To the Dogs

Chapter 6: Recompense
The afternoon sun struggled desperately to break the mournful barriers of clouds, to no avail. As we walked along the winding, rusted rails hunger began to set in, forcing us to rest briefly in a nearby field. Unlike the sky above, the lively summer grass illuminated the rolling landscape. The emerald trees complemented their flowing carpet below. It was a truly beautiful sight.

"You like daisy sandvich?", Scape kindly asked.

I gave him a powerful smile, "It's delicious. Thank you."

In response to my satisfaction the gentle hound gave me a softhearted grin, which wrinkled his face up tight as tight as a dragon's claw. I had found his humorous facial features to be quite adorable myself.

The two of us sat there blissfully enjoying our tasty meals, me with my sandwich and him with a tender piece of venison. At first the idea of consuming another being disturbed me greatly, but then I gave it more thought. He had no choice in how he was born. It was only in his nature to eat meat. To judge him for such a thing just seemed wrong to me.

Once we had finished eating, Scrape placed all of our goods back into their bags. "Ready to move?", the dog asked me smoothly.

"As ready as I'll ever be.", I chimed in return.

With one swift swing of his paw, I found myself resting safely over his grey, furry shoulder. Strong as an ox, this mighty canine was. As we started off down the tracks, I wrapped my hooves securely around his muscular neck. He said nothing to me in response, but I did notice something as I peered down his spine. His long, bushy tail was swaying from left to right joyfully. I giggled to myself merrily at the sight.

As dusk began to fall, so did the rain. It started out as a slight drizzle, nothing more than a mist. The darker the land around us grew, however, the harder the precipitation seemed to pour. On the horizon a brief flash in the heavens caught my eye. An immense storm was coming.

"We must find shelter.", my shivering friend barked.

"Alright.", I fired back.

Desperate to find a place to escape the bone-chilling rain, we took shelter in a little hole dug into the side of a nearby cliff. We huddled together closely against its cold rocky face. As the water dripped from the threshold before us we curled up by each other comfortably. The thunder outside rumbled monstrously, as icy rain hammered the side of the cliff relentlessly. All seemed well in our small, limestone burrow.

Little did we know, we were not the only ones who looked to seek shelter in that cave. An eerie wail suddenly pierced through the booms and crackles of the massive storm. In unison our ears perked up in horror, as we heard the terrifying howls of a pack of ravenous timberwolves. The beasts crept slowly into our sanctuary; their wooden teeth whittled razor-sharp by the unnatural malice of the Everfree Forest. Overcome by fear, I clutched Scrape's thick torso desperately.

"Oh sweet Celestia...", I muttered under my breath. "Save us."

In a flash, I felt the body of my furry companion being torn from my hooves. I blindly swung my front hooves in front of me, attempting to ward off any of the snarling intruders that I could. To my surprise, I found that there were none in front of me. I looked to the entrance of the cavern and witnessed my faithful companion splintering timberwolves apart with his bare paws. Never had I seen a display of such bravery from anypony before.

"Get away from pony!", barked Scrape as he sent one of the beasts falling into a ravine on the oppose side of the tracks.

As the last of the wolves ran to evade the juggernaut's bulky paws, he released a ghostly howl so loud it could be heard by the Mare in the Moon herself. This was a side of him I had not seen before. The calm, gentle hound I had grown to know had been replaced by a coldblooded killing machine.

At that moment a rogue bolt of lightning struck the rock above us, sending debris crashing down the slippery mountainside. To my horror, a shower of large stones struck the poor dog to the ground. A quick jolt of energy sent me crawling swiftly to the aid of my collapsed friend. Before anything, I checked his vitals. His heart was beating as strongly as ever. As I began to pull him away from the ledge, I discovered something which instantly caused my heart to sink. A small boulder had fallen atop his left paw, crushing it completely.

"Oh Scrape...", I whispered to the unconscious canine.

Desperately trying to push the rock off of my best friend's forearm, tears dripped down my rain-soaked snout. After several attempts I gave up all hope of moving the massive stone. I knew that I could not let him awaken to such a gut-wrenching sight, so I began to formulate ideas about what to do.

Interrupting my concentration was a sound that turned my skin cold. Through the pitter-patter of the frigid rain, I heard the mane-raising whistle of the Equestrian Southwest.

"Oh buck...", I muttered.

I looked down the line to see the powerful engine charging up the tracks. The clock was ticking quickly, as my worst fears had now become a reality. I had to surgically remove my partner's paw. Using my magic, I pulled the saddlebag up to my side. Before I could think I had removed my fully sharpened hatchet. Trembling in terror for what I was about to do I leaned in close to my friend.

"Please forgive me for this.", I choked.

The blade sank deep into the fleshy forearm. Blood now covered the steel head of the hatchet. In a rhythmic set of movement, I pounded further into the shattered appendage. With every swing came a hideous sound of cracking bone, a poison that will always ring in my ears. After what seemed like forever, I finally heard that sound of the the metal blade clashing with the rail. The paw was off, and blood was everywhere. I tugged with all of my strength, inching the bloody mutt further and further away from the line of fire. Within moments after the two of us were out of the way, the train roared past the mouth of the cave.

Although the immediate danger had drifted away, my companion's arm still bled profusely. I had to halt the bleeding. I began to dig through the bag for medical supplies, bandages or gauze. The search was unsuccessful. There was nothing I could wrap the wound in.

I began to lose all hope, as I began to feel extremely disorientated. As I fell upon my back, I was greeted with a distant memory of my childhood. The world around me began to fade, as I was engulfed by the echoes of my past. I saw my mother standing before me, with a smile covering her face.

"Let me see your arm, my dear.", she spoke gently.

I raised my hoof in compliance. A deep cut was present, leaking blood as I wept. It was then that her horn gave off a distinct amber glow, one that I'll never soon forget. To my surprise I watched as the skin around the wound began to close, leaving nothing but a thick scar.

"Now you be more careful next time young man.", she said compassionately, as the room began to distort back into the darkness of reality.

I now knew what I had to do. Although I'd never attempted any magic of this caliper, I felt as if there was a driving force that gave me the power. I held the bloody stub within my hooves, pointing my horn at the exposed bone. The room was bathed in a familiar orange glow. I looked up to see what had become of my partner's injury. A thick layer of fuzzy flesh now covered the wound. The bleeding had stopped.

I held my large friend delicately in my hooves, as I stroked the top of his furry head. I looked outside to see that the storm had passed, leaving the large, pale moon to rest in the sky.

"Thank you mom."