Friends Of The Exiled

The sun was past its peak in the sky.  The day grew long as the light stretched the shadows long for the trees and the rocks along the road.  Hours had passed as Cinder soldiered on through the day lugging the cart behind him as his stamina held strong.  The first sign of populace he noticed was the occasional fruit peel or scrap of wood that lay by the roadside.  Nearing the end of his journey he slowed as he came to a large sign and read it aloud.

“Sauntertown.”  The word was poorly painted and flaked on the dried and rotting board.  Below it, an addendum followed.  “Bandits unwelcome.  This means YOU!”

Cinder curled a lip as he grunted and disregarded the insult.  The inhabitants may have posted the warning to scare off anypony with brazen acts in mind, but as he was just passing through his presence shouldn’t give any reason for them to fear.

He raised a rear leg and tapped the cart behind him twice before he raised his voice.  “We’re here.”  A light murmer and stirring is heard as the filly rustled beneath the tarp and poking her head out, she looked through the tarp weary from her slumber.  She yawned wide while looking around and finnly focused on Cinder in front of her.  She lazily thought of what he said before asking.  “Here?  Where’s here?”

Cinder tilted his head to the sign.  She saw and studied it trying to read the crude lettering.  Her eyes took their time to clear until they could focus and she then saw what she could make out.

“Sau-, Saunt-…”  She read along carefully until her best effort came to her.  “Sauntertune?”

“Close.”  He followed up by raising a hoof and pointing at the sign.  “Sauntertown.  This place is between the middle valley and the coast.”  Looking back at her in the cart, he casually went on.  “It’s small, quiet, and simple.  Not too many ponies pry into others business in these parts.”  He nodded in agreement as he quietly muttered to himself.  “It’s perfectly ideal.”

“What?”  The filly asked rubbing an eye with a knuckle.

“I said it’s ideal.  This place-“

With a pause, he thought of his scars for a few seconds before he continued.

“Pull my rainjacket out of the cart and toss it over me.”  He quickly said as if addressed as an order.  Reaching down, Thrust slowly pulled it up bit by bit until it hung over the side.  Grabbing it with her mouth, she flung it over the stallion.  As he pulled each corner over himself, she let him know what she had on her mind.  “It’s a bit warm out, how come you need that?”

“Lets just call it insurance.”  He stated bluntly as if searching for an answer.

“Anyway.”  He went on as he pulled on the cart on the main road.  “If you look at it, it’s quiet, small, and best of all simple to fit in.”   The trees became more scattered as the view of the town came into view. “See how small it is?”  Thrust, more awake now watched as the buildings in the distance slowly appeared as the trees gave way for her to view.  The road gently curved and she was able to see more of the buildings and signs out front.

“This is so exciting.  I’ve never been to a town before.”  She said in awe while looking at the signs.  The first building on the edge of town had a long pole painted white and red that wound up from the base to the top much like a peppermint stick.  “I can read it!  I can!  It says..bar-bar-ber?”

“Yep.”  Feeling good spirited, Cinder nodded as he decided to play along.  Looking to the other side of the road, he looked at up another sign high above the door.  “How about that one?”

The small filly squinted in the fading light of the street.  “I think it says…fed.  Wait!  No…Feed!  Yeah, Feed!”  She shouted to Cinder once she figured out what it was meant for.  “We can get food there, huh?”

“No, that’s for livestock when the farmers come to town to feed them later on.”  Looking to his right, he pointed a nost a large sign with two words much longer then before.  “This might be a tough one.  How about that?”

“Ooh, I don’t know…”  Her mind raced to pronounce the syllables as she tried to make out what it said.  “Gen…gen-rel Stor-y?”  Cinder smiled wider before he replied.  “Close.  It’s a general store.  That’s where anypony can get supplies such as blankets, lamps, horse shoes, fishing poles…”

“Horseshoes?”  She turned over a hoof and looked at the curved base.  “Why would I need those?”

“When you travel long distances, you’ll be thankful you have them.   The first time you do so without, you will regret it.”  He replied with caution.  “Sore feet will leave you lame.  A lame horse can’t work.  That’s a risk I can’t afford.”

“What about fishing poles?”  She thought curiously.  “What’s are those for?”

“There’s ponds and lakes of water across Equestria.  When you toss a line out, fish will bite and it’s something to eat.”  He looked a bit smug as he went on. “If you like fish that is.”

“I’ve never heard of ponies eating fish.”  She wrinkled her nose.  “I remember the smell one day when we

The stallion continued to walk through town as the few ponies out at the late hour paid little attention to him.  Some had hats, some had coats and several went without anything on at all.

Cinder slowed the cart as he neared a large stable with a sign outside.  The filly looked up and tried to read the letters out to the best of her ability.

“B-L-A-C-K…Bla-black…HEY!”  She leaned down and poked him in the rump.  “I bet that says blacksmith!  That’s what you do, huh?”

The stallion nodded gently.  “Yeah.  I’m going to need a job while I’m here.  I can provide services to make a living.”  He stepped back out of the collar and leaned down as he walked around to the side of the cart.  “As promised, I have also brought you to the closest town.”  He then paused and held himself calm trying to find the right words as he gathered his thoughts.  Thrust grew uneasy as he stood near her.

“I…”  Cinder sighed heavily as he brought out what needed to be said. “I have to ask you to go.”

A look of hurt came over her at the words.  “But, you don’t want to just leave me…”  She shook her head.  “You can’t.  I know you can’t.”

The stallion hardened up as he tried to stick to the facts.  “I don’t have much.  Just old equipment and tools to earn what I do.  I can’t pay you for more then what I’ve eaten on the road.”  He brought his muzzle down on a rope and with his teeth, pulled it loose.

The filly whined in protest as he pulled the tarp over the wagon.  “Thrust I don’t care about the food!  Let me stay!”

He paused to look at the filly directly as he went on.  “Listen, Thrust…you don’t want to be around a pony like me.  It’s…too dangerous.”

The little one gasped before ducking under the tarp and hopped out of the back of the cart.  She came over next to him with an exasperated look. “Why!?” She said nearly yelling.

“It just has to be.”  Cinder replied with a somber tone.   He thought of her unknown past and tried to focus on what was important.  “If you can, try to find this Madam Myrtle.  She might live close or live somewhere in the next town.”

“But…I can’t do this on my own.  I need you.  I don’t have any other friends around here.”  She struggled to find an answer as the stallion waited for a legitimate reason.

“You wait a minute.  You’ve set out on your own to accomplish this!”  His eyebrows went up. “I didn’t want any part of this to begin with.”

“Well, yeah, but…”  She paused and yawned drawing a few breaths before she decided if she would tell him how she really felt. “It’s…that I like you.  You’ve been good to me and I know you’re a good pony because you cared for me by keeping me warm on that cold and rainy night.”

The stallion sat dumbstruck with mouth agape and a furrowed brow.  He was torn on what to do and in frustration, let out a low grumble that quickly bellowed to a yell.

“Grr…AUGH!”  Cinder bared his teeth and kicked cart jostling it over and scattering several items on the ground behind it.    “No!  No, you are NOT going to do this to me!  I don’t have time for this, and..and…I have to get my equipment set up…and…”  He paced to the front of the cart and shook his head going silent for a moment before tilting it as he came back to her.  With wide eyes and flared nostrils, he briefly closed his eyes before he growled.  “FINE.” He snorted in disagreement going on. ”I’ll help you find this Myrtle, but that’s it!  Okay!?  After that, NO MORE!”  He picked up a hoof and waved it across in front of himself indicating it as the final straw saying it again.  “No…more.”

“Okay.”  Her eyes drooped as a little smile curled lightly but sweetly as she saw him ease up.  It had taken the wind out of his sails as he watched her and found it hard to stay angry at one so young.

Cinder grit his teeth in angst as the little one came to his side and wrapped an arm around his lower leg.  She leaned on it as she stumbled still not fully awake from the sleep earlier.  With weak effort, she mumbled to him.   “Thank you Cinder.”

Still in debate over whether he made the right decision, he gently shook her to keep the filly awake.   “You’re going to make me regret this.  I know it.”  He said as she stumbled to keep on her hooves.

He poked at her back and tried to lift her by an arm off of him.  “Come on then.  If you’re going to stay here, you need somewhere to sleep.”  Leading on to the stable door, he raised a hoof and pounded it on the door.

The steps inside came close with a grinding of gravel and stirring of loose hay.  The latch inside lifted and as the old hinges creaked, a door swung inward.  Slowly poking his head out, the nose of a pale white mule in a hole filled wicker hat greeted him.

The character squinted at him.  “Yeah?  Whadda ya want?”

“I’m the hired hoof you were looking for two days ago when I replied to your request by telegram.”  The stallion pointed a hoof at the cart.  “I’ve brought all of my tools and can start by tomorrow morning.”

The old mule looked him over.  “Hmm, you’re bigger then I was expecting.  The stall I have for you might not be big enough.”

Quickly following up, cinder pleaded his case.  “I’ll take whatever you can give.  I’ll bust my flank and hammer whatever is needed for your customers.  No matter what, I’ll make it work.”    “Well?”

The mule noticed the small horse on the ground and poked a nose around Cinder to get a better look at her.  He quizzically looked back at the stallion.  “What about that little one there?  You didn’t say anything about her in the wire.”  Thrust hid behind the leg of Cinder shy at the coarse frame of his muzzle.

“Yes, ah…time and funds were short.”  He nervously swallowed trying to bridge the gap in the facts.  “I had to get word out quickly or I wouldn’t arrive on schedule.  Time lost is business lost, correct?”  He cocked his head and raised his eyebrows for an answer.

The mule stood silent.  He mulled over the details as he darted a look at each the pair.

“Alright.  As long you take care of her with yer own bits, I think I can find room around here.  The stall for you might also be a bit tight.”  The mule squawked before backing up from the door.  “Come on in then.”

The pair followed him in to the large stable.  Just behind the door the mule had left a lantern on the ground.  Picking it up by muzzle, he quickly trotted to the center of the room and hung it on a nail.  The room was dimly illuminated by the light, but enough could seen to make out four walls.

“I have a single stall left in the corner for you.”  The mule pointed off to a corner stall scatterd with debris within.  “I’ve had to store some tools in there so you’ll need to share the space.  As for the little on, there space in the loft.”  He pointed up above him.  “Being short on feed this time of year, it’ll work as a place to sleep.  The stairwell is just off to the wall.”  Hard to find in the light, a thin stairwell is seen in the other far corner of the stable leading up to the floor above.

“Right then.”  Cinder started up.  “I’ll unpack my belongings tonight if that’s alright so I’m ready for tomorrow.”

The mule nodded.  “Fine with me.  Lots to be done.  I’ll let you know what to do when I’m up.”  He tapped the lamp as he passed by while heading for the rear door.  “You can keep the lamp in here tonight.”

“Thank you, sir.”  Cinder quickly said just as the old mule reached the far door and pushed his way out.

“It’s kinda dirty in here.”  Thrust said as she lazily poked around in the dirt.

“Don’t complain, it’s a roof over both our heads tonight.”  Cinder relented.  “I would have preferred to have been here then in that storm last night.”

Thrust sat in the center of the barn and settled down as if getting comfortable.  Watching her, he walked up from behind and gave her a quick shove with his nose to get back up.

“If you’re tired, head up to the loft.  I’ve got a lot of unpacking to do here and I’ll need the help of that mule for some of it later in the morning.”

“Oh…alright.”  She stumbled up and slowly climbed the stairs upward.  Reaching the top, she kicked at the loose hay and pushed it into a pile near the drop.  Once she had enough, the filly lay upon it looking down over the edge as Cinder paced from the corner with the tools to other parts of the stable to clear out the stall for the night.  Her eyes grew heavy as the slumber overtook her and before long, Cinder watched her from below as he saw her fast asleep.

“That filly just can’t know.”  He said to himself as he lifted another object from the floor to carry it elsewhere.  “I know I’m DEFINITLY going to regret this.”

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

The sky above Equestria still lay scattered with few clouds in the warm light.  The setting sun blazed a brilliant crimson from the horizon over the treetops and through the valley crevasses.  Looking across the landscape, the stranger in saddle above the terrain scanned the ground with a map spread across the feathers of his mount held down by one hoof as the other wrapped tight around the reins.  Large glass spectacle covered his eyes and the large cape on his flapped wildly in the wind.  Noticing the road below, he read it to the map and traced it to the town the lay ahead.  With a quick tug, the stranger pulled to one side as the Gryphon yelped and quickly tilted lining up with the road.  The beak twisted as the Gryphon looked up at the rider on his with a single yellow eye.

“Hey!  Don’t pull the line so hard!”  The mount yelled into the wind.  “I’m not some old plow horse!”

“You were veering off course again, Xerces!” The stranger snipped back.   Reaching down past his beak with reins still in hoof, he pointed at the road below as the eye of the Gryphon followed.  ”See the road?  We don’t have much time before it gets dark.  Follow that to the next town and once you see it we’ll land out of view.  We can’t be seen for this one.”

“You’re the one with the map, boss.  I’ve never been out this far before.”  The Gryphon went on as the thought of the golden bits crossed his mind just had he did back at the castle.  “Besides, I imagine we can get some good stuff to grub on later like roast mutton, or a few chickens, no?”  His mouth watered in the wind leaving a quick trail of saliva to droop before quickly lapping it up and scraping the sides of his beak with a claw.

“You and food.  Is that all you ever think of?”  The stranger grumbled never losing focus as he studied the map and then looked up into the distance to the end of the road.  “If it wasn’t for the fact you could fly I wouldn’t have to feed your endless appetite.”  The stranger went on as he berated the Gryphon.  “I should keep you on a strict diet of grains and roots.  You need to lose some weight anyway.  We might have already been there by now.”

The Gryphon stuck out a tongue as his face contorted.  “Yuck.  I can’t stand that pony fluff you like to eat.  It’s like chewing on a lawn.”

The rider then let out a chuckle before he replied.  “It’s not so bad from where I stand.”

Mere seconds later, the treeline gave way to the slanted rooftops and pointed tower that lay far in the distance.  The rider stood tall in the saddle as he sharply yelled into the wind.  “There!  That must be Sauntertown!”  He then quickly looked down over the shoulder around to the trees below and found a clearing nearby to the road.  Tapping the Gryphon, he pointed down to the clearing.

“Take us down, I’ll leave the rest up to you.”  He said as he quickly folded the map, tucked it into a nearby leather pouch, and leaned back wrapping both hooves around the horn as he prepared for the landing.  Xerces nodded as he brought his wings out wide and lowered his arms and legs full length.  Coming in low, the Gryphon lined up a long patch of green earth and touched the ground rear feet first and hopped forward to the front bouncing along until he slowed to a run and finally a slow walk.  The stranger let go of the saddle and raising both hooves, lifted the goggles off.

“Can’t you land just a bit softer?”  The stranger said as he shook his head and slowly slid off the saddle to the ground.  The Gryphon ruffled his wings and tucked them in as he looked around to the pony.  “If you want to fly, you can always ask the Pegasi for a pair of wings.”

“If only it was that simple.”  He replied as he stood and leaned against the saddlebag on the Gryphon as he placed the goggles inside.  “Anyway, I need you to stay out here.  If you’re seen in town, you’ll raise too many questions and possibly scare several of the ponies there.”  The pony said dryly with sincerity.  “This is a recovery job.  When I have what we need, we fly back, get the rest of the bits, and celebrate like usual.”  The Gryphon lightly licked his chops.  “Yes!  We’ll celebrate all right boss!”

“But, until then…”  He glared at him square in the eyes directing an order.  “…you stay put.  No fires, no noise, and most of all, no taking of livestock.”

Xerces went from elated to disgruntled in mere seconds.  “What!  No livestock!?  But…what am I supposed much less DO out here?  I don’t even know when you’ll be back.”  He scowled as he waited for an answer.

Thinking for a moment, the pony looked down at the ground.  The stranger then lowered his head, nipped at a tuft of grass and chewed on it as he rolled his eyes judging the texture.  Swallowing it, he walked away from the Gryphon toward the road as he replied.  “Try the grass, it’s pretty good here.”

“Why you…”  Xerces started before he stifled his rant trying his best to do as the boss asked.  He knew if he created trouble, then he risked his chance at getting the grand reward at end of every mission.  He sat and sighed as he thought of the gluttonous offerings from the times gone by of whole pigs, goats, lambs, many smaller birds as appetizers.  He remembered the cow that was offered once as a payment.

The Gryphon flopped down on the ground and mumbled in protest.  This was always the worst part of every job having to wait.  Having to stand by until the next move was made.  The last few meals were scant as work dried up , but he knew the boss was paid in advance this time.

“If only I had a few of those bits…”  He moaned while lying on the ground.  Looking to the grass, he rolled his head over and ripped out a large chunk of the green that grew.  Gnawing on it, the bitter taste of foliage insulted his palette and with disdain, he spat it out.  He angrily clenched a claw and pounded the ground with frustration over what to do.

A spark of revelation then came over him and he quickly stood up.  “Why should he have all of those bits before the job is done anyway?” He thought on as a plan started to form. “I could have something now and after were done!  This is twice as good!”

He brightened up as he started to think of a plan.  Xerces knew that the boss wouldn’t miss one bit or two which would be enough for something the size of a turkey.  He spoke out with hope.  “Come to think of it, I wouldn’t be breaking any of the rules!  He only said he needed me out here…but I didn’t HAVE to be out here.  Besides, there isn’t much to do.”

The idea of restlessness and boredom got the better of the Gryphon.  Not being able to head into town as more commonly seen in the western lands, he tried to think of how to pass the time until the master would be back.

“It’s going to be a while knowing him...”  He whispered as he debated with himself.  Slowly, the Gryphon crawled to the edge of the road and peered around a tree down the dirt path as the light continued to fade.  Just making out the silhouette of the cape flapping, he ducked back behind the tree and sat to think.

“Where could I go if not into town?”  He pondered as he brought a claw to his chin and thought of the area.  All he could remember was the landscape from the air.  “A farm would be a danger.  There wasn’t much to see around but the small town, the trees, and...”

As an image he remembered came to him, a light bulb went off over his head.  “The water!”

His memory brought back the moment just before the quick descent for him to remember a small body of water nearby just outside of the town.  It was small, but it was close by where he landed.

“Where there’s water there’s fish.”  He said as he gleamed.  “And where there’s fish…”  He quickly stuck his tongue out and ran it along his beak.

He briefly looked to the treeline and saw that the sun had passed below the horizon.  The sunlight no longer touched the tops as they had before.  Time would be very short before the dark settled in.  Turning around, he walked back to where he landed and placed a single claw into the still soft earth.  Digging in deep, he pulled at the soil creating a series of lines and curves of crude lettering to form words.  In a mere minute, he finished and stepped back to look at the inscription the ground.

GONE FISHING. – X

Thinking of the direction, he faced where he would go and created another three lines.  He drew a single long one from the short note and two shorter ones at the end to form an arrow.  As he finished, the thought of a still wriggling freshwater meal made the decision clear.

“Free meal, here I come!”  He spouted in elation as he jumped over the words and ran headlong through the forest.