Bitter and Sweet.

Bitter and Sweet – chapter 2.

Ada.

Everfree forest.

“3, 2, 1, jump!” I cheered, sprinting with my wooden friends until me, Tony and Vixen lunged off of an estimate of about 300 to 350-meter waterfall, almost naked like the day I was born, if you Count my neckless. Well, I say ‘jumped’ but, not to toot my horn, I did a backflip spin thing, my legs and arms outwards in a free fall. All three of us howled as we let our bodies fly. It’s always fun closing your eyes and letting your body fall; not knowing when you're about to hit the surface of the water—sucks when you go belly first. Oh My God, it fucking sucks. That stomach pain you feel after fucking kills. I rather get shot between the eyes, at least I wouldn’t feel anything when I resurrect. Luckily, I landed feet first into the decently sized lake with two other splashes. I laughed and waved to the two wolves under the water who waved back with their paws, their ends of the mouths edging up in a smile. Vixen had his wooden like tongue sticking out. Such a cute fat bastard. We all reached the surface of the lake, and Vixen had a fish in his jaws before digesting it. I laughed With a mischievous grin on my face.

“Are youse thinking of what I’m thinking?” I asked, raising my fists from the water. They nodded, and before I could reply, they both doggy paddled at me. I giggled. How am I supposed to take these two seriously when there being too damn cute. Shit. That might be my weakness. I can't resist their cuteness! AHHH! They both jumped out of the water as they both landed on each side of my chest. We were sending me back under the water where we three play-fought under the water. I must say, trying to punch underwater is a good work out. I could actually feel my arms burning. Considering I don’t need oxygen, I could stay underwater all I liked, but these two made the mistake of taking the fight were their mobility was limited, unlike me. We both had a stare-off, red mist smoking the once clear water. Mostly the blood of our victims but mine was there too. I took the blood to my advantage as a think red mist crossed in between us like a cloud. That’s when I swam more deeper into the lake until I was right underneath them. They looked shocked, circling to try and find me. I let the confusion go on for a few seconds more before I smiled. I used all the power I could to swim-upwards, making a current of my trail before grabbing them onto my shoulders and with the speed I have, I leapt out the lake, a few meters up. You should of seen their faces before I had them by their throats and slammed them back in on our way back down. Priceless. Let’s just say they weren't happy when they saw me laughing uncontrollably at them.

“O-oh my God! Hahaha, your faces! Hahaha.” I cried out, actual tears coming out. Tony wasn’t happy; he wasn't having any of it. He wasn’t done. Before I knew what happened, I was greeted to what felt like a jet wash in my face. I recoiled back into the water for a second before I came back to the surface with an annoyed glare. The two wolves smirked, and we all shuck on a draw even though I clearly won the battle. They're lucky I love them. Looking to the shore where I saw my camp, a little oak pup was tapping his paw into the water uneasily, seeing if the water would drag her in. I smiled at the little pup. Sarah is what I called her. Found her all by herself when ponies and a dragon killed her pack. It was unfortunate, their pack were starving, and once they sore the chance, they took it but, didn’t succeed. Broke my heart it did. Fuck ponies and that dragon in particular. So yeah, we took her into our pack and Tony and Vixen has been teaching her the way of the wolf. It’s cute in a gay way. Two fathers looking after their young. Or brothers, either-or, they're cute. I admire how settled they were with her. Usually, wolves from other packs joining other packs are rare, and if that did happen, the outsider would be treated like dirt. So, I’m proud of them in a way. My smile extended. Quickly, I shot underwater and slowly swam over to the edge of the lake, deep enough, so a shade is seen from the surface where Sarah was. Sarah looked curious as she looked down at the shadow, her head tilted. That was my queue to pounce out and scare the living shit out of her. It dawned on the pup that something was coming at her quickly. I popped my head out with loud…

“BOO!”

The pup recoiled back as she tumbled back, looking to run away at any time but, once she saw it was just me, her tailed wagged.

“Come here, Sarah. Come on.” I said, opening my arms wide open for her as she jumped on my chest, her claws digging into my flesh but, I’m used to it as Tony and Vixen cut me from time to time by accident or so I think it is anyway. Oddly enough, it’s always when I end up pissing one of them off. Hmm, odd indeed. I held her against my chest as Sarah licked my cheek relentlessly as I kicked my way over to Tony and Vixen, who looked relaxed when floating on their backs. Time to ruin that. I held her from under her front legs in the air.

“And a one, and a two, and a three!” I said in a sing-song tone before throwing Sarah in the air where Tony and Vixen where. I laughed as Sarah landed on Vixen as they both struggled.

“Youse two know what to do, teach Sarah how to swim. After that, we are having pony meat for tea.” I said, swimming back to shore. I heard the two wolves huff, and I giggled as I could imagine Vixen giving me the finger behind my back. Sitting on the edge of the lake, my whole body exposed, I attended to my wounds as I started to chow down some meat, watching as my skin overlap my wounds slowly. Until I made sure that all my injuries were closed, I dipped my body back in the lake, watching in satisfaction as the red blood wash away. Then, I made my way over to a boxed container where I pulled some shampoo out with a towel and spray, where I got them from did I hear you ask? Some white posh bitch’s dress shop. Nicked all her bathroom shit. I might be an insane bitch but, I’ve got my standards of looking and smelling good. Once that was done with my hair and body, I looked up to see Sarah on Tony’s snout, keeping her above the water while she builds confidence swimming. I could just about see her move her little legs. Great, now I have three cute bastards. My weakness indeed. I chuckled to myself as I took hold of my clothes that I’ve been wearing since I’ve come to Equestria. My black tank hoodie, a redshirt that branded a bird with some sort of leaf in its mouth, black jeans, black socks, black cap, black Nike shoes, black knickers and bra. Bet you can’t guess my favourite colour. Once I was done cleaning as much of the mud and blood off as possible, I pinned them down on a thin cord and left them to dry in the sunshine. So, I waited and watched Tony, Vixen, and Sarah get along while I sit on a log by a used campfire, the smell black charcoal evident as smoke rises from it like a genie coming out a magical kettle or whatever he came out off. I looked up to the Everfree’s trees, which I really don’t do enough of. The trees, in a way, are the only thing I can relate with. These trees haven’t got a heart to beat or have an ounce of magic within them. Their presence alone has a devilish appearance in the dark but, in the ray of the sun, it is so mystical and obsolete, it might as well be as old as me. Plus, it’s a part of nature. As much as I am a evil bitch, I’ve always loved nature. The air I use to breathe, so refreshing. the feel of the tree’s bark, so rough and vital. the scent of flowers, blooming in the sun, the sight of watching little critters playing natures roles. You don’t understand how many times I’ve walked around the Everfree just to get lost in the moment and quite literally lost. But, I love it, so it doesn’t matter. The Everfree forest is quite an unusual place too. You see, the waterfall I jumped off of wasn’t just any other cliff but, a floor. If I go deeper into the Everfree, there will be another cliff A.K.A, another floor that goes deeper into the more ancient base of the Everfree, were even darker monsters roam, even more, ferrous than myself. I know this because, that’s where I came from, where I started. Also, on each floor, the trees are much bigger with each floor that goes down, so the tree line at the top is flat, giving it an illusion that the forest is entirely straight from a birds-eye view. It’s one of the many mysteries in this woodland. Frenetic splashing snapped me out of my trans as I looked over to the disturbance. Sarah was slapping both of her paws against the water, which did keep her up, but she was also made waves. She does look happy doing so, so, I'll let her have her moment. I couldn’t hide a smile from the faces of the two annoyed-looking wolves that battled against her mighty waves of destruction.

“Go on, Sarah! Keep paddling girl. You got this!” I stood up and cheered, blowing a whistle in support. They grow up so fast. An idea popped in my head, and I quickly rushed into my rucksack, looking for a specific tool.

“Kukri, nope. Bag of bits, nope. Oooo, chocolate bar, but, nope.” I muttered to myself, brushing aside the many things in my bag. “Ah, there you are!” I said, pulling out my iPhone. Pressing the white button and swiped up at the bottom of the screen, multiple options popped up. One being the brightness tab and the other being the volume. It also showed the battery percentage, which was all fucked up. Something is glitched about it, keeps spasming this random punctuation. It’s fucked but, it hasn’t died yet so, my guess is that it’s running on an unlimited power supply for some reason ever since I got here. Yay, too bad theirs no satellite thingy majiggy, would have been on my data doing streaks. Anyway, I pressed the symbol of a camera, and my whole screen went black for a second before I could see Sarah paddle violently through the phone. Quickly, I switched it to video mode and pressed the red button, which made the counter start.

“Look at my baby girl; she's learning to swim! Fucking go on, Sarah! Wooo!” I cheered enthusiastically, seeing the pup turn to smile to the camera. “Come on, Sarah. Come to Ada!” I said, making a gesture to come to me for the camera. It took her a while for her to get to me but, with a few more words of encouragement, she finally made it. I ended it there and went back to photo mode where I took a selfie with a wet puppy, licking my cheek. I kissed the top of her forehead before I put her back down. Fucking cutest wolf out of the lot of them by a milestone. Instead of following me back to my log, she turned back around and landed on the face of Vixen who was just about to get out. I couldn’t hold a chuckle in as they both went back in. Fuck by a milestone, in the fucking multiverse. Tony seemed to giggle at Vixen’s distress before heading over to me and waggled his tail, grabbing his dark green dog bowl on the way. I reached into the gore-filled bag and pulled out a decently sized chunk of flesh. He sat patiently, and his tailed waggled faster when he spotted the meat. Tony placed the bowl beside me, and I plopped it in. He was about to dig in.

“Ah, ah, wait for Vixen and Sarah so we can eat together.” I interrupted, his fangs inches away. He moaned before he barked at Vixen. Allow me to translate.

“Vixen! You fat shit, get your ass over here so we can have our scran, you fucking mut!” Tony barked, clearly aggravated by his halt. When Vixen had a moment on the surface, he barked back.

“What the fuck do you think I’m trying to do, knobhead! I’ve got this little shit in my case twenty-four fucking seven. Why don’t you take her under your paw for five fucking seconds, you prick!” he backed with a snarl.

“Fuck that! Who the fuck do you think I am? Kylie fucking Cantrall! I’m not having it!” Tony shuck his head with another bark.

“If this gay relationship is going to work, Tony! You’ve got to take responsibility of our child too, you fat neek!” Vixen said, right before being drowned by Sarah again.

“Oh, fine! Sarah! Get your sorry ass over her before I get the belt!” Tony barked. With Sarah hearing Tony say ‘belt’; she made a u-turn and paddled her ass back to shore.

“Fuck you!” Vixen howled, taking a second to breathe.

“Fuck you too, hun!” Tony howled back. God, my translations are on point today. Once everyone was around the unlit campfire, we all dug into our meals like there was no tomorrow. While I was stuffing my face with the colts meaty leg that I didn’t finish off, I went on the iTunes and onto my playlist. I pressed the shuffle button, and I immediately kicked back to the beat. Lemonade by internet money. Fucking banger. My body seemed to move on its own with the lyrics and flow, bobbing my head and muttering the verses. But, when it came to the chorus, I couldn’t help but imagine that I was at a carrieoke and sung with an imaginary microphone. All three wooden wolves looked up from their meals as they watched me sing and dance, bare in mind that I’m bloody naked but, I didn’t feel the need to cover myself up, even with the ink markings around my body, I don’t see any wolves wooing me up. Once I finished, I did a little bow as the three wolves howled the approval. I was about to sit back down when another banger came on, Rainfall by Stormzy. I haven’t heard this tune in ages. I stopped in my tracks; my grin expanded as the beat was heard. Oh, I’m going to be here for awhile.

-=-

After I had my moment and eaten the rest of the colt’s leg, I finally put my black clothing back on. Not because it was chilly or anything, I’m as cold as it gets, y’know, being dead and all. It’s because I felt naked without them. Haha, funny girl aren’t I. As I put the last piece of clothing on my head, I looked over myself, admiring the tattoos on my arms. On my left arm was a detailed, black Liverbird. Underneath it was lyrics of its anthem. On my right, was a meticulous black skull with octopus-like tentacles up and down my full arm. I have more tattoos but, don’t fancy showing them off. Suddenly, a howling was announced as it came from the cliff. I sighed and looked up from the lake to the ray of the sun.

“That time already? That was quick.” I muttered. I crossed my arms and looked at the surrounding timberwolves expectedly on the edge of the cliff, looking down with their obstinate green stares, their snarls heard. Their bickering seemed to vanish as they looked over to the much bigger wolf that stood in the middle of the pack, looking down to me with disdain.

“Ada.” The wooden dire wolf spoke with a deep, old voice compared to the oldest tree. “It is good to see you well, my daughter.”

“Dryad. I would lie and say its nice to meet you again buddy old pal, but, let's be honest here; I think I would prefer shitting out bricks than listen to what you have to say.” I said, frowning at my leader, believe it or not. Dryad didn’t acknowledge my insult, hearing it all before. “Are you here to take Tony and Vixen? Why?” I mulled over.

“It has come to my attention that some of the Gulf Pack have been lurking beyond our boards, scoping the surrounding facility of our den. I have decided to rally my pack for the unpredictable predicament.” The old-timer announced in a defending posture. “Lark, Jed. My sons, it’s time to go.” Dryad addressed to my two companies. They both winced by the names being said, and their ears pinned down. They both looked at me at the same time, and I huffed.

“Sorry boys, you heard the old bastard.” I said, crouching down and scratching behind their ears. Didn’t improve their mood though. “Go on, off you go.” I said, Stepping aside as they walked passed, Occasionally glancing back to meet my eyes. I just smiled and waved. I glanced back to Dryad.

“For the record, it’s Tony and Vixen.” I said with a smirk, trying to rial him up for the sake of being him. Ooh, it looks like I've got a big bite.

“As their father, their names are not yours to play with. It’s my right and responsibility to suit them with names known in the depths of the Everfree.” He stomped his giant paw in annoyance. “My title as alpha is known; you'll do better to know who your leader is.”

“Yeah, yeah, let their names be known to the whole of the Everfree and all that lovely shit. Your forgetting who you're talking too aren't you, old-timer. I may have joined your pack but, don’t tell me what I can and can’t say or do. We all know who kicked who’s ass.” I shouted, making sure that all the wolves heard my claim, spreading my arms wide. Dryad scoffed.

“Insolent She-wolf, you know the law of the pack, and you know it damn well. My word is final and if you defy my word, I’ll-”

“You’ll what? Kill me, banish me, feed me to your goons? We can go for round two if you like?” I challenged. “Or maybe your gutlessness way will show for once, and ill have to fight you and the pack.”

“Enough! Ada, with my words, I hold meaning. Why must we fuss over meaningless accusations.” The alpha asserted, saying different phrases for the same significance. “Our bond is as weak as a tree’s switch, imagine the chemistry between two almighty forces. We would be undeniably unstoppable. No pack or entity would dare cross our path.”

“I won’t deny that fact, Dryad. But, the problem is I want the title of Alpha. It’s not my fault that you have what I want.” I stated simply. “So, be a good wolf and step down and I promise, I’ll lead this pack for greatness. That’s all I could want.”

“This pack is barely living!” Dryad shouted. “I’d love nothing more to meet that same future but, with our position in the food chain, we might as well being eating grass by the next season.” He growled as the thought of the shameful act, fuelled his frustration.

“That’s why you need me!” I shouted back, equal frustration in my tone. “I have had a crew before, I've been there, I've done that. I’ve lead my crew into riches and fame for being one of the most wanted melancholic crews from the west of London. I was a big deal back in the day. My opps didn’t disturb and I had no paigons. I. Was. Feared.” I said, spelling it out for him.

“Yes, you are feared. I fear that you’ll drive my family into something of your past, I fear my sons and daughters will be sacrificed for your schemes, I fear that one day you will take my role by force to do as you will. Ada, you’re the reason I can’t sleep at night. I will never let you take the title of Alpha and I’ll take that to my grave.”

“In that case, I’ll make a mental note to piss on your grave, gramps.” I laughed. He just growled as he took my bait. Suddenly, Sarah’s puppy barks was heard, interrupting our stare off.

“Why is that pup still here? I told you to get rid of her.” He growled. Sarah stopped and pinned her ears down as she was now centre of attention. She quickly turned and swam back to me and hid behind my legs.

“Didn’t you just not hear me or what? Or is your age finally getting to you. Allow me to put that in simpler terms. I don’t give a fuck about your law, your orders or anything at all.” I growled myself, feeling the top left lip raise into a growl. “Sarah means no harm and is a outsider just like me. I don’t see why you disapprove of her. She has the potential to become one of the feared wolves in our pack if only I can take care of her.” I reasoned, but by the scowl and the low growls, he disagrees.

“How many times must I voice the reasoning behind my law. No other members of other packs can be adopted to mine. Trust is limited in this forest.” Dryad aired. “That pup is dark oak; nothing comes close to its selflessness and pandemonium. Nothing can tame it when it's entirely aged. It’s better off a lone wolf.”

“Dryad, you need to put more faith in your subjects. I know what the Dark Oak are capable off, that’s why I have her under my wing. If anyone here knows violence and greed, it’s me.” I challenged, uncrossing my arms and placing them into the pocket of my hoodie out of habit. “This could benefit us greatly; this could be our ticket to greatness.” I could see the gears twist and turn together at once, like the clocks system as he stared at Sarah. His thoughts were conflicted between his packs wealth and the destruction it could bring them. His weights that bare on his shoulders is something he’s endured but, with every decision he makes for the pack, the more he envisions what that leads to. He’s always been a wuss like that. Finally, he seemed to come to a decision when he looks back at me.

“Very well, Ada. I’ll let you take responsibility for the outsider but, if she tarnishes our plans in the future we have planned, I’ll put her to death myself.”

“You better know who stand before Sarah then. Just know that I won’t sit and waggle my tail as I watch you put her down.” I shined a toothy grin.

“Your skills and abilities were unknown back then, Ada. I know what to expect when that day finally comes.” He held a neutral stare. “Until next time, Ada.” He barked before turning tails and walked off, his pack following, Tony and Vixen looking down with bags of meat in their jaws. Yet again, I just smiled and waved. Then, it was just Sarah and me. I looked down at Sarah, who came from behind me and looked back up with her red glowing eyes. I leaned down and smiled, rubbing both of her ears.

“Thanks for backing my beef, Sarah.” I said, now cradling her in my arms. “Now, who wants to go on an adventure?” I cheered as I rubbed underneath her ears which she panted pleasantly.

-=-

Before I knew it, the news was voiced around Equestria like a virus, plaguing the world with every detail. Four murders in one house and supposedly one more on the edge of the Everfree where a blood trailed off into the Everfree. Five murders in one night like this generation has never seen before. You can imagine how rallied the ponies were when they got their newspapers. Frontpage too, fucking get on me. I had read the article, and I did find it amusing what was said.

‘FIVE LEFT DEAD AND ONE FED MONSTER!’ The title was imprinted with that bold text that screams attention, underneath the breaking news. The picture that was displayed in a black and white print, showcasing the bloody doorway. If you look closer, you could just about see the face of the lifeless colt.

“Nothing personal, bud, I was just hungry.” I chuckled, sitting on one of the large branches of the Everfree’s tree, one of my legs left dangling. Sarah and I were now on the first floor of the Everfree as I let Sarah off her leash and let her go hunting by herself. It will be good practice for her to experience the thrill of catching food solo. With weak rabbits and other critters to feed off, it shouldn't be a problem for her. Before Skipping to the full page of the story, I reached into my pocket to pull out one of the sweets and devouring it. I found myself smiling. Long story short, they think a cannibalistic, homicidal pony is on the loose in Ponyville and has escaped into the Everfree forest after killing five ponies and assaulting one more near Sugercube Corner. It states that Ponyville will be secured and patrols will roam around and in the Everfree forest searching for the pony. The ministry of defence is all over this shit. Damn, didn’t know a simple killing spree would cause such a reaction. I guess shit like this is not something this region wants to see. Boring cunts.

It says that a detective was on the case, I wonder if it was that brown stallion again. Every time he comes to Ponyville, he gets in a right mood as far as I can tell anyway. I see him every time he rides that rich chariot with the same old detective uniform and fedora. It’s funny to see that Equestria has there very own detective, I mean, I bet he has a lot of time on his hands. You know, with the crime rate being so slow. I wonder what the majesty’s little pawn is up too. No doubt looking for clues on what killed them, that much should be obvious. It’s the afternoon; surely, he has found something.

The sound of something in the bushes knocks me out of my trans, and I get a good look at Sarah with a gob full of rabbit to my surprise anyway; I didn't think she would come back with a rabbit, theirs been a rare few of them recently. She looked up back to me and placed it before the tree and barked for attention. I obliged by letting myself fall in front of the little pup. She waggled her tail.

“Well, well, look what we have here.” I kneeled to her level and scratched her chin. Sarah welcomed it as her tail wagged faster. “You’ve done well, in a short amount of time too. Before you know it, we’ll won’t have problems with food.” Sarah barked in agreement. I get a good look at her, her slightly darker oak body and her red eyes reflecting the mayhem that her pack engraved her in. The shade of her wrongfully judged by the others. The pack she had truly fucked her. She’s lucky I showed up when I did. “Welp, let’s get a move on. Uncle Dryad is waiting for us, don’t want to keep him waiting now do we.” I said, will a sigh. Her tail seemed to freeze and slowly took between her legs, a notion that she’s afraid of old Dryad.

As we walk deeper into the Everfree to where the pack is set to be located, it’s funny how I know my way around the first floor of the Everfree. When I first found myself in the Everfree forest, I was utterly lost that it took me at least a week to make my way out. That’s when I found Ponyville, the first interaction of civilisation ran by ponies. The first steps I took in the village was as expected, ponies running around screaming monster. I think that was the first clue that I wasn’t welcome. Didn’t stop me from staying though. That’s when six ponies confronted me. The same ponies that killed off Sarah’s pack. I don’t know what's up with them but, they seem to protect the village which I didn’t care about at the time but, now that I think about it, somethings don't add up. When they had confronted me, they wore no protection or weapon of some sort. They tried to figure me out. They are not some Guardians of the village but, just some random ponies from off the street. I think as soon as they saw I was sapient, their first approach was to be civil. Too bad I fucked that up though, would be hella a lot easier yet again, I wouldn’t trust these ponies with a plastic spoon. The culture and style of life is just a no-no for me. I have to say too, extremely shady when it comes to what happened last night. I was expecting to fight the pink pony but, who was that cloaked mare and what was her motives? Another guardian of the village or is the ruler of the nation finally showing their dark side? How interesting. It looks like I’m being hunted down but, yet again, wouldn’t I be noted as a creature from the Everfree Forest and not a pony. I don't know; I don't know why I'm overthinking into this, my poor brain isn't that capable of thinking that far dammit. I’ll just put those thoughts with the rest of the loaded of shit that I never come back too.

“Welp, here we are, lass.” I murmured as we stared at the musky, gloaming cave entry where two sentries stood on guard like them knobheads by the Buckingham Palace. Sarah brushed against my leg, hesitantly. This is her first time coming to our den; it's understandable.
“Come’Ed, Sarah.” I started to walk into the void. I look back to see Sarah’s stiffness, and I gestured to follow before continuing. The girl needs to grow a pair or me, and she will bump heads with one another, which I have no problem with but, I hope she can take a beating. Beating the fear out of her will do it. She better be smart enough to get over her fears.

I don’t stop my march deeper into the jet burrow, not giving Sarah a second glance. I wasn’t listening but, the pitter-patter of Sarah running after me made me smirk. Well, at least she didn’t pussy out. Good thing, too, I wasn't stopping for her. If she stayed out there, I wouldn’t have come out of this grotto until she came in. I’m going to discipline this wolf until I have her wrapped up around my thumb.

She whined beside me as I could feel her vibrate uncontrollably. It’s funny; wolves practically live in the darkness of the night to hunt for the next meal but, behold a wolf that is scared of the dark ladies and gentlemen. I can already tell this will be a pain in the ass, but, as I said, Sarah has the potential to become one of the most feared wolves in the Everfree kingdom, and I mean that. All she needs is a nudge in the right direction. God knows she needs it.

“You know, if you feel scared and anxious about something you fear. I think of the positives like, the weather.” I said, sparking a one-side conversation. “Or, I hum a tune and dance. For example.” I proceed to hum a catchy tune I remember a while back and danced a little, shuffling as I raved freely as if I was back at a concert. A quick peek at Sarah had her looking up at me, her tail slowly swaying. One thing to top it off now.

“Don't you know I'm walkin' away
Now I'm in my own space
Babe you know I ain't waitin' for you
And if you don't want me to stay
Only one thing to say
Babe you know I ain't waitin' for you
Want me, oh, oh, oh, oh
Want me to say
Want me, oh, oh, oh, oh
Know I ain't waitin' for you
Want me, oh, oh, oh, oh
Want me to say
Want me, oh, oh, oh, oh
Know I ain't waitin' for you.” I sung, my feminine side coming out as I had my eyes closed, feeling my body swing with the flow. The link was immediate. I could feel her shakiness lessen and her body swish to my voice. I smiled. Now for the cherry on top.

“Big beast when it comes to the lyrics
Me, I do this ting on the mic with no gimmicks
Came a long way, I was servin' in those Civics
And you were tryna keep me from winnin' but I did it, I did it
Ask about me, I did it
Let man stay on my sofa, I did it (I did it)
Buss down my watch and my choker, I did it
I keep a straight face in this poker, I did it
Look
Rest assured man's got you
If life weighin' you down then I'll spot you
Water you, show you sun, never block you
If no-one's backin' your beef, then I've got to
Yeah, back your beef that's my job
Just ride for me, don't write off
I got your back, hold tight, when you climb on
I've always been a real gurl to rely on.” I rapped with the most masculine tone I could, a hop in my step with each stride and a flail of my arms. I think it is fair to say that I’m a shit dancer, but, damn, I can spit bars. Beside me, Sarah was enticed by the lyrics and was plodding along as I did, a smile on her face. Fair to say she’s not shitting bricks now. Always been a fan of rap ever since I heard it, especially in the UK. Big names like Fredo, Stormzy, AJ Tracy, etc. Always gave me a spring in my step. Absolute beast in the music industry.

Now that I got Sarah from being a chicken shit for a bit. I strolled along with my hands in my pocket and whistling the beat of a song; we made it to the wide-open space were green eyes emanated, scattered around the edges of the curved walls, living life to the best they can with what they have. I also spotted Tony and Vixen giving out chunks of meat to the surrounding wolves that waited. Supplies were limited, and they could barely feed a family. Day by day, prey have been vanishing out of nowhere. It’s like every other animal in this forest had gone extinct. Soon, the ponies will be next on our list. And to that known fact, I can’t wait for that day to happen. I don’t think I’ve mentioned this but, horse meat back in the day was fucking delicious, cooked or not. Doesn’t trump goat meat, though. Mmm, I wish I could have some Chevon right with a bit of ginger spice now with a bit of garlic bread on the side and a large pint of lager. I think that would make my day.

Looking dead centre of the unlit cave, there was the old fart, looking at Sarah then back at me. It’s clear to see that he is still pissed off about the Sarah situation but didn’t snarl, unlike the others that in the appearance of us both.

“Welcome home, daughter. I’m glad you have come on such a short notice.” Dryad welcomed in his fatherly tone. I rolled my eyes in response. “Please, take a seat, Ada. This meeting will take a moment.”

“Yeah, okay, whatever, gramps.” I sat on the opposite end of the bundle of small branches and scorched large branches on the side just like I told them, ready to to set ablaze. I looked at him with a knowing grin. “Let me guess; you want me to make a fire out of you, don’t you.”

“Your humour is odd, Ada. But no, I’d like to witness the flame you create on this dry timber we have collected.” I chuckled. You’d think I just whipped out my phone and started shredding Ascend. Now that would be a sight to see. Walking over to my personal domain (which was a long rectangular pile of dead grass and a hand made box beside it), I pointed at my so-called bed and stared at Sarah.

“Stay!” I commanded, and with that she plotted her little ass down. “Good girl.” I said, rubbing her head which she gave a pleasant moan. Lifting the lid off the box, I lifted out a piece of quartzite rock, a spare steel blade and a char. Walking back to my spot of the logs and leaned forward with my tools. “Prepare to be amazed!” I shouted before I grip the rock and char cloth. Taking hold of the piece of rock between my thumb and forefinger. Making sure an edge is hanging out about 2 or 3 inches. Grasping the char between my thumb and the quartzite.
Strike! Grasping the back of the steel striker. I Struck the steel against the quartzite several times. Sparks from the steel flew off and landed on the char cloth, causing a glow.
I Folded up my char cloth into the timber and gently blew on it to start a flame. Like a chemical reaction, smoke rises, and to Dryad’s pleasure, heat-formed the room with alight. All the wolves were in awe with my display, and suddenly, they felt the urge to get closer to the source.

“Amazing, the power you hold with such materials is remarkable. Tell me, how did you come across such wisdom? Wisdom that I haven’t imagined of having in my years of living. How could someone so wise could be so young?” Did dryad praise me? Sappy fuck. Pun intended.

“I learned this from survival, and I took an interest in the scientific method that the humans discovered through the Millenniums they existed. Smart fuckers, if you asked me.” I shrugged. “You see, this in my hand is called quartzite, Quartzite is a nonfoliated metamorphic rock-composed almost entirely of quartz. It forms when a quartz-rich sandstone is altered by the heat, pressure, and chemical activity of metamorphism.

Metamorphism recrystallises the sand grains and the silica cement that binds them together. The result is a network of interlocking quartz grains of incredible strength, which could be used as a mean ass weapon of a sword.” I said intelligently. God, if only I had gigs and a white lab coat. Dryad stayed quiet, which gave me the signal to continue. “And this, in my other hand, is char. Char cloth, also called char paper, is a material that is used as fuel when lighting a fire and is the main component in a tinderbox.”

“That- that’s a lot to take in. Your knowledge of such things are intimidating. I must say, I’m glad your not our opponent.” He said in astonishment.

“That’s why you're going to pass over your title to me. It’s only a matter of time, you old fart.” I crossed my arms as I sat down. Dryad’s smile diminished as he stared intently, his eyes judging me, a bit of defiance in his stance. I took the silence in stride as I took a second to look over to where Sarah laid, watching me. A low growl accumulated beside her, and two wolves had walked to her, Fangs shown. Sarah didn’t like the odds she had and slowly backed off, her ears pinned back and tail tucked between her legs. “Oi!” I shouted over, Sarah and the two wolves glancing back. “Piss off!” I said low and dangerously, getting up on one knee, intent dripping from the tone. The wolves snarled before walking back the way they come. I fully sat back down to see Dryad still looking at me.

“Do you understand the situation I’m in, Ada? What we are all in?” he spoke softly. “My family are rotting in this hell hole. We are staving; we are weak; we will die if we keep going on like this. I’m trying everything I can do to keep my pack alive. What better can you do that I hadn't done before?” when he said that, I smirked and coughed a laugh.

“Don’'t get me wrong, Dryad. You've done well with the pack you made, really, but, you’re forgetting one thing about me. I’m not a wolf. I don’t think like a wolf. All you need is a different perspective on how to take care of your pack.”

“And that is?” He said incredulously.

“Now that would be telling. The only way you're getting this information out of me is if you give me the title of Alpha.” I laughed. He growled but just as quickly silenced himself.

“Ada, you know that I can not do that; it's against the law of not just this pack but the law of the Everfree. An outsider can not rule this pack!” he replied.

“Hmm, I think we are done here then.” I sighed, getting back up. “Come on, Sarah. Let’s-”

“Sit! Down!” Dryad exclaimed, his temper flaring. Instead, I just crossed my arms and watched him sigh despite him. “We are not done here.” He grumbled, glaring in the fire. I didn’t sit but, I nodded for him to continue. “From the moment I met you, I knew you were nothing but trouble. You demanded the title of alpha of a pack that you have no right to command by your will. You know my reasoning by decision well enough. I just want to know why? Your answer will define your destiny with this pack.” He said grimly as if my answer could end up to certain death.

“Let me tell you what a leader should be, Dryad.” I said, leaning forward to meet Dryads gaze. “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. Now, Dryad. Look me into my eyes and tell me that I’m lying when I say I’m going to feed you all; I'm going to give every single cub a life that won't be threatened by starvation and our enemies. I’m going to build a home where we don’t have to freeze, waiting to die instead of living. I didn’t kill you in our battle because I have the utmost respect for what you're doing. You’ve fought for your survival through the gritty of time before I came but, now that I’m here, they're nothing to worry about. I meant it when I said I’d lead this pack to greatness.” I finished strongly, standing back up straight.

“Then, prove it to my pack and me that you are the one to fulfil the dream that I had. Do that, and I'll give you the title of alpha.” He said finally in a lost voice. “Before you leave, let me ask you a question.” Dryad looked up from the fire. “Why us? Why not the ponies? Why not the griffin? The minotaur? Or even the changelings? Why join us instead of all of them? We are practically bottom of the food chain compared to the advancements and living.” I was shocked by the question, not expecting it. I scratched my cheek, and I would have blushed if I had blood flow.

“To be honest, and don’t laugh when I say this but…” I covered my face with a hand and I couldn’t help but smile. “… I love wolves back in the day, more than any living creature. They are my favourite animal, I guess you could say.” I said and waited for a response. Dryad chuckled half-heartedly, which turned into a full-on laugh. Smacking his paw against the solid floor.

“That’'s the first time I have laughed in decades. That is the most illiterate reason I have ever heard.” He laughed harder, which made me groan. God damn it, why did I bother? When he calmed down, he looks back at me. “With all seriousness, I'm glad you did, daughter. You are always welcome to the den as always.” He said in a fatherly tone again.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Sarah, let’s go.” I demanded which she came running. “Oh, also, I need to nick Tony and Vixen for a moment.” I said, halting at the exit.

“Yes, you may. As soon as they finish with their task, you may take them.”

“Perfect. Tony, Vixen! When you're done with that, meet me outside the cave.” I shout, which they barked back. Brilliant! I have the perfect plan to get some pony meat. This is the start of the rise of the Oak pack.

Author’s note.

If anyone is interested in the song Ada sang, it is called West Ten by AJ Tracy.