private Wanderers of the Everfree

[Dovashy 1,734]

OOC Page

 

Stellar Nova looked at her troops for this mission, there were eight of them in all, including herself. They looked well prepared and equipt for the task at hand. Her self appointed second in command, Wind Singer stood at the head of the gathering of troops. His yellow mane rustled in the breeze of the afternoon. Stellar had been ordered to take the troop to the East Gate, which had taken a severe beating from Everfree assaults. She heard that they'd lost over three of their garrison of ten, and one of the watchtowers had been completely obliterated. Her troop was being sent to reinforce the gate, while the garrison conducted the repairs, with the help of their own engineer, Ochre Dust. 

 

"Alright wanderers, let's move out." Stellar commanded, Wind Singer relayed the order in case anyone had been slacking off. 

As they marched from the barracks, situated on the outskirts of Ponyville, they approached one of the two West gates. Ponyville had two gates, both of which could only be accessed by bridges. As the wanderer in the guard tower saw them approached, he shouted an order to the gatemen, who carried down a large wooden plank from the gate, and heaved the great heavy doors open. They crossed the bridge in single file, as the pony in the watchtower wished them good luck. As they all crossed the bridge, Stellar ordered them back into marching formation, with her in the front, Wind Singer taking the back, to ensure no one fell behind, with the other Pegasus. The two earth ponies at the front on Stellar's flanks, and the unicorns marching in the centre. 

 

She hoped to arrive to the East Gate, in a couple of days time, if they made good progress. It also depended on how courageous the Everfree forces were feeling, if they decided to fight a few skirmishes against them, their progress would be impeded considerably. They followed the length of the stockade, with the Everfree on their left. The wall made for a good easy navigator, and as long as they followed it, they would arrive to the East Gate. 

Edited May 4, 2014 by Dovashy

[Ochre_Dust 329]

@ @Demirari, , @Ahri of the Wind, @Astral Legend, @Delernil, , @Dovashy, @Ochre_Dust

 

Ochre Dust tosses a glance back to the gate as they march onward.

 

"Well I have to say it's been quite some time since I've been in a military setting. It feels good to be back in something, structured... formal... useful. I guess we all know this is the last chance to get any last-minute thoughts off our chests before we need to be all-ears for danger, right?" he asks of the group.

Edited May 3, 2014 by Ochre_Dust

[Demirari 454]

Gentle Secret followed along quiet as her mind dwelled on other issues while paying enough attention not to march faster or slower than the rest of them. Deciding that it was probably not the best time to be reading a book while following in a professional march, Gentle Secret moved forward, seemingly to be paying most if not all attention she could muster. Then her ears flickered at the question before she shook her head. Besides wondering how would this flower react with this organic material, there wasn't any other last-minute thoughts before she would be paying most of all attention. 

[Delernil 952]

Traveller trotted near the back with Storm Rush silently. He had never been much for talking, and now less than ever. Fighting wasn't his style, though that's why he wanted to become a Scout. All he had to do was gather information, and that's what he was amazingly good at. He turned his head to the left and right, constantly checking out his surroundings.

[Ahri of the Wind 7]

Tiabelle stayed in the center of the group. She was paying attention to the surroundings around her till she heard a question. She just nodded instead of bothering to answer. She didn't want to fall behind at all since she was supposed to stay with the group.

[Ochre_Dust 329]

@ @Demirari, @Ahri of the Wind, @Delernil

 

Receiving absolutely no response, Ochre decides that they're already 'on-mission' and proceeds to shut up and pay attention. He glances between bushes and trees, and looks to see if there is any particularly good types of trees to work on the palisade with. He also counts off the measurements of the gates, and watchtowers to anticipate what he will have to do to repair them.

[Astral Legend 73]

Rocksteady stood behind Stellar but like most of the ponies that were around him, he was silent. Mostly because the pack that he was carrying was so heavy yet for his strength and height, it wasn't a problem. He usually like to keep most of his materials on-hand just in case something happened even though some of the things he brought were cooking utensils, food, and all the herbs and spices that he liked to use. Just because he was way away from home doesn't mean that he was going to leave them behind. Though for a moment when he heard about the damage, he silently said to himself that nothing would've gotten destroyed if he had been there helping fight off the attack. When he heard the question, he turned back to say something but then again he figured that someone would answer the question so he turned back in front. He need time to think just how much new armor and weapons he was going to need to make and if they were going to need help with repairing what was damaged as he still had his building skills about him..

[Ochre_Dust 329]

@ @Astral Legend

 

Ochre falls back a bit in the group to march beside the group's only other earth pony. "So you're the smith, right? Who did you apprentice under, and where? I mostly went to a Trottingham college for two years, then joined the Equestrian military for a few years. There was plenty of work in the Engineer Corps for on-the-job training." He then extends his hoof to the deep-red pony. "I'm Ochre Dust."

[Delernil 952]

Traveller marched along with the others before going up to Stellar Nova. 'Uh, sir?' he inquired, trying to get the attention of his commander. 'Not to be rude, but one of us should go ahead. With the East Gate's defenses lowered, Everfree forces have probably started to move in. They could be keeping us out and if we had further warning of this we could come up with a plan.' he suggested as he kept pace with the group.

Edited May 4, 2014 by Delernil

[Dovashy 1,734]

Stellar

Stellar's thoughts were interrupted, as one of the members of the group, the engineer, spoke. It took her a moment to realise that she'd been asked a question. 

"That is a good idea," Stellar noted, "Go on ahead, but don't go too far. Come back at the first signs of trouble."

Edited May 4, 2014 by Dovashy

[Delernil 952]

Traveller nodded and moved ahead. He patted his gear, all of it lighter than the others. As he moved ahead the sounds of the others died away...not that they made much.

 

 

(Traveller will be gone for awhile. After a few posts and time passes ill post him again.)

[Ochre_Dust 329]

@ @Demirari, @Ahri of the Wind, @Astral Legend, @Delernil, , @Dovashy

 

Ochre sighs and hangs his head as none respond to him and he senses no animals or beasts approaching. He forgot the incredible boredom that came with marching. Just one hoof in front of the other without end. He shouldn't have been surprised. He should have just gone back to his family at the rock farm and accept the admonition that they were right, and he had been too young to leave the home. He'd frittered away a good 15 years of his life, and had no home or family or business to claim as some success from that time. Just a service record on the Equestrian military and a few dozen fulfilled contracts.

[Ahri of the Wind 7]

"I know we all need to stay focus but we don't need to stay completely quiet" Tiabelle finally spoke. "How about instead of staying quiet we all learn each others name" Tiabelle said. "I'm Tiabelle what are your ponies names" Tiabelle asked as she kept walking. 

[Astral Legend 73]

@@Ochre_Dust,@@Ahri of the Wind,  

 

Rocksteady looked to the Earth Pony beside him, answering his question even though he knew he was late with it since he was lost in thought. "I apprenticed under my grandfather who was a solar guard for Princess Celestia. I learned all my metal work from him and this was before I gotten into construction. Born and raised in Manehatten though I went to school in Canterlot because my grandfather thought it'd be best for me to get the best education possible and of course I didn't argue. I learned all kinds of things other than construction, I'm also a pretty good cook too. I joined the Equestrian Army because my skills with a forge were really sought after and I was more than happy to help. If I can do something to help keep others alive then by Celestia's mane, I'd do it!" he said in a proud voice and laughing a bit. He turned around to Tiabelle then nodded although he never really noticed at how silent everyone was but all the same, he answered her question. "Name's Rocksteady. friend. Nice to meet 'cha." he said with a soft smile.

[Demirari 454]

"Gentle Secret is my name," Gentle Secret replied, responded only what she needed. This was a bit strange from her as she would usually reveal more than five words, but for now, for her that was enough. And she had many more important things to be thinking about besides diverting her precious attention to what she considered, as a small social greeting. Deciding that she had said enough, she focused herself on the landscape. That was of course not to say her movement pattern would suddenly turn strange with clumsy walking.

[Ochre_Dust 329]

@ @Ahri of the Wind @Demirari

"I'm Ochre Dust. It's a pleasure to meet you, Tiabelle, Gentle Secret."

 

@ @Astral Legend

"Army background, and construction? Me too!" Ochre gawks. "I was born to a rock-farming family. Absolutely huge. The earth ponies grew them, the unicorns helped cut them, and the pegasi delivered them. I think the clan must ship to a good half of all Equestria. I learned I was good with mixing mortar and general construction when I was twelve, after that it was apprenticing for a bit before I enlisted in the Equestrian army as part of the engineers. Did that for a few years, ended up leaving for civilian construction work. I did love helping the cooks, but I can't say I'm actually any good at it." Ochre waves a hoof at Rocksteady. "Are you by any chance of any relation to the Dust clan? With our background and the our reddish-orangish coats we could easily be distant relations." 

[Dovashy 1,734]

Stellar

Stellar heard a few of the ponies in the group begin chatting amongst themselves. She opened her mouth to silence them, then thought better of it, and closed it. She looked up at the sky, which was beginning to darken as the sun drooped into night. Stellar noted their progress, calculating that would take another six days march at this pace. She found herself missing the trains that could of cut their journey to only a couple of days. Unfortunately the Everfree forces didn't seem to like the train tracks as much as she did, destroying a section of the tracks only a few months back. How they had not fixed it was beyond Stellar, she did not concern herself on the logistics of engineering. Navigation, and magic was all she really cared for. As the sunlight was nearing to an end, she turned around to the ponies that were following. "All right wanderers, we set up camp here." This was as good as any, the palisade that guarded them from the left was strong in this area, and Everfree attacks were rare. 

"Set up tents, assign night watches, take the time to get to know your fellow wanderer, and get some sleep! We break up at dawn." 

She hoped that Traveller arrived from scouting soon, she couldn't add to their already painstaking travel time with a recovery mission. By the time they arrived to the East Gate, they'd been no garrison left to reinforce! 

[Ochre_Dust 329]

@ @Dovashy

 

"Yes ma'am!" Ochre Dust saluted his commanding officer, and set about entrenching their position. He bucked over several trees, adding to the size of the clearing, and dug a trench around where the group is gathered. Finally, used his axe to form the trees into a series of spikes which he embedded within the trench, all facing outward, to dissuade or slow anything trying to get into the camp.

 

Ochre reports back to Stellar, saluting. "We're now entrenched, Captain. Now it'll just be a matter of setting up tents, a fire, and a watch schedule."

[Dovashy 1,734]

Stellar

Stellar looked at Ochre Dust with an expression of awe, glancing over the impressive stakes and trench that he'd managed to set up in such short time. 

"Good work," She said "The camp will be very safe with these defenses."

She then proceeded to turn to the rest of the group, who were in the middle of carrying out their own jobs. She wondered if the other members would complete their tasks as impressively as Ochre did.  

 

Wind Singer 

While the rest of the group set up the camp, Wind Singer herself was pitching up the officers tent. Stellar had not shown up to help, but she guessed as the Captain of the group, she had better things to be doing. As Wind Singer stepped back, and took in the view of the lopsided tent, she cursed. 

"Oh, by Celestia, how hard is it to pitch a tent!" 

She begun to dismantle the tent for the seventh time, murmuring angrily under her breath the entire way. She knew animals, but she really did not know tents. 

Edited May 6, 2014 by Dovashy

[Ochre_Dust 329]

@ @Dovashy

 

Ochre crosses his hooves and rocks back and forth as he blushes. "Really? Because honestly for a while I was worried you'd want a full palisade behind the trench too. Honestly I'm better with brick work, but I'm glad to meet expectations. I think I'll go find somepony else to help set up there tent. Then I'm thinking a fire." Ochre walks towards the array of tents being set up, looking for any pony that looks to be having particular trouble.

[Ahri of the Wind 7]

@@Dovashy,

 

Tiabelle fixed setting up her tent and saw a mare having troubles trying to set up the tent. She went over to the mare and said. "Excuse me, do you need any help with the ten?" Tiabelle asked the mare. "I can help you if you want" Tiabelle added to what she said.

[Demirari 454]

After pitching up her tent, Gentle Secret immediately pulled out a large book and her personal calligraphy set. Besides studying the flora and their unique attributes, she practices calligraphy. To her, this could be enjoyable, especially writing her research notes in her style.

 

Dipping her pen into an ink bottle, she began to carefully detail each letter with that uniqueness. Her style being rather over complicated, made the time it took to write a simple paragraph from ten minutes or so to over half a hour.

 

Laying a plant she had decided to be of interest next to her, she casted a spell to figure out it. Then she began to write, it was peace to her as she naturally blocked out all sounds and visuals. Words began forming on the blank sheet: The valve of such plant is unknown. But my spell had informed me of its unique properties of calming the passion one has. It targets the strongest passion and quells it. Valuable to an angered pony. Useful to a soldier who's fear had over-came his or her senses…

Edited May 6, 2014 by Demirari

[Astral Legend 73]

@@Dovashy,

 

Rocksteady had walked a bit away just so he could put down his extremely large pack down onto the ground. The sound was loud, almost sounded like something huge just got knocked to the ground just now. Pots and pans clanging together, all the exotic metals that he had on hand hit the ground with such force because some of them are extremely heavy. He hoofpalmed his face just for himself not remembering that he wasn't packing lightly like everyone else. "Oh...Oops. Should've done that a little quieter. Sorry about that, everypony." he scratched the back of his head with his hoof. He just undid the pack a bit to get out the tent he was going to use. Once he got that out, he went to work on setting it up but all the while he was thinking he should've just taken the whole forge with him but he knew that he couldn't carry that if he had everything else in that pack. It was so big that when he was walking he had to somewhat walk more to the right just so it wouldn't hit Ochre. After he got his tent set up, he went ahead and gotten out all the things he was going to use to cook with for tonight. All in front of wood that he just found lying around even though he wasn't going to light it anytime soon as he still wanted to figure out just what was it he was going to cook. He left all the metals and other materials to make weapons and armor with still in the pack which were inside boxes. That on its own was 60 percent of all the total things that he had been lugging around on his back. Which he was glad that he gotten off his back for a second at least.

 

He sat down on a log that he dragged a little ways away from his tent to sit on next to some logs that he was going to use for a campfire to cook with. With that done, he went through his extremely large pack again to get out a cookbook that a friend who lived all the way in the Canterlot Mountains had lent him. He sat down on the log to look through it and trying to decide what to make so he knew what kind of herbs and spices he'd like to use and humming to himself all the while.

[Ochre_Dust 329]

@ @Dovashy + @Ahri of the Wind

Ochre passed by Wind Singer's tent, noting the mare was already receiving assistance she needed, and continued through the camp, making the rounds to see if any needed help.

 

@ @Demirari

He noted Gentle Secret quietly taking notes inside her tent, and intensely inspecting a plant. He shrugged and kept moving wondering if he'd be sharing a tent with anypony.

 

@ @Astral Legend

 

Finding Rocksteady studying a cookbook, Ochre plopped himself on the log beside the fellow earth pony. "Hey there. Figuring out what to make with the rations tonight?" He rocked back and forth on the log. "So, there's a lot of unicorns on our team. Must remind you of Canterlot, right?" Ochre smiles. "I had three unicorn sisters, and they were all good at teleportation. Guess what they'd do to me? Teleport on a dress, and then they'd just keep teleporting me ahead of them on the way to school. If I tried getting the dress off they'd put it back on."

[Astral Legend 73]

@@Ochre_Dust,

 

Rocksteady looked over at Ochre with an eyebrow raised though Rocksteady wondered why Ochre told him that but it was probably just small talk but he chuckled a bit. "Yeah, it does kinda reminds me of Canterlot. Don't really have too many fond memories of the high society ponies there but everypony else was pretty nice especially the Royal Pony Sisters. Gotta say, with a problem like that on your hooves, I'm surprised that none of them tried to doll you up further with make-up." he said as he inwardly chuckled even though it didn't appear that way on the outside. "But yes, I am trying to find something for everypony to eat. Other than working on the forge, cooking is a favorite hobby of mine. My cooking is a bit special as the herbs and spices I use tend to make ponies more alert and aware also they would be able to fight longer and have a lot more energy. Which is probably half the reason I'm here other than I'm a excellent smith. Speaking of which, I need to start working on a few things before too long." he said as he looked down at the book again and started humming. He did notice that everypony else were doing their own thing. They didn't seem to be the talkative type o rmaybe they just a little pressed about the whole situation that Equestria is in which he could understand. He kinda wondered how he stood sane all this time, most ponies would probably gone off the deep end by now. Maybe resilience just runs in the family, he guessed.