...as we walked among the trees

***

The day started as any other Sunday before. It was time to open stalls, filled with various types of wares. Vegetables, fruits, berries, spices and flowers. On a Sunday market the townfolk could find and buy anything he or she wanted. Ponies called out to those who browsed, luring them to their stalls an trying to sell their wares. However, there was an exception.

The Sunday Market started to open up at 7 in the morning on the town square, forming a ring and two lines with the stalls, often staying in front of their homes and shops. There was, however, one trader that didn't had a stall, preferring to leave his wares in front of him on a square, worn, linen rug. This trader didn't sold any fruits or vegetables, he sold herbs, accessories and pelts. Often he had carefully cut meat, wrapped in three layers of paper that was stained with blood. He kept the meat in his large bag, so it would not go to waste under the sun and warmth of the early autumn. The days started to became shorter and the nights longer.

He sat on the ground, waiting for customers to buy from him, busying himself with carving a drawings on pieces of wood or bones with his sharp, straight, knife (if you need a visualisation - search for "finka knife"). Sometimes he would bring his guitar and slowly pluck the strings or even play a full song, without any words. His wardrobe consistent of a dark grey sweater, a dirty beige scarf, a simple gas mask with one lense for both eyes and no filter attached, grey short coat with hood on, a pair of fingerless warm gloves, pants with a belt and high boots, often cowered in some places with mud, as well as traveller's backpack shaped like a sack. If someone would note his actual features - they would notice that his fingernails were a dim black, like he got hit on them with something. Despite the uncouth look - he always smelled fresh, like a forest after rain and most of the stains on his clothes were old and close to fading.

Today his assortment of wares was humble - couple of herb bunches, some accessories like the teeth of dangerous beasts, a couple of small paper bags labelled 'Grinded poison oak leafs' and a single small glass bottles around 250 ml labeled "Apple vinegar". To pass the time he choose to carve some chess figures out of a piece of berch branch. He didn't payed much attention at the curious and sometimes disgusted gazes of those who walked past him. It was not of his concerns - what might others think of him.

"How much fer the apple vinegar?" - Asked young, polite female voice with southern accent. He stopped mid cut, looking up at the sudden customer. She was a blonde, green eyed girl in her twenties. Black tank top, checkered red shirt, similar to those that was worn by lumberjacks, jeans and cowboy lether boots. She was eyeing the bottle on the rug with a curiosity in her eyes. He carefully put down his knife and a piece of branch, fishing out of the inner pocket of his coat a notebook and a piece of sharpened charcoal on a thick twig. Quickly opening a clean page he wrote down his answer and showed it to the girl.

《10 bits.》

"Good price, partner. We usually sell vinegar fer 15 bits. What's the difference?" - She asked, counting the coins on her palm. Again, he scribbled his answer and showed it to her.

《Wild forest apples, natural process of fermentation on air, good as medicine for aching joints.》

"You mean... from the Everfree? Darn, I might buy some more next time if this would actually help Granny." - She left the required amount of bits on the rug and took the glass bottle, looking trough the vinegar in the bottle at the sun. - "Where I can find ya?" - Again, some time for writing the answer and showing it to the girl.

《In the woods. Don't look for me intentionally, you'll be safer.》

"Wait... So you're that Val fella, aint'cha? You've been the talk o' the town fer past two weeks. Ponies said that you live in th' Everfree. So that's true?" - At this he only nods and started to pack his stuff in his backpack, checking the skies before grabbing the first paper bag. - "Well, nice to meet'cha, Val. Name's Jacqueline Apple, but most of mah friends call me Jackie. I'll see ya next Sunday?" - She held up her hand for a shake. While she was talking - Val already packed his herbs and trophies, rolled the rug and hoisted it under his backpack, put his knife in the sheaths on the back of his waist under the coat, but stopped after he was ready to leave and looked at the girl with the same calm eyes behind the lense. He put his backpack on and rose to his feet. He was close to 190 cm in height and looked slightly down on Jackie. But after looking in her eyes for a couple of seconds - Val slowly nodded, shaking the girl's hand couple of times with his own. His skinny arm released the strong and musculine palm of a farmer girl, after which he turned his head on the right, looking in the general direction of the infamous forest. Turning his head back to the confused Jackie - he one last used his notebook to write the message for the girl before him.

《Avoid walking near the forest for the next week or so. Something was disturbing timberwolfes and noks recently.》

After reading this - the farm girl nodded, looking with worry and concern at Vale. - "Thank ya for the warning. I'll relay this to mah family and friends. What is a nok?..."

To this, he didn't use his notebook to explain, deciding to show instead. He lowered his gaze, searching his left outer pocket of the coat. After couple of seconds he showed Jackie a pair of short but sharp pyramid-like teeth and a singular black nail-claw. Unlike other predators - nok was more crafty. They live in groups, specifically underground, in caves or abandoned mines. Small, furless and vicious bipedal carnivores - they tore trough flesh with glee, using their claws, teeth and numbers. Four noks could eat all the meat on the cow under a minute, leaving the carcass bare. Jackie was a little scared at the sight of the trophies, but decided to not push for description. The sight of teeth and a claw was enough to convince her to belive Val. He gently took her free hand and left the teeth and a claw in her palm, after what just nodded to her and headed in the direction of the Evergreen. Jaqueline looked at his back for a couple of seconds after he left, then returning to her stall, where Anna - Jackie's younger sister - stayed all this time. The little girl smiled to her sister, unbeknown to the inner worry of Jacqueline.

***

Soil was wet from the last night's storm. The forest often remind Val of someone's small aquarium with controlled ecosystem and weather. While the town was warm and dry without any clouds - Evergreen's skies were covered with heavy, rainy clouds. Tall trees, rocky hills without any resemblance of the road, large berry bushes were hiding under the trees, ferns decorate the scenery, as the other plants with their various types. Occasional serenade of some bird could be heard from the tops, deeper in the forest. To those who entered Evergreen for the first time - it would look like the most peaceful place they saw. Little did they know - what kind of dangers those trees hide.

Poisonous plants, parasitic insects, snakes, predators... Every creature here either adapt, leave or become someones source of food. Not to mention deep holes, covered by high grass, or bogs that will drag you drown, towards the unknown bottom to meet your doom. Val crouched, listening to the sounds of the woods. He heard the faint scratches of tiny claws at the wood that were belong to a squirrel, a silent noise of a little rodent moving a grass as he or she moved trough and... A pair of growls. Not too far, sixty-five steps north-east, on the small clearing? A fast breathing, someone small framed. Female voice, whine of pain. They probably bit her. There was a fallen hollow tree, maybe she hid inside? Probably. Need to check, have some meat for the distraction if needed, one loaded shell and three more in the coat, should be enough. If anything - could resort to the knife behind my back...

Val rose up and bent his knees a little, heading north. There was a high ground he could use to look around. In light jog he came at the said high ground and indeed - abandoned wagon with an ark tent above, no sight of a horse that was strapped to the wagon... Not too far away from the wagon two timberwolfes were circling the hollow tree on the ground, growling and snapping their jaws. Val put his right hand on the grip of his single shot sawed-off, pulling the weapon from homemade leather holster, cock the hammer back and took aim. Roughly twenty steps from the closest timberwolf. Breath in...

***

Zecora clenched her teeth, trying to stop the bleeding on her left arm. She felt like the most unluckiest person in the world. Robbed while she was sleeping, lost in this forest, attacked and wounded by predators and now was slowly accepting her grim fate. She's going to die here, if not from those two timberwolfes - then from loss of blood. With no food, water, warm clothes or means to defend herself - she's dead in here. Coming here was a great mistake...

The wolfes stopped their assault, surprising zebricanian. They stood silently on their spots, looking in one direction. A sudden loud shot boomed from the side of forest and the beast that was on her 'head' side fall to the ground with a large chunk of it's body tore open and leaking sap. The beast on the 'feet' side presumably lunged at the direction of attacker, but soon could only whimper and became silent afterwards, meeting the same fate. The first one was still alive and judging by the calm steps - her savior was coming to her.

She saw the dirty boots and worn out pants, her breath hitched when he lowered to end the life of timberwolf with something sharp. 'The stranger is armed and knowledgeable, maybe I am saved?' - she thought to herself. The stranger came to the hollow tree, taking careful steps and knocked three times on the bark. 'Is he checking if I'm still alive? I should respond...' - after which she returned the knocks from the inside. She heard a silent exhale, giving out her own relaxed breath out. Now was the question - is it going to hurt her arm when she will try to get out?...

***

She was still alive, that's good. But how to get her out of there? Val gave out a small frown, but soon hear a struggle inside and while the female was getting out - he take off his bag and lowered it on the ground, searching for bandages.

"If it's not too hard - could you help me get out?" - A weak, pained voice rang from the hollow tree. - "Just pull me out by my hand, the other one was bitten and hurt pretty bad." - After those words - a gentle dark skinned hand showed from the hole. Val came to her and after grabbing the woman - dragged her out of her wooden sanctuary.

He took notice of the rescued. She was not a native to Equestria, having a dark skin that looked like chocolate, black long braids with wooden beads here and there in her hair, her eyes were rich green. Aside from that - she was grossly underdressed, wearing a brown cloth on her waist like skirt and the same cloth around her breasts. She should be freezing, especially after the storm and laying almost on the ground for who knows how long.

Val sat her down, examining her wound and hastely treating it, washing the bite with the content of his watercan, applying a paste mix of some herbs with water and covering it with bandages, made out of white cloth. After he was done - he looked at the face of the woman. She was looking at how he was working with tired but thankful expression. Val gave out another exhale and set aside the rest of the bandages, pulling out his notebook and charcoal pen.

***

'What a curious man... He know how to work with herbs, treat wounds and not afraid of fighting... Maybe he lives near this forest...' - Zecora thought to herself, lost in thoughts while watching her savior at work. She noticed that he pulled out some kind of a diary and a piece of coal, scribbling something, and showing to her afterwards.

《Are you hurt anywhere else, miss?》

'He's mute... that's why he didn't spoke, poor soul...' "Oh... no. Thank you, kind stranger. My trip to this place so far was not kind to me and meeting you is a pleasant change. My name is Zecora Mtunga Dawa, I came here to continue my studies on becoming herbalist. But... as you already saw, kind stranger - I fallen to the misfortune of being attacked not once but twice already. I'm ashamed to ask, but do you have something to eat? The bandits stole my supplies two days ago."

The man before her thought for a second, after writing again and answering Zecora's plead.

《Not here, too dangerous to stay on the open. Come, I'll lead you to my cabin and let you have your fill and rest. You are not the first traveller I've seen here. My name's Val, pleasure to meet you.》

Zecora sincerely smiled for the first time in a couple of days. Val helped her to get on the feet and after looking around - put his backpack on and headed into the depths of the Evergreen.

***

A short walk has come to an end after twenty minutes, when the old cabin came to the view. It was a wooden building that looked like an abandoned two-story house with a cone rooftop. The roof and veranda of the house was cowered in darkened from time leafs, a white paint that was the colour of the outside walls was almost non-existent. All of the first floor windows were barricaded with planks, only the second floor windows had an unclear greyish glass in them. At the side of the house was a small three by two shed with a bulky lock on the door. The building itself was in the center of a small clearing in the shape of a cracked soup plate, surrounded by the willow trees with a spring coming near the edge of a clearing. The sight was alien to Zecora, however she felt... calm... like the place itself was radiating the soothing feeling. She shuddered from the fresh, cold air. The walk was not that far, but her guide took it slow, showing her the right path, around the set up traps on the ground that he himself made for the wild beasts, as well the natural holes on the ground.

Despite the overall old look of the house from outside - inside of the Val's cabin was in decent condition. Clear common area with a simple wooden floor and old cream wallpapers. Furniture was a little dusty, red couch had a couple of pillows on it, a massive chair near the couch, a brick fireplace with a cracking of fire was warming the room. Stairs that led to the second floor on the left side from the entrance and a kitchen at the other side of the floor. Overall - the place was comfy and Zecora was happy that Val found and helped her. He led her to the couch and sat her down, sitting on the armrest of the chair. He left his backpack on the set of iron hooks for the clothes near the entrance. While zebricanian was warming up, holding her palms in the direction of fire - Val pulled out his notebook and pen, writing again.

《In what part of Evergreen you wanted to live, Zecora?》

"I heard that there is a very fertile soil in these woods, as well as many of the rare herbs. A small clearing would be enough to raise my treehouse and build a simple garden." - She answered with a warm smile.

《If what I saw is any indication - you didn't knew what to expect in these woods.》

She looked down, locking both of her hands together. - "Indeed. I didn't knew that it would be so dangerous... I'm honestly thinking about returning to Zebrica." - Val looked at her face for some time, seemingly debating on something.

《What do you need for your studies?》

The woman looked at her host with confusion, but netherless answered. - "Some of my instruments were stolen, alchemical table still intact in my wagon, ingredients were taken, food and water were taken as well... treehouse seed still with me, but I need to prepare a brew for it to grow." - He listened, taking notes on the way. After she finished - Val write her an answer.

《Tell me - what ingredients do you need. You can cook the brew on my table, I'll then lead you to town, so you could be closer to safety and grow the plants there. Also, you didn't say anything about clothes. I have some spare ones that will fit you.》

After she read this - Zecora looked at Val with glints in her eyes and trembling lips. - "Thank you..." - She silently said, lowering her head. He gave her a light pat on the shoulder while leaving to the kitchen.

A simple rectangular table, couple of chairs, cooking table and an old iron stove that uses wood for cooking. Val tossed some firewood inside of the stove, then some broken thick branches and lit up the matchstick, starting a fire. While it was burning - he came back to now calmed down but still cold girl.

《Keep closer to the fire, I'll bring some clothes from the second floor and will start on the food. Be right back.》