The horseman

The sun had begun its decent, turning the sky a light shade of orange. There was a lull in the atmosphere around the camp, now that the sun was descending, the camp had suddenly become peaceful and quiet, the only sounds that could be heard were Andrews pencil, scratching against the paper, Diamond Edge's hoofsteps on the watchtower above him and Ditzy conversing with a few ponies who had lined up for an evening meal.

Andrew drew his pencil away from the notebook and examined his handy work. It was nothing special, it was just a sketch of the camp, just looking at the drawing made him miss his portraits and paint.

He stood up stretched, hearing his cartilage crack as he did so. He heard his stomach rumble and looked at the food tent, he joined the end of the small, fast moving line. Ditzy was behind a wooden desk in front of the tent, it was was covered with empty wooden plates. "Hi there mister" Ditzy said as he approached, "what can I get you?" "What, we've options?" Andrew asked, "sure, we have all those oranges, but the other ponies brought stuff back to".

Andrew looked over her shoulder to try and look into the tent, "apples and grapes" he, shrugging. Ditzy picked up a tray and went inside the tent, in a moment she was back, the once empty tray now laden with two bright apples, three clementines and what looked like half a vine of grapes. "Here you go",Ditzy said handing him the tray, as Andrew took it from her he saw her give the fruit a distasteful look. "Not to fond of fruit?" Andrew asked, "no, it's great we can eat and that you got all this stuff, but, I just miss the food we could get back home". She sighed, "I miss my muffins".

Andrew took the tray, thanked Ditzy and set off back for the tower. His initial plan was to eat and as soon as he finished he would do another watch, but just as he reached the foot of the tower he heard someone calling his name. "Andrew, Andrew?" Rarity was trotting down to the tower from her tent.

"Hey, there a problem?" Andrew asked, "no dear, not at all, I was wondering whether you'd care to have dinner with the girls and I?". Andrew gave her a surprised look, "yeah, why not", "wonderful" Rarity said smiling.

The two made their way across the camp and back to Rarity's tent, grouped around the table were Twilight, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, they all looked up as they entered. "Good evening Andrew" Twilight said, "hello" Fluttershy said weakly, smiling at him, Rainbow looked up at him and gave him a nod, then she looked back down at her hardly touched plate of fruit, a small sad look on her face.

"Sit here darling" Rarity said, gesturing to a chair beside Twilight and opposite Rainbow, "Pinkie Pie was meant to be here, but she insisted on staying in the med tent". "Is she hurt?" Andrew asked, peeling a clementine, "no" Twilight replied,"our friend Applejack got attacked by some timber wolves, she's hurt pretty badly, she hasn't gotten up in a few days". "We visit every day, but Pinkie stays there twenty four seven", Fluttershy added, "she says when she gets up, she'll throw a party for the whole camp".

"She needs to heal soon" Twilight said, "I need to ask you all something", they all looked at her. Twilight looked at each of them hesitantly and she looked like she was choosing her words very carefully.

"About moving the group" she began, slowly, "not this again" Rainbow said exasperatedly. "Rainbow we need to think about it" Twilight insisted, "I was attacked and Andrew got shot, if more of Dusks soldiers are out in the woods what are we going to do if they outnumber us?" "She's got a point" Andrew said, "what's to stop some of them creeping in here and butchering us all while we sleep?"

"Twilight puts up a shield around the camp" Fluttershy said, "but a shield can be broken" Rarity added, "the changelings broke one at Canterlot". 'So even if we do move where are we gonna go?" Rainbow asked, "Ponyville's over run, Manehatten got hit with an army, and we'd need a train to get anywhere else!" "I was thinking Canterlot" Twilight suggested.

"On hoof?" Rarity asked, "all of us walk to Canterlot? Twilight it's miles away, most of us are starving, the injured cant travel and we don't even know if it's safe".

Rainbow Dash scowled, "we wouldn't even be here if you had just let me stay in Ponyville"she said to Twilight darkly. "You were outnumbered Rainbow, they would have killed you" Twilight insisted, "killed me!" Rainbow yelled, "I could have taken all of them, if you didn't pull me back we'd still be in Ponyville and Scoots would still be..."

She stopped mid sentence, then she put her hooves on the table and looked back down at her food, "Scoots would still be here" she finished quietly. Fluttershy put a hoof on her friends shoulder, "Rainbow, nopony could have done anything to help her, it's not..." "Get off!" Rainbow snapped, pulling her hoof away causing Fluttershy to draw back in fear.

"She was right there" Rainbow went on, "just a few feet away, I could have just dashed ahead and grabbed her, but..." Rainbow stopped again and once again dropped her gaze back to her tray.

"Oh get a grip" Andrew said, annoyed. Rarity, Fluttershy and Twilight looked at him in shock but he ignored them and continued to stare down Rainbow Dash who was looking at him, stunned.

"I get it you two were close, but for God sake stop kicking yourself about not doing anything. What's done is done and you can't change it, shit happens we move on, that's life". "Swear" Fluttershy squeaked, "sorry' Andrew said in a calmer tone.

The table had gone very quiet, Rainbow still looked shocked but then she shut her eyes and shook her head. "Your right" she said finally, "I shouldn't be..thanks" she said awkwardly, Andrew nodded to her.

There was another long silence, then Fluttershy attempted to break it. "I think Twilight's right about leaving, it might not be safe for us here anymore". Rarity sighed, "you should do what you think best Twilight, talk to somepony in the morning". Twilight looked at Andrew, "what about you?" She asked, Andrew shrugged, "I don't care where we go so long as it's safe".

Twilight looked round at them all one more time, "I'll talk to Diamond Edge tomorrow, he's my best chance".

They sat mostly in silence for the rest of the evening, Twilight and the others breaking it occasionally to talk about how a few ponies in the camp were getting on.

At around eleven o' clock the girls started to file out of the tent. After Rainbow left it was just Andrew and Rarity left. "You don't have a tent do you?" Rarity asked him, "no, Diamond gave me a loan of his earlier". Rarity looked him up and down, "you look far to exhausted to do another watch, you can sleep here tonight".

"You wouldn't mind?" Andrew asked, "Darling, I'm not the element of generosity for nothing you know" she said smiling. " The what?" Andrew asked, "long story, tell you later, anyway you can sleep on the futon, I'll find you a spare blanket".

Rarity trotted up a set of stairs to the upper floor, a minute later with a white woolen blanket. "here you are" she said, levitating it over to him. "Thanks Rar".

"Not at all, just, one question"

"What?"

"You don't snore do you?"

Andrew gave her a look that suggested that he had heard that question a thousand times over, "let me give you the same answer I give everyone else. I'm asleep, so if you wake up and you hear me snoring, then yeah I snore". Rarity looked slightly abashed at having asked him. "Sorry, well goodnight"

**********

Andrew opened one bleary eye and looked around Rarity's tent, he couldn't her much conversation outside a d assumed it must still be early. He got up and poked his head out the mouth of the tent.

Barley twenty ponies were awake, the sky was covered in a thick layer of grey clouds and a light mist hung in the air around the camp and forest.

Andrew stepped outside and heard is stomach growl, he craned his neck to see the food tent. The line was short, and Ditzy was still at it.

While walking down he passed Diamond Edge's tent, as he did so he stopped and turned back, stopping outside the front to listen.

"The pegasus could carry the wounded" he heard Twilight's voice say, "and the unicorns could carry the supplies, we could be at Canterlot by the end of the day if we.." "Twi" Diamond's voice cut across her's, "I get it, your concerned about your brother and Celestia I get it".

Andrew hear a hoof slam onto a table,"no you don't!" Twilight said in anger, "this is more important than that, the camp isn't safe".

"Twilight, we held out for months and everypony's been OK".

"Applejack almost got eaten"

"Key word being almost"

smack

"Ouch! Lady what the fu.."

"You still don't get it" Twilight sounded almost desperate now, "Andrew got shot, I was attacked, that was one of Dusk's soldiers out there. What if they have a camp to, what's to stop them coming here and slaughtering us. We need. To. Go!"

Then there was a long silence, then Andrew heard Diamond sigh, "leave it with me" he said, "I could talk this over with the other ponies and we'll decide then". "Thank you" Twilight replied. Andrew had barely a second to react, he scurried to the food tent just as Twilight exited.

Andrew returned to the watch tower with his breakfast, which consisted of a sliced apple and two pieces of bread. He lent against the leg of the tower eating and spotted Diamond Edge coming towards him. "Morning" he said casually stopping beside him, "morning" Andrew replied.

"Cold out today" Diamond said looking around, "OK Diamond" Andrew said sighing, "don't draw out the conversation, what do you want?" Diamond gave him a shifty look, "I was speaking to Twilight a few minutes ago" he said, "yeah, I heard".

"So you were eavesdropping?"

"No, well I was, but Twilight told me last night"

Diamond looked at him, "so what do you think?" Andrew didn't answer at first, he looked around the camp carefully, then he answered. "I think you should consider it" he said, "Twilight's right we could get attacked". Diamond looked at the ground and shook his head, "give me till tonight, we can decide on..".

He stopped suddenly, he looked ahead into the trees, "what is it?" Andrew asked. He didn't answer but continued to stare ahead.

thwack

An arrow came flying out of the fog and hit the leg of the tower, centimeters from Andrews head. "Shit!" Diamond yelled, "find cover" he ordered, grabbing a sword from inside his tent as more arrows came flying at them.

Andrew pelted across the yard and slid behind a wooden crate, they were cornered from all sides. Soldiers in red armor came tearing out of the fog like bats out of hell, brandishing axes, swords and daggers.

Ponies were screaming and crying. Andrew watched as one soldier grabbed a mare and began hacking at her with his axe.  One began heading his way, a dagger floating along beside him, Andrew lashed out with a kick sending the assailant to the floor. Andrew grabbed the fallen dagger and brought it straight in the pony's skull, killing him.

He looked wildly around, Rainbow Dash was taking on two at once outside Rarity's tent. Andrew ran at one and plunged the dagger into the back of its neck. While the other looked around Rainbow sent him flying with a kick to the mouth.

"Here" Andrew said handing her the dagger, she grabbed it and launched herself at another attacker, Andrew grabbed an axe and bolted up Rarity's stairs. Rarity was fighting off another solider upstairs, she spun round and landed a kick into her attackers face. He staggered back, growled, and smashed her across the head with the back of the sword.

Rarity screamed in pain and fell on the ground, blood spilling over the side of her face. The solider raised his sword just as Andrew reached her, he raised the axe and brought it down in the pony's skull, blood a small skull fragments went flying in all directions. Andrew yanked the axe out and bent down next to the still bleeding Rarity.

"Rarity?" Andrew asked in a panicked voice, she didn't move. "Come on, move!" Andrew shook her vigorously, her head lulled to one side as he did so.

Now in a mad state of panic, Andrew put an ear to her chest, no, she wasn't dead. Andrew got up and looked around the room, he snatched up a long strip of fabric from a small table and tied it around the wound to stem the flow of blood. He'd have to come back later.

Taking a look at the staircase one more time, he pushed Rarity under her bed and pulled the bed sheet in front of where he hid her, blocking her from view. Andrew snatched up his axe and sprinted down stairs.

**********

The battle outside was complete and utter chaos. Ponies were emerging from the woods with arrows that were alight with fire. Diamond Edge and his soldiers were attempting to fight them off, swinging swords and thrusting spears at the attackers. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were in the heat of the fight, firing magical blasts and lashing out with punches and kicks.

Spinning the axe, Andrew rushed forward, swinging his weapon at the enemy. He knocked one to the ground with a hard smash to the back of the head, a nearby soldier swung his sword down at him, Andrew blocked, kicked the pony back and brought the axe into its head.

He looked up and ducked, a fire arrow had come flying at his head, he felt it graze his hair as it passed over him and he thought it might have singed his hair. The arrow continued on and struck the leg of the watch tower.

Within seconds the leg was up in flames, crackling and burning angrily. Through the multitude of screams and yells, Andrew hear Diamond call out, "put the damn thing out!"

Two unicorns galloped to the fire, which had now spread to the room at the top, they fired jets of water out of their horns to extinguish the blaze. But their attempts amounted to nothing, the tower collapsed, the legs gave way under the fire and it came onto the ground with an almighty crash, sending fiery embers, dust and burning pieces of wood flying through the air from around it.

Coughing, Andrew looked up, the dust still hung heavy in the air, but he was sure he saw the ponies in red retreating into the forest, and when the dust settled, he saw he was right.

The ponies were retreating into the woods, there were hardly twenty of them, most were injured and bleeding, some attempted to limp after their fellows, only to be shot by an arrow or a magical blast.

Andrew sighed, he looked down at the body at his feet, the axe still sticking out of its head. He wrenched it out.

The ponies were surveying the damage dealt. Tents lay in piles on the ground and some were on fire. Many ponies were dead, either from loss of blood or they had been stabbed. Others lay bleeding profusely on the ground, coughing up blood or squirming and gasping in pain.

Twilights eyes were brimming with tears, she gave Diamond Edge a long, imploring look. Diamond looked back at her, then he raised spoke loudly to the group at large.

"Ponies, this forest is no longer safe, if Dusks soldiers are here there could be hundreds more of them in the forest. The smell of blood is gonna bring timber wolves down on us, we need to be out of here before then. All pegasi are to carry the wounded, unicorns are to carry supplies. Pack whatever you've got left and be ready to go in five. We're going to Canterlot".