Description:
Some ponies in my Equestria dreamscape apparently believe that the Everfree Forest has its own beauty and charm. Some ponies are suppose to like gargling kerosene to.
Death Cap and Zecora are in the camp the Everfree is beautiful camp; not the kerosene gargling one. Still I was baffled as I found myself trotting behind them as we made our way through the forest.
“Um excuse me. Why am I here again, and how did you talk me into doing this?”
We’d been traveling for at least two hours under the forest canopy, and even though my pocket watch said it was now just after 10am it was as dark as twilight under the great groves of trees. The narrow game path we were following twisted and turned as it snaked its way through the murky grey-green darkness. The air was still and heavy with the musty smell of centuries of composting leaf and organic material. In areas even the forest floor was invisible under a low hanging blanket of ground fog that didn’t even reach to ones knees.
Except for the occasional outburst of noise from unseen wildlife the forest was a quiet as a tomb. Even the sound of our hoof steps seemed to be devoured by the oppressive forest. Having reached a branch in the game trail Zecora and Death Cap had stopped and were confirming the direction they wanted go. Death Cap looked back, rolled her eyes and gave me a slightly annoyed look.
“You’re here Brick because you agreed to help Zecora and I
Death Cap suddenly veered off the path into the undergrowth. Zecora and I looked at each other and then followed. We found our party member furiously digging with her front hoofs like a dog into a pile of leaves at the base of some ancient tree. After several more seconds of excavating she let out a squeal of delight and then stuck her head into the newly dug hole. She then started pulling these large, flat dark brownish colored things from the ground with her teeth. This went on for a couple of minutes until she seemed to have found her fill. With dirt all over her muzzle and leaves in her mane she gave us a big happy grin.
“And dinner to!” Exclaimed the mare. “These are Black Clouds and they are delicious! When were done with today’s work I’ll make you both dinner. These things are great. Plus I’ve got enough here so even if today is a complete bust I’ll be able to sell the remainder to my regular buyer. These things are all the rage in Canterlot kitchens right now!”
Quickly filling a burlap sack with moist moss, she packed the Black Clouds inside and then continued the march through the forest.
I soon discovered that while Fading Dream Mushrooms were suppose to be the reason for this expedition, the mares were also on the look out for other targets of opportunity. Over the next hour or so we had several detours as Zecora or Death Cap found some obscure fungi or unpronounceable plant that possessed some amazing property. After awhile it all became a blur for me.
Finally around noon we came to a halt at what was apparently the place where we needed to be. Although it looked more or less like the rest of the forest. Dark, moody, with thick stands of gnarled ancient trees and lots of undergrowth. No. Wait. Actually there wasn’t as much undergrowth, and much of it looked like it had been trampled recently. As if a great herd had passed through. The ground in the immediate area was sunken like a great shallow bowl. As I looked around the area I also spotted several great boulders spaced randomly around the perimeter of the bowl. Zecora had also spied the boulders and she was eyeing them with great suspicion.
Death Cap was too busy examining trees to give the rocks any attention. As she trotted from one trunk to the next she kept up this constant stream chatter with herself.
“Yes, yes. Very good. Ah! This one has signs has blood brambles blooming at its base and the blossoms are only a couple days old! Excellent! Guys this grove is a great place to start hunting!”
She cantered back to Zecora and I with a big grin on her face. “I think we’ll have a very good chance of finding some here. Okay Brick see if you can find a gap in the canopy nearby and take a look above. Um, guys what are you looking at?” Death had finally noticed that both Zecora and I were looking at the boulders.
Zecora’s eyes narrowed as she continued study the boulders. After several seconds she spoke. “Death Cap have you been in this grove before?” The earth pony shook her head.
“No I haven’t been in this grove. I was very nearby years ago, but I’ve never been here before. Why?”
Zecora started scanning the grove intently. With her right front leg she started tracing patterns of dead, crushed plant life and the location of the boulders. After several seconds she spoke.
“Those rocks have been moved within the last year. See how the trampled plants run in lines back to each of the rocks, and there is signs of older trampling of the foliage. Somepony or something has rolled these boulders back and forth across this grove several times in the last few years. But why?”
“What?” Death Cap looked at them with more interest now. “But those things must weigh several tons each. What and why would anypony want to do that in middle of the Everfree Forest?”
The zebra shook her head. “I don’t know. I have lived in these forests for year now, but there are still mysteries that I yet to experience or solve.”
Her gaze was suddenly directed to the center of the grove. Protruding for forest litter were several smaller lumps of similar colored stone. Zecora tilted her head to one side causing her large brass earrings to flop around.
“Sky Brush. Death Cap. As a resident of these woods heed this bit of advice. Do not disturb those stones at the center of the grove and do not approach the boulders around the edge of it.” She looked at us. “For if you do, then you do it at your own peril.”
“Why?” Asked Death Cap.
Zecora started to respond and then stopped herself. After chewing on her tongue for a bit she replied cautiously. “I have heard rumors, nothing more, of strange stones in these woods. It may be nothing more than pony tales, but one should always be cautious in the Everfree Forest.”
She then looked at us. “Now let’s get to work.”
To be continued.
