Check out our first ever thread:
https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/25297812/

>>41611472
I can't remember which thread I made, #2 or #3, or some other. Definitely one of the 1 digit ones.

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First for pillowmares

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Good girl

>>41611549
maximum comfy

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its that time of year again

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Warm seat?
Her seat now.
Its your fault for getting up.

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Every time

>>41613750
Now it's all hairy

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Pony is for bridling

>>41615433
straight to the bat

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>>41613750
Warm seat?
Warm anything.

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lazy horse

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>>41615557
dont use the version xitter fucks with reeee

>>41617940
small amre is fine too

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Pony has heard tell of bath time

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>>41619302

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pony on the bed
she knows she is not allowed on the bed alone

>>41620507
Smelly horse

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Firehorse is fascinated with the water machine

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pet the poner

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>>41622177

>>41622454
pony is making a mess at petco

>>41619941
Poison the beer and watch the shit ass clown die in convulsions.

>>41623124
This pony likes to pull the cart then make her master ride her after.

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Pony has entered her rebellious phase

>>41575608

> It wasn't getting any better, but perhaps, with practice, Thistle was learning to accept how things were. Except that a better explanation would be that she was learning how to turn a blind eye.
> Salki didn't participate in any of the wanton cruelty she saw everywhere around them, but that was small consolation when she saw a young Ruslan - hardly more than a child - being beaten to make them obey.
> There was worse, too, especially for the women, but Thistle simply didn't let herself think about it.
> More than once she wondered if she might have chosen the wrong side. Had the Ruslans been right in preemptively attacking the Borchi-Quin?
> No, she couldn't believe that. They were both bad, but at least she knew for a fact that Adilet and his people were worse.
> Of course, that thought brought her to the problem, and to the reason why she was hiding away in Xuan's tent.
> It was nice to visit with the woman and help watch her little daughter, but there was an ulterior motive. Now that the threat had been eliminated, Adilet wanted the things she had promised him. He wasn't very pushy - not yet - and Janus had truly started to produce bronze weapons and jewelry.
> People from both clans ranged far and wide, searching for Tin ore so he could make even better, and that kept the Ulan-Zuk satisfied.
> For now.
> She would have to deliver on her promises, and Adilet seemed focused on one in particular.
> He wanted her to build him a catapult. She'd described what little she remembered from ancient history books. The man was abhorrent, especially in his treatment of women and slaves, but he had a knack for war. A machine which could hurl a stone across hundreds of paces would be perfect to use against villages, especially the ones which had started to surround their buildings with walls.
> As best she could understand, the Ulan-Zuk preferred to waylay trading caravans, but if the pickings were particularly slim, they would range far to the East, where strangers tilled the soil and built huts out of mud and wood.
> Now that they had horses, these excursions would be made easier. With bows and arrows, they would be an even more formidable force, and if she produced other weapons, even walls would not aid the hapless villagers.
> She hadn't liked the idea to begin with, but now she was outright appalled, especially after she'd seen the Ulan-Zuk's mistreatment of their prisoners and their insatiable thirst for plunder. There was nothing left of the Ruslan's camp, other than a bit of disturbed ground and some refuse. Oh, and bodies. So many bodies! Even just hearing about it from Salki had been enough to turn her stomach.
> "[Your face is like that again,]" Xuan said, pointing a finger.
"[Oh. Sorry.]"
> Thistle made herself smile and her ears folded down flat in embarrassment. She did have a tendency to grimace when she was thinking about Adilet.

>>41624661

> "[Here, sit. Watch Guuni a little,]" Xuan went on. She laid her daughter on the animal fur next to Thistle and ducked out of the tent before the mare could object.
> It wasn't as if she minded, but having had no children of her own, Thistle didn't quite know how to deal with them. Guuni was still a baby, but that was even more responsibility!
> Unsure of what to do, she leaned closer to the little one, who seemed mesmerised by her pink mane. Unfortunately it wasn't long enough for the child to play with it, but a tiny hand did reach her muzzle. It was more by accident than intent, but Guuni seemed happy to grip the soft fur on Thistle's face. At least she wasn't crying.
> She leaned even closer, and brushed the child's cheek with her nose. It must have tickled, because her little arm flailed and she let out a mixture between a gurgle and a giggle. Thistle withdrew quickly, but Guuni reached out for her and made a distressed little wail, so she moved back.
> A hand found her ear and gripped it with surprising strength. Guuni pulled at it, but it wasn't uncomfortable and Thistle was happy to let her.
> It just meant she couldn't look when someone entered the tent. That wasn't a huge hindrance, and the mixture of smell and sound quickly told her who it was.
"[Hey, Buygra!]"
> "[You're good with her,]" he said.
"[Yeah...]"
> She tugged her ear, but Guuni held her tightly, and let out a soft coo. She didn't want to use more force, so Thistle gave Buygra a hapless grin.
> He chuckled and carefully pried his daughter's hand from Thistle's ear. Finally she could straighten up and her face shaded a light pink in embarrassment. She opened her mouth to thank him, but Buygra headed her off: "[Salki is looking for you.]"
> Her ears folded down and her smile slipped, but Thistle inclined her head in acquiescence and stood.
"[I'll go and talk to him.]"
> While the man knelt down to check on his daughter, she slipped past him and pushed out of the tent. It was getting quite cold outside, and she was a little bit sad to leave the warmth. Her breath misted in the crisp morning air.
> She paused only long enough to receive a friendly pat from Xuan, then left the woman to cook and headed off.
>...
> There was a young Ruslan in Saule and Salki's tent. He sat in the corner, hugging his knees and watching everything with eyes full of fear. His tears had dried up some days ago, but now he just seemed stunned. Thistle really didn't like looking at this reminder of what they'd ultimately done.
> They've had no choice but to fight the Ruslans, or they would have done the same, so she kept telling herself, but seeing the result didn't make it easy.

>>41624669

> As soon as she'd entered the large tent, her ears folded down and she studiously avoided looking at the captive. At least it wasn't Salki's idea, but rather his mother's. He was the Chieftain, their fearless warrior who had led them to such a decisive victory over their sworn enemy. It would set a very poor example, and show significant weakness to the Ulan-Zuk, if Salki did not gain from the spoils of war.
> Most of that had been wealth. Jewelry, gold, and silver. Animal furs, and pots of honey and spices. Skins of beer, but Darga had immediately confiscated those from her son. Most of it was material possessions, but they couldn't avoid at least one of the new slaves.
> They'd ended up with the boy.
> His situation wasn't far different from Fen Ko and Ning, so why was Thistle so apprehensive of this one, while she accepted the other? Was it only a matter of getting used to the situation?
> She didn't want to think of herself that way, so she solved the problem by not thinking about it at all.
> Even now she focused her attention entirely on Salki, who was sitting beside the fire and sharpening his knife.
> It was a bronze blade, one they'd gotten from the Ruslan camp, and Janus had only recently given him the whetstone and taught him how to properly care for the edge.
> Salki was so enamored with it that Thistle worried he would sharpen it away to nothing before the year was out.
> When she entered, Salki let his hands fall into his lap and gave her a worried look. "[We need to figure out what to do about Adilet,]" he told her.
> It was a good sign that he still believed what he'd told her that night by the stream, and it gave Thistle hope that she could lead this tribe, at least, out of barbarism.
> At the mention of Adilet's name, the Ruslan boy made a small whimper. Word of the big man's cruelty spread quickly, both among the new slaves, and the Borchi-Quin people. He made everyone uneasy.
> The sound reminded Salki and he half-turned to the youth. "[Nadir, go out and bring firewood.]"
> His command made the boy flinch, but he scrambled to his feet and hurried out of the tent.
> Thistle watched him go, then switched her gaze to Salki.
"[Aren't you afraid he will run away?]"
> "[No,]" he said, shaking his head, but didn't elaborate.
"[Why?]"
> "[His sister is here, he won't leave her.]"
"[Oh,]" she said, her ears pressing down even further.
> "[Sit down. We have to talk about Adilet.]"
> Thistle took the spot across the central firepit, so they could look at each other's face.
> "[He is asking for what we promised. What you promised.]"
> She closed her eyes, but gave a slight nod.
"[I know. I will need to work with Darkhan to make the- the stones thrower. I think I will also need some metal parts from Janus.]"
> "[Okay, but I don't think I want to give him new weapons.]"
> Her ears lifted up, and her breath stalled.
"[What do you propose?]"

>>41624675

> Salki had been thinking about this, and he already had a plan worked out. His mouth quirked up into an almost-smile and he began to sharpen his knife again. "[He has seen what people on horses can do. He has taken some horses from Ruslans, but he wants more. I say we go on another trip to the West.]"
"[That won't give him weapons, but it's not much better.]"
> "[That's not all. I thought about what you said. We'll only take a few men, so we can travel faster. We will not take things to trade, so we will not need donkeys. I think that will appeal to Adilet. He will want horses as soon as possible.]"
"[Then what?]"
> There was silence, and Salki's expression looked pained. He shrugged and said: "[M-Maybe something could happen on the way?]"
> It was not a new idea, but no less palatable when spoken out loud. Thistle avoided his eyes and swallowed a lump which was suddenly in her throat.
"[I don't know if I could do it,]" she admitted truthfully.
> Neither of them could take their gaze off the other, and the two sat for long moments, just watching each other. At length, Salki drew a breath and spoke: "[I will ask Hisein. He will understand.]"
"[No. No! Salki, he's lost his leg! We can't ask him to- to do this!]"
> "[Who then?]"
> Something in her heart balked, and for a moment Thistle didn't really believe the conversation they were having. Surely that wasn't *her*, sitting in a dark tent and plotting to kill someone in cold blood? She'd misunderstood!
> Her breathing quickened and she became aware that she was whickering softly with each exhalation.
> "[We have to do something,]" Salki went on. "[I told you what he did in the Ruslan camp! What his men did!]"
> All she could do was nod. There had been no good guys in that whole, sorry mess, but what Salki had told her of Adilet went beyond even what the nomads considered acceptable. Even worse, it seemed the Ulan-Zuk all had this blind stop.
> For a moment she wondered if Adilet was the product of his people, or they the product of his deranged cruelty.
> Whatever it was, she could not let that poison seep into the Borchi-Quin, whatever the cost.
> Even murder?
> She swallowed a lump and nodded, both to herself, and to Salki's statement.
"[I know,]" she whispered.
> "[So I will ask Hisein.]"
> Her gaze and her ears lowered, but the mare nodded again, even if it was smaller.
> The decision made, it brought no relief. Her chest still felt tight, and it took an effort of will to quiet her low whinnies.
> She looked at the young Chieftain before her and felt a pang of regret. Barely a month since he had taken over, and already he had to plot against those who were ostensibly their allies. She really wasn't guiding him very well.
> Thistle shot to her hooves and backed to the tent flap.
"[I'll- I'll just- I'll go help Nadir.]"

>>41624680

> Salki was staring at the fire, and at first it appeared as if he hadn't heard her at all. Only when she cleared her throat to repeat did he glance at her and wave his hand. "[Yes. Go. I have to think.]"
> He looked uneasy, and his head twitched as if he wanted to shake it. He was struggling with what they'd decided, too, she knew. It was a bad option, but knowing neither of them was alone helped, a little. Perhaps it helped.
> On a whim, she hurried back to the young man and pressed her muzzle to his cheek. She inhaled his scent - soot, and grime, and sweat - and gave him a lick.
"[We'll fix it. We'll get rid of him, and then we'll be better.]"
> His hand went to her head for a quick pat, and she felt him nod. Only then did she hurry out of the tent.
> Her heart was not exactly lighter, not at the prospect of what they had to do, but she didn't feel quite as wretched.
> It had to be done.
> Adilet was a monster, and if she'd known that before, she would never have approached him. She had, and now they were tied to him. It was up to her - and Salki - to sever those ties, or the Borchi-Quin would never be free of that oppressive presence.
> She wished she could have Adilet's people take all the slaves, too, but her own friends and neighbors needed them. The war had drained them, and the traders would come soon, before the winter. They needed to trade for grain, and salt, and the thousand other little things which enabled them to survive in this harsh land.

>>41624684

Yay, the timeout is back to 60 seconds, and Meyermer is now making nefarious plans. That's what I call *assimilation*, that is!

I'm not extremely happy with the first part of this, had some trouble getting into the flow. I might give it another stab at some other time.

Paste: https://ponepaste.org/9738

bumping to read

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She bites

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Happy Anniversary Anon. Came to see how the thread was going and by mere coincidence it was this one. Its been a long while since i checked 4chan period. Maybe someday ill continue that Luna green i started a few years ago. Hell, i think if i did it i would just rewrite it since it never got many entries to begin with. Hope you guys the best, here is for more Romance greens disguised as slave storys.

>>41633185
Good girl!

>>41624689
dunno if anyone told you yet, but thx for keeping this shit up, youre the only anon doing greens consistently for months now.

>>41611471
9 years wow

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Pony warms up after spending the night outside.

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>>41635285
you know how the saying goes:
time flies when youre forced to work the unwanted minimum wage positions with a high turnover rate but youre also not allowed to leave

>>41635729
Pony needs to learn how to use the catflap

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>>41635749
I love wagie horsies

>>41624684
>if she might have chosen the wrong side
Is there a side I'm not seeing? The Ruslans did the same. Attacked, killed, kidnapped, raped.
>focused on one in particular
Let me guess, the trebuchet.
>build him a catapult
I don't think they have the springs for that. For a trebuchet they don't need springs.
>Now that they had horses, these excursions would be made easier
Will it be easier? Horses are not known for long distance travel. At most they can travel 30-50km a day. Comparable to what a human can do on foot. And horses need a lot of food compared to humans.
>young Ruslan in Saule and Salki's tent
Seems like they got a slave.
>Darga had immediately confiscated those from her so
Strange choice.
>what to do about Adilet
I expect Mayor to chime in with a diplomatic solution and a not so diplomatic one. Also Salki asking for advice! Good.
>I don't think I want to give him new weapons
What about giving him new weapons but demonstrate its usage while skipping a hard to notice crucial part which will cost his life when he is trying to operate the weapon?
>M-Maybe something could happen on the way?
Too obvious.
>The decision made
Which can be changed. At least the method.
>It had to be done.
Hopefully they don't have someone just as cruel to replace him.
>traders would come
What a surprise it would be if the traders would come from the west.

Thanks for the update!

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>>41636868

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help, my mouser is not doing her job

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Horse is refusing work

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>>41642763

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Playdate!

yo /spg/, I recall there was a greenfic of anon capturing an oc, enslaving her, and then forcefeeding her until she becomes immobile

anyone remember what that was called?

>>41644583
im pretty sure we don't have anything similar

>>41624684
hey awf, just wanted to let you know I love your stories. to be fully honest, I thought 'Red Sky' kinda sucked and I wished anon killed himself or got killed by zoe at the end, but I really loved 'Something, at least', and your writing really shined in 'Break'. I'm on part 2 of 'Rosa' right now and I'm loving it so much. Ever since I found that list of completed stories, it's been getting me through this hard week, I can't wait to read this one you're writing when I finish 'Rosa'.
That's all, just wanted to let you know I appreciate what you're doing a lot, and you should keep it up /)

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Batpony is very important for taking care of Master

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pet the poner
cheeks are soft and smooshy

>>41645605

Thanks, that means a lot.

On a side note, the new update is on ponepaste, but I couldn't post it here. A combination of 15-min wait and yet worse captcha were to much after a very stressful week

On the plus side, I found a good apartment, let's see if I can snag it through this auction...

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>>41647155
Sending good vibes for apartment auctioning.
I've been there before... It fucking sucks, sometimes...

>>41647783
OxygenBeam

>>41647783
Oh hey, I know those red blood cell mares. Good to see your art again.

>>41647155
>but I couldn't post it here
Should someone else post it?

>>41647252
Kek jannies try to cover up this new chaptcha or something? Seems like about every post gets deleted which complains about it.

>>41651188
Nice

>>41624684
thanks again brah

>>41651188
I like warmth.

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Uniforms are unisex(y)

>>41611471
Corona a dead mare. A DEAD MARE!!!
Does anyone know how swf is doing these days? Hope he's having a happy life riding his poners.

>>41657663
>riding his poners
More like the poners ride him.

>>41657663
He went full furfag. Many such cases. Very sad.

>>41658299
F

Hey anons, i've been reading a lot of greens recently, and I've been thinking of writing my own.
Recently I've been really interested in sailing, and people living long periods of time on small sailboats, so that's what I wanna write about.
My rough Idea is: before setting off on his journey, anon buys a mare to help around the boat while sailing, and to have someone to talk to.
I think I want to pick vinyl scratch as the mare, I'll name the story something like fiberglass scratch since boats are made out of fiberglass.
What do you think anons? Any criticsms or opinions or ideas of what I should include?

>>41659974
Hasn't this been done already

>>41659992
really?? I thought I had some unique idea with this. I'll write it anyway. do you have a link to it? I'm curious how the other guy went about it.

>>41659974
Dunno how you are going to make Vinyl work, but allright.
>title
Its shit. Here are a few boat pun like titles I can think of
Scratched hull
Foul coating
Rhythmic rocking
Sink into despair

>>41659992
It was different. Anon stole a bunch of mares with Fluttershy and spent a month or two on a boat waiting for things to quiet down. All the while trying to keep Mocha quiet.

>>41624684

https://ponepaste.org/9738#3098
>crude seesaw
Yea that's a trebuchet.
>large metal cup for a rock
Why metal? Are they have an abundance of metal suddenly?
>It wasn't like any catapult she'd ever seen
Because its a trebuchet.
>if her project failed
Adilet would punish her in some way. And the clan too.
>He picked up the lump from the anvil
Bad move.
>His hand bunched up into a fist, and he drew his arm back
I wonder why hasn't anybody killed Adilet yet.
>Learn to do better and we won't have a problem
I think if Mayor decides to plan something against Adilet, half of the Ulan-Zuk will help her.
>and- you know? On the way?
Just hide three archer in a tree and kill Adilet and the two body guards when they go to the stream or something.
>a grateful grin
Heh.
>You'd never get near enough.
Bows exist.
>his men will just shrug their shoulders and go away
Half of them yes.
>You think his people won't put two and two together?
Not if its a slow acting poison. He will be back in his camp way before he dies from the poison. For example organic mercury poisoning. Takes a good 6 months after exposure.
>You use a Ruslan
That's smart. But same issues as he just listed.
>Maybe they'll kill a few of the other prisoners
Somehow they need to be made valuable. What about making a deal with a trader for all the prisoners minus one? A deal which cannot allowed to fail. So they can't kill any.
>What's your alternative?
Make the trebuchet kill him. Make him too confident while telling him "not to do it".

>not posting it here
You know, you can just ask in the thread for someone else to do it.

Thanks for the update!

>>41660625
Seems like they changed something and the backward postlink does not work anymore. Sad.

>>41657663
>>41658299
I can't speak to the veracity of the furry claims but I still do talk to swf from time to time. He's become something of a health nut, only spends a small fraction of the time online that he used to, lost a shitload of weight, and spends most of his free time either working out or trail riding his mare these days. Living the dream.

Should someone post AWF's last update? Feels odd that its only in the paste.

>>41662225
yeah it's a mess to keep track of pastes as well as all the threads you follow on this board.

>>41648421
>Should someone else post it?

>>41660625
>You know, you can just ask in the thread for someone else to do it.

That's not a bad idea, actually. If anyone feels like, please do. Let me know if you want my python script to split an update into post-sized chunks.

>>41624684

> It wasn't getting any better, but perhaps, with practice, Thistle was learning to accept how things were. Except that a better explanation would be that she was learning how to turn a blind eye.
> Salki didn't participate in any of the wanton cruelty she saw everywhere around them, but that was small consolation when she saw a young Ruslan - hardly more than a child - being beaten to make them obey.
> There was worse, too, especially for the women, but Thistle simply didn't let herself think about it.
> More than once she wondered if she might have chosen the wrong side. Had the Ruslans been right in preemptively attacking the Borchi-Quin?
> No, she couldn't believe that. They were both bad, but at least she knew for a fact that Adilet and his people were worse.
> Of course, that thought brought her to the problem, and to the reason why she was hiding away in Xuan's tent.
> It was nice to visit with the woman and help watch her little daughter, but there was an ulterior motive. Now that the threat had been eliminated, Adilet wanted the things she had promised him. He wasn't very pushy - not yet - and Janus had truly started to produce bronze weapons and jewelry.
> People from both clans ranged far and wide, searching for Tin ore so he could make even better, and that kept the Ulan-Zuk satisfied.
> For now.
> She would have to deliver on her promises, and Adilet seemed focused on one in particular.
> He wanted her to build him a catapult. She'd described what little she remembered from ancient history books. The man was abhorrent, especially in his treatment of women and slaves, but he had a knack for war. A machine which could hurl a stone across hundreds of paces would be perfect to use against villages, especially the ones which had started to surround their buildings with walls.
> As best she could understand, the Ulan-Zuk preferred to waylay trading caravans, but if the pickings were particularly slim, they would range far to the East, where strangers tilled the soil and built huts out of mud and wood.
> Now that they had horses, these excursions would be made easier. With bows and arrows, they would be an even more formidable force, and if she produced other weapons, even walls would not aid the hapless villagers.
> She hadn't liked the idea to begin with, but now she was outright appalled, especially after she'd seen the Ulan-Zuk's mistreatment of their prisoners and their insatiable thirst for plunder. There was nothing left of the Ruslan's camp, other than a bit of disturbed ground and some refuse. Oh, and bodies. So many bodies! Even just hearing about it from Salki had been enough to turn her stomach.
> "[Your face is like that again,]" Xuan said, pointing a finger.
"[Oh. Sorry.]"
> Thistle made herself smile and her ears folded down flat in embarrassment. She did have a tendency to grimace when she was thinking about Adilet.

>>41663480

> "[Here, sit. Watch Guuni a little,]" Xuan went on. She laid her daughter on the animal fur next to Thistle and ducked out of the tent before the mare could object.
> It wasn't as if she minded, but having had no children of her own, Thistle didn't quite know how to deal with them. Guuni was still a baby, but that was even more responsibility!
> Unsure of what to do, she leaned closer to the little one, who seemed mesmerised by her pink mane. Unfortunately it wasn't long enough for the child to play with it, but a tiny hand did reach her muzzle. It was more by accident than intent, but Guuni seemed happy to grip the soft fur on Thistle's face. At least she wasn't crying.
> She leaned even closer, and brushed the child's cheek with her nose. It must have tickled, because her little arm flailed and she let out a mixture between a gurgle and a giggle. Thistle withdrew quickly, but Guuni reached out for her and made a distressed little wail, so she moved back.
> A hand found her ear and gripped it with surprising strength. Guuni pulled at it, but it wasn't uncomfortable and Thistle was happy to let her.
> It just meant she couldn't look when someone entered the tent. That wasn't a huge hindrance, and the mixture of smell and sound quickly told her who it was.
"[Hey, Buygra!]"
> "[You're good with her,]" he said.
"[Yeah...]"
> She tugged her ear, but Guuni held her tightly, and let out a soft coo. She didn't want to use more force, so Thistle gave Buygra a hapless grin.
> He chuckled and carefully pried his daughter's hand from Thistle's ear. Finally she could straighten up and her face shaded a light pink in embarrassment. She opened her mouth to thank him, but Buygra headed her off: "[Salki is looking for you.]"
> Her ears folded down and her smile slipped, but Thistle inclined her head in acquiescence and stood.
"[I'll go and talk to him.]"
> While the man knelt down to check on his daughter, she slipped past him and pushed out of the tent. It was getting quite cold outside, and she was a little bit sad to leave the warmth. Her breath misted in the crisp morning air.
> She paused only long enough to receive a friendly pat from Xuan, then left the woman to cook and headed off.
>...
> There was a young Ruslan in Saule and Salki's tent. He sat in the corner, hugging his knees and watching everything with eyes full of fear. His tears had dried up some days ago, but now he just seemed stunned. Thistle really didn't like looking at this reminder of what they'd ultimately done.
> They've had no choice but to fight the Ruslans, or they would have done the same, so she kept telling herself, but seeing the result didn't make it easy.

>>41663484

> As soon as she'd entered the large tent, her ears folded down and she studiously avoided looking at the captive. At least it wasn't Salki's idea, but rather his mother's. He was the Chieftain, their fearless warrior who had led them to such a decisive victory over their sworn enemy. It would set a very poor example, and show significant weakness to the Ulan-Zuk, if Salki did not gain from the spoils of war.
> Most of that had been wealth. Jewelry, gold, and silver. Animal furs, and pots of honey and spices. Skins of beer, but Darga had immediately confiscated those from her son. Most of it was material possessions, but they couldn't avoid at least one of the new slaves.
> They'd ended up with the boy.
> His situation wasn't far different from Fen Ko and Ning, so why was Thistle so apprehensive of this one, while she accepted the other? Was it only a matter of getting used to the situation?
> She didn't want to think of herself that way, so she solved the problem by not thinking about it at all.
> Even now she focused her attention entirely on Salki, who was sitting beside the fire and sharpening his knife.
> It was a bronze blade, one they'd gotten from the Ruslan camp, and Janus had only recently given him the whetstone and taught him how to properly care for the edge.
> Salki was so enamored with it that Thistle worried he would sharpen it away to nothing before the year was out.
> When she entered, Salki let his hands fall into his lap and gave her a worried look. "[We need to figure out what to do about Adilet,]" he told her.
> It was a good sign that he still believed what he'd told her that night by the stream, and it gave Thistle hope that she could lead this tribe, at least, out of barbarism.
> At the mention of Adilet's name, the Ruslan boy made a small whimper. Word of the big man's cruelty spread quickly, both among the new slaves, and the Borchi-Quin people. He made everyone uneasy.
> The sound reminded Salki and he half-turned to the youth. "[Nadir, go out and bring firewood.]"
> His command made the boy flinch, but he scrambled to his feet and hurried out of the tent.
> Thistle watched him go, then switched her gaze to Salki.
"[Aren't you afraid he will run away?]"
> "[No,]" he said, shaking his head, but didn't elaborate.
"[Why?]"
> "[His sister is here, he won't leave her.]"
"[Oh,]" she said, her ears pressing down even further.
> "[Sit down. We have to talk about Adilet.]"
> Thistle took the spot across the central firepit, so they could look at each other's face.
> "[He is asking for what we promised. What you promised.]"
> She closed her eyes, but gave a slight nod.
"[I know. I will need to work with Darkhan to make the- the stones thrower. I think I will also need some metal parts from Janus.]"
> "[Okay, but I don't think I want to give him new weapons.]"
> Her ears lifted up, and her breath stalled.
"[What do you propose?]"

>>41663488

> Salki had been thinking about this, and he already had a plan worked out. His mouth quirked up into an almost-smile and he began to sharpen his knife again. "[He has seen what people on horses can do. He has taken some horses from Ruslans, but he wants more. I say we go on another trip to the West.]"
"[That won't give him weapons, but it's not much better.]"
> "[That's not all. I thought about what you said. We'll only take a few men, so we can travel faster. We will not take things to trade, so we will not need donkeys. I think that will appeal to Adilet. He will want horses as soon as possible.]"
"[Then what?]"
> There was silence, and Salki's expression looked pained. He shrugged and said: "[M-Maybe something could happen on the way?]"
> It was not a new idea, but no less palatable when spoken out loud. Thistle avoided his eyes and swallowed a lump which was suddenly in her throat.
"[I don't know if I could do it,]" she admitted truthfully.
> Neither of them could take their gaze off the other, and the two sat for long moments, just watching each other. At length, Salki drew a breath and spoke: "[I will ask Hisein. He will understand.]"
"[No. No! Salki, he's lost his leg! We can't ask him to- to do this!]"
> "[Who then?]"
> Something in her heart balked, and for a moment Thistle didn't really believe the conversation they were having. Surely that wasn't *her*, sitting in a dark tent and plotting to kill someone in cold blood? She'd misunderstood!
> Her breathing quickened and she became aware that she was whickering softly with each exhalation.
> "[We have to do something,]" Salki went on. "[I told you what he did in the Ruslan camp! What his men did!]"
> All she could do was nod. There had been no good guys in that whole, sorry mess, but what Salki had told her of Adilet went beyond even what the nomads considered acceptable. Even worse, it seemed the Ulan-Zuk all had this blind stop.
> For a moment she wondered if Adilet was the product of his people, or they the product of his deranged cruelty.
> Whatever it was, she could not let that poison seep into the Borchi-Quin, whatever the cost.
> Even murder?
> She swallowed a lump and nodded, both to herself, and to Salki's statement.
"[I know,]" she whispered.
> "[So I will ask Hisein.]"
> Her gaze and her ears lowered, but the mare nodded again, even if it was smaller.
> The decision made, it brought no relief. Her chest still felt tight, and it took an effort of will to quiet her low whinnies.
> She looked at the young Chieftain before her and felt a pang of regret. Barely a month since he had taken over, and already he had to plot against those who were ostensibly their allies. She really wasn't guiding him very well.
> Thistle shot to her hooves and backed to the tent flap.
"[I'll- I'll just- I'll go help Nadir.]"

>>41663490

> Salki was staring at the fire, and at first it appeared as if he hadn't heard her at all. Only when she cleared her throat to repeat did he glance at her and wave his hand. "[Yes. Go. I have to think.]"
> He looked uneasy, and his head twitched as if he wanted to shake it. He was struggling with what they'd decided, too, she knew. It was a bad option, but knowing neither of them was alone helped, a little. Perhaps it helped.
> On a whim, she hurried back to the young man and pressed her muzzle to his cheek. She inhaled his scent - soot, and grime, and sweat - and gave him a lick.
"[We'll fix it. We'll get rid of him, and then we'll be better.]"
> His hand went to her head for a quick pat, and she felt him nod. Only then did she hurry out of the tent.
> Her heart was not exactly lighter, not at the prospect of what they had to do, but she didn't feel quite as wretched.
> It had to be done.
> Adilet was a monster, and if she'd known that before, she would never have approached him. She had, and now they were tied to him. It was up to her - and Salki - to sever those ties, or the Borchi-Quin would never be free of that oppressive presence.
> She wished she could have Adilet's people take all the slaves, too, but her own friends and neighbors needed them. The war had drained them, and the traders would come soon, before the winter. They needed to trade for grain, and salt, and the thousand other little things which enabled them to survive in this harsh land.

> ~~~~

> Trying to explain the basics of Equestrian technology to primitives was exhausting. By the time she was done, Thistle felt like she'd been put through the wringer.
> Well, she couldn't quite call it 'done', not that miniscule amount of progress they'd made. Then again, she couldn't even call it 'technology', either.
> Darkhan was maybe getting closer, although he still couldn't quite imagine how a catapult would work. She'd tried to demonstrate with a few twigs which she'd arranged into a crude seesaw and used to launch small pebbles. The fact that it was impossible to aim just made Adilet sneer in disgust.
> Perhaps that was the worst thing. Now that he'd delivered his part of the bargain, and the Borchi-Quin were no longer under any threat by the Ruslans, the big man wouldn't let her out of his sight until she delivered on her other promises. He spent entirely too much time in their camp!
> She had done her best, with words, hoof-waving, and even crude attempts at drawings on the soft mud, but very little had come across. It didn't help that she wasn't an engineer pony, so her own understanding of the principles was rudimentary, at best.

>>41663493

> What she'd come up with was a big frame on wheels, with a supple piece of wood for an arm. At the end, there would be a large metal cup for a rock. It wasn't like any catapult she'd ever seen, but it was the best she could come up with, having had no training in engineering whatsoever. She'd just have to make the thing step by step, possibly helped by a willing nomad, until she could demonstrate the basic idea. After that, she had no doubt craftsmen would improve on her design.
> There were a number of nomads extremely skilled at making bows, in both their camps, and many of the women were excellent fletchers. All they needed was that initial idea, a demonstration of how it was supposed to work.
> On the other hoof, if her project failed, perhaps Adilet would give up on the weapon and she wouldn't be responsible for unleashing a new kind of horror on the poor, unsuspecting people of wherever the Ulan-Zuk raided.
> She'd all but promised they would travel West and get more horses, and maybe that would be enough. Would Adilet leave them in peace, especially now that he had his teeth in the Ulan-Zuk?
> Her head hung down as the others walked away, murmuring to each other. Salki remained, with his hand on her back, and Thistle took half a step closer to him, so she could brush her side against his thigh.
> The two exchanged a look, then Thistle followed Janus to where he'd set up his forge. It had become the unofficial center of their camp, where nomads gathered when they didn't have anything better to do.
> There was always a fire, and there was usually one or another of Janus' apprentices, hammering a lump of metal into a shape which may or may not be recognizable. It wasn't the attraction it had been those first few weeks, but there were often a few onlookers, so there was someone to talk to.
> Unfortunately Adilet was going the same way, and Thistle half-turned to go somewhere else, but Salki held her with a hand on her withers. "[Come on,]" he said. "[Let's see how Usman is doing. He promised he would make me a spear point.]"
> The mare shrugged to herself and followed in the direction of clanging metal.
> They were in time to see Janus make a quick tour of his pupils. There were four - two from the Ulan-Zuk, and two from the Borchi-Quin.
> He nodded amicably at one, and slapped another on the shoulder. Usman was the third, and Janus gripped his wrist with the tongs to change the angle he held his piece of metal. He was about to inspect the fourth nomad, the youngest, who kept striking at a dark, misshapen lump on his anvil. Even to Thistle's unskilled eyes, it looked like a mess.
> Before Janus could reach the young lad, however, Adilet began shouting and pointing.
> "[You call that a knife?! You're a worthless dog-spawn!]"

>>41663497

> The would-be blacksmith cringed away, but Adilet's hand caught him a blow across his face so hard that the poor lad spun and fell to the ground. "[I said I wanted a dagger! You're worthless! This is nothing!]" Adilet went on. He picked up the lump from the anvil, thinking that because it was dark, it wasn't hot. There was a sizzle, although Thistle was sure she was the only one who had heard it, and the man dropped the misshapen bit of metal to the ground with a yelp.
> He examined his fingers, and his face darkened as he loomed over the boy once more. "[You idiot! Why didn't you tell me it was hot?! I'll cut out your liver and feed it to your sister!]"
> Before he could kick the hapless boy, Janus was standing in front of the big man. He didn't seem angry, but there was an aura of determination around him, as if he wouldn't be moved by any force. "[That enough. Back away,]" he said, his voice as calm as his face.
> Denied, Adilet stepped closer, until his nose was nearly touching Janus', and he growled wordlessly. His hand bunched up into a fist, and he drew his arm back as if preparing to strike. Janus, meanwhile, let his hand fall on the hilt of his dagger, which he wore tucked in his belt.
> Thistle's ears had gone completely flat as she watched the two prepare to fight.
> Luckily a few of the older Ulan-Zuk stepped around their leader, gripping his hands and pulling him back. Thistle suddenly noticed there was a bronze dagger in Adilet's other hand, and her blood ran cold. Surely he wouldn't have killed Janus over an argument? Not just like that!
> She'd always known he had an explosive temper, but surely no one in his camp would stand long for such outbursts of rage.
> His followers were whispering urgently, talking him down. Eventually he stuck the blade back behind his belt, but as they moved past Janus, Adilet's foot shot out and he delivered a few swift kicks to the young apprentice's belly.
> The young man gasped for air and curled around his midriff, flopping on the ground and letting out choking noises as he tried to get his breath back.
> Other than the noises of his suffering, everything was quiet, and Adilet seemed to notice all the stares on him. His face began to darken, but then he barked a laugh and pointed at the other three blacksmith apprentices. The Ulan-Zuk one flinched from that digit, as if it was a spear.
> "[See?]" Adilet said, his voice light and cheerful, and a twisted grin on his face. "[Let this be motivation. Learn to do better and we won't have a problem!]"
> He pointedly ignored Janus's dark, furious stare. The blacksmith had crouched down next to his fallen apprentice, and was feeling his belly. The youth had his arm in his mouth to stifle the weeping, but tears rolled freely down his cheeks and he remained curled up.
> No one spoke, until Adilet grunted and stalked away. The two men with him - his guards - glanced around impassively, then followed their leader.

>>41663500

> Only when he was safely out of earshot did Thistle let her muscles slacken. Her legs were trembling with the effort. She'd been holding herself back so she wouldn't run up to the man and simply buck him in two pieces.
> She'd known it before, but this proved it. All she needed to do was say it. There was only one language which had the proper expression, but only the other had good swear words. She brought the two together.
"He's a psychopath. [Fuck!]"
> Salki leaned down and asked: "[He's a what?]"
> She shook her head and sat on her rump.
"[You don't have a word for it. I will explain later.]"
> His hand found her ear through her mane, and Thistle leaned into Salki's touch. "[He is dangerous. He was always dangerous, but at least before he was aimed at the Ruslans. Now-]"
> She finished his thought:
"[He might turn on us.]"
> At least there was no fear that Salki would be swayed by the crazy man. Now that he was the chieftain, Adilet had stopped egging him on, and had started talking up his daughters instead. That, at least, was good news, and told Thistle that the man was indeed thinking of the long game.
> Then again, with his quicksilver temper, there was no saying if Adilet would suddenly become impatient and do something a lot more immediate.
> If that happened while he was surrounded by his lackeys and yes-men, they could incite all their men to a fight and come for the Borchi-Quin. It would be a massacre!
"[We have to do something.]"
> "[You still want to go West and- you know? On the way?]"
> She gave it some thought, but suddenly wasn't so sure. She knew someone who could help, though.
"[Come.]"
> Salki didn't question and followed her past the tents until they reached the one she wanted. Ning was outside, stirring something over the fire, and she flashed the mare a quick smile.
> The two children were still slaves, but perhaps Hisein treated them a little better since his injury, and they were getting used to their new life. It was still horrible, but less than some fates, especially ones she'd seen lately.
> Shaking her head, Thistle ducked into the tent with Salki right behind her. They paused with the tent flap open at the sight.
> Hisein was lying on his stomach, and Fen Ko was massaging the stump of his leg. The boy had frozen at the intrusion, and Hisein was pushing himself up on his elbows. "[Who- oh. Shut the flap, it's cold!]"
> Salki did so, and the interior was plunged into darkness, barely given shape by the small fire in a pit in the middle. Fen Ko straightened up to leave, but Hisein's hand shot out and grasped his ankle. "[I didn't say you can stop,]" he muttered.
> With a low grunt, the youth bent back down to his work.
> "[What do you want?]" he asked the two newcomers.
"[We need to talk, alone.]"
> "[Then talk.]"
"[Send Fen Ko out. This is just for us.]"

>>41663504

> She didn't think the lad would betray what they'd said to anyone, even if he understood half of it, but there was no point in risking it.
> With a groan, Hisein slapped his palm on the fur blanket underneath him. "[Go! But don't go far! As soon as they leave, I want you back! My leg hurts!]"
> Fen Ko flashed Thistle a grateful grin and fled the stuffy interior of the tent. Only then did the mare sit down and pat the rug beside her for Salki. After a while, the Chieftain sat, his side nearly brushing hers.
> "[What?]" Hisein repeated, but he still hadn't moved.
> Thistle gave Salki a questioning look, but he just shrugged at her. This was her idea, after all, and the man looked doubtful, as if he didn't really want to be there.
"[Hisein, we need to get rid of Adilet.]"
> "[You're right there. Maybe the first smart thing I've heard since I came back.]"
"[We- I was thinking. We take him West, tell him we'll get some horses. We have the Ruslans' gold and silver now. M-Maybe something could, uh, happen on the way.]"
> "[Won't work,]" Hisein said almost before she'd finished talking. He rolled to his back and sat up, so he could see their faces. "[It's a good try, for a pony, but it won't work.]"
"[Why not?!]"
> The man lifted a finger. "[One: Adilet will be expecting that. He'll take some guards, and they would be watching you more closely than the forest. You'd never get near enough.]"
> Thistle's ears lowered, but she didn't interrupt.
> "[Two: Even if you kill him, do you think his men will just shrug their shoulders and go away? You'll have a fight, and you probably won't win. Adilet's people are good fighters.]"
"[What if we used poison?]"
> "[Three,]" Hisein went on, as if she hadn't spoken, "[even if you somehow survive and come back, what do you think the other Ulan-Zuk would say? Behind someone like Adilet are ten more, just as crazy as he is. They'd crush us with the slightest provocation. Just a suspicion would be enough, and there would *be* suspicion. Adilet and some people leave with you, and none of them come back?]"
"[What about poison?]"
> Hisein just chuckled at her. "[Think about it. You bring their leader a meal, he eats it, then curls up on the ground and dies. You think his people won't put two and two together? That is if you know how to find a poison he wouldn't taste immediately when he puts it in his mouth.]"
> She lowered her gaze to the fire and her ears splayed out in embarrassment.
"[So what do we do?]"
> Hisein put his hand on his chin, and his other on his stump. Both began to scratch as he thought. After a while, he snapped his fingers. "[You use a Ruslan.]"
"[What?]"
> Even Salki straightened up to stare.
> "[Simple. We have some Ruslan men. Wounded. They're tied up. Take one of those, and tell him exactly what Adilet did to their women and children. The way you told me. Then give him a bow and a single arrow, and put him in Adilet's way.]"

>>41663507

> "[You think a Ruslan slave would attack Adilet? What if he attacks us the moment he has a weapon?]"
> Hisein shook his head. "[Not if you make it very clear that the attack was *his* idea, and if you explain very carefully how he treated their women. You don't even have to lie, if half of what you told me is true.]"
> Thistle felt repulsed at the idea, but she couldn't help nodding. It just might work, and the fact she was considering it disgusted her.
> Less than Adilet, but still.
> "[Trust me, any man would be happy to shoot someone like Adilet, even if he dies right after. At least it's an end to it.]"
> "[What happens next? Ulan-Zuk would still blame me.]"
> At this, the other man shook his head. "[Not if you do it right. Find a hunter with a bow, and have the prisoner punch him in the face to get the bow. The harder, the better. Now you have a prisoner, who got enraged when he saw Adilet and hurt one of your people to get at him. Offer him a quick death, and he'll do it.]"
"[What?!]" Thistle gasped, aghast.
> "[What do you think the Ulan-Zuk would do to him after he kills their leader? Any warrior will prefer a quick spear through the heart. You can always claim it was the heat of the battle, and the man is dead. They can't ask for more.]"
> He paused for a short while, then shrugged. "[Maybe they'll kill a few of the other prisoners, and maybe they'll beat the women a little, but you get rid of Adilet. The deal was with him, so it's over.]"
> Thistle looked at Salki, and saw the same horror she felt in his eyes.
"[I- I don't know.]"
> "[Well, there's your plan. It may work, or it may not, but at least with this one you can try again after things settle down. What's your alternative? Wait until Adilet gets the idea that he can just take over and pull us into the Ulan-Zuk?]"
> "[His people still won't be happy. What if they want revenge?]"
> This made Hisein laugh again. "[Revenge against who? The Ruslans are beaten, and we're supposed to be their allies.]"
> "[What if they are unreasonable? You said there are more crazy people to take Adilet's place. What if they want Janus, and decide our treaty doesn't matter anymore?]"
> Hisein gave this a moment's thought, then he shrugged. "[Then we run. We go up in the woods, where the bastards will never find us. There are fewer of us, so we can move faster. We don't have to spend as much time hunting. We can outrun them. Besides, Ulan-Zuk have always lived in the plains. We know the mountains better than them.]"
> Thistle brightened up at the idea.
"[Why don't we just do that?]"
> The man reached across the fire to pat her muzzle. "[Won't work. You might be chieftain, but running like that is hard. You won't convince people, and they won't believe you how bad Adilet is.]"
"[They saw today!]"
> "[What do you mean?]"
> She explained the incident which drove them to his tent in a few sentences, and Hisein just looked impassive.

>>41663511

> When she'd finished, he said: "[They saw him beat one of his own people. They'll need a lot more to run. Running is hard, especially after the summer they've had with the Ruslans.]"
> Could it be true? Surely if they explained, everyone in the camp would understand. Wouldn't they? She looked at Salki, and his face told her how naive her thoughts were.
> Her ears fell and she let out her breath.
"[I'll think about it.]"
> "[Don't think too long. We have to use a Ruslan while their anger is still fresh and hot.]"
> She didn't answer and simply stood up. After a moment, Salki got to his feet and followed her out of the tent.

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>>41664306

>>41663095
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>>41663514

> The first snow was on the way, and the air was becoming frigid. Each morning any water outside of a tent was frozen on the surface. As the people went about their errands, the brown grass crackled with rime and left their clothes wet. The ground in the camp had changed from mud and slush to hard, frozen earth, which was at least a little more sanitary. Even the hardiest of nomads no longer went barefoot.
> That last didn't really apply to Thistle, since she had hooves and didn't feel the cold as much. It still wasn't pleasant, but at least she wasn't risking frostbite, like the others.
> Despite her hooves and fur, she still wrapped herself in the animal fur cloak and stayed inside tents as much as possible. Not to mention that she felt the chill around the withers and the rear, where her mane and tail still hadn't grown to their usual lushness.
> At least there were hidden benefits of the weather. For one, Adilet and his cronies didn't come around as much. Another was that Janus' forge became even more the social hub of the camp than before. His charcoal was quickly becoming popular, too, and on most days there were one or two mounds smouldering a short distance from the edge of the tents.
> Unfortunately it also meant that Salki had to organize frequent expeditions into the nearby hills to bring back fresh wood, but with the donkeys and their small herd of horses, at least they didn't need Thistle to help haul it back. As an additional plus, there were no other clans near enough to threaten them, now that the Ruslans were gone.
> The cold temperature brought some other benefits, too. After that incident with Adilet and Janus, the big man had settled down, preferring to stay in his tent and enjoy his food and his beer, and Thistle's fears abated a little. Perhaps they could wait until spring to deal with him and the Ulan-Zuk, regardless of what Hisein said about the need for haste.
> Of their prisoners, the mare didn't see much, and she was grateful for that. Saule had taken over the training of the boy she and Salki were given, and the rest of the Ruslan captives had been divided among influential people. Willow, of course, and Darkhan, and Darga. Janus had two - a young man and an older woman - to help him around the forge, and the man positively beamed at the privilege and the status this conferred.
> On the other hand, his fires were almost never cold, and he churned out tools and weapons at a rate that almost satisfied even Adilet, who took the lion's share of the products for the Ulan-Zuk. The fact that they were arming people who might become their enemies was a little concerning, and the unease it brought caused Thistle to listen more closely to Hisein's plans.
>...

>>41665685

> She was thinking of that niggling worry - that the spring might be too late to do anything. That Adilet might be planning something, and his apparent absence and good behavior were ominous. He'd even stopped pressuring her for the weapons she'd promised him, other than to toss out an occasional mention.
> He hadn't been around for the past few days, and she thought his visit was imminent. Maybe that was why she'd volunteered to go with the women and dig for roots and tubers. They weren't expecting to find much, but they had to bring in what they could before winter really set in.
> She was relieved that she might miss Adilet's visit, even if she didn't quite want to admit it to herself. He was less pushy, but his stares, and his poorly-veiled hints were still poignant and made her uncomfortable. The way he listened to her every word with that scary, almost predatory focus, made her hide shiver.
> He hadn't said anything of the sort, but it felt as if he was implying that her usefulness was over. Now that the clan had a blacksmith, they'd mastered crafting bows and arrows, and were well on their way to rearing horses, what use was her obscure knowledge? Why not simply kill her, and have one fewer unknown factors threaten his takeover of the Borchi-Quin?
> She still had a few tricks up her sleeve, but at least she hadn't promised those to Adilet. She intended to teach the people to farm, so their food supply could be assured and they didn't have to hunt as much. She hadn't forgotten her idea of bee keeping, even though Salki and the others probably had. They never brought it up, but they'd be grateful when they saw their first harvest of honey.
> Spring would be a good time to try her hoof at that, provided she could find a wild beehive somewhere in the nearby forests.
> Reading and writing was another big one, but so far she hadn't been able to convince the people of their use. Why go through all the effort if you could simply tell people and they'd remember?
> Her tail was swishing irritably under her cloak, and each jerk lifted the furs and let an icicle of freezing air stab its way up her flanks. The seal wasn't very good as it was, what with her pony anatomy, and the garment barely caught any warmth. She made herself stop.
> The woman in front of her hadn't noticed, of course. They walked in a line, and the crackling of dry, frozen grass under their feet covered most of the sound. A few of the nomads walked side by side, talking in soft murmurs, but Thistle was alone. She only knew one of the others, and even that one not very well.
> She glanced behind, and saw Gol walking near the rear of their little procession. She was also alone.
> On a whim, Thistle stepped to one side and let the few nomads between them pass. They glanced at her, but no one commented.

>>41665694

> Pretty soon Gol had caught up and the mare fell in step with her. She opened her mouth to greet her, but words failed her momentarily. They hadn't spoken in a long while, so she scrambled for something generic instead.
"[Uh. Hi...]"
> "[Huh. I thought you didn't remember me.]"
"[What makes you say that?]" the sharp tone lifted her eyebrows in surprise.
> Gol's mouth quirked up in a wry grin and as she shook her head, a few strands of her black hair slipped from the hood. She pushed it back with a practiced motion. "[You've become the important Chieftain's advisor. You never come and talk with me, or Mother, or Willow.]"
> It was true, in a way, and Thistle's ears folded down under the hood. Gol couldn't see it, of course.
"[I'm sorry. I just- There's been so much to do.]"
> "[Yeah. Going around all over the place and having adventures takes a lot of time. You still come and visit Hisein, though.]"
> Thistle lowered her eyes for a few steps in guilt, then slid a little closer so she could press her muzzle to the back of Gol's hand in apology.
"[I'll do better, I promise.]"
> Gol's fingers twitched, but she controlled herself and didn't pet the mare. Instead, she gripped her loose hand with her other, and said: "[I hear how you were the one who came up with archers on horses.]"
> Not one of her proudest moments, and Thistle couldn't hold back a sad sigh.
"[It was just an idea. Others made it work. Hisein, Salki. Saule. Um, your brother.]"
> All she received in acknowledgement for her modesty was a low grunt. Thistle swallowed and tried a different approach:
"[How is Willow by the way?]"
> "[Chasing girls and complaining he should be Chieftain instead of Salki. What did you expect?]"
"[He shouldn't be chieftain. Even Salki is not yet very good at it, but at least he listens to me. Willow would be a disaster with Adilet.]"
> It had slipped out before she'd really thought it through, and Thistle cast a worried look at the girl. Would she go and tell Willow or Intor as soon as they were back?
> She held her breath for a few steps until Gol answered: "[I know that. Mother knows that too, I think, but she won't admit it. It's just Willow who is stupid about it. He and Hisein argue almost every day.]"
"[Uh, they are still friends?]"
> Gol pierced her with an unreadable stare, then said slowly and clearly: "[Of course. Some of us don't stop being friends just because things change, you know?]"
"[Okay, okay, I'm sorry! I should have stayed in touch. You could have come to see me too, you know?!]"
> At least the girl had the decency to blush a little and avert her eyes.
"[Why didn't you?]"
> "[At first,]" she admitted, "[Mother said not to. She said it would make Willow mad. Then- I saw you with Salki and Saule, and I was nervous. They're older than me, so maybe I was afraid or something. Then you were gone, and when you came back we were in the middle of the war and you were all big heroes.]"

>>41665703

"[Well, from now on, please come and talk to me. If your mother gives you trouble, or Willow does, I'll deal with them.]"
> Gol hid her mouth with a hand so Thistle couldn't see her expression, and asked in a tone that was too nonchalant by half: "[So you're the Chieftain now?]"
> The suggestion made Thistle stumble and nearly fall on her muzzle.
"[No!]" she said, a little too forcefully. "[Of course not! I just help Salki sometimes when it comes to making trades and agreements.]"
> Gol gave a short laugh. "[Don't lie. Mother is right, even if Darga and Salki can't see it. You're telling Salki what to say.]"
> There was no use denying it, not with the certainty that sounded from Gol's every word, but neither was Thistle going to confirm it. Instead, she picked a different topic, something which would focus the young woman's mind away from politics.
"[How about you? Have you found a nice boy for yourself yet?]"
> It was Gol's turn to splutter a little and nearly trip herself up. "[No!]" she said, but her denial was insistent and the answer had come a bit too quickly. She also wouldn't meet the mare's eyes.
"[Come on, who is it?]"
> Her friend glanced around to make sure no one else was near enough to overhear, then lowered her voice. "[Promise you won't tell?]"
"[I promise.]"
> "[I think Zaur is cute. Don't tell him!]"
> For a moment, Thistle shared a knowing grin with Gol, then she winked and nodded.
"[I promise. Isn't he a little old, though?]"
> To her best estimation, Zaur was perhaps a year or two older than Salki, while Gol was perhaps four years younger than Xuan. Her guess was that Gol wouldn't marry for at least two or three years. She was growing, however, and even in the last year she'd known her, the girl had noticeably expanded in the chest area. Her face had lost that childlike softness, and she was filling out, so she no longer looked like a badly-proportioned doll.
> "[No.]"
> It took the mare a second to remember which question Gol had been answering.
"[Okay. When are you going to tell him?]"
> "[Never! I'm too embarrassed!]" Gol said, and for a moment she seemed very much like that young, naive girl once more. Thistle couldn't help but smile.
"[Tell you what - I will speak with Zaur-]"
> Gol hissed as she took a hasty breath to say no, but Thistle forestalled her:
"[Wait. I won't tell him it's you, okay? I'll just tell him there's a cute girl who is interested in him. Just to make sure he doesn't pick someone else, right? Then, in a year or so, when you're ready, he'll be waiting for you. Just don't wait too long!]"
> The stare Gol had begun giving her turned to wide-eyed astonishment. "[You'd do that?!]" she asked in a breathless voice.
"[Sure! I'll try, at least. Maybe Zaur is already talking with some girl his age. Maybe he won't want to wait. We'll see.]"

>>41665708

> Gol's face flickered from sudden fear, to dark rage, to tentative hope, then back to a queasy embarrassment. "[I'll t-try,]" she squeaked.
"[Good. So, tell me what you've been doing while I was away in the West!]"
> At that, the young woman shook her head. "[No, you tell me what it was like, first! What did you see! Hisein said you fought an army to steal the horses!]"
"[Well, it wasn't quite an army...]"


>
The timer was on 60 for whatever reason, although the captcha is still complete ass. Anyway, I'd hoped to do a little bit more this week, but work has been brutal. I haven't even been able to take lunch most days this week. It looks like it'll continue until the end of the year (we're in crunch time).

Paste: https://ponepaste.org/9738

>>41665718
Cute update. Nice to have some quiet time and catch up with old friends.

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>>41664306

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Your servant-horse is rejecting your authority!
It heeds the ancient call of the steppes! It wants to gallop across verdant fields until there's no more horizon to explore!
How do you bring your horse into compliance?

>>41665718
>first snow was on the way
Already? Poor Mayor will be cold again without Salki! Come to think of it Mayor never interrogated Janus about what happened to the ponies. Did they died off? Got caught and killed? Where are the remains/graves?
>That last didn't really apply to Thistle
Well, she can ask Janus to make some horseshoes. When was the last time she took care of her hooves anyway? Ask Janus to make a file.
>Adilet might be planning something
Taking most of the weapons is concerning.
>They weren't expecting to find much
Mayor should have planned ahead and plant enough for at least herself. Also stockpile some hay or a substitute.
>implying that her usefulness was over
Well, he is not that far off. I mean Mayor barely brings any innovation to the table. There is so much she could "invent" which are super basic. Like butter, tea, sanitary procedures, now that the winter is coming storing ice for summer, proper bread (yeast), agriculture, taming a wolf puppy, ...
>or Mother, or Willow
There is a different reason for those..
>It had slipped out before she'd really thought it through
Luckily its Gol, she is not going to tell the others. And even if she does its nothing new.
>Mother said not to.
Why didn't Intor pushed Gol towards Salki? So if Willow fails she still wins.
>I will speak with Zaur
That promise was sure long lasting.

>captcha
Yes, its annoying. Especially with dynamic IP. Every first post of the day is 900 sec timer, cf not a robot then the gray mess.
They also filter out the character which I used for the backward postlink. But hey we were not halved to 5 pages like a few boards were. And now mp4 is allowed. One step forward , a bunch backward..

Thanks for the update!

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>>41668911

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>>41671632
>Hello.
>I'd like to rent the services of one of your mares, for the night.
>What are your rates? Are they differentiated by race?

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Caught this eating my cookies!

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>>41664306
snug the pon

>>41675206
Would fug

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lazy horse.
LAZY!

>>41677629
>not afraid of the vacuum monster
Brave pony.

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Give hoers treat

>>41678679
Why is she on sale?

>>41679126
black friday is this week

You know, most of the stories I've read depict corporations and society as a whole not giving two shits about safety, health, nor welfare of ponies. It's got me thinking, a sudden influx of slave ponies could revive the shipbreaking industry outside of Indonesia and India. As far as I know shipbreaking mainly fell off in wealthier nations due to the danger, whether by companies not being able to afford meeting safety regulations or by people not wanting to work such a dangerous job. But that's not an issue if pony safety isn't a concern.

>>41682200
>unique story idea
start writing anon.

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Mare has compiled the TPS reports you requested

>>41683301
Tardy Pony Slave?

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>>41683301
>bat slave
employeeeees

>>41683987
>food waste in the paper waste bin
Corrective action will be applied.

>>41683345
Total Pony Scritches. Apparently we are behind in our quarterly goals

>>41683987
employ eeeeeee s

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>Master have not brought home fresh mangoes today

>>41665718

No update today, I'm sorry to say. Had a crazy week and no energy left to write. Unfortunately most companies put some weird mythical importance on the year, so projects have to be done before end of the year, because it totally matters.

>>41685066
batpet is spoiled!
mango is out of season, there is plenty of other tasty fruit

>>41686666
>6666
You evil slaveowner! Batpets need to be spoiled!

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bedamre

>>41688893
SOS NOW I'M BUMPING YOUR THREAD FOR IT

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Little shit stole a slice of pizza!

Fact: Having a pony in your bed increases sleep efficacy by up to 16%.

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smugamre

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>>41691444
My Brother In Christ.
At least post an image or a token reply with your bump.

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>>41691758
Sorry anon, I had nothing.
Am dumb.

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Free poner acquired.
At this rate I'm gonna run out of room to keep them.

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>>41691973
it's cool, we all have brain-farts
the good lord knows i've had my fair share, at the most inopportune of times as well

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...as well as the good lord knows this thread is not for page 10!

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Pony made herself a den in the garden

>>41611471
Slave mares are nice.

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>>41688297

>>41694179
You have the right to remain adorable

>>41611549
>this is good too sometimes
uhhh but as opposed to what?

>>41694917
It's a blue board so I can't post it.
Ponies are aggressive in bed.

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>>41695487
Cuddles.
Now.

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>"M-master!"

>>41696545
Was the ear piercing her decision or was it made by her owner?

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Did we have any stories where the slave owners were not humans?

>>41696723
Trick question. Master always has the final say.

>>41696723
It's not a piercing
It's a clip on. She bought it with her allowance because she wants to look cool.

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Maid

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>>41697906

>>41697115
Helps her stand out to master

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Time for walkies

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>>41698300

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>>41700494

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Treat her like a princess, but don't let her forget what she really is

>>41701532
>but don't let her forget what she really is
Cute_____

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zooamre

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scrub the poner
clean and soft

>>41702695
>oi alroit then, who wants to come up ere' n feed Lyra, eh?
>yeah just get a handful of some oats, mate, she goes bonkas with snoofy whisker kisses

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desktop assistant!
quick learner
highly adaptable
buy now

>>41703340
Australian should be the canon accent for Anon

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hiding from punishment

>>41665718

> The haul wasn't big, but despite that a day away from the camp was a nice change of pace, especially since Thistle didn't need to look at all the new slaves. She'd had to make her peace with that, and she agreed with Salki that this was the only way their people could be safe in the long run, but she didn't have to like it.
> Some time away from it all, and with zero chance of Adilet staring at her with that strange intensity, was to be welcomed. When she also had chance to catch up with an old friend made it an absolute delight. She'd nearly forgotten that Gol was a kind, if young, nomad girl. She reminded her of some old friends from Ponyville, which was a rare thing in this unforgiving land, among these stoic and harsh people.
> Their chatter had died down on the way back, mainly because Gol was saving all her breath for walking, and Thistle didn't really want to speak with anyone else. They walked side by side in companionable silence, and despite being surrounded by the other women, the time felt somehow personal. Every now and then the mare caught Gol's eye, and they grinned at each other.
> It would be different from now on, she knew. She would find Gol sometimes and speak with her. They would have meals together, and she would teach the nomad girl to scratch that strange, sensitive spot just behind her ears. Until now, only Salki knew about that, and Thistle had missed his touch since he'd gotten married.
"[Will you come visit me sometimes?]" Thistle asked, forgetting herself for a moment. "[Don't speak, just nod.]"
> Gol rarely ventured out of the camp, and it showed. Thistle also figured the girl never really had to carry things, not with Intor's influence among their neighbors. Their walk wasn't particularly strenuous, or at least it didn't feel so to the mare. After her trip across half the world to the West and back, a couple of hours of walking, even through that annoying, cloying mud, didn't quite put her out of breath.
> The other women seemed to be holding up fine, too, but Gol had started huffing and gasping before long. It wasn't like they'd found a whole lot of root vegetables either.
> Not for the first time Thistle wanted to take some of Gol's load, to spare the girl the effort, but she decided against it. The exercise would do her some good, and Thistle didn't want to show favorites. Even more than that, she didn't want to bring the others' minds back to the idea of a beast of burden. It wasn't that long ago when every nomad with her would pile up their pickings on the mare and hardly give it any thought.
> Worse, they would take everything back when they arrived in the camp, including anything Thistle had managed to gather for herself. No one batted an eye at taking from a slave.

>>41705555

> She'd won some respect, and she gathered her own food, and carried her own burden. Most of the nomads in the camp hardly ever thought of her as a slave. She was pretty much just another member of the people, except that she had the ear of their new chieftain.
> She didn't think of herself as his property, but maybe he needed to say it? Would there be a small ceremony, or something? Were there some words that needed to be spoken? It was something to ask Salki, but in confidence. Saule was still on the fence about the mare, and reminding her that she was *technically* still a slave might give the woman some wrong ideas.
> All the more important to make other friends. There was Xuan and Buygra, of course. Those two surely didn't think of her as anyone's property. Hisein, she thought, also had a kind of grudging respect for her, even if he didn't show it. Then again, Hisein didn't show anyone much respect.
"[We're almost home. Look, you can see the glow from the fires.]"
> It was true, especially since the sun had set and shadows were rapidly stretching across the land. It had gotten quite chilly, and Thistle's breath misted in front of her face. The sight of tents in the distance was a welcome one, indeed.
> Maybe it was just her imagination, or maybe the announcement lightened Gol's step a little. If nothing else, the girl focused on the distance, which was an improvement from her staring down at her own feet, lost in the misery of the cold trudge.
> At least it hadn't snowed yet. That would have been worse.
> A strange sound caught her ears and her hoof froze in midair as she stopped. The woman walking behind her bumped into her rear and cursed.
"[Hush. I hear something...]"
> The others slowed and watched her intently, while Thistle lifted up her head and focused her ears. There had been a faint noise at the edge of hearing.
"["Drums!]"
> She leaned her head to one side and sought for it again. The beat was definitely coming from the tent.
"[Something is happening. I think I hear drums.]"
> The others stood in silence, staring at the distant tents, then Ainur spoke: "[I think- the fires are brighter. Something is happening!]"
> After a few moments the others agreed, then Nuray added a little doubtfully: "[Maybe it is the traders? I think I heard someone say they might come soon.]"
> That elicited some excited chatter, and even Gol found breath enough to ask: "[Do you think it's the traders?]" she asked, her eyes almost glowing in the faint light. "[I hope it's traders! We'll roast and eat! There will be beer!]"
> Thistle couldn't help wincing. She quietly promised herself she wouldn't drink, but she already knew it for a lie. If she could get her hooves on some, she would drink it, despite the taste.
> She could lie to herself and say it was the calories, and the grain, but the truth was that she would use any escape from this place she could, however momentary.

>>41705560

> There was no forgetting that this wasn't her world, and the camp wasn't really her home, and these weren't really her people. Her eyes strayed to Gol. Even if she liked some of them. She was content, if she squinted, and perhaps she event felt the occasional moment of happiness, but underneath it all was that deep longing to return. She was making the best of a bad situation, and whenever she became conscious of that knowledge it threatened to burst out as weeping.
> She snorted to distract herself and headed off at a quicker pace.
"[I guess we'll find out.]"
> Gol fell in step with her. The other women followed, still talking excitedly about the things they would trade. Salt, and spices, and honey were high on their lists, and beer was a close second. Linen cloth, and silver jewelry, to make their friends and neighbors envious.
> The mare glanced back to try and gauge how long her tail had gotten, and how much she dared chop off before the freezing winter. Maybe Salki would give her some things to trade, especially after her help with the Ruslan threat.
> Unconsciously, her hooves quickened until she was nearly trotting and there was a bit more bounce in her step. Traders always meant good times. If nothing else, they would all eat well this night.
> There was little doubt. As they came closer, she was sure she heard the rhythmic beat of the nomads' drums, and the slap of hands on wood, and their voices raised in song. Little else would bring this kind of celebration.

> ~~~~

> There was a small cheer when Thistle and her party walked into the camp. Most of the people were gathered around the central bonfire, and she could hardly see the line of traders through the bustle. It looked like they were doing brisk business.
> She itched to go and examine their wares and, even more importantly, ask after Rainy Day, but she had a couple of leather bags with the meager pickings of the day. She cast a regretful glance at the hubbub and headed toward Salki and Saule's tent.
> Before she got more than a couple of steps, a hand grabbed the hem of her cloak and pulled her back.
> "[Wait! I will put a few yams in the fire for us!]" Gol said.
"[Don't worry, I'll be right back!]"
> She paused for a moment, then jerked her head to one of the bags tied to her side.
"[The left bag. Take a couple of mine, too.]"
> Gol quickly fished them out, then began pushing her way to the bonfire. A few of the camp people were already cooking on the hot coals, and Thistle mentally marked Gol's place so she could find her after. It promised to be quite a feast, and the aroma of fresh bread was already spreading through the crowd.
> A number of the older children were already waiting nearby, all but devouring the scraps of sizzling meat with their eyes.

>>41705563

> They were used to stews and broths this time of the year, since it stretched what little meat they had, but today would be an exception and they would get their share of roast. No wonder they were dancing around and grinning like that.
> Thistle couldn't help but smile herself as she pushed her way through the crowd. Not even the sight of Adilet with some of his cronies could dampen her mood. Surely he wouldn't be weird tonight, not when there was a celebration!
> In moments she'd ducked into Salki's tent and shrugged out of her makeshift harness. She left it lying on her cot, but then noticed that she wasn't alone. The boy was there.
"[You're not out there?]"
> He shrunk away from her gaze and hurriedly shook his head. "[No,]" he squeaked. "[Mistress Saule said it is not for those like me. She told me to stay here and be quiet.]"
> The youth was rocking from side to side, and he kept looking hopefully at the entrance.
"[What's wrong?]"
> He averted his eyes and bit his lip, but eventually answered, if quietly: "[I need to pee, Mistress Thistle.]"
> She couldn't help but blush a little, even as she thought about going to look for Salki or Saule. She hadn't really interacted with their new slave, and didn't know what to do. Was she supposed to put him on a leash or something, so he wouldn't run away?
> No, that was stupid. There wasn't anywhere to go, and it was nearly winter. He wouldn't survive on his own.
"[If I go with you out from the tents, will you try and run away?]"
> His face lit up with sudden hope. "[No, Mistress Thistle! I promise!]"
> It still felt wrong, but she made a decision and beckoned with her hoof.
"[Come then. Let's get you sorted out.]"
> He half-rose, but then plopped back down on his rump. "[B-But Mistress Saule said I wasn't to come out.]"
"[It's fine. I say you can, as long as you stay near me. Understand?]"
> In a flash he was by her side, shuffling restlessly. He really had to go, it looked like. Thistle looked down to where his feet made small slapping sounds on the smooth, compacted mud.
"[You need some shoes, you can't go like that! It's cold outside!]"
> He followed her gaze down, then shrugged. "[It's okay, Mistress Thistle. I don't mind.]"
> She was about to insist, but then thought that it would keep him from making a run. The boy would want to return quickly to the warmth of the tent if he was cold. She closed her mouth, shrugged a little to herself, and nudged him out with her muzzle.
> The young slave kept so closely by her side that her flank bumped him a few times as they made their way past all the partying people.
> He wasn't the only Ruslan out and about, and none of them were having fun. Thistle's people had them running around on errands, fetching food and drink, or cooking. Thistle saw her companion looking mournfully at some of the others, many of whom he likely knew.

>>41705566

> She flattened her ears and hurried to get out of the crowd before any emotions had a chance to boil over. Saule would be very displeased if her actions started a fight or something.
> By the time they reached the edge of the tents, the youth was jogging to keep up, but he still wasn't complaining. She slowed down and walked more carefully on the uneven, rock-filled ground. She didn't want him to stub a toe, or fall in the darkness.
> Soon they were a good distance away from the lights, and she stopped.
"[Okay, go. I'll wait. Hurry.]"
> He glanced around, then turned and walked a few steps away from her. Thistle's heart went into her throat and she tensed up, ready to run after him if he took off.
> She only relaxed when she heard the liquid, splashing sound and smelled the acrid stink of human urine.
> It went on for quite a while, then stopped. A few moments later the boy's footsteps rustled through the dry grass as he returned to her. His face was shadowed, but she thought his eyes glistened as he watched her silently.
"[Okay, let's go back.]"
> He didn't answer, but when she took a step, he followed easily.
"[Look- What's your name?]"
> She heard his breath caught, but then he exhaled and answered: "[Rangi.]"
"[Look. We'll go to the big fire, and you can warm your feet for a bit. I'll get you a little something to eat, and then you're going back in the tent, okay?]"
> "[Really?!]" he gasped, but then nearly fell as he tripped over something in the dark. She slowed until he caught up.
"[You can't see in this. Here, put your hand around my neck. I don't want you to fall and break your leg.]"
> His hand trembled as he twined his fingers into her mane. She managed to hold back a hiss at his icy touch. When she moved, he followed smoothly, careful not to pull. At least she could pick a smooth path for them.
> She worried a little that Saule might be mad she'd countermanded her orders to Rangi, but she would like it even less if he couldn't hold it any had an accident in the tent. She also couldn't begrudge the poor youth a bite to eat, especially if it was Thistle's own yam.
> His life was hard enough, and the mare knew that from first-hoof experience.
> She was very aware of the merriment around them and felt like everyone was watching them, but none of the camp nomads said anything as she led Rangi to the fire.
> They quickly found Gol, watching over the tubers she'd buried in the glowing embers. If the young woman was surprised at her companion, she didn't mention it, despite the fact she kept staring at the boy.
"[Are the yams ready?]"
> Gol poked at the ashes with a stick until she unearthed one of the larger tubers. She prodded at it, then shrugged. "[I think so. Try it,]" she said.

>>41705570

> It was easier for the mare to inspect the vegetable, since she didn't feel the heat as much through her hooves. She pressed it, and found it quite soft. A bit more pressure broke the skin, and she inhaled the steam that burst from it.
> To the best of her ability to tell, it was ready. She deftly broke it in half and offered the larger piece of Rangi, who stared at it with wide, incredulous eyes.
"[Here. You can have this.]"
> She couldn't help noticing how he sat with the soles of his feet to the fire for warmth. Did he have no shoes, or simply didn't want to take the time and put them on when they left? Some nomads, especially younger men, were too full of such pride.
> Rangi juggled the hot tuber from hand to hand, blowing on it and taking a careful nibble every once in a while.
> Thistle watched him for a minute or two, then turned to her other side to look at Gol.
"[What are you going to trade from the traders?]"
> A smile spread across the girl's face and she leaned closer to whisper conspiratorially: "[I asked Willow to bring me Souslik!]"
> Thistle blinked at the unfamiliar word.
"[What is that?]"
> The girl held her hands apart. "[It's an animal, this big. It has a brown coat with white spots.]"
"[Why do you want them?]"
> "[I skinned and dried their coats. Traders always like them! They're very soft, but you need many to make a coat.]"
"[Oh,]" Thistle said flatly, unable to prevent her ears from folding down.
> Luckily, Saule didn't notice and kept staring at the fire as she went on: "[I will trade them for a linen scarf for the winter, and maybe for a bronze bracelet, just like Neha used to have.]"
> The name was familiar, but Thistle was sure it didn't belong to anyone in the camp.
"[Neha? Do I know her?]"
> Gol gave her a somber look and didn't answer at first. Only after several long moments did she say: "[Neha is gone. She was nice.]"
"[Oh. I'm sorry.]"
> They fell silent after that, and Thistle focused on her half of the yam. It was hot, and burned her tongue a little, but she didn't mind. It drove some of the chill from her belly.
> She'd remembered where she'd heard the name. It was the girl who had been taken, like Tashi, except they hadn't rescued her as quickly. She couldn't live with the horror of what had been done to her.
> Thistle's head bowed and she closed her eyes for a minute. She couldn't help but be aware of the boy sitting next to her. He deserved sympathy, and didn't deserve the life that was in store for him. He hadn't deserved to lose everyone he'd loved.
> On the other hoof, those people had done that to Tashi, and to Neha.
> Where did the endless cycle of violence and revenge end?
> She watched Rangi carefully pick apart his yam and stuff the pieces in his mouth, happy for a few moments that he was warm, eating, and not being beaten or worked.
> Maybe that was her purpose in these lands?

>>41705573

> Maybe her, having seen a better way in Equestria, could bring the change they needed?
> First, they would have to deal with Adilet, though.
> Even as she thought that, she became aware of the big man's roaring laughter.

>>41705575

Well, the turns have tabled well. Now it'll be lil' ol' Thistle's turn to take a bedraggled poor slave boy under he wing, so to speak. Will it remind her of those good Equestrian values, or will she teach him nothing but obedience?

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bump to read

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carry the poner
they like uppies

>>41705154
What did she break this time?

>>41705575
thanks again for the update writefren

>>41705575
The boy will be punished. And poor Thistle just wants a little piece of Equestria back

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>>41707272
She didn't do her chores! Her master came home to dirty laundry and unwashed floors!
The nerve!

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Mares owning mares...

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Pipp would make a perfect bedmare.

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Pony demands, pony receives

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>>41711906

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numget rebels against her master!

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the numgets have assembled for the riot

>>41705575
>Gol was saving all her breath for walking
Should have offered a pony ride!
>back to the idea of a beast of burden
No pony rides then :(
>There will be beer!
Mayor's pace will increase in speed.
>talking excitedly about the things they would trade
What a disappointment will it be if it turns out that the traders are not here, its just a random celebration or something.
>Maybe Salki would give her some things to trade
Well, she has a slave to trade away.
>couldn't help but smile herself
Umm, she is happy because the nomads get to eat more meat?
>put him on a leash or something
Is he currently tied down?
>and none of them were having fun
Heh.
>It was the girl who had been taken
Luckily they don't have to fear that anymore.
>First, they would have to deal with Adilet, though.
Speaking of Aidlet, ask the traders if they have some exotic metals. Maybe Mayor recognizes one as a toxic heavy metal. Slowly doing it to Adilet would not raise suspicion.

Thanks for the update!

>>41709350
Many ponies hold the false assumption that having a freedpony owner will be a less unpleasant experience than a human owner, when in fact, it is often the exact opposite case.

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pet the pon

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Newly captured, untrained ponies can take a while to adjust to their change in situation and do not have the knowledge or skills necessary to be useful.
Buy from a licensed and certified pony dealer.

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>>41713679

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>>41713679
pet the firepon too

>>41715946
The hidden forward control button

Get back here slave

>>41715946
pure bliss

>>41720357
Is she blind?

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Humans weren't made for the wage life. How could ponies be?

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Brushie brushie

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officebat is a competent, dedicated worker.

>>41721592
She will also sexually harass you

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>>41721592
>moonatik

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snug the poner
warm and soft, perfect for cuddles
buy yours today!

10

>>41716640
Firepon helps the heating bill in winter

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Floofa

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glitzy slaveamre

>>41705575

> The roaring bonfire felt warm on her back as Thistle stared at the cluster of merchants. Most of them had arranged their wares on thick blankets, and only a few had wooden crates they'd turned into makeshift tables. Some only traded from the various bags and sacks they had hanging around their body, or from a pack donkey they'd brought into the camp.
> Those were mostly trinkets, which didn't particularly interest the mare. A couple were selling sacs of stale, smelly beer, but the man Thistle was watching closely had wooden casks. There was a large crowd gathered around him for this novelty, and she nearly hoofed herself in the face.
> It was obvious in hindsight, but a wooden cask shouldn't be too hard to build for some of the tribe's woodworkers, and it would make it a lot easier to carry drinking water around with them. Of course, it was only recently the nomads had enough high quality wood to make it possible, so perhaps she could be forgiven for not having thought of it.
> After the trader was gone, perhaps she, and Janus, and Darkhan between them would be able to replicate the innovation, especially now that they'd both seen what it was supposed to look like.
> More importantly, there was the trader's caravan camped nearby with their animals positively loaded with sacks of grain, and rice, and root vegetables. They would also have salted and smoked meat, and perhaps fish, but those weren't as important to the mare personally.
> She screwed her eyes up to try and see her own mane and gauge how much she could chop off. If nothing else, she should trade for some salt and some grain, to tide her over the winter.
> An elbow jostled her side, and she glanced at the boy, Rangi, who was finishing off the last of the yams she'd found that day.
> Maybe she should have saved some, but there was an atmosphere of celebration, and Thistle had found her pony generosity flowing out of her. All the nomads she considered friends had gotten at least a quick bite, and Rangi had eaten better than any night since he'd been captured.
> It hadn't been a one way street either. Both Xuan, and Bulat had freely shared small bags of salt they'd purchased, and the roasted yams had positively melted on her tongue. Just the memory was enough for Thistle to lick her lips again.
> If only someone would bring some beer, though.
> Maybe she could stand to cut her mane a little shorter. The people in the camp, as well as the Ulan-Zuk, had become used to the color, and many of the younger ones wore simple bracelets woven with a few pink strands, but for the traders it was something new and exotic.
> She got to her hooves and turned to check on Rangi. He'd finally stuffed the last of that yam into his mouth and was busy chewing, so she nudged him with her head.
"[Come on. You need to be back to the tent, or Saule will get mad.]"

>>41727488

> The use of the name made him flinch, and he gave her a nod, albeit a sad one. He looked around at all the celebration with a hint of a smile, until his eyes swept past a few of his old clan. His grin faded and he returned his gaze to his feet. The important thing was that he got up when she poked him again, and didn't resist when she prodded him into movement.
> Their tent wasn't far, and soon the two were in the dark interior. It was a little warmer than the outside, although not by much, since the central fire had gone out and the chill was taking hold.
"[Wait here, I will get some coals.]"
> She didn't wait for Rangi's reply, and simply backed out of the tent. She turned around and let the flap fall back into place and nearly ran into someone. Her blood ran cold when she saw Saule, standing in front of her.
> "[Did you take him?!]" the woman demanded, her eyes flashing with cold fury.
> Thistle would have taken a step back were her rear not already pressed against the tent. Her ears folded down, but she held Saule's gaze and stood her ground.
"[Yes. He had to piss. You wouldn't want him to mess up inside, would you?]"
> Saule didn't argue the point, but she pointed a finger at the mare. "[How long did that take? I was here a long time ago, and the tent was empty! I thought he escaped! I was getting Salki and some men together to go hunt him down when I saw you putting him back inside!]"
> She might be able to lie, but as soon as Saule asked around, she would hear the truth. Thistle just sighed and scraped at the hard ground with a hoof.
"[Fine, I took him to piss, and then we sat around the fire for a little bit. I never let him out of my sight. He didn't try to run away.]"
> Saule seemed to loom over her as she put her fists on her hips and glared down at the mare. "[Yeah, that's very nice! Treat him like family! He'll forget his place and I'll have to train him to obey all over! Did you ever think?!]"
"[I-]"
> "[You said you wanted nothing to do with him,]" the tirade went on, right over what Thistle was trying to say. "[Fine, Salki says you don't have to, but then you don't stick your big nose in where it doesn't belong! Why are you always meddling with me and Salki? Is that all you ponies do?]"
> When the woman finally paused to take a breath, Thistle almost growled:
"[I just took him to take a piss so he wouldn't do it in the tent, and then we ate a few yams at the fire! Why are you so angry? This isn't about Rangi, is it?]"
> Rather than answering, Saule simply stalked past the mare and pushed her head into the tent. After a moment's observation, she barked at the boy: "[You! Get the fire going again! I expect my tent to be warm when I come back!]"
> There was a squeak from inside which might have been affirmative or not, but Saule took it as such and pulled back. She jerked her head at Thistle, and said: "[Come with me.]"

>>41727490

> There wasn't much else to do, so she hurried after, trying to catch up to the angry woman. They went a short distance away from the party, through an increasingly eerie quiet and empty camp. Thistle wanted to ask where they were going, and why, but held her tongue and followed Saule between cold and dying cook fires, and around clusters of tents.
> At long last, she paused to lift a seemingly random flap, and motioned Thistle inside.
> In moments they were both in the warm interior, where a crackling fire provided both heat and light. Thistle stared around her, a strange, tight feeling spreading through her belly.
> There was Hisein, but his face looked even more grim than usual. Salki and Buygra sat on his either side, and Zaur opposite. Saule took her place and patted the fur-covered ground for Thistle.
> She sat, but kept staring at the circle uneasily.
"[What's going on here?]" she asked carefully.
> "[Shush,]" Saule hushed her, but Hisein held up his hand to forestall whatever the woman was about to say.
> Thistle ignored her angry look, and fixed her gaze firmly on the older nomad's face. He spoke quietly, as if worried someone might overhear even outside the tent.
> "[We're going to do it. Tomorrow, everyone will be sick from the drinking, and slow on their feet.]"
"[D-Do what?]"
> Her throat suddenly felt dry, and Thistle couldn't keep her ears upright as she stamped down on the only possibility that popped into her mind.
> "[We'll have Adilet killed.]" Salki said, somberly.
"[No! No, that's a bad idea!]"
> She didn't quite know why she said it, not after she'd been thinking about it for so long. Maybe the method Hisein had described, of sacrificing one of the Ruslan men, was what really bothered her, or maybe her cutie mark had given her some new insight she hadn't yet had time to consciously grasp.
> "[It's decided,]" Hisein said. "[I've been making the man ready for some time. He foams at the mouth when he sees any Ulan-Zuk, and most of all Adilet. Tomorrow morning, he will be cleaning my firepit outside of a tent right in the way where Adilet will be leaving.]"
> Thistle shrank back, and her head shook even without a conscious decision, but she couldn't say anything.
> Salki continued with the plan, and pointed at the youngest member of their little conspiracy. "[Zaur will have his bow out. He'll be cleaning it nearby. The Ruslan will punch him in the face, and take the bow and an arrow. He will kill Adilet, and then-]"
> He looked ill for a moment, and had to swallow. "[We'll kill him. No one suffers.]"
"[It's wrong,]" she managed.
> Hisein watched her closely, then asked: "[Would you prefer Adilet? I think he knows you've been helping Salki in the talks. Or maybe he suspects it. He is telling Darga that you are useless. You promised him weapons, and haven't delivered. He's saying we should sell you to the traders, as a novelty. We'll get a good price.]"