Getting Wood

It looked like late afternoon when the dragon was fully cleaned and was in a fit state to leave the camp. His legs still trembled, and his body was a little sore, but he was mobile and functional, and that's all he needed. He was glad for his newfound friend's help; without them, he never would've found the stream to wash himself down and flush out the copious amounts of their hot injections into him. He probably didn't smell of roses and lavender, but he'd cleaned himself thoroughly and gargled water and even chewed on some herbs offered to him by the deer, who'd claimed it'd freshen up his breath. He kept trying to sniff himself to see if it had worked.

"You know where I live, right?" the lithe boy asked, concern wavering in his voice. Blacktail chuckled, keeping his arms crossed over his chest as the drake finished straightening out his clothes and adjusting himself. He'd checked that he had everything, and apart from the now-empty bottle of lubricant, nothing had gone missing. He was free to carry on his merry way.

"We do," the buck assured him. "We'll ask for you in person, anyway. If we come looking for you, you'll hear about it, don't worry."

"And we will come visit," Thorn added. "When we've got free time and our village doesn't need us."

"Good," Spike spoke, sighing in relief. "Thanks for everything. I had a great time."

"Are you kidding?" Bramble snorted. "It's us that should be thanking you. Like you promised; better than any deer we've known."

"Come on, shortstack," Blacktail urged, nudging the drake towards the trees. "You've got places to be, and so have we." He walked the dragon forward, keeping his stride slow and steady so the purple boy could wave goodbye to the other two hunks, who gave nods and a brief wave in return before getting back on with their tasks.

The forest was quiet, encompassing all nearby sound. Before they'd gone twenty meters, the sound and sight of the camp had disappeared, and Spike was alone with his towering companion, whose steps seemed to resonate even on the moss. They walked in silence for a bit, covering a good amount of ground, before Spike opted to break the silence.

"Do you want me to say anything to Zecora?"

"Just the usual platitudes," Blacktail said after a momentary consideration. "Tell her we said hi, hope she's doing well, and that usual sort of thing. You can tell her you're an honorary buck now, too."

"Okay," the dragon agreed, then frowned and looked up at the other male. "Wait, what?"

"You're an honorary buck," the deer repeated. "We've decided that your demonstration was enough to get you access to our village, if you ever want to come visit. You're a friendship ambassador, right? Plenty of friendships to make and mend in our village. If you do turn up, you'll be welcomed, and if you ever get into trouble, just namedrop any of us three. We'll see you're kept safe and sound."

The dragon swelled with pride, joy filling him with a whole new reserve of energy. He didn't even realise they'd reached the path again, until the deer gently pulled him to a halt, gesturing in the right direction. When he looked, he saw the straight passage he needed to take to get to Zecora's hut, the sight deflating him a bit.

"I guess this is goodbye, then," he said, kicking the ground.

"For now," Blacktail agreed. "But we promised we'd visit, and we will."

"That could be years away," Spike lamented.

"The surprise is the best part of it," Blacktail countered. "Are you telling me you don't love the idea of a boring day broken by us turning up uninvited, carrying you up to your room, and ruining you on your bed?" The drake blushed and smiled sheepishly, and the deer grinned. "Exactly. Now, be a good boy and get on with your day. I'll let the boys know you're missing us already, and you can let Zecora know you're pining over us. I'm sure she'll understand what you need." Straightening up, he patted Spike's head and turned around, walking back into the trees.

Spike waited until the deer was gone, the sounds of footsteps fading into obscurity, and he was alone again, before he took the first step towards his destination. The mild sadness didn't fade as he walked, and he rummaged around in his bag for a snack, wanting to pass his time with at something tasty, at the very least. He paused as his claws brushed something he was sure he hadn't put into the satchel, and he grasped it carefully, withdrawing it with suspiciously.

It was a wrapped scroll, certainly not one he'd brought with him. His frown deepening, he unravelled the paper, letting it unfurl before him and reveal...a map. His eyes passed over the surface, scanning it, picking out places he knew on the sketched rendition of Equestria. There was the Everfree Forest, there was Ponyville, and there...he blinked, wondering what the X was. Could it be...? He turned the paper over, spying a simple message scribbled onto the back:

Hope you enjoyed yourself. That was a quickie. Come to us if you think you can handle a deer in rut.

He could've laughed, but he was too busy compressing that energy into himself, basking in the warmth and the sheer appreciation he felt for those wonderful creatures. Stuffing the map back in his satchel, he strode down the path towards the hut, his mind at ease once again. He had a task to do, and then he could worry about planning his trip to see those big-dicked studs. He wondered how surprised they'd be to see him so soon.

The day was quiet and warm, and the sounds of the forest were accompanied by the happy whistling of a femmey dragon in his element. Everything was as it should be.