Out of the Fire (Closed)

[Baxter]

A few weeks had passed since Baxter and Ice Fang had left the invasion. This was it: no more Sharp. No more ponies. It was all behind them now.

But there had been hiccups. On one of their first nights in the Griffon Kingdom, while Baxter was keeping watch, two adolescent dragons had snatched the hapless winter wolf and took him back to their cave. The two must have had something pent up inside them, and chose Baxter as the individual to release their frustration upon. One had made sure the archer couldn't call out for help while the other did a number on him. By the time they were done, he could hardly speak from the one dragon's efforts to silence him, and his insides felt like they'd been turned inside out from the other's ruthless attack.

Hardly how Baxter wanted to start his new beginning, and it was only by some miracle that Ice Fang had found and rescued him while the dragons were sleeping. The injuries would go away eventually, but he was more humiliated than anything. He spent the next several nights hoping the cave would fall in on his captors, that the same would happen to all dragons. Good riddance to all of them.

The sidekick/servant role Ice Fang had assigned him didn't help Baxter's self-esteem any either. The other wolf was still making him wear the stupid collar he had given him, even though there was no purpose other than to make him feel lowly. The archer now had to carry most of the stuff, and was asked to perform special favors on a daily basis.

But still, Ice Fang was his friend, and Baxter owed him. The other wolf had saved his life too many times to count, and this was how he needed to repay him. And it wasn't like Ice Fang was treating him like dirt. Baxter may not have liked the things Ice Fang was making him do, but if it made the other wolf happy then Baxter was willing to put up with it. He had zero room to complain, not after Ice Fang had risked everything for him.

His state of servitude was hardly pecking at the back of his mind. No, that was the music, the organ music that hadn't stopped playing since they'd left Sharp's tent. Repeating over and over and over. He was sick of it. Sometimes it would grow louder and other times it would play softly, but it was always there. Baxter didn't know what was causing it, but what he'd give to have it go away.

Even now the music was playing, adding its droning backdrop to everything he heard while the two waited. The smaller wolf looked over at Ice Fang, idly scratching the fur beneath his collar. "Remind me again why Sammie and Maxime didn't meet with us earlier."

[Red Charge]

The two had been walking for several weeks now, taking detours, changing directions or otherwise moving away from their objective throughout the whole journey. Why were they travelling so oddly? Because Ice Fang had just stolen an artifact worth much more than his life from a Diamond Dog who had command of a massive army.

The ex winter wolf general was working extra hard training with his new weapon. Wielding it required strength of will much more than strength of arms and he found himself fumbling often. Fortunately for his smaller companion, this created many opportunites for him to train in melee combat with the former general, improving his skills vastly. No longer a hapless archer but a somewhat capable fighter as well. Somewhat still being a key word.

Ice Fang yanked at Baxter's collar, pulling him closer by the throat. He never did remove the collar, oh no Baxter owed him too much. He had saved his life multiple times, threw away everything he had and technically broke a very powerful code of conduct - the deal. He turned against Warlord Sharp and stole the weapon he was to earn in this invasion. However - the weapon should have already been his, as he did fulfill the conditions of obtaining it, those were training Sharp's elite diamond dogs.

However, thanks to the little mongrel he was now choking with his collar, Ice Fang had to put the sword on the line to save his life after he foolishly messed with magic unknown to him, but fortunately known to Sharp.

"Because, sweet Baxter, we needed to get out of Equestria to meet them. A larger group is easier to spot, especially when all of Equestria is full of murderous dogs just waiting for the next batch of violence." At that he let the wolf go, ruffling the fur on his head. "But we'll find them soon, don't worry, you can have Maxime, so long as you don't call her stupid again... Or kill any more of her cousins..."

[Baxter]

Baxter could only let out a gack as Ice Fang yanked him forwards. The smaller wolf looked at his friend apprehensively, none too happy with the obviousness of the situation Ice Fang emphasized and how stupid it made him feel. He let out a sigh of relief when he was let go, rubbing his throat slowly.

He had mixed feelings about what his friend had said about Maxime. He hadn't seen her since they'd arrived at Fillydelphia, and she was hardly the first thing on his mind over the last few weeks. But how could he just shrug off what Ice Fang had offered? It'd make him look ungrateful. Besides, Maxime seemed nice enough anyways. There were a lot worse dogs to get stuck with.

"Thanks, for reminding me," Baxter responded, his tone not so much sarcastic as it was sullen and embarassed. He didn't need a reminder of what he had caused at Ponvyille. Or maybe he did. Perhaps that was just part of his punishment. "And I'll try not to call her stupid."

[Red Charge]

"They're probably are around here somewhere. Just gotta find out where. If the griffons didn't tear them apart that is. Wouldn't suppose the griffons would be too happy to see Diamond Dogs here with the invasion and all."

Ice Fang looked aroun,d there was no sign of any diamond dogs in the area, nor was there any scent trail to pick up. At least the girls knew how to cover up thier tracks as they went. Guess they'd have to look the long way.

"Well looks like we're going to have to look at the foothills for their camp. Might be a while." Ice Fang sighed, "At some point even I get tired of walking all of the time."

[Baxter]

"Let's hope the griffons mind their own business. We didn't leave one war just so we could get in trouble with someone else."

The idea of having to comb the surrounding land for Sammie and Maxime certainly wasn't appealing. But if the two were hard to find, that was probably a good thing. Meant it was less likely someone had been able to follow them, hopefully. Not that they'd have a reason to, right? No one had told Sharp the girls were leaving to meet up with Ice Fang and Baxter, and anyone in Ice Fang's unit who knew was now on their way back to the Dog Territories.

"When's the last time you saw them anyway?"

[Red Charge]

The two had began making their way towards the mountain foothills, surely where Maxime and Sammie would be hiding, after all, they were smart girls and the mountainous terrain would give them plenty of cover, especially if they found a cave.

Ice Fang did not respond to Baxter's question, since it was stupid. They were both with him when he was preparing the ambush for the Equestrian forces, he saw them the very night Baxter came for him. Instead he continued walking calmly, trying not to attract attention to himself and moving beneath tree canopies and ridges as much as he could as to not be visible from above.

"You know, you really need to stop having such terrible luck. With you luck, Sharp's gonna send out all of the strongest diamond dogs in the world after us."

[Baxter]

"Don't even mention something like that. I don't want fate to get any ideas," Baxter responded, following Ice Fang. "I make one stupid mistake and it all just snowballs from there. What I wouldn't give to smack some sense into myself that night with the chess pieces."

The archer let out a sigh, looking ahead of him. He was tempted to say more, but felt there wasn't anything he hadn't either already said or wouldn't annoy Ice Fang. "I just hope things get better soon."

Baxter kept walking forward for a few moments before speaking up again. "Sharp wouldn't send dogs after us. Not even he's stupid enough to risk starting something with the Griffons." He then looked up at Ice Fang, almost waiting for confirmation.

[Red Charge]

"He won't send an army." Ice Fang confirmed, but he tapped his chin in thought, "But if he decided to send a small unit after us, the Griffons probably wouldn't retaliate so long as they stayed away from their cities..." He sighed, "Let's just get the girls and scram as far away as we can. If we can make it to Bay LaChance we might have a chance to get a boat to Trottingham, then we can stow away on a ship to the barrens."

The vista on the valley was incredible, even Ice Fang had to stop to just stare out towards the lake at the center of the valley. They walked for the better part of the day, the sun was already starting to set when they reached the foothills. Ice Fang decided to stop and set up camp. He decided to camp out under a small cluster of trees, stringing up a hammock on them for himself and climbing into it, he was too high up for any predator to reach him and too low and hidden in the bushes for any avian to notice him.

[Baxter]

"You're not really thinking of taking them back to the barrens are you?" Baxter asked, referring to Sammie and Maxime. "They'd get eaten alive. Unless you're planning on just leaving them in Trottingham to fend for themselves." It was a nice gesture to pull the girls out of the invasion before Sharp punished them for Baxter and Ice Fang's decision to desert, but the idea of bringing them back to the barrens seemed ridiculous. And so did meeting up with them for such a short time before leaving them back in the Griffon Kingdom. Unless Ice Fang was just looking for some female companionship.

Knowing Ice Fang, that was probably the case.

Baxter watched Ice Fang set up his hammock after the two had reached their campsite. "Did you want anything to eat before I put the stuff up?" he asked. Even in Stone Valley, Baxter knew better than to leave food and supplies right next to where you camped. He didn't even really like the idea of eating at the campsite before you slept. Too risky, especially with his luck.

[Red Charge]

"Nope." Ice Fang responded, laying quietly in his hammock. The option had occurred to him even before he agreed to come with Baxter. Sharp would send dogs to hunt them, especially after taking his sword. If he was in the barrens, the technicality would be enough to unite the Winter Wolves against Sharp, he would be breaking his contract, but so long as he's in this continent, he'll never really be safe. Neither will Baxter.

He was hoping that they'd make it out in time, but if the hunters did come after him, he'd have no choice but to ditch Baxter, both for his own security and for the security of his little companion. Baxter was his friend but he was also an anchor. At best they could meet back in the barrens, at worst they could meet in the afterlife, with as many of Sharp's hunters as Ice Fang could take down... and hopefully Malachite, boy did Ice Fang want Malachite... He grinned to himself.

[Baxter]

Baxter rolled his eyes at Ice Fang's grinning, not even bothering to wonder who he was thinking of this time. Instead he took their food and supplies a far enough distance away, hanging them from a tree where nothing could get to it.

About half an hour later he had arrived back at the campsite, covered in dirt and debris from an obvious struggle. "Next time I see a bear I'm killing it regardless of what it tries to do to me!" he said angrily, throwing himself down against a tree close to Ice Fang's hammock. "Be glad I decided to hang our food up away from here. Otherwise..." No. Ice Fang would have been perfectly fine up in his hammock. It only would of been Baxter that would of had to deal with the bear.

"Forget it," the archer said morosely, chucking a small rock a ways away from him. "The world just hates me."

[Red Charge]

"The world minus one." Ice Fang said from his hammock, deciding not to push the whole bear thing. He began swaying slightly in his hammock, rocking slightly as he looked around. He wondered if he could have swayed Malachite to come with them, if she knew what Sharp was up to. But he didn't really think he could, she grew up with Sharp didn't she? She'd probably do anything he asked her. Which probably included killing Ice Fang if he even tried to talk to her.

Oh well, there'll be prettier ones.

[Baxter]

Baxter glanced up at his friend. It had probably hadn't meant to be much, but the short sentence had done a lot towards making him feel better. "Thanks," he said simply.

With little else to do, the wolf grabbed a fallen branch sitting a short distance away from him, resting it in his lap as he pulled out his fletching knife. He did his best to try and think of something to talk about, but found the task more difficult then it originally seemed. Most of the topics he could think might end up awkwardly, or might be prodding where he shouldn't. What was going to happen to the invasion, what was going to happen to them once they got back to the barrens, Sammie and Maxime. These weren't things Baxter was sure he should talk about.

"What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?" he finally spoke, cutting the twigs off the branch. Why not? Anything to break the awkward silence.

[Red Charge]

"Depends who thinks its weird. I don't really think I have ever eaten anything weird. Tried a pony sandwich... tasted like dry leaves. I guess I mostly just had meat. Although I can tell you about this girl..." He started but decided to stop, "What about you, ever eaten anything strange?"

His hammock was still swinging lazily above Baxter. He was wondering what was going on through the little wolf's head. He hasn't talked much since they left Equestria.

Baxter could hear the music over the silence in the camp, the same music over and over again. It felt exhausting just to hear it. Whenever it seemed like it was going to end it just... carried on... Worst thing was, it was coming from inside his head, so no matter what he did, including dipping his whole head in water, ever as much as changed it or lowered the volume.

[Baxter]

"That pony in Fillydelphia's the only thing I can think of. Guess it might be weird that I had just killed her," Baxter answered, taking off the last of the twigs. "It felt good in a way. Not really eating her, that was just me being starving. But killing her, after she had mouthed off, and all the stuff I'd gone through the night before."

The archer paused in his fletching, closing his eyes and clenching the bridge of his snout. The music was still here, repeating over and over inside his head. "Ice Fang, I've been hearing this same stupid organ music for the last few weeks," Baxter spoke, keeping his eyes closed. "Ever since we got to Sharp's tent. I thought it'd just go away, but no. It just keeps playing and playing and playing... Do you have any idea why? Any possible guess? Because if I was going insane, I think I would have gone for some more variety."