//------------------------------// // 107 - Arrival in the North // Story: Age of Kings // by A bag of plums //------------------------------// As Emerald Edge stood on the icy borders of the Frozen North, she had felt that they had come such a long way since the day she arrived in this world. She had never thought she would have to leave Canterlot to venture so far, but now she had already been through the Kievan Horse plains, the Saddle Arabian desert and soon, she would be traveling across the grounds of the Frozen North. It had taken them another day to return to the Kievan Horse lands, then another three to pass through it. Emerald hadn’t thought it would take that long, but the Kievan lands were indeed massive. “I thought the Kievan lands were cold enough…” Nightfall Gleam said beside the spymaster as she grabbed another fur coat off Golden Nugget’s horse to put on. “I feel my nose might just fall off in there…” Sombra and Parisa were just as affected if not more. The dancer was at this point nothing more than a ball of furs and blankets balanced in her saddle, while Sombra’s teeth chattered and he hugged himself to ward off the chill. Emerald herself had donned four layers of furs, cursing internally at how weak the human body was at dealing with cold weather. She would’ve lasted much longer if she were in the form of a pegasus. “This is just like the sand from Saddle Arabia!” Spectrum Song picked up a fistful of snow. “Only colder!” “How do people live in these conditions?” Jewel Pin asked. “For that matter, why would Morn bother conquering such a desolate place? I have not seen any signs of civilization since we crossed the border!” “I wager they’re like the Kievan Horsians.” Light Speckle peered through a hood at the blowing snow falling from the sky. “They have too much land to watch the whole border. I’m sure as we proceed in, we’ll come across it. Then we’ll know just what we’re dealing with out here.” The group rode on, looking all around for any clues as to where they might find another settlement. Their horses had trouble pushing through the thick snow, but they seemed to be making decent pace. The wind howled around their heads, forcing most of them to pull at their coat hoods, trying to keep it away from their heads. They had been riding for almost two hours, by Emerald’s count, when Honeygold gave a shout. “Look! Ah can see a wall over there! It’s a city!” What looked to be a wall soon turned into a mountain range as they got closer. It wasn’t as tall as the Coltcasus Mountains, but it was rough and jagged, like thorns in a bush. Between the mountains was some kind of archway, with a second floor that could overlook the surroundings. Emerald expected it to be a sentry post to mark their settlement border, but there was not a soul in sight. All she could see was a single bow sticking out of the snow, its string snapped. “Be on your guard,” Emerald shouted to the rest of them. “Something doesn’t feel right here.” “Morn must’ve already been through this way.” Posey also picked up on the lack of guards at the post. Gabriel squawked from her shoulder. “Who knows how far he has already gotten.” “We must ride for it anyway!” Sombra shouted. “Our steeds cannot stay out in this snow forever, they are not accustomed to it!” “Neither are we...” Parisa shook under her coats and sneezed, her snot instantly freezing as it left her nose. There was a murmuring of agreement and the group turned to ride for the archway. They passed by some more broken weapons that stuck out of the snow like miniature tombstones. “Something awful happened here…” Apple Bean said as she looked at a snapped off spear. “But there ain’t no bodies.” “That can only mean Morn has inducted more people into his ranks.” Posey warily put a hand on her bow on her back. “We must find the capital and drive the Canterlotians from this place.” “But where do we go now?” Honeygold looked around the snowy landscape. “Ah don’t see any towns for miles!” The group passed the archway, where they also found a watchtower that was likewise abandoned. But it was shelter, and there was even a covered stable attached to the side. The inside of the watchtower was dark and smelled of mould, but it seemed solid enough and there were only small holes in the walls, so they elected to stop there and recuperate. A fire was lit in the pit and everyone gathered around it, holding out their hands to warm them up. “I must say…” Sombra stretched his hands out to the fire. “At least you do not need to wash up in weather like this. But it is very unbearable. These horsemen are of hardy nature.” “I hope this wind dies down soon,” Nightfall said as she inhaled some snuff from her box. “It makes for poor traveling to not be able to see more than a mile ahead.” “Am I the only one who wonders how Morn’s troops would fare in this weather?” Light Speckle asked. “Being mind controlled by Excalibur does not make them immune to frostbite and death of cold.” “Tis true,” Emerald nodded. “Perhaps they have not yet conquered this kingdom. We can only hope.” Sombra also seemed to think this, and shadows curled around his form before settling back into regular darkness. The fire cast spooky shadows on the walls. “Well, I’m going to check out the rest of the tower,” Spectrum stood up and jabbed her finger to the stairs. “I’ve been sitting in the saddle for so long, I need to stretch my legs. Anyone want to come with me?” “I’ll-I’ll come.” Guard Streak cleared his throat and got up, a hand on his scabbard. “Th-There might be something up here. I’ll watch your b-back.” “Alright,” Spectrum grinned. “Honeygold, you coming?” “Y’all go on ahead,” Honeygold waved. “Ah’m gonna stay here for a bit more.” The two squires mounted the stone steps and proceeded further up into the watchtower. Emerald watched them go, then listened to the sound of their feet tromping around on the ceiling. She was glad that the young ones had found something to occupy their time with, a small adventure, if she would. Honeygold put a hand close to her mouth, then she leaned closer to everyone. “Ah’m givin’ ‘em a little time together. They need it!” “Me too! I would’ve volunteered, but I’m good at picking these things out!” Parisa exclaimed through all her coats. “So I’m staying here!” “Is that so?” Sombra looked intrigued. “I did not pick that out. Does anyone else here have someone special, then? Jewel Pin?” “Ah, my dear High Rise!” The seamstress clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. “Oh, I do long for the day to be back in his arms! Unfortunately, he is still in Canterlot, where I hope no harm has befallen him.” “High Rise is a clever man,” Nightfall assured Jewel Pin. “I am certain he is fine.” “Then yourself, Mage Nightfall?” Sombra gestured to her next. Nightfall inhaled another pinch of snuff. “My position doesn’t offer much chances of courtship,” she sighed. “Maybe once we set everything right, I could try looking for someone to spend the rest of my life with. As of now, nobody.” “Nobody?” Jewel Pin recoiled back as though she had just been stabbed. “Surely you have seen the courting of Secret Fire.” “Secret Fire? No!” It was Nightfall’s turn to recoil. “He ruins all my work! He burns all my notes! I cannot count how many times he has done so. Sure, he has his good moments when we built Canterlot’s siege weapons, but not him. Anyone but him.” Sombra rubbed his chin. “An interesting situation. Interesting indeed. Then he looked to Posey. “How about yourself, archer? Do you have one as well?” Posey thought for a moment before opening her mouth. “There was Sir Ga-” The sound of thundering footfalls above cut her off. A few heartbeats later, Spectrum and Streak came back down the stairs, the former holding a satchel and the latter carrying a wooden box. “Hey, look what we found.” Spectrum put the satchel down by the fire. “Some kind of miniature torches.” She took out a small reed that had been soaked in oil. “There was a flint and steel in here too.” “A-And we found this,” Guard Streak set down the wooden box. Inside were about a dozen tube shaped objects that were attached to sticks. They looked almost like… “Fireworks,” Light Speckle said at last, picking up one of the tubes and examining it. “These are fireworks.” “Fire-what now?” Parisa looked puzzled. Then reached through her ball of coats and picked one up. “So… they are working fires? How do you start it? Do I just toss it in the fire?” And she threw it before either mage could stop her. The tube landed between the sticks of their campfire and began to sizzle.  “Get down!” Nightfall screeched, hitting the deck and putting her hands over her head. Everyone reacted to Nightfall’s instinctive dive and they all rushed away from the fire, just as it detonated in a flash of light and a flurry of sparks. Little shooting stars ricocheted around the room, spitting sparkles as they went.  It was over quickly, but the bright flashes left spots in everyone’s vision for a few minutes. Fortunately, nothing had been set alight except for a tuft of hair on Spectrum’s head. Posey leaned over and pinched it out. “Wow,” Parisa said at last after the group deemed it safe to sit up again. “That was definitely not what I was expecting.” “I have never seen anything such as that!” Sombra exclaimed, picking up the remains of the firework. “What use would the people of this land have for these bottled explosions?” “Dunno,” Spectrum shrugged.  Guard Streak tapped her arm and pointed to a small piece of parchment that had been wedged in the box with the fireworks. Spectrum pulled it out and looked at it. “It’s a chart or diaphragm,” she announced. “Diagram,” Nightfall corrected. “Yes, that. It seems to show that should this tower become under attack, someone should light one of the fireworks as some kind of signal. Oh, now I see why these are here. Clever.” “I suppose they never got the chance to use it.” Posey inspected the box of fireworks. “But perhaps we could use one to get their attention? So that the people of the Frozen North will know we are coming?” “That… or Morn’s army could see it and know we are coming.” Emerald stepped towards the tower’s exit and peered out into the darkness. Night had already fallen and it was pitch black outside. “We do not know this land, nor what has happened. We should take shifts, while we sleep.” Posey unslung her bow and looked out through a hole in the watchtower’s wall. “I shall take first watch. We shall resume travel at first light.” “Then I shall take the second watch.” Sombra pulled his coat closer to his neck. “I am one with the darkness. It will be to my advantage if an enemy were to try to sneak up on us.” “Then let us waste no time and have a meal before we get some rest.” Jewel Pin excitedly dug through their provisions pack and whipped out two loaves of bread. They were almost frozen solid from their time out in the snow. After a cold but filling dinner, the questors turned in for the night. Some of them went upstairs to sleep, owing to the somewhat cramped nature of the tower’s architecture. After relieving Posey of her post, Sombra sat on the top floor, gazing out into the whirling snowflakes for any sign of trouble. When the group began to rouse from their sleep the next day, many of them were confused. “Uh, why’s it still dark?” Honeygold rubbed her eyes. She felt well-rested and refreshed, but the skies were still black and opaque. Emerald and the others had no answer for this. There was no way that all of them had gotten up too early, and the lot of them had been adhering to a strict sleep schedule for the whole journey here. So why then was the sun not in the sky? “Strange… the sun should have been up by now.” Nightfall sifted through her notes. “Unfortunately, I have no research into this place. I do not have an answer.” “We went through five shifts,” Emerald Edge said, the last one to have taken watch. “It should be day. Why is it not day?” “I don’t know!” Nightfall pulled at her hair and squatted down. “It makes no sense! I need to know why!” “Enough.” Sombra slid out of the shadows beside them. “It is still dark. Even though it should be day, it is. We do not have answers, so let us move on. We must find this land’s capital.” “Where will we even look? We don’t know where to go.” “Aha.” Sombra smiled and raised a finger. “As prince of Saddle Arabia, it was necessary to study the world and the various peoples that inhabit it. The capital of the Frozen North is called Nidaroats, and if memory serves, we will need to proceed north and around a large body of water. I suppose we will know it when we see it.” “You know this, but you do not know why the night remains?” Emerald was unimpressed. “I learned of the kingdoms around us, not what goes on with their days or nights.” “Right.” “It doesn’t matter. We should move.” Sombra picked up one of the packs and headed out of the watchtower. “The king is right. Let us move.” Emerald sighed and followed suit. They packed everything back on their horses, then set off once again into the snowy wastelands of the North, hoping to find signs of civilization soon. The first town they came across was a small fishing village, filled with huts and shacks, but when they walked through it, they didn’t find a single person. They surmised that Morn must have turned everyone here too to his bidding. Emerald didn’t know what use he would have for fishermen, but it just fueled her disappointment for him. Posey found signs of a stony path leading away from the village further into the wastelands. She had figured that without anyone to deal with the falling snow here, the pathways ahead had become obscured. That just meant their path ahead wouldn’t be easy to find. “Of course it won’t be easy…” Emerald grumbled. With the sky still dark, the group traveled on, wondering when the sun would come over the horizon and light their way. The darkness seemed oppressive and heavy, and even Sombra, who was at home in the dark, began to wish for the sun’s warming rays to touch them. At the front of the caravan, Emerald held up a hand, the signal to stop. “What’s wrong, Em?” Spectrum asked, reaching for her sword. Emerald cocked her hooded head to the side. “Does anyone else hear that?” Everyone in the party listened hard. It wasn’t easy with the icy winds blowing all around, but Honeygold, who had the best hearing, nodded vigorously. “Ah hear it! Sounds like a lot of feet, or hooves.” “I hear it too!” Parisa piped up. “Sounds like it’s getting closer as well.” In the darkness up ahead, the shapes of many mounted humans began to emerge. Instinctively the questors drew their horses into an easily defensible circle and drew their weapons. Out of the swirling snow, about two dozen humans wrapped in fur and steel armor rode, their faces hidden by horned helmets and thick beards. Their horses were broader and stockier than the steeds that Sombra had given the questors, and plowed through the snow easily. Emerald squinted at their heads, trying to see if there was a golden glow coming from their eyes. It was very hard to tell with the snow blowing all around, but Emerald didn’t think she saw any light from their faces, which might mean that these horsemen could be trusted. Still the party did not lower their weapons as the horsemen galloped into full view and surrounded them. Some of the horsemen had weapons drawn too, but didn’t look to be in a mood for a fight. “Ho! Halt! Who are you? What is your business in the jarl’s lands?” the biggest horseman asked loudly, his voice easily carrying above the icy gale. “He speaks your language.” Sombra hugged his coat tightly around his body as the wind blew. “Fortunate. Good sirs, we have come from far to aid you in repelling the enemy in your lands.” The man hopped off his horse, and it was then that they noticed he wasn’t the biggest. His horse was the biggest. This man was only slightly taller than Emerald. “More Canterlotians…” he said gruffly, then looked at Sombra. “And you? I do not recognize your accent. What are you?” “I am Saddle Arabian,” Sombra said carefully. “The dark ruler of Canterlot invaded my nation, but we pushed him back. We thought it fitting that Saddle Arabia help remove the enemy from other lands also.” The man eyed him, then ran a hand through his thick red beard. “I have never heard of you folk. Though we have recent problems with your Canterlot king, yes. Then you Canterlotians, you do not stand with your king?” “He is no king of ours,” Emerald spoke. “He is a usurper. He took the crown for himself and the king’s blade, Excalibur, so he might conquer the world and its kingdoms. We want no part in that except to stop him.” “Hmm, worthy cause. I do not know if I can trust you, but you do not sport the golden eyes the Canterlotians here have displayed. It is not natural, these invaders.” The man took off his helmet, revealing a head full of red hair like his beard and a battle-worn visage. “They say nothing, do not seem to sleep, and can coordinate without any signals. If I didn’t know better I would say there was witchcraft behind it.” “Then there is much you do not know about your enemy.” Emerald looked at his party. “Perhaps if you were to take us to your king, we could tell him all he needs to know to combat this foe.” The red-bearded man turned his helmet over in his hands. “No one can see the high king,” he said bluntly. “Nidaroats is currently surrounded by the enemy army, and no one can get in or out. I can, however, bring you to the capital of this hold. The jarl will be glad to listen to your tale, stranger.” “The king is not at your capital?” Spectrum wore a confused face. “Ah, I failed to mention.” Sombra looked at the group apologetically. “The Frozen North is divided into holds. These are like miniature kingdoms, each with its own capital and ruler, known as a jarl. All the jarls answer to the high king, who is in Nidaroats, the jewel of the North. Is that correct, master…?” he addressed the leader of the other company. “Rake. Rake Thornbush. But I am better known as Rake the Red.” The man planted a fist to his breastplate. “You know a lot about our culture, strange man. And we do not know anything about yours. Where is your land?” “Beyond the Coltcasus Mountains and Kievan Horse lands.” Sombra turned around and pointed. “That way.” Then he turned back and stuck out a hand. “I am Sombra, king of Saddle Arabia.” “A king graces us with his presence?” Rake laughed with his group of large men. “An honor it is. You are a king, but you do not bring an army with you.” “My men still need to protect my kingdom. But…” Sombra smiled at Emerald and the rest. “These people are more than enough to help remove that dog of a false king from your lands.” “How did your kingdom take to the invaders?” “My own army was greatly depleted during our own war with Canterlot,” Sombra admitted. “Besides, the more people that engage the usurper king is a greater risk of them being taken over by him.” Rake seemed to have reservations about Sombra’s explanation, but didn’t press him for more information. “Very well. We’ll leave it at that for now, but the jarl might have more questions for you people. It’s unheard of for another nation to come to our aid like this. Even more rare for a king to come to our aid. Even now, the jarls are conflicted about joining the battle.” "Why is that?" Spectrum asked. "Surely all these yarlees must agree that letting Morn conquer them is a bad idea." Rake mumbled something and put his helmet back on. "This is a poor place to hold a serious conversation like this. Let us take you back to the jarl's hall, and we can continue there. Then you can tell him all about invaders and false kings."