Needless to say, Jagged Ice was displeased when he was told what Thundersnow discovered. When they overheard their conversation, a few of the travelers couldn't believe that the westerners would be that brazen. There were other shamares in their group as well, though, all of whom confirmed the findings after spending some time outside and observing the storm.
"The wind spirits are really having fun playing with the water spirits outside," One shamare remarked, shaking moisture from her coat.
"Is that what this is to them? A game?" A stallion grumbled, his ears folded due to the howling gales outside.
"Not always, but fairly often, the answer is yes. They don't really understand how this affects or inconveniences us, they're just doing their own thing. Most of the spirits have little malice, though they can get cranky if you try to wake them when they're supposed to be asleep, like, say, trying to conjure a snowstorm in the middle of summer. Things like that are quite likely to backfire."
"And how long until they tire themselves out?"
"No longer than a regular storm, I think, so quit complaining and take the chance to rest. We'll be on our way soon."
"Yeah, yeah. I think I'd rather stay in Smoky Bay next year, though..."
Overall, the atmosphere was a little grumbly, but the northerners were taking it well. The travelers busied themselves with small maintenance tasks, whittling little crafts to pass the time, or just taking the chance to get some extra sleep. They weren't happy, of course, but they trusted in their leaders, who were setting an example by doing their best to remain calm and collected.
"I wonder who's actually doing this," Jagged Ice mused. "Has it been a full two weeks yet? It doesn't take them all that long to reach their villages from Snowpitt. They might well have a new chieftain already, and this makes me wonder if he's following in Oak Bark's hoofsteps. Shouldn't be happening, given how hard his tribe disowned him..."
"Those shamares might well be doing this by themselves, with the new chieftain, if they even have one, not even aware of it. Or, perhaps they rushed to make this happen right before they chose one," Thundersnow supplied.
"Hmmm, yes. I wonder if it means that things like this will become a regular occurrence. What to do, what to do... Need to send a messenger to the westerners about this, of course, but I probably should wait to find out who their new chieftain actually is, first..."
"Mmmm... No, I don't think so, chieftain."
"Hmm? You think I should send a message addressed to "whoever's the new chieftain"? Doesn't seem entirely right..."
"No, that's not what I meant. I mean, I don't think you should get involved, chieftain."
That made Jagged Ice pause, the stallion raising his eyebrows. "I'm sorry, what? Involved? My tribe was attacked and I'm the chieftain, I'm already involved. Defending my tribe is literally my job."
"Yes, from regular dangers. Defending the tribe from magical threats is a shamare's duty," Thundersnow rebutted.
"I'm not sure that's... Entirely the case..." Jagged Ice trailed off, uncertain what to say. He clearly wanted to argue, but wasn't too sure what to say.
"Oh, sure it is. I'm their main target, and they're using magic to send spirits after me. This falls squarely under the purview of shamares."
"Hrmf. I still want to know who their new chieftain is..."
"I'm certain we'll find out soon enough. Juicy rumors seem to be able to travel faster than the ponies carrying them, somehow. I'm sure the news will arrive the moment the first merchants of the season start their routes."
"I suppose."
The chieftain clearly wasn't happy at being sidelined by his shamare, though he didn't have much choice but to let it go. The conversation died down, all ponies looking like they were deep in thought about something. Meanwhile, Agate pondered what kind of "response" to the westerners Thundersnow was planning. She expected Jagged Ice to ask the shamare about it, but it looked like his trail of thought was disrupted quite badly by what Thundersnow told him.
No more important conversations happened that day, and, as promised, the storm ran out of strength by tomorrow. The winds were still blowing a bit harder than usual, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. With a heave and a ho, the group retrieved their boats and set off towards the next island.
❅ ❆ ❅
After some thinking, Thundersnow decided that it would be best to return to Smoky Bay before engaging in anything big. As such, she spent her efforts on making their journey faster, asking the water spirits to help the currents carry them swiftly to their destination, or soothing the air spirits when the weather started acting up.
Some of the ponies in the fleet peeled off to go to other islands, their numbers dwindling more and more as they got closer to Green Land. Once they finally reached the shore, about half of the original number remained, all of them tired but happy to finally reach their home. A number of scattered cheers greeted them from ponies that were puttering around the docks, the locals galloping up and helping them carry their boats.
"Hrm. I can see why there's fewer and fewer ponies going to the Gathering every year. My forelegs are sore something fierce, while my hindlegs have fallen asleep completely," Jagged Ice sighed, rolling and rubbing his shoulders.
"Perhaps we shouldn't go at all, chieftain? The distance is quite large," Thundersnow inquired, running a hoof through her mane.
"No, no... We do need to maintain contact with our sister tribes, and the Calling needs the combined strength of the three tribes to work. I don't think I'm going to be doing this once I get older, though."
"Mm, yes... Nor will shamares retire to Snowpitt when they'll get too old to travel any more. Times are changing for us all... Best make sure we don't get swept away by the tide."
"Thinking about the westerners?" Jagged Ice inquired with a grunt, his joint popping as he stretched a leg.
"Indeed. I have some thoughts, but nothing too concrete just yet... Of course, it's best not to set myself into a path too firmly. Better to be fast and adaptive, like a wind or water spirit... Anyway, I have things to take care of. Coming, Agate?"
"Sure. Let's go."
The pair made their way to Thundersnow's home, unsealing it much like last year. This time, the shamare immediately started digging through her workshop, stacking bits of various magical and mundane materials on her workbench, humming thoughtfully the entire time.
"Say, Agate, would you be willing to help me with some magical experiments? If I'm going to be dealing with the westerner's nonsense, I'll need to stock up on charms, and I had some ideas about how to make better ones, possibly using crystals. And I could use your expertise on the last bit."
"Sure. I'm hardly an expert, though."
"Oh? You give lessons all the time, though."
"Yeah, on the basics. Light them up, that sort of thing. It's been decades, though, and I haven't really improved in any significant way. All I know is from the stuff they teach to foals, to test them and see if they can do magic yet. Well, I did figure out how to grow crystals, but that's it. At this point, I think I'm more capable at dream magic and other snowpony stuff instead of doing things with crystals."
"Still a lot more than we can do. So, I was curious: If you can grow crystals, can you make them grow in the shape that you want, or do they just grow however they want?"
"Well..."
They spent a few hours discussing Agate's capabilities and limitations in regards to crystals, agreeing to perform some experiments the day after. Once they were done, Agate went her own way, going to visit Glacier Glider. As expected, her adoptive family gave her a warm welcome, and it didn't take them long to start grilling the spirit about interesting news from the Gathering.
Hearing about Oak Bark getting punched in the face was met with varying levels of amusement, though the news of the sudden storm brought the mood down again. With a roll of her eyes, Glacier Glider changed the topic to more simple things, not wanting to darken the evening too much with bad news. The family spent the evening chatting, the late hour eventually catching up to them as they went to get some shut-eye.
❅ ❆ ❅
Getting better at manipulating crystals was something that Agate was interested in, but she largely abandoned her attempts to improve in that area. Mostly, it was due to her assumption that she needed a body for the more advanced stuff, as the next levels involved physically kneading and molding the crystals, which is how they built the homes and roads in the Empire, merging the crystals into one, solid mass.
She forgot about the cleverness of the snowponies, though. They were curious and inventive, thinking up all kinds of workarounds for the issues they encountered in the north, and that included shamares and their magic. After some thinking, Thundersnow asked Agate a simple question that left her scratching her head.
"So, could you bring the crystal to the state where it is moldable, while I form and knead it with my hooves?"
"I... Don't know if that's possible, but... I see no reason why it shouldn't work."
Thus began their experimenting. The pair spent many days in Thundersnow's workshop, hunched over the ritual circle as they tried to harmonize their magics, holding on to a chunk of crystal and willing it to change into what they wanted. It took a lot of tries, some adjustments to the circle, a couple of minor explosions, a bunch of broken crystals, and a lot of breaks, but eventually, they managed to make it work. The whole thing provided Agate with loads of new experience, deepening her understanding of how crystals and magic interacted, giving her ideas and fresh perspectives on her skills.
"This is lovely," Thundersnow sighed, holding a small, slightly angular, deep purple sphere in her hooves. "A-me-thyst, you called it?"
"Yeah. I made some before, though it was in the same shape as the original quartz that I changed it from. This is... Better. Improved."
"So, is it like... Well-purified metal? Better able to perform its function? More durable, and so on?"
"Something like that, yes. It is more durable, though the sole value of a crystal is to store magic and hold enchantments... Well, the most important one, at least. My people used them for everything, from magic to buildings. I haven't really considered it before, but while crystals are the best material for things to do with magic, their natural spire shape actually isn't the most ideal... For holding magic or durability. That sphere should be much, much harder to break, and hold magic better."
"Interesting. A secret of your people's lore?"
"I guess? Though I doubt it's much of a secret. I imagine this is still basic stuff that I would have known ages ago, if I had access to a book, or would be able to talk to a master. Without that, I'm stuck rediscovering the same things my ancestors probably figured out a thousand years ago already."
Getting up, Agate trotted over to the prone form of Thundersnow, both of them quite tired. Darkness was creeping into the corners of Agate's vision, while the usually fiery shamare was uncharacteristically subdued. Still, the results were well worth it, in both of their opinions.
After a lot of effort, they managed to create a crystal vessel that was superior to it's counterparts in the wild. Not only was the sphere more durable, during their experiments, Agate noticed how impurities affected the flow and storage of magic, and tried to find a way to get rid of them.
She had to figure out how to overcharge the crystal without it either growing or breaking apart first, saturating it with so much magic that it became malleable. Thundersnow was crucial for the next part of the process, kneading and pounding the crystal while Agate guided her hooves and tried to force the unwanted impurities out, ironing out the imperfections in the crystal itself in the process as well. Sometimes, she couldn't even tell where her own hooves ended and Thundersnow's began, their forelegs blending into an indistinct blur in the fierce glow of magic.
Theoretically, the resulting crystal would hold enchantments better, not that they had the strength to really try anything at the moment. The most Agate could do was give it a light poke with her hoof, the sphere faintly lighting up from the inside, the crystalline surface fracturing the lights in a lovely show.
"Beautiful. And this amethyst - is it more powerful than quartz?"
"Not... Really... I don't think so, anyway. It's still quartz, just slightly different. I think some crystals and gems might be better suited for specific enchantments, but I have no idea about any of that. If I ever find out, it's going to be through trial and error."
"Mmm... Yes, this is more than enough for now. Let's get some rest, Agate... Maybe even take tomorrow off. I think we deserve it."
"Fully in agreement with you there."
❅ ❆ ❅
The next day, they decided to go for a trot around the island and stretch their legs, on account of spending several weeks almost exclusively indoors, with little to no movement. A few other shamares decided to join them, insisting that they'd better accompany the pair if they went outside the settlement borders - according to them, some suspicious spirits were seen circling the skies around Smoky Bay.
"Ooof. My legs are sore," Thundersnow complained, trotting along the path.
"I can't feel my legs at all," Agate supplied.
It took the shamares a minute of staring until they got it, several of them snorting. In total, four more ponies joined their party, including the one that bonked Agate on the head that one time. As Agate learned, her name was Pine Needle, the somewhat crotchety mare still giving the spirit the stink-eye now and then.
"That's what you get for not spacing out those research sessions. Once you get older, though, this is how it's always going to be. Better start getting used to it," She spoke, glancing around.
"I think I'll enjoy being spry while I can," Thundersnow chuckled. "So, you think there's another ambush waiting for me outside?"
"I saw something strange in the clouds when I went out to meditate yesterday, elder," A young trainee shamare spoke softly, having remained silent until then.
"Mmm. More of those bird spirits the westerners sent?"
"I think so, yes. They were quite high up, but I could see the faint forms... I can't say for certain, but I don't think they were wind spirits, elder."
"Well, there's five shamares and a fairly powerful spirit that's kind of a shamare herself here... Shall we go spring the trap?" Thundersnow mused, rubbing her chin with an excited grin.
"Might as well. It's our job to deal with stuff like this, after all, though it's still unusual for the cause of the trouble to be other ponies. Either way, we prepared for whatever might be out there," Pine Needle grumbled, absently rubbing her baton.
The other shamares made various noises of agreement, the trainee nodding slowly. Agate shrugged and nodded as well, not really sure how much use she'd be, but still willing to help. Noticing the young shamare's hesitation, Thundersnow patted her on the back, giving her a smile.
"The most important thing is that you don't panic. If it gets too much, gallop back to the village, or get on the ground and curl up. I'm sure we'll be making enough noise to take up all of their attention. However, if it's anything like last time, then it's not going to be anything too bad. Just don't seize up, and if they come for you, you come for them. Our tribe doesn't bend over for just any fool that can call up some birds, do we?"
"Of- of course not, elder," The trainee nodded, straightening out her back a little.
The rest of the trip was made in silence. The path took them close to the seashore, a well-trod trail leading them to the docks, while a few less visible trails lead to various nooks and crannies where shamares liked to meditate and commune with the spirits. The young mare led them to one such spot, a large boulder that was angled on one side, allowing a pony to easily climb on top. The wind blew strongly and unrelentingly here, giving a pretty good clue which kinds of spirits would respond best in this location.
Thundersnow climbed on top, while the other shamares removed their saddlebags and prepared for battle. It didn't look like the usual preparations warriors would do at all, but their intent was still clearly expressed by their postures and their faces. All of them dipped their hooves into some kind of oil, rubbing them together before drawing swirly patterns on each other. A couple pulled out small satchels stuffed with dried herbs, kneading them and inhaling the scent with small smiles. One set up a simple triangle with three candles, lighting them up just as Thundersnow shouted.
"I see them! And it looks like they saw me, too! Wind Whisper was right, here they come!"
"Let them," Pine Needle muttered, giving her baton a few practice swings.
Agate squinted, looking upwards. Thundersnow was climbing down from the boulder as fast as she could without falling off, a number of familiar glowing forms streaking towards her from the sky. Agate wasn't sure, but they seemed bigger, or perhaps they were glowing brighter than the last time. Rolling her shoulders, she prepared herself, the long time spent as an immaterial spirit making her mostly forget what it was like to actually hit something.
The others began their focusing exercises, steeling themselves against the oncoming flock. Wind Whisper acted accordingly to her name, starting to whisper something under her breath as Thundersnow joined the circle, humming and raising a hoof over her head. The birds were following right behind her in a long, almost solid stream of ethereal claws and beaks.
"Let's see how they like this. Flames!" The shamare that lit the candles shouted, throwing a charm at the ground in front of the group.
In the split second that it took for it to land, Agate recognized it as the same kind of charm that they used to burn her body all those years back. Travelers often told her how they were extremely useful, being able to produce a comfortable fire even from completely sodden lumber. Alone, though, they only burned for a brief while, but it was enough for their purposes. The sudden pillar of flame made the birds scatter and split up, Thundersnow adding to the effect by lowering her hoof and letting out a hissing breath, fanning the flames with a sudden gust of wind.
After that, everything turned to chaos. The birds began going for them individually, each of the shamares employing different tactics. Agate began whirling around, smacking and bucking the birds, feeling an odd satisfaction at every faint thump that her hooves produced as they connected with the attackers. While actually fighting was still quite alien to her, she did both talk, observe, and travel with a lot of explorers and hunters over the years, and got to see how they moved and fought.
"Ha-haaa! Come at me, foolish beasts! I'll hit you so hard, your summoners are going to feel it!"
Pine Needle, despite being quite old, seemed to be having a blast. She swung her "spirit whacker" with great enthusiasm, pained squawks sounding out from the spirits as she pounded them flat, the birds flopping on the ground helplessly before limping away, clearly not wanting to get a second taste.
While others lacked melee weapons, their hooves were still as useful, and the oil paint seemed to grant them some measure of protection from the bird's attacks. They did their best to maintain the circle formation, kicking out and stomping on the birds as they fell. Thundersnow scattered the flock with a gust of wind when things were getting too cramped, sending a bunch of the spirits spinning out of the air.
The shamare that tossed the fire charm seemed to have either an affinity for fire or for making charms, as her saddlebags were stuffed to the brim with them. Whenever others managed to bring down a large group, or a number of birds bunched up, she'd throw one right in the middle, the sudden rush and roar of the flames almost overwhelming the panicked and pained cries of the birds.
"Don't like it? Then get lost! There's plenty more where that came from! Go back to your forests!"
Meanwhile, Wind Whisper mostly played defense, muttering under her breath and hitting any birds that got too close. As she was still quite young and inexperienced, her influence was much subtler, the wind not responding to her as swiftly or precisely as it did for Thundersnow. The other two shamares who's names Agate hadn't learned didn't seem to have magical skills suitable for the situation, but they held their own with kicks and bucks, neighing angrily at every peck and claw from the birds.
The attack was definitely fiercer than the previous one, but they didn't have the element of surprise this time around, and Thundersnow had backup, too. While the spirit's attacks still hurt, the group stood firm, drawing strength and determination from each other.
As the fight progressed, their surroundings slowly turned violent as well, the winds howling angrily as they spun in a circle around the group. Agate wasn't sure if the shamares did it themselves or whether the spirits that they befriended came to their aid of their own volition, but it worked in the northerner's favor. The birds had even more trouble getting close to them now, giving them a chance to catch their breaths.
"*Huff*, the spirit is willing, *huff*, but the flesh is old and creaky," Pine Needle panted, getting a better grip on her baton.
"Yes, we thinned them out quite a lot, but those that remain are really persistent. Let's see if we can finish them off in one fell swoop. Tinder, can you give me a big flame?" Thundersnow asked, rearing up on her hindlegs and waving them wildly in the air.
"Just say the word," The shamare with the fire charms grinned, pulling out a whole bunch of them and aiming for the candle triangle, the flames somehow still burning, despite the commotion around them.
"Alright! When I give the word, scatter!" Thundersnow shouted, stirring the air around them with her hooves, seemingly with no more effort than it would take to stir a pot. The winds obeyed her every gesture, sucking in the remaining bird spirits into a whirlwind that formed around them. "Tinder! Now!"
"Done, Thunder!" Tinder yelled back, tossing the charms onto the candles and immediately rolling away.
The remaining shamares jumped away as the charms ignited, the sheer number of them turning into a massive inferno. Thundersnow did something similar to what she did in the beginning, directing the wind to grab and blow the fire towards their attackers, the twister made of wind turning into one made of fire.
Needless to say, the effects of something like that were tremendous. For a brief moment, the mixed cacophony of caws, cries and yells was completely drowned out by the combined roar of wind and fire. Agate could feel the blistering heat, not really having considered that the warning to dodge applied to her as well. Fortunately for her, while intense, the fire burned out moments later.
Blinking the dancing spots from her eyes, she rubbed her face, feeling oddly tingly. Glancing around, she didn't see a single spirit besides herself. A further examination revealed a few faint forms fleeing westwards, though those quickly vanished into the distance. A sudden and deathly quiet overtook the place, as if the wind itself that was roaring mere moments ago was tired out from that display. The only sounds were the pops and crackles of embers smoldering on the surrounding rocks and boulders, slowly going out.
"Well," Thundersnow began, letting out a cough and thumping herself on the chest a few times. "Ahem. Well then - it looks like we're-"
BOOM.
Everyone froze, including the shamares that were halfway from picking themselves off the ground. Agate looked around again, wondering at the sound and its effects on the mares. It sounded like thunder, but at the same time, it wasn't quite right. It didn't have the whole... Rolling thing thunder did, where it hit, and the grumbling sound would continue for a while. Instead, it was a single, solid boom, ending as soon as it began.
BOOM.
It wasn't hard to track the direction of the sound, and then, to see the source. A thunderbird rose from its mountain roost, flapping its way to wherever it was going. Agate had to close her eyes and shake her head at the mind-boggling sight, turning back towards the bird a few moments later. When a pony looked at one of the gargantuan avians while the sky was clear, they appeared as if they were regular birds flying so close that you could reach out and touch them. But if there were other things in your field of view that you could use as a point of reference, like mountains or clouds, the sheer scale of the creatures made itself apparent, making your brain seize up.
BOOM.
With its massive wingspan and powerful wingbeats, it only took a few flaps for the bird to clear the entire island and move out towards the open seas. The shamares slowly let out the breaths they've been holding as the loud booms quieted down, though they didn't disappear completely. Even when they could no longer see the thunderbird, the faint sounds of thunder still reverberated in the distance.
"Do you think... We riled it up?" Wind Whisper asked quietly, stretching her legs and trying to unclench her tense muscles.
"I highly doubt it. This was a commotion, sure, but... They make their nests near, or perhaps even on the tops of the fire-spewing mountains. Compared to that, I highly doubt they even noticed, let alone cared about what happened here. Still... Hmm..." Thundersnow trailed off, looking into the distance thoughtfully.
"What's on your mind, Thundersnow?" Pine Needle asked, waving a foreleg back and forth until a crack sounded out from her joints, her expression turning marginally less grumpy.
"Well, I've been thinking about getting back at those fools. This is the second attack this year, and it doesn't look like they intend to stop. But I don't think Green Land is the best place to do it from. Even if no bystanders got caught in the mess this time, next time might not go so smoothly. Also, the sheer distance is a bit of a hindrance. I feel like getting up close and personal would be for the best."
"You'll be going southwest, then?"
"Soon. I feel like I should stock up and make some equipment first. That spirit-whacker of yours was amazingly useful in this fight."
"Ha! And all of my teachers said that such a tool would be useless! "Dealing with spirits is not like dealing with beasts that the hunters tangle with, youngling. They are wily and ephemereal, and you will need to learn how to harness the strength of your own spirit to call them out, and either appease them somehow, or force them into submission. You won't be able to just whack them on the head to make the problem go away, you'll need cunning and cleverness." Well guess what?! I must've whacked a good several dozen of them, and I'd say that worked to make them go away quite well! Who's laughing now, you old crones? Who's laughing now?! Ha ha haaaa!" The unusually melee-inclined shamare guffawed, waving her weapon with glee.
"To be fair, we didn't have such direct attacks from spirits in the past," Thundersnow pointed out with a grin, the other shamares trying to contain their giggles at the enthusiastic elder.
"Well then, it must have been fate that gave me the inspiration! Anyway, if you're going to leave... You'll be needing help, or it'll be just you against their entire tribe's shamares. And I'm afraid my bones are a bit too old for vigorous travel," Pine Needle pointed out, her victorious expression turning somewhat sour again.
"I'm not so sure. I'm quite capable, and I do have Agate by my side. If I stock up properly... Well, I would need food... Some travelling companions would be invaluable, yes, though I think I might need some fisherponies and hunters, instead of more shamares. Maybe one or two, just to watch my back now and then," Thundersnow pondered, slowly turning and trotting back towards the settlement.
Perking her ears, Wind Whisper approached her, her muscles still twitching from phantom injuries caused by the spirits. "Elder, I know that the wind and storms are your domain, but I heard that you have plenty of skills in other fields. Why don't you send some spirits to hunt the westerners, like they do?"
"Well, I'd need something to point them specifically to their shamares... You weren't there, but the first time it happened, their birds attacked everyone around, not just me. And while I'm sure I could call on great flocks of birds, I'm less confident in giving them precise orders, or enforcing them so they wouldn't forget them a day or two later. The westerner's affinity to their feathered friends is quite impressive... I could call on some water spirits, I think, but they wouldn't exactly be able to go to their forests. Hmm... No, I think I'd get the most use of my skills if I get closer. Yes, the wind spirits will sniff them out for me, and then..."
Thundersnow trailed off, muttering and planning under her breath. The other shamares escorted her back in silence, occasionally stopping to rub their backs or sides and grimacing in pain. Using her spirit sight, Agate could actually see the scratches and claw marks, faint wisps of magic leaking from the spiritual injuries.
As they reached the main road, other ponies that were out and about on their business began pointing at them and whispering, likely having seen the whole showdown from the distance. Seeing this, the mystics straightened out their backs and steadied their gait, projecting an aura of calm authority and demonstrating that it was nothing to be concerned about. Once they reached the settlement, they split off from the group one by one with a few simple goodbye nods, going towards their respective abodes.
❅ ❆ ❅
As both Agate and the shamares expected, the attack aroused the local's curiosity. Whenever they went out, ponies would approach them in twos and threes, inquiring about the situation with the western tribe and whether they had any plans of dealing with them. Thundersnow let it slip that she was planning to travel southwards, and it didn't take long for that tidbit to make it's rounds both across the settlement and the nearest islands.
While most ponies knew not to get between fighting shamares, the northern tribe wasn't exactly known for being timid or overly averse to risk and danger, especially when threats to their tribe were involved. The numbers weren't too great, but a bunch of volunteers began arriving, eager to help Thundersnow knock the arrogant westerners down a peg or two. Most were old and grizzled, ponies that already raised their children to adulthood and made peace with the possibility of falling in battle in defense of their tribe. A decent chunk were young and sprightly, though, looking for experience and to prove themselves, their hooves itching to go out and travel after spending the last few years helping with construction in the Smoky Bay.
All in all, around thirty ponies showed up over the course of a couple weeks. Thundersnow spent the time preparing and stocking up the best she could, the volunteers doing the same. Now that they mostly figured out the process, she made a few more crystals with Agate, eager to try and incorporate them into snowpony enchantments.
"Now, this is the pattern of runes that befuddles the sight of hostile spirits and beasts. Let's test the potency of the enchantment, shall we?" Thundersnow inquired, pressing down on a rune-covered parchment with with her hooves, a glowing amethyst sphere set on top.
"How are you going to do that?" Agate inquired, examining the largely unfamiliar magic.
"Well, there's no hostile spirits around, but that specific part can be removed," She explained, putting her hoof over one section and focusing. "If I leave just the confounding element active... There we go. What does it feel like?"
"Euuurgh," Agate complained, squinting and rubbing her eyes with a foreleg. "It's like... Stars, it's been so long since I felt that... It's like when you wake up with your eyes completely gunked up, and it hurts to open them, and you just want to close them again. No wonder monsters avoid your villages, if that's what they get whenever they look at them."
"Heh. Good to know that it's working so well. Usually, powerful spirits like you can resist those effects. It looks like crystals really do improve things," Thundersnow mused, picking up the amethyst and stopping the magic.
"That was weird. I never felt anything like that, even though I passed by thousands of wards and stuff over the years."
"Well, you never had any ill intent towards us, did you? I remember the stories of your own tribe's defenses. The shield from the, ah, Crystal Heart, was it? It only prevented beings with hostile intent from entering, did it not? Or was it an impassable wall?"
"No, lots of ponies went outside and back every day," Agate confirmed, blinking the last of the uncomfortable feeling out of her eyes.
"Well, this certainly won't have even a fraction of that artifact's power, but I'm sure it will help regardless. Ancestors..." The shamare sighed, shaking her head. "I'd love to sit and experiment for months, but I don't think I can really afford to. What say you, should we get this expedition moving?"
While most of the other shamares weren't coming along, they happily provided a bunch of supplies as well, giving her sacks of small jars with tinctures and potions. Tinder gave Thundersnow a saddlebag stuffed with fire charms, while Pine Needle unceremoniously tossed her spirit whacker to the surprised shamare. At her look, she shrugged.
"I'll just make another one. This isn't some irreplaceable artifact, and you're almost definitely going to need it more than me."
To their surprise, Wind Whisper decided to come along, though she didn't look particularly happy about it. The young mare stood off to the side, letting the wind caress her mane and listening to something others could not hear. Seeing her demeanor, Thundersnow shook her head, approaching the apprentice shamare.
"You don't have to come along, you know. No one's forcing you."
Wind Whisper gave her a long, blank look, eventually smiling mirthlessly. "It is time for my Journey either way, elder. It's just not the way how I imagined my trip would go."
"Ah. I'll admit, that part slipped my mind completely. I don't think there's going to be many of our shamares travelling west to partake in the westerner's "wisdom" any time soon. You could go south, though?"
"I visit Snowpitt every Gathering anyway," Wind Whisper replied with a shrug. "This should be a learning experience either way, even if it's not how it usually goes."
"I will do my best to teach you what I know," Thundersnow reassured her, patting the younger mare on the shoulder before turning towards the rest of the ponies. "Well, everyone, while I'm sure some of you, like me, would like to prepare more before moving out, the truth is, we have little idea of what else the westerners might send at us. The best we can do is stick to the greatest strength that defines our tribe: Adapt and overcome! Our ancestors overcame everything the deep north threw at us, and we will likewise overcome anything the conniving westerners think up. Let us go!"
A cheer rose, both from the expeditionary force and the crowd of onlookers. Without delay or fanfare, the group made their way to the bay, retrieving their boats and stowing their equipment. Before long, they were paddling away from Green Land, moving southwest.
❅ ❆ ❅
Taking part in a seaborne expedition was old hat to Agate at this point, and this one went largely the same, despite the rather different goal. None of the participants were really happy about going out to confront the westerners, but they were determined to see it through.
They went from island to island, their journey unimpeded by anything supernatural. The weather wasn't always on their side, but there didn't seem to be anything to it other than the natural climate of the north. No spirits stalked them, though they didn't know whether it was because the westerners were gathering strength after the last ritual, or they thought that Thundersnow was still in Smoky Bay, and sent their attacks there. The northerners were confident that the shamares that remained behind could deal with whatever came, though.
Everyone brought provisions, of course, but they all knew that relying solely on those wouldn't end well, especially given the uncertain time frame of their mission. It slowed them a bit, but they spent some time catching fish and seaweed around uninhabited islands and trading or doing odd jobs in the populated ones. There was always something to do for a travelling group, and they often split up every which way, taking messages or cargo for payment, meeting up on some bigger island further down the route.
Usually, Agate didn't have all that much to do on these trips while they were at sea. She couldn't exactly help with paddling, and her magical talents were mostly tied to the earth. This time, though, Thundersnow kept talking to her about crystals, asking her to charge or attempt to change them in various ways. Recovering her magic always took longer than it would have if she rested in her totem, so she spent quite a few days half-asleep, splayed out on the bottom of a boat and gazing at the sky in a dreamlike state.
After a few weeks of travel, though, their routine changed. As they were getting quite close to the westerner's territories, the group stopped doing side jobs, travelling together again. Everyone was much more alert, and Thundersnow had to stop her experiments with Agate. Once she recovered from the last one, the shamare asked her to use her shapeshifting skills to scout around and see if there was anything heading their way, as well as to get the lay of the land.
Thundersnow's plan was to find an uninhabited island somewhere not too far from the westerner's shores, and set up a base of operations there. Even with the northern tribe expanding across the entire region, there were still some islands that were left alone, either due to being barren, or because the tribesponies collectively agreed to leave them empty as resting and resupply spots for merchants and travelers.
Plans can change quite drastically with the right circumstances, though, and it didn't even take for contact with the enemy to occur for that particular plan to get tossed. During one of her flights, Agate ranged out quite far northwards, not really noticing the distance she was covering as she pondered the whole situation, wondering how this conflict was going to develop further. She was only knocked out of her thoughts when she spotted a huge mass of white floating in the ocean. Circling the ice floe, she considered it for a few moments before turning back. Once she returned, Thundersnow was very, very intrigued by what she found.
"My my, how interesting... How big did you say it was?"
"Well, it's a bit hard to tell the size of things when you're that high up," Agate mused, pursing her lips in thought. "Everything looks tiny, but I'm pretty sure that ice floe was massive. Easily as big as some islands, and definitely bigger than the last one we rested in. Twice as big, if I'd have to guess."
"Ancestors, this has to be either an omen, or a stroke of luck..."
"What do you mean, Thundersnow? How is a massive ice floe in the sea of any use to us?" Agate inquired, several onlookers also looking a bit confused.
"You'll see. Everyone! To your boats! We have an ice floe to catch! Agate, will you guide us? If it's as big as you said, it shouldn't have moved much, and it shouldn't be hard to find again, either."
"Sure, I guess? I haven't memorized the location all that well, so I think it'll be best if I fly for this one. Get going, and just follow me."
The ponies all nodded, getting ready to move out as Agate worked her magic, picturing feathers appearing on her forelegs as her ethereal body shifted and changed. Before long, she was back in her bird form, shaking out her wings and taking off. She circled around the expeditioners a couple times while they paddled a sufficient distance away from the shore, crying out in an avian fashion to get their attention.
The northerners were very swift in their boats, but still not as swift as a spirit in flight. Agate had to constantly circle around, eventually deciding to land on the prow of the leading vessel instead. She'd take off again to get her bearings now and then, making a few circles before returning to point towards where they needed to go.
It was a bit of a backtrack, though they were moving straight north instead of northeast. The distance was quite large, and despite setting off quite early, it was dark by the time they reached the ice floe, the frozen mass shining brightly even in the darkness of the night. The tired paddlers rubbed their eyes, looking for a spot suitable to disembark and bring their boats over.
As Agate considered the sight before her, the pieces began to fall together in her head. The same thing was clearly happening with the rest of the expedition, the tired ponies grinning crookedly as they examined the ice floe, as if appreciating a particularly daring stunt. Thundersnow clearly wanted to turn the huge mass of ice into a floating base of operations. It was strange, unusual, and possibly a little bit crazy, but the northern tribe absolutely thrived on all of those things, and their approval was clear in their expressions as they disembarked. The shamare clearly didn't need to spend any time selling the idea to them.
"Well, Agate, what do you think? All the drinking water we might need, and a conveniently mobile encampment that doesn't mean sleeping on a boat. So many uses! We can make sure we get far away from populated islands so our kin don't get caught up in any of our clashes with the westerners, we can fish safely in the open waters, and sleep soundly on a solid surface!" Thundersnow exclaimed gleefully, tapping her hoof on the ice.
"How solid is it, really? I know it's really wide, but... Also, can you really control where something this big will go?"
"I'll sound it out tomorrow, but I can already tell that it goes quite deep. As to steering it... Well, the weather may be my domain, but seeing just how much time we spend on the water, I made sure to make plenty of friends among the water spirits, believe me. Might take a little effort until I get the hang of it, but I bet I could ram this thing right into the westerner's shore, if I felt like it."
"If you say so. Where are you going to live, though? You'll build igloos?"
"Yes indeed! There's certainly no shortage of materials. Spirits, this thing goes on for leagues... Oh, this will be interesting in so many ways..."
Agate left them to set up camp, the exhausted travelers deciding to just bundle up in their boats for the night. After trotting around the glimmering landscape for a bit, she joined them, dreaming dreams of snowy landscapes and strange spirits.
❅ ❆ ❅
The next few days were spent settling in, the regular ponies carving up great chunks of ice to build a proper northern encampment, while the shamares did their thing. When she wasn't practicing crystal magic with Agate, Thundersnow spent her time teaching Wind Whisper everything she knew. The young mare wasn't the most skilled or powerful, but she was an eager learner, and it showed.
"Now then, we should put some defensive wards on the igloos. Nothing too big, something we can work on and improve later, if the need arises. Here, you carve the ice like this..."
"Like so, elder?"
"Yes, very good. Now, breathe some power into it..."
Once more, Agate couldn't really contribute, so she went flying, trying to see just where, exactly, they were in relation to the other islands. Their group had some well-traveled ponies, but the Thousand Islands was a very, very confusing region, and each pony usually only knew a small portion of the whole. Getting a better lay of the land would only benefit them in the long run.
On its own, the massive ice floe was slowly drifting southeast, which wasn't the direction they needed to go. It did take a bit of trying, but Thundersnow demonstrated that she wasn't the kind of mare to make promises she wasn't able to deliver on. Calling upon the sea in an impressive show of power, she nudged it southwest, towards where their opponents lay.
Such a massive mode of transport wasn't exactly subtle, of course, and that was putting it extremely mildly. They passed some islands along their way, their inhabitants awed and impressed by the scale and ambition of the craft, once they saw that the ice floe was not only inhabited, but went at the direction of a shamare. They gave blessings and gifts to them, exclaiming that the northern spirits clearly approved of their mission, a view that Thundersnow shared.
Such a reaction spawned rumors, of course, the news spreading among the local islanders like wildfire. And, since they were quite close to the western territory, it wasn't too much of a stretch to guess that the westerners would find out about it quite soon as well. There was no shortage of merchants making their rounds through the area, and they traded in news as often as they did in goods.
Thundersnow wasn't worried, however, smiling from ear to ear as they slowly floated south. In fact, she was hoping the western shamares would hear that she was coming for them. It wasn't just to give them a fright, though she relished the thought. She also wanted them to try and attack her first, so she could task some spirits with tracking down the source and finally send a proper response herself.
About a week after they landed on the floe, a whole bunch of extra passengers unexpectedly joined their crew. A rather sizeable pod of seals flopped out of the water, snorting and honking curiously at the ponies. Their arrival was the last straw - in the opposite meaning of the saying, that is. If any of the ponies still had even the tiniest sliver of a doubt about their undertaking, being joined by their favorite friends and companions removed it completely. Thanking the spirits of the north for their blessings, they fished and played with the seals, stocking up and preparing for whatever the westerners were going to throw at them.
They named their vessel "Battle Glacier" - which was incorrect, of course, since it was an ice floe and not a glacier, but the name stuck. Even Agate, who usually really didn't care much about these things, had to admit that a floating base on a massive ice floe, directed and steered by powerful magic of but a single individual, slowly encroaching upon the ponies that sent cowardly attacks towards them was a pretty damn awesome sight.
If only its purpose wasn't to go and fight members of their sister tribe...