Frostpony: Of Hounds & Horses

Rini panically snapped between the three of them from her hiding place. Her blood ran cold as the war mutts approached.

She wanted to say something and try to let Riley know where they were going. Maybe organise some kind of takedown, but she knew with how close she was their canine hearing would pick up her words, even if she whispered.

So instead, she desperately tried to find her mother’s visage from the blackened shadows that lined the path. For her scrambled efforts she was only met with darkness, so oppressive she wasn’t even at liberty to wave.

The scrapper felt alone.

Pressure built within her as the sets of snowy boots crunched ever closer to them. Her fear not for herself but for the ponies waiting just around the corner for them, unaware of the danger encroaching upon them.

The moment the soldiers laid eyes upon them, they’d all be done for.

“WhatdoIdowhatdoIdowhatdoIdo?!”

Rini brought her paws up and clasped the sides of her head, forcing herself to breath slowly. Her pulse was too quick, she was panicking too fast, she had to calm down before a real panic attack set in, then they would be doomed.

It was so loud, never before had her own lungs ringed so much in her ears. Even as her heart began to calm the constant bellows of her own pants blew like horns and agitated her tail. Such breathing wasn’t in rhythm with itself and she struggled to understand why.

Until she heard her own mother speak, as if next to her.

“Dear, please pick up.”

At once things clicked into place and she turned her paw over, seeing the magical ring dimly glow.

Her ear twitched and she took a deep breath in, before whispering into the jewel.

“Y-Yeah, I’m here. Can Brambles deal with the little guy?”

“Mhm, what about you and Gale?”

Rini nodded and turned to her side, “Right, Gale I-” Only to find the pegasus absent.

The sound of a metal creak and a gush of wind met her ear. A shape jumped overhead and slammed into the larger dog’s back just as the two walked by them. Rini could only watch in shock and awe as the brute hit the ground hard, causing the smaller Terrier to twist in likewise shock.

He raised his comparatively oversized weapon towards the darkened figure, only for a rifle stock to sweep his hinds out. Brambles emerged alongside Riley and their combined efforts overpowered the soldier, with her mother delivering a knockout blow to him via her rifle stock.

That just left Gale, who stood over the limp dog with his hoof planted on its neck.

He flicked his wrist and Rini heard something snap, before rising up and stepping off.

She didn’t move, she didn’t speak. Rini found herself paralysed as the reality of Gale’s action sank into her with each passing moment. The way he’d just walked away was so casual, nonchalant, as if another day serving fish and chips by a table.

His quiet, visible anger being the only difference she could see before the one-winged assassin turned towards her.

That stare was the only thing that drew her back to the present, just lucid enough for her to shakily speak.

“D-Did…you…j-just?-”

“Rini? Before ye start, they’ve taken my home, my belongings and they’re fit to take my friends if it suits em.” Gale then casted a wicked glare at her, uncharacteristic of the usually cheery pony as he adjusted the knife handle that stuck out from his hoof. The blade broken but steadily regrowing with a chilly glow.

“Consider it an occupational hazard.” He then turned to walk away, leaving her to sit in silence and stare at the body.

He’d killed somecreature, Gale, her gamemaster and friend, had just killed somecreature.

“What were you expecting Rini?” She told herself, still shaking, “Mom had brought guns, and you're preparing to steal from the military. Did you think it’d be all sunshine and rainbows?”

“I-I donno! I-I thought, maybe, he’d knock him out?” Her more emotional side tried to offer some counter, only for logic and reason to beat it down.

“Knock him out? You think he went through the whole jail back in town rescuing ponies, doing so by knocking out the guards? With only. One. Wing?”

No counter argument was made, it was simply a cold hard reality she had to accept.

“Get a grip with yourself!”

Harsh was the hammer that reality often came knocking with, and Rini’s was no different.

A low whine unconsciously escaped her vocals and she had to force her eyes shut, even if seeing that the image was now burned into her eyelids. The memory of the frosty blade from Gale’s stash haunting her all the while, just as much as his ability to use it.

“What the scrap are you Gale?!” Rini huddled in on herself, ready to curl into a ball if she could. “You’re not…this!”

Weight wore down on her shoulders, her hinds heavy and liable to give way. She didn’t want to move, but knew staying wasn’t possible. Even then, she wanted to shut herself away from the world and go home, which wasn’t an option either.

Everything at once felt so undeniably wrong. She was damned no matter her choices and so were her friends.

All this talk, all this planning and preparation, but not once had she sat down and seriously considered what she was getting into.

There was a very real chance somecreature, possibly her, could die today.

“Just like the Great Dane now laid on the ground.”

She felt something touch her shoulder and she immediately jolted to the side. Her flight or fight kicking in as she snapped to view-

“B-Brambles?”

“Rini, a-are you okay?” He hesitantly asked, a paw outstretched.

The shorter dog stole a glance at the body and quickly turned back, her lips sealed. It was enough for him to gather and Brambles slowly approached her, comfortingly sitting to her side.

Rini didn’t stop him, and Brambles made an attempt to touch her again. Despite that however, she felt somewhat soothed by his presence. The weight upon her mind began to loosen and her breathing rangled back into rhythm.

Just beyond her sight meanwhile, she could hear some background conversation between Riley and Gale. Words were hard to make out but her mother didn’t sound happy.

“So uh…I take it this is a first?”

“It isn’t for you?” She replied, looking up at him.

“Nah…third time actually!” Brambles raised a few digits, smiling despite the bags under his eyes.

Rini however wasn’t anymore uplifted, her thousand yard stare only reaching further.

His smile waned and he balled his paw into a fist. Now more sincere as he met her gaze. “I’m sorry, you…well at least you still have your mom.”

“W-Why didn’t you ever tell me?” She spoke, quietly but with the weight of a thousand words.

“I…I donno I guess, didn’t seem important.”

“Not important?!” Rini once more held her tongue, instead taking note of his downtrodden face. It was a lie and they both knew it, but under the surface she could tell something was eating at him just as much as this was for her. Only now numbed by time.

She wanted to say more, she wanted to talk about this and get through things, but the pressure in the back of her mind only doubled when the pony group entered into view. All of them sharing a mixture of emotions upon seeing the cadaver.

“Later Rini, you have to deal with this later.” She cursed under her breath and turned back to Brambles, visibly frustrated. He seemed to understand though and climbed back to stand, helping her do the same.

From there they rejoined Gale and Riley, who’d cut off their conversation upon seeing them. “Everything okay?” Asked Brambles.

“Yeah,” Riley crossed her arms, turning to Gale. “Just a difference in opinion.”

He nodded and flicked his wrist to find the icy blade had reformed, before retracting it back up his sleeve. A sight that sent a shiver up Rini’s spine as he looked up at her. “Can we uh…try being a lil’ more bloodless? Please?”

“Oh by all means, if ya can catch a fish with a blunt hook be my guest. I ain’t takin’ chances though.” He said, returning Riley’s cold glare.

Rini sighed, it was the best she could manage for the moment and she shook her head. “Come on, we don’t have all night.”

A trio of nods followed and the group continued to pathfind through the winding wrecks. The vehicle bay’s shape becoming ever larger as they drew closer to the brass plated beast. At least one of its engines was already on, keeping its pipes and internals from freezing up.

Though that likely meant they’d have guests inside.

For a moment, Rini contemplated just how lethal Gale could be. Was having the element of surprise a requirement for him? Or would seeing him enter the vehicle bay be like watching a fox rush through a henhouse? She quietly hoped for the former over the latter and made a mental note to keep an eye on him.

For friends she’s known for years, she’s learning a surprisingly large amount of new information about them.

Her thoughts would soon be interrupted however, when she came upon the main clearing behind the Rustbucket. The back ramp was open and its rear flood lights casted bright, far reaching golden rays across the field of whites and greys. Cargo crates with all kinds of material lay scattered around, likely to be loaded inside come morning.

Even the new food truck they’d brought in was still present, locked up and quietly waiting to re-enter use.

More pressingly however was a trio of soldiers patrolling the perimeter of the vehicle bay. They’d circled it so many times that a slight trench had formed that went up midway to their forelimbs. Their glow lamps shined brightly against the dark, making it near impossible not to miss them.

Rini hid behind a pile of debris and the others followed suit, quietly cursing to herself. “That’s gonna be an issue.”

“How bad?” Riley moved up to her side.

“Think these guys popped a few extra pills instead of taking caffeine. I don’t think we can jump em.”

“I could help!” Brambles stood up above the two Greyhounds with a smile, only for Gale to slip in and watch from his own spot. “Maybe a distraction? Best kinda bait’s live afterall.”

“Hey! Girls?”

“I donno, I need to stick around for the ponies and they don’t know you and mom.”

Gale rubbed his chin and glanced back at the patrol. The two Diamidians above him likewise contemplating what to do.

At least until Brambles placed a paw on their shoulders, arcing his head back.

“I’m right here! I wanna help!” He cried.

The two turned to him and then to each other, sharing a wicked grin before Rini twisted her body around. “Alright Brambles, but I don’t think you can keep that shotgun with you if ya do.”

His expression soured and he stepped back, unconsciously cradling the break action with a soft whine.

“Oh come! I haven’t even got to use it yet!”

“And ideally you won’t have to.” Riley began, standing to match his height. “Look if you can get them away for a while we can work on getting folk inside. You can have it back when we leave, alright?”

With a defeated sigh the Terrier slung the longarm off and gave it over to Riley. He shifted past the two and forced a smile, venturing into the clearing and towards the patrol.

“Think he can pull it off?” She asked Rini.

“Oh yeah, can’t spell Bramble without ramble.”