>With a high-pitched growl, he begins to struggle against the rope which binds him, to no avail.
>"Uh, hey there. Don't bother tryin' to escape, Ah done tied you up good."
>After a few more seconds of struggling, he stops, and sighs.
>"Now, listen here. We don't want no trouble from yah, or yer friends. We just wanna know what the hay ya'll are up to out here."
>"Hmhmhm!!"
>He giggles, a look of mischief in his eyes.
>"Don't yah go laughin', mister!"
>Applejack is getting annoyed...
>"Ya'll have caused quite a bit of trouble. First, yah messed with them flood gates, which is gonna cut off our town's water supply, and yah probably got poor Water Works tied up some place..."
>"Hmhmhm!"
>"Then, yah tried tah shoot one of our friends outta the sky!"
>"Ehehehehmhm! Hehe!
>What is up with this guy?
>"Anon, poke him some more!"
>She sure sounds mad... Better do what she says.
"Uh... Okay."
>You take the stick, and prod him in the chest a few times. With each jab, he twitches.
>"Eek! Eek! Eek!"
>"What's the matter, mister? Can't yah talk?"
>"Maybe he can't, AJ..."
 
>Twilight steps forward, and stares at the bound creature. Her gaze holds confusion and agitation in equal amounts.
"The other ones seemed to be talking, Miss Twilight... I think he's just being difficult."
>"Come on, mister hooded guy. Say something... The sooner you help us out, the sooner we'll untie you."
>He doesn't respond. Instead, he stares back at her.
>By the way he's glaring at Twilight, you get the feeling that he intends to harm her as soon as he gets free...
>As you take a closer look at him, you notice that his hands are made up of a shadowy black mass, much like his "face"...
>Unlike your hands, he only has three fingers... Which are more like claws. They are rather short, but slender, and they look sharp.
>His cloak is a little messy, but not filthy. On his feet, he wears two... scruffy little brown boots.
>"...Why are you here? Come on, tell us!"
>No response.
>Twilight sighs, and steps back.
>"Well, he isn't being much help... What should we do now?"
>"Ah reckon we should... Uh-oh."
>Applejack sounds like she's spotted something... Something troublesome.
>Looking over towards a small hill that obscures most of the land around the cabin, you see another hooded creature standing on top of it.
>He's watching all of you.
>For a moment, he just stands there, motionless. A low breeze ruffles his cloak slightly.
>He takes a slow step back, then another. Then, he quickly runs off, disappearing behind the hill.
>"...Oh dear."
 
>"Hehehe!"
>"Quiet, you!"
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_dEkItn_zI
 
>"Ah'd better go catch him before he tells his buddies about us..."
>Applejack takes off, running towards the hill.
>You and Twilight stay put for a moment.
"Miss Twilight, we should-"
>"Yeah."
>You both run after Applejack. By now, the other hooded creature seems to have alerted his friends. You can hear lots of high-piched shouting.
>Applejack comes to a stop on top of the hill.
>"Aw darn."
>When you and Twilight join her, you see that the creatures are now all aware of you. They seem to be getting ready for a fight.
>They don't seem very organised, though. Do they have a leader?
>...The one on the bridge. He doesn't seem to be hyped up like the others. He's just standing there, watching. From this distance, you can see that he wears a different cloak than all the others... It's grey, with a red trim. His eyes are also yellow, instead of white.
>Is he the leader? And the others, are they his minions?
>"Watch out!"
>Twilight alerts you to the archer on top of the water tower. He's nocking an arrow.
>He draws his bow, and looses the arrow, with a laugh.
>*Fwip!*
 
>You can just about make out the wooden arrow flying in your direction. You take your shield, and hide behind it.
>The arrow sticks in the ground, a few feet away from you.
>"Get em', Twah!"
>Without hesitating, Twilight aims her horn at the archer, and fires off a single, narrow beam, which quickly travels through the air, towards the top of the water tower.
>Before he can react, the archer is struck by the beam, which knocks him off the tower.
>"Aaaaaahhh!"
>He hits the ground hard, and lies motionless for a moment, before vanishing in a puff of thick, black smoke.
>His body, his cloak, nor even his boots, are left behind.
>"What the..."
>"Twah! Over there!"
>Applejack points out two minions, who are hurrying towards you. One has an axe, the other, a flail.
"Don't worry, I've got them."