//------------------------------// // Elder Rosensarch // Story: A Himaneighan Tale // by MasterFrasca //------------------------------// The mare bowed, showing her respect to Twilight. Her coat was a light purple, and her mane a radiant gold, almost warming the room all by itself with it’s pleasant color. Her wings were spread as she nearly pressed her head to the floor. A few moments of stillness passed, the drone of the humming yaks still reverberating around the structure. The pegasus raised her head once more, a small smile on her face. “My name is Galearis,” the pegasus informed us as I packed away my many scarves, noticing the building was warm enough to make one  forget they were in the mountains. “I was told you were gracing us with your presence.” Our new host turned her attention to me, asking, “But I was unaware you were bringing a guest.” “Her name is Moondancer,” Twilight replied for me, a big grin on her face. She really was enjoying having me around to boast about it seemed. “She’s an old childhood friend of mine.” “Moondancer,” Galearis repeated, the soft grin still ever present on her face. “That’s a lovely name. We at the Budan Temple have our own celebrations for the sun and moon that have their own dancing, among other festivities.” “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Galearis, but I assure you my name is just a name,” I replied. “I’m not much of a dancer, although I could give you an extensive history of the moon and the past it carries with Princess Luna, from horror stories to historical accounts.” “So I take it you are a scholar?” Galearis asked, a smile lighting up her face as she gestured for us to follow her. Before I had the chance to answer, she spoke again. “I’m one as well. I came up here to study the different herbal remedies and flora that this region has to offer.” We followed behind as she took us towards a set of steps leading down into the ground, torches illuminating the small path. The small stairwell was tucked neatly into the corner of the monastery, and the steps it held seemed to be very steep and narrow. It looked almost as if it were just big enough to fit two ponies side by side. “Where are we headed, Galearis?” Twilight asked before the pegasus leading us could take a step down. “I was told you were sent here to help with our yeti problems,” Galearis said, an unconfident look in her gaze. “So I’m to take you to our eldest priest to see what you can do.” “Then by all means lead on,” I said, glancing to Twilight and giving her a nod. I could see her questioning look ready to fire query after query, but she stayed silent as our guide continued downward. We silently walked a few steps down the cramped staircase before Galearis spoke up below us. “We’ll be in these tunnels for a bit unfortunately. The elders like to live deep in the mountain to avoid the harsh weather conditions outside. Plus they feel that they’re more in touch with Busdarna down there.” I recognized the name from my time in religious research. “Busdarna, you say?” I asked to nobody in particular. “I thought that religion was only practiced in the Crystal Mountains. I had no idea they practiced it this far north in the Himaneighas.” “Yes, that is where it originated,” Galearis called back to me. “Apparently it was introduced to the yaks here decades ago by crystal pony explorers who discovered Yakyakistan. I’ve learned a lot about the religion from my time up here. For as aggressive as the yaks seem to be, I think the focus on Meditation does wonders for them.” “Doesn’t seem to be true for all the residents,” I mumbled to myself, thinking of the sentry who had warned us to watch our step. “Not all of them practice the religion, Miss Dancer,” Galearis chuckled back, having heard what I thought was an inaudible mumble. Perhaps the walls reverberated more than I had given them credit for; we were making our way through a solid stone tunnel lit by only torchlight after all. At least the steps had finally given way to a mostly flat walk now. I stayed silent, blushing a bit at being exposed so easily. In the silence, I could still hear the low hum of voices traveling through the tunnel, almost amplified by the resonant structure of the rocks around me. Once more, whether from the cold or from the sound, a chill ran down my back, the voices sounding almost too close to the moaning of a creature deep within the earth. The mixture of silence and humming put me on edge, so I decided to keep the conversation going. “So where are you from?” I asked Galearis, peaking over Twilight’s ears to see the other purple pony as we trotted further and further into the winding tunnel. “How’d you end up here in Yakyakistan?” “Well, I’m actually from the Los Pegasus area. I grew up there with my uncle just outside the city limits,” she began, ducking under a rather low ceiling area. “I guess I’m what you call a city mare, although my heart has always been in the wilderness.” We continued further, the tunnel getting noticeably wider as we went on “I finished my schooling in one of the colleges at Los Pegasus, the Fairweather Academy, in Herbal Sciences and Medicine. After graduation, I was approached by one of the Deans of the college asking if I was interested in a research opportunity. I agreed and before too long, I was on a trip with three other researchers to Yakyakistan, even years before their Ambassadors met with you Princess Sparkle.” “Please,” started Twilight, blushing a little at the formality, “just call me Twilight. Aside from these wings, I assure you I’m not different from anypony else.” “If you wish,Twilight,” Galearis replied, giving a slight nod as we pushed deeper into the cave we seemed to be entering. I could hear a faint humming coming from the end, although different from what we had encountered at the temple. This one sounded as if only one or two voices were singing in harmony instead of a single long drone. “So you said a research team had been sent up here, yourself and three others,” I continued, interested in what they were up here for. “What were you all doing up here, and where are the others?” “Like I said earlier, I came up here to study the implications of herbal remedies this tribe can produce. These yaks can craft almost quasi-magical brews with ease, so we came up to understand the process and ingredients a little better. As for the others, they went back home. I elected to stay. I love this place, and I don’t think I would ever trade it for anything. Let’s just say I’m on year seven of my three month excursion up here in the Himaneighas.” “It sounds like you really love Yakyakistan,” Twilight commented, the voices I had been hearing growing in volume as we continued towards the end of the cave, torchlight dancing off the uneven walls around us. “I do, very much” Galearis replied as we abruptly came upon a large wooden door in the cave wall. Galearis turned to Twilight and me and took a deep breath. “For your sake, lets hope that the Prince is in a good mood.” “Prince Rutherford?” Twilight questioned, taking a subconscious step back. I shared in her concern, having heard how the delegations with the Yaks had gone from Twilight a few months back. “I thought we were going to see the eldest priest?” “And we are, Twilight,” Galearis replied, turning her head briefly towards the wooden door before turning back to us. “His father, former King Rosensarch, is the eldest priest now. He stepped down from rule a few years ago to study under the teachings of Busdarna and the Temple of Budan. Prince Rutherford denounces the religion, saying it leaves Yaks vulnerable to attack. Elder Rosensarch and his son were never the best of friends after the changing of the throne.” “So what happens if the two are in a sour mood today?” I asked, hopeful that it wasn’t the case. “Then I’m afraid our walk will have been for naught,” Galearis replied. “Rosensarch refuses to talk to anyone until he has gone through his many sessions of Meditation.” Listening through the door, I could hear the harmonic humming continuing to resonate around the cave surrounding us. “I take it the harmonics are not a good sign then?” “It’s hard to tell,” Galearis responded, kicking a small pebble underhoof. “Elder Rosensarch usually meditates alone regardless of his mood. He could be calm and peaceful, or under a lot of stress and tension, and I really wouldn’t know unless I tried to talk with him.” “Then I suppose all we can do is head in and see,” I commented, taking a step towards the door. Galearis held up a hoof, briefly blocking my way, before turning to both of us with a serious expression. “Let me talk with Rosensarch until we know if he’s in a good mood or not,” Galearis said to us, looking right into our eyes awaiting a response. “Please.” “You have our word Miss Galearis,” Twilight said. “We’ll stay quiet. After all, we’re here to make friends, not enemies. Right Moondancer?” Twilight turned to me and I gave a nod, seeing that she wanted to be certain I was going to uphold my end of the silent treatment deal. Galearis lowered her hoof and took a deep breath in, letting it out as she slowly pushed the door open, knocking softly on its wooden frame just loud enough to be heard over the humming. She entered the room as the humming went on uninterrupted, and we followed her in, awestrucken by the cavernous place. The room was a massive circle, a spiral staircase wrapping around multiple times before disappearing into the ceiling above, nearly three stories higher than a normal house’s rooms. On the far end of the door we had entered, a crackling fire sputtered sporadically, juxtaposing the constant humming coming from Elder Rosensarch, who was situated in the middle of the room atop a pile of strewn pillows and hay. Elder Rosensarch looked like your typical Yak, horns protruding from the top of his head, and scraggly fur bellowing over every inch of his being. He wore nothing but an orange robe draped over his back, and a wooden beard ring. His eyes were covered by his long hair, which made it difficult to tell if he had even heard us come in, but soon enough he gave away that he had heard more than we thought. As Galearis closed the door behind us, he held out a hoof and with very minimal movement, beckoned us to join him in his bedding of pillows and hay. I looked over to our pegasus friend and she nodded, pointing a hoof over and silently telling me to have a seat. I trotted over quietly to the edge of the spread, listening to his soothing drone, only penetrated by moments of silence due to his need to breathe. I stepped softly onto a pillow and shrugged my bags off, levitating them gently onto the stone floor beside me before scooting closer to the yak. It was only now that I realized how truly large he was in comparison to me. The elder yak towered a good couple of feet above me, sitting on the bottom half of his body, his top hooves touching as if he was praying. I took an involuntary gulp as I realized how easily this giant creature could overpower me. Twilight soon joined me, placing her bags next to mine and sitting down close to me, her wings outstretched to help her keep her balance in such an awkward sitting position. Galearis soon followed after and the four of us sat together; the sound of humming coming from the gigantic yak was completely transfixing me. I was strangely terrified of the lumbering yak beside me, but yet entranced with his one note song. I made a mental note that I might have to try some meditation when I returned home proper. Galearis had her wings spread and her eyes closed, lost in the mesmerizing atmosphere Elder Rosensarch was weaving. Soon enough, I heard a second voice join Rosensarch’s. The soprano voice was in perfect harmony with the basy voice of the old Yak’s. It took me a second to realize that it was Galearis who was making the sound. It added another amazing layer to the song. I had no idea that two notes could have such power before then. And suddenly, a three part harmony wafted into my ears as I heard Twilight’s vocal chords join the mix. A beautiful chord resonated in my brain, an air of suspense surrounding it as if it were missing something important. The structure needed one more note to be complete. I could hear it in my head from all those piano lessons I failed. I couldn’t place the chord exactly, but I could hear the note in my head, I just needed to find it in my voice. And then there were four. The notes bounced off each other, the room practically vibrating with the sound of our voices. It was amazing to hear, yet such a simple thing to sing. I could hear our voices waver with imperfections, but it felt better somehow to hear it that way. I took a breath every so often, but I felt powerful belting out my lower note along with Twilight and Galearis’s higher ones. I realized now why the yaks back at the monastery sang like this to meditate. It was uplifting and yet calming. It felt like I was floating on a cloud. I could barely describe the warm feeling in my gut. Just like that, the chord was over. I realized the other three had stopped humming only after the dull silence reached my ears. Opening my eyes I saw that all three of the people in the room were now looking at me in anticipation of the perfect silence. Once my eyes were open and I had blinked a few times, my face turned a deep shade of red as I felt embarrassed for holding my note for too long. Elder Rosensarch finally spoke up. “That was beautiful moment we had there,” the yak said, standing up on all fours and stepping off the cushy area of the floor. “Thank you.” “It’s always a pleasure to participate, Sir,” Galearis responded with a smile, looking up to the lumbering yak in front of her. “So what brings ponies here?” The elder yak asked looking around and seeing both Twilight and I still sitting on the pillows in the middle of the room. “Sir Rosensarch, this is Twilight Sparkle and Moondancer,” Galearis replied, getting up from the makeshift resting area to point to me and Twilight respectively. “They are visitors from lands far south, and they’re here to help us with the problems we have been having recently.” “Did Rutherford send them?” the yak asked accusingly, his voice gruff and his tone cutting the mellow mood the room had been in. Galearis hesitated in replying, looking back at me and Twilight with a worried expression. I could tell she had hoped that wasn’t the case. Twilight finally broke the tense silence. “Nopony sent us here, Elder Rosensarch,” She calmly stated, levitating her saddlebags back onto her haunches. Her horn glowed as a purple aura surrounded the bag on her left, the flap lifting up as she pulled a scroll from its depths. “We’re actually here to ask for your aid in getting us to our true destination,” she said while unfurling the scroll with her horn to reveal a map of the area, walking over to the massive yak to give him a better view. “Which is…?” Galearis asked. I was glad because I had thought that Yakyakistan was our final destination. “Here,” Twilight said, pointing to the bottom half of what looked to be one of the mountain peaks surrounding us. “This location, known as Bullheart’s Bluff, is where I was sent to investigate. I have a sneaking suspicion that whatever is out there is affecting your town as well.” I spoke up to aid Twilight’s explanation. “We’ve been hearing you’re having problems with something known as a Yeti.” A silence broke out in the room as both Galearis and Rosensarch looked at me. “Then someone spreading nonsense rumors,” Rosensarch replied heavily, looking back at Twilight's map to give it a thorough study. “The ‘Yeti’ is just a children’s tale about a creature that lives up here and preys on those who are too lazy to prepare for the harsh environment.” Galearis explained, walking over to look at the map with Twilight and Elder Rosensarch. “It’s supposed to be scary to warn children that hard work is necessary for continued survival. It’s such an old yak’s tale at this point, some residents might have blurred the line between fact and fiction.” “Then why would it have come up in conversation recently?” I asked, as Rosensarch returned to the middle of the room and resumed his place on the comfy flooring. Twilight rolled up the scroll and replaced it in her bags before trotting beside me to hear the answer. “Rutherford,” Elder Rosensarch replied grimly as if he spoke of a great evil. “Been spreading rumors of Yeti attack. Say they responsible for destruction of encampments and traders.” “Encampments and traders?” I questioned, furling my brow and shooting a confused glance in their direction. “The town needs food to survive, just like any other place,” Galearis responded as Rosensarch fell back into the meditative state we had found him in, humming away with his hooves held together as he seemed to balance perfectly in place, solid as a stone. “We get most of it from trading the resources here, like wood and various ores  to traders. They rarely come this far north though, as it’s a perilous journey, so we usually set up trading encampments. The place you mentioned, Bullheart’s Bluff, is one of those camps. We haven’t had contact with the workers there for days.”         Galearis shooed us back into the cave that we came from before continuing on. I assumed she didn’t want to bother Elder Rosensarch any further. “So have you any idea what might be causing these attacks?” Twilight asked while following Galearis. “Nothing solid, unfortunately,” Galearis somberly replied. “It’s been rough getting anyone down to investigate the attacks due to the weather. There’s also been a rather touchy debate about the political implications of it all.” “I sensed something about that the moment I mentioned the Yeti,” I replied trotting close to the other two as the cavern grew smaller and smaller until it would barely fit a yak once again. “It looks like Rutherford wants to blame a mythical creature and Rosensarch wants to blame…” I trailed off, a thought not coming to me, “something else. What I can’t gather is what he blames.” “From what I’ve seen from the past few weeks, I feel Rosensarch blames his son for most of the attacks,” Galearis responded, a sad look in her eyes. A few silent seconds passed as Twilight looked nervously back at me and then to our guide, who had kept her head forward the entire time. “You weren’t kidding when you said they didn’t see eye to eye, huh,” I said, breaking the awkward silence. “I didn’t think Rosensarch would ever suspect his son of committing heresy and attacking his own kind.” “I didn’t mean it like that,” Galearis corrected me. “I think the elder believes that his sons denouncement of his faith is causing some greater power to gunk up the works.” “Greater power?” I laughed. “He can’t quite possibly think the Princesses are behind this can he?” Twilight shot me an annoyed glance before explaining, “I think she means something more along the line of a greater being in the Budan faith, like Busdarna for example.” I didn’t even consider that she meant another “God.” “Right.” Galearis agreed with the assumption before turning to us. “Whatever is happening out there, we’d be grateful if you could help us figure it all out.” “We’ll certainly try our best to help you guys out,” Twilight replied with a warm smile. She certainly did imbue the Princess of Friendship when she wanted to. “But as I said before, we are in need of some aid. We could really use some winter gear and rations for our trip. I wasn’t certain how much you could spare, but we could certainly trade for most of it if needed.” I pulled out a bag of bits from my left sack to show that we were prepared to spend the money. “Moondancer, Twilight,” Galearis stopped and looked at both of us. “If you can stop these attacks from happening, then you’ve already paid more than necessary to Yakyakistan.” She continued up the path we had been down, finally reaching the stairs  where we began our descent into this tunnel. “I’ll ask around the Monastery and see if I can’t get you some food and clothing for the trek down to Bullheart’s Bluff, but I don’t think you two should be making the trip tonight.” Galearis commented. “There seems to be a large storm passing through tonight, and you’d have a death wish trying to make your way through it, especially in our dark nights.”  “Duly noted,” Twilight responded as the tunnel started to finally grow lighter, a draft softly blowing as we came closer and closer to the peak of the staircase. “Is there a place we can spend the night and try to get some rest for the trip ahead?” “I’d offer my house, but I don’t have very much room for guests. I only have one spare bed. We do have something set up upstairs, but we weren’t expecting two ponies to join us today. We had only heard of you coming, Twilight, so I’m afraid we only had one room in the Monastery prepared for a pony.” “If it’s alright with Twilight I can always take the guest bed while she stays at the Monestary. I don’t mind being split up,” I offered, glancing at Twilight who was considering the options. “Celestia knows we’ll probably be spending a lot of quality time together in the next few days.” “That’s very true,” Twilight said, flashing a small smile back at me. Turning back to Galearis, she continued. “Do you think that can be arranged? I can stay here while Moonie stays with you?” “Certainly!” Galearis cheerily replied, finally hitting the top stair, the mystical humming from earlier this evening having gone as well as the patrons who provided it. “It looks like everyone has gone home.” Galearis walked over to a set of stairs in the northeastern corner of the building before turning to Twilight. “Twilight, your temporary arrangements are up these stairs and the third door on the left. Feel free to ask any of your neighbors if you need something. They really are nice folks.” “Thank you once again, Galearis,” Twilight said, trotting over to the stairs. “Thank the yaks who run this monastery,” Galearis replied. “They’re the ones who set all this up. I was just tasked with greeting you guys at the gate. I’ll see you here in the morning, Twilight. I need to get Moondancer and myself to my place before the storm becomes too unbearable.” “Be safe out in the weather, girls,” Twilight warned us before heading up the stairs. Galearis trotted over to me as I pulled out my many scarves to wrap myself in. I could hear the wind whipping outside the door and I wasn’t about to go out there with nothing on. It sounded like the storm had already reached a dangerous level. “Let me grab my coat before we head out,” Galearis said, trotting over next to the front door as I wrapped another scarf tightly around my neck. Galearis opened a closet door and picked out a thick wool coat. It was the one we had seen when she had waved us in earlier. After a few seconds, the coat was bound tightly to her body, the fluff making her look nearly twice the size of the pony I had seen moments ago. “Stick close to me and we’ll be at my place before you know it,” Galearis said, throwing the hood up over her mane and pulling down the string as tightly as she could. “After you.”