//------------------------------// // Hierarchic Rearrangement // Story: Agate's Vigil // by Wingnut //------------------------------// Agate spent the next few days in Nilas, awaiting the return of the others. She had a few more private conversations with Jagged ice, giving him a more detailed rundown of what happened during the year they spent fighting the westerners. He largely agreed with Polaris and Agate, hoping to put the western shamares in their place and head off any further conflicts. As for himself, any and all inclinations to seek retribution against the western tribe seemed to have left him, the stallion simply hoping to achieve lasting peace. During the occasional flight, Agate often saw him pacing about outside, deep in thought, occasionally muttering under his breath. From what bits she managed to catch, Agate guessed that he was preparing some kind of speech to argue his position of chieftains having the right to overrule shamares in certain areas to the other tribes. The others arrived one afternoon with little fanfare, calmly disembarking on the docks and taking their kayaks towards the storage sheds. Diving down, Agate greeted Spear Whittle and the others, quickly counting heads and coming up with one extra. "Uneventful journey, I hope? Did you pick up the chieftain's messenger?" "Yes to both questions. What about you? What was that summoning about?" "I'm afraid I can't talk about that, Spear. I'm sorry, but it's a genuine, extremely dangerous secret that might kill you if you knew it." "Wow. Um, okay. I'm fine with not knowing something that might kill me," The young mare grimaced. "Thank you for not trying to get me to say it. Wind Whisper, can I ask you something real quick?" The young shamare, who was curiously listening to the exchange, shrugged. "Of course, what is it?" "You have all of Thundersnow's things, right? Including the amethyst spheres?" "Yes, the one from the wards and the igloo. I'm assuming they're valuable? Did you want me to give them to someone?" "No... No, no need. You can keep them if you want," Agate muttered, slightly distracted. She was using her spirit sight to examine the box of Thundersnow's belongings for the third crystal that used to be there. Just as she suspected, she saw nothing. Wind Whisper had two, and the third was used in the creation of the undead hunter-monster. "Really? They're quite interesting, and I'm still inexperienced in working with crystals..." "How else to gain experience than to practice? Consider it a reward for all your efforts during this expedition. What you did wasn't flashy or dramatic, but you helped everyone as much as you were able," Agate waved it off. "Thank you..." "Don't mention it. Now, I think you should go to talk to the chieftain. I think he'll want you all to accompany him to Snowpitt." ❅ ❆ ❅ Much like the journey to Nilas, the trek to Snowpitt was uneventful. The only issue was not knowing whether Firm Root managed to wrangle his shamares into going there as well. Agate was tempted to fly over to the westerner's territory and try to check in on the situation, but given that even Polaris knew that she was working with Thundersnow, she suspected that her presence would only cause problems. The only thing they could do was to keep moving and hope that the same thing was happening in the west. Agate also considered flying ahead to rest in her totem, but she stuck it out, somewhat happy about the unbelievably monotonous tundra plains for once. She used the time she spent mindlessly trotting forward to process her thoughts and feelings in regards to Thundersnow, and the things she apparently did behind all of their backs. The secrecy with which Thundersnow engaged in her project implied that she was aware that it was a questionable thing to do. She went ahead with it anyway, though, which was slightly confusing. Even if she did succeed in killing off the westerner shamares with the thing she created, being dead didn't exactly stop ponies from talking, including about what killed them. Agate could only guess that Thundersnow had hoped that her creation would act too swiftly for its prey to figure out what was happening before they drowned. Agate just couldn't figure out why she did it, though. On one hoof, no one exactly said that they were going to go easy on the westerners... It was an expedition to wage war, small scale as it was, and Spear Whittle and the rest had a point when they said that the westerners could have killed ponies with their attacks. On the other hoof, Thundersnow kept sending storms from the Battle Glacier, instead of leading a charge directly into the lands of the western tribe, which, with sufficient stealth and preparation, would have definitely ended up in more than one westerner shamare ending up on the wrong end of a northerner's spear. Did her pride demand that she defeat her opponents purely with her magic alone? That didn't sound right, as she took Wind Whisper and Agate with her, as well as receive additional help from other travelling shamares that dropped in now and then, not to mention the rest of the crew. They all pitched in quite a lot, and Thundersnow never complained. Did something change? Did she see that the stalemate really could drag on for years and years, and took it upon herself to expedite things? That was a viable explanation, as she didn't seem to consider even a tactical retreat with the intention of regrouping and coming back later as a viable option. Still, the whole thing just looked like a desperation tactic to Agate. It seemed poorly thought out, couldn't exactly get any shamares that were hiding deeper inland, and risked taking out the wrong target - which is what happened, given that Polaris could barely even be called a participant in the conflict. Desperation didn't make sense either, though. Many were the stories warning ponies that the most dangerous enemy is the one that's driven into a corner and has nothing to lose any more, driven to a mad frenzy by fear and survival instinct. Nothing seemed to faze her, though, not even the close call with the still-living eagles. Thundersnow wasn't afraid... Was she? Polaris calling down the aurora upon the windigoes was something that was unheard of, and clearly required immense power. Power to rival or exceed Thundersnow's, even. And he did say that he wrestled with the will that was animating the undead creature... The will that was imparted by none other than Thundersnow. Did she fear this new apparent challenger and his mastery over the heavens themselves? In the end, all those empty musings were quite meaningless. Try as she might, Agate couldn't really recall any clues from her interactions with Thundersnow about what the mare was planning. As such, there was no way to know her motivations for certain without asking the mare herself. Which should have been an option. It was unheard of for shamare's spirits to require guidance. While death did diminish their powers, Thundersnow was fully capable of climbing out of the water and going straight back to haunting the westerners. Or, at least, she should have been. Agate was as confused as the others at the lack of news about the shamare at first, though once she thought more about what Polaris told her, she began to wonder whether getting attacked by her own creation somehow injured Thundersnow's spirit. It was yet another completely baseless bit of speculation, but Agate resolved to dive to the bottom and scour the seabed if Thundersnow didn't appear soon. While all the guesses didn't bring her any closer to the truth, it did help her to work through her confused feelings in regards to the shamare. Agate didn't approve of what Thundersnow did, but she couldn't really condemn her either, especially given that the westerners tried to kill her as well. Eventually, they reached Snowpitt. Their return was met with far less fanfare and ritual than the yearly migration, though there was a lot more curiosity this time around. Given the expedition's abrupt departure from their floating base, they were far ahead of the schedule, and didn't expect Firm Root to arrive for at least a few weeks. The ponies dug in, the expeditioners happy to finally stand on firm ground again after being surrounded by nothing but igloos and ice for almost a year. ❅ ❆ ❅ The time waiting for Firm Root to arrive was not just spent resting. Now that Agate wasn't in a rush any more, Earthsong and the rest of the southern shamares and elders got to interrogating her about every tiny detail in regards to what happened during both the events that lead to the conflict, and the conflict itself. Sometimes, those meetings involved one or both of the southern and northern chieftains, sometimes none. Similar conversations were happening across all levels. The shamares also questioned Wind Whisper quite a lot, given that she was Thundersnow's right hoof, though others thought that Agate fit that description better. The chieftains liked to talk to Stout and Spear Whittle, the contrast of young and old leaders of their bands making for differing points of view as they told their stories. And the regular ponies talked a lot to the warriors and explorers, listening to their retellings of fighting the floewolf and all the crazy stuff that the shamares pulled on each other with awe. During all that talking, Agate was a bit worried that something that might threaten the secret she swore to keep would come up. Fortunately, none of the others really knew anything, and the attack of the "shapeshifter" shark was largely put down as an unfortunate accident, one that Thundersnow should have been able to prevent had she paid more attention and hadn't exhausted herself trying to fight the western shamares almost all by herself. Overall, in the eyes of the southerners, the northern tribe acquitted itself fairly well during the conflict. They didn't retaliate as strongly as they could have, and Jagged Ice did his best to keep the peace, as evidenced by his diplomatic efforts during the winter and his continued presence in Snowpitt. Where opinions in the beginning were against the northern tribe, they slowly shifted to neutral after Oak Bark's debacle, and with the latest news, the populace was largely in support of them. The only thing left was to see what the western tribe would do. Agate noticed that Jagged Ice occasionally dropped small suggestions and musings that questioned the all-encompassing authority of shamares during his talks with Swift Dash, likely seeding the soil for when Firm Root arrived and they held their meeting. And, after weeks of waiting, they finally came. ❅ ❆ ❅ *knock knock* "Huh?" Agate shifted in her totem as someone knocked on it. Stretching out, she hopped forward, looking for the culprit. An unfamiliar young colt was there, looking at her curiously before remembering his task. "Hello, traveler spirit! One of the elder shamares sent me to tell you that the westerners have arrived! And... That's it, yes. She said you'll know where to go next." "Okay, thank you," she replied to the energetic youth, who nodded and bolted off faster than she could blink. Glancing at the sky, she tried to gauge the time. It was roughly a couple hours after midday, which meant that they couldn't have arrived all that long ago. Chances were, they were spotted before even entering Snowpitt. Agate began moving towards the Great Hall immediately, though. Normally, guests would be welcomed and given lodgings to recuperate after a trip, but pretty much every elder and both chieftains agreed that the best course of action would be to immediately herd the westerners into the Hall and get this sorted out once and for all. Once she reached the building, she noticed the entire northerner contingent standing by one of the walls, seemingly hiding behind the corner. Raising an eyebrow, she trotted over, demonstratively looking the group up and down. Spear Whittle chuckled, grinning at Agate. "Don't look at me like that. We're not doing anything weird." "If you're not, why do you feel the need to say that?" "Word is, the western shamares don't even know we're here, and would refuse a meeting if they did. We're letting them all get comfy before we stomp in and the doors are locked," She explained with a slightly vicious grin. "Ah. Gotcha. Well, I haven't seen any ponies going in as I arrived. I think it might be time?" "Yes," Jagged Ice nodded. "Let's go, everyone. Let's finish this." In a synchronized step, the northerners calmly, but swiftly shuffled in, a couple southern warriors shutting the doors behind them. As they approached the ponies on the other side of the firepit, Agate could hear the conversation happening between the southerners and the western arrivals. "...meaning of this, Swift Dash? Our legs are aching after the journey here." "You can rest just fine right here, can you not? And you have to admit, this is an unusual situation, to say the least. Firm Root wanted to sort out your problems with the northerners really badly and he asked for my help." "We'll be plenty happy to tell you about all the horrible things they did to our shores after we get some rest. After all, it's not like- THEY'RE HERE!" A western shamare screeched as they all came into view. "But of course. It would be quite hard to arbitrate without the other party being here," Swift Dash calmly replied. "You were seriously expecting to just slander us without us making our counterpoints, Birdsong?" Jagged Ice asked dryly, going to take his place near Swift Dash and Firm Root. Agate was happy that he said the name, because up to that point, she wasn't even completely certain of what the westerner's chief shamare's name was, let alone her underlings. Meanwhile, Birdsong's face twisted into an ugly expression of furious rage. "Shut your mouth, you wretched fool!" "Hm, me? You don't even know how arbitration works, yet I'm the fool?" "I said-" "Enough, Birdsong," Firm Root said calmly. The shamare looked like she was going to argue, but after a moment of thought, she changed her expression into one of smug superiority. "You're right, chieftain, of course. There's no need to listen to these wild beasts. If that is the meeting's purpose, then we'll be on our way." "The door is closed, and it's remaining that way until this meeting is through. And it is not through yet," Swift Dash stated. While that was happening, the new arrivals found places to sit. Taking her spot near the northern shamares, Agate scanned the westerners, feeling her eyebrows rise a little. While they complained about aching legs, it didn't look like the journey was the cause. The shamares looked pitiful, with some of them covered in bandages or semi-bald patches. Focusing on the injuries, Agate could see the roughly trimmed patches had a few leftover singed hairs here and there. The only conclusion she could draw was fire or lightning strikes. It seemed that the westerners didn't escape Thundersnow's wrath unscathed, especially given that it was already several weeks since the conflict stopped. Curiously, Agate saw Polaris sitting further in the back as well. "Seriously? First you threaten to banish Oak Bark, now this? Imprisonment with these, these-" "I'll remind you that your own tribe didn't find Oak Bark's actions very impressive. You might want to be more careful with the kind of behavior you endorse," Swift Dash said dryly, while nodding at Firm Root. "No, no, let them talk. Go ahead, Birdsong, lay out the depths of your foolishness before everyone here," Jagged Ice protested with a barely noticeable smile. "Grrrrr..." "What is the meaning of this, then, Swift Dash?" Another, slightly more calmer western shamare asked. "I already explained it. Both the western and northern chieftains are in agreement that the conflict between their tribes is stupid and pointless. And they want peace between their people. And the only ones standing in the way of that are... You." "Tell that to Thundersnow, that damned-" "Thundersnow is dead," Jagged Ice dropped, not elaborating further. That completely derailed the conversation, but only for a few brief moments. Birdsong's eyes began to glow with glee, the old shamare starting to cackle and wheeze as she slapped her knee. "Ha! Serves that damn rotten fool right! So, we got her with our little spring present, did we? We-" "A shark dragged her to the depths while she was performing a ritual." "...Oh. Well then. We... Uh... We still..." Birdsong trailed off, unsure how to gloat this time. "Why isn't she here, though?" The second shamare inquired, her eyes darting around, as if trying to find Thundersnow's spirit hiding behind a corner. "We're not sure. She didn't emerge from the sea, as far as we know. Either way, it doesn't matter. She is dead, and your foolish chieftain got replaced with a wiser one. Now, will you cease your foolishness? I haven't seen the devastation supposedly caused by Thundersnow myself, but judging from your state alone, it seems to me that you should have learned not to poke the floewolf with no good reason." "Us?! After getting attacked by Thundersnow again and again?! If you beg for forgiveness, maybe we'll deign to-" "You sent the attacks, multiple ones, before she finally retaliated. And secondly, this is not your decision. It's Firm Root's. Keep acting out, and see what happens. Oak Bark thought he was untouchable as well," Jagged Ice said, his calm voice getting a steely edge. "Pfff! You really think he'd dare to try and banish a sham-" "Yes," Firm Root finally spoke. "WHAT?!" The meeting turned into bedlam as the entire contingent of western shamares, save Polaris, began shouting all at once. There were a good dozen of them, and they kept pointing hooves at either Jagged Ice or Firm Root while yelling out their protestations, but neither chieftain seemed particularly impressed. As the neutral arbiter, Swift Dash began stomping his hooves in an attempt to shut them up. "ENOUGH! What a bunch of "wise" elders you are. Screaming like a bunch of foals." "You don't get to tell us what to do! We are shamares!" "Oh, I quite disagree with that statement," Jagged Ice grinned, his eyes glinting dangerously. Birdsong and the others opened their mouths to argue again, but Jagged Ice stomped his hoof down as well, the strike making the floor shake a little. The shamares cringed back from the fierce stallion that was only half-sat and looked like he was about to jump them. Giving them one final look, he sat down back again. "Now... Where was I? Oh, yes. This has been knocking around my head for a while now. I think it is high time we draw a clear line around just where, exactly, a shamare's authority ends. And, given what we all learned from this conflict, it seems abundantly clear to me that their current authority far exceeds what they should actually be afforded, especially in attempting to tell chieftains what to do," He said, surreptitiously glancing at the other chieftains, though his statement certainly caught the attention of the southern shamares as well. "That is an... Interesting statement, Jagged Ice. I think it needs to be a bit more detailed, though," Earthsong spoke with a confused frown. "Oh, certainly. To begin with, Thundersnow was incredibly influential. She was quite skilled and respected, and sometimes, it felt like she was running the tribe, not me. She was already well known among my ponies before I became chieftain, and I ended up following her... Suggestions more than once. All because she was a shamare with great power - yet, quite clearly, that power did not, in fact, translate to good problem-solving, leadership or decision-making skills. Everything went well for quite a while, of course - until it didn't. And then, we got to truly see just how unsuitable she was for a leadership position." Birdsong looked like she wanted to say something inappropriate about Thundersnow, but two quick glances from both Jagged Ice and Firm Root quickly made her shut up, the shamare studying her chieftain with some concern. Meanwhile, Jagged Ice continued laying out his position. "The same could be said about the westerner shamares that are sitting here right now. Complete, utter foolishness and arrogance. They thought they could command me and my tribe, order me around and tell me what I should do or not do, in my own lands. They thought they could attack us over a petty insult that they created in their own heads, and then have us apologize for defending ourselves. Absurdity of the highest degree." "Your tribe was destroying the balance! And that fool stole from us! And not just any trinket or fish, but the salmon migration!" Birdsong shrieked again. "If we were destroying the balance in our lands, how does that concern you? We would have been punished by the consequences, if there actually were any. And... The salmon migration are fish. We even offered Oak Bark to pay back the same weight in other fish and what salmon remained, if you recall-" "Which was an insult! And there were plenty of consequences!" She shrieked again, making Agate roll her eyes and finally lose her patience. "No, elder, as I recall, there were no consequences whatsoever, you just lied and pretended that the first birds that attacked us were the spirits getting angry at the northerners, but then immediately got called out and admitted that it was a complete fabrication. And how was the northern tribe offering restitution an insult?!" "Ah, I think I can explain that one," Firm Root butted in. "This is something I talked about with Jagged Ice during the winter. We... How to put it best... We hold the salmon migration in a... Special regard of sorts in the west. To us, it's a sacred event, not just a chance to fill our stores and bellies. And, apparently, the northerner's perceived lack of contrition for disturbing such a holy occasion and, from Oak Bark's view, insufficient restitution that they offered, was taken as a grave insult by him and his shamares. I, however, do not hold such aggressive views towards the northerner's mistake." "More the fool, then! You should-" Birdsong kept shouting, though others weren't having any of it. "You don't get to order him what to think. He can listen, but he is your chieftain, not the other way around," Jagged Ice intervened. "I! Am! A! Shamare! I don't follow orders from anyone!" "Exactly why we are in this mess," He snorted with a roll of his eyes, as the other chieftains tried not to laugh. Agate, meanwhile, tapped her chin thoughtfully. "So then, you agree that Thundersnow was doing the right thing?" "What?! Absolutely not! Where did you even get that from what I said? Are you completely addled?" Birdsong sputtered. "Well. She was a shamare. And shamares aren't supposed to be questioned. And she did what she wanted. So..." "That's completely different!" "How?" "She, she destroyed the balance of nature! You're not supposed to use your powers to just empty the waters of fish like she did!" "She didn't do anything like that. We were busy with constructing Smoky Bay, and, on occasion, she would call for a great fishing trip. The amount we pulled in one day was magnificent, but then we'd spend weeks or months building and exploring, instead of fishing. Overall, I think we fished less than we usually do. Not to mention, those were untouched waters, teeming with fish. And, once again, those are our lands. We decide how we manage them, not you," Jagged Ice pointed out. "She attacked us! Sh-" "We already established that you attacked her first," Agate cut her off. "She destroyed our shores! Entire forests felled! Terrible lightning, wind so strong you could barely breathe through it, rain that immediately froze as it landed, coating entire ancient groves in a layer of ice so thick, trees as wide as a pony broke!" "Yes... The consequences of your actions after you provoked her are not pretty, are they?" "The- The windigoes! Her vile presence called the most ancient enemies to our shores!" "Debatable whether that was you or her. Both, more than likely. Either way, she is dead. That culprit is dealt with. You, on the other hoof... How did that law go? Ah, yes... Spare not the cold-hearted windigo-borne, for along with himself, his greed and foolishness will doom the entire tribe to the cold of a thousand winters. Cast him out to be with his windigo kin-" "SILENCE! You don't get to judge me! You're Thundersnow's right hoof, part of the northern tribe! Anything you say is clearly biased and tainted!" "Part of the northern tribe? My totem lies here in Snowpitt... And while I do have family among the northerners, I always strove to be neutral." "Ha! Please. You spent years and years gallivanting across the northern lands, looking for spirit stones and bringing great wealth to their tribe. You're practically the patron spirit of their entire tribe at this point." "I... Guess? Everything I did, though, I did because I was asked to. Blizzard Heart, if you even know that name, told me about overhearing some ponies talk about their crystal deposits potentially running dry. All she did was ask me for help, which I provided, seeing as I had nothing else to do. Back in the day, Oak Bark asked me to talk about steel to your smiths and whether your tribe could keep the armor that the explorers found back in Dream Valley as well, you know. I said yes, but I'm guessing you conveniently forgot that event, or you're going to say that you never heard of it to begin with." "That's hardly comparable-" "*AHEM*", Firm Root cleared his throat. "We do not judge a pony's character by how much wealth they brought to your person or tribe, but by their actions. While she spent many years helping the northerners, including the recent battle, I have no reason to doubt Agate's honest intentions. She has been sending reports to Jagged Ice the entire time, attempting to find a peaceful solution." "This- this means nothing. You don't have any right to-" "I think I heard enough," Swift Dash spoke up once more. "Both sides have made their points and arguments. And, it seems to me that with the replacement of Oak Bark, there is no more argument for further conflict between the western and northern tribes. Does either chieftain seek restitution for any of the actions taken by their respective shamares and warriors?" "No," Jagged Ice shook his head. "We don't either. Let us bury this foolishness," Firm Root agreed. "In that case, will there be peace between the tribes once more?" "We never really went to full-out war anyway," Jagged Ice shrugged. "Just some, ah... Hotheaded rogue elements, shall we say. Can't say the same for the former western chieftain, of course, but with how quickly he was replaced, it is pretty clear to me that the western tribe as a whole is not our enemy and does not hold the same views as Oak Bark did. But yes, since it seems to be necessary, I formally extend an offer of peace between the northern and western tribes." "I accept your peace offering, and I am likewise happy to leave this nonsense behind us. I can see that the incident that started this entire mess had no true hostile intent behind it, and was an honest mistake by Thundersnow. Shame that it led to her losing her life, but that was the consequence of her own overconfidence." Birdsong and her cabal were fuming, though. "You think this will just end like this? We will not-" "Oh yes you will," Jagged Ice said simply. "Weren't you the one that said that leaders of one tribe have no right to give orders to other tribes? Then practice what you preach and shut it already!" "Hmm. Good point. Firm Root?" The northern chieftain raised his eyebrows at this western counterpart. "Ah, yes. There is still the whole mess of our seaside to clean up, isn't it?" "What? What are you talking about?" Birdsong narrowed her eyes at her chieftain. "Many merchants and refugees came to me with stories about how bad it has gotten over there. Not just your fighting, but all the spirits that you riled up now running amok and making both travel and living there a pain. Someone needs to soothe the spirits and return order to the region, and I can't think of anyone better than the ones that actually caused it in the first place." "We will do no such thing! Tell Thundersnow and the rest of her northern minions to undo their mess!" "If you will do no such thing, then you will not be a part of my tribe any more," Firm Root laid out his threat with absolute calm. "You would- You would dare to provoke your shamares like that? I- we- we could wreak unspeakable things upon you!" Birdsong attempted to sound threatening, but her stammering speech made it abundantly clear that she was finally feeling truly afraid as she saw that everyone was against her. Scoffing at the shamare threatening her own chieftain, Jagged Ice nodded to Firm Root. "You know, I have with me a good thirty ponies that accompanied Thundersnow on her expedition, and stayed with her the entire time. During the year, they got quite a lot of experience in dealing with all of the "unspeakable things" that the shamares kept sending at them. I could lend them to you, if you'd like. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to make sure that your shamares stay in line... And take other measures if they don't. They acquired some very nice floewolf-toothed spears during the winter." "You wouldn't dare," Birdsong whispered, her voice hoarse from fear as the rest of her shamares huddled together and cowered from the sudden vicious looks and bloodthirsty grins the expeditioners sent their way. "Wouldn't I? I just might, though I'd like to think that my own tribe has warriors with enough backbone to take down a shamare, if it comes to it," Firm Root mused. Frantically glancing around, Birdsong turned her head back and forth, as if to find some kind of solution that was just out of sight. She found nothing but disapproving stares coming at her from every direction, though, save for one. Polaris still sat in the back, his expression firmly neutral, though Agate could see the relief in his previously tense posture. "Polaris! You told us that we needed to come here! That Thundersnow was gone, and the spirits whispered to you that something grand was going to happen in Snowpitt! What is the meaning of this?!" "Well, elder... It is not like they lied to me, did they? Something grand is happening. It will be quite a large shift in our society, if the northern chieftain's ideas catch on. It is simply not something grand that happened in your favor," He slowly spoke, carefully picking his words. "You wield great power, though! Tell them to stop this madness! Your authority will be held as lesser than theirs as well!" "And yet, I can see no arguments against what the chieftains said. And, quite honestly, I never gave a damn about my "authority". I certainly don't plan to ever meddle in the politics of the tribes, and I find the chieftain's suggestion that shamares shouldn't stick their muzzles where they don't belong entirely sensible," The stallion shrugged dispassionately. "This, this, this is..." The defeated shamare trailed off, at a loss for words. "This is the end, Birdsong," Firm Root supplied. "Are you going to follow the orders from your chieftain, or do I have to grab you by the scruff of your neck and toss you out of Snowpitt myself?" She glanced at the other westerner shamares one final time, but found only helpless shrugs and fearful looks. Taking in a deep breath, she grit her teeth and turned back to Firm Root. "Fine. I will comply with your orders... Chieftain." "Better. Now, we-" "Don't expect me to be happy about it, though," She added, making a number of ponies groan and roll their eyes. "For the love of..." Swift Dash sighed. "Birdsong, if you behave like a foal, you will be treated like one." "Insult after insult! You really expect me to take this lying down?" "Alright, that's enough. Since the matter is concluded, and since these foals obviously can't behave themselves, I think they should be removed from the meeting." "I agree," Jagged Ice nodded. "No objections," Firm Root shrugged. Agate watched as the fuming shamares were escorted outside, muttering darkly the entire time. She was reminded of the scene with Oak Bark, specifically the sudden and instant loss of respect. While foals were allowed to attend the meetings in the Grand Hall, they were expected to be well behaved, and would be removed if they acted out. It might not have meant much to a foal, but it was a fairly big slap to the face for the arrogant elders. "And don't think of doing anything shady!" Earthsong called out after them. "If you mess about in my home, the land will tell me, and I will make sure that you will find no peace anywhere on this Earth ever again." The bedraggled band of shamares didn't really look like they had the strength to do anything anyway, but it was a very well-timed threat, the double doors loudly slamming shut just as Earthsong finished talking. Sighing, the elderly shamare massaged her temples as the chieftains glanced at each other. "Though my role here is done, I do believe Jagged Ice has more thoughts to share with us," Swift Dash said. "Hmm, yes. Though this conflict has been solved, I want to make sure that a similar situation does not arise in the future again," The northerner agreed. "And your suggestion is curbing the power of shamares, yes?" Firm Root inquired. "Among other things, yes." "Chieftains, while I fully understand your reasoning, I hope your reforms don't go too far," Earthsong ventured, her expression somewhat concerned. "I don't think a shamare having to present actual arguments instead of screaming "I am a shamare, I take orders from no one, now do as I say" is going too far, elder," Jagged Ice sighed. "I don't... I suppose I have no answer to that. Those arrogant fools really did make a mess of things. To try and boss around a separate tribe, expecting no repercussions..." "You did something similar yourself, Earthsong. Remember when you asked me to use my influence and order Thundersnow what to do?" Agate pointed out. The elder's eyes went wider before she flinched. "I... See that I am not innocent in this matter either, then. I suppose I should be quiet." "Again, not what I am suggesting," Jagged Ice huffed with a roll of his eyes. "Do expect full scrutiny of what you say, though. In the past, I would have simply taken your argument at face value without much thought. These days... You'll just have to accept that ponies might view shamares with a degree of suspicion for a few years." "We're quite used to that already," Earthsong replied drily. "Then perhaps you shouldn't try so hard to appear so mystical and incomprehensible." "You think we do that on purpose?" "Well, recent events certainly showed that shamares are just like any other pony, with their own failings, foibles, flaws, and the capacity to be entirely, completely wrong about something. Pardon me if it was different in the south, but my entire life, shamares presented themselves as some kind of higher creatures, utterly disciplined and above the petty squabbles of the average pony, only caring about their esoteric duties and the overall survival of ponykind." "Some shamares do... Go overboard a little, I suppose. Being mystifying and strange is all they have, so I guess some of them just give up trying to appear normal and fully lean into it." "In that case, you'll probably have to implement some kind of changes in the training of young shamares, elder. I know it is customary for young shamares to travel across the lands of the three tribes and learn from each other, but despite travelling far more than the average pony, at the same time, they act like they are a separate tribe altogether. A fourth tribe, almost," He posited, to which Agate felt herself shaking her head. "That's not entirely the case, chieftain. Remember, Oak Bark was a big part of the problem as well. And, though the root cause was arrogance and foolishness, it was true that you were not aware of the significance of the westerner's traditions. As I traveled between the tribes and learned of their ways, I noticed it happening more and more. Though you all sprang from one tribe, the northern and the southern tribes are radically different, and the differences just keep getting bigger and bigger every year. As you adapt to your unique lands and find better and better ways to thrive in your environments, you drift apart in your traditions. The yearly meetings in Snowpitt are a great way to keep contact, but at the same time, you hardly talk about each other during that time. The goal of these meetings is sharing survival tips, and the topics are always related to new lands or dangerous beasts, or wondrous new herbs that someone discovered somewhere distant, and so on. You never just talk about... Life. As such, the average pony in the southern tribe is hardly aware of what an average pony in the northern tribe is like. I can only assume that this applies to the western tribe, too. All they hear are the wild stories your warriors and explorers tell, about bizarre beasts and strange locations, and the picture of your tribe that they paint in their heads is sorely lacking in detail." Everyone went quiet for a few minutes as they digested what Agate told them. The three chieftains then turned to look at each other, as if seeing the others for the first time. They studied the different charms and trinkets they wore, attempting to ascertain their meanings, and, by the looks of it, largely failing. "As always, you are wise beyond your years, Agate," Swift Dash eventually spoke. "As always, I am not. I am just good at listening and watching. I had some idle thoughts of my own, but this actually came from something my... Adoptive mother told me a little while ago. She was explaining the differences in the western and northern tribes to her daughters. She said that while the northerners made friends with the seals, the western fisherponies that go out to sea see them as competition and pests, and don't much care for the seal pods living on their shores. I just... Applied the same principle to other things I was seeing, and the pieces fell into place." "Mm, well. I suppose we'll have more things to talk about next winter. For now, though, I believe there are more concrete actions we can take than getting to know each other's tribes and traditions better..." Later on, the meeting became known as "The longest night". While the long night ended over a month ago, the chieftains kept talking all through the night and into the next day, wanting to make sure that the peace they agreed on would be a lasting one. Pledges were made, territory boundaries reaffirmed, new laws discussed, and so on. The chieftains all agreed that any ponies going off on their own to seek revenge against a different tribe for some perceived slight should be harshly punished, creating new laws which stated that an aggrieved pony should go to their chieftain, who then would negotiate with the other tribe's chieftain or an applicable respected elder, given the large distances. The need for reliable messengers was also discussed, several young ponies from Spear Whittle's group looking interested as the concept was tossed about. And lastly, several proclamations were made about cutting down on the power the shamares had. It was quite a nebulous concept to try and regulate, to say the least. The shamares that were present didn't object, though. Wind Whisper and Tinder didn't say a single word throughout the entire meeting, though the two northern shamares were listening to everything that was said, likely to relay it to others later on. Attempting to inform everyone of the changes was an utterly impossible task, given the scattered nature of the tribe's populations. They all agreed to do a big announcement explaining everything during the next Gathering, and to spread the news about the most important parts by word of mouth until winter came. Peace had returned to the north. ❅ ❆ ❅ "What now?" Polaris asked. "Now, we go our separate ways and hope nothing else crops up. Also, there's still the matter of Thundersnow," Agate said, rubbing her chin. "Are you going to do something about her? I'd assume that she wouldn't reveal the secret. For all her pride, I don't think she would want to drag her tribe into a war. I dearly hope that no one else finds out. We are so close to leaving this behind us." "I don't even know where she is. First and foremost, I'm going to try and find her. How would anyone else find out what really happened, though?" "There are... Various ways. Shamares have their methods to uncover hidden secrets." "Oh... Right," Agate slowly nodded, remembering all the ways she tried to discover what happened to the Empire, including trying to look through time via dream magic. "I think the best thing to do in this situation is to continue acting normally, and don't let anyone know that we're hiding something. If no one knows that there is a secret, they won't go looking for it." "Makes sense. I still need to find Thundersnow, though. I don't think anyone will find anything suspicious in that. Some ponies are already curious as to just where she could be." "Very well. I am not sure if I'll still be in Snowpitt when you return. My chieftain is eager to return to the tribe, so our stay here will be brief. Fair winds, traveler, and good luck." "You too, Polaris. Get home safely. I hope you can restore your homeland." "The forests will regrow, in time. Not in my lifetime, perhaps, but it will happen." With a nod, the conspirators parted ways once more, Polaris quietly sneaking away from Agate's clearing where they held their secret meeting, while the spirit took wing, flapping her way back towards where the Battle Glacier still floated in the sea. Back west.