Druids and the Wooden Heart

Darren, Bite and Spirit traveled to the forest and walked right inside it. They walked a bit in the forest around until they heard a branch breaking behind them. They turned around and suddenly a pegasus landed behind them.

The pegasus wore a brown cloak that covered everything except the wings that were completely white with yellow tips. Bite could tell that it was a mare from her smell. She held her head down so that shadow covered her face.

"Did you listened to the trees and want to help?"

Darren stepped forward to answer. "Yes we did and we are here to serve the nature."

She turned around. "Good then follow me we have to hurry. Your job is it to stop a pony who trains herself in magic we believe that she also trains others dark magic."

They began to follow her but while walking whispered Spirit to Darren. "What was it about listened to trees? Was that a code?"

Darren nodded. "Yes it is but we change it from time to time to keep it save. But now stay quiet, this druid will give us all information we need and after that we can talk." Spirit nodded and they continued to follow the druid.

While they walked began the mare to explain. "The unicorn I watched studied at the school of gifted unicorns. She seemed very promising but left one day. I was able to find her in a cave where she was reading a black book. I watched her for a few days and saw that another pony brought her new books every day."

She suddenly stopped and turned around. "If you continue to walk in that direction you will find a cave in that should she be, do everything to get her. I will go now, may the nature guide you."

She bowed a bit down and so did the three. As they bowed down they heard how she spread her wings and flew away.

Darren and Spirit both pulled both their hoods back. Spirit looked in the direction that the pegasus meant. "So we are going to capture a dark mage?"

Darren nodded and they began to walk in the direction of the cave. While Spirit began to ask further. "But shouldn't we inform the royal guard or these magic hunters and they capture her?"

Darren nodded again. "We could do that but then she would go into prison and we would lose our only trail we have. She might know what is going on with the forests."

Spirit raised an eyebrow before he turned his head to Darren. "So we are going to observe a bit, then try to capture her, ask questions and then we will hoof her over t the guards?"

"Yes that is what we are going to do but we have to be careful , she might be able to use dark magic. The best thing would be knock her out first."

Spirit looked surprised at him. "Isn't that a bit hard?"

Darren shook his head. "It is in any case better than battle a dark mage."

After a while reached they the opening of a cave. They looked inside and saw a mare in a black robe sitting in front of a book she was reading. Around her the walls were full of runes and other symbols, some of them were crossed out while others were in circles.

The three sat down next to the cave and Darren began. "So that must be her. We need to get her out of there as long as she is in there has she an advantage. So we have to wait."

Spirit nodded and they waited for a few minutes. Spirit had begun to meditate while Darren watched the unicorn. Until suddenly Darren grabbed him. "Spirit hurry."

Spirit looked in the cave and saw that the unicorn was gone. Darren walked inside the cave followed by Spirit and Bite. "What do we do now?"

Darren pointed at the book. "We will look what books these are. Bite could you guard us?" Bite nodded and walked to a corner that was next to a way deeper in the cave.

Darren began to read the text that was written in a strange language while Spirit began to read notes that the mare probably had made.

Meanwhile the mare was gone to get another book she had stored in the back. As she came back saw she a pony and a griffon reading the books she got from her teacher. She got angry but then thought that it would be a good way to test some spells.

She quietly walked closer to them and her horn began to glow. But she stopped as she heard the stallion speak. "If you try to cast a spell on us you will get into much trouble!"

The mare was surprised and began to walk backwards until she walked into something but it wasn't the cave wall it felt like wood. She looked up and saw the face of a wolf made of wood . She screamed and jumped back.

Spirit and Darren turned around to see her looking at Bite. She began to charge her magic and shot at Bites front leg which broke into pieces. She turned to Darren and Spirit. She looked at Spirit for a moment. "You are this pony with the Timberwolf as pet, aren't you? My teacher has a message for you. He will get your friend then will you wish that you had never disturbed his plans."

She began to attack Darren and Spirit with energy bolts they tried to doge them but that was extremely hard since they were in a small cave. Spirit got hit at his front leg while Darren got hit in his chest. They both stumbled a bit backwards but without any big damage.

The mare continued to fire at them but didn't realized that Bite had rebuild himself again. He walked behind her and hit her from the side with his claw. As Bite stood there Spirit was able to see a small mark on his shoulder that glowed.

The impact send her a few feet through the air and she landed hard on the ground she tried to get up but Darren quickly walked to her.

He pulled his iron rod from his bag and pointed at her with it. "What do you think you are doing?"

She stood up and began to walk backwards but Darren walked with her until she bumped into the cave wall. "I defend myself!"

Darren pointed with the rod at her head. "I ask again. What do you think you are doing here?"

She gulped. "I-I learn d-dark magic." She closed her eyes and waited.

Darren looked angry at her. "If that really what you think what you are doing then it means that you are even stupider than I thought!"

She ducked her head but then she looked at Spirit and Darren for second time. "You are druids, aren't you? My teacher told me everything about you. You put your stupid plants over everything else! But my teacher had prepared something for that."

Her horn began to glow and a rune on the wall began to glow too. Darren shortly looked at the rune then back to the mare. "What did you thought would do that?" Everyone in the room could hear that Darren tried is best not to burst out in anger.

The mare looked at the rune wondering why nothing happened. "Well my teacher said it would keep me save if I ever encounter druids."

Darren grabbed her at the neck and shoved her to the rune. "You want to tell me that you don't know what this rune does and still activated it?" She nodded. "This rune helps you in no way it is a message rune!"

Spirit walked to Darren who had let go of the mare. "What does the message say?"

Darren sighed. "The druids exist." Spirit looked at the mare who seemed a little confused.

Darren turned around back to the mare. "Who is your teacher?"

She looked down. "I don't know. He said his identity has to be a secret."

Darren rolled frustrated with his eyes.

Spirit waved Bite to them and pointed at the rune on Bites shoulder. "What is that?"

She looked at it. "A rune."

Spirit rolled with his eyes. "And what does this rune?"

She shrugged. "I don't know my teacher said I should mark your Timberwolf with it."

Spirit sighed and continued. "Why did you wanted to learn dark magic?"

She shrugged again. "No big reason I just wanted to use this opportunity to learn something new."

Darren looked angry at the mare and reached in his bag. He pulled out a silver powder and blew it in the face of the mare who sank down and began to sleep immediatly.

Darren pulled out a rope and began to tie the mares legs together. "Before she activates more runes. We will contact the royal guards and they will arrest her. Come now we have to go."

Spirit looked at the black book. "What about them? Shouldn't we take them with us?"

Darren shook his head. "They are worthless. They are just books for advanced magic translated to the old language."

Darren left the cave quickly followed by Spirit and Bite. "Why should somepony make himself this work?"

Darren sighed. "To fool her and probably us too."

Spirit though about what they learned and tried to sum it up. "So this teacher made her think that she learns dark magic so that we would find her and with that confirm that we exist. Also he wants something from Bite."

Darren nodded. "He seems to understand the old language and through that probably know from us. We have to report to the archdruid. It seems that we underestimate our enemy."

They began to walk back to Ponyville and Spirit wanted to ask Darren a question. "Darren why were you so angry at her? I mean in the end was she fooled by her teacher."

Darren sighed. "She was a student in the school for gifted unicorn she should have known better. But still had she chosen to follow somepony blindly."

Spirit nodded. "So what do we do now?"

"Well first we will go back to Ponyville. I will inform the royal guard then we will contact the archdruid and tell him that our enemy knows about our existence."

With that walked they the rest of the way silently.

They entered the castle from Twilight and were instantly greeted from Twilight who was followed by the archdruid.

Spirit looked surprised at him. "What are you already doing here?"

"I brought your parents somewhere save and now I am here to hear what happened."

Darren turned to Twilight. "Your highness, may I ask if there is a room where we can talk without disturbances?"

She looked a bit surprised but then pointed at the door to her left. "You can use this room and I promise nopony will interrupt you."

Darren bowed shortly and entered the room. The archdruid followed him then Bite but as Spirit wanted to enter too he was stopped by Twilight. "Could you give me an explanation? How do you know advisor Root and why does you want to speak in private?"

Spirit gave her a weak smile. "Sorry but I can't tell you, maybe one day." He followed them in the room and closed the door behind him.

The archdruid looked at them. "So what happened?"

Darren began to report. "We found the mare. She was reading black books which were made by her teacher. She thought that it would be dark magic but was just normal advanced magic. She also send her master a message. He now knows that we exist."

Root nodded slowly. "That is bad but probably not as bad as you think. He may know about us but he won't tell anypony. If he would try to inform somepony about us we would instantly know and it wouldn't bring him any advantage. Is that everything she told you?"

Spirit shook his head. "She also said that her teacher will come and get Bite."

The archdruid stood up. "Then t is clear what we do. You will meet with Leaf and Switch and wait till our enemy acts again. If he wants Bite can we use that."

Spirit stopped the archdruid. "That reminds me in the fight with the mare got Bite a small mark on his shoulder."

The archdruid walked to Bite and looked at the rune for a moment. "This is an old rune. I don't know what it does but you should change that piece. Take that piece and show it to Leaf she should know what it does."

Root walked to the door. "You will meet the others in a forest in the north of Canterlot. Go there immediately."

Spirit bowed and Darren nodded. The archdruid left them and walked away. Darren now also stood up. "Ok then let us not waste any time and go."

With that they walked away and Darren, Spirit and Bite entered the train to Canterlot.