Friends Of The Exiled

The day became warmer as the sun had risen high by noon.  From the earlier calm, the wind came with a gentle breeze drying the bare ground that ran along the road.  Gravel separated and ground together as the wagon wheels traveled over it pulled by the stallion heading towards town with the filly that followed.  From the silence, her voice broke the calm as her thoughts came to words in the open.

“I spy...”  The little one said in a drawn out tone as she swiveled her head around to the trees at the side of the road then up to the sky and turned behind her before looking back over to Cinder.  “...something...”

“I’m not going play that game.”  He said dryly as he cut her off before she finished.  Disappointed, she whined as she drooped her head.  “Aww, c’mon.  It’s boring out here...”  Slowly looking off to the edge of the road, she noticed something scramble up the trunk of a tree and quickly regained her pace quickly looking back at him.  “Something brown!  I betcha can’t-“

“Squirrel.”  Cinder quickly replied uninterested.  “Now quit it.  I’m too tired for games.”

Following up, Thrust snickered as she smiled and raised a hoof to quickly tap him on the shoulder.  “Ha!  Now it’s YOUR turn!”

Grumbling to himself and muttering under his breath he knew he shouldn’t have said anything, but the trip was already long and arduous.  The silence can last only so long and his mind was clouded from the months that had passed.  As he decided on what to do, a spark of creativity crossed his mind and with careful judgment, he decided to give it a try.

“Alright.  I spy...”  He said as he tilted his head slightly and looked down at her with one eye.  A thin smile grew over his muzzle.  As he heard him speak, Thrust bit her lower lip as she gleamed in anticipation excited that he would play along.

“...something...spherical.”  Confused, the filly looked at him quizzically and her smile faded trying to see what he was talking about.

“Huh?”  She raised an eyebrow as she stopped in the road.  As the wagon passed her while she tried to think of what he meant, the turning wheel caught her attention and without a second thought, she ran back up next to Cinder and said what came to her mind.

“Maybe...the wagon wheel?”  She tried with doubt clear in her voice.

The stallion lightly grunted.  “Not quite.  It’s round, but not spherical.  Think of something more like like a ball, a pearl, or an orange.”

Turning her head in one direction after another around her the filly tried to see what the stallion was talking about, but couldn’t make sense of what he spoke.  With a frustrated look, she blurted out in confusion.  “But...there isn’t anything around like that!”

Without even looking at her, the stallion smiled wide as he said what he had on his mind all along.  “It’s the moon.”

Having heard the answer, Thrust yelled out with contempt at him. “Hey!  That’s not fair!  You cheated!  You can’t even see it from here!

“Maybe not, but it’s up there.”  The stallion said so matter-of-factly.  “You might not see it with your eyes, but I can see it with my mind.”

Unconvinced, the little one looked at him with contempt.  “Oh yeah?  Prove it!  I bet you pull the legs of all the mares with that one!”

Taking her words to heart, Cinder looked up to the sky and squinted as he judged the distance of the sun to the ground.  Glancing over to a tree off of the road further from others, he noticed the length of the shadow and knew which direction to point.  Lifting a hoof briefly, he pointed up into the sky above Thrust.

“There.”  He said as he quickly brought the hoof back down keeping in step with the cart.  “By nightfall, you will see the moon rise from there.  I can promise it.”

The amazement of Thrust is heard as she let out a small hoot of interest as she looked off in the direction.  “Wow.  You must be good at that sort of stuff.”  She continued with mild amazement.  “Alright, fine.  If that’s the case…”  The filly smiled again as she spoke up.  “My turn then!  I’ll get you this time!  I spy...”  Looking around her, she slowed in pace as she peered about searching for anything that would throw the old stallion off for his little trick.  As her eyes fell on the flank of Cinder, her mind was settled and spoke again with haste.  “...something thin and long.”

The stallion closed his eyes in jest as he played along with her.  “Could it be…a nail?

“No”  She said as she shook her head with a playful smile.

He briefly looked up to the sky to think before he tried again. “Rope maybe?”

Thrust giggled as she laughed and replied. “Nuh-uh.  Try again!”

Cinder stretched his imagination and gave it another shot. “Well, I suppose a strand of hair then?”

Thrust blurt out knowing she had him on the riddle.  “Not even close, silly!  You’ll never get it!”

“Hmm.”  His mind went blank stretching his thinking only to come up empty hooved.

The filly hopped in anticipation as she egged him on.  “Give up yet?  I’ve gotcha on this one!”

Cinder rolled his eyes before selling them on the filly.  “Okay, I give in. What is it?”

“It’s your scar!”  She said emphatically with a laugh.  “I knew you wouldn’t-“

Her words drifted off as the smile on Cinder quickly faded and the slowed the cart to a stop.  He chewed on his lip as he looked down at the ground.  Thrust halted with him when she saw the pain show and turned to face him.

“Did I say something wrong?”  She said apologetically noticing the quick change.

Cinder remained silent as he sat in the road.  His eyes darted from one place to another looking around on still wet ground.  Silently shaking his head, he replied low and calm.  “No.  We just need to get to town.”

The stallion exhaled slowly as he stood and drew another breath.  Doing so caused his belly to rumble with a grumble.  Trying to mask it he grunted hard and quickly yanked on the cart before he coughed and shook his head.  “This cart is a bit more heavy than I recall.”

Thrust noticed the odd behavior and caught on after watching a bit of his acting.  “A pony as big as you are having trouble with a cart?  Naw.”  She walked up and poked him in the stomach and heard as it groaned a bit again.  Cinder defensively stepped to one side and raised an arm to block her from touching him again and scolded her.  “Get off!  Just...leave me alone.”

The filly caught on quickly as she watched him breathe hard and slump as he rested.  “You had anything to eat in a while, huh?”  The filly said with a hint of suspicion in her voice.

Cinder grit his teeth, but eased as he lowered his guard to the small pony.  “I’ve skipped a meal to two.”

“Oh yeah?  When was the last time you had anything to eat?”  She sought an answer looking carefully at his face.

Feeling the pressure, Cinder flared up and turned to the filly with the heat in his frustration.  “Three days, okay!?  Just…leave me alone.”  He looked back to the ground and stewed over his feelings.

Initially shocked by the outburst, Thrust sat to herself by Cinder while he remained quiet by the side of the road.  As the minute passed by, she came to a decision over what to do with the moment at hand.

“Are you hungry?”  She said clearly to the stallion.  Calm as he was, Cinder couldn’t avoid a direct question so direct from somepony so near.

The still air held for a moment as he took a slow breath and finally replied with a nod.  “Yes.”  He backed out of the collar and raised an arm over his head to rub his neck where the strain ached the most.

“We can rest a while and eat if you’d like.”  Thrust continued.  Still in his sour mood, Cinder shook his head.  “I’m fine for now.  I just…”

The filly slowly came over to him and raised her small hoof to his arm, wrapped it around, and gave it a light tug before she spoke.  “Oh, come on.  Let’s have something to eat.”  Looking down, the stallion saw as she tugged at his arm and headed to the side of the road to a small clearing nearby.  “I have a few stale oat and molasses bars I took from the pantry before I was able to escape that place.”

Cinder settled beneath a large oak tree gently swaying in the light wind as the filly walked back to the rear of the cart.  Pulling at one side, she pulled back the flap to expose a vacant area at the rear.  Briefly crouching on the ground, her wings spread out and flapped twice as she leapt up to catch the edge and pull herself in.  Thrust dug her head under the tarp and found her small carry bag from the night before.  Biting down on the felt, she lifted it, turned back to the cart’s edge and jumped down to the ground.

The little Pegasus trotted back to the road side and placed the bag on the ground directly in front of the stallion.  Pulling at the loose knot, she spread the cloth in the grass revealing the contents.  Three dried oat and molasses bars, the note she had shown before, a small, hoof carved wooden pony, and a faded photograph that lay under it all.  Thrust came around and lay down beside Cinder as she talked.

“It’s not much, but most of what is there was with me when I was found.”  She reached out with a hoof and pulled the small wooden figurine toward herself and held it close.  “It was the only toy I’ve had since I was little.  I don’t know who it’s supposed to be.”  Picking it up with her teeth, she reached forward and placed it back on the cloth.  She then reached out with a hoof and nudged one of the oat bars to cinder revealing more of the picture on the bottom.  Cinder reached down to pick up the bar and in one quick motion, he lifted it up into the air, bit into it whole, and inhaled the morsel chewing on it briefly before swallowing.  The filly watched in mild amazement berifly before reaching for another bar and nudging it toward him.  “You must be hungry!  You can have more if you want.”

“I’ll pay you what I owe.”  Cinder remarked as he leaned down and chomped down on the other bar ignoring the flavor of old oats.

“Pay?”  The filly shook her head with a light hearted reply.  “You don’t owe me anything.  I didn’t pay for this so you shouldn’t either.”  She then broke the last bar in half and pushed it to him.  “If you’re still hungry-“

“No.”  He said holding up a hoof and trying to swallow between words.  “I thank you for what you’ve done already.”

Thrust smiled with a nod as she lifted one half of the last bar to her mouth and bit off half of it to eat.  Noticing the picture in the cloth, Cinder looked at it covered in crumbs and in curiosity, reached for it.  As he pulled it out from under the note, half it was shown to be torn off.  In the picture was a single older mare standing with another pony outside in the green grass with a mysterious arm around her shoulders.  Little more is seen then an old windmill in the background and the edge of a cottage nearby.

“I think that’s Madam Myrtle.”  Thrust chimed in with a mouthful of oats. She swallowed it as she looked at the photo with Cinder.  “I don’t know where she lives, but she must be somepony important to me.  I don’t know who she is or where I can find her…”  Her tone wavered with doubt as her head drooped.

The stallion quickly looked at her with both eyes and serious as could be, he calmly replied with confidence.  “You will.  You made it this far, just keep going.”

Cinder looked back at the photo and flipped it over.  On the back were written two words.  “Best wishes.”  He mumbled as he turned it over again to study the picture.  Shaking his head, he drew a blank on the image.  “I wish I could tell you, but I have no idea who this pony is either.”  His mind sat still for a brief moment until he looked to a shadow cast from a tree nearby.  Noticing the length it was from earlier, he remembered

“Break time is over.  We have to keep moving or we will be on the road in the dark.”  Slowly standing, he took in a deep breath, stretched and started toward the cart.  “We’ve stopped several times already and to make that time up, we have to quicken the pace.  "If you want to keep up you’ll-“  Looking back behind him, he paused as he saw that the little filly was asleep in the sun.

Cinder let out moot grumble as he looked at her briefly and back to the cart.  Looking towards the sun, he closed his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh before raising a hoof and rubbing his head hard with complaint.  “Of all ponies in Equestra, why me Celestia?”

He quickly turned back around and picked up the small filly wrapping an arm around her torso and lifting her over his shoulder.  Slow to stir and letting out a groan, he carried her back to the cart. “A promise is a promise.”  He said as he walked to the rear with flap open.  Carefully, lifting Thrust and lowering her in back, she moved slightly never waking as he pulled off the raincoat she wore earlier.  Now dry from the sun, he gently placed it over her and watched as she stirred pulling the coat high over her head.  Cinder chuckled at the sight before he turned back to her small cloth still on the ground.  Quickly picking up each corner, he bit on the end and returned to the cart to place it next to her.

Cinder reached over the cart and pulled on the tarp to cover the small filly.  Pulling it tight, he tied it down and checked the ropes before walking around the cart looking for wear.  His mind still mulled over what he would have to do when he would arrive at the next town much like the one before it, and the one before that.  The constant moving wore on hi and someday, he knew time would catch up and the guards would get him.

His nerves lit up as the thought of capture scared him as it did before.  Trying to calm himself he closed his eyes and paced his thoughts imagining that the next town would be smaller, quieter, and nopony would ask questions.  “At least for a while.”  He spoke as he stepped into the collar and tugged freeing the wheels from the damp earth it had sunken into.  Cinder inhaled and exhaled with his pace as his fear waned and the passing of time eased his mind as the cart moved forward into the aging afternoon.

********************************************************

‘Where is she!?’  Thorne thought to himself as he stomped heavily up each stair as he took himself to the upper bedroom chambers.  ‘I told her to be downstairs before I had my breakfast!’  Reaching the upper landing, he quickened his pace as he focused on the last door of the hall and came nose to wood before he lifted a hoof and pounded on the thick door.  “Merigold!”  Each boom resonated down the half for every other pony to hear in the castle before a faint voice from within replied wearily.

“Go away, I’m still in bed.”  A mare groggily wavered as the silence followed.

Thorne sneered as he again picked up a hoof and pounded on the door louder than before.  “I told you last night to be down at that table before I would for this morning!  I will not be defied!”

“And I told you no!”  Angrier now, the voice replied sounding far more stern.  “Now go away or I won’t come out at all today!”

The rage overtook the stallion as he shouted with rage and turned away from the door.  Rearing up, he kicked at the door with both hooves splintering the wood and as each hit met the door with force, it buckled briefly before it split in two down the center nearly imploding into the room.

The peach coated unicorn with the golden mane in an unbrushed tangle quickly sat up from her bed wrapping her hooves around the sheets she slept under and pulled them up around her as she watched him first in shock then quickly to anger as she scolded him.  “How dare you!  This is MY room!  Get out!”

“You will do what I say as this is MY castle!”  His nostrils flared as he bared his teeth.  “When I must meet with my morning council to deal with affairs, your presence will be made at my table afterward.”  His clenched jaw eased and his anger diminished as he began walking toward the bed.  “Your beauty soothes my troubled mind.  The juices of my palette flow better and the food tastes twice as sweet...”  He raised a hoof each on the side of the bed as he raised himself up and his voice soothed to her.  “...when I have you by my side to look at.”

The mare leaned away from him as her face hardened in disapproval.  “You and you alone is reason I do not wish to be down there.  Your very name sickens me and I envy the day I am far, far away from you Thorne.”  She slapped the bed as she went on.  “If it wasn’t for your guards, I’d have already left.”

The stallion leaned in further to her side as he came closer and drew a long breath to smell her.  Grinning, a devilish look came over him as he spoke barely loud enough to talk.  “What we don’t do down there can be done up here in either your chambers or mine.”  Without warning, her hoof came at his face broadside and shot it to one side as she gasped in disgust.  “Leave me alone you spawn from the underworld!”  She spat angrily as she slid out of the opposite side of the bed and around it to the door.  Thorne rubbed his jaw with the side of a hoof and spun around to yell at her as she ran from the doorway.  “You will regret that!  Guards!”

As she ran through what was left of the damaged door, the remainder of one half barely hanging from a single hinge caught her foot as she tripped over it on the way out.  Falling to the hallway floor, she tumbled to the ground just as she witnessed two armor clad ponies one dark and one light ascend the stairwell and run down the hall toward her.  In a panic, she scrambled to her hooves as she turned away from them and bolted back to her room without watching as Thorne quickly stood upright and wrapped both hooves around her catching the unicorn in his grasp.  Falling to the ground, Thorne and Merigold lay against one another with him tightly holding onto her as she struggled on the floor.

Thorne grunted holding her tight as the unicorn fought him.  Quickly tiring, she stopped to breathe.  The earth pony still clutched to her and smiled before he spoke.  “Meri…we don’t have to play games.  Just marry me and my wealth will also be yours.”

“You can keep your wealth Thorne!”  She hissed at him encumbered by his weight.  “All the bits in Equestra couldn’t buy me!  I’ll never be with you!”    Thorne leaned up as he pinned her arms down under his hooves.  Glaring at her flat on the ground, he sneered in disagreement.  “You will do as you’re told!  You will be mine!”

“No!”  She yelled as her horn began to glow, looking up to a nearby dresser, the unicorn focused her power on a small round jar perched close to the edge.  As the rosy glow surrounded the jar, it slightly lifted and quickly flew in the direction of Thorne.  Barely catching a glimpse of it, he reacted too slow to lift an arm to protect his head.  Instead, it hit high in his ribcage and bounced to the floor.  With a cry of pain, he folded over giving the mare the chance to get free as she pushed hard to roll over.  Thorne landed on the ground just as Merigold drug herself out from under him and crawled under the nearby bed.

Thorne perched himself up on one arm as he lay on the floor and raised the other hoof and shook it in the air.  “I will make you suffer if it’s the last thing I ever do you ungrateful mutton whithed bag of a draft mule!  I will find the biggest crop I can find and leave your saddle back red raw!”

Marigold stood up over the bed and bared her teeth as she chided back at the stallion.  “I will fight you tooth and hoof first!  Your day will come soon enough when Cinder returns!”

Thorne smiled as he held an arm around his chest and stood on his hooves.  A low snicker came from him before he burst out to a cackle.  “Cinder!  Ho!  He hasn’t a chance!”  Shaking his head, the pony limped closer on three legs as he smiled whimsically.  “That old broken down equine won’t return here.  Not after what he has done.”  The smile on Thorne faded as he went on.  “Nopony in this castle would defend him from the punishment that awaits.  That is why he ran.”

“I don’t believe you!  He wouldn’t do that!”  She cried out to his defense.  “He served my father for years and never once considered doing any harm!  He would have died for him!”

“The court has already decided his fate in his absence.  Being he wasn’t here to defend himself, he has already shown his guilt.”  Thorne continued in a care free tone going on.  “He has abandoned these lands, his reputation, and worst of all, you.”

The pain was too much to bear for Marigold.  She shouted back at him as her face reflected the pain.  “You lie!  He served us well and meant more to us all then you ever will!”

“Yes, defend your old friend for his time is short and I already know where he is.”  Thorne grinned mildly as he watched the unicorn react to his words.  Pulling her in, he continued waiting to catch her with the bait.  “I have already sent for a mercenary to capture him and have him returned here to be made an example of.”  His smile grew with the plans he had in mind.

“You fiend!”  Marigold shouted.  “If you hurt him, I…I…”  Her face dripped as she knew she was cornered.

Thorne leapt on the bed and extended his head to reach at her eye to eye as she stumbled for a response.  Whispering, he waited for an answer.  “You’ll what?”

The tears now flowed steadily as the mare broke down and buried her head in her arms on the bed.  Gently raising a hoof, Thorne stroked her mane lightly as she cried to herself in the sheets.  “There, there.  I may make concessions if certain demands are met.”  He beamed in excitement as he spoke.  “If you marry me, I can leave him be so the two of you can see one another again.”

Without a reply, the mare continued to weep in the sheets without a reply.

“Uh, your highness?”  A voice from the other side of the room started up as if from nowhere.  One of the two ponies clad in armor stepped forward with the announcement.  “Your defensive lessons are due to start soon.  Will you attend as scheduled?”  The guard inquired.

Thorne quickly glared at the guard and nodded before slowly looking back at the mare still head in arms on the sheets.  “I’ll let you think it over.  Plenty of time for things to come my dear.”  Backstepping from the bed, Thorne turned and headed to the nearby door before remembering to remind the mare.

“Oh!  And tonight, you WILL wear that blue dress that was crafted by some of the finest tailors I have in the castle.  It just tickles my fancy.”  Continuing on, he walked past the guards to return down the hall.  Before descending the staircase, he shouted back to the pair of them at the door.  “Find somepony to fix that door, now!”  Thinking of the night ahead, A soft laughter followed Thorne as he traversed the stairwell down.