//------------------------------// // All That Remains // Story: Agate's Vigil // by Wingnut //------------------------------// The approaching group was moving slightly off to the side of Agate's clearing, entering Snowpitt through the nearby path. She noticed the lithe shapes of the scouts trotting slightly ahead of the column, but they were far more relaxed coming back than when they were moving out. Or maybe they were just tired. It was still a little hard to tell from the distance, but the explorer's postures seemed somewhat stooped and weary, unlike the proud, straight way they held their necks and legs before. Regardless, reaching the village boundaries reinvigorated them, and they were soon moving past Agate's clearing, deeper into the village. Trotting out to meet them, Agate examined the ponies for any obvious differences. For one, they were not accompanied by any crystal ponies, which was entirely expected. Besides looking a bit worn down and being short a few pieces of equipment, though, everyone looked fine. No ponies were missing, which was probably a good sign, not that Agate expected them to run into any dangerous monsters. She was sure that wild beasts of all kinds were going to take up residence in the abandoned valley and surrounding mountains over time, but that would still take many years. A ghost of a smile crossed Long Stride's face when he saw Agate. "Hello, little one. Don't tell me you've been sitting and waiting for us the entire time." "No, I wasn't, I found plenty of things to do and ponies to talk to. So, how did things go? Did you all make it there and back okay?" "Hrn. Yes," The chieftain grunted in affirmation. "I'm afraid I'm not really in a fit state to tell you much right now..." "No, no, of course not! I understand, I'm not that impatient. And, uh, I can already guess that you probably haven't found any crystal ponies." The large stallion shook his head silently. Agate nodded, the short conversation petering out. She decided to accompany the group to their destination, trotting beside them. Icicle, the appointed leader, was on the other side of Long Stride, both stallions hitched up to their sleighs. He looked even more tired than the older members of the expedition, but kept up the pace, his eyes narrowed, ears back, and lips pressed together tightly in an expression of stubborn determination. Agate wasn't the only tagalong for long. As they went deeper into the village, other ponies quickly took notice as well. Some approached to offer congratulations, while others quickly galloped off, likely to spread the word. By the time the caravan reached the ceremonial grounds in the middle of the village, Frostbeard was waiting for them, greeting the two leading stallions with a nod. "Welcome back. I see you're tired, so I only have one question: Is there anything we need to act quickly on? Danger, or ponies needing help?" Both Long Stride and Icicle shook their heads. "Nothing," The younger one replied. "The valley is as barren as Agate said it would be. We have no injured, nor any monsters or ponies following us." "Very well then. Go get some rest." With a nod, the stallions parted ways. The rest of the column began dispersing as well, the various ponies going to their respective encampments and homes. The northerners and westerners stayed in their small groups, while the Snowpitt locals went every which way, some of them accompanied by excited family members, offering them snacks and discreetly checking them over for any injuries. Some of the ponies that were following the group stayed around, chattering excitedly about all the possible things the expedition might have found in Dream Valley. Discreetly, Agate listened in on a few, but found most of them to be rather silly. She was pretty sure they didn't find hundreds of lost crystal pony spirits or anything of the kind, for example. She decided to slip away, before they started asking her about her thoughts. Agate honestly didn't know what, if anything, they found, and wasn't interested in speculating idly. Knowing that they'd likely have a big meeting about it in the Great Hall tomorrow, she decided to wander around the village for a while. Debating on whether to go find something to do or just try to clear her mind a bit, she noticed a few shamares trotting by in the distance. Looking in their direction, the filly stood still for a few minutes before trotting away. ❅ ❆ ❅ "So the expedition returned? Any big, immediate news?" "Not really, no. For some reason, though, I'm still nervous about hearing what they found there. Hay, I feel almost afraid to hear that they actually discovered what happened to the rest of the crystal ponies, for some reason. I don't really understand it." Earthsong nodded, taking a sip of tea from her cup as she studied Agate with lidded eyes. After seeing the shamares, the filly decided to visit her two old teachers, to talk about a few things that had been bothering her ever since the expedition left. It didn't really have anything to do with magic or spirits, but the shamares tended to be knowledgeable about lots of things, not just the mystical stuff. "Most spirits don't really feel "fear", as such, any more," True Sight remarked from her seat near the firepit. "Are you certain that this is what you feel?" "Oh, um... I guess it's more of a... A feeling of apprehension?" The filly ventured carefully, tilting an ear. Earthsong hummed, savoring her tea for a moment. "Are you concerned about what might have befallen the rest of your people?" "Yeah, I guess... I wasn't really thinking about it, though. Crystal ponies went through a lot of bad things, and I'm sure they'll make it through... Whatever happened to them." The two mares studied the little spirit in silence again for a few more minutes, Earthsong taking another sip before continuing. "Are you afraid to face them, were some explorer to actually find where they disappeared to?" "Afraid to... Face them?" Nodding again, the earthen mare closed her eyes, recalling something. "It is not uncommon amongst spirits that lost their lives before their time. Do you remember the reluctant stallion at the Calling? He was feeling shame, as if he had failed at some task." Meanwhile True Sight, as usual, cut to the heart of the matter after mere moments of deliberation. "Are you afraid of disappointing your parents? Hearing their pain as you carry the message of your own demise to them?" Agate opened her mouth to speak, but stopped before saying anything. Rubbing her cheek, she slowly shrugged. "I kind of knew that they'd be sad. But I decided that I'd find them anyway, because not knowing is worse, in my opinion. And we'd all get to say goodbye, at least." "Indeed. And does that make the apprehension go away?" "...Not really." The shamare's abode fell into silence, the two mystics letting the filly sort through her feelings on her own. Agate frowned, trying to pinpoint the source of the emotions and understand whether Earthsong and True Sight were correct. She wasn't completely sure, but she didn't think that the elders were wrong, either. After a good ten minutes of pondering, all she managed to say was "Huh." The edge of True Sight's mouth upturned into a tiny grin, her voice tinged with light amusement. "Telling and trying to convince yourself of something is always a bit of a problem. After all, no one knows the holes in your arguments better than you do. And often, there is no other critic of you fiercer than yourself." "I guess that's true," Agate nodded, looking off into the distance, her eyes unfocused. "You're not going to let that stop you, though, are you?" Earthsong asked, a small smile on her face. Agate's mind flashed back to her sudden departure to Dream Valley, and Spear Throw's lesson about courage. "No. No, I won't." "Good. Then you know what to do. I expect you're going to be in the first row when Long Stride and the other explorers recount what happened during their journey." "I wouldn't miss it for the world," Agate confirmed, recalling the route to the Great Hall from her totem in her mind. ❅ ❆ ❅ The next day, Agate woke up bright and early. Not that it was very bright yet, as the ever-present winter's sky was still blanketing the land. Gazing at the stars and Moon, she tried to tell the time, but eventually gave up, trotting off with a shake of her head. As beautiful and clear as the sky was here in the north, it was getting a little bit old. "I can see everything just fine by moonlight with how reflective the snow is, but come on. Even if I can't feel its warmth any more, seeing the Sun is nice..." Seeing as she had no other plans for the day, she just went straight to the Great Hall. Agate figured that even if she had to wait for a while for the ponies to gather, she'd definitely find something to do. Someone or other would start asking her about the Empire, or any of the other questions they often had for her. The rest of Snowpitt's inhabitants clearly heard the news of the expedition's return as well, a few early birds going in the same direction Agate was. When she reached the building, the large double-doors were still closed, though she could see a faint light shining through the gaps. After stopping to admire the carvings for a few minutes, Agate cautiously approached the doors, attempting to stick a hoof through them. Though she was fairly certain that she would be fine, all the protective runes carved into the building still made her hesitate slightly. She did feel an odd tingle of sorts in her foreleg and felt an unusual pressure, almost as if she was attempting to push through mud. Putting the leg down, she slowly trotted forward, going through the doors. When she got to the other side, she shook her whole body, strange tingles dancing on her ethereal skin. Wiggling her ears and twitching her tail, she waited until the strange phantom sensations subsided. "Weird..." Shaking her head one last time, the filly looked around the huge building. A few ponies were tending to the large firepit in the center of the ground floor, shoveling the burnt-out ashes into some buckets and pushing the still-smoldering coals closer together. Several bundles of firewood were resting nearby, ready to be used. Several other ponies were similarly puttering around, tidying the place up. It didn't look like things were quite ready to kick off yet. Looking more closely, Agate did notice some more ponies sitting in dark corners, out of the way of the caretakers, but there couldn't have been more than a dozen of them. Deciding to look around a bit, she climbed the stairs to the upper floors, seeing as she never went up there yet, despite being in the Hall several times already. Given the large hole in the middle of the floor, there was a surprisingly large amount of space up there. Lots of cushions, rugs, and a few low tables littered the area, covering the roughly hewn wooden logs. A number of large windows were present, though they obviously were closed to keep the cold out. While the faint light from the firepit was sparse, leaving everything but the edges of the hole dark, the acoustics were pretty good. She could still easily hear the low murmurs and faint clip-clops of the ponies moving about below. Climbing to the third floor, she found the situation to be similar, everything slightly darker and quieter, but the sounds from below were still audible. Sitting down next to the empty space, she gazed downwards, relaxing and waiting. As her thoughts wandered, she remembered the large square in front of the Spire, where the imperial family would make addresses to the crowd, standing high up on their balcony. Blinking, she looked around, suddenly understanding why the building reminded her of the place. "It's the same, but flipped upside down... The chieftains talk on the bottom floor, while the ponies crowd around and climb upwards... Huh." Musing about this and that, the filly waited, pony-watching from her perch above. After a while, ponies started filtering in one by one, soon coming in twos and threes, and finally, in a steady stream, chatting excitedly as they spread out through the building. Once she noticed Long Stride's large form, she decided to get back to the first floor. The stairs were full of ponies, though, and she didn't want to scare or confuse them by going under their legs or trying to go through them. After a minute's thought, she shrugged and leapt off the edge, falling towards the firepit. Most ponies didn't even seem to notice her, and the few that did appeared to be amused by her antics. Dropping right into the fire, Agate took a second to admire the flames dancing merrily right in her eyes, before clambering out. She decided to sit down right there, on the raised rim of the firepit, perking her ears and listening intently. Looking around, she saw more familiar faces - a good part of the ponies that went on the expedition were gathered at the end of the building, where the speakers usually sat. Curiously, they brought a number boxes with them, the containers stacked against the wall to her left. Some shamares were there already, talking in low voices to the two young ones that accompanied the explorers. Noticing Agate, Long Stride gave her a nod, the filly nodding back. The northerner's chieftain took his seat on the central rug, waving to one of the ponies sitting further back. Icicle peeled off from the group to take his seat next to the chieftain, the young stallion clearly a little apprehensive about being in the center of attention. Still, he was clearly excited as well, his eyes wide and his tail swishing back and forth in anticipation. It didn't take long for the other two chieftains to show up, which was what everyone else was waiting for. Frostbeard and Oak Bark trotted in together, looking outside for a moment for any stragglers before shutting the large doors. Taking their places in front of the crowd, they lay down, each one giving Long Stride a nod. At their signal, the northerner raised his forelegs and clopped his hooves together loudly, getting everyone's attention. The low drone of conversations died down almost immediately, the building descending into an excited hush. "I do not think I need to tell you about the reasons for this meeting," Long Stride began, his rumbling voice echoing throughout the Hall. "As I am fairly certain that everyone that currently resides in Snowpitt, be they guests for the season or local dwellers, heard about the expedition to the south that we undertook, in the very middle of winter. I am pleased to say that it was successful, in... Most ways. We did not lose anyone, and we explored a great amount of previously unknown territory. However, we did not find any clues as to where our distant cousin tribe in the south have disappeared to, though we did discover... Some things. For those that did not even believe that the crystal ponies did indeed have a grand home in the southern valley, well. You'll see. Best start from the beginning, I suppose. Icicle?" There were some predictably disappointed murmurs from the crowd at the news, though they quieted quickly when Icicle cleared his throat. "Thank you, chieftain. There is not much to say about the first leg of the journey. The river was frozen over with thick ice, and we had no problems crossing it, even laden with cargo as we were. Though the stories of all the southern lands being lifeless were indeed proven wrong by Agate, they still hold true for the southern mountains, at the very least. Besides a few hardy trees, nothing lives in the mountains proper, and the only obstacles we had to contend with were the wind and the steep mountain inclines. Fortunately, the route mapped out by Agate on her previous expedition proved to be quite good. While the ancient trails were weathered and snowed over, they still proved useful. Cover was a bit sparse, but we found places to dig in when we weren't able to find a nook to hide in for the night. With no interruptions, we made good time, burying the extra supplies along the way and scouting out the mountains more thoroughly. More than a week later, we came across the giant mountain that watches over the valley. I wish I knew its name, for it was truly humongous. We weren't even able to see its peak, so vast and imposing it was. It took us two full days just to circle a small part of it, despite the ground being even and covered in a convenient layer of snow. Still, we managed to do it, and after twelve long days, we finally reached the highest point between the two mountains that were guarding the northern border of the valley. We could not see much of the valley floor yet, as the forested foothills of the titanic mountain stretched on for quite a while, blocking most of our view. Still, as we stood there, our steamy breaths ripped away by the harsh mountain winds, we couldn't help but admire the unbelievable place laid out before us. The westerners among us were the most stunned, commenting that it was completely unlike the few valleys they explored in their mountains. Dream Valley was vast and open, a great circle of flat plain, instead of just a narrow strip of habitable land that was squashed between two mountains. And yet, it definitely was a valley, as we could see more mountains to either side of us, surrounding it on all sides. Those of us with the keenest eyes could see even more mountain peaks further to the south, completing the circle. Such a naturally well-guarded place clearly had massive potential for a settlement, and we eagerly set off downwards, hoping to find traces of Agate's people. The foothills proved rather more treacherous, though, and we spent the whole day carefully dragging our sleighs through various sharp inclines and declines and sudden drops. After a good, long rest, we finally left the cover of the mountain trees, and set our hooves upon the valley floor. For a minute, we all just stood there, almost expecting something to happen. Nothing did, however. The valley was barren and quiet, both the foothills and the snow-covered plain. Perhaps the foul magics that the aberration named "Sombra" cast upon the place a year prior were still lingering, but for whatever reason, the only creatures that we met on our journey were a few small birds. We asked the two young shamares in our group for their wisdom, but they were not able to say much, looking a bit dazed. They remarked that even the spirits were barely audible in the valley, as if they suddenly became poor of hearing. They dug in their ears with their hooves and tried their best to listen, but eventually gave up, shaking their heads. The only consolation was that they were not able to see or feel any magic, be it benign or hostile. Everything was simply dulled and dimmed, as if the valley itself was in a deep winter slumber. With that, we set forward again, ears and eyes alert, lest we unintentionally awaken whatever was asleep there. It took us almost half a day to reach the middle of the valley, where we found what must have been the only remaining traces of Agate's people. Just like she described, there was nothing left but holes in the ground where buildings must have previously stood, no matter how closely we looked. The best trackers and scouts from all three tribes that we had with us scoured the area a dozen times, digging through the snow and trying to find something, anything at all, even a loose hair. We spent the remaining half of the day and the entire next day trying to find something, to no avail. No scout nor shamare were able to sniff anything out, the shamares claiming that the spot felt especially quiet, "as if the world itself was holding its breath". We were both hopeful and wary of the possibility that our presence might unleash some trap or curse, as that might have at least given us some clues, but no matter what we did, nothing changed. Whatever magic whisked away the crystal ponies was, sadly, beyond our ken to unravel. With that, we gave up on the fruitless endeavor, and set out to explore the rest of the valley. Trotting east, we eventually discovered a road, which brought our mood up a little. The fact that not every trace of habitation was erased gave us hope, and we enthusiastically followed it to wherever it led. The first location of note was a series of quarries, snowed in, but still visible as clearly artificial. Moving past them, we reached the eastern foothills, splitting up into smaller groups to explore the multitude of winding pathways snaking up the mountain. That was where we found out for certain that ponies of some kind did indeed live in the valley, until very recently." Agate leaned in closer, as did most of the listeners. While she didn't care about something as silly as confirmation that ponies did, in fact, live in Dream Valley, she was interested in what the snowponies found, as it was outside the city borders, somewhere she had never been to before. As Icicle was talking, he nodded to a few ponies sitting behind him. Getting up, they went to the stacked boxes, slowly pulling them out of the pile and removing the objects within. "Mostly, we found a large number of snowed-in mine entrances. Not knowing what they were at first, we dug out a number of the "cave entrances", hoping to perhaps find tracks of ponies that might have been hiding there. Nothing was there besides dust and abandoned tools, however. A few scouts delved deeper into a couple of them, coming back empty-hooved as well. While most of us were busy with that, one group found a tall stone spire, overlooking the mountainside. From what we found inside, it was clearly a sentry post of some kind." Agate immediately recognized the items that were brought forth, not that they were hard to figure out. They were arms and armor of the Guard, same as the ones her uncle Obsidian Spear used to have. Five spears and five helmets were laid out on the floor, with one stallion awkwardly managing to wrestle a full set of armor onto himself, complete with sabatons. He trotted out next to Long Stride and Icicle, showing off the slightly dulled, but still gleaming steel. The crowd was awed, various exclamations of disbelief echoing through the building. "They made armor made of metal?! How?" "Just how rich in iron were they?" "I'm not sure that's even iron, it gleams too much..." "Is wearing metal not cold, how did they not freeze in those things?" Icicle cleared his throat, making the crowd go silent. "Yes, we were quite impressed as well. It is clear that our southern cousins have knowledge of metal working that far surpasses ours. Despite the equipment sitting in that tower for a whole year, there was not a speck of rust on any of the items, even with the door being broken open, and snow managing to get inside. Yes, a struggle of some kind had clearly happened there. We found many signs of violence - scratches and gouges in the floor and walls, broken furniture, shards of shattered cups and pottery littering the ground, and so on. Fortunately, there was no blood, so we can only hope that no one died in the battle. For some reason, the helmets were scattered on the floor, while the spears and armor were neatly stacked up in special racks clearly meant for that purpose. If someone defeated the guards, then why didn't they take all their equipment as a prize? I think our visitor said something about that during her story, though." Agate blinked as many eyes fell upon her. "Yeah. It's those cursed helmets that Sombra's minions had, I bet. Whoever had a helmet forced on their heads would immediately become his unquestioning servant. So, I'd guess that the guard tower was broken into, the guards got overpowered, their helms were removed and the cursed ones forced on them, and then they were taken away as well. My parents saw it happen to a few guards from a distance. And the rest of the weapons and stuff probably were spares, or something." Icicle nodded, rubbing his chin. "But why not take them as well? Surely they had value, especially for someone so impossibly greedy that they'd stoop even to stealing pony's spirits?" "Well, I think that the dark magic in those helmets makes you a bit dumb. While we were escaping the city, there were a few guard posts we dodged around. They just sat in place, without even turning their heads. I guess they got told to "watch this street", and obeyed to the letter, without even thinking that someone could sneak by right behind them," Agate shrugged. "Ah, I see... So, if they were ordered to capture and bring the guards in, and their only thoughts were of obeying those orders... No initiative, no reason to bother with anything else. No thoughts of your own at all, besides what you were told to do. That is... Sickening." A round of dark mutters swept through the crowd at his conclusion. Biting his lip, Icicle stared at one of the helmets on the floor for a minute with a pensive expression, his mind clearly somewhere else. Shaking his head, he got up with a quiet "Excuse me," going towards the firepit. Pulling a pot from a nearby table, he filled it with water from a bucket, adding a hoofful of herbs from a sack, carefully setting it on the fire. Seeing this, a number of other ponies got up as well, shuffling around to get refreshments. Once everyone had their drinks, Icicle went back towards the rug, nodding to Long Stride. Taking over, the larger stallion clopped his hooves, resuming the story. "Yes, though they clearly fought valiantly, it would seem that Agate's entire tribe fell to the madpony, if he even is a pony. We scoured the mountainside for days, but the only traces of ponies that we could find were a year old, with no signs of anyone managing to evade capture. Nothing but mines and abandoned cabins, cold ashes in their hearths and winds howling through open doors. After thoroughly examining that area, we began moving northwest along the valley's rim, looking for more homes or guard posts in the foothills. It was the same story everywhere we went. Everything was abandoned in a hurry, with many places showing signs of forceful entry and struggle, the ponies gone, but their belongings left behind, including their stores of food. We felt a bit conflicted, as taking someone's supplies in winter is one of the worst things a pony could do, but at the same time, lots of it had spoiled already, and it was rather clear that the owners would not be back in time to reclaim them before all of it spoiled, if ever. Sending well-wishes and blessings to the owners, we feasted on the exotic preserves, wondering at the odd tastes. I'll admit, the whole situation pained me in ways I haven't felt before. Seeing just the very edges of what the crystal ponies managed to build just made me want to meet them even more, yet I already knew that there was nothing left of their domain but barren land and holes in the ground, and we haven't managed to find any trace of where they might have went. All we can know about the kinds of things we could have learned from them or traded for come from Agate's stories, and the few glimpses we managed to see by looking through their abandoned homes." As he was saying it, Long Stride got up, going towards the boxes as well. Rooting around, he carefully pulled out another item, going back to the rug and presenting it to the fascinated crowd. Agate stared at it incredulously, trying to figure out if she was seeing things. After confirming that she really wasn't, she jammed a hoof over her mouth, doing her best to contain her giggles at the sheer absurdity of it. In his hoof, held high over his head, Long Stride was holding a fairly large water jug, made of sapphire-blue crystal. It wasn't even fancy or ornamented, in fact, it just might have been the plainest jug that Agate had ever seen. Clearly, it was just something someone brought with them to their cabin in the woods for the sheer utility of it. And yet, the stallion was holding it like some kind of grand crystal pony artifact, akin to the Crystal Heart itself. What's more, the other snowponies seemed quite enamored with it as well, whispering appreciatively between them. While it must have looked like something very exotic to ponies that only used clay for dishes, and knew crystals solely as rough orange stones that they used for jewelry and rituals, Agate still had serious trouble keeping her laughter down. Sure, the glimmering deep blue color certainly stood out in the building among the earthen-colored ponies, but the thought of fawning over a jug still made a snorting chuckle escape through her closed mouth. The stallion turned an ear in her direction, finding Agate after a moment of looking. Shaking his head slightly with a smile, he put the jug down on the floor, next to the helmets. "Well, it appears that our sole crystal pony resident is not overly impressed with what we managed to retrieve. Yes, I am aware that it is but a simple jug, if one that's made from something that we never saw before. This lone item just gets the imagination going, though. Agate, you told us that your people build entire buildings out of the same material, yes?" "Yes, we do. Or did. Building-grade crystal is a bit different, but... Well, it's still essentially the same stuff." He hummed thoughtfully, picking the jug up again and putting the bottom to his eyes, trying to look at the building's walls through the improvised lens. After glancing around for a bit and a brief "Huh," he put it down again, shaking his head. "It is strange to even imagine. Anyway... Where have I left off? Ah, yes. We thoroughly scouted the entire eastern mountainside, but every house, mine, and any other place where ponies might have hid was abandoned. We didn't see any structures of any kind in the south, and the details that Agate provided didn't mention anything of importance being there, so we kept going northwest, then west, and finally southwest, all along the valley's rim. The whole thing took us weeks, but I don't think that I need to bother describing them much. There were mountains, rocks, trees, a couple abandoned buildings, and snow. Both the shamares and the scouts kept trying to find something, anything that they could follow, but it was for naught. The valley was scoured of life, and even the few yeti dens we found were abandoned. The only traces of ponies lead towards the center of the valley, which remained mystifyingly empty. As we finished circling the valley and went back to where the city used to stand, the scouts galloped off, curious to see the passage leading southwards, towards this "Equestria" place. They were greeted by the sight of yet another stretch of snowy mountains, far more even, wider, and easier to navigate, but still rather barren. If someone ever were to try and go there to meet our even more distant southern kin, well... I can't imagine how many supplies one would need, and how long the journey would take. Heck, we don't even know which direction to go in. While I'd be tempted to go on such a grand journey myself, such an endeavor might actually take years, not months, and I can't bear to leave the tribe for that long." A few skeptical ponies muttered amongst themselves at the number, shaking their heads. "Years? What could possibly make the journey so long, chieftain? We cross great distances from Snowpitt to our remote islands in weeks - it doesn't even take a month," One doubter addressed the stallion directly. "Unique obstacles," Long Stride replied, with a crooked grin. "Certainly, our kayaks glide quickly across the water, but here, you'd need to trot the entire way, dragging everything with you. The southern mountains would be harder to cross in summer, when the snow melted. So, you would need to go in winter, or spring. And, no matter how strong you are, no one would be able to bring enough food to last long past the valley - remember, you would need to cross two sets of mountains. Foraging would be a necessity, which would take time - and be harder, if there's still snow about. Not to mention that the land, and its animals and plants might be completely unfamiliar that far south. Put all of that together - unfamiliar territory, foraging as you go - along with the fact that you'd have no idea which way Equestria actually is, and you might end up wandering for years, for all we know. Turning back would still mean that you'd likely have to wait for winter to cross the mountains, spending the summer foraging in Dream Valley. And if you do find them, explaining - wait, hmmm..." The stallion trailed off, rubbing his chin for a minute. "Didn't Agate speak some completely incomprehensible tongue when she got here?" "Yes," The filly confirmed. "Some of our words were vaguely familiar, but I had to learn everything from scratch, pretty much. And, um, there might be a problem if you're planning to use Dream Valley as a spot to forage before going on expeditions further south. Our old legends, well... When I went there in autumn on my own trip, there was already snow in the valley, when the ground was still bare even here, in the north. Our legends say that when the windigoes attacked our ancestors, their hatred for each other was so great and gave the windigoes so much power that the cold seeped into the land forever. We used our magic to slowly thaw the surrounding land and keep the cold out with the Crystal Heart, but now, well..." Agate trailed off, shrugging helplessly. "Odd," Icicle said to himself in the ensuing silence. "It did feel colder past the mountains than here. Only very slightly, but I'm fairly certain that I wasn't just imagining it." Both the speakers and the listeners went quiet, mulling on the information for a while. "That is an... Immensely inconvenient obstacle." Long Stride eventually concluded. "Even when there's little plant life, you can still usually find fish in streams and lakes. But we saw nothing like it in the valley. Such a long stretch of barren land immediately makes any expedition deeper south far riskier." Oak Bark shook his head, letting out a long exhale with a sigh. "Well, it would seem that the old sayings ring true. The south is dead, and there is nothing for us there." Frostbeard grunted, looking off into the distance somewhere. "Ironically, the south only became dead recently. No one knows how that saying came to be, but we can assume that our ancestors thought that the windigoes claimed all life beyond the mountains. We now know that it was false, as Agate's people managed to survive, and eventually thrive, where others have failed, only to be taken by a monster of a different breed." The other two chieftains nodded, their expressions pensive. That seemed to be the end of the storytelling, despite the fact that Long Stride stopped when they were still camped in the valley. Still, it was rather obvious that nothing else of note happened during their journey, and they likely turned back to Snowpitt the next day. The shamares, usually present in some way during important discussions, stayed quiet this time, though they were listening very, very intently when the two young ones described the conditions in the valley. Waving them over, the elders huddled together, whispering something and prodding the pair for more information. Judging from their nervous expressions, they weren't able to tell them much, if anything, that they haven't told the rest of the ponies. That didn't stop the inquisitive elders, though. The mood in the Hall was predictably brought down by the news that the expedition brought back, the listeners remaining silent for quite a while instead of peppering the ponies with questions, as they tended to do. No one left, though, and eventually, a few ponies tentatively started asking more questions about where, exactly, the expedition went on their route southwards, and what they saw along the way. Agate rocked a bit on the rim of the firepit, her mind far away. She didn't really have any questions for the expeditioners, but she didn't feel like leaving yet, either. The news weren't all that surprising to her, so she wasn't too disappointed that they hadn't managed to find out where the crystal ponies went, but the fact that they brought proof of the Empire's existence made her bizarrely happy for some reason. It didn't really make sense to her, but seeing the Guard equipment and the jug just hardened her resolve to keep going and find out what happened to the rest of her tribe. An hour or two passed while Agate daydreamed and sorted through her emotions, as the ponies in the crowd asked various questions or got refreshments. She definitely wasn't happy, but she wasn't really sad, either, idly trying to think up something new to try. The gaggle of shamares left at some point, shuffling away with the two expeditioners, likely to interrogate them further somewhere quieter. As other ponies eventually started to leave as well, Agate thought about going with them, but was stopped by Long Stride, who was waving her over. Trotting over to the speaker's rug, she examined the changed group. All of the expeditioners except for the northerner chieftain had left, getting replaced by the two other chieftains and five more stallions that she hadn't seen before. She couldn't quite tell which tribe they were from, but something about them looked oddly familiar. Tracing her eyes across their forms, she eventually caught it - the edges of their fetlocks were burnt and slightly sooty, just like Grandpa Coal Hoof's used to be. "Greetings, Agate," Oak Bark addressed the filly, his expression slightly unsure. She had never spoken to the westerner's chieftain before, and he was clearly feeling a bit out of his depth. "I thank you for all the knowledge you have shared with our tribes so far. I hope that you're willing to indulge us one more time." "Sure? Fair warning, though, I don't know the half, or even the tenth of the things ponies seem to assume that I know. You guys are used to spirits being wise and stuff, but I'm still a filly, even though I've been doing lots of adult stuff lately." Oak Bark nodded slowly, while Long Stride smiled. "Knowing what you actually know and what you don't is quite a good trait to have. Shame most ponies seem to lose it as they grow up, becoming know-it-alls that actually know nothing, heh heh. Anyway, I'm afraid that we're going to need you to do some more "adult stuff" here, little one. Arbitration, for starters." "Arbi- Alright, I haven't even heard that word before. What?" Agate tilted her head, tasting the unfamiliar concept and trying to memorize it. "Arbitration is what happens when someone impartial and uninvolved in an argument makes a decision when two ponies or more are unable to come to an amicable conclusion themselves. It is one of the rather important duties that chieftains have, as unresolved conflicts leave resentment to fester between ponies, which eventually ends up in Windigoes showing up. Now, there is no actual argument here, but... Well, here's the situation: As I said, we have brought these from Dream Valley," He said, gesturing towards the trophy Guard equipment. The stallion that had been wearing the set of armor took it off before leaving, though not without some difficulty. A number of hairs torn from his fluffy coat got caught on the sharper edges of the breastplate and helmet. Picking up a spear and examining the edge with a respectful expression, he continued. "If these were the items of perished ponies, there would be no conflict. No hunter, nor craftspony would want their equipment to be left abandoned and rot away, and anyone would be honored to wield the weapons of their brave kin that fell defending their tribe. However, your people are not dead... At least, we don't think so, even if we don't know where they were taken. Stealing someone's tools of survival is a heinous crime, but at the same time, we're quite sure that their owners are not going to be back to reclaim them. As such... As the only representative of your people, this becomes your decision, Agate. I know that it's a bit silly, but you're all we have. These are truly magnificently crafted, and could save pony's lives. May we claim these weapons and armor for our tribes?'' "Oh, wow. Okay, give me a minute. Hmmm..." Agate trailed off, idly examining the items. She didn't even think about such a question - the fact that they would keep the items was kind of a given. What else would they do, bring them back to Dream Valley? As Long Stride said, it didn't look like the Guard was going to reclaim them any time soon, and they found them fair and square. Though she never found anything bigger than a loose bit coin, she was familiar with the "finders keepers" saying. And when she considered the other things he said, she thought that both uncle Obsidian and grandpa Coal would probably agree with the equipment not going to waste. "Yeah, you can keep them. I'm pretty sure the Guard wouldn't want them to rust away somewhere, either. Well, steel doesn't really rust... I think. You get what I mean, though," She finished, nodding to the stallion. The other five stallions had remained respectfully quiet the entire time, letting their chieftains do the talking. However, at Agate's last sentence, they all sharply perked their ears up, staring at her with wide eyes. The eldest among them, a sooty off-white stallion dug into his ear with a hoof, his expression a mixture of disbelief and excitement. "I'm sorry, youngling, but did these old ears deceive me, or did you say that these don't rust? This is truly not iron, then, this, this - steel?" Oak Bark coughed, getting their attention. "Agate, this is Thunder Hoof, the eldest metalshaper of my tribe," He explained with a slightly reproachful look towards the stallion, making the filly's ears twitch at the new word. "Ah yes... I am sorry for my lack of manners, Agate. I got a little overexcited," The stallion apologized with a small bow. "It's okay," The filly nodded, mentally translating "metalshaper" into "blacksmith", fairly certain that that was what the word meant. "And yes, steel is... Well, it's actually mostly iron? It's made from iron... Somehow. Sorry, but that's one of the things that I don't really know about. Only reason I even know anything about metals at all is because my grandfather is a blacksmith himself." The old stallion nodded, looking pensive. "It must be it, then. The lost art." "Lost... Art?" The old stallion opened his mouth to say something, only to descend into a coughing fit. One of the others smacked him on the back several times, turning to Agate. "The blacksmith families have stories of this "steel", at least I believe that's what the stories are about. A pale, shiny metal that is strong and durable, useful for all kinds of tools and weapons. Our ancestors knew how to make it, apparently, but the knowledge was lost over time. As the stories say, they had a great amount of it at first, but slowly, it whittled away over the years, with no way to replenish it." "Why couldn't they make more, if they knew how?" "There are no sources of iron here in the south - far as we know, anyway. Supposedly, the ancestors dug into the southern mountains, but found nothing whatsoever. It wasn't until the western tribe was established that we discovered a number of areas rich in metals around our forests, namely copper and iron. However, hundreds of years passed before we split off from the southern tribe, and with so many generations of blacksmiths having little to do but maintain old tools and work the odd chunk of copper that they managed to dig up, the skills were largely forgotten. By the time we found a number of swampy areas rich in bog iron, we weren't quite able to recreate the steel. We tried following the instructions in the stories, but either something was lost over time, or our materials weren't adequate. Now, we snowponies aren't exactly known for giving up easily, and, naturally, various clever smiths kept trying. Some did manage to create a metal that was shinier and stronger than iron, but now that we have seen the kind of items your people have made..." The stallion shrugged helplessly, glancing at the equipment stacked beside him. Catching his breath, Thunder Hoof picked up where the other pony left off. "We're not sure that we managed to make steel after all. Some kind of half-steel at best, maybe. The kind of metal that we managed to make doesn't measure up to what the expedition brought back. The quality is...Outstanding. I have never seen iron so, so... Flawless." He explained, fawning over the breastplate like a mother over a newborn, caressing it gently with a hoof, looking like he was tempted to bend down and kiss it. Agate shrugged, shaking her head. "Well, like I said, I don't know anything about it. I only saw my grandpa's forge... Once, a few years ago, or at least there's only one time that I can remember. I didn't even see him making anything, just throwing something inside the furnace and pumping the bellows to get it burning before he shooed me out, saying that it was better that I don't start losing my hearing at such a young age." Unfortunately for Agate, that only raised the stallion's curiosity. "Bellows, you say? What is that? Could you describe the furnace?" "Oh, no. Here we go again..." ❅ ❆ ❅ Agate groaned, the usually calm and collected filly not even trying to hide her frustration any more. She was splayed out on her back, one ghostly hoof draped across her eyes. No matter how many times she told the snowponies that she didn't really know something, they'd still latch on to the tiniest details, which often were something she barely even saw once or twice, let alone knew how it worked. "I apologize for this whole... Thing, Agate," Oak Bark coughed, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "The stallions were following their passion, you know? The whole "steel" thing has been a thorn in their side for many generations, I believe." The old blacksmith kept interrogating her for an hour or longer, his... Friends? Apprentices? Joining in with their own questions now and then, all of it because of a single glimpse of a forge that she managed to see years ago. She did her best to describe what bellows looked like and what their purpose was, not that she was fully certain herself. Still, as always, she did her best, including the usual warnings that she didn't really know what she was talking about. They kept assuring her that they understood, immediately launching into more "so how does it actually work?" questions right after. Once the questions started repeating, Oak Bark stepped in, shooing the overenthusiastic blacksmiths away and telling them that metal was their talent, not Agate's, and that they should get to figuring things out themselves, instead of bothering the filly. The other two chieftains seemed terribly amused by Oak Bark's predicament, silently watching him deal with his tribe's craftponies. Once they were gone, only Agate and the three tribal leaders were left in the building, sitting quietly amongst the expedition's trophies. Sighing, Agate got up, shaking her head. "It's fine. Not like this hasn't happened to me before. Some ponies keep calling me a "wise spirit" and such. I guess snowponies are just too used to spirits knowing lots of stuff." "Hrm," Oak Bark grunted noncommittally, not really sure what to say. Frostbeard chuckled, the first sound he had made in a while. "Well, knowing how to create and work steel would benefit all tribes, so I can understand their enthusiasm, even if they did get a little overexcited. Really, I think we need the knowledge to actually use this bounty of metal..." Dragging a hoof across her face, Agate glanced at him. "What do you mean? These things are already finished, you can use them just fine." "Thing is, Agate, I'm not sure we can, or how much use they would be," The stallion explained, picking up a helmet and examining it from every angle. "The spears are magnificent, yes, but I'm not sure about this armor. I don't know what kind of foes your people fought, but most of it would not be very useful. Certainly, the breastplate protects your back nicely, but there's no protection for your neck, which is what many predators tend to aim for. Then, there's the sheer weight... Even a hardy stallion would get tired out faster if they were carrying so much metal on them, and our hunters do tend to cross great distances on their trips. It might even be much harder to snowwalk with the extra weight." Long Stride nodded, picking up a sabaton. "Aye, speed and a long spear tend to be of more use than actual protection, especially since we deal with some really big things in the north, some of which can swallow you whole. Now, I do think that these metal hoof-guards would be amazingly useful at smashing up a floewolf, but the rest of it would serve far better melted down and reforged into a number of good spearheads, I believe." "Well... I already told you that you can keep them. They're yours, do whatever you think is best. Good luck with reforging them, 'cause I have no idea how to go about doing that." "I'm sure they'll figure it out. There's few things that better motivate ponies to improve than feeling like you're a master, and then having something far superior than anything you can make dropped at your hooves. This little discovery certainly lit a fire under their tails, heh heh." Oak Bark snorted, shaking his head. "Yes, they'll probably jump into it the moment we return to our village, and end up with half of their coats burned off. As for the results... Well, we'll just have to see." The other chieftains nodded, silence overtaking the building. Agate got up, trotting past the assorted Guard equipment and stopping in front of the crystal jug, her previously frustrated expression now one of mild amusement. "So, I guess that this is all that remains of the crystalline crafts of the Crystal empire. Not buildings, not roads, not artefacts of any kind. A jug." "Not... Entirely," Long Stride ventured, his voice slightly hesitant. "You see, Agate, on our journey back, we have found something else, something that is a rather personal matter for most ponies, which is why I haven't told the others about it during my story. There is one more example of your people's craft that we have, something far more beautiful and impressive than a jug." "Okay...?" Agate asked curiously, wondering what could they have possibly found that would cause such apprehension. Was it some powerful artifact? The Crystal Heart itself? No, that was ridiculous. And what was that bit about it being personal? Following Long Stride towards the boxes, she glanced inside the open containers. There were more things in there that they haven't showed off, like a set of pickaxes in one, and some more metal tools in the others. They probably didn't think the tools were half as impressive as the weapons and armor, which, to be fair, was entirely correct. Nothing stood out as a special item, though. The stallion opened the lid of another box, reaching in and pulling out a tiny clay pot etched and painted with some leaf motifs. It definitely wasn't made by crystal ponies, but what he pulled out of it was. It took Agate a good few minutes of staring at the delicate golden chain, the precise inlay, and the expertly cut gem to recognize the item. "Hold on a moment... That's my necklace."