Out of the Fire (Closed)

[Baxter]

"Yeah, hang on," Baxter said, wiping his mouth. He stood up from where they were seated, dragging their supplies over to the location. "I don't know about the dagger throwing. I mean, it's not like it wouldn't be useful, right? But is it too much? I'd rather be good at something than barely decent at everything."

The wolf shuffled through their supplies, handing Ice Fang some more food and grabbing some for himself. This time he stood up to keep it out of the other wolf's reach. "You're the one with the new weapon. Tell me what you think."

[Red Charge]

"It's different, it's like trying to master every weapon at once. I want to be able to use its versatility, not just its power. I'll also need to find masters in the pack to teach me. Boy will I have all the hottest wolves now. Aella will melt if I show her this baby."

The wolf munched on his second serving, finishing it quickly and then packing up his things. They still needed to find Sammie and Maxime and he figured he was relaxed enough for one morning. "Let's move."

[Baxter]

Baxter resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands. All this to pick up some chicks. He knew it was more then that, but what Ice Fang had just said didn't ease their decision to steal the weapon from Sharp. "Alright. Let's go," the archer answered, picking up their supplies. It was better that they left before some other wild animal tried to attack him.

"I just hope we're not going in circles. Like, Sammie and Maxime are just moving in such a way we'll never find them."

[Red Charge]

"Nah, they'd be holding still, probably in a cave at the foothills. Could be the cave of that bear that drove you to the ground." He indicated, and indeed by the middle of the day they had tracked the two to a cave in the mountain foothills. Both were very pleased to see Ice Fang, but not at all pleased to see Baxter.

"Really, you had to bring him along? Couldn't you have left him in the pony prisons?" Sammie asked, face contorted in disgust at the second Winter Wolf, "Though it sure looks like you did, he looks even worse than before!"

[Baxter]

Baxter was relieved that Ice Fang's prediction had come true. There the two were indeed, waiting for them in a cave. Or waiting for Ice Fang it seemed. Sammie's greeting was hardly what Baxter wanted to hear. "Nice to see you too," he said sarcastically. He was hoping Maxime didn't share her friend's sentiments. Otherwise he doubted he'd be able to stand being near either of them.

"I hope your trip here has been better then mine," the smaller wolf said, shooting a quick look at Ice Fang before turning back to the girls.

[Red Charge]

"Yeah you two can catch up while you're scouting for a route to Trottingham, go on." Ice Fang said pushing both out of the cave. "Catch up and work out all your enmity so I don't have to hear either of you whining all the way. Go on." He said, kicking them both out.

From the corner of his eye Baxter could see Ice Fang talking to Maxime, but she paid him no attention. Sammie was already ahead of him, keeping a distance between them. "Need to move through the woods so the birds can't see us. Why are we even going to Trottingham anyway? We're scouting it for the invasion?" She asked halfheartedly, preferring to hear it from Ice Fang rather than... him. She was rather quick, walking fast into the woods some distance away from the cave.

[Baxter]

Baxter was almost dumbstruck when Ice Fang kicked him and Sammie out of the cave. Why was he leaving her with him? Had he changed his mind?! If Sammie kept up her attitude, there was no way he was going to be able to get along with her. Maybe there was another reason. There had to be another reason.

By the time he had snapped back into reality, Sammie was now a good distance away from him. He quickly dropped the food and supplies at the entrance of the cave, jogging to catch up with her.

"Why are we even going to Trottingham anyway? We're scouting it for the invasion?"

Crud. Baxter had forgotten Sammie and Maxime didn't know the real reason they were told to meet him and Ice Fang in the Griffon Kingdom. Well he sure as heck wasn't going to deal with Sammie when she found out the truth. Ice Fang needed to be the one to tell her.

"We're meeting someone. Going to see about getting some more wolves for the invasion. He does that sort of thing." It was a lie, but he felt it was a good one. At least this griffon was a real person. He had even been the one to tell Ice Fang about the invasion and Sharp's need for a mercenary.

[Red Charge]

"That doesn't make sense. He said that the he was coming alone because Sharp didn't want anymore wolves." Sammie argued, "On top of everything you've done, now you're lying?" She snapped at him, "Figures, you're just lucky Ice Fang takes pity on you so much. I know he says you're his friend but come on, like Ice Fang would be friends with you if you weren't so pathetic." She battered. Continuing on, "You even realize that dogs died because of you? No I guess to you we're just as well animals, because you're so high and mighty, well you didn't look so high and mighty when you were being whipped. Now you wear a collar just like the rest of us. But you're not like the rest of us, you're just scum."

[Baxter]

Baxter swore to himself. How the heck could he have known what Ice Fang had said to Sammie and Maxime? And his lie had been enough to set Sammie off. And boy did she go off. Every word seemed to move his temper up just a little bit more. And every time he thought she had topped herself, she followed by saying something even more aggravating. She couldn't have been waiting to say this, but it sure as heck felt like it.

"Fine then," Baxter answered as they walked further into the woods. "You wanna know? Ask Ice Fang, he's the one to tell you. And yes, I do know dogs died because of me. And I'm not glad because of it. I have to walk with their blood on my hands, and if the thought isn't enough, I've got fifteen freaking whip scars on my back to remind me. My life has been garbage ever since that night in Ponyville, and the last thing I need is you spewing more of it at me. So for your health and my sanity, I suggest you keep your mouth shut."

[Red Charge]

"Excuse me? Are you threatening me? You think a runt like you is even intimidating? Oh boy, just you wait until Ice Fang hears this, you little twerp. It's not enough that you go off insulting both of us on our first meeting, you go off threatening us too. What have YOU done for the war effort? Not much I suppose. Heck it's probably a negative figure, considering you probably got more dogs killed than ponies." She gave him a rude gesture, "So don't you go off, telling me to shut up. I got more of a right to talk than you do. I had friends who died there too. Do you have any friends, at all? I bet no one likes you even where you come from. Nobody likes you here, so why are you even around? Just leave us alone and go back home! We'll do FINE without you, I assure you of that." She said, the angrier she got the faster she walked, but she was no longer paying attention where she was walking and they were now deep in the woods in the foothills, with no direction.

"Ugh, now you see what you did? Just can't get ANYTHING right with you!"

[Baxter]

Baxter could feel himself getting angrier and angrier as Sammie continued to speak. He didn't know why he had bothered telling her to keep quiet, since all it did was give her more of an excuse to tick him off. Perhaps what angered him most was that almost all of what she had said was true. It was like she had dissected him and discovered every possible point to increase his anger. By the time she finally stopped, he was snarling at her. He felt like if she said another thing he'd explode.

He needed to get her to stop talking. But no, it wasn't as easy as telling her to. He had already tried that, and if she was going to refuse, that was her decision. And she needed to stop moving so quickly! Her eagerness to get away from him was only adding to his fury.

Baxter almost tripped over a rock as the two finally came to a stop. It was buried just deep enough to require a simple effort to get it loose. He looked at it carefully, then up at Sammie, who was preoccupied looking around for the way back to the cave. "You know," Baxter finally said, scooping up the rock as she was looking away from him. "Maybe, he continued, stepping forwards, "If you shut your mouth!" he growled at her, swinging the rock at the back of her head.

[Red Charge]

The stone struck Sammie right in the back of the head, causing her to collapse forwards into the ground with a yelp. She was completely dazed, but still conscious.

[Baxter]

Baxter looked down at the helpless Sammie, throwing the rock to the side. He had said 'for your health'.

"Maybe, if you had shut your mouth, we wouldn't be lost in these stupid woods!" he barked at her. She looked pathetic now, the wind completely taken out of her overblown sails. And she was quiet. For once, Baxter was glad the only thing he could hear was the music in his head.

But what to do now? As soon as she spoke to Baxter again she'd unleash vocal fury on him. He'd be hearing her insults until the end of time. He couldn't kill her, Ice Fang would be infuriated with him. Let her find her own way back? Maybe, but again, she'd seize the opportunity as soon as she saw him.

No, he needed to teach her to stay shut up. She needed to learn that this little twerp had had enough of her and her mouth. She would stay quiet or get the worst of it.

The archer stepped closer to Sammie's body, rocking it back and forth with his foot. In a way, she almost reminded him of himself. Almost. Perhaps it was a stretch. Either way, this time he wasn't the helpless one.

The wolf kneeled down next to her, close enough for her to hear him. He wasn't sure she would comprehend what he said, but he wanted to tell her this anyway. "And now that it's closed," he said, his voice much less loud but still noticeably containing anger, "I'm going to show you why you keep your mouth shut."

---

Sometime later, the two were finally on their way back to the cave where Ice Fang and Maxime were located. Things hadn't gone exactly how he'd wanted, but he still got the chance to release some of his frustration on Sammie before she could protest. And afterwards, he had waited until she was conscious enough to walk again to lead her out of the woods. Sammie was beat up, but it was nothing close to anything Baxter had experienced in Equestria. Hopefully it would be enough to keep her mouth shut.

The wolf was silent as he took Sammie back to the cave, only speaking once the cave was in sight. "And don't even think about telling the others about this. I'm gonna be really angry if I have to teach you to shut up a second time. As far as they know it was a bear."

[Red Charge]

As soon as the duo entered the cave, Sammie immediately ran forwards to Maxime and naturally, told her everything. "That maniac tried to kill me with a rock! Tried to bash my brains in!" She said. Maxime blinked in disbelief before realizing what Sammie had said, before Baxter knew it, she had a gem in his hand, "He did what?!"

"He did what?!" Ice Fang called at the same time, getting between Maxime and him, "What is she talking about Baxter, you didn't try anything like that, did you?" He asked.

[Baxter]

Baxter was in disbelief for a split second when the first thing Sammie had done was rat him out. He had to restrain himself running over and strangling her. How the heck did she think she could do this? Apparently beating her up hadn't been enough. Apparently he should have-

The wolf looked up at Ice Fang as the other wolf questioned him. He was scared, but his anger kept his spine from disappearing. He didn't think he could try lying to Ice Fang, even if he wanted to. The only thing he could do was try and justify himself.

"That loud mouth insulted me non-stop from the moment we left this cave. I told her to shut up, and she took that as an invitation to try and degrade me even more! Pathetic, worthless, scum, a twerp, and reminding me of every freaking thing that went wrong in Ponyville and saying that I enjoyed it. I wasn't going to continue to listen to her for another minute, let alone for the length of this trip. So I shut her mouth for her. And I did my best to let her know that it needed to stay that way, because I'm sure asking again wouldn't have worked."