There was a campsite deep in the hills nearby due to it being a central point to several settlements and areas nearby. It was a short walk to observe various locations with binoculars. You often caught raiders here, more likely scouts for bigger groups monitoring goods going into and out of sanctuary and sending word ahead of the traders leaving to set up ambushes along the route.
You pause next to a tree and slink behind it to vanish as you hear movement.
“Thought I heard something.”
“Think it’s more of those tasty pot belly horses?”
“Lets hope, boss wanted to start a breeding operation for barbeque. C’mon.” As one says this you hear a second set of steps slowly following, a person likely standing from a sitting position.
You wait as they start arcing through the trees nearby, discreetly sweeping for game.
You go right around the tree to take cover from the one going uphill in case they heard something as you line up a shot on the one going slightly downhill. Thankfully you only needed one to give you information and they both sounded like they had it. Two shots center mass sent them sliding down hill.
“Jake!? You alight?” The one to your left called not having seen what happened but heard the fall and slide. When they didn’t hear a response or angry complaining they drew their weapon. They scanned the area and began pacing in your direction. As they drew nearer you holstered your weapon and slowly slide around the base of the tree to keep it between you. Now behind them you stepped forward and delivered a blow to the kidney before jumping on and locking your legs around his waste from behind and looping your arms around his and locking your hands behind your head. Naturally they fell onto you but that was of little concern as they struggled to try and use their weapon on you but you eventually wrench their arm enough that they drop it in the struggle.
“Now then, about those pot belly horses…”
A short interview later you discover the base camp of the raiders and then drag Greg back to red rocket to the roadside pillory. You make your way back to the campsite and search for the corpse the eyebot had located. You eventually discover a series of recently buried bones and assemble what little of the remains you can along with a slightly bitten component whose serial was thankfully still intact. You deploy a relay grenade and send the bag back to retention.
(short chapter today. Cant remember the name of the location I was going to use and cant find any reference to it online so im going to have to load up my game to reference the area. Also don’t want to describe a location in the wrong area if im misremembering where it’s located.
It was a prewar community going uphill from a couple of boats on a river/creek if anyone remembers it. I think it’s named in notes etc but cant remember it for the life of me.)
(filler side story)
“Wha’chu tink dat is Earl?” a man adds leaning on his porch railing before spitting some chaw.
“Aint no molerat…” Earl replies.
“e’yup.”
“Not a dog…”
“e’yup.”
“Too big to be a rad hare…”
“e’yup.”
“Well cant let it keep eating the tato’s.” The man groans standing from his rocking chair.
“e’yup.” Klem adds heading into the house to grab the small game rifle.
“Good nummies for bestest tummy babbehs.” The powder blue mare with whitish gray mane and tail adds nibbling at a tato she had plucked from low on the climbing support.
Earl pauses midway on his approach having picked up his shovel and lowers it to lean on it. “Huh. . .Hey Klem! It can talk!”
“Eeep.” The mare squeaked with a slight squirt of poop landing on the base of one of the plants.
“You’re shitting me!” Klem adds coming out with the rifle while walking over.
“Hewwo human.” The mare adds nervously being alone with much bigger creatures. “Speciaw fwiend find nummies for soon mummah.”
“Huh, yoo’s right.” Klem adds standing next to Earl.
“Well those are our crops. I’ll forgive what you’ve eaten so far but anything else we need payment for.” Earl adds in a firm tone.
“Wha’ payment?”
“I’ll assume you don’t have caps. It’s when one person has something, be it a thing or a service and offers it to the other person for a different thing or service.” The fluffy looked around.
“Wan gwassies?” the mare queried.
Klem laughed slightly but earl remained firm. “The grass is already mine up to that broken fence and I don’t need more…” Klem leaned in to whisper something and Earl nodded and considered how to describe lawn maintenance and weeding. “You willing to eat the plants other then the one’s on the sticks for us?”
“Tink soon mummah and speciaw fwiend can do dat…” She adds sniffing around to make sure none of the plants seemed icky and nibble a few for verification.
“Speciaw fwiend, wha do?” A Cobalt unicorn with a brass mane and tail adds surprised she wasn’t nesting near the good nummies he had found for her.
“Humans say nummies and wand am dere’s. Say wan fwuffies gib and do tings for dem and dey gib nummies.” The unicorn looked particularly indignant at this as they strode up to the humans.
“Dis smawty wand nao. Dummie humans weave or get wowstest huwties.” They added stomping their hoof for emphasis.
“Looks like we got a little raider in the making Klem.”
“e’yup.”
“Best to correct that.” He added hefting the shovel back they were about to spear the smarty.
“Pwease no huwt speciaw fwiend! Babbehs nee’ daddeh!” The mare pleaded as she waddled in their direction as the smarty crouched as if to spring forward and attack.
Earl sighed, he remembered losing his own father at a young age to super mutants. Instead of a fast thrust he simply stepped forward and moved the shovel head to the smarties side as they tried to dodge the slow moving object only to get pushed onto their side and pinned to the ground. “Klem, get a switch.”
“Haut’ Dawg!” Klem added looking about for a suitable punishment tool.
The mare tried to help to little avail and the smarty screamed indignantly and flailed its hooves as it tired itself out. “Five switches for trying to steal from us and threatening violence.”
Klem hopped in like a toad and went to town. “NUU pwease, no sowwy stick! Smawty no knu what do wong!” The smarty panicked as their rump was lashed first. Klem side hopped and delivered one to each leg after that. “Pwese nu huwt weggies! Am good weggies, screeee!”
“Set of pipes on this one…” Earl adds with a grimace. “Keep yelling and you’ll get more.”
Klem proceeded to deliver one to the soft belly before hopping back to the rear having earlier noticed the fluffies testies and delivered the last stroke across the balls.
“Klem you fucking sadist~” Earl added but was quickly drowned out by the smarties pained cries before they died down to muttered whimpers about ‘speciaw wump huwties’. “Now that we understand each other. Bad behavior will be punished. You two eat any plant but the tato’s and you’re allowed to stay on our land as livestock.”
The mare looked curiously. “Nyu daddies?”
Klem was giggling like a mad man prodding earl for a confirmation. “Well, is ya?”
“Sure, why not. Im sure we’ll figure out other services we can trade for.” Earl added eying their coats.
