Twilight punched the whalebone needle through the hide she was sewing, and drew the sinew cord through to draw it together with the other piece. In the weeks since she'd first met the caribou, they'd given her shelter and food, and she'd done her best to find ways to repay them. Repairing and crafting things with her telekinesis was helping to restore some fraction of her horns dexterity and strength, and gave superior results compared to even experienced craft caribou who had to do it by mouth and hoof. The materials no longer felt 'creepy' as they had at first, and concentrating on the task with no outside distractions was relaxing and peaceful.
Of course, that was not the only thing that she'd found to do, and some were anything but peaceful. Several caribou calves came scrambling over to the corner of the yurt where she was working. They were led by Jens, Olaf's son, who shared his father's enthusiasm, if not yet his size or impressive antlers.
"Tell us another story Twilight!"
She smiled at the eager faces as she continued to sew. "Have you done your chores?"
There were eager affirmations by the group; Hilda and Arne, Jens' two closest friends and with him the local equivalent of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Twilight nodded in approval.
"Very well, what shall it be? One of Northern Star's adventures? Or a friendship tale from Ponyville?"
She glanced over at the source of at least some of her stories. A pelt on the Wall of Honoured Elders wasn't the only thing Northern Star had left behind. His cold weather gear and saddlebags had survived, as had the anti-wear and anti-damage enchantments. These had not only prevented the ravages of time, but also stopped the extremely practical caribou from taking them to pieces to use elsewhere. She'd found a far greater treasure in one of the saddle bags. A mage-locked brass-bound box, and inside a complete set of Northern Star's journals, the originals as far as she could tell.
They had been full of side notes and personal thoughts on everything from dangerous animals to medicinal plants to ancient legends and stories of the far north, not to mention dozens of practical survival tricks and spells that had never made it into the public version. However, it was the stories of his expeditions that the calves were interested in. They confirmed her previous belief that he'd been a real life version of Daring Doo, though he'd focused on knowledge rather than treasure, and his opposition had mostly been nature, either in the form of inhosptable climates or intractable flora and fauna.
"Ohhh! A Northern Star adventure!" Hilda exclaimed, bouncing on her hooves.
"Very well." She continued to run the seam automatically and turned her attention to the book she had to hoof, opening it with gentle touches of telekinesis. "I traveled to the great snow plains below the southern slopes of mount Everhoof to investigate the truth of tales I had found common to all the northern tribes, that of a great crystal city of ponies that had once existed there, but had vanished in a single day. Whether this was simply a memory of the time of the three tribes, and the elusive ancient pony homeland, or something more I did not know, but I was eager to find out.
"The journey was long and arduous. The trail from the borders of Yakyakistan to the Northern Waste is known to hold many perils from hidden crevasses to yeti lairs. The truth of this I can personally attest to, as while traveling I was set upon by one such yeti. I was trotting through a shallow pass when it leaped upon me from a hidden ledge. Fortunately, I slipped upon a patch of ice at that exact moment, bringing me to my knees, and the beast overshot his mark. It landed heavily, but rolled to it's feet with far greater speed than expected from a creature of it's bulk.
"The yeti is a creature of fearsome aspect, a monstrous chimera of great ape and hunting cat, four times the size of a pony. It's thick white fur grant it both insulation and concealment in equal measure, and it's sense of smell and hearing are keen, to better detect it's usual prey, the small creatures that burrow under the snows. It's hind-legs have wide cat-like paws with claws that afford it excellent purchase upon the snow covered rocks and dirt, while it's fore-legs terminate in clawed digits, like a dragon, equally adept at burrowing for it's prey, or slashing said prey to ribbons when it finds it.
"A lone pony, even the most doughty warrior or cunning combat mage would be hard pressed to fight it alone, and I account myself neither. To try and outrun it would be like trying to outrun an avalanche, and equally futile. I was struggling to my hooves, and had seconds before it recovered it's wits and sprung upon me, so where main strength and speed would fail me, I substituted guile. I drew one of my emergency flares from my saddlebags, levitating it to point at the yeti's face and pulled the cord.
"The flash blinded it, and the detonation of the flare on the bridge of it's nose both deafened it and filled it's sensitive nostrils with acrid black powder smoke. The yeti was greatly discommoded, rolling around on the snowy ground with yowls and screeches of anguish. Assured that it would not soon recover it's senses, or hunt pony any time soon, I quitted the pass with all the haste I could muster.
"My travails were not limited to avoiding being food for some other creature, I had my own provisions to worry about. Even with the expansion charms on my trusty saddlebags, I was hard pressed to carry enough food, and supplemented my diet with the remarkably tasty crystal berries that grow on hardy bushes in the more sheltered and hidden places of the area. Fortunately my food locating spell proved equal to the task of finding them.
"I searched the region for many days and nights without any sign of the remains of a city or any other structure, but my search was not without result. While looking for a cave to spend the night in, I came upon a marvelous discovery, the entrance to a series of deep caverns with walls of crystal, similar to the ones below the city of Canterlot, but far more beautiful. Light, either fed from the surface through crystal veins or generated within the crystals themselves, lit the caverns with a soft lambent glow. What is more, they showed signs of having been mined and enlarged, tool marks and regular cuts, though unlike Canterlot's caverns, I could find no trace of the tools or carts that would have been used to bring the mined crystals to the surface..."
Twilight suddenly realised the entranced calves had been joined by another caribou, who was standing behind them and listening with amusement to her tale. "Elder Arga! What can I do for you?"
"Be at peace, young Twilight. It is well that you have studied the knowledge left by Northern Star, as that wisdom may be needed. We will be sending an expedition to the south to gather more of the crystal berries for trading and to stock up for winter. Tell me, the locating spell you read about, can you cast it?"
Twilight thought carefully. Northern Star had included details of the spell in his journals, so she understood it well enough. In principle it was similar to Rarity's gem finding spell, which she'd also studied. While the spell matrix was fairly complex for someone not cutie-mark attuned to it, it required very little power, a definite plus. It was so frustrating, her considerable magical reserves had replenished themselves, her skills and knowledge were intact, but her crippled horn only allowed her to release a trickle of the power she had stored within. However, this was well within her ability.
"Yes, I'm certain I can."
Arga smiled in that way that made her look like a caribou version of Zecora. "Very well. Will you go with the expedition and help them to find the berries? The groves are frequently hidden, and the shifting snows prevent the gatherers from marking their locations."
Twilight nodded eagerly. "Of course I will! After the kindness you've shown me, it's the least I can do."
The three calves broke into the short silence that followed with eager cries. "Can we come too?" "We're old enough!" "We can help get into the tight places."
Arga gave an indulgent chuckle. "Indeed, I was going to ask you to help this year. As you say, you may be able to reach places that full grown caribou can not."
"Yay!" "We'll bring back so many berries the whole clan will be able to eat them for a moon!" "We're going on an adventure!"
"I'll get ready..." Twilight started to pull Northern Star's parka towards her with a hoof, her telekinesis was still not up to lifting something that heavy, only to be stopped by Arga.
"The expedition leaves tomorrow. Finish your story and rest well tonight, for you have a long journey ahead of you."
At the word 'story' the three calves turned their attention back to Twilight. Jens looked at her pleadingly. "Please, continue telling us about the crystal caverns?"
Twilight smiled and picked up the book. "Where were we... While looking for a cave to spend the night in, I came upon a marvelous discovery, the entrance to a series of deep caverns with walls of crystal..."
&&&
As the caribou stripped the crystal berries from the latest bushes she'd found, Twilight spoke to Eikar, the leader of the gathering party. "I'll go on ahead, see if there are any more bushes across the other side of the glacier."
"Ja, you do that." Eikar replied. "See if you can find the other group. Tindra said she was taking the young ones to search the cliffs at the top end."
Twilight nodded in acknowledgement, then strode off confidently. The parka and snow boots kept her comfortable and dry even in the chill wind and snow flurries, a further enchantment, and the snow goggles protected her eyes. The trek to the southern slopes of Mount Everhoof had given her practice in traveling this wilderness, and she'd matched the pace of the caribou party which was admittedly slightly slower due to the calves traveling along with them. The exercise had put her in the best shape she'd been in her life, a far cry from the starving wreck Olaf had rescued all those weeks ago.
It had been a long journey, several days of working their way around the western side of the mountain range to the southern foothills. The party had been made up of a half dozen adult caribou with Eikar, an older male, leading, as well as Twilight and the three calves. Twilight had carried her share of the supplies in her expanded saddlebags, and would be filling them with berries for the trip back. They'd rested overnight in snow houses that the caribou had built along their usual routes, all the caribou and Twilight together in a big furry puddle.
It made sense, despite the protection of the packed snow block walls, mutual body heat removed the need for fires or large amounts of coverings. However, it had been a bit of a culture shock for Twilight. Though it did explain why the caribou were so social and welcoming, even to a stranger. Even for a caribou, cold was a killer. They needed to be able to live in close proximity, to huddle together in the worst of winter. Under those circumstances, being accepting and easy to get along with was a survival trait.
She left the more certain footing of the snow covered dirt for a sweeping slope of windblown snowfield, with patches of pale blue and green peeking through. She could feel the compacted ice lying under the thin snow layer through her hoof boots. According to Northern Star's notes he'd named this Frostfield glacier. As she crossed the deeper snow layers she watched the ground carefully for the flatter lines in the snow that would indicate a covered crevasse, mindful of the warnings from Northern Star's journal. When deep snow compacted and split, it formed a sheer sided crack, sometimes with a meltwater stream at the bottom. Snow drifts and accumulated ice sometimes blew out over the crack, forming a snow bridge that concealed it.
She was almost across, and preparing to cast the locator spell when she heard yells from up towards the head of the glacier. She squinted and could just make out three small figures racing down the snowy slope at great speed, followed at some distance by a larger white one. As they got closer, she identified the three smaller figures as the Jens, Hilda and Arne and the larger one as a yeti from the descriptions. She turned around and ran back to intercept the calves. As she approached she called out.
"Where's Tindra?"
Jens had the most puff left and answered. "Left behind! We went on ahead... found a cave..."
Twilight could fill in the gaps. She pointed her horn back towards the valley where Eikar and the other caribou were. "Go! That way! Eikar's there."
She cut across to place herself between the calves and the oncoming yeti. It looked every bit as scary as Northern Star's description, but it was less scary than a hydra. She could feel the fear, but overlaying it was determination as ice cold and hard as the glacier she stood on. She'd failed those who depended on her once. Never again. Without her full magic there was no way to fight it, and she could see from it's long loping gait that out-running it was as futile as trying to outrun an avalanche, so she'd have to do as Northern Star did and outwit it. Unfortunately, the saddle bags no longer contained any emergency flares. Fortunately, she had other options.
She focused what magic she could through her damaged horn and formed a spell matrix, little more than a cantrip. She had to place it very precisely, or she was doomed. The yeti was no more than three or four body lengths away, having headed towards the stationary meal over ones it had to chase, when she released the spell. A bright flash burst right over the yeti's muzzle, blinding even snow glare adapted eyes. It howled and lost it's footing tumbling forward, and she stepped to one side as it slid past her.
She followed up the attack by casting another cantrip on it's face, which was now covered by its forepaws as it rolled around on the snow. She'd learned this one from her brother as a filly, but she'd never actually used it except in practice. A greenish cloud of smoke engulfed the yeti's muzzle, and even from where she stood, Twilight could detect the stink of rotten eggs and worst. The yeti with it's sensitive nose would be far worse off. There was no way it was going to be able to track any-pony by scent any time soon. She made another mark on her mental checklist. Calves safe... check! Yeti's ability to track disabled... check! Escape from yeti...
She considered following the calves. She would probably have enough of a head start to get back to the caribou before it caught up, but that would lead it on to them. While she was sure a half dozen adult caribou could defeat the yeti, it was certain someone would get hurt, and she'd prefer that didn't happen, not even to the yeti. Leading it off elsewhere then losing it would be preferable. She still wouldn't be able to outrun it, but running might not be needed if she did this right.
She saw the yeti was starting to recover it's feet, and dashed off down the slope of the glacier. As she did, she formatted a third cantrip; like the stink bomb spell it was something her brother had taught her as a filly. She cast it on her body and sprang forward, tucking in her hooves as her belly suddenly became almost frictionless. She body-slid away down the slope of the glacier, picking up speed rapidly. She risked a glance over her shoulder and saw the yeti give chase, even make up some ground in the first few seconds, but even it's ground eating stride couldn't match her once she got up to speed.
She flew down the open upper part of the glacier, picking up speed on the steeper slope, and swept into the lower part which had humps, snow drifts and moraines which she had to guide her way through, shifting her body weight to steer. The snow was wetter here, and her task was made more difficult by the tumbled stones and other debris that had been carried down to the base of the glacier and stuck up at odd angles, turning it into a slalom course where a single wrong move would result in a penalty of pain.
Finally Twilight slowed to a stop as the snow became soft enough to bog her down. She dismissed the Grease spell and stood up, listening carefully for any sound of the yeti. She sighed with relief when all she could hear was silence, other than the eerie cry of some circling bird of prey. Now all she had to do was circle around the base of the glacier and climb back up to find the party of caribou. She winced as she looked at the distance she'd have to climb, and sighed.
"Oh well, the longest journey begins with a single ste.......eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!"
As she started to walk the snow gave way under her and she fell through the surface crust. She had just enough time to realise this must be an ice crevasse before she plunged into a wash of freezing water at the bottom. She was swept away by the strong current of the melt water torrent that didn't so much flow as pummel it's way along the bottom of the crevasse. Twilight tried to swim, or even grab something to stop herself but the current was too strong, and any projections had been worn or washed away.
At least her head was above water, the waterproof saddle bags were acting as floats, and the charms on her parka were preventing the freezing water from making her more than just cold. She wasn't completely safe though, other debris was falling into the stream and being washed along with her. She spun and tumbled in the flow, and the last thing she saw before darkness claimed her was a log being swept towards her head. She felt a sharp blow and nothing more.