Days got busier with a student. Thistle had never really lacked for things to do but she did find herself putting things off now. She didn’t have time to spend hours with her family or foraging in the forest anymore. Granted, foraging had lost most of its appeal after the timberwolf attack. She’d only made one trip since and it had been in the company of a patrol group.

Now most of every day was spent with Cam. Cam came to her in the morning and they’d work in the garden together. After the garden was watered and weeded they went on their rounds. Door to door, making sure everypony was healthy. If there was an injury Thistle would walk Cam through diagnosing and treating it.

Like now, dealing with the small gash on Bird Song’s foreleg where she’d cut herself with a flint knife while chopping vegetables.

“Make sure to clean it really well, Cam. Infection kills more often than the wound itself.” Thistle instructed quietly while Cam gently washed the cut. Bird Song sat patiently, not making a fuss despite the pain.

“And now the poultice?” Cam checked with her.

“Which one?” She prodded.

“The plantain one with the three-braid twine on it.” Cam answered confidently, pulling the right gourd out of her basket. Thistle only needed to look, sniff, or taste to know what medicine she was using, but Cam had decided to use a series of braided twine strings to mark them apart. It wasn’t a bad idea. It would definitely cut down on the amount of times she’d had to taste a foul mixture to make sure she was using the right one.

“Good. Do you remember why we use that one?” She asked as the filly carefully spread the poultice over the wound. She was using a little too much but it wasn’t like it would hurt. It would just be a little messy.

“It numbs the pain a little and if there’s any infection already in the wound then the crushed pripeen seeds will kill it.” Cam recited. Thistle could hear her rolling her eyes.

“I’m not just repeating all this because I like the sound of my own voice, Cam.” She scolded lightly. “This is important stuff to know and you could hurt somepony by getting it wrong. I have to make sure you know everything you need to.”

“I know, I know.” Cam huffed, now wrapping the wound. She muttered something about the fragile leaves used. Thistle had often cursed them too. Having to rebind a wound seven or eight times a day got old quickly.

“Try to stay off this leg as much as you can, Bird Song.” Thistle turned to face the wonderfully patient mare.

“I’ll do what I can, Healer.” The honey coated mare chuckled. “Perhaps I can ask Foggy or Meadow to watch my foals so I won’t have to go chasing after the four of them.”

Outside, four foals were running and shouting in circles around the hut.

“You know you can leave them with Holly Berry if you need to. She doesn’t a mind a few extra foals.” Thistle told her.

“Oh, Mother Earth, I couldn’t!” Bird Song shook her head. “That poor mare usually only has Dim Light’s help and maybe one of the unicorn mares. I dare say she has her hooves full enough.”

“Dam, Frog Croak won’t let me be a wolf! Tell him I can be a wolf!” A honey maned head poked through the doorway. The filly was eight or so and big for her age.

“Frog Croak, give your sister a turn to be the wolf!” Bird Song called.

“I dare say you have your own hooves full.” Thistle shook her head in bemusement. Four foals, and Bird Song was thinking of another? Her eldest was still two years from being a stallion.

“Oh they’re the light of my life, Healer. Truly.” Bird Song laughed again. “You’ll understand when you have one of your own.”

“I suppose I will.” Her cheeks flushed.

“Are you gonna have a foal soon, Thistle?” Cam asked after they left Bird Song’s hut. The four foals were running around screaming and it indeed looked like Leaf Rustle was the wolf in this round.

“Not soon really, but when my next heat comes I’ll be trying for a foal with Woodpecker.” Thistle sighed. For the betterment of the herd.

“When are you gonna teach me about foaling?” Cam smiled big and wide.

Thistle, remembering her own education, almost felt bad about what she was going to do next.

“Why don’t we find a shady spot in the orchard and we can start?” She offered.

“Yeah! C’mon, hurry!” Cam playfully raced behind her and began pushing at Thistle’s hind legs to move her faster.

“A moment of your time, Healer Burr?” Cardinal’s voice intruded.

The red mare came from around the back of her hut where she’d clearly heard their conversation. She smiled, warm and motherly.

“Of course, Cardinal.” Well, this was still their rounds. Might as well see what Cardinal wanted.

“Aww.” Cam groaned. She followed Thistle into Cardinal’s hut.

“Woodpecker told me a few days ago that you’ve chosen him as your stallion.” Cardinal opened with a smile. “It came as a bit of surprise, I’ll admit, but he’s a fine young stallion and he’ll serve the herd well, I’m sure.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to working with him.” Thistle replied casually.

“Did I hear you correctly when you said on your next heat, you will try for a foal?” She leaned forward eagerly.

“That’s right. I’m not due for another moon and a half though.” Thistle confirmed, nodding.

“Excellent! And such wonderful timing! That means your foal will be born in mid-spring!” Cardinal laughed. “I truly believe that’s the best time to have a foal, even in this era of bounty we find ourselves in.”

“It doesn’t grow too cold at night, not too many rains, and plenty of food to keep a young dam fed.” Thistle nodded. Where was she going with this? Did she just want a conversation?

“Oh yes, definitely the best time for a foal.” Cardinal sighed happily.

“Thistle was gonna take me to the orchard to teach me about foaling.” Cam chose to announce.

“Oh, was she? And are you to be our next healer, Camellia?” Cardinal’s smile turned softer but it didn’t reach her eyes. They stayed sharp, focused.

“That’s right!” Cam puffed out her chest. “I’ve even got my mark for it. It’s a bowl of medicine! Thistle says I’m really good at making medicine!”

“She is.” Thistle withheld a sigh.

“And she was going to teach you the ins and outs of foaling?” Cardinal hummed and looked back at Thistle. “Will she be attending your birth, Healer?”

“She will. I’ll make sure she’ll well trained before that point, and a few mares are due to deliver in the coming months so she’ll have some practice.” Sapphire was due very soon actually. Two more mares due sometime after her within a few weeks of each other. Then a gap before the next birth in fall.

“So wonderful to think of our herd growing larger.” Cardinal smiled again. “Though, my dear, there is something else I’ve been meaning to ask you. Related to you and my colt.”

“Yes?” So they’d gotten to the heart of the matter.

“Have you given thought to who you’ll invite into your group next? I understand if you want to wait until you’re well along with foal before making any decisions, but surely you have some idea of who you’ll invite?” Cardinal’s words couldn’t have been more unexpected if she’d tried.

She probably should’ve thought of this sooner. Groups comprised of many mares and a stallion. Rockslide had six mares including True Blue!

The thought hadn’t even occurred to her.

She was quiet a little too long. Cardinal shifted to a more relaxed position and Cam looked between them in confusion.

“Oh, don’t worry yourself overmuch. There are a number of young mares with exceptional talents.” She reassured. “Oh, granted, it’ll be a small group, but you’re young and there’s time. If I might make a few suggestions?”

“Suggestions?” She was going to regret asking.

“There’s River Stone, formerly of the Hope Herd. She’s a little older than you and her stallion died last year, remember? No blood ties to the herd so you won’t have to worry about bloodlines mixing.” Cardinal pointed out. “She’s got a talent for path finding, never gets lost, and she’s usually attached to the patrol groups.”

“Or, well,” She hesitated. “Mimic and Melody are cousins so it’s a bit close, you may only want to choose one of them, and you’ll of course have to wait a year for them to mature. There’s your Followers to consider as well. By the time you are named Lead Mare, Summer Showers should be old enough to join a group. I know that seems a long way off but she’ll be a fine catch once she’s of age.”

“I—Thank you, Cardinal, uhm,” Thistle fought to regain control of her tongue. “I haven’t really…given thought to any groupmates just yet, I mean I’m just…I’ve got so many other things to occupy myself, I just,”

“Oh, I understand, dear. I understand.” Cardinal’s smile was too knowing to be comforting. “But, well, once you’re with foal other mares are going to be looking if you catch my drift and you may wish to know which ones will be of use to you. After all, it is the Leadership group we’re talking about here. A very prestigious position in the herd.”

“Ah, true.” Thistle honestly didn’t give much thought to herd hierarchy. She was already one of the elites and with Lead Mareship looming in her future there really wasn’t any higher she could climb.

True Blue and Rockslide were the leads, and Shiny Rock, Starlight, Foggy Meadow, and Flower Fields were all in that group. Beyond Shiny Rock though, Thistle didn’t have much to do with the other mares. Even Light’s dam, for all she’d turned her sister away years before.

She found herself trying to form the herd into a chain, from most important member to…least.

It was difficult to do. How could she decide which ponies were more important than others? Did she put Apple Blossom higher or lower than Marsh Steps? Despite the fact both mares brought in the bulk of their foods. Where did foals fall on the chain? With their dams or at the bottom? Who was the bottom? The newcomers? The unicorns? Soft Touch, for her unwillingness to socialize?

A chain didn’t quite work for her, but she imagined that’s how Cardinal saw it. The whole herd lined up like a chain of braided flowers. One pony at the top, one at the bottom, and a hundred links in between.

“I can honestly say you’ve given me much to think about, Cardinal. Thank you for that.” She breathed in deep.

“Not a problem, Healer. Always happy to help.” Cardinal looked pleased.

Thistle bit back her first response. And the second. The third, she decided, was polite enough to say out loud.

“As am I. Now, I thank you for your hospitality up to now, but I do have lessons for Camellia and much still to do before nightfall.” She said, standing and directing Cam towards the door. The filly opened her mouth to say something and Thistle nudged her back to stop her.

“Of course, don’t let me keep you. And do stop by if you ever want to talk, Healer.” Cardinal nodded politely.

Outside, Thistle shook her head at Cam. The filly’s mouth closed with a click of her teeth. It was a silence that couldn’t last.

The trip to the orchard wasn’t long enough.

“I don’t get her!” Cam groaned, flopping onto her back and rubbing her eyes. “She talks so nice but the things she says!”

“I know,” Thistle held back a groan of her own, choosing instead to lie down and let the sun’s rays chase away a little of her chills. She only allowed herself a moment before she looked up. “Cam,”

“Yeah?” She looked up through her soft pink mane.

“What Cardinal said today,” She braced herself. “I’d appreciate if you didn’t tell anypony else about it. Not even our family.”

“What? Why?” Cam’s jaw dropped.

“Because,” She struggled for the words. “I don’t want ponies to start thinking the same way Cardinal does. And if you tell them, they might tell somepony else. Yes, I should have been thinking of a group before this, but not because I’ll be picking the next elite. I should be thinking about whether or not we can get along, if they’ll be the kinds of ponies I can trust with my foals for a few hours, not their social standing.”

“Isn’t it…? I don’t…” Cam gulped and started again. “Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be? You’re supposed to love your groupmates, right? And then they become family so you love them even more?”

Oh…Oh. She’d never considered things from Cam’s point of view before. She was too young to remember much about her dam or sire and what she’d seen since then had led her to the belief that families started as groups and eventually grew closer. Hornet had originally been nothing more than a sire, now he was a Dad. Light had been a friend, then she was a sister.

So in Cam’s experience, groups started with love. Morning Dew and Mountain Shadow loved one another so they Followed each other. Enduring Rock and Thistle Burr loved each other so they became granddam and grandfoal after being teacher and student. Thistle Burr and Dim Light started as friends and became sisters. And Cam had been there for all of it. Sun and Moon, Cam had started as a strange filly with a broken leg and become a daughter and cousin.

So in Cam’s eyes, what did she see when she looked at Thistle and Woodpecker? Love? Or the start of it at least?

While Thistle sat there ordering her thoughts, Cam had grown more and more nervous. Fidgeting, gluing her eyes to the ground, ears tucked back and eyes starting to water.

“Cam,” Her heart squeezed inside her chest. “That’s what makes family different from groups. That love. But…”

Cursed Shadows, why couldn’t they have just had an embarrassing talk about foaling?

“Most groups aren’t decided that way. Love, if it ever comes, it comes later. If it comes at all.” She gingerly held her forelegs out for Cam to fit between for a hug. She held the younger filly and did her best to make the blow soft. “The reason Woodpecker and I are going to Follow each other is because he would make a good Lead Stallion. And the herd needs a good Lead Stallion. I don’t love him and I don’t know if I ever will. Or if I’ll love any other mares invited into my group. I might just…choose other mares because they have skills I like or because…or because I want to tie a pony from another herd to ours, to make our herd stronger.”

Cam was quiet for a while. Thistle didn’t know what else she could say. She’d never expected to have a talk like this before and it made her question everything she knew.

True Blue had outright told her that she and Rockslide were partners and that was the deal. Did either of them have any genuine fondness for the other after all these years?

Lots of mares didn’t live with their stallions. Apple Blossom and Lucky Streak did. Did they love each other or was it just easier for them to live together?

When had Morning and Mountain begun to love Hornet? Was it during that first winter when he became a Dad to Cam? Or later? After Busy Bee was born?

Would she ever love Woodpecker like that? He flustered her, flirted every chance he got. He was smoother than his dam or maybe it was just his well-groomed pelt deceiving her. Making her deceive herself. Would he ever love her that way?

She thought of him playing dead for Pine Needle. She thought of him leading them away from the timberwolves. She thought of him leaning in close to whisper to her, close enough to be mistaken for nuzzling at a distance.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rose Bud wasn’t surprised to see Healer Burr sitting in front of Elder Enduring Rock’s grave. She came every few days, rarely did a week pass without a visit. Sometimes Rose Bud was able to see Healer Burr’s lips moving as she spoke to the dead.

But other times, Healer Burr didn’t speak, even when Rose Bud was too far to hear. Sometimes she just sat there, looking tired and sad.

It was usually after a funeral, more often in winter. Winter made everypony melancholy.

She crept closer in increments, giving the healer plenty of time to notice her. She stopped at every grave, removing weeds and placing flowers. Finally she was only two graves away. She stopped at a polite distance and waited.

Waiting was no hardship. Rose Bud found herself waiting an awful lot. Waiting on the dead, waiting on the living. Healer Burr wasn’t the only pony who found her way here, merely the most common.

Healer Burr had more goodbyes to say than most.

“Come to visit again, Healer?” She spoke lowly, wary of startling the Magic Blessed mare.

Healer Burr didn’t startle but she did blink, turning her head only slightly to face Rose Bud. She didn’t say anything.

“Hmm,” She hummed. “I must say, I usually only see you in a mood such as this after we have laid somepony to rest. But nopony has come to dig any graves and I’ve heard of no illness, no injury.”

“No one has died, Rose Bud.” Healer Burr sighed, turning back to the grave stone that marked Elder Enduring Rock’s resting place. Rose wished she could have met Elder Enduring Rock. Perhaps she’d have the chance when she moved on to the Endless Pastures.

“And yet you are melancholy.” She commented. “What ails you, Healer?”

Rose thought she was pretty good at reading ponies, even when those ponies didn’t want to be read. So she could see the momentary disbelief as it flashed through the healer’s eyes. Had anyone ever asked about her health before? Ah, but who healed the healer?

“I had…a very difficult conversation with my little cousin, Camellia.” Healer Burr spoke haltingly.

It warmed Rose’s heart every time she heard Healer Burr claim somepony as family, even when there was no blood relation. Such kindness and generosity in one soul. Truly, the herd was blessed to have her.

“Difficult?” She carefully refrained from adding her title. There were days even the healer needed to be a pony.

“Cam has always been surrounded by love, ever since she was adopted by Morning and Mountain. She doesn’t have many memories of her birth herd anymore, so that love is all she knows.” Healer Burr explained. “And today…” She stopped and tried again, clearly trying to make her voice more even.

“And today I had to tell her that that sort of love is rarer than it should be. That’s it not the first thing anypony looks for in Following.” Her shoulders slumped ever so slightly.

Ah, indeed that would be a difficult conversation. Rose herself had once been very confused over why other ponies grouped together instead of having one dam and one sire as she and her younger brother did.

Rose had seen the love her parents had for one another and been so…confused at how every other pony in the herd treated it.

Ponies had called her dam selfish for keeping her sire all to herself. In her younger years Rose had waved between the two ideals, that of Selfish and Unselfish Love. But neither really existed in truth. Though both were very real.

Young Camellia was in some ways better off than Rose Bud had been. No, she was definitely better off for having a more conventional seeming family. But there were similarities.

“Love is for everypony’s choosing.” Rose stated, drawing the healer’s full attention. She smiled softly and explained herself.

“Love means different things to different ponies. For one pony love might be a mare and a stallion and the passion of their bodies. Love might also be between dam and foal. Love might be mare and mare or stallion and stallion. That is a choice every pony makes, and sometimes it’s a choice they take back later. Ponies change their minds or fall out of love. But that’s a choice too.” She explained.

“My dam and sire decided they would only love each other and their foals. Our family is smaller for it, but no less loved.” She watched Healer Burr straighten slightly, a curious light sparking in her eyes.

“Your cousins, Mountain Shadow and Morning Dew, they decided they loved each other. And when they desired a foal, they found a stallion to sire it, but it didn’t become love until later.” She continued. “It’s still love, but it means something different to them.”

“Perhaps I should’ve brought Cam to you instead. You seem to have a better understanding of it all than I do.” Healer Burr chuckled, a little bitter but mostly amused.

She knew Healer Burr didn’t mean to sound bitter. And indeed, Healer Burr was quite adept at hiding any trace of bitterness no matter her mood. Rose Bud was simply…better at seeing it than most.

But that same bitterness told her that her work was still undone. Something about Healer Burr was still aching and wounded. Rose only hoped she was up to the task of healing it.

“Is there more?” She pressed, taking a sedate step closer.

She saw Healer Burr’s conflict. It was brief but intense. Too green eyes darkening for a single heartbeat. Breathtaking.

“…Not at the moment, Rose Bud. Thank you for listening though, it helped.” With that, Healer Burr stood and began making her way through the graves.

Contrary to what others might expect, Rose was actually pleased by this. Multiple times she’d seen Healer Burr in such a mood and often the Magic Blessed mare was able to pull herself out. Sooner if she had friends or family to speak to, but those hadn’t been an option for this. Not if Healer Burr was seeking her Elder’s company.

But having a near stranger to simply exist and show willingness to listen? That helped too.

Rose pulled a bouquet from her baskets and laid it at the foot of Elder Enduring Rock’s grave.

“Be at peace, Elder.” She whispered softly so only the dead could hear. “I will do my small part in keeping our Healer in the Land of the Living. You just enjoy the Endless Pastures. We will watch over her.”

The dead never replied but they never needed to. Rose understood them well enough.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Onyx was the first one back to their hut today. Emerald normally beat him here. The hut didn’t look very welcoming when empty. The fire was banked low and cast shadows that made it look like nopony had been home in a very long time.

He forced himself to shake away the feeling. The looks would improve once he built up the fire a bit. Maybe he’d even go into the cellar and bring dinner up for Emerald and Sapphire.

It didn’t take him long to do this and neither of the others had arrived by time he was done. Onyx sighed down at his dinner and looked around the hut.

There were three mats situated around one wall. Onyx slept in the middle. He’d hung a spear on the wall above his mat where he could magically grab it quickly. Emerald had added her own spear but she left it leaning against the wall near her mat.

He stared at her spear for a while. Mares fighting was so strange. In his experience mares only had to fight when the stallions weren’t doing their jobs.

Not so among Earth ponies. Here, anypony could fight if they wanted to. Anypony could do anything.

He liked to think he was adjusting well but there were still bumps along the road. Would he ever be okay watching a mare risk her life in his place? No, never. He’d die first!

He hadn’t forbidden Emerald from joining the patrols.

He hadn’t thought he’d need to! Emerald wasn’t as well bred as Sapphire but surely she had more sense than to throw herself at danger like that! And he couldn’t say anything to the Earth ponies because, well, most of them were bigger than he was. And he couldn’t tell Emerald ‘No’ because—!

Because she might leave.

He winced, wishing the thought would burrow back into the shadows of his mind.

She could leave. They could both leave. Find new stallions. Even Sapphire carrying his foal was no obstacle if she decided she no longer desired his company. In fact, from what he’d gathered listening to other stallions at work that might actually make her more desirable. They already knew she was fertile.

Emerald wasn’t with the patrols today, as evidenced by the fact her spear was here. He didn’t have to worry about a monster attack because they were too far from the forest for the timberwolves to strike. This breed of monster couldn’t move far from the tree line it seemed.

She was either in the fields or watching the foals. He hoped it was the foals, personally. He hoped they were both with the foals. It would give them good practice for when his and Sapphire’s foal was born. And Emerald’s next heat should come around sometime before or after the birth, and then there’d be another on the way.

More unicorns. Maybe more unicorns would make him feel less like a cuckoo among jays.

But they’d be raised like Earth ponies.

There was no getting around that. His future foals would have mates among the Earth ponies and would live and grow all around them. He could instill in them the same bearing as a unicorn but what would it matter when all they had to do was look outside to see the exact opposite.

‘And,’ He acknowledged, ‘It would make them strangers here, their birth herd.’

“I’m home.” He jumped, turning to see Emerald standing in the doorway. Her forelegs were caked with dust and mud. The fields then.

“Emerald, welcome back. Have you seen Sapphire?” He greeted her with a nod, watching her walk over to the basket of food left out for her.

“She went to the foals today. She’s too big around to be of much help in the fields anymore and Marsh Steps thinks its important to do something more restful near the end of a pregnancy.” Emerald kept eye contact for most of the explanation. She let out a breath that was almost a scoff as she continued, “Though I can’t imagine why she thinks running after almost twenty foals is in anyway restful.”

“I see,” In more ways than one.

Every day it felt like Emerald was becoming more and more like an Earth pony. Keeping eye contact, speaking without being spoken to, going on patrols!

Onyx wasn’t really afraid of Sapphire leaving. He’d willingly left their old herd with her rather than leave her to die all alone. He’d do it again, even if he hadn’t known what would be on the other end of that long trail.

But Emerald? There were days he almost missed the horn on her head. Emerald hadn’t wanted to come with them but they’d already been Matched. She hadn’t had a choice.

She had lots of choices here.

Could he convince her to choose him?

Author's Note

Okay folks, I am officially on break for the next three weeks! Updates will resume on the 16th! Have a good day and I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far!