The party of us descended from Canterlot. When we reached what seemed to almost be a road, things became measurably easier. Sure, we had to go back and forth along it instead of going straight down the sheer cliffside, but the way was mostly clear and the wheels of the wagon did so without complaint. The winding road was also angled down at a mild angle, keeping the wagon from actively trying to run down the pony pulling it.

The cry of a distant bird drew my eyes. It looked like some kind of hawk, descending from the sky and snatching a mouse with the poor sense to be out in the middle of the day. It would be its last mistake.

Were we mice, scurrying out from the safe little hole that was Canterlot? Did we march towards the hawk or cat or innumerable other predators, waiting to pounce on us and teach us a lasting lesson about survival? The thought did not bring me ease of mind. "Easy."

"Yeah, boss?" She looked aside towards me, pulling the wagon as she was. "Let me say, glad we didn't go for the cheaper model." She wriggled her shoulders as she walked. "This is hard enough, imagining the base model, mmm, no thanks."

"Glad that's working." I hopped up onto a medium-sized rock as if the vantage point would allow for insights. It didn't. "What kind of monsters are we looking forward to on this trip?"

"When'd I become the expert?" Her eyes darted to the two other ponies up ahead. "Right, I kinda am..." She quirked a smile, pressing on without delay. "We're not headed towards my old town, so I can't say absolutely for sure. First thing that comes to mind, ponies."

What? "Seriously?"

"Not happy to say it," she grunted as she pulled the wagon. "But I did some digging. This stupid war has everything out of order, which means ponies not doing what they should be doing, which means ponies doing what no pony should be doing. If there aren't some brigands on the road, I'll be surprised." She glanced back at the wagon. "And, look at me, I'm pulling a big target behind me. Tell me you have some amazing magic to help keep us safe?"

What, like a gun? I had not brought one of those, and turning it on a pony, even a mean one, sounded like an awful thing to do. "Monsters we fight or flee. A pony, we flee if we can, or we give them what they want."

Easy's brows lowered, glaring at me flatly. "That's your plan? And if they want a pony or two to go along with everything else, we just hoof them over and wish them a nice day while we're at it?" Her eyes went to Water Lily, walking a short distance ahead. "They'd snatch her up first. Is that what you want? Letting some poor maid that's fallen for you get dragged away?"

Christ. I wasn't a fighter... "We'll just have to be smart about it and not get into that situation in the first place."

"Let's do that then." She pulled ahead slightly, hastening despite the burden she drew along with her.

That was when what she said echoed internally. Pretending I didn't know wasn't really doing much. Water did have some kind of thing for me. What did I think of that? It was time to answer that instead of pointedly trying not to think about it. Then again, she may not have a thing for me, as a person. She loved my silky smooth skin and the way I walked around without much fur at all. She'd probably squeal with delight if she ever met a dolphin... or an elephant, come to think, but an elephant's skin was roughter, right?

I almost tripped over a rock, thinking such stupid thoughts while I was walking. I pulled out my phone and unlocked it. It was becoming late afternoon. The sky was starting to change colors in warning of evening and night after that. I recalled that when Celestia got to work, evening became night rather quickly compared to the more leisurely affair that had been earth sunsets.

"We should find a safe place to camp," I announced, looking around a moment before I turned back to my phone. It had a map, right? I squinted at the glowing screen, trying to pick out a decent site as we went, but before I could find a spot from the satellite pictures that had come without a single actual satellite, Work raised a hoof.

"Over here." He stepped off the curve of the road and slid down a gentle slope to a little nook of flat land off of the road. There were faint signs that a fire had been set there some time ago. Perhaps others had used it as a pitstop. Perhaps it was even a popular resting point for those coming or going from Canterlot. Whatever the case, he had found it.

"Good job. Easy, can you get the wagon in there?"

"Already on it." She took a slow step down off the road and half-slid down, having to backpedal a bit wildly to stop herself and the wagon once they were at the bottom. "And... there," she said as if she had planned the entire thing.

Water trotted up alongside Easy and pulled the harness free with her magic. "You must be tired. Rest, I'll get dinner ready."

Easy stepped free of the harness, eyeing Water oddly. "Um, thanks? I mean, we're not cooking dinner, so there isn't much to 'get ready', right?"

Water shook her head with a little smile. "There are always ways to make things better. It is my job to lessen the burden that you have all accepted in the name of Equestria." She circled around to the back of the wagon. "You're all very brave. I'm sorry that I can only do so little, but I will do it."

Easy sank to her belly close to where the remains of a firepit were. "Should we get this going?" She pointed at the bits of charred wood. "Or are we trying to be subtle?"

We were in a sunken nook, partially out of sight. That was good. "If we gather the wood but wait until after dark to light it, it won't be easy to see, especially from downhill."

Work finished a long stretch even as he started trotting. "I'll fetch some wood, sir. We won't want for that."

Easy looked to me, some curiosity in her eyes. "You know how to light fires?"

That. That was a trick I was ready for. I dug out a lighter and made sure it looked to be in order. "I'll get the fire going once the time's right, no problem."

Easy cracked a smile from where she sprawled on the ground. "I had a feeling you had another trick, when you told me not to get a firestarter. Can't wait to see it work. Your people are good at magic." She rolled over onto her side. "Almost as good as a unicorn, almost."

"Your drinks are served." Water approached with a tray. She had several cups filled with liquid balanced on it instead of sharing a water bottle. She brought it to each of us, it floating beside her. I reached for a cup, but the tray swiveled, putting another cup in reach before I could grab the first I had set eyes on. "Each cup belongs to a specific pony," she explained as she trotted towards Easy. "Here you are."

Easy lifted her cup with her magic and took a sip with a satisfied sigh. "A little water goes a long way." She watched Water trot back around the wagon. "Why cups, though? We could share from the skin just fine."

Water shook her head. "We could, but having one's own cup is a small comfort, and allows you to drink as quickly, or slowly, as one wishes without feeling as if they were slowing others from reaching the water." She set the tray down, Work's cup still parked on it.

I couldn't argue the logic there. "I hadn't thought of that." I mean, there were hygenic reasons to want to avoid sharing the bottle around, but the social reasons hadn't even occurred to me. It was nice having my own cup, now that Water had made me think about it.

Water rummaged through the supplies quietly before I heard her make a pleased sound. "Mmm, here." She emerged from the back of the wagon and approached with that tray. There were no cups on it anymore, instead the food packets were spread out tastefully. "Here you are, prepared specifically for you."

How true could that be? I took one of the packets even as I wondered. It smelled different than the one we had for lunch. Unwrapping it and giving it a taste, I found it was a mix of several berries mashed together. Was that peanuts? Crushed and mixed in it, it was like a peanut butter and jelly concoction, with some sweet herb that brought out a secondary flavor that lingered on the tongue. It remained in a brick shape, hardened and mostly-dry. Ponies did treats well, I was quite certain, as I chewed on the dinner. "Anyone see Work?" I didn't want any of us being out of sight for too long.

Easy started to stand, but Water set a hoof on her back. "Allow me, miss. He needs his meal as well." Water trotted off, carrying her tray with two more food packets on it. One, I presumed, was for herself.

Once Water was gone, Easy looked to me. "She's trying, at least."

I hadn't doubted she would. "You don't like her, I assume?"

Easy wrinkled her snout. "She's a maid, she snooped through your stuff, and she's a maid. Did I mention she's hot to trot around you, mister big shot?"

"You are, or were, a performer, and you have also snooped through my things." I smiled at Easy gently. "We've all come from backgrounds that have nothing to do with what we're doing now."

"True..." She stood up and began to stretch. "True... Maybe I'm being too worked up about it. Look... This is a big deal, to me." She faced me directly. "This is my first real job, and I want to keep it. That means doing it right, which also means not letting anyone else mess it up for me, you know?"

I wanted to pet her just then. I wanted to hold her and stroke her until her worry was worked away. Gah, she was still a pet in my eyes, even if it was one I was pretty sure I cared about.

So what if I did? I mean, I wouldn't mind someone caring about me half as much. And that is when I realized I did have exactly that. In Water's eyes, I was just the same. I was an amazing thing she dearly wanted to hold close, keep safe, and adore. Every denigrating thought I had towards Easy, she had towards me. It was karma, coming back with extra speed.

I should either quit thinking of Easy that way, or accept Water, or just be a lousy hypocrite forever. "Easy, what do you think our odds are, honestly?"

"Mmm? Well, if we get off this mountain without accidents, we have a few days of hiking ahead of us before we reach anything that could be confused with a town. I'm not so worried about the towns, just the places between them." She came closer and sat down next to me. "If we try to run, whoever is pulling the wagon at the time is going to be the one that's caught, just to remind you. If you care about us, really care, then you won't run."

That put a razor edge on that thought. Running meant sentencing one of them to pain or worse.

Author's Notes:

This chapter did not get to what I had in mind when I started. Am I going too slow, or is the journey itself enjoyable? Please let me know either way, lest there be typos.

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