Fresh Start

Blazer looked him up and down. He didn't note anything hostile about him. He cleared his throat and belched out some words in his gruff, raspy voice. "You're not one for details, are ya? A little self centered too. I don't like repeatin' myself but I'll tell ya again anyway. I told you to walk off and cool down first, for whatever reason got yer tail in a knot. I'm not goin' ta let anypony yell in somepony's face like you looked like you were set out ta do. You've calmed down now, so you don't need my permission ta wipe yer ass."


She lowered her head back down. "Oh.. well okay then..."

Bounty wanted to clock him out right there and he saw a nice stick waiting for him nearby to lift up and tan his hide with. He had a armory of come backs and even had a mind to wash his mouth out with soap if it seem appropriated, but he seem to have lost interest in trying to stop Bounty and he needed to look cool or else he was gonna get stopped again. "Fine then."

He turned away from the colt and went straight for Miss.Cuts, walking pretty fast her before stopping a few feet way and lowering his hat off. "Miss.Cuts, would you mind if I spoke to you.. Alone somewhere? I got something of importance to speak to you about." He put on his nicest tone and pulled out all the gentlecolt antics. He wasn't gonna throw a chance like this away.

Silver watched Bounty approach. Whatever Blazer and him had spoken about, it was enough that they got over their scuffle. Still he was cautious about what this was all about, especially the private part.

He looked over to Rough Cut, looking for any sign of her distress or desire for other company in this before waiting to hear a response. If it came to it, he would go without much more than a word or nod from her. Until then, he just stared at Bounty, indifferent.

Rough Cut looked nervous, very nervous since several minutes later he was charging at her, looking like he was going to pummel her. She wanted to tell Silver to stay close. She really did. But being the pony she was she quietly said. "Okay..."

Bounty was more then happy to hear that as he tried for a smile, but it was more like his face wasn't working right. He hadn't smiled in while, so he decided on a small one. Which seem to be a reasonable comprise. "How about a stroll to the top of the hill over looking the camp?"

Over to where he was pointing was east of the camp and was a rolling hill that was blanketed with a light frost. He gestures her to follow him as he set his hat back on and started to move on out. He nods a goodbye to Silver. "Dinner is at 8 sharp by the way Mr.Spur."

Silver didn't like how the unfolded, but then again, why did he care? Bounty had an odd way of doing things, but he doubted whatever he had to say would change much. Still, he had an edge that would not be filed down. He was tempted to talk to Blazer, but when he arrived, rather than talking, he just picked up the few things he set down in the initial rush of panic and took out his harmonica to pass some time.

Blazer didn't say anything, but with Bounty gone, he put the contents of the handkerchief back into a pouch around his neck.

Rough Cut gave out a pitiful squeak for help when Silver began moving away. Everything about Bounty was off, but she couldn't bring herself to say no. As she followed him up the hill she sweated bullets. In the cold.

They got to the top and he turned around with with a stern look. "Now I bet your wondering why I was in a uproar. Also your more then likely trying to understand the reason behind why rail launched me in the river." He turned around for a trying to get the angry look on his face. Once he thought it was gone he turned back to you. He finally gotten her all alnoe up here and they were free to speak there minds about this.

"I got a couple of questions before I talk your ear off. First one being how you came about being leader of this here group o ponies and why. Because from what happened with those Stonebacks." he points down to the river where the event happened in question. "You froze up when you should of been barking orders. Your a leader and you almost got everypony in the camp hurt because you weren't acting like one." He had a harsh tone that was softly, but dangerous. That is he set his hoof to his nose with frustration.

"I'ma sorry, didn't mean to be so cruel, but I'm rightly upset at you. Though you keep looking at me with those fearful eyes and it makes me feel like the badcolt, when I'm trying to be the good one here." He had noticed her scared look as he lead her up the hill and it was eating at him the whole time. Even back when he was yelling at Trail he noticed it.

Silver idly played his harmonica. He took some notice to the handkerchief, but could not gather any more than that.

He played a melody and once done, he looked up to where Bounty and Rough Cut were.

"....Nice buck."

Blazer nodded in confirmation. "Square in the chest."


She kicked at a loose rock. "My employer set me up as the leader to see if I could get my cutie mark this way... And I don't know what I was supposed to do.. you're the only pony that knows about them... And I didn't do anything any other pony wasn't doing..." As she talked she slowly began to shrink in on herself in fright.

Bounty looked at her feeling kinda bad for her. She was this old and didn't have her cutie mark. Bounty understood how it felt to be a late bloomer. He was the second to last to get his cutie mark and he only got it by a flux really. e was trying to be stern, but her timid nature was cool his jets so to speak.

"You aren't suppose to do like eveypony. Your suppose to set a example and be brave when nopony else is." He paused for moment trying not rant. "Your the leader and you need to start acting like it, or you need somepony like Trail Blazer to take over. Your risking a lot of ponies if you don't" He points to the camp,

"Each and either one of those lives are in your hoofs. Your responsible for them." Bounty didn't want to pull that card, but he wasn't left with any other ideas how to get to her. She seem to be retreating in and only something that gets through the cracks of her armor was gonna work. he needed to make her understand this wasn't a joke and should be addressed. Though more then likely from the way she acted she probably has been scolded most of her life and mite have a defense against it. Good thing Bounty wasn't the type to ever let up. Maybe that was one of the reasons he was a good bounty hunter and a bad husband.

Silver was silent, and kept playing his harmonica. There was much to discuss, but he preferred to keep to himself for the time being.

Trail Blazer kept to his wagon, not having anything to say.


By now she was just barely hovering over the ground, speaking meekly. "Okay..."

Bounty stood there looking at her like she was ten levels of crazy. "Okay? All you have to say is okay." He groans as he turns around, pacing in place till he whipped around again. "You need to promise, swear on anything and everything you hold dear you will. If you can't..." He stands a little straighter. "We can work on that, but you gotta actually do it and I sure as the sun rises I'll do whatever I can to make it happen."

He tried to smile, but it was more of a not unhappy look.

Silver watched how the two talked, and he could tell that Bounty was laying it on her. He shook his head and finished his tune.

"...How well do you know Miss Cut?" He asked Blazer.

At this point she was crying. She just wanted the large unicorn to leave her alone. "O-o-okay..."

"Same way you do."

Bounty wanted throw himself off a cliff. He made a filly cry, what shameful colt he was. "Look...Don't cry." He tried to sound nicer as he turned his head away. Bounty had a very soft spot for kids and for crying. He couldn't handle it, cause it got to him thinking about sad things and mae him want to cry. "I'm just trying to help you...." He couldn't keep a hold of himself. Crying always brought up what he needed to cry about and it made his face burn red.


"You seem to understand what I'm saying. I gotta go......I'm sorry...." He raced off into the forest and left the filly behind. He was started to feel awful as let distant get between him and the filly.


He was a good distant off befor he bucked a tree and slammed his hoofs on the ground with a few tears in his eye. He never seem to help anypony no matter what he did. Why does he even keep trying? he should of just let them all die and just saved himself when those Stonebacks came. Why did he always try to let ponies in or help them when eh knew they were just gonna screw him? He laid in the dirt feeling bad for himself. The hurt pride, helplessness and the pain of his memories were pouring out.

Silver got up on all fours as he watched the scene unfold with Bounty and Rough. He began to pace toward them at seeing Rough starting to lose it, but was a little surprised when Bounty ran off like he just got told off by his mother.

Something about him though reminded him of different times. Of somepony else he used to know. Intrigued, he followed Bounty partway into the forest, giving Rough Cut a nod as he passed. And once there, he waited. He would not intrude upon this ponies personal time, but he would catch him on the way back to camp.

Leaning against a tree with his hat partially down, he waited like a statue.

Rough Cut didn't notice Bounty leaving or Silver walking by. However after a while she notice he stopped talking. She carefully opened one eye and looked around. Not seeing anypony she got back to her hooves and trotted down to the camp.

Bounty laid in the soft dirt for a good time just trying to dig himself a grave in sense. If the earth tried to eat him whole right now he'd be fine with it. He was sure he hadn't gotten through to the filly and she was likely gonna go off thinking he was the bad colt. Why did he think even for second that he could change that scared little thing into a leader?

He stood up and wiped the dirt from his sides as he sat there in shade of the trees till he thought the redness in his eyes would be gone and he felt a little better. He stood up and set his hat on his head. He madea grunt as he lifted himself up and started to walk back to camp.

Silver silently waited, and watched. Once Bounty had passed him, he took a few steps in his direction, letting the ring of his spurs announce himself.

"Gathering some wood, bounty hunter?" He said in his deep rumbling voice. Again, he addressed Bounty by his profession, this time even more convinced of how it fit him. Silver let his eyes wonder before setting onto Bounty. For once he may get social.

(Not sure where Indi is going to post now if any)

(go right on ahead)

Bounty turned bac to him, surprised that Silver had gotten so close with out him hearing. Then again he didn't listen and wasn't in the mind set. He looked at the colt and it was pretty clear he knew why he came out here.

"No, I came out here to boo hoo to myself."

Silver grunted and continued to lean on the tree. He flexed a wing and rested it back on his side along his sword. At least Bounty wasn't going to hide away what went on. He ignored it for now.

"So, bounty hunter, why are you really here? Old habits really worn off on you? Or you just trying to find something to distract yourself?"

Bounty stood there feeling sort of strange Silver had took an sudden interest in his business. He hadn't his swords on him, which made him feel more naked then even if he hadn't clothes or fur on.

"Why I'm here?" He was going to say he knew why he was her, but Bounty figured out he meant why he came on this trip. "I'm running away from everything. I don't want to be me anymore. I just want some peace for once. I don't want to stick my neck out for others, I don't want to be a Bounty hunter and I certainly don't want make fillies cry when I'm just trying to help." He hardly understood the worlds he was speaking so he didn't expect Silver to understand. He was all mixed up inside.