Snickers: On the Road

The wagon stopped for the night and Trixie set up a fire, but only the adults sat around it. The young stayed safe in the wagon with its feeling of security while Trixie lay by the fire. Potter’s horn glowed a light green as her spear poked a shrub before she stowed her spear on her side and stood opposite the fire from Trixie.

“You handled yourself well today.”

Trixie snapped back to the moment and looked at Potter. “Thank you, I have been in many fights, but I’ve never… killed a creature before.”

Potter huffed. “You dropped the third person talking, too. That’s a bonus, but don’t get down on yourself, they were willing to kill foals, a colt. To kill you and… Foil,” she glanced up to the night sky and sighed. “It isn’t easy, but it never gets easier.”

“Have you killed before?” Trixie asked as she looked at the guard mare.

Potter shook her head. “No, not a pony. I didn’t think I’d ever have to, the process for bandits is to give them what they want and live. Foil should have put up his shield, damn it,” she squeezed her eyes shut and let a tear leave her eye.

Trixie stared into the fire. “It was too sudden for any of us. They could have shot me just as easily, there’s no reason why they didn’t. I was nearly killed and there’s nothing I could have done to stop or delay it… Sweet Celesita, I was nearly killed,” she whispered as the fire crackled.

Potter looked down to Trixie. “Who’s Celestia? Some Equestria goddess?”

Trixie looked up and smiled. “She is one of the rulers of Equestria. She raises the sun and for the last thousand years, the moon, until recently.”

Potter looked flatly at Trixie. “You know that’s impossible, right? No one pony can raise the sun, it’s raised by the Council of Stars in the center of the protected zone. No pony can claim to have such power without challenging their given rights.”

Trixie snorted and was about to stand up, but chose against it. “You do not know the truth, and that is your fault, not mine. If you ever go to Equestria, Princess Celestia raises the sun publicly every Wednesday and Sunday from the royal courtyards and you can see her nearly every night if you watch the castle towers.

“Between Princesses Celestia and Luna, and to a much lesser degree Cadence, Equestria is protected from nearly all outside influence of negative magic or attack.” There was a pause as Potter started to walk away. “Wait, please… I need somepony to keep me company after today. I’ve never killed a pony before, and I hope to never again. How… how do you deal with it?”

Potter moved around the fire and stood beside Trixie. “I don’t know. I cried while we were walking away from the site. I can’t believe they killed Foil, he was such a great guy. Anyway, when I get to Frand, I’ll certainly get a bonus or something when I report to the local guardhouse. Destroying bandit gangs is always worth a reward. I’ll share it with you, of course, since you did your part.”

“Trixie doesn’t care about that!” Trixie snapped, then glared into the fire. “I don’t care about that. I have foals to care for, I have my own bits and coins, and I have to meet a close friend in Frand… one that is more important than I thought he was until now. There’s more to this stupid trip than I ever would have thought.

“I was supposed to travel to Frand alone, meet with… my friend, stay a little while, then go home. Maybe I would have been robbed, maybe I would have fallen in love. Maybe none of the above or more, but now I’m a guardian and have responsibilities that far exceed what I have ever thought of or imagined.

“What will I do if they are hurt, or worse? What will I do when I reach Frand and they go their own way like they planned from the start? What if they get in trouble again and I’m held accountable, like in Seldem with the fillies and their little fight?”

Potter tapped the ground to get Trixie’s attention. “It’s not my job to offer life advice, I’m just a guard. But trust me when I say that those foals are more capable than you think. They didn’t die in the assault, which says a lot. Not even the colt. He didn’t even wet himself when there was a sword in his neck, and that’s impressive.

“Look, this whole trip sucks. We’ve all lost something today that we aren’t going to get back, but all we can do is carry on and make the best from all of this. Starting with the fact that we lived and most of them didn’t.”

Trixie looked at the stars in the sky and blinked away tears. “I survived.”

“Yes, you did.”

…

Inside the wagon each of the foals were coping in their own way with what had occurred, most of them were doing very well, considering.

Diamond and Silver played cards with Cress, Kiwe and Gil stayed at opposite sides of the wagon reading books, and Snickers pawed at the mattress in a rhythm.

“I gotta pee,” Diamond said suddenly. “What, it’s been hours we’ve been cooped up in here and I can’t hold it forever.”

As a group the wagon was emptied, hesitantly. Snickers was the third out and hurried to stay by the fillies as they walked to the bushes to relieve themselves. Cress went to her own area saying she liked to go alone. It wasn’t anything new, but it still worried the herd after the day’s events.

Kiwe sat by the fire and looked into it while Gil sat just outside the firelight. “You did well today,” he eventually said to Trixie. She looked at him and nodded. “You came back and fought for our safety, which meant a lot.”

“It was nothing, Trixie would have done it regardless of your age or…” Trixie trailed off and looked back into the fire. “You’re welcome. You were brave, too. Coming out into danger like that to bribe them away.”

“It was all I could do, try to give them what they wanted. Maybe they would have left us alone when they got some gold.” Kiwe said.

Bushes rustled as the foals returned and sat around the fire. “I’m hungry,” Snickers stated, “do we have anything to cook?”

“Yes, but I don’t feel like cooking. Can we just have snacks?” Diamond asked.

Potter got up and her horn lit, pulling a flask from her armor. She took a sip and grimaced before pouring a little onto the ground. She looked up to the wagon and took another drink, then left the firelight. “I’m doing a round, I’ll be right back.”

They watched her walk around the side of the wagon before Silver Spoon whispered to Snickers. “Is she acting weird?”

Snickers nodded. “I don’t remember her actually talking since we started, now she’s drinking, too?”

“Her friend died today,” Trixie said in a hushed whisper to the foals. “Let her grieve in her own way.”

Kiwe got up and trotted to the wagon and went in, a minute later he came out with some ingredients and mixing bowls with a frying pan. “I will cook, as it is my passion. Rest and recover from the day in your own fashion.”

Setting up on a small log, he began mixing and stirring while humming a nameless song. It was a nice quiet moment they all enjoyed until Potter returned. She sat down by Trixie and sighed, then looked at Snickers. “So, you’re a prince, huh?”

The mixing and humming stopped at the same time as Snickers’s breathing. All eyes darted between Snickers and Potter for several seconds. “N-no, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Snickers answered.

Potter rolled her eyes. “Trixie’s got a big mouth. Everypony knows that, but she likes to talk and gossip, too.” All eyes moved to Trixie, who nervously looked between the foals. “Yeah, you were in the newspapers back in Equestria, right? Prince Snickers, lost son of Princess Celestia?”

Snickers sighed and looked into the fire so Diamond spoke up. “It was just a game we were playing. Royal Colt, right Silver?”

“I thought we called it Royal Tree,” Silver said to herself before shaking her head. “I mean, yeah, it was just a game we were playing. I think-”

“He’s royalty,” Gil chimed in, “he just doesn’t act like it. Spent months in the royal palace and everything,” he went on, ignoring the shocked looks of betrayal he was getting from the fillies, “then he almost gets arrested when he goes to see his second mother and here we are.”

Potter looked from the gryphon to the colt and then pulled out her flask, draining it all finally. “Well,” she said with a loud exhale, “I’m asking for a bonus after we get back to Frand. I’m inclined to ask for a little bribe while I’m here, too.”

“What?!” Diamond and Silver shouted while the rest looked at Potter with distain.

“A little birdie just might let it slip that a runaway royal is in Frand when we get there,” she said with a wry smirk. “A little gold might help keep me quiet, though.”

Gil laughed quietly in the ensuing silence. Kiwe’s horn lit and Potter’s spear glowed a light purple in her magical aura as she narrowed her eyes on him. Kiwe stood up and walked to the wagon and leaned in for a moment, then he left with his sack of bits. He opened it and pulled out five bits.

Potter let her magic die out and watched as the golden coins waved in his aura. “Will this suffice to keep you on our side?”

Potter waited a few seconds before shaking her head. “No, you have way more than that, I want a decent cut of the coins you use.”

“Greedy bi--” Diamond started and tried to get up, but she was held down by a firm shove from Silver.

“No, she may have just showed how greedy she is, but she has the upper hoof here. Kiwe, just give her the bag, I’ll repay you, somehow.”

Kiwe snorted and replaced the bits in the bag, then tossed the bag to Potter, who caught it in her magic. She grinned when the bag jingled and then stood up to place the bag in her armor. “That’s more like it. I hope you understand, times are tough all over.”

“You know what, you can just leave us and go ahead.” Silver offered as she stood up and walked around the fire to stand in its light.

Potter laughed and stood up. “I’m your guard, like it or not. This just turned into a lucrative duty posting,” she glanced up to the wagon, “and Foil’s family will have something to survive on while they come to terms with their loss.” She looked down at the gray filly. “You can look at me like a bandit all you want, but a few Equestrian gold coins are a small price to pay for safety.”

Snickers stood up and glared at Potter. “If you were a bandit…” he went silent as Laxxie rustled around in the woods, “...you’d have more to worry about than a few bits.”

Potter’s spear readied itself as she turned to the woods. “Call off your monster, colt!”

“Or what?” Snickers asked as he moved to stand beside Silver Spoon.

“Just do it! I don’t want any trouble,” she said stoically, even though her tail and ears belied her growing fear.

“Why not? You’re just another victim of the bandit raid, right, girls?” Snickers asked.

Trixie stood up and sighed. “Stop it, this isn’t even a negotiation. Potter, keep the bits. It’s just a pittance compared to what they’re worth. Snickers, stop scaring the locals!” She glared at Snickers. “She may be greedy, but she’s just a pony, like the rest of us.”

Laxxie growled from the darkness. Potter took a step back from the woods as her spear raised and pointed sharply towards the sound.

Snickers huffed. “Fine, but if she tries anything, it’s timberwolf time.”

“T-timberwolf? Is that what that monster is called? I thought… it was just a little wooden filly golem… but-”

“She’s not a monster!” Snickers shrieked and ran around Silver and past Trixie before he was grabbed by the tail in Trixie’s magic. “Let me go, I’m gonna kick her face in!”

Laxxie, in timberwolf form, stepped from the woods and braved the firelight, her yellow and lime green eyes glowing brightly as she towered over Potter.

“Snickers, stop this!” Trixie demanded.

“Stop it, Snickers! Don’t hurt her!” Cress shouted as she hovered over the area.

Kiwe rushed to stand in front of Snickers and his horn lit, pulling a vial from his bandolier. “Do not make me use this, call her off at once.”

Snickers growled and his eyes watered as Laxxie moved closer to Potter until the mare was backed against the wagon. “Take it back, Laxxie isn’t a monster!” Snickers shouted.

“She’s not a monster! She’s a little filly… golem. Please,” Potter began to shiver, “I don’t want to die like this.”

“Snickers, stop it, she’s terrified of you and Laxxie!” Trixie shouted.

Snickers relaxed and Laxxie took a step away before her body collapsed onto itself. Her timberpony form emerged from the pile of wood. She moved to Potter and smiled up at her. Potter’s armor clattered from the shivering she was doing as the little creature approached her.
“Hi, can we be friends now?”

Potter moved the spear between them, pointing the sharp end at the timberpony. “What the…?” She stared and didn’t dare blink.

“Let me go,” Snickers said to Trixie. When his tail was released he moved past Kiwe to stand beside Laxxie. “Her name is Laxxie and she’s a really nice pony. A timberpony. My daughter, and she wants to be your friend because you’re brave.” Potter looked between the two. “Put the spear away or she might take that as a challenge,” he said, narrowing his eyes.

Potter lifted the spear quickly. “Are you going to kill me?” She finally asked. Laxxie moved closer and raised a wooden foreleg. Looking between the group, Potter carefully bumped her hoof to Laxxie’s and there was a collective sigh.

“See, we can all be friends. Keep your stupid bits,” Trixie finally said, “I hope it was worth it.” She turned back to the fire and laid down.

Laxxie smiled at Potter, who scooted away from her. “Friends do not hurt each other. I will keep you safe, too.” With that, Laxxie moved to Snickers and gave him a hug before she returned to the woods. “I will stay close…” she stopped and turned back to the camp. “I am sorry about today. I do not like to hurt ponies, but they were going to hurt my family. They were bad ponies.”

Silver nodded as she and Diamond sided with Snickers. “Yes, they were… but next time, maybe don’t kill them?” Silver offered.

Laxxie cocked her head. “I did not kill any pony today, Daddy said not to kill, so I did not.”

Snickers nodded. “It’s true. She’s a good girl that listened to me. Potter killed more ponies today than Laxxie did.”

Potter shook her head. “It wasn’t something I wanted to do… whatever. I’m only here to guard you and now I have to keep your secrets. Once I get to Frand, we’re going our own ways.”

Diamond rolled her eyes. “That was the plan with Trixie, too. I just hope that plan still works out.”

Trixie humphed. “Trixie is grateful for traveling with you, too, little mare. But, the sooner you leave Trixie, the better!”

“Great, she’s back to talking in third person.” Snickers groaned and moved to sit by the fire. “Anypony have anything to eat, or are we going to sleep hungry?”

Kiwe returned to his meal prep and quietly prepared something before loading it into the pan and setting it in the fire. “We shall have a meal within the hour, I hope you all enjoy hay with flour.”

“Is that all you made? Hay and flour?” Diamond asked, snidely.

“No, but it rhymes better than what I mixed into it,” Kiwe replied calmly. “We are having a simple meal, but it will be hot and filling for us foals. The adults will have rations, as usual, I’m sure.”

Trixie frowned and used her magic to pull a wrapped sandwich from under her cloak. She unwrapped it and took a bite, throwing the plastic into the fire as she chewed. “I can’t wait to see my friend and have a real meal.”

“So, who are you going to see in Frand?” Silver Spoon asked Trixie.

Trixie swallowed her bite and shook her head. “After all you’ve put me through, you think I’d tell you? Why, you would be lucky to meet someone half as important as him in all your travels in these lands.”

“It’s okay, we have a prince with us, we’ll just set up in the local palace,” Diamond replied. She grunted when she was elbowed by Snickers. “I’m just kidding! I wouldn’t tell everypony you’re a prince just to get a royal suite, again. The apartments Princess Celestia put us up in were really nice, though.”

“I know, right! There was a bathtub that was enchanted to fill with whatever scent we wanted and it was as big as a swimming pool. There was a banquet every night, the beds were so big my whole family could have slept on one with room to spare,” Silver gushed, “and the spa…”

All three sighed. “The spa was great. I’d never been so well groomed,” Diamond remembered fondly.

“My hooves were so polished I could see myself in them,” Snickers said, lifting his scratched and damaged hoof with a pout.

“I felt so amazing after every session, they even washed my mane with special potions,” Silver said, taking her braid into view, lamenting the leaves she’d managed to get into it.

Kiwe smiled at the three. “It seems as if you enjoy being treated as royalty is more of your preference than being commoners.”

Diamond rolled her eyes. “Well, duh. Don’t think we didn’t notice how much you liked being treated like a noble while we were there, Kiwe. Plus, you found Gul and have the cutest little one now!”

“She is still in an egg, we can only hope it will be half as beautiful as her mother, though.” Kiwe said with a smile.

Silver awed before nuzzling Snickers. “I hope you say such sweet things when you get me pregnant.”

Snickers froze and then glanced at Silver before setting his hoof down. “I don’t think I’m ready to be a dad, yet. But, if it happens, I’ll be the best one I can be.”

Diamond and Silver cooed at him, making him blush, then nuzzled and kissed him. “You’re gonna be the best dad,” Silver said.

Diamond’s stomach rumbled and she looked at the wagon. “I’m thirsty, I’ll be right back.” She got up and rushed to the wagon, returning shortly with two canteens and a bottle of wine. “Who’s thirsty?”

Snickers frowned. “Why did you bring the wine? You know I can’t drink that stuff or I get loopy.”

Diamond hugged the bottle. “It’s for us mares, and you can have a little mixed with water. We’ve had a long day and we deserve a drink of wine.”

“Hear, hear,” Silver chanted as she opened one of the canteens. She drank from it and then held it to the pink filly. “Just a little, to help him relax.”

Snickers huffed but didn’t complain. He listened as the wine was carefully poured into the canteen and when it was handed to him, he drank some, smiling at the grape flavor. “That’s not that bad, actually. Can I have a little more? To build my tolerance?”

Diamond looked at the wine bottle and then Silver, who shrugged. Another pour was added to refill the canteen before the wine was passed between the fillies. Trixie’s magic snagged it and she took a large pull, to the fillies’ consternation, and then it was passed to Kiwe, who took a drink with a sigh.

“That’s my bro,” Snickers said as he stood up and walked around the fire to stand beside Kiwe. “So, what was that potion you were going to use on me?” He asked, taking a drink from his canteen.

Kiwe smiled. “It was nothing dangerous, you would have only lost your voice for a few minutes. It would be hard to threaten somepony when you cannot speak.”

Snickers snickered. “I have a psychic link with Laxxie, I could have just talked through her.”

Kiwe frowned. “I forgot about that. It is a skill you have not used before, so I will have to remember it going forward.”

…

Wind rushed by Cress as she glided, flapping to propel herself ahead with slight changes to the angles of her wings to take her closer to Gil. “Hey, squab, what’s eating you?” She shouted ahead of herself. Gil turned his avian head to glance back, then rolled his eyes with his head to look forward. Cress flapped harder and got within talking range. “What’s your problem now?” Cress asked.

“I have a buzzard stalking me.” Gil stated and banked to the side. When Cress flew into his view again he angled himself higher and found a cloud to perch on. “Why are you always following me?” He shouted at the filly as she approached.

Cress hovered a few lengths away from him and crossed her forelegs. “I’m just wondering why you’re running away from everything, again.”

“I’m not running away,” Gil retorted. “I’m getting some space from you sappy dweebs.”

Cress giggled and her tufted ears flicked. “You must have some friends from Griffinstone.”

Gil blinked. “What makes you think I hang out with those losers?”

“Only gryphons from Griffinstone talk about ‘dweebs’. And you’re from Gryphonia.”

Gil’s feathery wings fluffed. “It doesn’t matter who I know or where they’re from, all that matters is where I’m from, and where I’m going in two and a half months.” He said with a pat the the egg.

“You know, you can just leave that with us and go home on your own. We have enough blankets to keep the egg warm and we can keep it safe for you and Kiwe.” Cress offered.

Gil snapped his beak and narrowed his eyes. “So you can accidentally step on it, or hug it too close with those boney hooves and crack it, or outright forget about it and leave it behind in some room?” Cress opened her mouth, but was stopped by Gil’s raised talon. “You’re still a child, you aren’t responsible enough to care for a life.”

Cress scoffed. “I’m hardly as young as you might think.”

Gil shook his head. “I don’t care, I don’t want to know anything about you. Family is all that matters in this world, and I won’t lose a nephew or niece over my own desire to go home.”

Cress smirked, but it faded. “So, what, you won’t spend any more time with us if you can help it? You sound just like any other moody teenage gryphon I’ve ever heard of.”

“I’m not moody,” Gil replied. “I’m just here against my will.”

Cress pointed east. “Then go back to Equestria. Nopony’s stopping you from taking the egg and just leaving! Your attitude isn’t exactly what we all need, you know.”

“I can’t just leave, I’m honor bound to stay,” Gil snapped back. “If I go back, I break my word, and I can’t do that. My word is all I have,” he admitted.”

Cress smiled. “That’s all a lot of have.”

“Don’t pander to me, filly.”

“I’m not,” Cress replied and floated a little closer. “I’m being serious. Take away my bits and wea- er, saddlebags, and all I have is what you see in front of you. I’m not exactly carrying much on this trip besides my good word and what skills I bring. We’re not that different, you and I. Maybe,” she looked up into the starry night and Gil flew past her, making her spin twice before she regulated herself. She watched him fly away and huffed. “Are all gryphons this annoying?”

She looked back to where he was and flew quickly to the spot where he’d been, laying around the egg he’d left behind. She couldn’t understand why he’d just trusted her with such an important thing, but she wasn’t going to shirk her duty to watch over it until he returned.

Gil flew back along the path they’d traveled, his eyes having seen the group of bandits from miles away. He dived down and landed in front of their leader with his wings spread wide. “What do you want now?” He asked, looking down at the pony in the front.

The stallion staggered back and used his magic to pull a small knife from his foreleg. “We’re sorry! We don’t want any more trouble. We thought you’d be further ahead!” Gil looked at the rest and noticed the injured as well as the dead mares being dragged in the back.

“If you try to hurt me or my friends I’ll call the wolf on you again. Go back to the hole you crawled out of.”

The stallion nodded fervently and the rest backed away from the gryphon. “But, out hideout’s down the road some more.” A mare called out from the center of the pack of defeated bandits. She was limping and had a clearly broken tail and even in the darkness of night, Gil could see bruises across her body.

“Take the long route! I’m going to tell my friends you’re coming and you’d better hope you’re off the path before the timberwolf returns to finish you off.”

Some of the ponies that could still move on their own started walking into the woods quickly while the injured called out to them for help. Other bandits hurried to help those that were too injured to move on their own onto their backs. The remaining seriously injured or dead were left to be pulled on makeshift litters into the woods by the bandits. Gil watched them leave with haste and then took off into the sky over the woods. He watched them travel for a while, then noticed some small critters he could eat and redirected his attention to them.

As Gil tore into a squirrel that was resting on a branch, he heard leaves crunching and he turned with his talons ready to the noise. Seeing Laxxie, he relaxed and licked his beak before looking into the trees for any other small game.

“You scared away the bad ponies.” Laxxie finally said.

Gil nodded and looked at her. “You would have just finished the job from earlier, so I saved them from being a nice meal for you.”

Laxxie giggled softly. “I don’t eat ponies, their meat is too tough.” Gil stared at the timberpony, waiting for the joke. “I prefer to eat what you do, when I need it.” She said and turned her head back to reach into her wooden body. She pulled out a small leg from what seemed like a rabbit. She tossed it to Gil, who snapped it up and tasted the fur and texture before the flavor of the meat.

He swallowed it and nodded to her. “Thanks, I guess. But that’s not enough for me to fill up on.”

Laxxie turned and faced further into the woods. “There’s a whole warren full of bunnies that way. I trapped them with my roots, but I can share with you since I’m full already.”

“Then, why did you trap them?” Gil asked, looking into the sky where he’d left the egg, trusting the filly to watch over it while he took care of business.”

Laxxie started walking. “I would have freed them before we left, but sometimes the pack gets hungry and father is not a hunter.” Gil followed Laxxie and came across a hole in the ground that didn’t seem like much. Laxxie pointed. “Reach in there for the food, but be quick because they are fast.”

Gil reached into the hole and pressed past some obvious roots, then felt something brush against his talon. He struck quickly and yanked out a very large rabbit, squirming to get free of the claws that dug into its body. It squeaked and blood dribbled down its fur. Gil smiled and bit the rabbit’s head off and held its decapitated body over his open beak.

He swallowed and sighed. “It’s tasty.”

Laxxie nodded. “I usually only eat one every couple days, but I’ve had to eat a lot today because I keep changing into my wolfy form. It takes a lot of magic to change,” she said and waited as Gil bit off one of the rabbit’s legs. “Do you have to eat a lot to fly?”

Gil crunched the bones in his mouth before shaking his head. “I don’t think so. It’s just part of my diet to eat, and flying is a part of it. A few rabbits and squirrels a day keeps me healthy enough,” he said and took a claw to the rabbit’s belly, slicing it open. “Wouldn’t mind some big game, though. Maybe a beaver or something.”

Laxxie watched the gryphon drop the rabbit to the ground and quickly eat its insides without concern. “I will keep an eye out for such for you. A healthy pack is a good pack,” she said.

Gil licked some blood from his beak and made his way back to the warren. “Why do you keep talking about packs? You’re not in a pack, you’re not in anything. You hide in the woods while everyone else stays together on the road or goes into town.”

“I am a timberpony now, but I was born a timberwolf. I only know of my alpha, my father, and his mares. They are my pack, my family. There is nothing more important than that.”

Gil quietly snared another rabbit and looked at it as it struggled feebly in his grip before he bit its head off and drank its still warm blood. He snapped his beak a few times, enjoying it, before he looked at the timberpony. “I can understand that.”

…

Cress’s ears perked and directed themselves to Gil before she saw him approach from below her. She grinned and uncurled a little to show she was still holding the egg safely. “I’m glad you came back, I don’t really have a great way to carry this back down without looking like an idiot.”

“You are an idiot,” Gil said as he took the egg with one arm back into the swaddling strap. Cress opened her mouth to retort about his comment, but a rabbit was stuffed into her maw before she could say anything.

She spat it out into her forelegs and grimaced. “What the--”

“Thanks for watching the egg,” Gil said, “so I brought you a rabbit.”

“I don’t eat uncooked meat,” she said, looking at the dead creature.

“I thought you bat ponies loved that stuff,” Gil said.

Cress stood up and balanced the rabbit on her foreleg. “Are you going to call me some blood sucking vampire, too? You know, just because I look a certain way, doesn’t mean-” She was cut off when Gil pressed a finger to her lips.

“Look, it’s how we say thanks, alright? I’m… not exactly up to date on pony customs, so I figured sharing some of what I had to eat would work. But, fine, if it’s not good enough-”

Cress pulled back and kept the rabbit from Gil’s grasp. She understood what he was trying to do and moved quickly, rubbing her cheek against his beak. He squaked and flapped back from her, making her topple from the cloud. She quickly flew to his height again and cocked her head at him.

Cress could swear he was blushing. “Don’t touch me, filly,” Gil said and dived down from her sight.

She looked at the dead bunny in her forehooves. “I think I’m making progress,” she said and the bunny’s head lolled to the side, it’s eyes still closed. Cress turned back to the camp and followed Gil to land right beside him.

“There were bandits on the trail,” Gil announced when he landed. Cress was just as surprised at the rest of them.

“Did you kill them?” Trixie asked as she looked at the bloodied mess the gryphon was.

Gil lifted a leg and then laughed. “No, after I told them to get lost I had supper with Laxxie.”

Silver gasped. “You didn’t eat a pony, did you?”

Cress tossed the dead rabbit into the firelight. “Grow up,” she said, “he ate rabbits… right?”

Gil snapped his beak at the rabbit and then nodded. “They were tasty, too. If no one wants that one…” Gil pointed to it. He jerked back when a spear stabbed the rabbit and pulled back to Potter.

The mare looked the rabbit over and then used her magic to skin it before tossing the hide to the side. “Gross!” Diamond loudly stated as the rest watched with fascination at how easily the mare took the rabbit apart, dancing it across the edge of her spear’s tip to take it apart, piece by piece. She then held parts of it over the fire and the scent of cooked meat filled the camp area.

The herd sniffed the air but didn’t say anything as the mare cooked her meal, instead choosing to return to the wagon while the rest got comfortable around the fire. Gil licked his legs, cleaning himself while Cress watched the gryphon from the corner of her eye.

Trixie began to hum a tune and quietly sang a song to herself to fill the silence while Potter cooked her meat. The wagon’s door opened and Snickers waved Kiwe over, then whispered something to the colt before they both went inside.

Trixie shook her head. “If they are expanding their herd, I will leave them at the gates of Frand before it becomes a nightmare of hurt feelings and confused fillies.”

Potter shrugged. “What do you care, anyway? You’re already ditching them when we get there.”

“Trixie is not ditching foals as soon as she can, even if they are…”

“Horny idiot foals.” Potter supplied in Trixie’s hesitation.

“Yes, that. They are not ready for the trials that face them in that city, much less in other areas of this part of the world. Equestrians aren’t taught about the Undiscovered West for a reason; it’s still undiscovered. Trixie barely knows that much about these lands and she visits every few years.

“Last time she was here, Lord Lorde wasn’t even a Lord. She must find out what has transpired over the past couple years and make sure the friends she has here are in good health. As well as that, these foals can’t be left with Equestrian gold as their only currency, so Trixie will have to help them open bank accounts and get lodging for the duration of their stay.”

“You sound like their guardian,” Potter observed.

“Trixie will do as she must to care for those that cannot care for themselves.”