Izzy's Ponygirl Journey

The hard slam of Grall's limp body on the cold stone floor echoed through the forge, kicking up dust that covered the room like a veil. Izzy was still screaming, but no one paid any attention to her - the fight wasn't over yet. Unbeknownst to her, Gribat had shifted the battle with Pelkor to Izzy's side, and he took the only opportunity to sever the last strap.

She jumped to her feet.

Never before had she been so focussed on a single target, her gaze fixed on the buyer as if through a tunnel: He was kneeling next to Grall and was raising his knife high in the air, ready to plunge the sharp metal into Grall's stomach and become a murderer for good - if there was any life left in the fallen goblin. Izzy lashed out and hit the villain with her horse shoe in the head, which exploded like a watermelon. It was a terrible mess, but Izzy wasn't done yet. She lifted her other foot and shattered Pelkors spine. The goblin's scream was terrible, but Gribat put an end to it with a quick cut.

It was a cruel few minutes, far removed from anything Izzy had ever experienced, but the silence afterwards was almost worse. Gribat looked at Izzy, they were both trembling. The groom was wounded and released Izzy's hands with his last remaining strength. Izzy took the gag out of her mouth and went to her knees beside Grall, who was lying on the dirty floor. Her whole world was shaking. Until now she had thought this was all about her life, but now it was about him too. It was bad enough that he had offered his freedom on the bet, but now he had risked his life for her. Deepest shame flooded her body, without her escape none of this would have happened. Perhaps as a friend he should have told her the truth earlier and listened more carefully, but this here was undeniable proof of his friendship. And yet everything seemed to have come to an end here.

She leant forward and placed a hand tenderly on his chest; his heart beat faintly for her.

"He's alive!" Izzy shouted loud enough for half the town to hear.

"Keep it down," Gribat warned her with a groan. "Stupid animal." He held a bleeding wound on his stomach. "We must leave quickly, we have no friends in this city. Can you carry him? Good. Sunshine and Lisande are waiting outside."

Izzy carefully picked Grall up, his face twisted in pain as he groaned with every movement. Enough goblins had already died that day, Izzy thought, and she certainly didn't want to lose her best friend - the only one she really needed. Despite her size, she was surprisingly affectionate as she hugged him to her chest, giving him some warmth as well. She felt his heart adjust to her rhythm and calm down.

Together they crept out to where Sunshine and Lisande were waiting for them. To Izzy's surprise, they were not tied up, even their horse bits were hanging loose.

"Surprise!" exclaimed Sunshine and Lisande at the same time, but their faces froze at the sight of the goblins. Izzy's heart leapt, but it wasn't the right time for a warm greeting.

"What happened? Wait, tell us later," Sunshine asked with wide eyes. "We have to leave quickly. I saw guards back there, they must have heard the noise. Gribat, hurry up and jump in the saddle," she demanded sharply and Gribat followed his mount's command.

"Put Grall in my saddle," Lisande demanded, but Izzy shook her head.

"Grall stays with me!" she said more harshly than necessary, but the other horse understood.

Gribat was barely in the saddle when Sunshine set off, leading the five of them through side streets and dark alleyways to the well-guarded main gate. "My first owner lived near the city, so I know my way around a bit. A bastard called Pelkor."

Izzy laughed. "A goblin with no backbone. Forget him, he's history."

"Good!" said Sunshine. "We have to get through the gate. They won't let us out like this; not with Grall in Izzy's arms. We have to run through, but they'll come after us. Best we distract them and you just keep running."

"What if I'm against it?" asked Gribat in a huff, clearly not very fond of the role of weight in the saddle. "You're really rebellious for a ponygirl..."

"Then you're welcome to walk. But if you don't have a better suggestion, then put the horse bit in my mouth and hold on tight, because it's about to get wild! Are you ready?"

"Ready," Gribat replied tight-lipped.

"Not you, you blockhead! Buttercup! You're only needed in the dark," Sunshine snarled at him, clearly enjoying giving a goblin a piece of her mind.

Gribat probably didn't have the strength to argue further that day, and not just because of his wound. "It's all right, you don't have to be mean!"

Izzy took a deep breath. She looked at the unconscious Grall against her chest and nodded. Whatever happened, she would not share her mother's fate - she would save her goblin, whatever the cost. "I'm ready." She glanced briefly at the gate and readied herself; even if it might mean running straight into Oozol's arms and him never letting her go. For a brief moment, an unwanted thought entered her head: why not just run away again? Who would stop her? Her freedom lay beyond this gate, but if she brought Grall home, everything would be the same. She didn't just shake the thought aside, instead she took it, folded it into a neat little package and tore it into a thousands little pieces. To hell with freedom, what was it worth if you didn't have the ones you loved with you? Besides, she still had a few things to say to Oozol.

"I'll run ahead, you slip through the gate as soon as they follow me," Sunshine said.

"Is it bad that I'm a bit scared?" asked Lisande uncertainly.

"We're all scared," replied Sunshine. "I don't want to get caught in this shithole either. Don't worry, they won't catch us."

Gribat put the horse bits in their mouths. He rattled and some blood ran from the corner of his mouth, it was a harsh contrast to his green skin. The ponygirls ran off and all of them - including Gribat - made a hell of a racket, attracting the attention of the guards at the gate. The goblins in their armour tried to stop Sunshine and Lisande, but the ponygirls simply knocked them over and ran past them, whinnying loudly, but not too fast so that they still had a chance to mount their horses and follow them. Izzy crept up and slipped out almost unnoticed. She was already outside the gate when she heard one last guard call out behind her. Her legs flew over the cobblestones and she took off at a gallop down the street.

The shiny coin slipped out of her intimate parts with the sudden movement - she had forgotten all about it in the excitement - and was left behind as a reminder for the town of the precious ponygirl they would never see again.

The guard's horse had no chance against her and soon Izzy disappeared into the forest. All that remained was some dust, an unused brand and the bodies of the men who had tried to steal her freedom.

"Sunshine? Lisande? Gribat?' Izzy called into the darkness, but nobody answered. The night was cold and dark, but most importantly, Izzy had lost her sense of direction again. She had been running straight ahead off the road, hoping that this would take her home, but she wasn't sure. Without her companions she would probably never find the way back, she feared and continued to search, but she remained alone. She found herself a little hollow and laid Grall on her bosom so that he would be comfortable and warm. It was a terrible sight: without medicine and bandages she could not treat his wounds, only the knife lay somewhere in the dirt far away near the town. The healthy green colour had disappeared from his face, giving way to a pale grey.

"Izzy...," Grall stammered deliriously.

Izzy startled. They were his first words since the injury. "Grall? Grall, can you hear me?" She gently stroked his boiling forehead, but he didn't open his eyes.

"Dad, the other kids are so mean, but Izzy is my best friend... Dad, she let me ride her. It was wonderful... Dad, I don't care what horses you have, I just want her. She's the only one in the world I want to ride on... if she doesn't want to, she doesn't have to... Father, we have to find her, she's probably in danger.... I won't bring her back if she doesn't want to... I'll never let her down."

She gave him a kiss on the forehead. "And I won't let you." There was that strange feeling in her chest again, but now it was joined by a mother's fear of losing her favourite child. But she wasn't ready to give up just yet.

The next morning, she ignored her growling stomach and picked herself up with aching bones. She took Grall in her arms again and set off in the only direction that seemed suitable. Despite her hunger and thirst, she put one foot in front of the other and her legs carried her for many kilometres during the day, and more at night. The journey demanded all her reserves, but she knew the clock was ticking for Grall and she had no time to waste. There was no sign of her friends or Gribat, they must have taken a different route - she could only hope hers wasn't the wrong one. It was day again, and finally evening; her legs were burning like fire and there was no denying it: she needed a break and somewhere to hide. The low sun shone through the dense foliage and the outline of a ruin loomed before Izzy.

Izzy sneaked up slowly, but the place seemed deserted. She darted past the collapsed walls and laid Grall down on a bed of leaves and branches in front of the statue of a fat goblin king with a broken nose. The place seemed strangely familiar to her, as if it came from a memory born of a dream.

She shook off the thought. "No one will disturb us here tonight," Izzy whispered and lay down next to Grall, who was plagued by feverish dreams again. She held him close and could do nothing more than hope that he would live to see the next morning. She prayed silently, although she never did, and asked for rescue or for someone to lead her home. Her whispered words drifted like mist through the forest and disappeared into the darkness.

"Good morning, Buttercup," a familiar voice whispered directly into her ear and Izzy cracked open her sleep-dusted eyes. The world was a blur and her head was as heavy as her legs.

"Grall, you're..." she began, but then she recognised the voice. "Drex!" She swallowed. "How did you find us?" Izzy shivered, this wasn't the kind of help she'd been praying for, but now he was here. His ponygirl stood tethered to a tree, watching her curiously.

"What happened to him? And where's your saddle?"

"We were attacked," she said briefly. She slowly straightened up, ready to defend herself against the goblin if necessary. Her hands were free and she wouldn't let him catch her; nothing would stop her from getting Grall home and to safety. She put one foot back and tensed her muscles.

Drex raised his hands. "I didn't expect that either. You two were a good team, besides, ponygirls rarely carry knives. That wouldn't do any good to the throats of us goblins either." His ponygirl giggled and winked.

"Can you help him?"

"No, it looks too severe, and there are no doctors or medicine in this area. Your farm is three days away, maybe two if we hurry. A long way, but probably the best I have to offer."

Izzy eyed him suspiciously. "How did you find us anyway?"

"You snored loud enough to scare all the birds away. Besides, your fervour for the ruins has rubbed off on me. They are very fascinating. And you can even find valuable treasures in some of them. Worthwhile treasures, if you know what I mean."

"So you're a treasure hunter..."

"If you don't need me, I'll be happy to leave."

"Wait." Izzy sighed. "Please help us. We can't let him die."

"Fine, but what's in it for me? No offence, but a few short rides don't make us friends."

Izzy chewed on her lower lip and searched for a long time for something she could offer him. But as a horse she owned nothing, everything belonged to Grall, including herself. In this world, she was just a valuable animal, nothing more... of course! she thought. "I am your reward. Or rather: the finder's fee. I ran away from my owner. He will reward you if you bring me back."

"Your owner is lying half-dead in front of me." Drex tilted his head slightly and scrutinised her.

"His father will pay, Oozol's farm is known everywhere."

"Good, that sounds fair. How much will he give me for you?" His grin was wide enough that Izzy would have liked to shove her horse's hoof down his throat; but she was depending on him. Later, perhaps.

"At least 5,000 thalers. Certainly more if his son arrives alive. He's generous when it comes to his son."

"That would be a lot of money for any other animal, but you're something special. Why shouldn't I leave your rider here and just take you with me?"

Izzy jumped forward and looked down at the goblin. "Because nothing in the world could save you from my wrath if anything happened to Grall. I crushed one goblin's head and broke another's back to protect my -" she swallowed, remembering who she was talking to "- owner. Help me, or I'll make you! You have a choice. Or not, actually."

The goblin had taken a step back at the words. "You're probably the most unusual ponygirl I've ever met. Agreed, I'll take you back to your stable and I'll save Grall's life - if I can. But you're too dangerous for me like this. You have to be a ponygirl or I won't help you."

"And where am I supposed to get the gear for this?" asked Izzy harshly, snorting. "If you delay and anything happens to Grall, you'll pay for it." Izzy looked around and the realisation hit her like a lightning bolt; she stumbled back a few steps as her father's words raged like a thunderstorm in her mind, "A Fat Goblin King with a broken nose from times past." She covered her ears, but the words didn't stop, finally she shouted them into the world so that they would finally be quiet.

"Your statues are hardly any prettier..." Drex grumbled, but Izzy simply pushed him aside.

She knelt in front of the statue like a supplicant and pushed aside a few small plants that hid the view of a niche beneath the stone feet. She swallowed and pulled out her mother's ponygirl clothes. Drex whistled in surprise and took the saddle and bridle from her.

"How did you know that?"

"This is my mother's gear, it was stored here when she stopped being a ponygirl."

Drex nodded slowly and looked her straight in the eye. "A ponygirl for a ponygirl." His voice had taken on the power of a storm and a thousand little stars flashed in his eyes. He blinked and it was gone. "That makes sense. Our God takes strange paths sometimes, but the goal is always clear: you humans are subject to us, and so it shall always be."

It took a moment for Izzy to recover. "Oh, shut up!" she grumbled, but she just wanted to get away from the statue as quickly as possible. Without resistance, she had the saddle placed on her back. As soon as it was on her skin, a sharp wind swept through the forest and made the trees tremble. But she hardly noticed, her thoughts only centred on her mother and the strange feeling of carrying more of her stuff; she took her place, even their shared name was engraved on it. Only the Prince's mark made it clear that this saddle had belonged to someone other than Izzy. Goosebumps ran down her back as the still amazingly soft leather wrapped around her arms. Every curve of the material nestled gently against her body, the saddle seemed made for her - so it was true, she looked like a sister to her mother, the saddle left no doubt about that. Izzy shivered at the thought, despite the many changes of the last few weeks she felt particularly close to her mother at this moment, she could almost smell her in these clothes. I wonder if she would be proud of her, of a daughter who had willingly submitted to a goblin to follow his reins and whip under his saddle?

The saddle was followed by the bridle and finally the bit. Izzy hesitated before opening her mouth. "Take us straight to Oozol. We'll only sleep if we absolutely have to!" Izzy ordered before the horse bit robbed her of her voice. It was a very intimate experience to share a horse bit with another ponygirl, but especially with her own mother, who was probably not much older than when she had last taken it off. The taste was surprisingly neutral, and yet Izzy thought she recognised something familiar; it was probably just her imagination, and yet it had a wonderfully soothing effect.

It was strange, but despite the many rides, they had never really found anything in the ruins; most had been looted long ago, or had never been more than an old outpost anyway. But now she realised that sometimes it wasn't the destination, but the journey. The ride. The adventure. Travelling to the ruins had shaped her into what she was today. And whatever lay ahead of her in the coming hours and days, at least her mother was now by her side. Nothing bad could happen. As if in confirmation, the sun rose above the trees and a bright sunshine warmed her body.

"Tack!" shouted Drex and Izzy instinctively obeyed. She was a ponygirl again and her body reacted on its own. It felt familiar, normal and predetermined. She felt Drex place Grall in the saddle and secure him with some straps he took from his ponygirls saddle bag. Before Izzy could react, he tied her reins to his horse's saddle. Izzy snorted angrily, but he only slapped her lightly on the bottom. "You are my pledge that my efforts will be worthwhile. Therefore, I will make sure that you reach your master." Izzy didn't like that, of course, but if it was necessary for Grall to live, it was acceptable. She nodded and got ready.

Drex climbed into his saddle and gave his animal the spurs.

The ride that followed surpassed everything that both ponygirls had ever had to endure in their lives. Drex spurred his horse on non-stop and could only give the ponygirls the absolutely necessary breaks. The whip remained in his hand and was used extensively whenever his horse slowed down even a little. Izzy, on the other hand, would have liked to run even faster, but her stamina was probably much better than her partner's, even though she had been travelling for longer. Perhaps it was her disposition, or perhaps it was simply that her concern for Grall drove her on, but there was something else that gave her the strength she needed. It was a presence like a shadow in the corner of her eye that she felt beside her. A twin, with a magnificent bridle, mighty hooves and a powerful neigh that called directly into Izzy's mind. Her mother had lost her prince, but now it felt like she wouldn't allow her daughter to feel that pain.

Izzy grinned and neighed enough as the hot sun burned on her back. Maybe it was all in her head, but in the end it didn't matter; as long as it helped her save Grall, anything was fine with her.

Light was followed by darkness, darkness was followed by light. They only ate when they had to and only drank when they couldn't help it. The nights were short and the hours on the move long. Izzy's legs burned like fire, while her feet bled in her boots. Sweat had not run down her body for a long time, her body was too thirsty to spare the precious liquid. Her breathing was short and fast, veils were moving around in front of her eyes and she could only guess how the exhausted ponygirl in front of her must feel. The monotonous sound of the two horses walking in unison rang through the forest and it was the only thing that kept Izzy sane. She had never been so absorbed in her role as a ponygirl; she was on the verge of summoning every last ounce of strength in her body just so that her rider - even if he was half-dead in the saddle - would reach his destination. It was the complete devotion of an animal to its master, but all that mattered to her at the moment was that Grall survived.