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// 17 - Wild Routes// Story: Ponyfinder: Roots of Stone// by David Silver//------------------------------//

Tree Hugger reared up and put her hooves on the counter. "My friends are waiting for me with five horses just past all those angry guys circling the city. What do you suggest?" With her new positioning, her bird friend hopped up to perch on her head instead. "Oh, yeah, I'll take a week of bird feed."

He began to scoop from a large barrel into a smaller bag. "Well, that presents a mighty challenge, miss. Raiders that get up the nerve to try sieging the city rarely give up quickly, even with the Eye of the Ancients pounding into them. You must have some kinda trick or you wouldn't be here. Why not use that?"

She accepted the bag and mouthed out a handful to put on the ground, which her friend quickly began attacking with great enthusiasm. "I would, but I won't be much larger than him." She pointed to her bird friend. "We can't carry all of that." She surrendered some coins for the bird feed. "Maybe we'll just keep it small? Like, two days for five, ten days worth. How bad'll that be?"

He propped himself on the counter even as he got her some change. "Funny thing. Feed's heavy. Most people let their horses carry it for themselves and it works out. Nope, the way I see it, you're not going to get what you want today."

"Bummer," Tree Hugger softly repeated before she shook her head. "You've been totally righteous, man. Thanks for the straight dope." She turned away from the counter and smiled at her bird. "Come on, we can shop for other things."

Though his caw didn't make sense to her anymore, he seemed to understand her general statement, and hopped back onto her. She bore his weight gladly from the store. "Have a rad day!" She called out just before she rounded the corner.

"Good luck, miss," called out the proprietor before he rolled his eyes. "Ponies buying feed for horses. Wonder if she was going to eat it herself."

Tree trotted along to what looked like a shopping district, only to feel the familiar rush of a vision coming over her. She settled to the ground and tried to clear her mind with a slow whickering mantra, and it became clearer to her.

Fluttershy! Or what felt like her. "Wherever you are, Tree Hugger, I hope you're alright..." She sounded so sad and worried.

She reached out into the void between world that separated them. "Fluttershy... Righteous animal mare. I'm totally alright. Can you hear me? I'm alright."

"I-is that?" She suddenly vanished a moment, but appeared a moment later, coughing violently. "Tree Hugger! I'm trying to do what you do. It's hard!"

Tree Hugger tried to figure out what that meant, then it struck her. "No, girl. Trust in me, and stop that. You can totally throw off your energies smoking without knowing how."

"A-are you alright? Where are you? Is Maud Pie with you? Pinkie's so worried for her."

Tree couldn't see Fluttershy, simply feel her. The ragged edges of her aura placed there by her inexperienced journey into psychotropic drugs was easily felt. "Flutter, precious Flutter. Promise me you won't do this again. We're both here. We're totally cool, man. We'll figure out how to come back, I promise. No more. Promise."

"I-I... I won't... Please, be safe..." Fluttershy's presence faded from the space between worlds, and Tree Hugger settled back into her own body, fluttering her eyes open to find a hand on her head, softly petting her and cooing at her as if she were a stray animal in need of petting.

"--just the cutest thing," gushed the female. She looked human, but was thinner, and had pointed ears. "Are you lost, little pony?"

Tree Hugger tilted her head lightly. "Like, hey there." The human female jumped at her speech. "Could you show me a good place to get camping supplies?"

She stood up straight. "I thought you were... Nevermind that. Sorry if I offended."

Tree waved a hoof lightly. "It's all cool, man." She stood up and looked around, finding her bird on a nearby fence. He hopped over onto her back without asking and she smiled. "I need to do some shopping."

The human frowned a little. "I will assume you are ignorant, but I am no human, and certainly no man. I am an elf, and female beside. Is this your first time ever seeing one?"

Tree tilted her head at the elf. "Oh, way sorry. I'm not trying to crimp your style, you know?"

Her expression warmed, turning from the mild frown to her intrigued smile. "At least you have the decency to admit your failings, pony. I don't see many of your kind this far east, though I suppose I don't see many of my own kind, but this is the city of magic. It practically calls us, even if it is overrun by humans that think they understand anything. Now, camping supplies? A curious thing to need in a city, but there is such a place."

She directed Tree towards a place on the left side of the street, further down. "You'll want to go in there. He sells most of the 'outdoor' supplies. Mind your manners around his daughter. She's a little spitfire, and she tries to put one over on all the customers if she can get away with it, but you didn't hear that from me."

Tree Hugger nodded as she looked over the unassuming storefront. A sign with the outline of a tree dangled by its door, with writing on it in several languages, she guessed, but she could understand the one right at the top that proclaimed it to be The Forest Adventurer. She liked the sound of that, and thanked her new elf friend before trotting right for it. She felt a tugging at her neck and saw her bird friend was pulling at the bag that hung from it that held his seed.

"Are you hungry?" She considered him a moment. "You have such a bright aura, little friend. I think... I'll call you Bright Feather. Do you like that?" He cawed softly at her, then poked the bag with his long beak. "I'm with you, man." She nuzzled into the opening of the bag and pulled out some seed before laying it on the ground. Going to the store was put on pause as she watched her new friend enjoy his meal. "We can't talk, but we understand each other. We're grooving to the same beat." She nodded softly, and he nodded up at her. She inclined an ear at him curiously. "I feel like Flutter... Maybe I'm channeling a little bit of her righteous energy. Far out." She offered a hoof and Bright hopped up onto it, and from there to perch on her back.

Pushing into the store with a bit of a nuzzle, she was greeted with pleasant scents of incenses made to imitate the smell of pine and nature.

"Welcome to The Forest Adventurer. What can I get for you to send you on your way to excitement?" A lean man leaned on his counter, and his brows went up as he saw who was coming in. "A pony? I wasn't expecting that. Greetings, stallion!"

Tree put a hoof over her mouth. "Like, no way, man. I'm a mare." She didn't have it in her to be too angry at the man. Ponies didn't have the bumpy things to look for that humans did. "Nice to meet you." She looked around, seeing no sign of the daughter she was warned about. There were backpacks, rope, spikes, lanterns, and all manner of supply for a true outdoorspony to get along. "Your story is totally wicked. I'd like to get camping supplies for five people. We already have one pot and a set of utensils and things, so leave that out of one of them, alright?" 

"My apologies miss. The moment you spoke, I realized my error." He pulled off his tricorne hat and tipped it in apology. "Now then, five adventuring kits, minus one pot and mess kit?" He scribbled on a paper easily with a quill he had closeby, "Comes with backpacks for yourself and your friends. Will you be wanting the rations as well? They're good to keep for a few weeks, assuming you keep them from getting wet."

She tilted her head slowly as she thought. "I think that's a good idea. Actually, we're all together, we don't all need pots. Make it one pot, but we'll keep the rations, man. Thanks. That'll bring us up to two pots."

He looked over her critically. "Are you a druid, ma'am?"

She looked over her shoulder to Bright. "Is he really that much of a giveaway? Do all druids have bird pets?"

"Not all," he confessed. "Many have big predatory animals for companions. All the better in battle. But when it comes to crows, they're smart birds. They only lurk around spellcasters, and you don't strike me as the book-learned variety."

Bright cawed softly at the man. He chuckled softly. "I was complimenting you, sir bird." He tossed a small strip of jerky to the ground, and Bright took flight, catching it before it could even land and circling around to land on Tree Hugger and begin tearing it apart with gusto. "Do you need torches then? Most spellcasters that come through get angry when I slip them in."

She raised a hoof. "You have a point, man. Let me try. Forces of green, you've been totally kind to me. Light the way, even if it's already day." She felt the urge to touch something, so she brushed her hoof on the bag of feed around her neck, which began to glow softly. "Righteous."

"No torches." He scribbled on his pad. "What of your companions?"

Before she could answer, she heard Bright take sudden flight from her. She felt a presence coming on her and wheeled around just in time for a small figure to hop right on top of her. The little monster dug in at her sides. "Giddyup little horsie!" demanded a shrill and excited little voice. "Kya!"

Tree Hugger proved to be no valiant steed, and looked over her shoulder at the young human... girl? She guessed girl from the voice. She didn't have the bumps she had grown used to looking for. She was bouncing up and down and trying to coax Tree Hugger into a mighty gallop, but that wasn't Tree's general groove. "Like, hey there, little filly. It's not polite to get all in someone's personal space."

The shopkeep hurried over and plucked the child off of Tree, apologizing the entire way. "I'm so sorry. This is my daughter, and she's in that, uh, phase. She didn't mean anything by it."

"Why won't she give me a ride! She's a horse! I wanna ride!"

He carried her away and got to ringing up Tree Hugger's order, with a mild discount for being jumped upon. Tree assured him it was forgiven. "It's cool. Little people are, like, the future." She smiled tranquilly. "Don't be too angry with her, just remind her it's not polite."

She emerged from the store, Bright Feather soaring out just behind her before landing on her head. She looked up at him. "I guess you have permission, little dude." She couldn't even speak to her bird friend. Asking Bright to obey personal space concerns felt laughable. She inspected her haul. She had a belt pouch with some plants in it. She wasn't sure what that was for, but it felt right. Her backpack bulged with all kinds of useful things, starting with a blanket and a bedroll. Sleeping outdoors would be much more comfortable in the future.

She nuzzled open another bag she had hanging from her to find it full of various things, and the green in her seemed to stir. They were things for spells. Somehow, she was sure of this, and drew it shut. She felt much more prepared than when she had arrived, and had supplies for everypony else beside! She just had to get back to them, feed in hoof or not.