Rising Sunset

The water was cool on my skin, it was almost pleasant, were it not for that same water filling up my lungs,

DROWNING ME!!!!

I open my eyes, flailing my limbs in a panic thrashing wildly against the water, noticing the light I swim up twards it desperate for air, breaking the surface I grab a near by log and take in as much air as I could in between gasping and hacking up the water from my throat and lungs.

Wiping my face clean of water, I look around to catch my bearings. I was in some river going down stream to who knows where and I didn't care to find out, paddling myself towards the riverbank I collapse on my back facing the sky the sun tried to burn my eyes as if in some form of spite against me.

I don't know how long I layed there, a few minutes an hour? but it became clear as the adrenaline left my body that I realized how much pain I was actually in.

"Oh gods, all this pain at least proves I'm still alive."

After the headache passed I felt the burns throughout my entire right side, my right sleeve and pant leg were burned off and there was residual scar tissue on my arm, leg, and right side. Grabbing my right cheek revealed burns on my face too fortunately my right eye wasn't damaged too much but covering my left eye made everything have a red tint to it, further inspection revealed a sprained ankle and a cauterized wound in my right shoulder, needless to say I was thoroughly fucked.

Outside of my injuries it appeared my satchiel despite being torn in places at least looked in one piece, rumaging inside were a few protein bars, two bottles of water, three drenched books, my compass, three sets of clothes, a ruined ink set, and an open bit pouch with only 30 coins left...great.

With a gutteral huff I sat up grabbing a near by branch fashioning it into a make shift crutch, I limp my way to the edge of a forest, turning around I could see Cantorlot castle on the horizon, working out the geography in my head this had to be...

"The Everfree forest! Oh great of all the places to be bloodied and stranded it had to be here!" I yelled

The Everfree was the last place I want to be right now: carnivorous plants, dangerous animals, and monsters galore that can and would eat me, and on to of that there were stories of wild magic bursts that could dampen or warp my magic its the last place I'd ever want to be...

"And the last place anyone would look for me." I realized

OK I had two choices either go upstream in hopes of finding a town near by, maybe get some medical attention or go downstream into the Everfree.

Looking back towards the castle I could see blips of skyriders in the distance too many for comfort, they were either the royal guard or the wonder bolts and I have no interest in either of them catching me.

"Considering the stunt i pulled on the train, their likely looking for a burnt up corpse." I say rubbing my arm "Best I keep it that way, the Everfree it is."

With a shutter, I look into the edge of the Everfree what felt like staring into the maw of a dragon, I closed my eyes and focused on the center of my brow feeling the arcane marks on my face and the spectral horn appearing on my forehead, focusing the magic into my one good hand a fire appeared in my palm.

I sign in relief "Ok good that still works" as I limp my way into the forest.

The first hour was decent enough I was able to find some edible plants and stayed away from anything dangerous like Poisonjoke or Ticklestranglers the real issues were the creatures, avoiding strange smells, and warning calls made it easy to stay away from any one creatures territory, there was a pack of timber wolf's I nearly woke up were it now for their loud snoring that was the easy part but after the first hour I'd already stress eaten all my bars and nearly drank all my water, to top it all off my injuries were getting worse my burns began to flare up and my ankle began to sting, and I was getting tired maybe I should take a...

And then I collapsed.

Waking up in a cold sweat I find myself in a warm bed with heavy coversI was relieved to find myself not drowning in the river, as the panic cleared I could see I was in some kind of hut with a culdron in the center and various nicknacks and bobbles along the ceiling, only for the panic to return as I had no idea where I was or how I got here.

Immediately I jumped out of bed only to trip over my on bad ankle.

On the Floor i screemed "Eclipse be dambed that...ooohhff... gods.......aawww!"

"Be carful injured one~your healing is not done." Came an unfamiliar voice

Facing twards the voice I saw a cloaked figure carrying what looked like a basket of herbs and plants in one hand and crooked staff in the other. Removing her cloak on a rack the mystery figure revealed herself to be what could only be described as the most handsome woman I've ever met, she was dark of skin with light tattoos along her face and body of what I could see, a striped tribes-woman from zebraca, where in tatrarus am I?

Dragging myself away from the stranger I pull the bed covers over me as if it would provide so kind of protection from her, she look at me and smiled calmly and spoke "No need to be rude~I brought some food~perhaps then we'll find ourselves in a better mood?"

"And now she speaking in rhyme, aha ahahaha HAHAHAHAHA."

Laughing like a maniac I pass out again.

Oh dear~it seems her minds not all hear.