//------------------------------//
// The Gold Mountain: Part 2 
// Story: The Adventures of Star Swirl the Bearded 
// by slade8283 
//------------------------------//


Part 2


"Wait", Spike said as Twilight turned the page to Part 2, "How come I've never heard of the mountain city of Trottingham? I know we have a city named Trottingham south of Canterlot, but not one in the mountains."
"All in due time Spike," she replied, "all in due time."





So Star Swirl and Lion Heart traveled north from Ponyville in search of the great pegasus city of Trottingham, throwing caution to the wind as they traveled westward towards the mountains. The two intended to go westward from Ponyville, skirting the plains just north of their hometown. Star Swirl's goal was to avoid the forest as all costs, due to the high density of dangerous creatures, specifically timberwolves. Even though he was fully capable of defeating the monsters, Star Swirl wanted to conserve his energy for the fight with Akor. 

"Hey Star Swirl," said Lionheart, "do you know where we're going? Exactly where we are going? I know you wanted to avoid the forest, but here we are."
"Well..." He took a look around the forest they had been walking in for a few hours, "of course I know where we are going. But, just in case," he used magic to retrieve a map, "I brought map to chart our progress." He stopped and held the map aloft with his magic, inspecting the options that lay before him.
Lionheart joined Star Swirl in his investigation of the map. "So Star Swirl, where are we then?"
It took the unicorn a few moments before he held up his hoof, indicating their location. "We are right here. Looks like we're in the heart of White Tale Woods, but that shouldn't delay us too much. We just need to travel north through this mountain pass here." He pointed at the spot on the map labeled Mountain Pass. "Then we keep going westward until we find Trottingham. Easy."
Star Swirl could see the look of horror on Lionheart's face as he stared at the map. "You mean we're in this area marked 'Timberwolf Territory: DO NOT ENTER'."
Whatever sense of confidence Star Swirl had suddenly vanished. The last thing he wanted was to fight an entire forest full of timberwolves, especially with the prospect of fight a dragon in the near future. "Umm..." He didn't want to say yes, but he eventually gave in. "It would appear so."
As if on cue, a pack of timberwolves jumped from the underbrush and surrounded them. Star Swirl drew on the magic within him, prepared to retaliate at the slightest movement. The timberwolves slowly closed in on them without attacking, which surprised Star Swirl. Of all the books he had read, Star Swirl had never heard of the race of half-wolves-half-trees being merciful. 
Without warning, a timberwolf began to push Star Swirl from behind. He jumped away from the creature, ready to defend himself, but found that the beast was not attacking. Star Swirl let magic in him die down and slowly began to speak: "Lionheart, I think they want us to go with them. I've never seen them be passive before, and one just tried to push me towards the woods."
"So you're saying that we should go with this group of timberwolves into the dark, scary forest? No offense Star Swirl, but are you crazy?" The earth pony began to back away from the timberwolves.
"I'm not seeing many options other than that. Do you have any ideas?"
"Well...we could go with the timberwolves."

The wolves lead the ponies through the woods for hours. The sun was at its peak when they arrived at their destination. Star Swirl had seen many interesting things during his studies in Canterlot, but none of them compared to what stood before him. The trees grew less dense as they approached the crude city constructed by the timberwolves. Hundreds of small mud shacks littered the clearing as Star Swirl and Lionheart were lead to the center of the city. They passed whole families of timberwolves; baby wolves ran and played as mother wolves kept a protective eye on them, father wolves dragged dead critters into huts. The whole scene took Star Swirl by surprise. He didn't expect such a crude race to form a city, let alone a simple hut.
The two ponies were lead to a large clearing surrounded by packed stands full of howling timberwolves, and an empty stage. Lionheart shook with fear, despite putting on his "brave face". Star Swirl stood confidently, awaiting what he knew was to come. He began to mentally prepare himself for what was to come. He flashed back to his time in Canterlot, remembering the only useful lesson he had learned from the snooty royalty. He began to recollect his lessons on how to address those above him, those who had taken him prisoner, or those who demanded respect. At the time of the lecture, Star Swirl had felt as if the lessons were tedious and unnecessary, but suddenly he found himself thanking his old teachers.
A group of timberwolves began to howl, which reminded Star Swirl of a very eerie trumpet fanfare. One wolf walked out onto the previously empty stage, and proceeded to make strange barking sounds. Star Swirl began to grow nervous: wouldn't be able to convince the "royalty" if they didn't speak the common pony language. 
A very regal looking male timberwolf came onto the stage with a group of wolves that Star Swirl assumed was his guard. The royal wolf began to speak to the timberwolves in the stands, which was met with an immediate reaction of howls and pounding on the wooden stands.
The timberwolf on the stage then turned his attention to Lionheart and Star Swirl. "So it would appear that we have had some ponies from Ponyville stray into our territory. State your names and intentions." Straight to business, just what Star Swirl had hoped for.
"Your highness," Star Swirl began, "this is my friend, Lionheart, and I am Star Swirl. We are her by-"
"Did you say Star Swirl?" The king interrupted. He sat forward in his chair, expressing interest in the conversation for the first time. "As in the Star Swirl who defeated one of my best wolves?"
"If that wolf was attacking Ponyville, then yes: that Star Swirl." He did his best to express confidence in his voice. Social interactions had never been his strong suit, but he had always been good at pretending that it was.
"Interesting...interesting." The king sat back in his chair again. "Well Star Swirl, you've attracted my attention, which means you've spared your life for a few minutes. My name is King Hrarwgrawth. I understand that it can be a bit hard to pronounce to ponies, so you may simply call me king, your highness, or your majesty. What are your intentions in our territory?"
Star Swirl's heart quickened. He had passed the hardest part: getting the kings attention, but he knew that the new phase was still very touchy, and saying the wrong word or phrase could still result in death. "Well in all honesty your highness, we did not intend to venture into your territory, we were only passing through to the mountains."
By the king's demeanor, Star Swirl knew he had finally secured a safe position in the king's court. "Why exactly do a common earth pony and a strong wizard like yourself have an interest in those mountains? Most ponies who desire to view majestic mountains opt to go far north to The Crystal Mountains." It was obvious the king interested, but his tone was still demeaning, like he was trying to belittle them with every word.
Star Swirl took a step towards the king, but was cut of by his snarling royal guard. "We're on a quest to a mountain city. Perhaps you've heard of Trottingham?" Even at their extended distance, Star Swirl could see the king's eyes widen. "So you have...interesting...interesting." he said, mocking the king's tone. "We are on a quest to Trottingham to defeat the dragon Akor and reclaim the city for the scattered pegasi."
The king laughed at Star Swirl's explanation. "You truly think you can defeat the dragon lord Akor? Not even this entire city of wolves could defeat him."
"So you've seen him in combat?"
"Seen him in combat? Ha!" The king stood and began to descend from the stage. "He once burned half of our forest to the ground when we rejected his request for an alliance. He wanted us to help him capture the mountain city, promising half of the city to our packs. Naturally, we declined: timberwolves have no need of a mountainous habitat, we are perfectly happy here in our forest. Upon our rejection, Akor proceeded to burn half of our forest. We were helpless; hundreds of wolves were killed and thousands were displaced, which ultimately lead to the creation of our great capitol where you now stand."
Star Swirl felt a panic set in again as the king began to circle him and Lionheart. "So maybe it wasn't all unfortunate, you did construct a very elegant city from his destruction."
What Star Swirl assumed was a smile appeared on the kings face. "Yes we did, didn't we." He returned to his throne and sat down. "As all the old creatures say: the enemy of my enemy is my friend, which means you are now a friend Star Swirl." 
A sense of victory coursed through Star Swirl as he pressed the conversation. "So does that mean you will help us overthrow the king?"
The smile disappeared from the kings face. "I'm sorry, but no. You see Star Swirl, just as before, we have no interest in the matter. Also, we have lost to many wolves to the dragon lord; we cannot risk anymore." Star Swirl's heart sunk at the king's response. He had been hoping for at least some kind of help from the timberwolf king, something that would be able to help in the slightest way. "Although," The king said, holding up a single twig of a finger, "I know someone who can. You must travel northwest until you reach the mountain range. There you will find a mountain that has a certain...glow. That mountain houses the Oracle. She is the only one who can help you on your journey."
Star Swirl's head was spinning. He had so many questions to ask, but all he could manage was: "Thank you your highness." Star Swirl cursed himself as he and Lionheart began to depart from the king's court.
"Oh and Star Swirl," the king said, stopping them from departing, "my wolves here do not speak your language, and they would expect me, naturally, to execute you. So as soon as you leave our city's borders, my wolves will give pursuit, though only until you exit our territory. Best of luck."
Star Swirl replied with a smile and a quick nod. He turned from the king and began to exit the city. "Are you ready Lionheart?"
"Yes. Just one quick question: since when could timberwolves speak our language?"

"Yeah Twilight," Spike said, "I didn't think timberwolves could actually speak."
"Well actually Spike, they can't anymore." Twilight said with an encyclopedic tone. "Only the wolf royalty, kings, queens, et cetera, The last timberwolf royalty died out died hundreds of years ago."
"You know everything don't you?" Spike said sarcastically.
"Spike, it's the next line in the book, although I did know about the last kings dying out. So yes: I know everything."
"Oh."

"Most can't," Star Swirl replied, "only their royal has the ability to speak our language." Lionheart made no response to the comment as the city began to fade behind them.
They walked for a short time in a sense of paranoia, waiting for the timberwolves to give chase. After fifteen minutes, a howl came from behind them. Star Swirl and Lionheart took a quick glance at each other before taking off at a full gallop through the woods. Star Swirl used his magic to clear branches from their path as they tore through the forest at break-neck speed, just barely keeping out of the hungry timberwolves grasp.
With only a half-mile left, Star Swirl could tell the timberwolves were right on their tales; he could hear the pounding of their large wooden paws on the forest floor. Only a quarter of a mile left. He could practically feel their breath on his back. One thousand feet....eight-hundred....six-hundred....Star Swirl reached for his magic again, thinking through the words he wanted. Four-hundred....two hundred....Star Swirl cast his spell, propelling himself and Lionheart the remaining two-hundred feet into the underbrush.
Lionheart and Star Swirl lay in the underbrush, waiting for the timberwolves to turn back. A panic set in as Star Swirl began to calculate the distance he had propelled them. Did he send them far enough? He couldn't be sure. Star Swirl let out a sigh of relief as he heard the timberwolves start to move away from the bush. 
"So," he said to Lionheart, still breathing heavily, "you ready to get going?"

Star Swirl and Lionheart traveled through the forest for hours. They found a path after leaving the site of their chase and followed it for miles, only deviating when Star Swirl's guidance spell took them from the path. The stallions did not encounter any problems for the rest of the night, but Lionheart was still skittish from the timberwolf fight. 
The sun was just going under the horizon when Lionheart finally stopped walking. "How about we stop here for the night? We've had a pretty big day and I really just want to sleep." He had been visibly exhausted for about an hour, but kept walking, despite Star Swirl's warnings.
Star Swirl responded with a nod, promptly falling to the ground. He had been about to collapse for hours, but had concealed it very well. Star Swirl let out a groan of satisfaction as he lay on the forest floor. A pony, even one as exceptional as Star Swirl, can only travel for a certain amount of time before he collapses.
The two stallion lay in silence for a long period of time, enjoying the simple pleasure of resting. The forest was so serene all of a sudden. Star Swirl had trouble believing that only a few hours ago he and Lionheart had been chased for miles by a pack of timberwolves. The lavish trees and chirping bird around him gave no sign of what the forest really had to offer, which put Star Swirl on edge slightly. He didn't like the thought of being ambushed at any second.
Star Swirl finally broke the silence between him and Lionheart. "So are we taking watches tonight? We already know that timberwolves call these woods home, and there very well could be even more dangerous creature out there."
A nod came from the earth pony that lay nearby. "That sounds good. Maybe we should get a fire going too, it should keep the lesser creatures away from us."

After lighting a fire and putting some minor alarm spells around their campsite, Star Swirl sat down and made himself a dinner from the surrounding forest. Luckily he knew a few good cooking spells so the surrounding foliage didn't taste as bland as it appeared. 
A loud snore came from Lionheart as he turned on his side, facing away from Star Swirl. Star Swirl was glad his best friend was accompanying him. Having another pony around made him feel secure, even if said pony only coward when faced with danger. I don't care if he's weak, thought Star Swirl, staring at the back of Lionheart, I know he's going to play a key role in defeating Akor.
Star Swirl's thoughts drifted as moon continued to rise. His mind kept wandering, thinking about Trottingham, Ponyville, Akor, Lionheart, the timberwolves, but mostly the mare who informed him of the plight the pegasi faced. Even when he tried to force his mind else where, it kept returning to Rain Chaser. Star Swirl couldn't rap his head around the pegasus. Why did she tell me about the city and nopony else? She could have simply gone to Canterlot and told the king. I'm sure he would've helped them. But no, Rain chose me. Star Swirl let out a sigh, finally realizing the weight of his situation. She chose me to save the pegasi. I shouldn't be complaining. I should be thinking about how to defeat Akor. So Star Swirl's thoughts finally broke away from Rain Chaser and returned to his normal thoughts.
Lionheart awoke a short time later, finally giving Star Swirl some much needed sleep. His dreams were just like his thoughts: vague and scattered. Even in his dreams Star Swirl saw faint images of Rain Chaser. The dream shifted location so fast that Star Swirl began to lose track of everywhere he went, though he distinctly remembered a mountain, Canterlot on fire, and a dark, lonely cave. The burning image of Canterlot disturbed him greatly, but he had so little time to think about it as the dream shifted again.
The last image Star Swirl could make out in his strange cluster of dreams was of him and Rain Chaser standing before the king of Equestria. Star Swirl wasn't able to make out the words the king was saying, though they seemed vitally important, everypony in the room was trained on him. Rain Chaser turned and faced Star Swirl, who did the same towards her. Without any control of the dream-world, Star Swirl leaned in and kissed Rain Chaser. The whole room erupted in applause.

Star Swirl's eyes shot open. Did I just... he thought, ...no it's impossible. The thought burned in Star Swirl's mind as he stood, stretching as he did every morning. He tried to force his mind off of the strange dreams he had, but to no avail. Star Swirl rarely had dreams, but when he did they were typically symbolic. The thought of the last image, what appeared to be a marriage of him and Rain Chaser, worried Star Swirl more than anything. He had never intended on getting married, or even having a special somepony. How could something like have happened?
"Hey, Star Swirl, you're up," Lionheart said from his spot next to the once-campfire. A sullen look was on his face as he stared at the remnants of the fire, pushing coals around in little circles with a stick.
"You feeling okay Lionheart? You look kind of down." Star Swirl had rarely seen his friend in a depressed state. The only time he could recall was when a cold, heartless, mare had broken his heart.
Lionheart sighed, still looking into the dying embers. "Not really." Star Swirl sat down next to him, demanding more information with a simple look. "Are you sure we can do this? I mean, we were barely able to escape the timberwolves, and we have to fight a dragon. A dragon, Star Swirl. Have you ever even seen a dragon before?"
Star Swirl was surprised by the question. "Well...no. Although I have read about them. They-"
"Yeah," he interrupted, "read about them. I don't doubt your intelligence, no pony does, but this doesn't seem like something we can do from book knowledge."
The two sat in silence as Star Swirl thought. It was true: he hadn't ever actually seen a dragon. He had read extensively on the subject, mostly about their magical abilities, but he was beginning to doubt even that.
Star Swirl rose from his spot. "I know what we can do Lionheart," he said as he slowly began to tear down their campsite, "we can go to the Oracle. No harm in that right? Maybe she could give us some information on exactly how to beat Akor." He turned and faced Lionheart, who had a skeptical look on his face. "What do you say, one more stop?"
"One more stop?"
"Yes."
"And if I don't like it we can go home?"
"Eeyup."
Lionheart gave another sigh. "Alright Star Swirl, you win. Let's go see the Oracle."
Star Swirl smiled and began to walk out of the already torn down camp. "You won't regret it, I promise."
"I think I'm already starting to." Lionheart replied as he began to walk after him.