Life or Death

[Finesthour 7,284]

Rose lowered her eyebrow and said,

"You cannot keep me at the sidelines. This could help me gain the experience I need to know. What am I going to do if a bandit runs into me when I'm alone, and the only experience I have had is shooting a corn bale?"

[Strong Hooves 289]

Strong sighed, she had a point. "Just... don't wander off when we get there. Understand?"

[Finesthour 7,284]

Rose smiled at him and pressed her side against his.

"You expect less?"

[Strong Hooves 289]

Strong smiled slightly, then said "Ok". He then went to work, he made sure his rifles were fully loaded, as well as attaching his shotguns as secondary weapons, one flip is a switch, and he could fire them. He also grabbed another pistol and attached it to Roses battle saddle. "Flip this switch to trade weapons, only do that when you're out of ammo. If you run out while in a fight, tell me and I'll cover you until you find shelter. Understood?"

Edited June 10, 2012 by Strong Hooves

[Finesthour 7,284]

Rose nodded her head.

"I'm ready for this."

[Strong Hooves 289]

Strong nodded, and together, they left for the slave post. They stayed quiet, and eventually caught up with the raider group. The colts mother was in chains, she looked bruised and battered, signs of many physical and... other abuses.

[Finesthour 7,284]

Rose's eyes lowered in anger. She felt like going out there this second, but she waited for Strong to tell her what to do.

[Strong Hooves 289]

Strong unslung his scoped rifle, "As soon as I shoot, we move quickly and quietly around their group, don't be in one spot too long." he aimed his rifle and fired, one of the ponies dropped dead. " go!" he whispered, staying low as he moved to his next spot.

[Finesthour 7,284]

Rose kept low to the ground but moved quickly to their next position. Rose whispered to him,

"Can I shoot now?"

[Strong Hooves 289]

Strong hesitated, he didn't want to risk missing one of them, but he trusted Rose. He gave her the rifle and said "Breath out and squeeze the trigger gently when you shoot."

[Finesthour 7,284]

Without answering Rose looked into the scope of the rifle. She aimed it just above his head, measuring the bullet drop. She wondered how she knew this, but she would not let this get in the way of what she needed to do. She breathed out slowly, and pulled the trigger, causing her target to fall to the ground, dead. She then got up and ran to the next safe position with Strong.

[Strong Hooves 289]

By this time, the bandits stopped completely, looking wildly around trying to pinpoint their attacker. Even the colts mother looked around now, not sure if it was her saving grace, or just another group of bandits. Strong took the rifle, not wasting time as he dropped another bandit. Two were left, guns loaded and ready. One had a battle saddle with an automatic assault rifle attached, ready to fire wherever the next shot went off.

[Finesthour 7,284]

Rose stayed low on the ground and whispered as quietly as possible,

"What now...?"

[Strong Hooves 289]

Strong thought a moment, "Wait here, I'll distract them on the other side, while I have their attention, sneak up and take them out. Can you do that?"

[Finesthour 7,284]

Rose nodded and whispered,

"Be careful."

[Strong Hooves 289]

Strong made his way to the opposite side of the bandits, where he aimed his rifle into the air and fired. Distracted, the last two bandits unleashed a hail of gunfire where the shot sounded from, not paying attention to anything else.

[Finesthour 7,284]

Rose raised her pistol to the heads of both the bandits, and took them out within seconds of each other.

[Strong Hooves 289]

Strong heard the two shots then silence, he sighed and let a smile escape, she did it. He then looked down and grimaced, just a secon late however, he looked at the bullet that was lodged into his foreleg. "That's going to ruin my day" he thought with dry sarcasm. He limped forward, "Nice job Rose" he called out.

[Finesthour 7,284]

Rose stared at his leg and felt a coldness wash through her.

"D-did you...?"

[Strong Hooves 289]

Strong grimaced, "Didn't duck in time. Doesn't matter, let's free this prisoner." Strong took a key from one of the dead bandits and unlocked the chains. The mare looked frighten as she shivered and took a step back, her scared eyes not leaving Strong. She was scared of him.

[Finesthour 7,284]

Rose slightly nudged Strong out of the way, and stood right in front of the mare. Rose got on her belly and laid in front of her and said,

"It's all right... we came to bring you back to your colt."

[Strong Hooves 289]

The mare looked at Rose with wide eyes, her breathing soon began to slow down, she looked at Strong then back at Rose "Wh-what about him?" she stammered. It was obvious she wasn't trusting of stallions, especially ones the size of Strong.

[Finesthour 7,284]

Rose turned back to face Strong, then back to the mare. She quietly whispered,

"He's a big softie for little fillies like us."

[Strong Hooves 289]

The mare nodded and calmed down. She tried to stand, but the injuries she sustained during her... assault made it difficult. She was bleeding in several wounds and her front left foreleg seemed broken. Strong knelt down, "Climb on. I'll carry you" he said. Even though he was injured, he could still carry her rather easily. The mare looked wary, but then gave in and set herself on Strongs back

[Finesthour 7,284]

Rose nodded and started to walk away with Strong. She turned to him with pain filled eyes, and just kept her gaze without saying a word.