Saddle Up

The mare’s hooves clattered noisily along the unused cobblestone road that lead through a small, unnamed town. The sign that marked the town’s entrance had long been destroyed and in it’s place stood a pike with the macabre grinning skull of unicorn impaled through it’s center. Another day, another Raider town. They seemed to pop up twice as fast as she put them down.

Daisy Mellow froze as the sound of raucous laughter reached her ears. Quickly she galloped around the burnt husk of what was once a school house, careful to avoid the chunks of charred wood that littered the ground. She crouched low, stealthily peering around the corner of the frame. Further up the street she could spy two figures jostling along a third and thinner pony who was swathed in chains. She held her breath as they drew closer. She could hear snippets of their conversation.

“Gunna be good eating tonight, Bone!” One of the Raider’s remarked to her companion. Her pelt was a sickly orange and what was left of her mane was a dull green. Her left ear was in tatters and she donned the traditional Raider armor- poorly made leather coupled with a copious amount of spikes.

The second raider, a male of dark brown grinned. Even from her hiding spot, Daisy could make out he was missing quite a few teeth, “Ain’t had meat in a long time.”

Their captured prey, a male unicorn, watched the pair with wide, shocked eyes. His gray coat was pulled taut across his frame and each rib showed. His mint colored mane, strangely enough, was well groomed and styled. He had time to style his hair but not to hunt for food? Some ponies had the oddest priorities…

“You can’t eat me!” The unicorn said aghast, “You’re ponies…”

The female raider shoved her snout against his, “Well, if you weren’t good for eating, why is you made of meat?”

Bone chortled, clopping one of his forehooves on the cobblestone, “That’s a good one!”

The unicorn reeled back, his nose crinkling at the smell of the Raider’s breath, “You are utterly repulsive!”

She drew back, a sour look spreading across her muzzle, “At least I don’t look like a mare.”

The unicorn smirked, “I won’t argue with that.”

Daisy clapped a hoof over her mouth to stifle a laugh. She had to admit that the unicorn colt had a sense of humor, though it was unwise to wind up Raiders.

It took a few seconds for the female Raider to process his remark. Finally, it seemed to dawn on her that she was being insulted. She jerked the chain looped around the prisoners neck sharply and the colt stumbled on to his front knees. A mere second later a rusted but wickedly sharp blade was pressed under his chin.

The Raider snarled into his ear, “Insult me again an’ you’ll loose your tongue. Makes screaming hard when we’re carving you up slow.”

Though Daisy could not hear the Raider she knew it was time to act. He had crossed the line with his careless remark. She slid into a crouch and unshouldered the rifle from her back. Pressing her eye close to the sight she targeted the female Raider who was digging her blade cruelly into the side of the unicorn’s mouth. She breathed in.

With an exhale she fired. The gun went off with a muffled pop. A moment later the Raider dropped. Her victim stumbled back, the side of his face splattered with her blood.

"The fuck?" The remaining raider sputtered as he stepped back. His hoof squelched wetly in the gore. Quickly, he jerked the prisoner closer to him, using the unlucky unicorn as a meat shield. He snarled loudly into his ear,"Call your friend off!"

The unicorn could feel the barrel of a gun pressed coldly against his neck. He hissed between his teeth, “I don’t know what’s going on.”

"Lying sack of shit!" Bone said as he slammed the butt of the gun against the back of the unicorn’s neck, "Call ‘im off before I blow out the back of your pretty little head."

Daisy grit her teeth. The next shot was risky- either way this ended, the captured pony was in danger of dying by bullet. She steadied her hooves, her eye against the sight once more as she readied herself. The shot flew true.

The second raider dropped, the far left side of his face a bloody mash of bone and muscle. The unicorn cowered beside the two prone figures of his captors, clearly convinced that he was next. Daisy quickly slung her gun over her shoulder once more and galloped to his side. The unicorn shied away, throwing a horrified glance over his shoulder. She couldn’t blame him.

"I ain’t here to hurt you," She said roughly. She stooped to frisk the bodies of the raiders she had just dispatched. The unicorn studied her contemplatively, his eyes betraying the fact that he did not trust her fully.

"Get over yourself. If you wanna live, you gotta let me help you."

He frowned, watching her as she pulled forth a key hidden away in the folds of the female raider’s armor, “How do I know you’re not a slaver? Raiders are bad enough, but to be sold into slavery…” He shuddered, “I’d rather be eaten!”

"I ain’t a slaver or a raider, so you’re in luck," She mumbled around the key as she unlocked his shackles.

He quickly shook them off and massaged his neck tenderly. The chains had bitten into his flesh. He said, “If you’re neither, then what are you?”

Daisy shrugged, spitting the key out, “A vigilante.”

"Ooh, I like that."

Daisy stuck out a hoof, “Name’s Daisy.”

The unicorn politely touched his hoof to hers, “Low Sweep.”

Daisy quirked an eyebrow, “Low Sweep…?”

The unicorn rolled his eyes in mock irritation, “I don’t know why everypony looks so surprised.”

Daisy gave him a playful smirk, “Well, you do look a bit…delicate.”

With a huff, Low Sweep turned about face, his haunches facing a metal post that jutted from the concrete a few inches away. He hunkered down, pulled back and in a flash of muscle bucked hard. The pole vibrated, a loud gong echoing throughout the empty town. Where his hooves had met the metal had indented.

A low whistle of appreciation left Daisy and she said, “Color me impressed. That’s one hell of a buck you’ve got.”

Looking satisfied, Low Sweep straightened. A moment later he froze, his left ear flicking nervously, “I think we’ve alerted the natives.”

Daisy grit her teeth as three more raiders poured out from the surrounding houses. Her shots had not alerted them, but Low Sweep’s test of strength had most definitely did.

Unsholdering her rifle once more, Daisy then rooted through her pack and pulled free a sawed off. Daisy looked over to her new companion who was surveying the advancing raiders, “Can you shoot?”

"Decently."

"Then saddle up, pony boy.”