Evenfall: Verdant White

by Yinglung

Chapter 6 – After the End

“… Whoa.”

“So how was it? Isn’t that an excellent news? We’ve won decisively against the fierce white wolves. And atop of that, now the Firstlings and the Lucent are again with us.”

He smiled. “Nighthewer would have been sad to hear how they suffered a long history of decline, but he would be more chuffed to know that the artificial boundary that limited their growth was finally gone.”

“Spike, I want to confess something.”

“…!”

Spike was brought to attention by the change in address by the doe. He cautiously nodded, and said. “Go ahead, Rainga.”

“I… I… I’m confused.”

“Confused? About what? If it’s about the battle, then no worries. All the doctors from all three races are tending to the wounded and the others are cleaning up the battlefield. Prince Stellan and Thane Magnar both want to meet with you, but I’ve dealt with their most pressing concerns at the moment-”

“No! It’s not about those boring ruling and stuff!”

“Oh? Then what’s…”

“Spike, are you really fine with this? A doe that you walked into suddenly calling you her dad?”

Facing with the sudden showing of self-doubt and maturity, Spike had an odd feeling of déjà vu. This was also not the first time this thought passed his mind since he met her. Still, he was surprised to hear the childish doe acting so seriously for a change.

“… To be honest, if it is any other doe, I would really hesitate. But I think there is one thing that ties us together.”

“And that thing is…?”

“We both bear sins of the past, having foreign memories floating in our minds. They are not really ours, but they affect our lives so tangibly. I can understand that you would feel scared and confused. In some way, I’m too. I’m glad to make you feel better if you think that me being your dada is the best way to cope.”

He playfully poked the doe’s side. “Besides, you’re already a full-functioning doe. It’s not like I have to babysit you or anything. What a bargain!”

Rainga inexplicably blushed for a moment, then shook her head quickly. Her expression darkened. “D- Da… da. I still feel like a deer caught in headlamp.”

“Why? And why are you speaking so… uh, formally? Didn’t you say you don’t like the yawn-inducing way she talked?”

Rainga frowned even deeper. “… I am a cheat, a no-good two-faced deer.”

“Huh? Why would you say that? You’re far from a bad deer, Rainga.”

“I said I was going to confess, and I’ve been looking for a way to phrase it… The truth is, I’m acting like I am still the kid I once was, and I am trying my darnedest to make me talk and behave like I’m five, both to convince me and convince everyone else. But I know very well deep in my mind that I am not five anymore. The years gram- Grandma Raingeva took from me were not lived by me, but they are in my head, and everyone think that is me. Heck, even dada you told me to act like her in front of my fellow deer.”

Spike sported an ashen look. “That’s just a way to ease things out, a convenient arrangement. We will sort it out together.”

“In the brief time you were gone, I’ve thought this whole thing through again. When I first see you, dada, I feel so happy. Unreasonably happy, even. It’s crazy, and I don’t even know why. I didn’t want to think much about it, so I just said reasons are not important. B-but, who am I kidding! The only reason I felt such a strong closeness to you must just be because of the relationship between grandma Raingeva and Nighthewer! I never had a parent figure in my life, so I just latched on you, especially because how similar we are, both getting a copy of mind who isn’t us in our head. I don’t even know how real or tangible these feelings are!”

Spike simply looked at the doe directly in her sad eyes. He unbuttoned his armor and set it aside.

“It’s strange circumstances that brought us together, yes. But once we’re with each other, the only thing that matters is whether we want to keep us together.”

He looked to the wall of the doe’s room. Portraits of deer princesses before Rainga all the way to the time of Nighthewer hung on the wall, all with the same calm, dignified expression.

“You’re not the first one that I took on recently, Rainga.”

“W- What?” She looked stunned.

“See that zebra colt, Kanipha? Some month or so ago, I didn’t even know him. But now he’s my brother. He and I might be born thousands of miles apart, but he and I share camaraderie for our common link to Twilight. Similarly, we share our very own for our unbreakable bond to what happened in the War of Dawn. The accident of fate is not so different than the accident of birth.”

Spike stroked Rainga’s face with his bandaged claws. “I know only too well how confusing it can seem. But at the end, it’s not like we’re trying to play detective. The only thing that matters is our hearts’ content. Are you happy to be with me and call me da?”

Rainga shakily gulped, but she then nodded forcefully.

“If so, then I’d be happy to draw on the years from Nighthewer to make myself an adequate da.”

Looking at the astonished face of the doe, he continued. “We choose to make us what we are, and we don’t have to reject anything to make that true. We can be family and you can act whatever age you like… in front of me at least.”

The doe blinked, and broke into a mirthful smile. “… Thank you, dada. It’s really eye-opening talking with you.”

She struggled to straighten herself, which caused Spike to reach out and say. “Wait, Rainga, what are you doing?”

“What? Can’t I act my age for a lil’ bit and go sort out the mess after we fought the War of Dawn redux?”

Spike crossed his arms and glared at Rainga. “You have to stay in this bed and this is final.”

“B- But dadaaa, don’t you want my help?”

“You need your rest, just like all the other injured soldiers on our side. Besides, it’s not like we don’t have tons of time right now. The prince and the thane would be staying over for a while.”

“Eh? Why?”

“The Windigos are frigging mad right now. It’s raining hail and snow outside so hard that it knocks you onto the ground. I bet it has something to do with us fighting a bloody battle under their watch. We can’t even pursue the white wolves that fled the battle because of the dang snowstorm.”

“Oh…”

“Don’t overthink it. If you’re all well and rested the next time I check up on you, then maybe we can talk about meeting the prince and the thane.”

The doe smiled helplessly. “Aye aye, dada.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“How’s Rainga, Spike?”

“Oh, Kanny, yeah she’s recovering well. But why are you here?”

“I’m getting totally stir-crazy. The snowstorm made taking a walk impossible. And given how tense things are around here…”

“Ease up, Kanny. We’ve repelled even the frontal attack from the white wolves. It’s just a matter of waiting for the snowstorm to die down to march onto Isojoki and set Suolo onto her rightful throne. Then we can march the combined force south and blast us a way back home.”

“That’s mighty optimistic of ya.”

“Things have been turning out pretty well for us since we arrived at the north.”

“Really…?”

“Kanny, we shouldn’t lose perspectives on how lucky we’re so far. We could’ve become lost in the endless snow. We could’ve encountered hostile creatures. The muskoxen could’ve not been divinely inspired or sheltering Cadance and Shining Armor at the same time. The deer could’ve not had a history with an ancient dragon, who was also sheltering two pony races who helped us beat back the white wolves in the most opportune moment. This is the sum of an insane amount of happenstances, and I am still very grateful for it.”

He then sighed. “I know I might sound greedy after this, but I still hope that we could’ve done this without shedding one drop of blood.”

“That’s impossible, Spike. We’re fighting a war.”

“I know. I just feel terrible. All these need not to happen if the white wolves just put down their baggage of hate.”

Spike wryly smiled. “But I get it. We must fight to win, and win to make peace. I’m not Nighthewer. I even think he’s too stubborn to admit that his way of absolute pacifism doesn’t work unless everyone believes in it.”

An orange pegasus flew rapidly into the corridor of the modest palace, and she stopped quickly in front of the dragon-zebra duo.

“Hey messiah, done comforting your daughter yet?”

“What’s up Geuse, you got a kick out of mocking me too?”

“Mocking you? Well I never. You’re after all a walking, breathing religious figure for the Firstling and the Lucent. If I don’t pay enough respect, I might get some negative reactions from your fervent followers.”

“That’s Nighthewer, not me! Look at me, a baby dragon-”

“Seriously. How can you say that with a straight face? You quite literally just went real melee with the iron claws of the white wolves alongside thousands of soldiers. Between that and the subsequent woodland barbeque, if that wasn’t the most spectacular adult ceremony for you, I don’t know what the heck is.”

“Geuse is right you know. I was never on the frontline back in Timbucktu. Whoever says you’re a baby dragon can go stick their pinheads into the icy cold outside.”

Geuse snorted and took over before Spike retorted. “Heh, anyway, the prince and the thane are very anxious. They want to meet someone who’s in charge and talk about pooling up the resources immediately. They have tons of equipment but woefully short on food. However, the deer ministers refuse to do anything before getting the nod from Rainga, not to mention so few deer still spoke their old lingua franca, so it’s like mixing chicken and duck out there.”

“Bunch of bureaucrats! Didn’t I already sic Juniper on them already? And aren’t they supposed to be their sister race?”

Spike looked irritated. “Don’t tell me they’re interfering with helping the injured as well…”

Kanipha chortled. “Yeah, High Regent of Deermark, go sort them out already.”

Spike looked momentarily flustered, but he then grew grim. “… That’s not a joking matter, Kanny. Rainga might be on our side, but a nation is not just a princess. We can’t act with impunity, or it would earn us enmity.”

Kanipha shrugged. “I am not too worried, since you’re so keen about that already. I trust your judgment.”

Spike rolled his eyes. He turned to Geuse and said. “I’d drop by and see what I can do.”

“Great. Oh, and that priestess was also very keen to see you.”

Spike’s expression became very awkward, while Kanipha pointed at him and laughed. “Spike, thou shalt go forth and dispense thy divine mandate unto thy faithful disciple.”

“… I think I should be frank to her at the very least. And then I should figure out a way to communicate to every one of them what it really is.”

“Heh? Why? Isn’t it good to be worshipped like a living god?”

“Blood was shed and lives were put on the line because they believe me to be their savior. I can’t let all their sacrifice to be built only on a lie. That would be an unforgivable crime.”

Geuse smiled softly. “… Well, all powers to you then.”

Kanipha also nodded. “So far your sense of justice hasn’t got us in trouble yet, and hopefully it would continue.”

“Yeah… So see you later, and thanks.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spike walked across the main corridor of the Hornsborg palace. Due to the snowstorm outside, a lot more deer were taking shelter indoors. Adding with the foreign dignitaries and visitors, the modest palace was much more crowded than before.

The dragon tried to ignore the spotlight-like gazes from different deer and ponies. Some were inquisitive, some were doubting, some were adoring, and yet most were simply curious.

As he walked past the shuttered windows, he shuddered involuntarily. Ever since he relit his inner flame, the cold became much more bone-cutting. While it was not life-threatening to him yet, he could picture why most dragons were so reluctant to go into the deep north.

From the opposite direction walked two familiar faces towards him. Cadance and Shining Armor looked deflated at first, but they both squeezed out some smile for Spike upon seeing him.

“Good day, Spike.” Shining Armor curtly said.

“It’s good to see you in good health.” Cadance nodded.

“You two don’t need to be that formal, I’m still Spike.”
Cadance and Shining Armor looked at each other, and they both sighed with the same kind of helpless smile as well.

Shining Armor said. “You know, Spike, we want to do something as well. You alone have done almost all the legwork towards unifying the races in the north and getting back at Sunset Shimmer, while we’re just standing there and watching.”

“Twi’s brother, you didn’t exactly do nothing. You’ve blasted a crater in the white wolves’ left flank. And then Cadance body-slammed into them like a wrestler. You two have wreaked havoc on the hapless whites, and that’s the first time anyone describe them as that.”

Shining Armor flashed a rare mirthful smile, but Cadance shook her head. “I would rather pursue a peaceful option, if only there’s one.”

“That’s what I think as well.”

Spike then slightly raised his brows. “Why the long faces? You two seem rather grim walking down the corridor. Can’t just be the weather.”

“… As I said, we want to do something, so we tried to reach out to these long lost pony races.”

Spike massaged the bridge of his snout. “… I don’t suppose you got a very good reception.”

“Well, at least the Lucentian prince seems cordial. After all, he’s like Cadance’s cousin… a couple dozen times removed. The Firstling thane, however, was basically telling us to get lost.”

Spike looked grim, but then he asked. “Wait, how are you two talking to them? I don’t think you guys have a common tongue to talk in?”

Shining Armor said. “The Lucentian prince recognizes Cadance as a Crystal Princess even after all these years, after she showed off her crystal magic.”

Cadance added with a sad smile. “But we also recognize the universal body language of snubbing from thane Magnar.”

“Where are they now? I’m going to talk with them a bit. Perhaps there’s some misunderstanding abound.”

“They’re in the hall to the end of this corridor a moment ago, but I don’t know if they have things to do afterwards yet, given the talks and other diplomatic fanfare they must be itching to do with the deer after all these years of separation.”

“Thanks, I’ll check them out. Hopefully I can talk some sense into Magnar.”

Cadance smiled, while Shining Armor outright grinned. “Spike, you sound like you’re his father or something. That Magnar is at least thrice your age.”

“Much more than that, actually. But I’ll see to it.”

Spike smirked. “Anyway, another good news. I’ve finally recovered enough to send in a letter to Princess Celestia via my magical breath.”

“Really?” Cadance looked delighted.

“Is there any response yet?” Shining Armor quickly asked.

“Not yet. But since it’s only half a day, she might need to formulate some suitable response. Hopefully it’s not because there’s a messy situation in the south.”

“I see. All lucks to you, Spike.”

After waving off the two, Spike picked up the pace and jogged into the hall they just mentioned. To his disappointment, it seemed that the prince and the thane had already left, but at the far corner, one pony remained.

“Frigg…”

Frigg turned and coolly smiled. She then said in Old Draconic. “My lord, it’s great to be graced with thy presence.”

Spike knitted his brows to the all-too-familiar routine. “There’s no need to be that formal, Frigg. I come to tell you something that… well, it is better if you know.”

Frigg slightly bowed. “I await thy divine guidance.”

“I’m not Nidhogg-”

The silvery mare gently smiled. “I- We know very well that thou art not Nighthewer himself. But he had lived on through thee, Spike.”

“I still sincerely doubt my status as the messiah prophesized in your beliefs.”

“Then I ask of thee, my brilliant Spike, what other dragon is here in our blessed Nordland? What other dragon was dear to the deer princess, looking over her like a father? What other dragon arrived in the nick of time to lead our assault on our dreaded white nemesis? And what other dragon had the memories and knowledge of our adored lord in white scales?”

“I know I might have matched those description, but I’m a mere young drake. I don’t feel at all comfortable with your adoration, as I think I barely deserve those.”

“Why, my lord? Every single thing thou hast done is perfect proof for why thou deserve our adoration.”

“Well, this is also not what Nidhogg would have wanted.”

The ever cool and composed priestess looked curious. “Pray tell, my lord, please illuminate my opaque mind on His will.”

Spike sighed heavily. “Neither he, nor I, demand your worship. In fact, his most fervent wish was to make the deer, the Firstling and the Lucent into the union of self-determining equals. He never wanted to be deified. He already regretted immensely about having to play it safe, by putting the two races in what was effectively a magical enclosure, and thereby limiting your potential. Before he was gone, he only wished to set you free.”

Frigg looked at Spike with an intense look. And at last, she let out a silent breath. “Is that so, my lord…”

“Please, Frigg, I’m no one’s lord. Please just call me Spike.”

Facing the round-eyed priestess, Spike fidgeted. “… And I’m sorry too, Frigg.”

The silvery mare looked surprised. “My lor… um… what art thou sorry for?”

“Well, my word must have invalidated a lot of your beliefs. And, uh, I might even cause you to lose your job.”

Frigg blinked, and then blinked some more. At last, she began to chuckle with her clear cut-glass voice.

“Alas, I could not have thought that my adored dragon savior is most concerned about my mere remittance. As for our belief – well, it would be most strange for me to remain stubborn after the savior himself told me to halt.”

The silvery mare nodded. “But to us, both the Firstling and the Lucent, you are still the pillar of our minds. Your presence shone a light to how we should survive again in this familiar and yet so strange world. Your undaunted spirit would serve as our spiritual guide as to how we step into our brave new future.”

Frigg smiled thinly, a contrastive visage to the bewildered dragon. “Praise be, the Adorers did not arise out of thin air. As thou must have already known, we have always worshipped great heroes and illustrious ancestors, and the primacy of our erstwhile pantheon shifted from time to time. The Adorers were not only a devotional group towards our savior, but also the culmination and continuation of these beliefs. Our belief does give us strength. Magic flowed through our veins as we chant the gaudrar of devotion, and our Allfather smiles at our endeavor from beyond the ether. While we would try our best to heed thine advice, the exaltation of those beyond us would still be our incentive to move forward.”

Her hoof ran through the locks in her mane. “So indeed, it would be most welcoming if thou continue to stand out and serve as our inspiration... Spike.”

The dragon widened his eyes. He nodded, not without heavy doubt. “… If my presence serves a good purpose, then I guess so be it.”

“I thank thee, brilliant Spike.”

“You’re welcome…”

The dragon smiled helplessly. “So Frigg, I heard that Thane Magnar was not quite happy with Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor, wasn’t he?”

Frigg’s gaze flickered. “I suppose.”

“What was the matter? I doubt that they had any talk of substance given that they can’t really talk to each other.”

Frigg was clearly more uncomfortable than when she was talking about spiritual matters, but she complied. “The Firstling and the Lucent were both allies and friendly rivals. The ties of the two races are immensely complicated.”

“Frigg, so are you a Firstling or a Lucent?”

“A vala is both… and neither. I had sworn off allegiance to any clan when I became a vala.”

Frigg tried to pull up a smile, but only looked a bit forlorn. “But if thou must know, my father is a Firstling, and my mother is a Lucent… At least this was what the previous High Vala Fyorgynn told me anyway. They had given me up to the Adorers when I was very young, because the Adorers were dwindled to few by then, and they were both quite pious.”

“I- I see.”

“And as for why Thane Magnar was displeased, he was probably concerned that the Lucent might be wrangled away from the unique mutualism of the two pony races. Despite all, the Firstling saw the Lucent as their proud Nordic brothers, and if they were lured by their former ties to the Crystal Empire, he would not be amused.”

“Oh… I can’t say that is a silly worry. But given how we must break down the old connections and re-forge the northern races as one again, this seems short-sighted. Besides, Princess Cadance wanted to connect with not just the Lucent, but all races that she could count their support on. She was not there to try to pull the Lucent into the Crystallian fold again like some calculating bod.”

Frigg looked for once pleased and hopeful. “That’s good to hear. I can only pray for the eventual success of thy fair vision.”

Noticing Spike’s continuing gaze, Frigg smiled helplessly and said. “I suppose I can also help explaining to the thane about the Crystallian Princess’s benign intention.”

“Thank you very much, Frigg. I’m glad to have you here.”

“You’re most welcome, my lo-”

Frigg visibly gulped, and then gingerly smiled. “… Spike.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Hail, respected Suologievra.”

“Hail, respected Spike. What are you here for, young avatar of the white titan?”

Spike silently sighed. The white wolf matriarch was clearly not listening to him when he tried to explain his difference with Nighthewer. But he shook his tired head and said. “I trust that you have reached an accord, or at least an agreement with your younger son, and the soldiers that followed him.”

Suologievra mulled. “… Indeed. I thank you for your lenience, young avatar. Blood would certainly have spilled free and wild if my sons were the victor. You truly act as I expected the white titan would have done.”

“You overstate my influence, Suologievra. This is a collective decision agreed on by most who are involved.”

“… Even the ponies?”

“Embarrassed as it might be to say, but the ponies would probably listen to me if I tell them to stand down. The issue is whether the white wolves would do the same.”

“It’s not like I can do much. We’re in your custody, and I myself owe you the kindness of a life-saving meal.”

“What I’m saying is that I hope to see a true-hearted change-”

Suologievra smiled thinly with narrowed eyes, this time the dismissiveness was more apparent. “We might have an internal turmoil, and we’ve had a fresh defeat, but those are far from enough to change our deep-rooted culture.”

The white wolf matriarch just sat on the ground and casually leaned on the wall of the dilapidated barrack. “Basically, despising ponies is our national pastime. We’d curse the southerners even when we snub our claws on the legs of a table.”

“What if I told you that I can bring back the greys? Would the white wolves be less mad?”

Suologievra turned to Spike sharply with raised brows.

“A unicorn who’s my close relation had investigated the curse of Trefoil. Although she did not know the background or history of this curse, she set up an effective ritual that could have brought the remaining greys back from their cursed state to life. The only reason that stopped her from doing that was her fear that the returned greys would be mad, since she sensed that unicorn magic was what caused the curse in the first place.”

Suologievra narrowed her eyes and frowned. She studied the expression on the dragon, who remained silent. At last she said. “Even so far you had not told us any untruth, something as big as this had to be seen to be believed.”

Spike sighed. “I understand.”

“… But even though most of my pack would be very doubtful, I am inclined to believe the words from the venerable white titan.”

“Well… thanks for the trust anyway.”

Spike decided to save his breath and shifted to the next topic. “The Windigos were quieting down again, probably thanks to our current accord. The muskoxen also sent their help from their cave. So we’re all set for Isojoki, rightful chief.”

Suologievra brisked at Spike’s words. “Do you know any idea yet where had… Laske scampered to?”

The matriarch clearly sounded somewhat annoyed at the name of his traitorous son.

“What? Would he most likely be back at Isojoki?”

“He better not be, though I doubt I would shed a tear. A defeated general who lost almost all his army is going to meet with a terrible fate back home. At best he would be stripped of power and exiled like me, at worst, he might be executed right under the pole star.”

“Holy heck…” Spike was not only unsettled by the possible outcome, but also the casual dismissal of his blood offspring’s safety.

“I bet he was trying to go somewhere else to reorganize and regroup, and hopefully get a victory over us to redeem himself. I doubt that he had enough wolves under his command to do so, though. We must have captured over two-third of his forces.”

“Let’s get to Isojoki as quick as possible. The quicker you regain your throne, the faster we can make use of resources of Susia to track him down.”

“Very well. May this be a roaring success, so that this pointless conflict can be put to a rest.”

Her gaze flickered. “And if you can indeed bring back the greys, truly it would signal a new age in the Nordland and beyond.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rainga stepped onto the podium in her full regalia, behind her was Thane Magnar and Prince Stellan, as well as Frigg, Spike, Cadance and Shining Armor. The two pony races sandwiched the deer in organized rectangular formations. The small square in front of the palace was entirely packed with soldiers, well rested and fed.

Shining Armor stepped up and casted a volume-boosting spell, and Rainga curtly thanked with a slight bow. Using simple Old Draconic, the deer princess began.

“Soldiers of Deermark, and soldiers of our ancient sister races, I, Princess Rainga, salute and welcome you. This is the most joyous moment in all our histories, and may the golden daughters of the great white dragon never be separated by ill fate again.”

Not all soldiers were proficient in the ancient tongue, but once some in the audience understood, the wave of approving chants spread out like ripples.

Rainga drew in a breath. She was secretly shaking in her armored boots, because it was the first time she made a public speech like Raingeva did.

She turned slightly. Seeing Spike giving her a secret thumb-up, her confidence was boosted again. The deer princess coughed gently and quieted the soldiers, and she began again in Deerish.

“My fellow deer true and good, the time has finally come for us to step forward and come together as one. For ages, the deer have dutifully guarded the white mountain, the venerated Nighthewer’s magical barrier that sheltered our two sister races. I, and the Princesses that came before me, had sought a dragon that could take on the mantle of Nighthewer. Up came Spike, whose words brought together the unacquainted, and whose magic brought together the long lost. Now a new destiny is upon us, and we will end these thousands years of stasis and isolation due to fear of outside threat, as we will now set out to dispel them.”

She drew in another breath and said. “We deer are loyal and steadfast, and we have a long history of charity. We have been the guardians to Nighthewer’s legacy for three thousand years. And when the turmoil in the south forced our white-tailed friends to us, we opened our gate and welcomed them in. Today, it’s our time to reap the fruits of our patience, kindness and labor. We stand together against warring despots and ancient hatred, and when we succeed, Nordland will be a free and prosperous place for all to settle and thrive in. Let us raise our weapons and shields, and march onto Isojoki!”

The deer loudly cheered, and Rainga secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She signaled Prince Stellan to take over, and the magenta-coated stallion with short white mane nodded with a candid smile. He then waved to his organized spearponies, which elicited a unified shout of strength.

Stellan opened his mouth. Spike then realized that he was speaking in Lucentian, which was again sufficiently different from Old Draconic and Deerish that it was completely unintelligible to him. It had a very nasal quality, quite forward in the face. It was also somewhat musical, perhaps a legacy from the Crystallian tongue they used to speak.

In the midst of Stellan’s speech, Spike caught him mentioning the names of Cadance and Shining Armor. The two also noticed, as they made an acknowledging gesture to the Prince in response. The thane looked on, but his gaze was not antagonistic, just guarded. He noticed Spike’s own gaze on him, and he grinned roughly to signal that he was over it.

When it came to Magnar’s turn, he trotted forward but kept silent. He then raised his hooves above his head, forcefully clapped them and yelled an ear-piercingly loud grunt.

Everyone except Stellan was stunned and shocked by the excessive volume. That’s when some Firstling soldiers in the formation began to beat their drum twice quickly in succession, and as if on cue, the whole Firstling army returned with an even more deafening chant and clap. The routine of Magnar and his army chanting menacingly loud and in tandem became more and more frequent, and at last descended into one billowing wave of boisterous cheers.

Magnar then yelled his speech to his soldiers, which was loud enough without the volume boosting. The ‘modern’ Firstling tongue sounded upbeat, fluid and rhythmic, with almost every sentence yodeling up in tone at the end.

At last, it was Spike’s turn. Cadance and Shining Armor gave him a hopeful glance, to which he returned with a buoyant look. He mimicked Rainga and coughed gently, and he began using the similarly simplified form of Old Draconic, aiming for maximum intelligibility.

“Be healthy and happy, ponies and deer.”

A wave of murmurs spread among the listeners, principally the Firstlings. The traditional Firstling greeting again signaled his knowledge of their culture.

“I’m Spike, and perhaps you have heard of me from various sources. Just to confirm a few things first: Yes, I have inherited the experiences of Nighthewer the Dragon by way of magic, and I offered my bit of help in uncorking the barrier of the pocket dimension that once sheltered the Firstling and the Lucent.”

The murmurs grew much louder, with some hollering the name of ‘Gaddur’ loudly.

He gently breathed out and said. “I will not say whether I’m the dragon that was foretold. I am just what I am, a dragon with a fervent hope for peace and prosperity. Nighthewer once had a similar dream, to unite the disparate tribes of the north, stop the cycle of hatred and create everlasting peace.”

Holding his arms high, he said firmly. “Now a unique opportunity is upon us. The wicked unicorn consul, Sunset Shimmer, had usurped the rightful throne of Princess Cadance of Crystal Empire, and turned the nation into her own war machine. The north is not going to be spared. She already orchestrated the deposition of Paramount Chief Suologievra and prompted the new rulers to start a war with us. We have halted the nefarious plan of this horrible mare at our gate, and we will do it again at Isojoki!”

After some more cheers, he dropped the bombshell. “Nighthewer had one regret, it was about the very reason that set the white wolves onto their destructive and hateful path. A unicorn of old have cursed their grey-coated brothers into oblivion, and they wrongfully laid blame to the northerners. Even to this day, some of the white wolves are still fixated at this mad campaign of extermination.”

The story of Trefoil was only too familiar to the two pony races, and almost everypony in audience grew grim.

“But no more! For once the wicked forces are defeated, we will have a way to bring these greys back to life via a magical ritual, and we shall end this pointless carnage once and for all!”

After another wave of stunned grunts, he said. “Brothers and sisters! If you have faith in me, yourself, and our brilliant future, then wear your heart on your sleeves, and put every drop of your sweat and blood into the oncoming fight! Forward together!”

The soldiers responded in kind emphatically. “Forward together–!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What a speech, shame that I only understand tids and bits.”

“Same here.”

Geuse pulled a long face. “I literally understand none of it. Darn you two polyglots showing off again.”

Kanipha narrowed an eye. “Uh… you’re a polyglot by definition too. Equestrian, Zebrikaans, and didn’t you learn a sprinkle of Antelopian from Verna too?”

Geuse’s cheeky expression fell when she heard the name of her antelope partner. “… Nah, Verna’s mother tongue is also Zebrikaans. Their family had settled in Timbucktu for a very long time… I miss her badly, though.”

The zebra colt scratched his cheek. “Sorry, Geuse, I should not bring that up.”

Geuse put a hoof on the zebra’s shoulder and grinned. “You know what, Kanny, I think you will suffice for now.”

Kanipha playfully crossed his arms. “I’m not your spare friend, missus pegasus.”

Pisacan smiled at the duo, basking in their little moment of warmth at the side. That was when she sensed the approach of a distinctly draconic scent.

“Spike, welcome back.”

“Oh hey, Pisa. I’m back, but not for long.”

Spike’s voice was tired, as he thanked the Firstling pony who carried him to the chariot Pisacan and others were in.

Geuse frowned. “Why? You’ve been all over the place ever since we began the march.”

Kanipha nodded. “Yeah, Spike, you can really use some rest!”

“I have to be with each of the races for a roughly equal amount of time, the white wolves included, so that none of them would feel I’m playing favorite.”

“Oh well…” Kanipha put his tongue out.

“And I just settled and acquainted Cadance and Shining Armor with the Lucentians. Prince Stellan is interested in what happened to the Crystal Empire for the time they were gone, so I translated for them.”

Geuse nodded. “So that’s why they aren’t back yet.”

“They had some mead. And by some I mean a giant bucket load. Lucentians love their liquor, just like the Firstlings. I doubt that they are quite sober enough to come back yet.”

“I’d rather not drink out of my mind at this moment and in this cold, and neither should they as well.”

Pisacan shifted and mulled. “So, Spike, isn’t it good that you can take a rest here? You don’t sound exactly relaxed yet.”

“Can’t hide it from you, huh?”

Spike smirked helplessly. “Yeah, they are arguing about stuffs that shouldn’t be a problem to begin with again.”

“How so?” Pisacan softly asked.

“So now Suologievra were leading her own followers, and also the newly surrendered white wolves. While her younger son was sulking and not doing much to disrupt the order, the other races are making some complaints about…”

He sighed and rolled his eyes up in frustration. “… the white wolves’ marching position.”

“What?” Kanipha asked with a frown.

“You see, after the battle in the forest, even the ones who aren’t savviest about ancient legends become crossed with the wolves. So while they aren’t going to openly disobey my advice, they are really reluctant to let them march alongside them. They think that placing them at the front, like now, is a disgrace. Placing them at the flanks would imply that they’re equal and also make them feel exposed. And placing them at the rear-”

Kanipha finished his words. “-make them think that their plots are on fire, got it.”

Geuse covered her mouth before she could snort out loud. “So what are you going to do?”

“Beat me. I really don’t need another thing to wreck my nerves some more, but I guess that what I deserve for not dealing with that distrust before we began our march.”

Pisacan quietly listened, and after a while, she said. “How about placing them in the center?”

The purple dragon raised a brow. “… Oh?”

“As far as I know, we have four battalions in our formation, each led by the leaders of the four allied races. Out of all, the muskoxen, despite their small numbers, have the least bad blood with the white wolves, and they didn’t participate in the battle against them. So they should be the least wary about having them as their rear. Given their neutral status, the three races should be fine with them heading the front. This arrangement can let them watch the white wolves from behind, and it is also fair to all three races. In addition, they can march in a staggered formation, so that even if, goodness forbid, the white wolves turn back and get at them, there is adequate space cushion between the soldiers.”

“I doubt that she would turn against us.”

“That’s less a precaution but more of a way to simply make these soldiers feel safer.”

“I see… This is an excellent advice, Pisa.”

Geuse and Kanipha both nodded. “We agree.”

Pisacan grinned. “You’re welcome. Although it’s rather unlikely for me to be joining the Crystallian officer corps given the circumstance, those private tutoring has to pay off in one way or another.”

“Thank goodness I have such good, loyal and competent friends. My heart would have given out long ago with all those responsibilities that, frankly, came out of nowhere... Can’t even use the ‘I’m a baby dragon’ excuse these days without getting a wave of eye-rolls.”

Geuse bit her lips. “Heh… Hope we can get out of this mess in one piece.”

“Yeah, and then you- we can go back to our peaceful, old lives.” Kanipha added.

Spike sighed. “I doubt that it can ever happen. Things are never going to be the same.”

“Doesn’t mean it can’t be better, though.” Pisacan said meaningfully.

Spike eyed the crystal pony, and breathed out. “Alright, let me do this one last thing, and I’ll call it a day.”

The dragon wanted to yell out some command, but was immediately floored by an even larger waves of loud commands. He almost lost his balance as the chariot he was on quickly reverse its course.

“What the heck is that?” He yelped.

He poked his head out of the chariot, and spotted a young Firstling jarl galloping alongside their chariot.

“Jarl Haldor!”

Haldor immediately turned and looked at Spike with a reverent look, while keep galloping forward. “Hail, Gaddur! What may I be of service?”

“I want to know why we’re suddenly running towards our rear!”

“It was the emergency command from High Vala on the front line! We moved after all four leaders raised their flags to signal approval!”

“But what happened? Is it the white wolves?”

“Sorry sir, I don’t know. We simply follow commands on the battlefield.”

“Jarl Haldor, you shall be relieved of your guard duty for the moment. Please go ask Frigg why we’re retreating. If it’s enemy, we might need to communicate for a bit.”

“Yes sir!”

But before Haldor even moved, the galloping visage of Frigg already appeared among the sea of running white wolves that sandwiched the two groups. She saw Spike’s chariot, and expertly hopped on its edge without a second thought.

“Frigg!” Spike yelled.

“Hail, heroic Spike. I personally come to discuss with thee the trouble ahead.”

“Or now behind.”

Frigg raised a brow, but the humor flew above her head. “Indeed, my mistake.”

Spike sighed. “What might this trouble you speak of? Why must we make haste for the rear?”

“The road ahead of us is flooding immensely, and the way the water roars, it might entirely engulf our advancing soldiers, since we’re treading on lowlands. We must make way for the higher grounds behind us.”

“That’s strange. According to both Rainga and Yolana, the Great River should not overflow so early in the year.”

“If the maps are still correct, the Great River should not flow in this area at all.”

“So we’re bracing for a mega-flood that just happens, what luck…”

“In fact, I do not think that this flood is at all a coincidence.”

Frigg brushed her luscious violet locks aside and said curtly. “… Windigos.”

Spike widened his eyes and said. “Oh… I see what you mean now.”

Frigg smiled. “These otherworldly spirits blow cold winds that chill our bones whenever there is conflict. We’ve seen it with our own eyes after the battle. Yet now, warmth and gentle wind is all that we feel, and snow is nowhere to be seen. I trust that peace that is never before had will soon come to the great north.”

“But not yet, Frigg. We need to set our sight at the present and finish the task. So many things are at stake… Matters of national fate aside, I also have loved ones who are captured, bewitched and behind enemy lines.”

Frigg widened her eyes, temporarily unable to process that the dragon, so revered and venerated, has his own mundane ties. She gulped gently and only managed to say. “Yes.”

Spike shifted into a more joking mood. “But this kind of flooding might tie us down for quite some time. Do you think we can use some mock battle in our midst, you know, to bait the Windigos?”

Frigg again did not get his humor. Instead, she grew somewhat admiring. “Wise Spike, what an idea! Indeed, we can organize a ritual battle, to induce the Windigos to act to our advantage…”

“Uh apologies, I’m just being facetious. I think in this case, the muskoxen might be right. They like to say ‘respect the spirits, but keep them at pole’s length’. Even if the ritual works, it might overshoot and cause a blizzard. Not to mention if it’s already flooding, freezing the floodwater isn’t going to make them go away.”

Frigg’s ears drooped slightly. “You’re right. I’m too foolish before thy-”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Frigg, perhaps now we should also inform the other commanders, so that we can plan out our next course of action.”

The silvery mare nodded and said. “Actually, I’ve sent out messengers to them as well. I just figure that your counsel would be most illuminating.”

“You joke, Frigg. It’s you who suggested the most logical explanation of what’s happening after all. Despite everything, I’m still a young dragon. I act thick and make mistakes. So don’t take my words as gospel.”

Frigg looked conflicted again, but after an exchange of looks, she curtsied. “… I shalt excuse myself, heroic Spike.”

“Be healthy and happy, Frigg.”

Spike turned with a sigh, and noticed two pairs of curious eyes and a pair of straightened ears both directing at him.

“… Uh, you guys can open your mouths and ask. Don’t have to do the eavesdrop.”

Kanipha pouted. “It’s not like I can understand beyond the simplest bit. I hate it when there’s something that I can’t make sense of.”

Spike smiled helplessly. “Relax, Kanny. She’s just telling me why the army was running tails. It’s because there’s big flood ahead, which is probably caused by the excessive weakening of Windigo activities.”

The zebra colt’s frown turned into a snort. “So there is a downside to harmony. Discord is right all along!”

“Heh, I will let him know of your approval if we ever make it back. Maybe he would cast some blissfully mind-altering spells on you as your reward.”

Kanipha blanched. “Heck, no.”

“Heh. So we’ll have a meeting shortly after arriving at higher grounds and some more observation. If the flood continues, we might need to think of a safer way to cross it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a temporary large tent on a hilltop, the leaders and commanders of the coalition army sat around a large round stone that they found in the vicinity and was used as a temporary table top.

Thane Magnar began by gruffly huffing in highly accented Old Draconic. “The flood is terrible. As brave and strong my axe warriors are, they aren’t going to chop the water in half and walk in the middle.”

Prince Stellan nodded. “Brother Magnar speaks the truth. I simply cannot risk my good ponies by potentially letting the flood engulf them.”

Frigg mulled. “And yet the flood will only get worse as the weather becomes warmer.”

Rainga was trying to rub the boredom out of her eyes. Once she noticed the gazes falling on her, she quickly said. “Uh, how about we try to ford it at a shallow place?”

Holding onto her translation bead, Yolana frowned and mentally directed her magical speech to her intended audience. “No, we can’t. The tundra with all the melted ice is already muddy and hard to march on. We all are either heavily-equipped or heavy enough by ourselves. Our hooves can get stuck in the muddy water and we would sink into the ground. Besides, the terrain changes quickly as water flows through, it’s nigh impossible for us to find a good ford that would last for the entire army to go through.”

Rainga pouted, and the other leaders sighed or groaned aloud.

Spike looked on, and translated their words for those who did not know Old Draconic that well.

After listening to the purple dragon, Cadance then suggested. “How about caulking the chariots and sleds to float them across?”

Shining Armor pondered and said. “Or even make a pontoon bridge?”

Spike nodded and turned his gaze to the last but largely ignored white wolf matriarch, Suologievra. She and surprisingly, her younger son, sat at the side silently with an ashen look. Even without understanding what the others were saying, the two felt the disdain solidly directed at them, especially from the prince and the thane.

The purple dragon did not pay heed to those searing gazes, and simply asked in Susian, the white wolf tongue. “Suologievra, Puuska, now that the flood has blocked our way, what do you suggest us to do to reach Isojoki? Is fording the river feasible? Or is caulking our chariots or building a pontoon bridge safer?”

The mother and the son were both surprised that their opinions were being asked. Puuska, in particular, never thought that his thought would even matter.

Suologievra said first. “Thank you, respected Spike, for asking our opinion. I do not think that fording is at all a feasible option. For one, we white wolves have shorter legs and much lower centers of gravity, and we would get easily swept away by rising waters.”

Puuska briefly gave his mother a judging look, but also added swiftly. “Respected Spike, I must also adore your forbearance, for treating a defeated general like me with kindness and respect. As for your question, floating across or making a pontoon bridge might work, but it’s not quite safe either. The excessive ice melting would flood areas that have not been previous flooded for a long time, and it would carry a lot of dangerous debris. A simple wooden craft or hollowed floats would not withstand those easily.”

Suologievra nodded. “Puuska is right. Proper ships are needed to carry us through. We might even reach Isojoki faster if we travel by river.”

Spike nodded, and translated their words for Magnar, Stellan and Frigg. The three looked to each other and exchanged a few glances.

Magnar then said slowly. “Princess Rainga.”

Rainga widened her eyes at the unexpected call, and coughed nervously. “Um, yes?”

“Is it alright if we use some of the wood from the Deermark forest?”

“… Slicing some trees down on the outskirt shouldn’t be much of a problem. There aren’t that many good oak except in the middle of the forest, but a lot of them were felled by the fierce snowstorm caused by the Windigos. Birch trees are plenty, but birch wood rot too quickly to make any river-worthy craft.”

Stellan shrugged. “It’s not like we need them for long.”

“So do you need the service of our woodcrafters? I might need to send back messengers to gather them.” Rainga asked.

Magnar and Stellan looked to each other, and grinned. Magnar said. “We only need the wood to be here, and our axe warriors would be more than ready to march back and cut the woods.”

Stellan nodded. “We could use some cords and saws, which would speed up our work, but it’s not strictly necessary.”

Magnar raised his cup of mead. “Give us five days of time, and we would craft enough longships to carry all of us to the gate of Isojoki!”

Rainga was surprised. “Just five days? It would take us up to a month or two to build ships that large and many, without tools or a shipyard!”

This time Frigg said with a subtle smile. “Princess Rainga, the Firstling and the Lucent have built longships for our various rituals, each year for three thousand years, longer if you count Firstling history before that. If we say five days, then you can simply settle down and watch us work wonder.”

Spike smiled. “Very well. So any objection to this idea?”

He asked around in different tongues. After seeing a round of shaking heads, he proclaimed. "Well then, let us build the longships and sail onto Isojoki. May our voyage be safe and fast."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spike looked towards the horizons, but it was no longer possible to see the dry land on the opposite side. The river had grown so wide that it had become a veritable gulf that broke the land in half.

He looked back, and was still scarcely believing when he saw the majestic longships with the likeness of dragons carved on their heads. The Drekkar, or dragon ships, were elegant and ornately decorated, a feat that was not overshadowed by the amazing speed the Firstling and the Lucent finished their work.

As long as the Firstling brought back logs and logs of wood from the Deermark forest, the Lucent immediately organized themselves into small but highly organized units of workers, each in charge of a step in the carving of the keel, stems and hull. And then like putting together a knock-down boat model, they seamlessly put together all the parts at the same time. An impeccable longship would then appear out of thin air before his eyes.

The Firstling had their own ritualistic carvings that Frigg told him about. They were imageries of fire-breathing dragons, which were said to contain protective magic and could scare off enemies. With the consent of the thane, the muskoxen also painted on wards of their own, and put on colorful beads around the dragon-heads on the bows. At last, Cadance and Shining Armor tightened the wooden planks of the hull with their own magic.

After most of the soldiers boarded the ships, the remaining ones on the ground let slip the tracks and slid the ships into the river water. The ropes that held the ships immediately grew taut, as the Firstling rowers hurried to their positions.

Spike boarded one of the longships using a plank. The water was so turbulent that it almost threw him off balance, but he jumped onto the deck with a last-minute sprint.

When the ropes were unfastened, the rowers immediately set into motion, and the sails were lowered. The fleet of fifty large longships set sailed in a spectacular fashion.

At first, the ships sailed down the river with the flow. Isojoki was at the river delta of its namesake, therefore they would likely reach their destination directly by going downstream.

Two days into the voyage, the white wolf navigator already reported that they have gone 3/4 on their way to Isojoki, which even taking account into the time of building the longships, was vastly ahead of their schedule.

On a windless afternoon, Spike and his three original companions gathered near the bow and had a chat.

Kanipha mulled. “Despite the name, this perpetual twilight is unsettling, to be honest.”

Spike consoled. “Don’t overly worry, Kanny. We’re going more north and north, and the sun and moon is only going to hide from us for a longer time.”

Geuse said. “I also can’t shake off the feeling that something’s wrong. Not seeing the sun and the moon going round is driving me a bit stir-crazy.”

Pisacan smiled. “I know I’m no one to talk, given that I can’t see either the sun or the moon, but we can simply sail south after Isojoki, and this would be the most likely way that we can go back. Isn’t that good news?”

Spike said curtly. “True.”

Kanipha, though, sighed. “… If the south is all peaceful, but I doubt that’s the case.”

Geuse opened her mouth, but her voice was covered by a distant but ear-pounding series of boom, almost like a thunder right next to her ears.

Everyone covered their ears, and turned to the source of the sound. The polar dusk was dim, but thanks to the clear air, they were able to look to the distant horizons. The source of the Great River, the Everhoof and Yaket range, stood prominently in a distance to the south. However, something was seriously wrong with how it looked like.

“What’s happening?” Pisacan asked with worry.

Kanipha yelped. “Holy, there is a giant avalanche on the Everhoof!”

Spike narrowed his eyes and observed carefully. “It’s no ordinary avalanche. Some natural ice dam on the north face of Everhoof must have melted away and collapsed.”

Geuse pointed towards the now breached dam. “My goodness, look at that! Water is shooting out of the mountain pass like a giant hose!”

Pisacan gritted her teeth and muttered something under her breath. “This doesn’t sound good at all. The Everhoof held a huge amount of water in those glacial lakes. If they are let go all at once, then this river flood we’re witnessing now will be foal’s play!”

Kanipha blanched again. “We’re going to be smashed into little bits when the mega-flood eventually arrives!”

Spike forcefully breathed out, and immediately walked away. He then shouted towards the Firstling captain of the longship, who was slightly trembling at the immense power of nature.

“Captain Preben! Tell all other captains to chain the longships together, we cannot be blown apart by the incoming floods!”

“Y- Yes, heroic Spike!”

Spike’s firm command had settled the Firstling captain down somewhat. He immediately ordered the signaler to communicate with all other longships in the fleet. Flying chains of metal were immediately thrown across decks, and the staggering formation was condensed into a rectangular platform on the roaring river.

The ear-deafening rumbling sounds grew louder and louder, until the ship crew were able to see a horrifying sight on the horizon – a giant wave of muddy water, filled with various debris, was slamming downstream towards them in a lightning speed.

The captains immediately ordered the sails to be hung up, and the rows were withdrawn. Every passengers on the longship crowded towards the middle of the deck, held onto the firm masts and hoped for the best.

The wall of water chased up the fleet like a ferocious beast. Even as the fleet and the wave front travelled in the same direction, the flood was still closing down menacingly.

Finally, the water arrived at the back of the chained-up fleet. Like a carpet that had been flipped up roughly, the longships, along with its crew, were thrown into mid-air. Even the battle-hardened soldiers on the ships let out a horrified scream, as they thought it was the certain end of them.

But also like a carpet, they fell one by one down onto the surface of the water the right side up. Most of the rudders on the ship were ruined by high-speed debris, and the hulls sustained some superficial damage. But other than that and some bruising injuries on unlucky crews, the entire fleet miraculously survived the onslaught of the catastrophic flood.

The fleet, though, now drifted down the river without any control. As the crew struggled to recover, gain a sense of what was happening, and then row the ships away from strutting rocks, they had lost reference to landmark or even the cardinal directions.

The messy situation persisted for quite a while, until the tumult in the water slowed and quieted down, allowing proper communication to be finally restored between ships.

Spike, who had hit his head heavily on the bow, let out a giant sigh of relief as he heard the reports streaming back that there was no casualty.

“I don’t know whether it was the dragon carvings, the muskoxen runes, the magic casted by Cadance and Shining Armor, or simply the master woodwork of the Lucent. But we owe all of them big time.”

Kanipha yelped. “But we’re now getting ferried about on this wave of flood without any control!”

Spike sighed. “Better than getting crushed by the flood in the first place.”

“What if it carries us to some giant rock and smashed us onto it?”

Geuse interjected. “Um, I don’t think that would be likely. Look.”

The orange pegasus pointed to their surroundings. Despite a thick layer of mist hung on the horizon to the south, it was clear that there were now in a much larger body of water.

Kanipha was stunned. “What the hay? Where is land?”

Spike walked towards the Firstling captain, but it was the white wolf navigator who spoke first. “Respected Spike, I believe that the flood had carried us far away from Isojoki.”

“Is that true, Herra Tapio?”

“I am not a hundred percent sure, but I have used a far-barrel to watch the landscape from afar as we’re getting swept away. It seemed that the flood, instead of carrying us downstream to Isojoki, had instead poured across the Meän Pass and down the Kvään River Gorge, which drains to the southeastern sea. I surmise that that is where we are at now.”

Spike carefully walked towards the edge of the ship, and scooped up some water with his claws. It was chilling, but once he tasted it with his tongue, a zingy salty flavor spread in his mouth.

After relaying the message to the captain, he looked onto the misty horizons with a welling sense of dread and unease. Fate seemed determined to play him around literally like a float on tumbling sea, and he literally could do nothing as well.