The Wolf and the Unicorn

"Love will find a way through paths where wolves fear to prey." -- Lord Byron

The joys of running through a dark forest are something most people will never understand.  The smell of wet earth, the slap and sting of unseen branches as they hit your body, the complete and utter joy of freedom.  This was not one of those moments though.  Harder and harder I pushed myself, the jolt of my paws hitting the forest floor slowly turning into something akin to a solo by an insane drum player.  Mouth dry and begging for moisture, lungs heaving, I had to ignore what my body told me.  Everything depended on it.  The ponies would be behind me soon, and there was only one easy route down the mountain outside the road.  The river would be my route to sweet freedom, its clear icy waters swirling down the curves of the mountain Canterlot rested on.

The seconds slowly turned into minutes, and minutes into distance.  My sharp ears could hear the pegasus patrols in the distance, their wings thrashing through the air.  Knowing it was too early in the game to be seen, I kept under the canopy of leaves as best as possible.  Catching a crossbow bolt to the back would certainly hamper my escape in a hurry, so I pushed harder.  The straps of my pack digging into my nearly black fur and the muscle under, my carbine bouncing in my arms as they flew through brush, branches and brambles.  As the sun set, the forest descended to darkness and yet I ran, thankful for the gifts I had been given on my arrival to this insane little planet.

The smells of the forest slowly gave way to the crisp scent of nearby water.  Crystal clear and cold glacial runoff water.  The river was close, but other lingering scents made me slow my pace to a near crawl.  Sagebrush, sweat, hay and a hint of leather assaulted my nose as I took a knee in the brush.  The ponies were close, and there were lots of them.  This was no fight I could win without lots of casualties on their side and a sword in my spleen at some point.  Care and caution would be my armor for now, speed would come again soon.

Cautiously, I closed my eyes and sought to slow my breathing.  Noise was dangerous as it brought the wrath of ponies with it.  Taking every breath in slowly, forcing my racing heart to slow I crouched in the brush.  The many scents crossing my mind with the cool air, the pounding in my ears gently slowing as I focused on the world around me.  The distant sound of mud squishing under hoof, the clank of armor as somepony fidgeted, these were my clues.  Ever so slowly I rose, knees bent, and parted the brush around me, stepping gingerly from place to place as I knew the trap was closing.  Thankfully the ponies don't have a nose like mine or I'd have been found out by now.  Ponies are not predators of the night however.

As I creeped, the fur on the back of my neck began to rise.  Somepony was using magic, a lot of it, and that only meant one thing.  Shining Armor was nearby and actively looking for me.  I just hoped my charms would hold out against the magic that would be coming my way.  That thought was rudely interrupted by a loud crack as a large crossbow bolt buried itself in the base of the tree next to me in a spray of moss and bitter sap.  No time like the present to get the party started I guess.

Putting every bit of my willpower and limited mana into my movements, I burst out of the brush and onto the gravel strewn clearing at the edge of the river.  Every step leaving flickering green flames as my paws hit again and again as I pushed myself harder and faster towards the ponies.  A group of nearly 20 guards stood in my way, barring the bridge across the river.  More ominously though was a pink glow that rippled in the air as bolts and magic ripped through the air, my insane rush thankfully fouling their aim, for now.  And yet the distance closed, 50 yards and shrinking fast, my charms starting to heat up and glow red from the magic feedback and knowing my luck would probably fail soon.

Pink bubbles popped into reality around all of the ponies except one.  Silver armor glowing gold in the light of the fading sun, a blue mane tinted with purple flames as magic was focused and fired stronger and faster intending to end me.  I guess you could say Shining Armor was pissed.  One by one, I could feel the clay charms crack as I neared the stallion, until only one remained on the pendant around my neck, the rest absorbing what would have been lethal hits of magic and turning them into flashes of pain that drove me on.

The flashes of spells impacting me only forced Armor along, purple flames licking the ground along as he drew from some secret well of power deep within him.  There was no doubt in my mind that he meant to end me, and spectacularly at that.  I only have one chance at this.  One insane chance other then death.  I pulled every last dreg of mana, willpower, and desperation and focused it into my legs and jumped.  Pain filled my body as a lavender and green pulse of magic filled where I just was.  I could feel the heat as my fur burned, scorching my legs as I bounded toward Shining. A sudden jolt and my entire body wailed in protest as I landed on his back. I forced myself into the air one more time, over the wooden railing on the bridge, and to a long fall below to an icy tomb.

This was going to hurt.