Just passin' through (Rok Anarch and Spring Shimmer)

[rokthepony]

Rok was traveling yet again. The day was hot and the sun was high in the horizon. Rok had been traveling for a few days and was running low on water and food. He could usually find some in the wild, but he had not been able to go foraging for some time, relying only on his bits and the local ponies. He wasn't exactly sure where he was either. Then, in the distance, he was what appeared to be a farm. Maybe I can buy some food and water from whoever lives there! Rok thought. He then headed towards the farm.

[Winter]

Spring Shimmer was not having a good afternoon. She had forgotten to take her bread out of the fire she had been toasting it in and had remembered while watering one of her fields. The earth pony had ran back to her house and found her toast on fire! She quickly grabbed a nearby bucket and doused the flaming toast with water, She sat and sighed, glad the problem had been averted. Spring waited a few minutes enjoying the feeling of relief that her house *hadn't* burned down before a new memory hit her like a brick. She had left the water running when she had ran back into the house for the toast! Spring shot up and darted out the door to turn it off, but didn't realize the whole field had already become nearly a swamp. She slid through the rich soil and fell flat on her face. She gently propped up a hoof in front of her and pushed off, only to slide back into the mud. After a few seconds of struggling she decided to just body surf across the mud to turn off the water hose. Spring finally reached the hose, turned it off, and scooted her way back to the house. The field was probably already ruined, she decided, so she may as well just wait for all the water to dry before trying to fix it.

On her way back to her house, however, a strange sight met her eyes. In the distance a pony with a dark, voluptuous mane was walking towards her. She wondered for only a second why he would ever grow his hair so long before she decided he wasn't from around here. Around here, it was much to hot to have a huge amount of such dark hair. He looked like it was really affecting him, too. He looked tired and a bit under the weather, carrying very little in his bags. Spring reasoned he must be a traveler low on food. Wait... He might be coming to ME for food! She suddenly realized. Spring did not want to talk to anypony, especially not a roughian like him! Who knows what horrors an adventurer with such a wild mane and tail could be capable of? She darted into her house and slammed the door in fear, hoping he wouldn't try knocking. If he did... she would have to open it so he wouldn't become provoked and angry. The only thing worse than a crazy traveler was an angry, crazy traveler.

[rokthepony]

Rok walked up to the farmhouse and knocked on the door. Not sure what to expect. His mind was reeling as thirst and hunger made him feel dizzy. If only he could get some food and water! He felt as if he was going to faint then and there.

[Winter]

"OH no, oh no, oh no." Spring muttered repeatedly and quickly under her breath. He had knocked, and she had to respond. She didn't want to face the wrath of the wandering pony. Spring slowly nudged the door open until her eye was showing to the pony outside. "Hi... there... I'm Spring... Spring Shimmer... and... er.. this is my house... So... uh... what're you... doing way... out here.." She said to him in a very soft and quiet voice. Behind the door she was quivering with fear. This pony looked scary; his hair poofed out in crazy spikes; his golden eyes matched the long, hot prairies; and his smile had more than a hint of madness.

[rokthepony]

"H...Hello," Rok stuttered as he came face to face with the frightened mare, "I'm sorry to intrude, I was--" He suddenly coughed loudly. After regaining his composure, he continued, "I was traveling along this way for awhile and I couldn't f...find food or water. I was wondering if you had anything here." Rok felt very faint and dizzy. "I mean, you don't even have to give it to me.... I'll pay.... for it......." Suddenly everything went black for Rok. He collapsed right before the mares feet in her house. A great first impression he was leaving, passing out right in somepony's entryway.

[Winter]

Spring stared surprised as the pony collapsed in front of her. That was hardly a tough pony at all... Definitely not one that could hurt a tough pony like her! A new thought suddenly occurred to Spring. What if he was just pretending so she would bring him in?! He would wait for the right moment... then boom! He'd pounce! She had to find a way to be sure... Spring closed the door softly and looked around for that bucket. She spotted it on the floor where it had fallen. Spring picked it up, filled it with water, and reopened the door. She took a look at the roughian collapsed in her doorway only for a moment before dumping the whole bucket on him and darting back inside where it was safe. She slammed the door and waited for his response.

[rokthepony]

Rok awakened with a startle as the water rushed over him. WATER!!!! he thought. He quickly scrambled to the ground trying to lick up as much water as he could, he got enough to wet his throat just a little bit. He then knocked on the door again to apologize for his condition and ask for more water.

[Winter]

Spring gasped in horror as she heard licking and slurping sounds from outside. Was this pony a MONSTER?! What horrible creature could possibly emit such terrifying sounds? She stiffened as she felt a knock on the door she was leaning hard against. He wanted in! She shot away from the door, expecting him to knock it down any second. After the longest amount of time in her life, her curiosity got the better of her. Spring slowly nudged the door open to look upon the earth pony that had almost definitely morphed into something from a horror story...

[rokthepony]

Once the door opened Rok saw that the pony looked very afraid. He decided to speak as intellectually as he could, he began his explanation, "Hello, I am sorry for our rather rash start. I am Rok Anarch. I come from very far away. I travel from place to place meeting many new ponies and having many adventures. Right now I am off looking for something specific. However, I have been out of food and water for a few days. I would really be thankful and appreciative if such a beautiful mare as yourself would find any kindness in your heart and be able to bestow upon me some nourishment. I do bring currency in case you would like reparations for the items I will be needing as nourishment," Rok then suddenly remembered this was farmland. "it's as they say, 'no work, no grub.'" Rok yelled at himself inside of his head, Oh, now she will never give me food or water. She is already scared and you talked to her in completely the wrong mood. That grub thing was just stupid. Rok groaned as he imagined the prospect of having to travel more to find water.

[Winter]

Spring was shocked to hear the pony start talking so... so... calm and collected. She saw him as a roughian, but he talked like one of the more educated ponies. She turned a bright red when Rok said "beautiful mare," however and she looked down to the ground in embarrassment. She was right about one thing, he was hungry. Thirsty, too, it seemed. The slurping and licking noises must have been from the water she threw on him. After he said "no work, no grub" Spring could only stare at him perplexed. It took her more than a few seconds to realize what he had been referencing. The fact that he thought of her that way before even getting to know her sent her down a spiral and she looked to the ground at his hooves trying to hide her emotions. "Okay... I can get you food... just... come inside and help yourself.... I have plenty... I think."

[rokthepony]

Rok was extremely embarrassed, although he was too thirsty not to accept her invitation into the house. "Thank you very much for allowing me to enter your beautiful home," he said calmly, "take your time getting the water and food I can just sit here and enjoy the look of your house." Although Rok told her to take her time out of politeness, he was thinking rapidly, Please go quickly, don't take your time. Please don't take your time.

[Winter]

Spring walked somberly into the kitchen to fetch the pony something to eat and something to drink. Although she didn't think he was a monster any more, she still felt more than a little hurt at what he had said. She didn't look or act badly, did she? She fetched a simple daisy sandwhich and a jug of water for Rok and put them on a wooden tray for Rok. She then walked slowly back into the room, avoiding eye contact. Spring extended the tray of goods to the pony and said gently, "Here you go.... I hope you like it."

[rokthepony]

Rok accepted the food graciously and had to use all of his willpower to not inhale it all in an instant. He slowly ate, calmly, with his manners and dignity intact. He knew that if he did anything else he would be acting impolitely. He then ventured into the realm of conversation, "I assume that you run this farm.... by the fact that you--erm--have just a small bit of mud on you I think that you have been working hard." Rok was trying to politely ask why she had mud on her, however, he was failing to find a way of doing so. After seeing Spring's disheartened expression, he decided to add, "So... I assumed that you work hard. Forgive me if I'm wrong," he stuttered this quite awkwardly.

[Winter]

"Hard as any pony..." Spring responded to him while looking over herself. She was nearly completely coated in mud. No wonder he had made the previous comment... She did look like a dirty slob. Spring suppressed a tear and tried to cover for herself. "I was... I tripped... out there...." What a great first impression, being covered in mud and staying behind a locked door horrified of this poor pony. Spring sighed and angled her gaze lower. The ground sure was a nice view...

[rokthepony]

Rok could see that Spring was upset. He forced himself to stop eating and stood up, walking over to her. He was sure this would surprise her, but new that sometimes risks must be taken. He took a towel out of his satchel and began to clean the mud off of her with it. "I'm sorry that you tripped in mud right before I came! I'll help you with that. It's my fault, I interrupted your day by coming here asking for your provisions. I'll clean that for you."

[Winter]

Spring shot back in surprise as Rok got up and began to approach her. She winced as he pressed the towel against her coat, and she cringed with every movement he made. She was not used to much contact with other ponies, much less physical contact. She whimpered but couldn't find her voice to speak to Rok. The mud was thick, grainy, and a deep brown color and quickly coated the towel Rok had been using.

[rokthepony]

"I apologize for the intrusion" Rok said again, as he began to finish eating, leaving an extremely shocked Spring. He put the towel back in his satchel, although he was careful to make sure the mud didn't get on anything.

[Winter]

"It's okay..." Spring said in response. "It really was no trouble..." She felt relieved Rok had finally stopped touching her. The towel hadn't been very effective at cleaning off the mud, much to her dismay. It was too thick and grainy for the towel to soak up well. It wound up blotching over the top of it and quickly reducing its cleaning capabilities to zero. Spring decided then that she would just have to wash up later, right now she has a guest to attend to. "So.... you said you were looking for... something?" She said tentatively to him. Spring was wary of this pony; the last thing she wanted to do was pry into his personal life.

[rokthepony]

"yes, I am looking for steel and wood," Rok responded, "I need to collect the materials for a beautiful sword someone said they would forge for me." Rok looked at Spring and changed the subject, "But don't let that distract you from your everyday routine. I think that I have probably disturbed your peaceful day enough. Here is 30 bits. Should I leave you to your day now?" Rok was hoping she would say no. He was curious about this mare, he had never met anypony quite like her.

[Winter]

"Steel and wood..." Spring said pondering where he could find such materials. A lot of her farming tools had steel, wood, or both in them... but she needed those! At the mention of him giving her thirty bits, she tried her best to refuse. "It's okay, Rok... I don't... I don't need any bits..." She chose to pretend not to have heard his final question, being to scared to answer. If she said no, he would stay... But if she said yes, he might take it as rude... and there was something interesting about this pony. He had clearly been places and seen things, and that somehow interested Spring. She was always so withdrawn, Rok seemed like a nice window into what was happening in the outside world. She almost wanted him to stay.

[rokthepony]

Rok insisted that she take the bits. "You will need them more than I will," he said matter-of-factly. "Thank you very much for your food and your hospitality," he continued, "however, there is one more thing I need to ask of you. I will need food and water for the journey. Is there any way you can bring me to a place where I can get both of those? I do not know this area well, or maybe I can stay here awhile, pay you even more bits, help you with your crop, and work in your fields for extra food from you." Rok was truly open to suggestions.

[Winter]

"Er..." Spring was very reluctant to let this pony get so close to her. He wanted to live in her house, eat her food, and work her crops. She barely suppressed a shudder at the thought. Spring decided not to argue over thirty bits and took them. Best not start a fight over generosity, right? "I have plenty of water here... Quite a bit of food, too... I could always spare some......" She trailed off, actually considering his offer about working on the farm. Most ponies she would flat out deny... but this one was different. He had an odd outlandish quality to him. "If you really want to work here, though... I'd be the one paying you bits."

[rokthepony]

"The only pay I would need is food, water, and your wonderful company," Rok said with an affirming nod of his head and a grin, "I am prepared at this very moment to work on any task you have for me." He looked at her expectantly.

[Winter]

Spring turned bright red as a natural response to what Rok said. "Wonderful company," "beautiful mare," cleaning mud, and willing to take orders... This isn't something that happened to her every day. Actually... no pony she could think of had ever said that to her! Spring felt excited for a moment before she realized he was still here and she still had to talk to him... What fun. "If... If that is what you want.... Where will you stay, though?"

[rokthepony]

Rok was glad that the mare was ready to consider his offer. "Do not worry, I will not bother you. I can wash off this towel and sleep outside somewhere. Somewhere out of your way so I will not bother you. If it's too cold I can find a place to sleep in the house, but I won't be any trouble at all. I don't need very much comfort. You see, I am used to having very little comfort, I did grow up in the Badlands after all," Rok said slowly and assuringly.