The Legend of Ash Frost

by Visiden Visidane

Competition

Arrogant, is it? Is that what they call me? Deluded fools, the lot of them.

Arrogance is a matter of situation. Suppose there was a poor stallion with two bits to his name. If he were to give a bit to a pony poorer than him, he would be lauded for his generosity. Yet, if a rich pony gave a bit to the same poor pony, he would be derided as a miser. Now, if a pony with deeds no different from the average legionnaire says the things I do, then, yes, he would be arrogant. If a pony of my deeds says the same, they should be lauded for their humility, as I should be. Besides, I speak as I do out of a sense of balance. If I stay silent, rocks and grass will spontaneously gain voices to praise me.

So I will not take back a word I said. They can try to make me eat my words in every competition I plan to dominate. I hope they do. These trophies and money are getting boring. I am the legendary Ash Frost, the Peerless Shot, the Bow of Wonder, the Bow to be Feared, the True Shot Champion, and the First of the Legion's Heroes. I've put enough shafts into bullseyes to construct the broad side of the barn that half my competition can't hit. My flying makes butterflies look like flying boars and you stand a better chance flying out of a storm dry than you do dodging my shot. When they speak my name in Ophidus, the children fall silent, the widows weep into their pillows, and their generals rage and quake. Indeed, my accolades are outpacing my ability to boast about them. I might have to hire some bards.

---

It is true that the many titles attributed to Lady Ash Frost were coined by herself, but their widespread use even during her lifetime proves them all true. Lady Ash Frost won the annual Highstable Archery Contest thirty consecutive times along many other lesser tournaments and personal challenges. I attended to her in many of them, always expecting that moment of humiliation when the crowd would laugh at her for not living up to her boasts. It never came. How I wish now that it did.

Comments

[Beware The Carpenter]

A challenger appears