The author describes her appearance, touching briefly on her current residence and background. She describes the terrain, moving onto her theory concerning the flight of the Three Tribes to Equestria. She tells us her name and quest.
My dear reader, before I begin, I feel I must give a good description of myself.
I am a unicorn mare, ice blue in coat, white-maned, living on the northern edge of the Everfree, where it borders the Crystal Tundra. I was born in Canterlot, however I soon left when I became of age^^^, and set about as an explorer for Her Majesty, Princess Celestia.
As I write this, it is the year of 700 ALB^, or 1700 AEF^^, depending on your reckoning and preference of dating. It is now summer, and the flowers have begun springing up, as well as the verdant green of the local grass.
I should note here that "Tundra" might be a bit of a misnomer, as the area is more similar to a taiga biome, being too far south to be a true tundra, but the name has stuck.
As I look out, I see prime grazing land which would have easily sustained our ancestors as they fled from Stirrope... if you believe we came across the northern continent to this continent, as I do.
Others ridicule me, insisting the journey was made by sea, not land. They believe that the cold, the beasts, and the barbarian tribes posed too much of a threat. However, I believe this belief is based on nothing more than fear of travelling into the homelands of the Windigos.
I have tried to point out that a journey across the Grey Ocean would only be possible by going through the most treacherous waters of those depths. Sirens, storms, krakens and leviathans... far more than the already suffering tribes of Earth, Pegasus, and Unicorn could manage at the time. Additionally, the Windigos would not have been able to follow across the water, and they could have no idea of knowing when the Tribes made landfall, leaving only one explanation for how the Tribes reached Equus, and how the Windigos followed them.
I see it as feasible that one could reach Equus from Stirrope, and make a return journey, by walking across the great northern continent. Vast, frozen, and unexplored, I intend to make this journey myself.
My name is Ice Crystal, and I will cross the roof of the world as I believe our ancestors did long ago.