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Head in the Sand (private)


BeGoneThots

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Cryo watched the beasts closely, glad it was nighttime now. That meant the ice would last much longer than it otherwise would. Of course, his companions did not listen to him at all, instead trying to scare off the beasts. Really, he could handle himself against one of them perfectly fine. 

 

"The threat seems to be gone. We need to get the cart up to the top of this rock, so let's get going." Cryo said as the one collapsed into a pile of sand. It wasn't gone, but it seemed to give up the fight in favor of protecting the frozen one. He kept an eye on the two beasts just in case, but he still put his weapon and shield away, heading to help move the cart. 

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While not quite willing to leave, the final creature seemed convinced that attacking was a bad idea.  It wasn't willing to leave it's pack mate behind, but that wouldn't necessarily be a problem.  It meant the creature wouldn't leave, but at the same time should its adversaries leave it probably wouldn't follow, either.  And leaving was the next stage of the plan, at least in Naj's mind.  She stared at the creature in the sand only a moment longer, watching it's eyes for a moment, before she moved on, convinced they wouldn't be pursued.

 

“Yeah,” she replied to Cryo's statement, “that's the idea.  But now all three of us can work together on it, which should save time and energy in the long run.”  Yes, strictly speaking it looked like Cryo could have taken care of them on his own.  Just because one can however, doesn't mean one should.  Splitting into two groups, as would have been required to get the cart up the slope while Cryo played distraction,  would have been more tiring for each individual group.  Naj felt that conserving energy would be an important thing on this sort of mission.  And even if that didn't prove an issue, it would have created more opportunities for something to go catastrophically wrong.  If something happened to anypony in those circumstances, it would have been harder for the remaining two to respond to it.

 

Naj wordlessly took up a position behind the cart.  It would give her the vantage point she needed to see the wheels and make sure they didn't get stuck on anything, or see how to get them unstuck, while at the same time letting her push the cart from the back.  She'd wait until each of the other ponies had found a position that was comfortable for them, relatively speaking at least, before confirming with a nod and then beginning the process of getting the cart from the bottom to the top of the rock formation.

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The day was won.

 

As only fitting of the power of Light, and Dawnguard triumphantly waved Daybreak around, feeling a ripple of desert wind tussle his hair in accordance with the roiling might of Goodness that had taken the day! "And so the forces of Good doth triumph over EVIL," the white Pegasus crowed as the alpha Sand Coyote sank back into nothingness, defeated in the face of his mighty spear hoof. "Nay, not even a fraction of the bloodline of heroes needed," he elaborated, a pleased smile on his face, "and thus is the riptide of Avenger Righteousness held fast for another day." 

 

Only time would tell how long that would last, until the volcano of power simply boiled over in unending fury.

 

But for the time being, all were safe, and now the attention was fastened on moving the cart to their chosen resting spot, less the coyotes reformed for a second attack. "Then, my comrades," Dawnguard cried, flying up to the front of the cart to hitch himself back up, "to the top! For Great Justice!" Assuming Cyro came to help Naj at the back, he was free to lead their questing party up the unerring slope of Desert Hilltops, towards a resting place befitting their heroic group. "Heave!" Dawnguard called out, a warning, before thrusting himself forward onto the slope, cart trailing behind him. His wings occasionally flared out to flap alongside him in short, controlled bursts, as they carried out their quest for safe passage and a safer rest.

 

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As they worked their way up the rockiness, they would have still felt the warmth of the rocks around them from the day's heat. The path they walked was steep, but not so steep their combined efforts were fruitless to move the cart up. And halfway up it began to level out, making the trek easier on them. As the last bit of the light faded from the horizon, the cold of the desert night began to full creep upon them. And as they crested the top, the only light they had was the moon and stars. Glistening very brightly overhead, undiluted by the lights of city life. 

 

The top of the plateau was nearly completely flat. Save for a few rocks stuck up here and there. The only scent to be found was the solid stone around them. It was as if the place had never been graced by pony kind before. It was empty, and very quiet. The wind seemed less atop the plateau as well. This would afford them the ability to make a campfire without need to constantly protect it from the wind. 

 

Even the sounds of the desert seemed so far away now. It was as if the place they came to was different than the world below. And yet it was not so far back down. The only sign that any pony had ever been there was the remains of a small fire that had burned out long ago. The pile of ash and charred sticks was near a larger rock. With nothing but bare rock, there were no tracks to identify if it had been a pony or a buffalo, or any other intelligent being. 

 

And from this height, one could see the distant glow of what appeared to be several small fires. They glowed softly, barely flickering in the sea of darkness and stars. Tiny shadows could be seen moving around the lights. It seemed to be a village of some kind, but not from the direction they came. 

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Seeing as Dawnguard had already strapped himself in to pull the cart, Cryo joined Naj at the back of the cart to help push and catch it if necessary. 

 

Between the efforts of the three of them, they eventually made it onto the flat top of the rock. Thankfully, there was little wind, so a fire would work just fine. Speaking of fires though, the unicorn stood near the edge of the rock, looking out at the fires in the distance and the figures moving around them. Perhaps they should head towards those when they woke next. 

 

For now though, there was these remains of a fire, left by some previous traveler perhaps. Maybe this was from the stallion they were sent to find. 

 

In any case, Cryo set about building a fire somewhat near the wagon, though far enough away to not be a danger to it. 

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Dawnguard took charge of the group as they ascended the rock formation, after a fashion.  Granted, it wasn't so much logistical decision making as it was leading by example, but it set the pace and gave Naj and Cryo something to base their efforts off of.  While she wouldn't quite call it easy, it was fairly straightforward, and with Dawnguard's possibly-unintentional leadership they reached the plateau fairly quickly.

When they reached the top, Cryo got to work right away, setting out to get a fire started a little ways away from the cart itself.  Naj used this time to look around.  She too noted the marks from a previous fire, but didn't pay it much attention.  Regardless of whether or not it was related to their current mission, she doubted whoever had first made it was nearby.


Naj turned to Cryo, who thus far had been living up to his namesake.  She had been hoping to open up to him, but she was struggling to come up with good questions, and Cryo struck her as the sort to be annoyed by pointless questions.  So asking something idly wouldn't get anywhere.  After a moment's thought, she settled on asking about their current task.  “So, what are your thoughts on our current mission?”

 

As Naj waited for a response, she sat nearby and gazed out at the desert around them.  It reminded her of where she grew up.  Guard work had occasionally taken her outside of the changeling communities, patrolling terrain much like this when something more remote needed investigating or checking up on.  She'd always had mixed feelings about those missions, enjoying the change of pace and environment compared to the tunnels, but always feeling more exposed at the same time.

 

Naj was so occupied, between paying attention to Cryo and being lost in the memory, that she almost didn't notice the twinkle of fires a little ways away.  When she saw them, she frowned, more out of confusion than displeasure.  There weren't any settlements this far into the desert, were there?

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Atop the Desert Plateau of Might, did his fellow travelers and he rest for the eve.

 

Dawnguard unhitched the cart with a long groan, rolling back his shoulders to pop them as he stretched out his back. The Forces of Light and Good would nary fade under the unending weight of pure EVIL, but...well, a break every now and again wouldn't hurt! The REA Guard took another moment to stretch, before dropping back onto all fours with a contented sigh. 

 

Yes...the roaring slipstream of his heroic bloodlines had been kept in check for another day.

 

From across the Plateau of Visions, Dawnguard heard Naj ask of Cyro a question, but the white Pegasus shuffled around a bit, one hoof idly scuffing the remains of a fire from eons past. Some noble traveler, having availed the Sand Coyotes much as they themselves had, before subsequently ascending in the same manner to make rest. Again, as they had done. Perhaps said traveler shared the same destiny as they, to wander the searing Scorch of Desert Sands, in search of some long lost mission of inevitable success, because traveler of old was, as they were, a hero.  

 

...And perhaps that traveler has succeeded in more than just one way. Dawnguard's head reared upwards as if he'd just been stung by a wasp, before comically stretching outward as if that might improve his vision in the slightest. As it turned out, it didn't, and the flickering flames from across the desert yonder continued to dance in his vision, teasing him with vestiges of reality versus imagination. 

 

"Great fellows," the white stallion proclaimed loudly, voice carrying in the silence of the desert, "do you see as I? Or does the great riptide of Avenging bloodline of heroes flicker before me like the dance of one thousand flames along the horizon!?" 

 

 

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The light of the distance fires was soon dimmed as the night went of. It seemed as though those tending the flames had gone to sleep. And while it had not been one thousand fires, there had been at least ten or twelve. And with the success of Cryo starting their own campfire, the area beyond its light seemed to dim some. The warmth of it chasing away the light chill of the night air before it could get colder. 

 

The distant faded sounds of the desert went quiet after a while. But there was another noise. Drifting up from far away. The sounds of music. At least it sounded like music. It could have easily been the wind through the rocks below. What was more was that the entire sound was slow, melodic. As if someone played a low sounding instrument. The voice of the desert some would call it. Others would say it was just the mind playing tricks. Either way, it was too low and distant to be heard correctly. 

 

In the far distance, those camp fires had now become one fire. A thin trail of smoke could easily be seen rising from it. One lone shadow could be spotted moving near it. Though at this distance nothing more. With the calm of the night set upon them, the travelers could finally relax.

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Cryo didn't respond at first, taking a few moments to think about the question. Plus, it gave him enough time to start the fire itself, letting him relax a bit and look over at Naj. 

 

"I am not certain what to think about this mission. If our target has been missing for as long as he has been, why is he only now reaching out for help? Aside from the apparent danger this town I've never seen or heard of is in. Something just doesn't feel right." Cryo said to her, pausing for a moment before he continued. "Still, I'll be dead before I put myself ahead of those I swore to protect."

 

"Yes, Dawnguard, we see them too." He added after the stallion voiced his question. His ears twitched though as some kind of musical sound seemed to come from nowhere. It was very hard to even make out, really, and he looked towards the other fires only to see they had become one large fire. 

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Cryo had his doubts about the current state of the mission, finding the timing of the request for assistance somewhat suspect, although he reaffirmed his willingness to continue.  Naj pondered for a moment, before venturing a guess.  “Well, it takes a special kind of pony to run off into the desert in the first place, maybe he had a moment of madness.  Or clarity for that matter.  Or maybe the desert finally wore him down to the point where he'd finally admit he needed the help.”  She considered for a moment longer.  “Either way, I think it's worth investigating.”

 

Naj was quiet while Dawnguard and Cryo confirmed with each other that they were both seeing the fires below.  The musical sound filtered to her ears, and set her on edge, but she tried her best to ignore it.  It was too likely to be a natural phenomenon to be worth possible paranoia.  She'd keep an eye on it...ear on it?  But otherwise there were other things on her mind at the moment.

 

“Looks like we've got a choice,” Naj said after a moment.  “We can head down to investigate right now, which gives us the best chance of finding something, but we would have to either leave someone behind or send someone alone in order to make sure we keep an eye on the cart.  Or, we can rest up a bit, and bring the cart with us when we investigate, which risks us having less to find when we get there.”  She fell silent for a moment, before adding, “I'd be willing to take a quick look on my own, before we rest up.”

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Hmm...the music of the desert was calling to him, calling to the bloodline of Heroes flowing within his veins.

 

It appeared valiant Naj had the same idea, deeming it wise to investigate the music of the desert before the light of day...though, she continued to bring up points more excellent, observing the need to guard the cart. Their most precious of resources in this vast, unforgiving scorch land of...scorches! Bringing the cart along seemed a waste however, especially after the trouble they'd gone through to retrieve it up the cliff, and as Naj mentioned, any time wasted meant valuable seconds of ill discovery!

 

Mind made up, the white Pegasus had flounced upwards off the ground in a gust of air and dust. "Please, allow me to investigate this mysterious music of the night!" the REA guard announced, spear snapping up over his back as a gust of wind tousled his mane...rather prettily, in his mind's eye. "Like the immortal phoenix that sheds its burning light upon all the land," Dawnguard crowed, blue eyes narrowing off into the distance, "so shall I spread my wings and render light upon the darkness! Hiya!" A snap of his wings straight upwards, and the white Pegasus was off, steadily making his way into the distance of the singular, burning flame of justice!

 

 

 

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As the pegasus flew his way to the camp fire, he would have heard the sounds of music getting closer. the distance was longer than it looked, taking almost half an hour to get there. Upon arrival, Dawnguard was met with the sight of several buffalo playing music around a large camp fire. Others were listening, but the pony's presence was noticed. One of the larger buffalo looked to him and motioned him over. "Come stallion of the sky. Is there something you seek from us?" The buffalo spoke in a low, rough voice. kind, but strong. 

 

Back at the plateau, the sounds of the night carried on as they had up to this point. the occasional hoot of an owl came and went. And with the camp fire burning, the air was warmer than the nights normally were. This attracted the attention of a small desert mouse. The small animal scurried to the side of the fire for a moment, warming himself before scurrying back into the darkness of the night. With the camp fire going, the top of the plateau was now more visible. It looked as it many a traveler had camped here before. The remains of the old camp fire. Spots where others had set up tents or parked carts. Even an old lantern sat on a small boulder. it was far older than would have been taken by any recent traveler. but it indicated that this place was a known travel route at least. 

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Cryo considered Naj's response for a few seconds before giving a nod and sighing slightly. She brought up some valid points, and he had to admit they could easily be correct. That was a matter to think about later though, as they were now deciding when to go about investigating the fire down below. 

 

And then Dawnguard volunteered himself and flew off before either of them could argue. Cryo sighed, shaking his head for a moment before looking to Naj. 

 

"You should go with him. This spot has proven safe so far and who knows what's down there. Besides, you can catch up to him easier." Cryo said to her as he watched Dawnguard fly towards the fire. Why did he have to go off by himself like that? Sure, he saw himself as some great hero in a long line of heroes, or something like that, but he shouldn't put himself in danger like that. Bring backup when going into the unknown. 

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Naj regarded Cryo for a moment longer.  When Dawnguard had flown off to investigate, as she really should have expected the pegasus to do in retrospect, her thought had been that the remaining two should stay behind to keep the cart secure.  As Cryo said it though, she realized that if she had to leave anypony behind alone to watch the cart, Cryo was the one she'd most likely trust with the task.

 

Having been so convinced, Naj nodded.  “I suppose someone should follow, and try to keep him out of trouble.”  Much as she liked Dawnguard, and thought he was a credit to the armour, she also knew better than anyone that a 'leap before you look' attitude like his was a recipe for getting oneself seriously hurt.  Or worse.  “Holler if you run into trouble, we'll come running back,” she said as one final message to Cryo before leaping down the rocks.

 

Naj used a combination of her limbs to climb and leap, and her wings to supplement her jumps as she descended the rocks.  As opposed to a pegasus like Dawnguard, her wings would be more distinctly noisy while she was in flight, and wouldn't carry her to her destination quite as fast.  She kept to the ground, to make herself something of a less obvious target, and giving her more opportunities to listen both for predators and clues.

 

She kept pace with Dawnguard as well as she comfortably could, but she was content to fall a little behind.  She wanted a moment to scout out the area around the fire before being spotted, and she wanted to see what the reaction to Dawnguard's sudden appearance would be before she made her presence known.  That way should could limit how much she startled any ponies they two of them came across, and she'd be in a better position if something near the fire proved hostile.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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Suddenly, buffalo.

 

Mighty denizens of the desert! Great travelers of the barren plains of sand and rock! The music protruded most beautifully from the herd, and Dawnguard felt a great smile overcome his face as he flew straight towards the camp fire, a journey that had proven longer than he'd originally thought. Hark, for the desert illusions could lead even the most stalwart of travelers astray, make even the widest detour seem the length of an ocean.

 

Luckily for him, however, the buffalo were a kind and welcoming folk, and the white Pegasus settled down onto the sand with a gust of air and wind. "Harken to me," the REA guard beseeched of the stately crew, wings slowly folding into his sides, "and well met, noble denizens of arid deserts! I am Private Dawnguard, First Class...descendent of the mighty bloodline of heroes!" Dawnguard took a moment to let the statement sink in, face turned towards the starry night sky and appropriately burdened expression on his face, before he broke his pose to trot forward towards the buffalo that had spoken and waved him over, smile stretching even further on his face.


Stallion of the sky...brilliant. Why hadn't he thought of that one?!

 

"I would seek only the company of fellow warriors of the night," the white Pegasus proclaimed, setting his rump down onto the sand with a sort of finality, "do you, too, feel your power grow with the moonlight?" His power also rose with the rising of the sun, as well...he was still trying to puzzle that one out. Though, that puzzle would have to wait, as Dawnguard abruptly remembered the reason for his quest to begin with! "Ah yes, fellow warriors!" Dawnguard cried out, "there is one I seek! A Unicorn of red and oranges, who wandered into this land of scorching sands and never to return..." The stallion let his voice drift off, almost as if he were telling a spooky tale around a campfire...though, that effect was lost as the Pegasus' head whipped back around towards the buffalo that had first spoken. "Pray tell, have you seen such a one?! The search for him continues long into the night, and until the righteous sun breaks over his visage standing glorious and beholden unto me!" 

 

 

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The buffalo speaking to Dawnguard sat silently, thinking of the description. After a moment he nodded, "We saw such a pony. He was alone, and wished to remain so. We traded some supplies to him, food and water. Then he departed into the desert. He was strange for a pony. Very silent, cold of tone and expression. And his eyes were covered." The buffalo sighed softly. Seeming to relax more as he though on the pony. "He did not speak of his destination. Merely, that he was traveling to a place meant for him. Though I did not understand his meaning. He was clear that he was unwelcome from where he came."
 

The music of the buffalo tribe still thrummed out into the night. Some buffalo danced to the beat, others sat and swayed. Others still seemed to be just listening as they sat quietly and watched the fire burn. Out away from the camp fires, the night began to become very cold. And the night life of the desert began to come out. Hunting or foraging, the small animals were avoiding the light of the fires. 

Atop the plateau, the wind picked up a bit. Blowing the cold air across the top. IT whistled softly, blowing over the rocks. There was the sound of some bird near by. Hunting for insects to eat. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Cryo nodded at Naj's words, watching her disappear over the edge of the plateau. After that, his gaze drifted back to the distant fire, watching for signs of trouble. 

 

The night was relatively quiet, besides the noises from wildlife. There was still that music, but he assumed that was from the group around the fire. 

 

The guard looked around the plateau plateau for a moment before he began laying a defensive perimeter of icy traps and alarms in case anything tried to sneak up on them. 

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As Naj meandered closer to the campfire, the sound of the buffalo's music grew louder, overpowering the other noises of the desert at night.  Dawnguard's voice could be heard over even that, and although she couldn't make out the words, Naj could tell my the movements or lack thereof of creatures around the campfire that a conversation was going on.  She took it to mean that there wasn't any immediate danger, as the buffalo probably wouldn't be camped here if there was an urgent threat, and anything that remained dangerous was probably scared off by the presence of the fire and the size of the group.

 

That meant Naj had a decision to make.  She didn't need to lay in ambush, and in fact that would probably cause more problems in the long run.  The best bet was to approach and join her companion, but what would be best?  She could adopt a disguise, potentially confusing Dawnguard and risking an averse reaction if she was uncovered, or she could forgo a disguise altogether and risk the many common reactions to seeing a changeling.  As she sat thinking, she started to feel the chill of the night air.  She'd be comfortable for a little while, but she didn't to sit out here forever, and that fire did look inviting...

 

Naj choose to go disguise-less.  Despite the reputation of her species, she preferred honesty when she could get away with it.  She also knew that Dawnguard would vouch for her if it came down to it.  Hopefully that would be enough.

 

Naj still couldn't stop a small, nervous buzz of her wings as she steadily approached the campfire.  Given that the buffalo were so far friendly, the last thing she wanted to do was ruin that by catching anyone by surprise.  When she was close enough to be clearly visible, she waved.  “Greetings,” she called out, and then grinned.  “My friend hasn't been giving you any trouble, has he?  He's very...energetic about what he does.”  She stopped there, waiting to see how the buffalo would react, thinking it would be better to wait to be invited over before joining the group.

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Hmm...

 

It was clear that their most valiant of questing parties was following the correct path, then, as the noble buffalo described such a pony making way 'cross the desert yonder. Said description boded very well for them, while also boding poorly...and double foreboding of contradictions! The pony they followed had indeed passed this way, but now seemed to have traveled even deeper into the scorched lands with no clear destination set to mind.

 

Ah, yes, he could understand what this entire thing was about, now. Wandering, blinded, into a forsaken and foreboding area with naught but the wind to act as guide...their target was undoubtedly undergoing a Vision Quest! Some crisis which had pushed him unto the edge, now unfolded before him as a path that could lead in only recitation -

 

Or blackened madness. 

 

Dawnguard could only being to puzzle on the nature of such Vision Quests, however, when the soft buzzing of insect wings signaled the approach of his Changeling compatriot, causing the white Pegasus to puff up slightly where he was seated. "Fear not, Warrior of Many Faces," the REA Member cried out, wings spread to indicate the circle of buffalo around the camp fire, "for these buffalo share a kindred spirit of Avenging Righteousness, nay darkened hearts of EVIL that I should strike down into the abyss!" Yes...only the wicked had cause to receive "trouble" from him...that "trouble" being the mighty fury of his Righteous Spear Hoof! "No, they have told me a many great secrets of our quarry, who passed through some...uh..." Dawnguard paused, head tilting back towards the buffalo on his other side for a whispered, "when did he pass by here, again?

 

"And where is the Mage of Ice and Sheer Cold," he queried almost immediately afterwards, head swiveled around to face Naj, "valiantly guarding our supplies atop yonder cliff?" 

 

 

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The buffalo nodded softly, taking his time to observe Naj. Though none of them actually seemed to mind her presence. They continued to play music and dance around the fire. The one that had spoken looked up to the stars. "Be as anything may, stallion of the skies. The one you seek is certainly alive. we have met with other tribes along the way. He was seen by one of them. Ever pressing on ward." 

 

Another buffalo spoke now, much older than the first. "He had an ill air about him. Be wary. A wounded beast runs far from others. Stalking him as you are may being about ill winds for you." the younger one nodded. "He speaks truly. Be wary of the one whom you seek." Then he stood and moved to a tent, coming back with a small basket. Inside was a small assortment of things. "Take these. They belonged to him. He traded them to us for food and water." The basket had a pair of glasses, though now cloudy. A book, the edges well worn from repeated reading. A few small gems, the kind that one normally put in small simple jewelry. And a knife, the ceremonial kind some ranking officers wore on their armor for looks. 

 

As the buffalo sat again, he spoke softly. "take care, and heed the call of the winds. The desert is no place to become lost. If you understand our signs, look to them, and follow. They guide to safe places of rest, and pools of clean water. They are marked with the symbols of our tribes and simple pointed lines to indicate direction."

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Well, things seemed to be going peacefully. At least, he couldn't see or hear any dangers. He sat down near the fire again as he completed his task of creating a defensive perimeter. He had nothing to do but wait for the others to return. He had been careful with his setup, making sure to have the area towards the other camp be only set off by things heavier than Dawnguard. That would be sufficient, seeing as Naj was likely lighter than the pegasus, especially with his armor on. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Naj said nothing but reacted with a pained smile when Dawnguard assured her that he wasn't making enemies of the buffalo.  She would never have thought he would be attacking them in the first place, her concern was more from knowing what an overeager soldier could get themselves into.  Still, they seemed to be getting along pretty well, and so the pained smile was soon replaced by one a little more genuine.  Dawnguard turned to confirm a time with the buffalo before asking Naj what their other companion was up to.  “Yeah,” Naj replied, “Someone had to make sure the cart was safe, and he volunteered.”

 

The buffalo didn't react to Naj's appearance with anything more than apparent mild curiosity.  The changeling could only guess as to why this was: maybe they were more open-minded about strange creatures than Equestrians, or maybe it was just a matter of not having suffered a massive attack like the ones at Canterlot and Ponyville.  Regardless of the reason, Naj felt fortunate that they didn't mind her presence, and approached in time to hear their response to Dawnguard's latest inquiries.  She took a seat by the fire, borrowing it's warmth for a bit.

 

The buffalo described Flashfire like they would an ailing beast, though by the sound of things it was more mental than physical.  It could complicate things, but no more than they already were.  Naj was already something was amiss about the stallion, as it took a special kind of pony to go wandering out into the desert the way her quarry did.

One of the buffalo left the campfire for a moment, returning with a small bundle, which he said was traded by Flashfire for supplies.  The first casualties of the journey, Naj supposed.  Or at least, she hoped they were the first.  Either way, it seemed a good sign that he had sufficient presence of mind to make trades, even if it didn't necessarily help in finding him.  Naj took the offered bundle and looked hard at it, as though the whole story would reveal itself if she just stared hard enough.  It didn't, though it was a curious set.  She could see why these items would be traded away, as none would be much use in the desert, though on that basis she had to wonder why the buffalo would accept them.  They seemed helpful, so maybe Flashfire had simply insisted on giving something in return?

 

Finally, the buffalo explained that about the symbols they made to guide travellers to safe or useful parts of the desert.  When they had finished, Naj bowed her head.  “Thank you,” she said, before lifting her head back up, “this will be most helpful to us.  Let us know if there is something, within our means, we can do for you in turn.”  It only seemed fair to at least offer, even if she doubted there was anything the three of them could reasonably do for the natives of the area.

 

Naj felt they had found everything there was to find relevant to their mission, but as she was standing up to head back, a thought struck her.  Something didn't add up.  Flashfire as described was honourable to the point of madness, evidenced in everything she'd seen except one.  In the letter he'd originally sent, he'd asked for reinforcements.  If he was trying to leave civilization, why would he do that?  She paused, and looked to the buffalo.  “Say, how often to you see ponies in the deeper parts of the desert?”

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Hmm...

 

Something afoul was in the air...

 

At least according to the Mighty Buffalo of the Scorched Lands. Dawnguard watched - quietly, for once - as valiant Naj graciously accepted the various items that had apparently once belonged to the stallion they now tracked across the blazing sands. The Pegasus was, in reality, a bit surprised at such...detail, with which the Buffalo spoke of Flashfire, when they had only just stated his demeanor to be cold and unyielding, brief only enough to trade for supplies before continuing on into the desert. It was if they had knowingly decided to study the missing guard in depth...as if they knew such information would be vital for a valiant troop of heroes venturing off into the desert.

 

Ah, did the red strands of fate ever tie all those within their far-seeing coils...

 

Naj continued to speak to the Buffalo, but mulling over Fated Stars of Destiny over their questing group abruptly reminded Dawnguard of what the Changeling had just said - that of noble Cyro, keeping valiant guard over the cart. "Then, I shall venture back to relieve him of his duty," the REA guard intoned, wings already flaring outward to take flight, "and perhaps, should the howling winds allow it...make some smores! Farewell, mighty Warriors of the Sun-Kissed Desert Pass!" 

 

And with that, Dawnguard was back in the air, the rapidly lowering temperature of the desert doing nothing yet to stall a Chosen Hero of Light as the Pegasus made his way back tot he plateau. The fire atop the ridges was easily seen from a distance, and Dawnguard headed straight for it as he landed, a wide smile on his face. "Ho, good Ice Keeper!" he greeted exuberantly, "do the forces of Darkness keep their peace?!" 

 

 

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The buffalo watched the stallion leave. Once he was certain the stallion was gone, the beast turned his soft gaze on Naj. "We thank you for your offer of kindness. There is little we can ask for, save that you be safe in the desert." He then smiled softly to her, showing he was glad that someone cared for the pony that went wandering alone in the wild lands. Returning his attention to the music he looked to the other buffalo. IT seemed they had no more information to offer, but did not refuse her presence. A few would cast toward her curious looks. Interested in a being as herself. Naj was likely the only changeling these buffalo had ever seen. 

Back on the plateau, the music was now lower and less audible. The sounds of the night were taking over. The warmth of the fire had chased away the cool air of the night. And in fact the area was sufficiently warm enough to attract a few night time animals. An owl sat on a nearby rock, undisturbed by the ponies present. It groomed itself quietly, paying no heed to anything around it. A desert snake had crept close, coiling up on a different rock, basking in the warmth of the flames. It seemed content just sit there a distance from the cart. 

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Cryo was actually beginning to enjoy the peacefulness of the desert night, smiling slightly to himself. And then Dawnguard arrived and broke the relative silence. 

 

"Yes, no trouble so far." Cryo replied after sighing a bit. After another second of silence, he looked at the pegasus and raised an eyebrow. "Well? What did you learn down there?"

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