Little Strongheart sat in the hut alone as she waited for the signal. Inside, it was dark, stuffy, and a bit worn from age. She knew this hut had not been used for many years; she was the first in many generations to decide to go down this path, so the hut was hastily prepared for her celebration. Though, she couldn't help but wonder why so many didn't choose this route-anxiety.
Fortunately, her thoughts were brought to an end as low humming resonated outside. She felt the bass in the chant that vibrated the very land they lived on. She felt it fill her, calm her, and push her forward in her decision. It was then she knew her choice was right. It was then, she knew it was time to leave the safety of the hut.
With a deep breath, the young buffalo rose to her hooves. With another step, she approached the flap. She motioned her leg to push the flap aside, but she hesitated...for only a second. The energy she had only moments ago had rushed out. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to regain what she's lost. The chants grew louder and the land's vibration grew stronger. The time for her to exit was now.
Adding extra flair to her exit, Strongheart flung the hut flap open with all the strength her tiny leg could muster. Instantly, she regretted her decision as the sun flooded her vision causing her to shield her eyes. Keeping her eyes towards the fertile soil, she saw the hooves of her family, gathered just for her. At first, she shied away as the weight of the situation gathered on her shoulders, yet she realized who she was. The chief's daughter, a buffalo who helped with the train heist, and the buffalo who out maneuvered the Element of Loyalty.
With pride building inside her, she began to walk tall through her family. Their hum becoming louder as she got closer to her destination. The destination she called dad. He stood at the entrance of their village. Just like the tent, he was worn with age, yet he stood strong and firm like every chief before him. He looked as if he was holding back the outside world's problems. That behind him was something he'd never want his daughter to see, yet she saw that in his eyes.
"YES! Come here, Little Strongheart," Chief Thunderhooves yelled above the chant, "Come and claim you future."
Strongheart ran towards her father. She wanted to jump onto his back to celebrate such a joyous occasion, yet she knew better. Once she got close enough, she slowed down, and bowed to show respect; the chief returned the gesture.
When Thunderhooves rose, he stomped his hoof and proved how he earned his name. Immediately, the hum stopped and ears opened.
"Today of both a happy day...and a sad one," The Chief spoke, " Happy because for the first time in many generations has someone chosen to leave the safety of our village and venture into the world. It is sad because it is my own flesh."
"Dad..." Strongheart began to say, yet was interrupted by her father's continuing speech.
"I always wanted my daughter to stay. Find herself a strong mate and have many children to grow our herd. For I felt she'd be safe. Now, when she told me she wanted to leave I forbade it. Then I realized that being safe doesn't equal happiness. That what she and I were looking for were two very different things, and her path would diverge from mine. It was a hard truth to swallow, but one I did. And one you all can do too."
The crowd stomp their hooves in agreement and calmly returned to the silence.
"Now, Strong, as with tradition I shall give you four...well five items now that times have advanced: a bag of bits, a blanket, a bottle, a train ticket, and a bag to carry them all. Once you leave our village, you job is to explore as much of Equestria as you can. If you can, go further. Let nothing hold you back, for when you return home, you will have a story to tell. Make sure it's one that won't be forgotten."
The hum began again as Thunderhooves gave his daughter the five items. He thought himself how small she was for her age. She had not grown much since the war. No matter, he knew his daughter could take care of herself. She had his blood in her veins.
Next, a female buffalo came over with a bowl of dark blue paint and a traditional headpiece. She began painting the young one's face with the markings of their ancestors. Strongheart remembered the symbols. They were symbols of protection and if necessary, they would guide her home. Yet, she could not recall the headpiece was for. It didn't matter to her, it looked nice on top of her head so she didn't complain.
When the markings were complete, Strong knew her journey was about to begin. She rushed to the village entrance and stopped. Whenever she started something new, she always remembered the first step and tried to make it a good one. With another deep breath, she ran for the train station.
A lone griffin, with a satchel around her neck, lazily walked down the street of her town. Nothing seemed to catch her interest today, for she was in no rush. The only thing on her mind was bits. And a lot of them. All she had to do was turn in what was in her bag, and she wouldn't have to worry about expenses for a little while. She could finally relax.
She continued to walk until she reached an abandoned warehouse. It was once a griffin production company warehouse, but that soon failed and the whole area deserted. Oddly enough the air smelled of activity. This did not surprise the lone creature. With how everything has been lately in the griffin empire, she wouldn’t doubt if someone was living inside this building.
She approached the building and opened the rusted door. It resisted, but with a slight push it soon gave way. Seeing inside was almost impossible. Fortunately, the rusted ceiling had a few holes hat allowed some natural light to pour in. Though, the griffin had been in darker places and this was child’s play.
As she waited, she pulled a snack from her bag and thought about her future. No more running that baked goods stand she owned. No more relying on other to break even. All that awaited her was relaxation on the beaches of the world. Or at least a couple of months without work.
A few minutes passed and then a door from the back of the warehouse creaked open and other griffins, dressed in suits, began to enter room. In unison the formed a half circle in the middle of the room with the leader in the middle
“Gilda, always early aren’t you?” asked the lead griffin as he threw a cigar to the ground. He wore a black suit with a red tie and the glasses he wore seemed a little small for his face. “Anyway, sorry about the wait, we ran into certain complications on the way here.”
Gilda knew what “complications” meant, but she frankly did not care.
“Look, let’s get this over with. I have places to be, Raphael,” Gilda said, taking off the satchel, “Y’all have the bits?”
Raphael snapped his talons and another griffin brought out a briefcase and opened it up.
“In this case are notes that guarantee an exchange for twenty-thousand bits. Just go to the Bank of Canterlot and they’ll gladly hand them over.” The case-holding griffin explained.
Gilda dropped her, slid it over to Raphael, and went to grab her bits, yet the case was abruptly closed. The griffin holding the case walked away, and was replaced by Raphael. He smiled and then it turned into a serious look.
“Before we finish our business, there is another matter at hand,” The gang leader stated before moving across the room and opening the very door Gilda came through, “Recently, there’s been a talk amongst gangs in the Griffin territory. We know we each have moles in our organizations. That can’t be stopped, but the information leaks we’ve been having are unimaginable. Things that only top officials know…leaked to the lowliest of thieves, criminals, etc. You wouldn’t know anything about that Gilda, would you?”
“You know, I only work for you guys,” Gilda said calmly, “Now, I have places to be. If you will with the case.”
“Of course...of course. Let's hear what my friend has to say.”
At that moment, another set of griffins walked in. Their clothes were tattered or mismatched. They seemed wild and the dirt that covered their feathers and fur only added to this observation. The smell that came off them was a mix of blood and body odor from a lack of bathing. Unlike the other group who formed a half-circle, this group stood anywhere they wanted.
At the end, a female griffin came walking in. She wasn’t as dirty as the rest but splotches of dirt where visible. Around her neck were the talons of what Gilda assumed were her victims. A eye patch was covering a eye, yet Gilda knew it was for decoration.
“I say this leaking is coming from the traitor right in front us. Aint no use in lollygagging! We know she’s been selling information among gangs and lowlife for profits. She’s a double agent. For all we know she can be a triple, or quadruple agent. I say we string her up right now, pluck all those feathers, and roast her until she reassembles a cooked turkey!” squawked the new female.
“Look Gally, we can’t just go accusing people of crimes. We are civilized criminals. We give her a chance to defend herself before beat her black and blue.” Raphael explained before he closed the warehouse door, “Now, any words Gilda?”
Growing worried, Gilda hastily tried to think something out. She knew she couldn’t talk her way out; she knew she couldn’t fight her way out. The feeling of dread began to roll over her as she knew it was all over.
“I’m shocked you guys would accuse me of such…lack of honor,” Gilda said, as she walked in-between the groups, stopping in a ray of sunlight that engulfed her, “Y’all know me better than that.”
Everyone in the room huffed in retort at Gilda’s words. It was as if they all knew what she said was a lie.
“We barely know you,” Gally yelled, “You come around one day and asked for work. If we didn’t ask you your name, you wouldn’t have told us.”
“Another thing is, you never denied knowing either one of us. You just admitted it,” Raphael announced, “I say that’s proof enough for treason.”
“There is nothing wrong with a girl having multiple streams of income. Besides, I never stated allegiance with either of you. So working for both was allowed.” Gilda stated, noticing the hole in the ceiling was big enough for her to squeeze through, “However, I would never trade information. Look let’s all sit down and talk this out. We can grab some food and work out our differences. ”
“Do you really think we are that stupid?” Gally asked, her anger growing, “The information in the Satchel you delivered was one of my gang’s robbery plans and drop-off zones. Instead of you delivering it to base, you take it to our enemy. It’s over! It’s cooking time!”
The rough looking gang all seemed to get excited while the ones who wore suits began stretching. The two gang leaders began discussing something while a few of the smarter members began approaching Gilda to make sure she doesn’t escape. Internally, Gilda knew she was out of time. Externally, she kept calm. She had one chance to get out of this situation, but she wasn’t leaving without the money. Even if it made her escape harder.
She took a deep a deep breath and thought over what she needed to do. It was risky, but she rather die on her own terms than submitting to some half-baked gang leaders. So, before the gang members could grab her, she bolted towards the case. Using her momentum, she sent a fist into the jaw of the griffin holding her case of notes. As he went down, she grabbed it and unfurled her wings. In a split second, her mighty wings sent her souring to the hole in the ceiling and a cloud of dust in her wake. As she got closer, she realized that it was smaller than she first guessed and braced for impact.
The collision threw Gilda off balance and sent her flying onto the top of another building. She rolled to lessen the impact and recovered before fallen off the edge. Before she checked her, she made sure the briefcase was fine. After that, she looked over herself. Seeing that everything was fine, she rushed away from the area, certain that her distraction wouldn’t hold for long.
“We are leaving from this stop in the Griffon Kingdom for Manehatten in five minutes. Please make sure your entire luggage is secure and still on board!” yelled the train operator as he prepared the train.
Little Strongheart sat in her seat, waiting for the train to takeoff. She’s been in her seat for the past two days, just watching the scenery go by. The truth was she did not know what to do or where to go. The world was a huge place and she had no idea of it outside her Buffalo lands. Soon enough, the train would reach the last stop. She guessed she’d get off there and explore.
She turned to look out the window and saw something amazing. One griffin, carrying a briefcase, was being chased by others. She looked visibly frightened as she ran towards the train. She had a pretty good lead and showed no signs of slowing down as she approached the train. Though, a sign of worry appeared on her face as she got closer. Not missing a beat, the griffin ran towards another pony and snatched a ticket from her purse.
She jumped into the train, slammed the door closed and took a seat across from the young buffalo.
“We are now leaving the griffin station. Next stop, Manehatten!” Yelled the conductor as the train moved and the doors locked.
As the group of other griffins finally reached the station the train was off in the distance. They wanted to keep going after the train, yet the more experienced members of the group knew that such actions would raise alarm and cause unnecessary havoc and police attention.
“We will find you, Gilda,”Gally said as she gritted her teeth, “Alright boys, we are heading home…and someone grab our plans from The Talons!”
Moments passed and a stewardess came to check tickets. Everything went without a hitch, even the stolen ticket posed no problem. She then asked if anyone wanted refreshments to which many replied “yes”. Once she took the orders, she left immediately left to go do her job.
“Sooo are we just going to ignore what happened back there?” Strongheart asked Gilda, “Because I don’t think we should.”
“Shutup, buffalo. I don’t have time to explain to a shrimp.” Gilda replied, not looking in her direction.
“Well… what’s in the briefcase? It seems important.”
“None of your business.”
“Well, that stolen ticket is none of my business, but I’m sure the conductor would like to know how you went and got it.”
Gilda turned her head and peered deep into the eyes of the buffalo. She was looking for some ounce of fear she could exploit, yet there seemed to be none.
“Are you trying to blackmail me? If you are, it isn’t going to work.”
“Naw, I was just messing about. Truth be told, I’m trying to find something interesting to do. I’ve been on this train for a few days and don’t know where to go. I saw you running away and stealing the ticket, I figured you must have some idea of something interesting to do.”
“Look, I’m not the best creature you should be hanging around. I’m not the stand up person you might think I might be from running away from criminals and surviving, “Gilda explained," I don't know why you left your tribe, but you don’t want to use your time being around me.”
“You don’t know what I want, griffin,” Strong said matter-of-factly, “I’m not exactly a stand up person either. I battled a train before. Fought Rainbow Dash, the Element of loyalty! Even took place in and even stopped the war between the Buffalo and Appleloosa.”
“Wait, you know Rainbow Dash? She is…was one of my best friends.” Gilda said, catching interest in the buffalo.
“Really?!”
The two began began a long talk as they both made way for the next stop of their trip. Neither knowing what was waiting in Manehatten.
