Raven Rawne

@@P-Jay, @@Moon Dancer., Natural Order was ankles deep in water, testing the riverbed and walking around, looking for the best point to traverse. She learned the hard way that preparation at crossing rivers could save a lot of trouble... She hollered at the two ponies. "Nice to meet you, Prentice! Oh and, if you know hot wo sleep on the walls, sure, then there's enough room for everypony. It wasn't reeally thought for more than one, but maybe I can clear some space for one more. No promises though, it's pretty crammed." Thankfully, the ford was shallow and she didn't even wet her belly while crossing it. Natural came back to the ponies with a satisfied smile. "All clear! Shouldn't be a problem in moving the wagon actross. So, you two coming along or I'll have to cary you on my back, eh?" The mare was obviosuly joking, with her thin frame, she didn't look like the type that could pull off such a trick. Still, she did reasonably well with hauling that wagon so maybe... Natural seemed oblivious to her wet legs and just strapped herself to the wagon's harness, and cocked her head at the other ponies. "Did I hear correctly that you're accompanying us, Prentice? It's always nice to have somepony around, although I'm pretty sure it's nothing too severe. Roads around here bet blocked all the time, and usually it's just rocks or trees falling. No biggie for a seasoned vagabond like me..."

@@C. Thunder Dash, The mare braced, and for good reason. The truck shot up like one of her crossbow bolts, causing her to suddenly regret eating a large breakfast. Thankfully, she held it in, and even managed to peek at the side mirror, angling her neck to see the agon on the back. It was still there, and seemed to be in one piece too, so she calmed down some. Still, it wasn't exactly her idea of a good time. Natural wasn't sure whether she did right to accept the lift or not, but it's not like there was much to do about it right now. She just hold on tight and glanced at the stallion, or out the window.

@@C. Thunder Dash, She looked up as indicated. "There? Oh, I see it. Should be good if the ride proves rough. Just do keep in mind the cargo, okay?" The mare let Nitro fasten her seatbelt. She felt so out of her element inside the vehicle, completely oblivious to anything and all thatconcerned cars and riding in one. When thestallion asked her whether she was ready, she took a hold of the handle, just in case, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. Roll out at your pace, please."

@@C. Thunder Dash, Natural nodded at the lecture, even if most of it made little sense to her. She covered her ears instinctively at the engine's roar, and squinted her eyes too. Once the engine revved down into it's park torque, and the loud became more tolerable, she sat back straight and talked louder to compensate for the noise. "I'm pretty sure I didn't get like, half of what you said. All I goit is that it needs regular maintenance and eats up a lot of fuel. Also the noise is just... Makes my ears ring. Sounds like not a good alternative for me, honestly." She looked around for something to hold on to, sensing the machine will lurch forward soon. "Don't you have any hoof holds around here? Don't wanna fall off the seat and all..."

@@C. Thunder Dash, The mare smiled back, a bit awkwardly because of her sudden outburst a moment earlier, but genuinely too. She jumped aboard the tuck and took the passenger seat, then looked around the interior as Nitro got behind the wheel. "Dunes should be fine, yes. Good thing those blinds are rather tight, shouldn't let too much sand inside my wagon..." She looked out the window. Cars weren't exactly her cup of tea, but this one seemed okay. "So, is it expensive to keep one of these running? Some ponies suggested I enter the modern age but, wagons are basically costs free unless you count a bucket of paint every year, and maybe some minor carpentry every now and then."

@@Mentis Soliloquy, @@Moon Dancer., Crystal seemed to have caught a river of a topic, and cheered up instantly. "I know right? it's just so great when a client comes to you and asks for something totally different from the usual fair! Like, when the Palace ordered to build the Crystal Express, the whole Guild was suddenly hitting the books on the subject. It was so exciting, making something entirely new..." She leaned towards the blacksmith and said in a quieter tone: "I made the doors and windows, and we all put our Shop marks under the plow on the front." The crystal mare leaned back in her seat, smiling. "I love my job."

@@C. Thunder Dash, Natural Order still had some doubts, and they were clearly painted on her face, but she nodded and went to the back of her wagon, holding the big crossbow and a quiver of bolts, opened the doors and said to the pegasus - "Please give me a moment to check if anything won't make a mess in there." She went inside the enclosed space. There were some sounds of rattling things, the window shutters were checked to make sure they won't open, and after five minutes or son, the came out, this time without the pipe, or her weaponry. The hat also stayed inside, revealing her chocolate mane, combed back and tied into a ponytail. The mare closed the doors and jumped off the step. "Alright, seems it's secure as it can be. I'll align it for loading." Natural wen to the harness and walked a circle aroug the truck in order to bring the wagon straight towards the ramp, then passed it to the pegasus who loaded it up. Once it was tightly secured, the mare recalled something and held a hoof into the air. "Wait! I don't even know your name! Uhh, sorry, I'm Natural Order. You? Kinda weird to just let a strange stallion load up my mobile home without even asking his name..."

@@Nightmare Season, @@Dark Horse, The crystal mare was comfortable on the couch she was currently occupying, slowly petting the satin with a foreleg as she thought, while following the unicorn mare with her gaze. She was about to say something when Peony vacated the room, but didn't really manage to voice her thought. Instead, all she sad was: "I thi... huh?" She then looked at the stallion, confused. A state which only deepened once the manor's locator returned with some very strange flower. Crystal Clear had a rather funny expression of deep cognitive dissonance as she looked at the unicorn mare and her "helpful" flower. "O-ooookay... So I was about to say that, uhh, asking the house residents and staff appears to be the first logical step, since, apparently, the news of your rose have most probably spread from them. Oh and, please say there's some form of antidote for it?" The cherry mare seemed a bit afraid of the prospect of somepony getting under it's influence without a chance to be saved.

@@C. Thunder Dash The mare cocked her head in curiosity. "Secret garage? And I thought I know those parts well enough... Heh, now I'm curious what I missed there. Now I sometimes travel with other ponies, but usually at my pace." Natural looked over her pipe again, and pouted slightly, then said: "Okay, if you think you can hook my wagon safely to your car, I wouldn't mind some company, I guess. Just, please, drive slowly, okay? It's not meant for speeds. Of course, I'll secure the stuff inside."

@@C. Thunder Dash, Natural Order hopped off the wagon's step and picked up her pipe. The fire died out but some of the tobacco was still there... "Hollow Shades. There are some good spots to pick wild herbs there, Besides, I tend to pick things and jobs on the road as I go. I'm a travelling type, you see. Always on the road." She decided to smile to the stallion, to show she appreciated his offer. "And where are you going, if I may ask? We're rather far from the areas I see those..." She pointed at the car.

@@C. Thunder Dash, The mare glanced at her mobile home, then back at the stallion, and shrugged. She replied, tugging at her ponytail awkwardly. "I uhh, nah, I'm fine. Thankd. Aaaand, sorry for yelling. You startled me with that horn... He seemed nice, but mom gave her that crossbow for a reason. Besides, it's not like he could take the whole wagon on this thing's back.

@@C. Thunder Dash, The mare was busy with the fine art of daydreaming as she walked, until a loud noise assaulted her ears. With a jump and without any thought, she unhooked herself from the harness and jumped back on the wagon's front step, grabbing her crossbow. Only when she was locked and loaded and panning the landscape with narrowed ears did she realise what she was doing. With a sigh and a facehoof, she pointed the crossbow down as the source of the noise was readily seen - some of those atrocious machines, cars they were called. As Natural removed the bolt and released the trigger for a dry shot, only to put her stuff back where it was a moment later, she shouted at the driver. "What is it?! Am I blocking your way or something?!" A pity her pipe was laying in the dirt, it's contents all but wasted.

@@P-Jay,@@Moon Dancer., Natural satisfied her thirst, and checked the water's temperature too. Only years of experience saved her hat from falling into the current though. She wiped her snout with a hoof as the ponies had their... exchange. She turned around to face them both, shaking her head. "And they say I'm a wild one... My name is Natural Order - funny name, I know - and he's Crystal Cog. Pleased to meet you, miss. Now as far as the Moonlight Path is concerned, I've no idea really. But we were hired to make it traversible again, so, if I may, I'd suggest that you could ither wait for our comeback in the "Felled Oak", or, if you're in a hurry, come with us. I'm sure set on making the path open again, the innkeeper that asked me to do it will lose a lot of business otherwise." She then directed her attention to the ford's banks, pacing around and as she plotted the best way to cross it.

OOC: https://mlpforums.com/topic/163819-a-long-journey-ooc-1x1-between-c-thunder-dash-and-raven-rawne/#entry4834332 @@C. Thunder Dash, Appleloosa. A nice town, if you hate everything modern that is. Natural Order didn't, but she still liked coming for a few days every now and then. Despite it's size and rather large population, it was quiet enough, and she had some good business partners who bought her wares. There were also workshops offering more traditional services, which was also very beneficial - some of her stuff wasn't really availible in stores... She was just leaving said settlement, after a few days of stay in a local hotel and reveling in all the creature comforts it could provide. The mint mare was walking North, towing her wagon, seemingly in defiance of logic - she looked like the type that can barely lift a teacup, and an empty one too. Yet, despite the frail appearance, Natural Order walked effortlessly, her chocolate mane and tail bobbing rhytmically as she moved. With the trademark green hat and a pipe in her teeth, she was ready to go whevever she wanted. And right now, she wanted to go North, up to Hollow Shades, to gather some medicinal herbs that would bring her a nice bag of coin.

@@Moon Dancer., The mare simply nodded. That stallion was... rather strange to be frank. And since, apparently, they didn't have much to discuss right now, she let the silence reign for now. They walked into the forest, which has only recently started to wake up from it's Winter slumber. Immature leaves on trees and bushes made bright green dots on the gray-brown canvas of the treeline, and there was that smell of sap in the air. Natural Order seemed to be on the lookout for something, as she scanned the upper branches and the open sky, but, apparently, her quarry was not found. Still, she had rather good spirits today, and even when her pipe ran out of tobacco, she just shrugged and thread it's long neck through a loop in the harness tat seemed specially made for that exact purpose. @@P-Jay, Things were quiet and peacefully uneventful for the most part, until they walked out of a rather steep turn of the road to meet the ford. There, a lone pony was standing, apparently letting them trough. Natural Order decided to chat up to the travelling pony as the pair came closer. She stopped the wagon a rock throw away from the ford proper, since she needed to check it's safety anyway. With a practiced movement she unstrapped herself from the harness and stretched her back, then waved a foreleg in greeting. "Hello there! Beautiful day isn't it? Escuse my straightforardness, but have you travelled the Moonlight path here? We were asked to check why nopony comes through it this year, you see." She decided to walk to the river's edge, and peered at the reasonably calm water. As far as she could tell, the riverbed seemed even, but there was one more thing she needed to do before braving it with her wagon - crossing it by herself. For now, the mare decided to take a drink straight from the river, by just lowering her head and drinking like a deer. Even if she looked rather silly doing that, and she was positively showing off her tiny flank.

@@Moon Dancer., Natural shook her head at his anger. "Ponies need timber, and somepony needs to cut it. I don't hate them on principle. It's just that, more often then not, logging is about meeting quotas rather than rational mamagement of the forest. Stripping a portion of it bare is easier and faster, but the amount of devastation it brings... I tried to apply for a job in forestry, but this quota mindset just ruined it for me, you see." She looked up at a few birds flying, and smiled somewhat. Nature, she loved being around it. "Darkness you say? Curious choice. I admit, Night has it's charm, but I'm a day pony, me. Harder to see stuff in the dark, so it's naturally more dangerous to travel. So you can see well in the dark, or have a spell for that?"

@@Moon Dancer., The mare nodded, also eager to put this particular topic behind them. "Sure. We're halfway to the trees anyway." She seemed to be thinking of something, staring in the distance and slowly puffing her pipe as she walked. The wagon for once didn't creak and moan like they usually do, thanks to the annual Winter renovation. Natural Order liked how everything was fresh and new every time she set out from her parents home. Even if the Wild didn't have much to offer yet, the very air of Spring called to her. The Pegasi already bought back the singing birds, so it will be nice to hear them again, once they enter the forest... A heavy sound of a falling tree, and not a small one too, echoed from the forest. Natural sighed whrough clenched teeth, and grabbed her pipe in a foreleg ro say: "Bucking loggers, already at work. I won;t count how many times I had trouble with those types."

@@Moon Dancer., Natural rolled her eyes and exhaled a circle of pipe smoke right in front of her. "I had to fend off animals and stuff too, but I avoid fights if they're not a necessity. It's just how I roll, okay? Not the type that hangs monster heads over the fireplace and boasts what I shot last week. If I have to, okay, I'll shoot it. But stuff wants to live just like me. No point in going all trigger happy. Besides, bolts cost. I'm sorry if I somehow offended you, but it just seemed so strange to me, the way you talked about it."

@@Mentis Soliloquy, @@Moon Dancer., Crystal nodded out of politeness at the unicorn's remark, and mentaly braced for something nasty when she asked about the other unicorn's Cutie Mark so... bluntly. She raised her eyebrows at the reply. It was actually interesting! "A Master of Metal? I thought real ones are extinct by now, replaced by those awful machines and whatnot. Good to know some ponies still know the value of honest work of a skilled individual. I thought the Empire is the last bastion of traditional trades.If you wouldn't mind, I'd gladly have a chat on our respective trades. Maybe I'll even learn something new, who knows." The cherry mare had a pleasant smile on her features as she respectfully nodded to the blacksmith with her teacup before taking a sip.

@@Moon Dancer., The mint mare seemed to realise she acted like a scaredycat filly, and obviously didn't like that. She took a side glance at the unicorn and asked: "And how are you so sure of yourself? A suit of armor and a fancy spear may look cool, but I've yet to see a pony who just takes on a bunch of hired thugs or goes after a monster as easilly as they would go for groceries. Either you're over confident, mad, or both. I pinned some things with that crossbow and it was never a peace of cake. So I think twice before I fire a bolt at something, or somepony." She seemed upset by how casual the unicorn was about killing and all that.

@@Moon Dancer., The mare choked on her pipe smoke. "*cough* *cough* A monster?! Come on! Not funny! Last time I walked up on something nasty, I had to run away from my cart and wait three days till it went someplace else so I could retrieve it. Not looking forward to that again." Natural Order huffed and corrected her hat, then took a few puffs of her pipe. "Fallen trees and rockslides are most common, followed by hired thugs who put barricades on roads and demand pay. Too far from major cities for the Guard to bother, you see, and some companies won't shy away from dirty tricks to sink their competition."

@@Moon Dancer., Natural Order cocked her head slightly as she looked at him, taking another puff. She did her best to keep the smoke away from him. "Hmm... guess we can do something about it. Just a moment." She unhooked herself from the harness with one practiced movement, and trotted to the back of the wagon. After opening the back door, and some rummaging noises, she exclaimed. "Ah, found it!" The mare walked out and kicked the doors shut, then presented the stallion with a bark green cloak. She didn't use it this year, so it was fresh as new, if you turn a blind eye on some small holes here and there. "I guess it's not really your style, but it should help you with the sun. That black armor will fry you inside by noon, and the hood is roomy enough to provide some shade. Just don't lose it, I actually kinda like this thing." She went back to the front of her cart and put the harness on, then slowly rocked the heavy thing forward. She kept a relaxed pace. "So first we need to follow this road into the treeline. Shoukd help you with the sun problem, the plains around here aren't too rich in shade. If we keep this pace, we should reach a ford in a small river around noon or so. I'm actually curious how it looks this year. The Spring thaw changes it every year. There's a good camping spot deeper into the forest, and if nothing bad happens, we should reach it before sundown. So that's the plan on the first day. Oh and the "Moonlight Path" officially starts right after the ford. The road forks out, the other leg leads to some logging camps, nothing major. I'm actually curious what holds up the traffic up there..."