# Ponyfinder: Roots of Stone

## by David Silver

### 13 - Towards the City of Runes

After Flint had sacrificed a goodly portion of his oats to fuel their mounts, the party was ready to get moving. As they moved on, Paul inched closer to Flint. "How'd you get those oats past the guards anyway? They took all my stuff when they were arrestin' me."

Flint smiled cockily. "Sometimes you need to know what truth to offer. It was amazing how quickly they lost interest when I said the bag was full of scat to attract game."

Paul made a face. "They bought that?"

Flint shrugged. "No one said his Lordship's men were very smart, just well paid."

Tree drew up beside them with some effort, still struggling to control her horse. "Sorry we had to use all your supplies. The horses seemed to find it radical as a breakfast."

Fast waved a hoof back at them. "Focus on the road ahead. If we make it to Greegate before dark, we'll get some more supplies, otherwise we're looking at a day without food for the mounts, and that's bad, to say the least."

Maud seemed to have little difficulty guiding her mount, only having Flint for competition, though her control seemed a smooth confidence. She simply seemed to want to go somewhere, and the horse obeyed her, without a word exchanged between the two of them. "They deserve as much food as we get."

"More," argued Fast Shadow. "They're larger than we are. It takes more to fill them and keep them happy." She reached forward and softly pat the neck of the horse she was riding. "And they're getting us there much faster than we'd be walking ourselves."

Tree looked up, forgetting her horse a moment as her jaw hung open. "Woah..." A shaking hoof raised to point into the sky, where a reptilian beast wheeled and looked around.

Fast scowled. "Wyrm. Get off the road and be still." She pulled her horse lightly to the right and hid beneath the canopy of a tree. "Let it go past. It may be harmless, but now's not the time to test that."

The party drew to a halt, with everyone waiting nervously. The branches lurched as a great object sailed past overhead, with the loud keening roar of the dragon-like creature. It curled mid-air and rushed into the distance, leaving them be.

Tree Hugger put a hoof behind her head. "That looked like a dragon to me."

Fast nodded as she coaxed her horse back onto the road. "It's a form of one. I don't know the specifics. Doesn't matter in the end, let's just not invite trouble."

Paul ribbed his elbow into Flint. "Did ya see that! It looked big enough to bite a man clear in half without thinkin' 'bout it!"

Flint chuckled softly. "Exactly why Miss Shadow is right to avoid them. Part of stayin' alive is not shoving your head where it ain't wanted."

Paul shrugged, "Stuffing me head where it ain't wanted got us some new friends."

Flint cuffed him across the back of the head suddenly. "Sure it did, and kicked outta our house, and the Lord dead, now didn't it?"

Paul frowned. "Well, you did that last part, didn't ya?"

Tree shook her head slowly. "Chill out, dudes. We're all friends here, and we'll figure this out, together. No need to get angry about the past, just to learn from it." She pulled free a small bundle of leaves. "Like, I still have some of this choice plant. Smoking it will take the harsh edges right off."

Paul raised a brow curiously. "This some kind of magic plant?"

Tree smiled gently. "Oh man. Being in its embrace is like magic. Try it." She offered a small bit of it towards Paul, who took it but looked confused.

"So, uh, do I chew it?"

Tree tilted her head. "No, man. You smoke it. First you say thank you, then you smoke it." She wobbled dangerously as her horse took an unexpected swerve and she grabbed for its neck for a moment before she recovered. "Get it?"

Paul attempted to roll the herbs as he had seen far more worldly people than himself do. "How do I light it?"

Flint drew out a striker of flint and steel. "Hold still a moment." He reached out and clacked the flint and steel together loudly before a spark touched just right, and the end of Paul's crudely formed cigar lit.

Tree offered another little bundle to Flint, and soon all three were tranquilly riding down the road, all strife and argument forgotten in favor of the peace offered by the smoke that lazily drifted from the three of them.

Fast glanced back towards them, shaking her head at their intoxicated states. "Maud, please don't join them. I'd like to know at least one of my companions is coherent if trouble should arise."

Maud gave a soft nod. "I won't. Do you know what they're smoking? I don't think Tree Hugger knows."

Fast raised a brow. "Couldn't say. Herbalism isn't my specialty. I gathered it was hers, or she'd end up smoking some poison ivy. I heard someone did that once, couldn't talk for a month, almost died. Not a good way to go."

Maud tilted her head lightly. "My father smokes once in a while. He says it smells good."

Fast hiked a head back at the others. "That stuff?"

Maud shook her head. "A kind of rock dust. He had to grind it up to smoke it properly. Fast? Do you like poetry?"

Fast was caught off guard by the question. "Well, sure. A little poetry never hurt anyone that I'm aware of. Why?"

Maud lifted her shoulders. "I have poetry. I write it."

Filled with a sudden curiosity to know what emotions lurked beneath the surface of her stoic companion, Fast was quick to agree. "Oh, certainly. Let me hear some."

She cleared her throat softly.

> Look at this rock,

> It doesn't belong.

> Look at this rock,

> Where'd it come from?

> Not igneous, nor sediment.

> It doesn't belong here.

> Look at this rock,

> It doesn't belong.

Fast tilted her head softly. "I confess. I don't... entirely understand the meaning of it."

Maud nodded. "The next one's about rocks."

Fast tensed. "Do you have any about something else?"

Maud paused a moment. "Only one... Would you like to hear it?" Fast quickly nodded, and Maud drew a soft breath.

> Grey and purple, these are normal.

> Bright pink, quite absurd.

> You smile when others are frowning.

> You are the sister I love to hold.

> Others can't see my smile.

> Others can't see my tears.

> You can always see through me,

> You make me feel like cut diamonds.

> You move with the power of a rockslide.

> You smile with the power of burnished steel.

> You hold me with the tenderest...

Maud trailed off, and went quiet.

Fast looked aside to see the the faintest hint of moisture at Maud's eye, but it was quickly whisked away with a blink, and there was nothing. Fast shook her head slowly. "You miss her, don't you?"

"A lot," said Maud in her deadpan voice. "I hope she's okay."

Fast nudged her horse closer and reached, placing a hoof on Maud's shoulder. "You make me envious. I wish I had a sister I loved so dearly, who loved me back half as much."

Maud tilted her head. "Why would you want a sister a world away?"

Fast shrugged gently. "Perhaps not that part, but you'll get back to her, eventually. You have her to look forward to. For now, we have each other. I will gladly be your sister, if you let me."

"You're not my sister." She said it with a brutal bluntness that made Fast recoil slightly.

"Of course... not, not literally. I mean we can be friends, close friends. We will watch out for each other, and care for each other." Fast waved a hoof back at the three trailing behind. "Tree Hugger as well. It's obvious she respects you a great deal, even if you don't always see eye-to-eye."

"We're about the same height."

Fast took a slow breath, counting to herself. "Maud, is this how you keep people away from you? My offer remains. I would gladly count you as a dear friend, even if you will return home some day. You are a fine pony, made of good things. Your morals are good, your bravery is astounding, even what I've seen beneath your mask is worth knowing."

Maud was silent, and didn't reply to anything for some time. Fast eased in her attempts and directed her horse away to walk in parallel, but give her companion some space.

Tree Hugger drew closer to the front, smoke no longer clinging to her. "Hey, sister of stone. Are we on time or not?"

Maud glanced back at her, but was silent.

Fast waved a hoof. "Don't bother her right now. We're on time to reach the city."

Tree nodded. "Righteous, but what's wrong with Rock? Do you need any help? Like, you can talk to us about anything." But there was no reply given.

Fast brought her horse in and grabbed at Tree Hugger, pulling her and directing her horse away from Maud. "I'm serious. She needs space, and you'll give it to her."

Tree frowned faintly. "You're totally coming down on me, man. I've got a sweet buzz going on right now. Let's not end it on a sour note."

Fast let out a soft sigh before she turned to face forward, just to tense abruptly. There was a group of riders coming towards them along the same road. They were well armed. On the positive, they hadn't drawn their weapons yet. "Maud, we have guests. Be ready."

"Shouldn't I be ready?" Tree Hugger raised a brow before she almost fell off her horse, trying to face the others. "Hey, like, we have guests."

Paul waved at the oncoming riders as Flint had the sense to look concerned. "Damn the timing. What I wouldn't give for a well-built longbow right about now..." He drew a dagger but flipped it around to press against his sleeve, keeping it out of immediate sight.

Fast nudged her horse ahead to meet them. "Hail!" she shouted ahead. "What brings you in such a hurry?"

Most of them thundered past without so much as slowing, but one of their numbers, with a staff across his back, slowed. "Horse, you would do well to turn back where you came. Greegate has been put to siege. They're fools to think they can take the City of Runes, but a point for effort. We ride to muster allies in defense."

Fast's jaw tensed. "Blast the timing. We have little choice but to continue on, good man."

"All the more fool you be." He tipped his hat. "Take care, lest you be destroyed with the invaders, should the defenders mistake you." He snapped his reins and took off at a wild gallop to catch up with his friends, leaving Fast and her companions behind.