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// 3 - Carthusian 
// Story: Horse Of The Rising Sun 
// by TCC56 
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Stirrup Hill was the closest settlement to Mount Incitatus - and settlement was the only term for something so small. On the northern side of the Unicorn Range, it sat in the awkward spot of just a little too far from the nearest major city (Tall Tale, if you didn't mind crossing the mountains) and a little too close to the Smokey Mountains (and so dangerously within banjo range). The place wasn't much more than a crossroads stop for the local farmers and miners to buy supplies and offload their wares to be shipped elsewhere in Equestria. A dry goods store, a bar-slash-restaurant, a run-down hotel and a train platform - that summed up everything about Stirrup Hill aside from the well.

It was good enough for the pair, however. It had food and water to buy for their coming hike.

Two days of walking south later, they passed out of the foothills and into the mountains themselves.

Tempest - carrying the lion's share of their gear - looked up at the craggy peaks. "So... not Mount Incitatus."

Nodding, Starswirl pointed his hoof slightly to the tallest mountain's south-east. "No - there. The gap between the twins Balius and Xanthos. Climbing a mountain to a secluded monastery is certainly dramatic but it's impractical, particularly when the most common traveler is injured or sick. We founded the Temple in the lee of the two smaller mountains - there's a valley there." 

The gentle clip-clop of hooves on stone droned on for a few minutes as they continued their journey. 

In time, Tempest posed another question. "So why here at all? Why not near Canterlot or some other major city?"

"Canterlot wouldn't be built for decades," Starswirl pointed out. "It would only come about after Luna's fall and this place was built before the Princesses first appeared. As for the rest... the foremost is that it is a location of natural power. A place where the veins of the world's mana cross. Part of the hope was that having the flow of natural magic close at hoof would help the healing process, and we did see some results of that for those who were merely exhausted. You can fill a cup with water from the rain or much faster if you dip it into a river." He glanced to Tempest, taking her thoughtful nod as permission to continue. "There are a handful of other such places in Equestria, but not many. And most were in more dangerous or more far-flung locations. Equestria was newly born when the Temple was first built, and its borders much smaller than the sprawling nation you know today."

Tempest nodded again. "That makes sense. I guess I just presumed that if you're transporting the sick and injured, you'd want where you're going to be easier to reach. Or at least closer to a town."

Ducking under the low-hanging branch of a scraggly tree, Starswirl chuckled. "Spoken like a strategist, Commander. You think in terms of logistics and maneuver - and do not think I mean that as anything less than a compliment. The landscape and the ponies have changed over the centuries, however. This place was once not as remote as it is now. Once we reach the ruins, you'll see that there was a small town around the monastery itself that, at its height, would have put excuses like Stirrup Hill to shame. Not as populated as even somewhere like Ponyville today, but in its own time? Large enough to be mostly self-sufficient. Sadly it seems that the years have not been kind to this region, and most of those who lived here have moved on."

Craning her neck, Tempest futilely tried to get a better look ahead. "About how much longer, did you say? I can't see the valley."

Starswirl dismissed her concern with a shrug. "Perhaps a day's trot. You likely cannot see it because of those low-lying clouds. We're outside the reach of the pegasi with the Bureau, so wild weather is to be expected here."





A day later, and they were bedding down for the night when Tempest said it. 

"Perhaps a day's trot, huh."

Starswirl had the good grace to flush with embarrassment at the reminder. "I suppose my old legs don't travel as swiftly as they once did."

Tempest snorted. "Or you're so used to teleporting everywhere that you've lost your sense of distance."

The old sage blushed brighter - and the companions laughed. 

Once their chuckling was over, however, Tempest shifted to a more serious tone. "We're going to have trouble, though. We only brought enough food and water for an eight day trip - three there, three back and two on site. We could stretch it to ten if we were careful, but if the trip is much longer we're not going to have any time to explore the ruins."

Just as he had the day before, Starswirl dismissed her concern - this time with a wave of his hoof. "We can extend our stay easily enough. I have the location of that small village memorized - I can simply teleport us back there once we're finished. So that's an extra three days of supplies even without skipping lunch."

The suggestion didn't entirely mollify Tempest - she still frowned deeply. But she also didn't raise an objection.





Tempest managed to eventually win a concession from Starswirl - a detour in their path. Rather than taking the long way around the base of the mountain named Balius, they veered slightly to go across the mountain's foot. Not a difficult climb, but it would cut a few hours off the journey and buy that much more breathing room for exploration. 

What she hadn't counted on was that stormfront of wild weather. 

Rather than blow off with the rising winds, the stormclouds that they had spotted covering the valley stayed where they were. Their presence transformed a short hike over the rocky base of the mountain into a wind-whipped trudge. Worse yet, despite the spring temperatures the wind was pulling snow down from the higher heights of the surrounding mountains. Not heavy flakes either - tiny motes that were more ice than snow, carried on the wind like darts. 

Both ponies had some protection - Starswirl's cloak and Tempest's frock - but neither had come truly prepared for such weather. There had been no need, after all. Winter was long past and they weren't going anywhere near the snowcaps of the mountains. But yet there they were, pushing forward across the rocky terrain through a withering barrage of ice.

Another gust slashed over the pair as they braced against a sheer rock-face. Tempest shouted something but her words were lost amidst the howling wind and the rabid jingle of Starswirl's bells. She shouted again, this time with a thrust of her hoof ahead. 

Starswirl shook his head. They at least had shelter from one direction, and he was in no mood to leave it.

Rather than continue the fruitless argument, Tempest grabbed the sorcerer by the scruff of his neck and dragged him away from the wall. Starswirl thrashed against her, failing to fight her strength and the raging storm at the same time. He stumbled and fell, knees scraping against the ice-rimmed stone. His head rose again, eyes furious and mouth open to shout a round of curses at Tempest - and then he saw where she was pointing. 

Barely visible through the snow - a light. The warm amber speck of a lantern waving in the wind. 

He understood and nodded. 

The pair pushed forward, minutes stretching on as they fought their way to that tantalizing glow. He fell twice more; she once. But drawing closer, the light resolved itself to a burning oil lamp nailed to a wooden door. What precisely was behind it was unclear - but it led into the grey stone of the mountain and that meant it wasn't out in the slicing wind and snow.

They less opened the door and more lunged through it.

Crossing the threshold couldn't be put into words. One moment the world was a blur of stinging white and grey with the wind tearing away all other sounds and biting deep into their bones. The next, everything was bathed in a warm orange glow and all was silent save for the crackle of burning logs. 

The small fire in the middle of the alcove guttered and struggled, flinching away from the few moments of icy wind while the door was open. Tempest was quick to kick the door closed again with her rear hoof, slamming it tight. Both she and Starswirl lay on the bare stone of the alcove, panting as they regained their bearings and feeling in their extremities. 

Blinking away the flakes from her eyelashes, Tempest took in their new shelter. It wasn't a large space - perhaps five pony-lengths square - but it was well lived-in. The small firepit in the center had the soot ground deep into it, marking this as a place long occupied. Two buckets of water - likely snowmelt - sat on the left wall beside a small table built from boxes of canned food and covered in camp cookware. To the right was a single bedroll and a stack of tools - two picks, a shovel and a small kit of some sort in a leather case. Beyond the fire was a passage leading deeper into the mountain. 

But before that? Sitting at the fire was an Abyssinian. Far from home, the cat was hunched by the flames, poking at a pot hung to cook. He was small with a spotted tawny coat and thick muttonchops across his cheeks to frame a broad face. Surprise lined his features - fortunately not fear or panic. 

It was an opportunity, not an ambush. Tempest struggled to her hooves. "S--Sorry for interrupting," she stuttered as the cold shivered through her again. "It's a little chilly out."

And the Abyssinian broke out into deep, chortling laughter.





His name was Rufus. Names were as far as the conversation got before warming up and drying off took priority over social niceties. Fortunately Tempest found that Rufus shared her attitudes about that - practical matters were more important than pretty words. 

Huddled by the fire with a pair of borrowed blankets, the two ponies shared some of their trail rations with the cat in exchange for some of his soup. All three ate quietly as the wind battered the door with futile rage. 

Eventually Rufus left his spoon in his large tin soup cup. "Should probably ask what you're doing here, ponies."

"We," Starswirl haughtily commented, "Are searching for a set of ancient ruins in the valley ahead. Unfortunately my hasty companion wanted to take a shortcut and steered us directly into this storm. I thank you for your hospitality and we shall be on our way as soon as it passes."

Unexpectedly, that made Rufus laugh. His laugh wasn't jolly or even particularly friendly - he laughed like a bucket of gravel being poured down a hill. It was rough, harsh and scattered all over the place before ending in a clattering cough. "The storm won't pass."

"I beg your pardon?"

Rufus said it again, this time looking Starswirl right in the eyes. "The storm won't pass. Ever." His back crackled as he straightened up. "And you owe your hasty companion your lives."

Starswirl gawked, struck momentarily dumb by both the news and the sass. Fortunately Tempest was able to pick up the slack. "What do you mean, 'ever'?"

"I mean ever," Rufus repeated. "There's no pony in any generation that even remembers a story about this storm not being here. It's as much part of the mountain as the rocks are. Wind and snow for all of eternity. And that's why you're lucky you came here. Down at the foot of the mountain, the snow and ice have been piling up for decades. It's solid - mostly." The cat leveled his eyes at Starswirl. "One moment, you're walking on what seems like firm ground. The next? You step on a part that hasn't been compacted as much. You sink like it was quicksand, and suddenly you're buried under enough snow to hide a castle."

The pair of ponies were silent, taking that dire thought in. Starswirl - now chastised - half-mumbled his question. "You've seen it, I presume?"

Rufus nodded solemnly, and spoke no details. "Further up the mountain does little good, either. Once the slope becomes too sharp, the winds would tear you from the ground and hurl you down. You were lucky to stumble into this narrow band where neither danger is as high." 

"And we were fortunate to find your camp," Starswirl added with a bow of his head. "Again. thank you for your hospitality. Since the storm won't lift, I suppose we'll just have a rest and then move on."

"I can point out to you the landmarks I use to navigate to the nearest town," offered the Abyssinian. 

Starswirl shook his head. "Thank you but no. We're going ahead, not back."

Rufus flicked a black-tuffed ear. "Did you not hear me? The storm is eternal. Going forward is suicide. This is the last safe place, and even I know I'm half mad for being here."

"Why are you here?" Tempest jabbed her spike of a question into the conversation's rails. 

He looked over to the small pile of mining gear by his bedroll, then back to Tempest. Rufus said nothing, but his eyes were drowning in sarcasm. 

Tempest tightly pursed her lips, ears flat. "You know what I meant."

"Finding a good scrape is hard. Ponies and diamond dogs control most of the good sites in Equestria, and there's no room their plans for an independent like me. But here?" Rufus waved a hand at the tunnel going deeper into the mountain. "No pony has ever put a pick to these rocks. The locals all think I'm insane to work this deep into the storm, but I make a good living on my own terms." 

A nod of understanding, and Tempest dropped that line of questioning away. "So nopony's never gone deeper into the storm?"

"None that came back," Rufus clarified. 

They all dropped into silence after that - the ponies in thought and Rufus because he was used to lonely quiet in the storm.