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Post by Zecora on Oct 10, 2011 17:37:44 GMT -5
Deep inside Everfree Forest a massive tree serves as the home of a creature not often seen in Equestria. Indeed, her unique appearance was cause for alarm at first when the ponies from Ponyville noticed her presence. For a while she was unwelcome, and whenever she tried to visit Ponyville she found the town strangely devoid of life. However, that changed shortly after a new unicorn made her home in Ponyville. Since then, she had befriended several of the Ponyvillians and her house had seen quite a few guests. It was a welcome change. Even though the life of a starting shaman was often a lonely one and she was willing to accept this, a friendly face was always welcome. Attachments:
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Post by Zecora on Oct 10, 2011 17:38:47 GMT -5
Zecora stepped outside of her tree. It was a fine morning, the Forest breathed an air of tranquility. It had been a few days since Applebloom's last visit and the memory still left a smile on her face. And it would be her turn to visit Ponyville again soon, always a good excuse to see the little filly. Even though the Forest provided her with almost everything she needed, sometimes she still had to visit the town to gather some supplies. Even though this had been somewhat of an ordeal at first since all the shops always were mysteriously closed whenever she came by, ever since she had met Twilight Sparkle this had changed. Perhaps in a couple of days, she could also visit the purple unicorn. For the moment though the Forest beckoned her. She wasn't expecting any visitors today, and even if someone would come by at such an early hour they would probably don't mind waiting a bit whilst she gathered her herbs and other materials from the Forest. Pretty much all of the ponies who were brave enough to travel the Forest to visit her knew her well enough to be able to guess what she was doing when she wasn't home. Besides, if there was a truly urgent matter she was confident the Spirits would let her know. Chanting to herself happily, the zebra disappeared deeper into the forest, a set of saddlebacks resting on her back.
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Post by WC on Oct 11, 2011 15:09:38 GMT -5
" Keep an eye out, Hakkou. This isn't exactly a place yoo should drop yoor guard in. "
The stallion's hooves trampled the moist, rotting leaves under his berth, the pungent scent of moss teasing at his nostrils as he and his companion traversed Everfree's explosively floral surroundings. This wasn't a place he often voluntarily entered; necessity brought him here, and considering how far this land was from Appleloosa or their usual traveling itinerary, it must have been something important indeed.
He'd heard rumblings of a strange, enigmatic shaman who lurked in the depths of Everfree, a master of potions and herbs. His own herbalist, Sagebrush, was a talented alchemist in his own right, but the nature of this potential 'deal' was on a side of immorality he was not wholly content with subjecting the earth pony to. Regardless, he'd gotten what directions he could out of the local townsfolk to find this supposed shaman, and a hastily scrawled map, in case things went heavily awry.
The highwaypony spared a look to the pegasus keeping close to his flank, and he permitted himself a light, somewhat melancholy smile. He had brought her along with purpose: companionship, for one, and as his newest inductee into this band of brigands he led, she needed to see their more subtle business tactics --personally. She wouldn't learn any other way.
" Yoo've been here before, haven't yoo, querido?" He asked in that labored, foreign accent, his ivory muzzle abandoning it's smile as he flicked that persistently alert gaze towards the murky path before them.
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Post by Hakkou on Oct 11, 2011 15:50:45 GMT -5
From behind and to the right of Wild, Hakkou took in the sights of the forest. "I've been around the outskirts." she replied honestly. "Never this deep in." Though she hadn't told the other pony, they had passed very close to where she had once lived, on their way in. Yes, she knew the general area fairly well, though like most ponies from Ponyville, she had avoided the forest whenever she could.
When she had been approached, and asked to make this journey with Wild Card, she had experienced a mixture of emotions, including, to her surprise, nostalgia. She hadn't regretted joining the Saddles for a moment; yet, Everfree was just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Ponyville, the place she had called home most of her life. At first, Hakkou had wondered why he would choose her to accompany him, and a few of the possibilities made her nervous. What if he was regretting recruiting her, or thought that she wanted to return to Ponyville? She had managed to banish her fears, though, and agreed to the trip.
Fears of being left behind had been replaced with more rational fears as she followed the stallion: the forest was fairly dangerous. Still, she trusted Wild, so as long as she stayed close to him, she wasn't worried about anything. Perhaps a little too close, she wondered with a small start. What if he thought-she banished those thoughts with a flick of her tail, turning her attention to another mystery.
"So, um...why are we here, again?" she asked curiously.
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Post by Zecora on Oct 16, 2011 7:25:56 GMT -5
Zecora approached her hut, her saddlebags distinctively heavier then when she left. She felt pleased. Not only had she found every herb and plant she had set out to find, there also had been a little bonus. Or rather, a large bonus. She had found the remains of a manticore. Its stinger had been intact. Manticore venom was not easy to come by. It didn't have a lot of uses, the most obvious being an anti-venom for manticore poison, but she knew a few other recipes. She had been able to extract the venom without any mishaps. It worried her somewhat as to what had brought the animal down. It hadn't looked like a peaceful death. Then again, some of the larger animals in the forest were definitely strong enough to take down a manticore. In fact, she was aware of a green adult dragon living in a cave in the Everfree who's scales where thick enough to prevent any manticore stings from penetrating.
Putting those thought aside, the zebra entered her hut. She was welcomed by the same peaceful silence that she had woken up to. The Spirits still had nothing to share with her, it looked like it was going to be an uneventful day. That was not necessarily a bad thing, a calm day in the forest was to be treasured. She put her new herbs away. Some where put in labelled glass jars, others were left to dry. She buried some pale-white, odd shaped fruit outside of her hut. She took the small bottle with manticore venom and placed it in her hidden cabinet. Before long, she was finished.
Putting the fire on under her cauldron, she started gathering ingredients. Some roots where chopped into tiny pieces, a large yellow leaf was ground into a pulp. She grabbed a small bottle with a pink liquid. After a while, the water in the cauldron had began to boil. As she started adding ingredients, the zebra began to chant softly. It was always nice to sing to herself while she worked, it kept her feeling in touch with her homeland and it made the task more enjoyable in general. A strange, thick smell started to penetrate the tree hut. She was used to it, but for most people the smell would be a bit overwhelming. It still made her eyes water, but she knew the damps were harmless. She had even grown to enjoy the smell, over time. It reminded her a bit of the heavy smell of wet earth inside an animal den after a severe rainstorm. Then again, she had also been told it smelled like spoiled milk, or even honeysuckle. Different ponies seemed to smell different things, she was quite unsure about why this was so. She just counted her blessings and was glad that she didn't smell anything really nasty.
It would be a while before the brew would be finished, so she started cleaning her hut, still softly singing songs from her homeland to herself. Every now and then she would return to the cauldron to stir the mixture a bit.
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Post by WC on Oct 17, 2011 17:00:07 GMT -5
The bandit pony cleared a stalk of brush obstructing their path with one fell swoop of his hoof, loping over the fallen vegetation and keeping it parted with a hindfoot for Hakkou to neatly step through.
" To be curt, we're looking for a zebra. " Wild Card drew his appendage back once the pegasus had cleared the foliage, then resumed pacing deliberately forward again, his eyes set to the forest floor. " A shaman, to be exact. She might be able to provide us a service, pending...approval. " His eyes bugged a little as he caught an intriguing set of imprints within the pliant dirt; perhaps he wouldn't need that map after all.
" I brought yoo with me, " He continued somewhat distractedly, as he combed a hoof at the physical clues smooshed into the soil. " , to get a more personal look at how we do 'business', so to speak. " His angular muzzle leaned closer to examine the telltale symbols: hoofprints, wider than a ponies, and a flimsy , serpentine trail lingering behind them; cloth, perhaps? The ponies he had spoken to did say the zebra wore a cloak during her outings.
Satisfied, he reared back up and followed the trail, picking up the pace, but at a tempo the pegasus could easily pursue. Now, there was a scent: vaguely foreign, a hint of spice and that gritty, earthen aroma one might inhale on the aftermath of a rainy day. Another couple minutes of intent walking, and he found what they were looking for.
Curious, but wary steps brought him and his accomplice towards the exotic looking tree, gaze scouring over the weathered and exotic accessories that ornamented the makeshift home. " Well, if this doesn't scream 'Zebra', I don't know what would. " He lashed his tail consciously, then angled his stance to face Hakkou with a stoic frown.
" Now listen, querido. No matter what happens, yoo follow my lead. Comprende?" Wild uttered in a collected tone as he boldly traipsed up the front door, and rapped a metal-lined hoof against it's oaken surface in a hollow knock.
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Lilypad
New Pony
What is love~~Baby don't hurt meee
Posts: 21
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Post by Lilypad on Oct 17, 2011 17:58:16 GMT -5
Lilypad’s day had started as usual, waking up in the morning with the sun. Spending a few hours with the flowers, and all her duties was done. The leggy mare with the stripes didn’t exactly live the most exciting life, and most of it was a routine for the young pony. And with everything out of the way, she sudden had the entire day free.
Gosh, what to do, what to do. The striped mare flicked her plumed tail as she paced around her small cottage, thinking about things she possible could do. Until… it hit her, and caused a small smile to spread on her face. Of course, she could take a trip to the forest.
The striped mare knew of course about Zecora, though despised the mighty logical reason to go and see the one zebra Lilypad actually knew about had always been such a fighting and daring thing, and she had never actually done it, however she did like visiting the Everfree Forest. Despite its wilderness and somewhat scariness, she always found it appealing and drawn to it. So, with a few supplies packed in a saddlebag, the quite mare stepped to the familiar path that led into the woods.
The Forest with its wilderness was strangely safe; she knew to avoid most of the plants and animal life. And she was sure to find that one plant that nopony had discovered yet. Fat chance, but a pony could dream, after all what was life without dreams? Lilypad sighed contently as she came in among the trees and shadows and felt more at ease, more at home.
She shook her upright mane and snorted out pleased. Lavender eyes studied the forest floor for a moment before she set off in a light trot, letting her slender legs carry her smooth and nearly effortless into the depths of the woods. Plumed tail flicking as she moved, it was such a lovely day and as she shifted into a speedier gallop, the shy earth pony mare felt so alive.
She stormed along the path, hooves thundering and plumed tail nearly straight out behind her as she raced herself. Then getting airborn as she leaped over a fallen log and straight into a clearing where she came to a tumbling halt. Crashing into the ground as ungraceful as a filly’s first step, the leggy mare rolled about until she finally stopped. Lilypad pushed herself up, face hot with embarrassment as she stared at the two strangers and at the wall of the hut, that could only belong to… “Oh buckets of hay” She cursed and flattened her ears, looking like a deer caught in headlights.
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Post by Zecora on Oct 18, 2011 4:32:55 GMT -5
Startled, Zecora looked up as something or someone seemed to knock on her door. That is odd... The Spirits didn't tell me I would have a visitor today. It instantly put her on edge. They were often deliberately vague and would almost never reveal everything, but it was a very rare occurrence that they would not at least tell her whether or not she would have any creature drop by her hut. She hesitated for a bit, but forced herself not to jump to conclusions. Besides, whomever or whatever was knocking at her door, it would be impolite to have them wait. Throwing a brief glance at her brew and satisfied she could safely leave it be for a while, she trotted towards her door.
Opening it, she stood in the doorway and was greeted with the sigh of two ponies. Briefly glancing at the small pegasus, she then turned her gaze to the larger earth pony. The zebra assumed he was the one who had knocked on her door, seeing as he was standing closest. The first thing she noticed where the many pouches the stallion was carrying. He also seemed to wear heavy horseshoes. The confident stance which he portrayed left the zebra little doubt he was used to fighting and she couldn't help but wonder what the pouches contained. Her eyes then wandered to one of the stallion's ears, it had obviously seen conflict. His body language suggested someone who was used to some position of power. All of it did little to put her at ease.
"To Zecora's hut you have found your way. How may I be of service to you to..."
Before she could finish her sentence though, she was interrupted by the arrival of another pony on the scene. A mare suddenly leapt over a log, fell onto the ground and after a few tumbles she managed to stand up. Immediately ignoring her other visitors, Zecora worked her way past them and quickly trotted towards the mare. She noticed her unusual appearance and instantly recognized what it meant.
"You took quite a nasty fall there. Did you hurt yourself anywhere?"
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Post by Hakkou on Oct 22, 2011 1:30:21 GMT -5
Hakkou nodded, and remained silent as Wild seemed to sweep the forest with his eyes. A zebra? A shaman? She'd never heard of such things before in her life. She hung her head a bit as she trotted behind her companion, thinking. There was so much she didn't know about the world, so many thing she had missed out on. Once again, she was reminded how fortunate she was that Wild had taken her under his wing, so to speak. She determined to do her best to live up to his expectations.
In fact, it seemed to her that she was going to have a chance to do some learning right now. Wild had brought her so that she could learn more about the way that the Saddles operated? The idea made her heart skip a beat in glee. To be included, perhaps even relied upon...she was a very lucky pony. Perhaps things would go alright for her, after all. With that happy thought, she noticed Wild come to a stop, and quickly halted behind him, nodding mutely as he knocked on the door. She tried to relax; all she had to do was follow his lead, no worries. The larger pony wouldn't set her to do anything too difficult, right?
When the door opened, however, Hakkou was taken by surprise. The pony that answered-she supposed this was a Zebra-was like nopony she'd met before. She looked her over once, taking in the stripes, the unusual mane and jewelry. Once she had a good survey of their host, she offered a small, yet silent smile, waiting to see what Wild would do.
Before he could do anything, though, another pony tumbled into the clearing. Turning her head to follow the Zebras approach to the new mare, Hakkou still didn't speak, but her face showed the concern she had for the newcomer. Hopefully she hadn't hurt herself in that tumble. In the corner of her mind, however, Hakkou wondered what this pony was doing in Everfree. Her ears perked up a bit as she listened for a response. Perhaps she could find out just by listening in on the conversation.
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Post by WC on Oct 23, 2011 21:11:22 GMT -5
Before he even had a chance to open his mouth and speak to the zebra, calamity ensued. He administered a haphazard look over his shoulder at the commotion, an eyebrow prompted to elevate in inquiry. Just like Hakkou, the bandido swirled himself around to face the loud intruder--only to jerk away slightly as Zecora squeezed past them to tend to the feminine hybrid, staring at them like she'd just been caught beating a pony to death with her bare hooves. He snorted through his nostrils, perturbed. A proverbial monkey wrench in the cogs of his plan, but not a complete stall.
He adapted, and took a moment to use this opportunity to investigate the interior of Zecora's home, from the doorway at least. He peered at the various fetishes and tribal scenery that littered her walls; the marked vials; the unique instruments for crushing and mixing herbs. It was all very much the ideal home of a shaman, and he made note of several fixtures and locations within the arboreal abode in case some 'leverage' needed to come into play. What that would entail wasn't known to anypony but himself, currently.
Once he was satisfied, he leaned back away from the crudely formed awning of the entrance, looking back towards Hakkou. He nudged her with a sleeved foreleg, and nodded tightly towards the other two females. It was enough of an insinuation for her to follow his lead, as he casually traipsed over towards the small gathering and immediately adopted a mask of concern.
" Yes, that was quite the tumble. Es she alright? " He softly intoned, canting his head to one side, brow furrowed.
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Lilypad
New Pony
What is love~~Baby don't hurt meee
Posts: 21
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Post by Lilypad on Oct 24, 2011 12:02:08 GMT -5
She couldn’t have foreseen such humiliation. Sure she often misjudged obstacles in her path when she was running through the woods, but never in such way that she actually met other ponies, and especially not in front of the zebra like this. How could she have been so careless, so mindless like a filly. She scowled at herself, and the hybrid scrambled on her hooves, slowly checking herself for broken bones or other damages.
The striped mare blinked and blinked again as she took in the scene in front of her, trying to gather what was really going on. The zebra whom she only had heard of and the white stallion peeking into the zebra’s hut, the white mare., neither she had seen before that she could remember. Ears twitched slightly as she rose her front hoof up over her chest. “I… uh, I’m okay. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I uhm. I think the gentlecolt over there need you. I’ll just, need to catch my breath and I’ll be on my way” She nudged her head gently towards the white stallion by the door, flicking her tufted tail slowly as she promised.
Lilypad shifted her slender legs around and tripped nervously on the ground, keeping her ears low. She dropped her head again, letting it hang shamefully as she tried to catch her breath and calm herself down, keeping her hooves settled and taking deep breaths.
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Post by Zecora on Oct 24, 2011 13:40:54 GMT -5
Zecora gave the nervous pony in front of her a quick look-over, validating her claim. She did appear to be unhurt. The zebra was certain she hadn't seen this pony before, but it was obvious she was of mixed heritage. That begged the question, had the pony been on her way to visit her? Assuming her guest was aware of her ancestry, and why wouldn't she be, it seemed logical. She was rather curious and still a bit concerned. She was very well trained in the art of healing and the zebra knew that just because she couldn't see any injuries that didn't mean they weren't there. Also, throwing a quick glance towards her other two visitors, Zecora admitted to herself that a small part of her also saw this as an opportunity that might allow her to postpone dealing with a situation she didn't really wanted to deal with right now.
"There is no reason to be sorry, please do not fret. You did nothing wrong and I'm not upset. But tell me, why did you enter the Everfree? Was it me who you came here to see? If that is the case, I'll talk with you first. Some tea I will make to help quell your thirst. I will also make sure there are no wounds I can find. My other two guests can come back later, I'm sure they won't mind."
Before the pony sitting in front of her could respond, she returned her attention to her other visitors.
"If your business is not urgent I hope you'll agree, she might be injured so its her I should see. I'll still be here later, you can visit me then, I'd be happy to help you if I think that I can."
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Post by Hakkou on Oct 29, 2011 10:13:46 GMT -5
Hakkou turned her head to watch as Wild Card examined the small hut. She wasn't sure what he was looking for, but she knew he had some sort of plan. The question was, what? She still wasn't even sure why he had brought her here. It seemed like she was going to have to wait a little longer before finding out, too, as he nudged her towards the other two mares.
She followed along behind him, a worried look still on her face. "If you're in pain..." she said softly. "You should let her know. We can wait." she assured the pony. She looked at the Zebra thoughtfully. Once again, she thought this was like no other pony she had ever met. She seemed kind, if a little odd. Speaking in rhymes all the time, Hakkou wasn't sure if she could manage it. She looked to Wild, to see how he would respond to her request. She had a feeling he would insist on staying, that he didn't mind waiting a little while. Which suited her just fine, she was curious about...pretty much everything here.
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Post by WC on Nov 4, 2011 20:08:17 GMT -5
"With all due respect, shaman, " The stallion brusquely quipped, a plastic smile adorning his muzzle. " We don't have all day to dilly dally, and we did just traverse the Everfree Forest to specifically speak with yoo." That fraudulent smile died a little, replaced with an attenuate severity that indicated he wasn't one to take 'go away' for an answer.
" The girl es obviously fine now. If she wants to stay and recover further, she es certainly free to. " Wild Card sauntered forward a couple of steps until he was at an appropriate proximity with Zecora. That stubbled jaw set itself firmly, and he coarsely uttered , " I am not one to deny concern for another, but as the old requirement goes: we were here first, and I did not come all this way to be denied so succinctly. I require assistance and...supplies, , " A sketchy glance was dispatched to the hybrid filly a meter or so away, before flicking back to the zebra. " Posthaste. "
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Post by Zecora on Nov 5, 2011 19:26:36 GMT -5
The zebra's demeanour instantly changed, her expression becoming sour. She briefly tried to reach a Spirit, any Spirit, but they where still silent. If they were testing her they had picked quite a time to do so. The colt in front of her seemed to think she was some kind of merchant, which felt slightly insulting in itself. But his behaviour was quite disrespectful, and she felt herself becoming angry. The zebra defiantly returned the stallion's stare.
"Your rude behaviour will get you nowhere with me. I don't run a shop, I just live in this tree. Fate made me a healer, and happily so. But my patience runs thin with this tantrum you throw. If I can help and its urgent then help you I will, that has always been my duty and so it is still. But you won't rush me, its patience you'll need. If you value your health then my words you should heed. It takes time what I do, and that can't be changed. If you want my help, be polite, and maybe it could be arranged. You won't like my brews if I make them to quickly. At the worst you might die, at the best you'll feel sickly."
She took a few steps back to the mare still lying on the ground, meanwhile continuing to speak to the stallion. "You may follow and make your request. But please mind your manners, no one likes a rude guest. As I said, I don't run a shop so I don't sell supplies. But if I am able and willing I will give you medical aid or advice."
She returned her attention to the mare still lying on the ground. "Now, you poor mare, please come with me. You will feel better with a nice cup of tea." She offered her hoof to help her stand up. "Its ok, you have nothing to fear. Rest assured that you are quite welcome here." She offered a friendly smile.
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