I had barely finished brushing myself off before a horn sounded.

*Brrrrrrrrrrrr-er-ruuuuuu!*

That was our horn, signaling an attack had been spotted. I whirled around, spotting groups of Zebra sneaking up the valley towards our fortress. This was not good at all. I was out in the open, outside of the walls and alone. If I tried hiding here, I was likely to get killed in the crossfire from their arrows and my tribe's magic. Zebra arrows were made from an enchanted Iron, spiraling from the edges towards a center tip. If even one of them gave more than a scratch, such as piercing armor or hide, then it was a death sentence. They were poisoned, enchanted to increase bleeding and their spiral made sewing a wound made from them nearly impossible. For our own side, frost magic was the most commonly used. Any fire or lightning would set our home ablaze indirectly if it started a forest fire, and was expressly banned from use. Unfortunately for me, Fire was the only magic I seemed to be good at, which forced me to become a forager.

*BWoooowowowowoohhh*

Oh hell, that was the Zebra's horn! I need to come up with a plan! I thought, gripping my spear nervously and looking around for a pathway out. There were a few buildings on the outskirts of our fortress, an old farm that had turned into a simple field that gave no cover for miles aside from the odd apple tree. There was also a ruined cottage that sometimes provided shelter during the night for travelers. During a raid, however, I wasn't about to risk hiding there in case a Zebra lay in wait for me.

"You'd better get a move on, Sanny!" Plate called from the battlements above. I had stood exactly where I was hurled not moments before, frozen in indecision. "The Zebra aren't going to wait for you to make up your--"

*BWOWWWW-OWOWOWO*

"--mind..." He finished worriedly. "GET OUT OF HERE!" He yelled, picking up a nearby crossbow in his magic and willing it to his hand. "They're here for us, not for you!"

That was Plate's way of caring about me, which compared to everypony else in my tribe was heartwarming. I nodded in appreciation. Now was the time for action.

"Good luck!" He called after me.

I turned around, picking up my pace and watching for random underbrush or debris that would trip me in order to avoid it. I had to get as much distance from the fortress and the assaulting Zebra as possible, so I chose the path directly opposite the both of them. This meant that I was heading both away from Diamond Dog territory, and towards the Nightwalkers. Thankfully, Novae had chosen to throw me out during the early hours of dawn. That would give me more time to circle around out of their territory and head towards the Diamond Dogs.

Hopping over a fallen log and darting between bushes, I made steady pace away from the battle that had just begun behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see the assaulting Zebra carrying ladders made of log and twig to vault the walls, swiftly countered by crossbow bolts and ice lances impaling them. For any sane pony, seeing their comrades fall would be demoralizing. For the Zebra, it drove them into a frenzy. I didn't know how, but every assault on our walls came with more and more Zebra. I was convinced that I had seen the same faces of those I had killed in previous assaults return to fight again, as if from the dead.

I shook my head. I needed to keep my mind clear for now. I had to avoid any pursuers and not get killed because my head was in the clouds.

*zzzzZZZT-Thunk*

I looked at the arrow that had flown into a tree trunk just ahead of me.

Yes. Killed exactly like that, for example. I commented internally, looking over my shoulder in my hasty retreat to find two Zebra with bows aiming at me.

I ducked, dodging another arrow that would have pierced my spine. Weaving around a tree granted me another escape from death, an arrow brushing past my ear with harsh friction from the feathers on it.

"Stand still, white horn!" one of them barked, knocking another arrow.

Like that was going to happen. I kept low to the ground as I could whilst still sprinting, my spear held level to the ground alongside me in case a zebra impeded my path. The Zebra were generally good at running, but they also insisted on wearing armor. It was a mixture of scales and leather which provided some protection and mobility. Not as much protection as plate, but not as much mobility as nudity. There lay my sole advantage, Speed and maneuverability. Plate armor would have deflected most of their arrows easily, enchanted or not. My bare fur? Not so much.

"Got you!" A zebra called, standing in my path with a makeshift sword pointed towards me.

"Idiot." I replied. I had a spear. I lunged the point of it towards his heart, yet it was deflected by a rock that he had strapped over the vulnerability, deflecting my blow to land between his ribs and into his lung. Good enough, I suppose.

"Aaaugh!" He cried, slumping to the floor and holding onto my spear. His grip was too strong, and I had no time to pry it from his dying grasp. I left the spear lodged in him, continuing my sprint away from danger. I could possibly make another spear, but my life was more important than the weapon right now. I still had my plant knives and magic, after all.

*zzzzZZZZT* An arrow whizzed past.

I wasn't making the progress I needed away from these Zebra, and they were gaining ground on me now that I had confronted the impaled zebra. My ears twitched in a direction of falling water, and I bolted towards it. Perhaps I could lose them in the water?

"After her!" A gruff voice called after me, joined by howls of rage at the fate of their fallen comrade.

Less thinking, more running!

After dodging more arrows, getting scratched by a few that I would later have to mend, I arrived at the lakeside that I would spend most of my free time thinking. Looking between the waters and the approaching Zebra, I gained a bit of ground before running directly towards the lake, leaping into it and diving with held breath.

Muffled shouts were heard from above, filtered by the water surrounding me. My cloak was starting to weigh me down, so I quickly untied the strap holding it to my neck, allowing it to fall into the waters beneath me. Now I had only my pouches and belts, though I would be able to resurface later now.

A few arrows lazily made their way past me, having been shot from the water's surface. They didn't dare go into the water, as their armor would cause them to become waterlogged and sink to the bottom. My breath was running thin, though this was the perfect moment for my magic to make itself useful. I blew bubbles from what precious air I had left, taking one of them in my magic and carrying it to the surface. It slowly expanded there, taking in fresh air and became the size of a large vase. Dragging the mass of air back down and holding on to the last of my own breath, I pulled the large bubble over my head and gasped for air.

"Aaah! Hah, haha!" I laughed between gasps to myself. Either the Zebra above would become bored, or their assault would end and force their retreat.

*bump*

"Aaaah!" Something brushed my leg!

I spun around lethargically in the water, vainly attempting to look through the murky depths for what had touched me. My soaked fur and mane were helping my sight none, allowing me only a single eye that could barely see a few spear's length in front of my face. I decided that exiting the water was a better idea than sticking around to see what it was that lived in the lake's depths. I kicked and swam frantically for the surface, hoping the Zebra would have thought I had drowned by now.

"Gaaah!" I gasped when I surfaced, my mane flipping away from my face. I cleared the water from my eyes, blinking to regain my sight. Thankfully, the Zebra had already gone. I had lost my cloak and my spear, but saved my own life because of it. My strategy of 'savagery' seemed to work yet again. Clothing and armor is a curse anyway; so constricting.

"Enough of that." I grumbled to myself. I was still floating in a lake of unknown dangers, it was no time to be judgmental of my tribe. Swimming to the lake's edge, I eventually pulled myself free from the water and moved away from the shoreline. After all, whatever was in the water could have easily come out of the water like a Craig-o-dile to eat me. My short chase had lasted only an hour or so, Celesti's sun beginning to shine brighter on the valley beneath it.

I eventually found a clearing that was far enough away from both the Zebra and the lake, leaning to sit down.

"Aow!" I winced, body reminding me of the various scrapes, cuts and open wounds I had gained from my sprint away from death. The enchanted cuts from missing arrows were causing my wounds to bleed more than they should, and I would need to bandage them somehow. I reached for my leg pouch before remembering that the bandages inside would be worthless. I had just submerged myself in murky lake water, and I was not about to trust the sanitation of that lake with my health.

The more I rested, the more my wounds made themselves painfully known. I had to keep moving or I would die where I stopped. Picking myself off of the ground uneasily, I painfully stood. "Alright. Where do I find bindings in a forest infested with Nightwalkers?"

I wouldn't have to worry about them for a while if the tales of their tribe were true. They mostly came out during the night... mostly. Oh well, it wouldn't do me any good to be frozen with indecision yet again. I was somewhat drying off, thankfully free of the mud from earlier due to my 'dip' in the lake. I wouldn't have to worry about infection as much, being relatively clean. I would have to find shelter, possibly a cave if I was lucky. I would need to make a new spear and a new cloak as well, and bandage my wounds to help with the bleeding. The enchantment wouldn't last long since it was just a simple graze, but it was still a concern.

"I'm tellin' you, Tenna. I saw her come up out of the water!" an accented voice insisted in the distance.

I'm in no condition to fight even more Zebra, let alone run from them!

" 'An I'm tellin' you, Boomstick, that nopony can survive as long as she did in the water." another voice replied, most likely their companion. They both sounded like stallions, though their accent placed them as Earthen. What where they doing so far from their tribe?

"Ya know, I can always tell when you're bein' stubborn just to upset me, Tenna. You must'a seen it too!"

"I didn't see 'nuffin. You're gonna scare away all the wildlife at this rate, an' we won't be eating anythin' with you gabbin' on!"

"Well if you'd just keep your voice quiet, then maybe we could catch that mare that ran off!"

"Yer the one shoutin'!"

It was probably my best bet to remain quiet and still, but the scratches and scrapes ached and insisted on causing me more pain the longer they went untreated. It was all I could do to grit my teeth and try not to let a grunt of pain escape. I curled myself into a ball against a nearby treetrunk, hoping that holding onto myself would provide enough of a distraction that the injuries would be tolerable.

"Alright, if you're so convinced that mare survived, then where is she, 'ah?"

"Maybe if you'd open your eyes, you'd see the literal bloody trail!"

I looked to my side, and there was in fact a trail of blood droplets and disturbed foliage leading straight to me. I had completely forgotten to cover my tracks!

"Oh sure, it just has to be the mare, dun'nit? Well go on then, go get the mare if you're so keen on getting a knife in the throat!"

I checked my chest belt, and the two plant cutting knives were still there. I could definitely use my magic to kill the both of them, were I not injured and outmatched. I doubt I would be able to light a campfire for all the concentration that magic took in my current state.

*snap* went a tree branch nearby.

"Oh good job, mate. Let everypony know where you are!"

"Shut it, Tenna! I'm tracking!"

"Tracking a good stabbing is what you're doin'!"

I held my breath, keeping as still as possible while their voices drew closer to me. I could try to run, but I wouldn't make it very far before being spotted. As I waited, the pain from my wounds built up in need of release, causing a small grunt of pain to escape my lips.

"Hold on, you hear that?"

"Hear what, you goon?"

"A noise, you git!"

"Yeah, the only noise I hear is the sound of you beating your head against a tree."

"No, I'm serious!"

"Wait, really?"

"Yes, really! It sounded like it came from over there!"

"Hold on, don't be an idiot. You go that way, and I'll go around the other way."

"Right!"

Well, this was it. I had to run or they were going to find me anyway. I pushed myself against the back of the tree trunk, my wounds now very clearly making themselves painfully known, causing me to stumble. Rustling leaves and pained breathing were giving me away!

"Gotcha!" one of them shouted while grabbing at me. I ducked barely in time, crawling along the forest floor and into the best run I could manage.

"Stop runnin' or I shoot!"

Shoot what, an arrow?

*Click*

What kind of bow makes that noise?

*BA-BOOOOOM* Went a deafening blast of noise, shards of something blanketed the forest around me and embedded themselves in my backside, causing me to fall to the ground in agony. My entire body felt like it was on fire.

"Nice one, Boomstick!"

"I got her!"

"You used the stun-shot, right? I remember the last time you--"

"Of course I used the stun shot! What do you think I am, an idiot?"

"You don't wanna know the answer to that, mate."

"Yeah? Sod off, Tenna."

I was trying to crawl away, dragging my body across the floor in a vain attempt to escape the two Earthen behind me. They had hit me with some kind of wall of pain that I didn't understand, but I knew it was very loud.

"Oi, stop squirmin'." *click* "If ya know what's good for ya."

I froze. I didn't want to be hit by that wall again, and especially not so close. The one I identified as 'Boomstick' had two very hot cylinders pressed against my spine and pressed me to the floor.

"Well, ain't you a piece of work?"

The other Earthen came to my side, kneeling next to me. My body decided for me that it was too much effort to try and prop my front half off of the ground, causing my face to collapse into the grass beneath me.

"Yeah, bleedin' everywhere too. You think that was from the Zebra?"

"Well it ain't from my gun, that's for bloody certain."

"I dunno mate," Tenna replied, running his hand along my back and causing me to gasp in pain. "It looks pretty bad from where I can see."

"What do ya think we should do with 'er?"

From my position on the floor, my mane covered eye could barely see Tenna look incredulously at Boomstick.

"Mate, are you serious? You went and shot some poor mare without any kind'a point to it?"

"Uh..."

"You're an idiot!" Tenna yelled, smacking his friend out of my view. "Ya know what you're gonna do now?"

"Why'd you 'ave to hit me so hard?"

"Shut it! You're gonna take this mare, and fix her. You get me?" I felt a hand wrap around my arm, pulling me sideways to flip me onto my back. Now I looked up into the treeline to see their figures in full. They were both stallions, one was grey coated, the other was a tannish brown. They wore some kind of fancy clothing with frills, metal chest plates and belts across their chest and waist with a lot of cylinders of different colors. One of them had some kind of device slung on their back, two metal cylinders pointing skyward and attached to some wooden holder of some kind. The other wore a backpack with all kinds of camping equipment on it from the looks of it. Their eyes were both sky blue, their manes an opposite pattern of yellow and white. Brothers, maybe?

"Boomstick, are you even listening to me?"

"I... What?" Boomstick asked stupidly, taking his gaze off of what I assume was my naked body.

Tenna sighed, covering his face. "You're a real prize winner, aren't you?"

"Well she's pretty, int'she?"

"I'm going to smack you again if you don't shut your face, Boomstick."

"Whaaat?"

"Please tell me you didn' just shoot this mare because of hormones?"

"Ah..."

"That's it." Tenna declared, delivering a sudden and swift right hook to Boomstick's face, knocking him out cold. He fell backwards onto the ground with a thud and disturbance of leaves. Tenna then walked from the prone figure of Boomstick over to me, staring down for a time at my face.

"I can tell just by lookin' at you that you're far from good." Tenna said, looking down at me with his face blotting the sun.

"Aaauuu..." I groaned in pain. I had tried to agree, but my entire body knew only pain. I tried to hold myself and curl up again as some form of comfort, but Tenna quickly leaned down to stop me.

"Hold on there, you're bleeding everywhere." He said calmly, holding my arms to my side. "I can fix you up, but you' gotta be straight with me, ah'right?"

I grimaced in pain, nodding and shutting my eyes.

"No using your magic to kill us, no runnin' away, no attracting your friends to help you and no runnin' off. Got it?"

With my current state of injury, my only option was to accept. If I disagreed, they could simply kill me easily enough by stomping on my neck. I still had the greater task of healing Spike with recovered gemstones, but if I died then all would be for nothing. I could only hope that my capture wouldn't be permanent.

I nodded in agreement.

"Good on ya." He smiled, taking his hands off of me and un-slinging his backpack. He rooted around for a while before finally announcing in triumph, "Ah, there she is!", Pulling out some kind of brown bottle. "Now, this is gonna sting. A lot. You ready?" he asked, uncapping the bottle and readying it above me.

I nodded. I was not ready.

It burned like a fire where ever he poured it, causing a white foam to quickly spring up around my wounds. I tried to brush it off but his hands pressed down on my chest and pinned my arms to me. I tried kicking my legs at him, but he sat on top of them. I was completely pinned down while he poured more of that clear fluid on me, burning me even more.

"Hold still, you idiot! I'm trying to help you!"

My ears were pinned down in anger, growling in pain.

"If you don't stop strugglin', I'll have to give you some anesthetic via fist, unda'stand?"

What the hay is 'An-astettic'?

"Ah'right, you asked for this!" He shouted, pulling back his fist and driving it home into my face.

"Aaaugh!" I cried in pain.

"You still awake? I must be losing my touch!" He drew back again, his final punch causing me to black out.

Author's Note

Please leave a comment! This story isn't getting a whole lot of views, (Though maybe because it hasn't been out that long...) But every comment helps!

If nobody comments, then I'll assume nobody is really interested in the story, and then I lose interest in writing it .-.

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