Winter's Warm Side
Frost glittered around the perimeter of the icy, glassy surface. A cozy fire seemed to warm the atmosphere in the little log cabin through the transparent substance as a pale sunny-tinted hoof slid across the surface of the window glass, eliminating some of the steam now gathering on the inner side. Her soft voice echoed through the air, seemingly calm.
"How did we end up here?" She asked her unexpected companion, giggling, as she polished off the window, gazing out to the layer of snow rapidly gathering right outside.
Fluttershy glanced down at the little chipmunks, making sure they were keeping up to her pace, as she balanced a small basket of nuts on the small of her back. The little critters clucked and chattered at her heels, their cheeks stuffed with nuts, as they approached a tree with a hollow at the top.
"Great," the shy mare murmured, low enough for her friends not to detect. One of the little dears took a few hazelnuts out of her wicker carrier just as she set it down. They, as if under a small alliance, hauled the assorted morsels up the trunk, trailing up through the bark like ants. She smiled after the little creatures, having helped them finally get their stock ready for the winter.
Only then did Fluttershy realize the crackle in the wind, the briskness of the cold. It was early December, and the snows shouldn't have arrived for another week there in Ponyville. But as the mare glanced up at the upper atmosphere, the sky, the clouds shifted rapidly right in her wake, revealing a meanacing-appearing cluster of pitch-darkened clouds.
The pony let out a small squeak of surprise at seeing the fast turn-about of the weather. She quickly whipped around to check on the little chipmunk family, only to see them already gone, small snowflakes starting to appear already in the footprints they had left behind.
Fluttershy stepped on the points of her hooves, nervous as she felt a small storm coming on. Her little tree cottage was too far from here to scurry back to now; she'd have to find refuge somewhere in the Everfree. She darted her gaze in every cranny of her surroundings, her scarf trailing in the wind, as she galloped around the forest, trying to find some form of refuge. The wind and falling snow picked up in size and speed as she went about, eventually becoming a full-blown blizzard. Finally! A small hut revealed itself just arond the corner of an oak, and Fluttershy chirped with delight.
Hoofprints trailed in the snow, just following the pale mare as she bolted to the paneled door. She knocked, to no answer, at least, not one that she could hear through the wind. Upon opening the door, she glanced up and shook out her coat just to get a glimpse of red. She blinked, finding a buffened, seasoned stallion at the tip of her nose. Fluttershy squeaked, surprised at his speed. "H-hi, Big Macintosh."
Fluttershy turned back to the red-coated stallion, raising an eyebrow. "So, what is Big Macintosh, the farmer, doing out here in the forest, then?"
The pony tilted his head up, looking her in the eye. "Um..." Fluttershy smiled as she clopped silently over to a armchair, setting her hooves on the arm and her chin on top of her forehooves, quite relaxed. "I reckon the storm drove me away from the outskirts of the farm, and that's how I ended up here," he shrugged.
The mare across from him giggled, blushing. They had only been here for a matter of a half-hour, but her heart fluttered at seeing him at a difficulty with his words. She had grown quite used to him within that time, though. Maybe it was just her heart warming up from the hearth, but a small shiver went up her spine when her eyes landed on him, his coat glistening with orange from the fire, in contrast.
Fluttershy looked around the the small cabin, feeling awkward as the conversation fell silent. There were only a small, green rug and two armchairs occupying the space, set aside the pair of Ponyville citizens.
"What do we do now, then?" Fluttershy asked, locking her eyes with his, but shying away at her braing snapping, telling her her mistake. The stallion hesitated, staring out the window. Was that a scarlet patch staining his cheeks, or was it just her vision? "...Seems like we'll be stuck here for a mite of time," he started, "So we might as well make the best of it, while we are stuck here."