd and after four weeks of usefulness he felt no shame when he offered the remainder of the liquid to the graveyard ponies, paying tribute to the gods with their pyre funerals. The second time occurred two months later and in retrospect the only difference for him was the absence of a upset stomach or a constant tremble in his hooves afterwards. Winter was a usually a tough time for everypony and without any fruit to pick from trees he feared the worst with little money available, this all changed when the town Mayor returned from a raider encampment pulling a wagon of food, armour and weapons. Feeling elated and unusually generous he offered whatever wasn't made of metal or tanned hide to the town and in the excitement Shadow made off with far more food than he would deem generous. Along with some vegetables that happened to be unguarded at the time, though nopony in particular would miss some less than spoiled cabbages when they were going to just throw them in the faces of ponies in stockades.

Under any other circumstances he might have felt guilty knowing he was betraying the unwritten earth pony code though stealing but he doubted any cleric would scoff at his crimes where nothing of value was taken and nopony was afforded any grief. A smile found its way to his parched lips as he lay motionless; the winter he had faced was undoubtedly one of the hardest he could remember. Even with a roof over his head for the most of it, the cold bothered crops more than anything and even the animals stockpiled their food leaving little in trees to scavenge. But despite the danger neither howling dire wolves nor marauding gryphon war parties had kept him from his meagre prises of fruit bushels.

And even when his forest failed him his friends prevailed, the word was still alien to his young tongue but he could not deny that since he met with Red Thread and Grinding Stone he had become somewhat close with the pair. Red when she could donated some pieces of cloth to use as bandages for Rising’s leg and for his part Stone usually waited patiently at the edge of the tree line to carry his bounty of fruit home, he had also offered him a job working as an apprentice with his father when the demand for a metalworker suddenly rose with mayor Durning’s return. The village was alive with change and activity and for once this did not startle Shadow, as much as it did before. With such hard times he found himself venturing to the forest in the peak hours of dawn and dusk looking for food and in the reminder of the day either sweltering in a forge as a metal smith’s assistant or a mouser chasing down vermin on the expanding farmland.

In his few hours of daylight when he was not working he was caring for his still weak mother changing bandages or bringing her food and drink, she would need more care over the next few weeks but she was finally stretching her limbs and could walk short distances without too much pain. Life was relentless work and sleep was a nearly forgotten comfort when his nagging mind kept whispering worries and worst case scenarios about next week’s rations while he lay. Despite this thought the colt was more than content; he had his friends, his family and his forest to ease his mind whenever it troubled him. One of the guards was doing now doing an apt impersonation of how one of Druning’s favourite mares would react to finding him rifling though their belongings while his comrades were chuckling along.

Ignoring their antics Shadow closed his eyes and tried to sleep off the rest of his time before they finally found him innocent. To his dismay though his body was exhausted his mind was still active, and as per usual he faced something worse than the disturbing vocal pitches of the town watch. Boredom. Opening his eyes he looked around the cell he was in, he probably could escape from the cell with these four watching him, the bars were not meant to hold prisoners his size as the villagers usually favoured the stockades to keep ponies captive. He would simply wait until the excitement died down or call one guard over, slip though the bars, steal a knife from the table or from a scabbard, use the knife on the guard then flee back toward the Inn, arrive home before dinner.

This was merely a collection of 'what ifs' to him though, his musings of elaborate thefts and daring escapes rarely came to his mind in the rare moments when he was doing nothing. He preferred his dreams which were often surreal rather than vivid, where he imagined being dressed in armour and usually found himself saving a damsel in distress, who was more often than not one of his friends in an unbelievably tall tree. He shuddered slightly at the memory of one evening waking up in a cold sweat and being unable to look Stone in the eyes without snorting with laughter after he climbed atop a giant citrus tree and slew a giant feathered beast and rescued a well dressed 'princess'. After the initial shock though he had to admit Stone did look good in a dress for a colt, definitely better than the stuck up unicorn he remembered walking though the market years ago wearing the same attire.

His regret though soon subsided as he joined the guards with a quiet, dry laugh of his own as he imagined explaining his dream to Stone, the poor colt would probably faint if he told him while in the company of anypony else save perhaps Red Thread who had become almost akin to a sister to him.

His rumination was interrupted when something rattled against the bars "you awake" came a commanding masculine voice "no" he replied hoping the guards would tire of talking to him and return to their idle chatter "oh good, that means you won't mind if I keep doing this then". The stallion continued to drag the his own metal object over the bars as Shadow put his hooves over his ears in an attempt to drown out the noise "oi" another voice shouted "stop with that racket or ill have you join him". Confused he opened his eyes wondering why the comrades where so quick to turn on each other, if living in town taught him anything it was that groups stuck together "yes sir, sorry sir" replied the colt standing in front of the Shadow's prison.

Satisfied with his authority over the small colt the guard turned back to his story as the alabaster colt turned back to face Shadow with accusing eyes "you stole from ponies". "Accused of stealing" he corrected "so you tossed the belongings away, you're still gonna be hung" He snorted in response becoming tired of the colt's presence already "what? No famous last words scum". Shadow opened his eyes and looked calmly at the colt "I won't be saying anything but thank you, after my I leave here" he said casually "you can prove you're innocent then?" the colt asked, both knowing full well that his chances of doing just that were slim to none "I can prove i'm, not scum" he replied standing up and walking toward the colt. This usually worked on ponies he didn't like and 'the walk' as Stone called it was a work in progress, he had learned to stroll in a particular manner that had a specific effect on ponies, namely they no longer regarded him as a child when they were older and younger or similar aged ponies usually backed away.

It was probably some earth pony magic as Red had him believe, though he was inclined to think it had something to do with the second attempt Stone's tormentors made a few weeks ago. "A stinking thief like you, unlikely" the colt remarked "its simple really, I'm really surprised you missed it" he said trying his best to intimidate the colt. So far he had yet to flinch as Shadow sat down directly in front of him, this called for a special piece of advice his mother used when ponies started to question her right to be a leader as a mare, and so far it had rarely steered her wrong.
"Scum doesn't look anything like me for starters" the colt tilted his head probably wondering what he was trying to say "and what does criminal scum look like" he said confidently "dark green, usually around lakes" he started staring above him in mock deep thought "obviously" the colt replied unamused "has a blue mane" he started taking a small pause to enjoy the colt's confusion "well I have only met her twice". He let the colt look at him like a madpony for a few seconds more before replying.

"Pond Scum, the mare who cleans out lakes to keep her frogs healthy, and sometimes gives away free herbal brews, I'm guessing she would wear her winter robe if she ever wanted to steal something but you can't really fake size so there, I don't look like Scum if she ever turned to the life of crime". The colt scoffed "its a wonder they haven't hung you yet" he replied hopefully joking "well they were nice enough to hold of the nose until they found some actual evidence". The colt's expression immediately darkened as the words left Shadow's lips "don't count on getting free, they town watch will find your stolen goods" Don't want to be friends then? Very well no skin off my nose

"Oh the please if the guards really thought I was guilty they would have put me in the stocks not some piss poor excuse for a prison" the colt's brow immediately furrowed at Shadow's reply "who do you think you are" he growled "I happen to be a really nice pony who had the misfortune of stumbling across a pair of inept defenders". The colt pushed his face against the bars forcing Shadow to recoil "coward" he taunted as Shadow regained his composition "amusing that you say that from outside the bars isn't it" he said. Before the colt could respond Shadow grabbed his head and yanked it through the bars "help" the colt cried.

"Guards my fellow inmate is threatening me" as the guards stopped their conversation and looked at the cream coloured colt with his fore hooves against the metal poles struggling to pull his head out of its prison. Two of them quickly broke into laughter as the sight while the third went to help him "keep out of trouble Cross" he said as he removed the colt's head between the bars "just don't stick your head into other's businesses and you will be fine" Shadow quipped sending the two guards back into a fit of laughter. The colt scowled at the two only causing more laughter at his expense. As the guard walked off the colt sat away from the cell bars and continued to scowl at Shadow "don't be so dull" he said sitting back down on all fours "I am really not that bad of pony once you get to know me".

The colt said nothing and looked at a nearby wall. Sighing Shadow lowered his head and prepared to get some sleep, if he was lucky he might be set free with the arrival of the mayor, if not then the evidence was in his favour. Even with his status as an outsider and the towns only pony that had to catch his food in a forest meant he would receive some mistrust from social stigma against wanderers and his lack of money did peg him as a suspect. But being at found at the other side of town with Red and Stone perhaps a minute after the goods where reported missing was hard to argue with, especially with some of the town on his side at least if his friends could stallion up and speak to the guards.

Satisfied with his safety he tried his best to get comfortable and catch up on some much needed sleep. Despite his hopes though his thoughts kept drifting to the colt he just shrugged off. He shook his head in attempt to clear it, only having a bog iron cluster appear on his flank, he quickly banished the thought of becoming like Iron Pelt, it was mere self defence and humiliating somepony did not equal to physical violence let alone years of it. And yet I embarrassed him in front of in front of the town watch.

He watched the colt sitting opposite the his cell peering at him and the room focusing on the corners, doors and the bars. Probably still thinks I intend to escape, the bars were easy enough to slide though after all despite being the funniest thing he had seen admittedly for months though he could feel the unfamiliar sense of guilt as the colt quickly glanced back at the chuckling guards. He was beyond denying that he saw the admiration expressed by the colt, the quick to defend nature when his role models was threatened and of course the longing expression when he looked at the guards joking with one another.

"Since you are so keen on keeping me contained here would you mind telling me who sent you here" he asked trying to get the colt talking "no" he muttered narrowing his eyes at him "what is somepony paying you large sums of coin for secrets". The colt's expression didn't change as he simply said "rot in the ground" and resumed glaring at him Oh for the love of the stars please don't be another Grinding Stone Shadow thought, his patience was wearing thin due to exhaustion from his daily work and the last thing he needed was another enemy.

Running out of ideas he prayed silently that the colt was as tough as he looked as he began speaking "well whoever is paying you to watch me clearly knows he stuff if a colt can keep an eye on something better than a guard" the colt didn't respond. He cursed his guilty conscious and kept talking hoping to get a response "after all it seems like you could probably think up a better means of keeping me here, what say you random wannabe warrior what would you do to keep me locked away".

"Get a gag" the colt replied bitterly "fair enough" he replied smirking "but then how would I confess my imaginary crimes".

"Like the one where you beat up three ponies" the colt replied damn it he knows about the first time "then tried to so called 'cleave them in twain' with a bow knife" and the second time he corrected watching the colt look at him with convicting eyes "I did not try I merely threatened to".

"Same difference, they came to the guard post almost shaking after you chased them" Shadow cocked a brow at the mention of a guard post. The only places guards congealed was at the city markets, the towers along side the gates and the mayor's homestead. And who spoke in such a ridiculous manner. He pushed the queries from his mind and focused on clearing his name "any chance I could share a funny story then"

"By all means, don't count on anypony hearing it" the colt said turning away from him "excellent, it is a fine morning as far as they come and I happen to be next to my good friend's farther cutting arrow shafts for the guards. I am on my fiftieth when I notice the Grinding has been gone a bit longer than usual for a quick errand and ask go find look for him".

"I find him just behind the newly built hut being held by the neck with his back against the wooden wall by three older and larger colts, the same older and larger colts I had to misfortune of meeting just shy of a month ago for a savage attack outside the notice of any ponies, town watch or simple resident. I ask him to let my friend go lest I call the town watch and when they simply laughed at me and challenged me to a rematch I ran away"

"Typical" the colt scoffed "I'm not done yet, when I demand they leave once more Iron decides to break our agreement to leave us alone, us being Red, Stone and myself and claims he will have me thrown in jail, like this one may I add, and then kill my lame mother in her sleep". The colt's ears fold back as Shadow closed his eyes and continued talking with an apparent sense of dread.

"So I reach into my saddle sack and pull out the fletching knife that I have been using for the past hour and politely inform him that if he wants to make death threats with a sinister smile on his face I could give him another to match". The colt blinked while Shadow simply scowled at the memory.

The blade was blunt to the point where he doubted it could be used to pick teeth, and both the colts staring him down looked ready to kill, and the most terrifying part of it all was they could, he was an outsider after all and these things happened all the time "maybe you didn't hear me the first time I said this, walk away or I swear to the stars I will cut you a second sm-" his sentence ended when Stone suddenly lashed out and kicked the colt in his already bruised groin.

Iron howled in pain and dropped the colt. Stone landed roughly and almost managed to crawl away before his accomplice grabbed him and held him down, to far away and to inexperienced with a blade to do anything Shadow tossed it aside and charged into the fray tackling the colt and shoving him of Stone. They were about to run when a vice-like grip restrained him "you are dead" the colt rasped bringing his own leg up in preparation for another beating "oh Iron" came a the high pitched voice of a scarlet filly "what's your favourite colour" she asked innocently twirling the knife in her fore-hooves

He shuddered as the memory ended and opened his eyes to see the colt staring at him like he had grown a horn "it was not pleasant no" he remarked as the colt struggled to say something "I take it you didn't hear their side of the story" he asked while the colt continuously mouthed words "they threatened you with the life of a wounded wounded mother" he said after a good minute of searching for his voice "and a mare no less" Shadow mused as he fought to keep a straight face watched the colt's expressions shift through confusion and disgust.

"I cannot actually, you have proven desperate enough to pull my head between these bars what is to say you are not just lying to save your own pelt"

"Because that would be as pointless as carrying around baskets of rocks in my mouth"

"That is training cretin, if I wish to wear protect my town I must be strong enough to swing a swing a spear"

"And what of the other duties of being a protector, vigilance, integrity, half of a brain" he asked gesturing to the trio of soldiers who were still talking among themselves "say I wanted to squeeze though the bars and leave, do you think they would notice"

"There is a raider camp not half a day's walk from here" the colt exclaimed hoping his words would be heard by the stallions behind him "if the mayor is the only thing that stands between us and a band of raiders than who is supposed to protect us when he takes a short leave to discuss trade with another village?"

"Nice of him to tell his loyal soldiers rather than the dozens of farmers who live outside the walls"

"Have some faith in the town watch, we can keep order around even with the mayor's absence"

"The mayor expects this lot to keep order" Shadow said gesturing to a guard trying to balance an empty mug on the back of his hoof "that is not faith that is stupid or desperate"

"The guard is not completely useless" the colt replied.

Spears against the door, no archers in the guard towers let alone the entire village itself and sharpened tree trunks to keep out flying opponents, good work town guard I feel safer already.

"My friend you came in here without any prior knowledge of my supposed crime and demanded a confession, I can forgive your mistakes but not a grown stallion's"

"You where caught trying to break into a merchant's chest"

"In full view of ponies who notice if I even opened the accursed thing, I was looking at the lock itself because I have a near death mother and would like a lock on our door lest someone decide take her or our belongings"

"And why didn't you ask the blacksmith or perhaps the innkeeper"

"The Innkeeper’s broke and the only unicorns can make locks that are trustworthy"

"And why not just ask somepony for help"

"Oh really" Shadow laughed "did you come in here assuming I was a nice pony, the merchant threatened to call the guards when I passed by"

"That has nothing to do with your reputation things were stolen and he was simply being cautious"

"That is exactly why I am here, because somepony immediately goes looking for the outsider when something gets taken, because somepony who risks life and limb to take food from the forest every morning instead of a nearby farm is more suspicious than somepony who was born here".

"And why should I believe someone who could be just another thief that pins the blame on pestilence"

"Because I will always have eyes on me thanks to Iron and his friends, I will always have a guard question me about the cabbage I'm holding if I don't get Red to bring it home for me, or somepony refuse to buy the items I make for them unless Stone said he made them himself".

The pair sat in silence as Shadow continued to breathe heavily after his rant "I mean no disrespect" he said finally breaking the pregnant silence "I must be more tired than I realise, I apologise for insulting you". The colt sat quietly as Shadow got lay down with his legs underneath him and rested his head "thank you for at least listening, and taking the time to find out what happened"

"No problem" the colt said as he turned and left. Shadow watched him walk right to the doorway and pause half way though the entry, the colt looked at the spears leaning against the wall for a long moment before turning back toward his cell. "How easily can you fit through the bars" the colt asked "as if they were never there"

"Prove it" the colt said backing up "don't worry about them they won't care" he assured as Shadow got up on two legs "if you insist" he said fitting his right foreleg though first then angling his head through. To the colt's amazement and slight disgust at some sections of his body like his barrel Shadow stood unharmed before him at the opposite side of his cell "I believe that is all of me" he said jokingly running his hooves over his body and checking the bars for any bits he might of left behind. The colt nodded as a smile crept to his face "now what" Shadow asked.

Still grinning the colt causally walked up to the guards table and tapped one "they found the vegetables the prisoner is free to go now" the guard nodded once and returned to his conversation. Still cautious Shadow crept behind them and quietly made his way outside "thank you" he whispered to the colt "don't let me catch you in here again blank flank" he replied sternly "right, see you later mysterious saviour"

"Cross" the colt said "pardon me"

"My name is Cross Guard" he replied extending a hoof toward him "Shadow " he replied accepting the hoof-shake "just Shadow"

"My name makes me sound more like a thief or follower, and it is rather unusual for descendant of a northern tribe" he admitted "when I say Rain Guard what comes to mind".

"Pegasus"

"Then you know what my brother has to deal with, tell me" he sighed and looked back at the guards "Seizer" he said confident that nopony else had heard him "and I know it is an odd name don't ask me why it was given to me". The colt nodded and turned back to the prison hut "have a nice day Shadow" he called walking inside "actually Cross one more favour if you will".

Cross stood in the doorway looking at Shadow quizzically as the colt walked to the doorway next to him "just stand back would you" he asked clearing his throat "AT ARMS" he bellowed turning tail and running out of sight as the guards scrambled from their out of reach weapons, some falling over in the process. Though he was quickly disappearing from sight Shadow caught a glimpse of Cross laughing as the guards yelled profanities as they rushed to give chase. He rounded a corned and fell back to a slow trot to disappear into the market crowd easier. The day had gone better than expected, he was still exhausted from his earlier labours but sleep at this point would be impossible with adrenaline running though his body.

With his mother still walking stubbornly around town to keep try and regain some of her lost muscle mass and both of his two friends busy with their own lives he had some time to kill. Taking a small detour the city gate route he walked near the mayor's house and counted the guards stationed around it. The usual four stallion patrol walked around the building while two guards stood near the door to redirect ponies who wanted to seek advice or give their meagre taxes to the pony keeping them safe from the raiders. Satisfied that nothing was out of the ordinary he slipped behind a nearby building and started pawing at the ground.

Taking one last look around to make sure he was unseen he retrieved his small woven pouch from beneath the pile of dirt and walked off to the forest. As he passed the gate guard he gave his usual friendly wave to the on duty ponies, today was a special day and he intended to spread some positive sprits, even with mere gestures. The swamp was a small collection of willow trees and wild grass that kept most travellers away with the repugnant smell alone. There was one pony who lived there though, in a run down old shack next to an immaculately cleaned pond free of wild plant life save for a few lily pads that gather around one side.

Pond Scum; the mare who resided here was rarely present despite having no job and living off the nearby fruit trees giving Shadow a perfectly secluded area to read. Gently placing the scroll onto a patch of grass he settled down and began reciting the verses of unicorn songs. The mayor by all purposes shouldn't have these otherwise rare pieces of written word, a small village was hardly the place to find anything to read and to say he had been ecstatic to find them was an understatement.

The amounts of effort he had put into liberating the parchment in front of his very hooves had been staggering, guards had to be avoided, distractions had to be timed perfectly, and the chests of coin and countless wealth had to be ignored. The whole process to remove one tightly wrapped scroll had almost ended as a full scale robbery, his eyes constantly flicked back and fourth between the small bookshelf and the piles of coin sacks, his ears twitched when guards told the pony carrying more carrots than he could count to leave it with them. And perhaps worst off all the weight of the paper when he picked it up, it felt heavy, unbearably so when compared to the leather bound book beside it.

He had promised himself he would not steal anything when he entered the building, he was only there to read and nothing more. He sighed as he looked at the parchment in front of him, the sight of gold, the pleasant smell of lavender heads decorating the office, the sound of crunching carrots all proved to much for him.

He pocket the scroll and silently made his way outside the building by knocking over a book and sneaking out the door when the guards finished their meal and came to inspect the room. They had been vigilant and were probably the most dangerous ponies in town aside form the mayor himself. Fortunately though they were still ponies though and the smell of a juicy carrot never failed.

It was only after he had left the premises that he noticed the scroll was in his bag, the sudden implications of his actions suddenly dawning on him. He quickly hid the bag and went back to the forge to continue working. He promised himself that he would return the scroll come the following morning once he learned to remove the locks on the mayor's door, unfortunately though he managed to end up being accused of stealing from somepony else preventing him from carrying out his promise.

He sighed as he stared to read the aloud, the language was not too different from his own native tongue and only had more strict conjugation rules along with entirely new letters. The room for expression was wonderful and although confusing at some points the colt began to recite the words quicker with more accuracy, today was a good day.

And tomorrow he would return the scroll, when he was finished.

Chapter 5 The half full cup

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There was little known about Rising Dawn. What little she told her son was fragmented details that made up her past, meant to distract and mislead more than reveal. And even that was more than any pony else was ever told. What little Shadow knew though was troubling at best and at worst cause for immediate help. Help that she would not be receiving as she lay against the wooden barrel her sitting in the middle of the room letting her tears fall against the stolen object.

Hope was hard to come by in this day and age, and the fact that few survived a wound as bad as hers not withstanding the infection that sprung up did little to ease her mind. She would analyse what ailed her then fell into darkness, arising hours later with all of her progress gone day after endless day when she was too ill to do more than weakly chew her food and take sips of water.

She was no stranger to fear or discomfort, but not even the most rambunctious of drunks that wandered the halls at night would place money on a child so young he did not even have an emblem on his flank to pull through with full time care and two jobs. By some miracle though the bowls of fresh water and small piles of flowers mixed with other medicinal herbs kept appearing in front of her on a daily basis. Beside her little sun dial reminding her how much of her day she spent blacking out, unable to do more than consume and create more work for the poor colt.

Looking up from her resting place Rising looked at the setting sun. The ball of flames had been taunting her for countless weeks now. Appearing flawlessly day after day when she begged for darkness to leave her blind to her surroundings, most prominently the dial that told her just how useless she really was. And then come winter when she begged it to return it only offered minor looks at her depriving her of warmth and solitude. Her cold sweats would get colder, her fevers would appear more false then before with shaking limbs.

Then worst of all, as she was to find out though was that it brought ponies indoors more often. With no crops and poor pickings some grew restless and some grew desperate. She remembered using her new found ability to talk and crawl once again lost as she stared into the eyes of a masked stallion as he crept into her room. His adorned winter cloak and cloth mask covered his entire body and face, his empty bag hanging beside him unopened and ready to take her or her livelihood.

Weak and alone the back of her mind screamed orders to fight, or at least spit at him as a last act of defiance. But even with the experience of harsh training and brutal upbringing at the hooves of her people back in her native village her body froze up. Even with no way to defend herself she endeavoured to keep eye contact as she waited for what was probably going to be a quick beating or an inglorious death. Neither happened though as the stallion winced at the sight before him, gagging once beneath his mask fighting an urge to dry heave. He left without a word or single object never to return. This had puzzled her more than it brought relief though.

She was Rising Dawn of the North. Wanderer of the wilderness and guide to any and all places the sun touched. She knew the way of combat and every means of fighting with or without a weapon was at her beck and call, she knew she carried an aura of authority with her that nopony questioned if they wished to live another day, she knew herself to be stronger than a bull and mightier than a Minotaur when crossed. So why did the stallion flee of disgust.

The question eluded her until later in the evening when her son came back with one of their pots claiming that he and his friends had cleaned so thoroughly it was reflective. Seeing him joyful she decided to test his word and hobbled over to the pot and looked into the polished metal bowl to see a small pool of water. The pony that stared back at her sent her into tears after he left.

She let a whimper lose as she rested her head against the barrel again unable to look at herself. Her coat had gone dull, her muscles had vanished gone, and worst of all the pain in her leg never ceased. Her defiance against the odds shattered that day along with the image of the mare she used to be. Her newfound ability to limp small distances in the coming weeks becoming wasted with the biting cold that surrounded her like a second set of bars in a cage.

She weakly stood testing her leg again in case a miracle had occurred within the last hour. It felt like the hot poker that stopped her bleeding was being wedge into her leg. On three legs she hobbled over her bedside trying not to put weight onto her injured leg. She had met many wanderers in her lifetime and the one thing they all had in common no matter their past or preferences was their affinity with freedom.

The saying that encompassed those in her profession was the only holding them to the ground was a lack of wings and a none too subtle desire to possess them. Motion was everything to Rising, earth pony towns where often like caravans without wheels with how frequently they were attacked by either the large beasts that could usually just step over the highest of walls one of the other two pony tribes after their resources.

With her previous stature she felt above all the petty squabbles that plagued the lives her kind as long as she kept moving, a strategy hammered so deep into her head the fact that she never would see herself as a simple subservient mare.
Unlike the many earth pony towns that lived near Pegasus territory her hometown had long hated the other two clans. So much that they not only refused to bow to their demands but going as far as to resist their rule entirely. While she was still training under the school of nature she would often watch her elders stop their lessons in herb lore to lead a group of fleeing peasants into the forest for safety and doing everything in their power to discourage invaders.

Eventually when the Pegasi decided that not even thick snow, hail and rain could not work they sent tar and fire into their nearby forest, only to discover that not only ponies lived there and they were not the only species that could fly. So instead they simply sent more soldiers and issued orders to kill anything without wings.

She felt a sense of sick accomplishment one day when she unwittingly ran into a briar patch when a couple of armed and armoured soldiers chased her one day. While she had long learned to ignore the bite of the barbed branches the soldiers' grunts of frustration accompanied by shouts of vile insults soon turned to screams of fear as a pack of dire wolves charged at them. Unable to take flight they were cut down before her young eyes.

Kneeling beside the bed she took a moment to gather her strength. Death was a part of life that you either had to acknowledge and accept or risk becoming weak. When she returned home with thorns stuck in her fur she was taken from the other groups of fillies and placed with a young group of mostly colts on the account of their strength and taught to fight. And while the knowledge had saved her on more than one occasion she was no conscienceless killer and returned to her survival training.

She never felt below the others she saw in the group until now. Pain was rarely a problem for her, this was not the first time she was stuck in one place wounded and scared. This was the only moment in her life though she could literally feel herself growing soft. Before coming here she could stand to see the faces of the ponies she neglected to save in favour of her own life or Shadow’s, death was everywhere and she accepted this long ago. What she could not hold back was one particular pony.

When she completed her life in the woods she emerged a reluctant better among other mares in her town, her reputation as a fighter and at the word of their elders a competent skirmisher earned her estranged looks while calmly harvesting wheat with the other workers. Despite being the centre of suspicion her word counted for little, and endless questions of regarding her gender only grew more frequent.

What prevented her lashing out one day was a new arrival who instead of asking her whether she ate meat or not wondered if she remembered her face. And that was what brought her anguish. River was a mare who was strong willed and honest and despite the different upbringing got along well with the former forester. When times were peaceful she was pleasant and helped shoot down any rumours that formed among the other workers about her.

They occasionally fought, they were almost at each other’s throats when River told her she was to elope with Bracken Hoof. She demanded they wait until spring as was tradition to become betrothed and River wished to as she said “alleviate her heat”. Days later River stopped showing up at work, the tanned brown stallion that she was infatuated with taking her place. Suspicious and enraged she confronted him for the first time demanding what he had done to steal her job, escalating from trading words to vicious blows, after knocking the stallion down she limped off toward his house in her unthinking state.

She found River with a bucket full of her own sickness and a freshly picked fruit flower in her hair. It took a richly deserved uppercut from the pregnant mare to force whereabouts of her husband from her muzzle along with a stream of apologies. And by some unexplained act of divine intervention she was forgiven within the month, enough time to see River and her lover meet under a harvest moon to utter the solemn vow of loyalty she helped River compose for her mate. And enough time to see her break her leg three months before she was due to have her foal.

She hesitated pulling apart the blanket that she slept on every night under the stars. The moment when the years of training she endured and countless triumph over trails flee from conscious thought returning once again. She could remember the helplessness when she heard the news, she could feel it right now; burrowing into her head replaying the words she always would remember her for “I would rather be a dependable pony than dependent on others”.

She blinked once clearing her eyes, a strip of her blanket in her mouth. Holding the long piece of tightly woven cloth in her mouth she climbed atop the stolen barrel. Her son had stolen this and if her suspicious were correct a number of things had already been taken in her name. And by her ancestors she would not let him take again. Thieves when caught often had the undersides of their hooves forcibly shod or when metal was scarce they simply removed whatever was tainted by the property the offending pony stole. Teeth, tails, whatever handled the stolen goods and ancestors forbid sometimes the hooves themselves. She shuddered at the thought as she pulled the other tight and tied it to the central roof support, testing is strength by kicking the barrel away.

She hung by her teeth alone for a minute before dropping to her hind legs. She stumbled and came down to all fours, crying in pain as her wounded leg it the floor. A while ago this would have been disgusting, leaving the world like this. She tied the cloth around her neck trying to remain resolute. Seasons ago though she could walk to ends of the earth and her only tether would be her growling stomach. Now her freedom was contained within four wooden walls, and that was on a good day.

She was nothing but a constraint herself now chaining Shadow to work himself to an early grave or in a guillotine awaiting recompense for being caught stealing for her. Exhaling once more she removed her for hooves from her throat and looked down on herself. Her legs shook with the weight bearing down on them, rocking the barrel. She knew that this was the point of no return, her body would not be able to handle the weight again.

Smiling slightly as a tear of relief fell she took one last breath, her decrepit body could not safeguard her son from the ill intentions of others, but perhaps if she could save him from himself and her past she could leave this plane with one last gift for his journey ahead. She would leave him everything, her belongings, her knowledge, and her half-finished stories. The harsh ones and the hurtful ones that took the form of a litany of scars hidden just underneath her lavender coat.

“One last journey”

And the bucket was kicked aside.

The rope grew tight and she swayed with the recoil.

Her body might have felt pain, but there was no compulsion left in her.

She knew she was doing and more importantly she knew what waited for her.

From some early point in her childhood she learned that her body was a vassal like no other, a servant who would give until their last breath to ensure its master would be safe above all else. A companion like no other she vaguely recalled the words of her teacher as a mist enveloped her vision and the annoying drumming slowed.

“Nopony else will love you like your body will, not even your ancestors and may they return with vengeance if I speak anything but the truth. Unlike any lover or spectator from the astral planes it has journeyed with you since you were born and will stay with you as best it can when you die”.

The mist swayed, ponies with glowing eyes and warm, somehow familiar smiles walked toward her to greet her
Momma

The being nodded and was soon greeted by three other figures who walked from the hundreds of ponies who had gathered around her.

“It will afford you luxuries you cannot buy filly and colts, which is why I live without them, here in this monument to our baser and best instincts”

Eyes sparkling a larger pony walked toward her and stood beside her mother, nuzzling her affectionately
Father

“For even as you breathe your last breath and await your first glimpse of the fields your inner powers will help you await as a friend would share mead in a tavern, easing the pain and soothing the mortal injury”

The two ponies smiled at her, their faces showing no sign of sorrow or anger

“It realizes the end, maybe more than you do, and as a reward for a good fight it gives its last, and like any lover its best”

Two more ponies walked through the mist of her ancestors, shrouded in vibrant blue and green instead of white like the rest of her family

Bracken
The stallion nodded turning his head toward the slender pony standing next to him

River
The mare smiled, her ghostly features becoming more transparent, revealing a smaller body on her back. The teal coloured apparition looking at her with wide eyes, full of curiosity.

“I have been near death my whole life and I have nary seen it for long and in truth it becomes a rare sight when there happens to be something anchoring your conscious”

The ghostly ponies that stood near in a circle behind her family and close friends turned their heads around to face the disappearing doorway, worried looks appearing on their shadowy faces.

“So don’t fear death, just do not seek it”

Behind the mist a white mane and black pelt appeared through the bodies shrieking something.
It flung her ancestors aside, their misty forms being carried along by the small body and being flung into nothingness.
“Don’t leave me” the shadow cried searching around the room, scattering the pieces of her ancestors around. It finally found a discarded knife her son used to slice herbs and leapt on its hind legs holding the blade in its mouth.

It cut the rope around her neck catching her body and falling backwards to cushion the blow, the knife cutting its shoulder. The shadowy colt gritted its teeth in concentration and immediately rolled her over checking her neck.
Her airways clear again the drumming returned, and her family started to panic as another form stepped among them. Her chest convulsed, her invincible ancestors ran from the figure save for the two that simply turned to face it shielding her from its path.

As the beast turned they turned to face it, standing alongside her with fire in their misty eyes. In the moment her vision was obscured by two ghostly hooves pushing her mouth shut

Her eyes rolled from the imminent battle toward the apparition’s face you. Shadow’s father was pressing his hooves down on her mouth scowling at her while he smothered her, the one victim of her hometown she felt relieved to be rid of was threatening her life once again.

“No” the shadow screamed trying to force her mouth open grasping pushing his hooves through the apparition’s and breaking them off at the joint. All eyes drew to the cloudy figure staring at its injury with wide eyes as the rest of it started to break up.

She felt her heart skip a beat and air reach her lungs once more, the threatening figure her parents were staring down shifting back a step before disappearing. Still teary eyed she looked at them once more as the mist began to vanish. They smiled at her before turning their gaze toward her Shadow. Their bodies were disappearing, her vision blacking out and the old sensation of pain shot up her spine.

She was delirious but their expression was undeniable. They looked proud as the world became a dark once again.

"Rising can you hear me" the voice trembled as it spoke. Unable to find the words she nodded "are you in pain" she was not, her body felt weightless, somewhat numb, but the pain was gone.

"Can you move your legs please" she raised both of her forelegs feeling heavy resistance about mid way to her full extent "thank you" the voice choked, barely holding back a sob. She grunted in response "can you open your eyes please" drearily she replied opening one eyes to see her son sitting before her cradling her injured leg. She blinked in confusion, his eyes were reddened with traces of tears streaking down his face, something that should not happen in paradise.

"Thank the gods you're alright" she prodded his face gently wondering why he could hold her limb at all, then again she did recall the ghosts of her ancestors fleeing before they took her so perhaps they were still waiting.

“Do you know where you are” she looked behind him, the wooden ceiling, the strips of cloth on one of the rafters. She briefly felt a pang of confusion as a burning feeling re-emerged around her neck “Rising” the feeling was unwelcome, it felt constricting forcing her to the ground when her body felt like it was about to fly away.

Shaking her head slowly only brought more discomfort, shying away from it she closed her eyes hoping the feeling would vanish “no no no you can’t die here open your eyes” the voice was wavering again, whether this was the speaker or her own concentration she could not be sure of. She knew though that it was beginning to annoy her, she wanted to listen, and at the same time float away from the pain.

“Please don’t come on open your eyes please” she turned her head aside folding her ears down to try and escapee the noise better, it was begging to tie her down now and she refused to let go of the feeling “no no no stay awake please” she felt something force one of her eyes open. The image was blurry at best, she could make out the face of her son’s reddened eyes. But that was impossible. She hung herself, she could remember the feeling of the nose around her neck and the moment when she felt the weight beneath her hooves vanish.

Her son would be out gathering food at this time of day, not on the path to paradise. She closed her eyes again enjoying the feeling of weightlessness, she knew the vision gone the voice would soon fade away and she could continue her way to meet her family line.

She faintly heard the sound of scrabbling hooves on the wooden floor “help somepony help me” she scoffed a little hearing her son’s voice. Maybe he had found her finally “anypony please” he sounded frantic which was strange. He had witnessed death before and never sounded as concerned as he was now. She dismissed the issue though, she knew nopony would help though, nopony came when she was there alive, but perhaps with her gone somepony would come for him though, now that she was gone.

What felt like an minutes of yelling passed before the sound of hooves reached her ears again “Shadow” somepony cried “stars above please help me” the voice replied grabbing hold of her head “what happened” a third voice cried rushing to her side.

“She tried to hang herself and, oh gods above please help me” there was more scrabbling and something grabbed her midsection and one her uninjured foreleg “what do we do” one voice cried out “I don’t know her neck isn’t broken but she’s getting worse”

“Rising” a soft voice spoke, she flicked her ears trying to find the source “Rising Dawn open your eyes please”. Hesitant to leave the place she was so comfortable in she opened one eye wearily. A young filly’s face obscured her glimpse of heaven “you can’t die here alright, we still need you” she blinked in confusion. She was already gone, why would she be needed.
“I need you to keep looking at me could you do that for me” she nodded faintly, the face of the filly looked familiar. Trying to remember the face of the filly she heard her son scream at someone in anger. Her eyes tracked the sound, the filly had somehow angered him “we can’t” he yelled both ears folded down in fear “Stone can you lift her up”

“I will try”

“I won’t let you”

“You have to Shadow just trust me please”

“ You'll kill her”

“She’s already on her way to paradise Shadow the least we can do is let her be outside when she leaves”
She hesitated at the mention of being inside. She could not be here, away from the earth. She had already lost her place of rest when she left her home, she could not forgo the last wish of her tribe, to have her soul trapped away from running the forests above within a building.

Stirring she tried to pull away from the darkness, the warm and comfortable ground felt better than any bedding she ever slept in, and the feeling of freedom was a paradise in its own way. But she had faced worse before, she had endured loneliness long enough and was not about to be trapped from meeting the family she never knew.

Slowly she moved her head and hooves trying to stand. The effort was draining, the strength to move her legs seemed to vanish “hold on I have you” stirred on by the gentle voice she continued, the feeling of gravity weighing bearing down was almost unbearable.

Gritting her teeth she felt herself rise. With three legs on the ground and a body beneath her injured leg holding her up she took her first step. She felt a quiver in her step and almost fell before the strength holding her up caught her “gently now”
She hesitated as she took her second step, the numbness was receding and in its place came feelings. Painful and unpleasant feelings that had grown so accustomed to. Filling her lungs with air she took a third step, then a fourth, a fifth. Gradually the feelings came back, noises came and went around her slowly growing in volume with every pace. On her thirteenth step she could feel gravity shift against her forcing her weight to her front.

“Down the stairs you can do it” Stairs. She remembered them bearing some importance once. She recalled something to avoid, an obstacle she could not overcome in her weakened state “just a couple more paces don’t fall”. Another step and the weight pushing against her vanished, what replaced the hardship though was the tide of voices drowning out the angelic voice she followed.

She heard “who is she” and “what is she doing here”. She quickened her pace, eager to escape the calls.
It felt like she was wading through water, every step fighting back against a powerful current. She could feel sweat coat her legs as exhaustion threatened to overtake her. She stopped mid stride to try and catch her breath “you’re almost there just a little further” the voice beckoned.

Inhaling heavily she pushed on, refusing to be parted from her kinsmen again, pain ripped through her body shocking nerves and quickening her heart. Though her hooves burnt, her chest heaved and her mind swam in agony there was one sensation around her fetlocks that she cherished.

In her long months trapped inside her room by her own frailty she had remembered one fantasy among the millions of wishes and countless prayers she uttered daily. To feel the grass outside the Inn.
The weight left her body and she felt herself fall onto something soft. She was beyond caring though, her soul could leave her body now and was free to travel alongside descendants.

The Terra Affirmation

by Silver Eyes

Chapter 1 Pioneer

Chapter 2 loyalty

Chapter 3 Picking up the Pieces

Chapter 4 Going Native

Chapter 5 The half full cup