The Phoenix King

by Turtlehaus

Chapter 14: I, Ice Pony

Castle Fjord is and has been an established Kingdom for many generations. Unlike Castle Char in recent years, the society of Ice Ponies went about their lives as if the presence of six normal ponies from Ponyville was no big deal. Every Ice Pony had something to do, or someplace to be, and it didn't pay them no never mind to stop to chit chat with the shivering six of them.

Twilight and her friends stood at the edge of the second floor marble staircase of Castle Fjord, watching the hustle and bustle of a normal afternoon of any Ice Pony day. With Lord Tundra and Lady Frost being pulled away on important matters concerning the Kingdom, the six ponies, including Spike, huddled together for warmth wondering what to do next.

"I'm beginning to miss the marveled looks and warm atmosphere of the Flame Ponies." Rarity remarked, feeling as if she was being purposely ignored.

"I definitely miss the warmth." Applejack remarked, clutching her snow jacket tighter.

"The Kingdom of Ice Ponies doesn't really get visitors, and even when they do it usually doesn't involve most of them anyways. We're here at Princess Sapphire's request, unlike in the Ashen Fields where we were trying to help them rebuild." Twilight explained.

"A hello wouldn't hurt, would it?" Rainbow Dash asked sounding rather annoyed by the blatant way Ice Ponies just walked passed them without a care.

"Perhaps they're all just late to lunch?" Pinkie Pie suggested, her teeth chattering from the cold.

"Hello." A voice spoke up from behind them.

Every pony turned to see the Ice Pony known as Chancellor Stone standing before them.

"Chancellor… Bone, is it?" Twilight asked, trying to remember his name.

"Stone, actually. Our sincerest apologies for the Lord and Lady's sudden departure. Ever since the mess with the dragon in the Ashen Fields there has been a back log of work that needs their immediate attention." Chancellor Stone explained.

"It's no trouble at all, really." Fluttershy said softly.

"I am here to show you to your quarters and to inform you that Princess Sapphire has sent word that she is returning to the Castle later this afternoon." Chancellor Stone reported.

"It looks like we won't be waiting too long then." Rainbow Dash remarked.

"Feel free to approach me about anything you may require during your stay here in the Frozen North, I will be happy to assist you." Chancellor Stone stated, motioning them to follow.

It would seem that Chancellor Stone was a rather by the book pony, capable of conducting himself in a rather official capacity with subtle hints of what he felt like was humor. It reminded them of Wingston and Argo Fleece, just not a bat and not as grumpy.

"You kind of remind me of Wingston." Spike mentioned aloud.

"What's a Wingston?" Chancellor Stone asked curiously looking over his shoulder.

"Wingston is the Royal Advisor to Smolder in the Ashen Fields, he's a bat." Twilight explained further.

"I remind you of a bat?" Chancellor Stone asked, looking puzzled.

"Well, no, just how you seem to handle things when the King and Queen are away." Spike said.

"Seems like a rather odd task for a Royal Advisor to hold." Chancellor Stone commented.

"The Ashen Fields are still trying to get back on their hooves; every pony is pitching in where they can to help things along." Applejack elaborated further.

"Is this Wingston well respected amongst his peers?" Chancellor Stone asked curiously.

"I'm pretty sure Wingston is the only reason the Kingdom of Flame Ponies hasn't fallen apart completely." Rarity remarked.

"Then I am glad to know that I resemble such an important pony." Chancellor Stone remarked humbly.

"Bat." Spike pointed out.

"Of course." Chancellor Stone replied.

Every pony was moving along the large corridor of the second floor when a sudden explosion of smoke and sparks erupted from a room on the left. The Court Wizard Floe stepped out from the clouds of smoke coming from the room, wearing very think goggles, covered from head to hoof in soot, Floe seemed rather pleased with himself.

"It's a little early in the day to be trying some of your experiments, isn't it, Floe?" Chancellor Stone asked sarcastically.

"I've successfully combined an apple and an orange together, creating an all new fruit!" Court Wizard Floe exclaimed in delight.

"So have I, it's called a smoothie." Pinkie Pie remarked.

Floe lifted his goggles off his head, narrowing his eyes to Pinkie Pie as if been insulted by her remark. Floe was, of course, the youngest pony among them, being only twelve years old.

"Do try to keep the noise level below 'booming' from now on, the Lord and Lady shouldn't be distracted by your shenanigans." Chancellor Stone stated to him.

"Thhhbbbt!" Floe replied, sticking out his tongue and blowing a raspberry at him.

Floe grumbled to himself, placing the goggles back on his head and returned to his work, slamming the door behind him.

"What's his problem?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Floe is our Court Wizard; he is very gifted in the magical arts, but is still very young. His love of magic is stunted by our need for it, where we would dive deeper in the mysteries of magic; he tries to distort them into a thing that amuses him." Chancellor Stone explained to them.

"It sounds like he's just trying to be creative." Applejack mentioned.

"Indeed, although it is merely a cry for attention that none are willing to provide for him." Chancellor Stone explained further.

"A cry for attention?" Fluttershy asked, sounding concerned.

"Floe was orphaned as an infant, let on the steps of Castle Fjord one night, many attempts have been made to find his family but all have failed. " Chancellor Stone began.

"The poor thing." Fluttershy said, sounding very sad.

"At the Lord and Lady's request, we took the infant unicorn in and provided him an education, a place to live, and a name." Chancellor Stone continued.

"Why did you name him Floe?" Spike asked curiously.

"He always seemed detached from the rest of us, and always trying to fit in but never really connecting with any pony. He never went ignored, mind you, but he seemed to go his own way when it came to doing things. So we named him Floe for that reason." Chancellor Stone elaborated.

Spike looked at Twilight, seeming confused as to what it had to do with Floe's name.

"Floe is a sheet of floating ice, Spike. It personifies his personality." Twilight explained to him.

"His aptitude with magic began at a very young age, mastering a great many expert level spells with little difficulty. He excelled in his studies and was granted the title of Court Wizard by many of our senior Unicorn Professors." Chancellor Stone remarked, sounding quite proud.

"That's remarkable for some pony his age." Twilight added.

"Floe has spent most of his time crafting new spells and doing research, but Lady Frost requires him to come to dinner at least twice a week; lest he be grounded." Chancellor Stone pointed out.

"Can she do that?" Rainbow Dash asked with a laugh.

"Lady Frost is a very caring pony, a mother first and a Queen second. If not for the lack of paperwork, it could be said that Lady Frost has adopted Floe as her son by the way she treats him." Chancellor Stone replied.

"Are they really that close?" Rarity asked in surprise.

"I defy any pony to tease Floe and not get an ear full from the Queen herself." Chancellor Stone chuckled.

Chancellor Stone reached a set of marble double doors that led to another corridor. This particular one was much less vast; it had ten doors, five on either side, and had two large basins of fire at the end of the corridor. Walking about halfway down, Chancellor Stone stopped and turned to the group of them as to make an announcement.

"This will be your quarters for the duration of your stay. You may choose any room you like for we have provided you with some of our older suites for they are equipped with a fireplace; to better ease the cold nights you will be staying for. There is a wood box built into every room, it will be replenished every morning." Chancellor Stone said aloud.

"That sounds lovely." Fluttershy said, with every pony seemingly relieved to hear the word 'fireplace'.

Spike ran up to one of the marble doors, pushing it open to reveal the inside of one of the rooms. The bed itself was a 'Yakistan King' an incredible on hundred and six inches in length and width, capable of holding at least nine ponies comfortably. With that being said, each pony would have their own room making the bed almost ridiculous to begin with. The bed itself was adorned with white marble, detailed designs carved into it depicting Ice Pony heritage. The room was furnished with a desk, a coffee table, a couple of hoof crafted wooden chairs, a couch pressed against the wall, the promised fireplace, and several rugs that patterned the dark marble floor.

"I could get used to this." Rarity remarked looking quite pleased.

"During your stay here in Castle Fjord and the Artic Bluff, I must inform you of the laws and customs of our Ice Ponies." Chancellor Stone remarked, watching the group ogle the rooms.

"Artic Bluff?" Twilight asked curiously.

"It's the city down below where the Commoner Ice Ponies reside." Chancellor Stone clarified.

"Commoner Ponies?" Rainbow Dash asked unsure of the phrase.

"As you may already know, there are two divisions of Ice Pony social classes. One being the common Ice Pony and the other being the Noble Ice Pony." Chancellor Stone began.

"Is that to say that one Ice Pony is worth less than the other?" Applejack asked, not liking the separation of classes talk.

"Monetarily the statement is true, nearly all Noble Ice Ponies have a gratuitous amount of wealth attached to their name, but if you are referring to a difference in general worth of an Ice Pony's life, we consider every pony to be equal." Chancellor Stone answered.

"So why the separation in the first place?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"You can imagine the difficulty of producing much of anything in subzero temperatures. The need for importing of goods, the value of trade, is very important to our Kingdom. The Common Ice Pony will work to provide for themselves or for family, much like regular ponies in other places, but there is no work if the Noble Ponies cannot create some." Chancellor Stone explained.

"So the Noble Ice Ponies create jobs for the Commoner Ice Ponies?" Twilight asked.

"Exactly, it may seem like there is quite a lot of Noble Ice Ponies here, but I assure you that comparatively the Commoner Ice Ponies far exceed the number of Nobles we have." Chancellor Stone reassured them.

"So the Noble Ice Ponies are rich and the Commoner Ponies are just… middle class?" Rarity asked sounding confused.

"While we are not perfect, Ice Ponies tend to be more spiritual then materialistic in our desires. Indeed, some Noble Ice Ponies indulge themselves in expensive things from time to time but honor and reputation out ways all those things every time." Chancellor Stone explained further.

"How so?" Fluttershy asked.

"The Noble Houses would present their reputation as sign of worth, while other Noble Ponies in Equestria would flaunt their worth with a mountain of gold. A Noble Ice Pony believes that a powerful house commands respect from any that would look upon it, but to do this, Noble Ponies give back to the Commoner Ponies in many ways. This is in hopes of earning their trust and respect to help expand their influence. While in reverse, the Commoner Ponies find it an honor to be a part of a Noble House that is so well respected; desiring to become part of that." Chancellor Stone elaborated.

"So the Noble Ponies can't function without the Common Ponies, and the Commoner Ponies can't function without the Nobles, right?" Spike asked, trying out his ideas on his claws.

"While there are some that seek riches and fame, in both Common and Noble Ice Ponies, there are some Commoner and Noble Ice Ponies that strive to improve the quality of life of those around them in both physical and spiritual ways. Lady Frost was once considered a Commoner Ice Pony, but she is our Queen, which has made her focus on building a better relationship between the two classes." Chancellor Stone explained.

"What is she trying to change exactly?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

"With the Kingdom of Flame Ponies once more becoming an opportunity to expand in several key areas, Noble and Commoner Ice Ponies alike have set their sights on profiting from them in some way. Some Commoner Ice Ponies see it as an opportunity to become Nobles themselves, while Noble Ice Ponies seek to expand their empire." Chancellor Stone stated.

"That sounds rather selfish." Fluttershy said softly, yet rather disapprovingly.

"Which is why Lady Frost personally selected the applicants to venture to the Ashen Fields; choosing young and impressionable ponies in the hopes of having them learn from the modest lifestyle of the Flame Ponies." Chancellor Stone remarked.

"Do you think it will work? That these Ice Ponies will develop a sense of humility and appreciation that the Flame Ponies have achieved?" Twilight asked.

"It is what the Queen is hoping." Chancellor Stone answered.

---

Being the Academy Leader had its perks, but no more so then having your name etched in obsidian sitting at the edge of her marble desk. Being the Leader of the Academy kept her busy, it was mostly slate work regarding the financial and daily reports that piled up on her desk every day, but sometimes she had to give some pep talks to new recruits and promote distinguished fliers. Having the day's duty roster in hoof, Flare walked out of her office, nose deep in the slate.

"Alright, Squadron four, five, and six will be doing the Marsh Run while Squadrons one, two, and three will be doing the Mountain Pass." Flare read aloud.

Looking up from her slate, she was rather surprised to see not a single Flame Pony waiting for her. In fact, the whole main hall was deserted with only a few Stone Cutter Flame Ponies chiseling away at the large stone pillars.

"Where is every pony?" Flare asked in surprise looking about.

There was a muffled roar of cheering coming from the barracks on the other side of the Academy. Deciding that it was the best place to start looking, Flare crossed the hall hearing the muffled cheers and sometimes boos of disappointment come from within. Pushing the large stone doors open to the barracks the sounds of dozens of Flame Ponies hollering washed over her.

"Place your bets, place your bets, odds and even, high or low, doubles are double the pay out!" Bleak called out over the crowd of Pegasi Flame Ponies trying to get in on the action.

Bleak held a pair of stone dice in his hoof, holding a stone cup in his other hoof trying to rally more takers. Wisp was collecting the bits and coin from every pony wanting to join in, keeping track of each bet on a slate. With the final cut off being signaled from Wisp to Bleak, Bleak tossed the dice in the cup before shaking it vigorously, before slamming it on the ground; every Pegasi Flame Pony crowding to see the results.

"We have an eleven! Odds and high wins it!" Bleak declared as plenty of ponies groaned at the results.

"That's right every pony, fork it over." Bleak thought to himself, watching ponies toss coins at Wisp calling out their next bet.

"What's going on here?" Flare demanded aloud, making her presence known.

Every Pegasi Flame Pony jumped at the sound of her voice, a wave of terror washed over them having been caught red hoofed. Turning on a coin, the Flame Ponies threw a salute at Flare trying not to make eye contact. Wisp was trying to crawl away, on his belly, hoping not to be seen.

"Freeze mister!" Flare shouted, pointing her hoof at him.

Wisp shot up from the ground, standing at attention, throwing his own salute, doing his best not to look nervous. Flare strode over to the collection of coin that Wisp was watching over before turning to look at every pony with a disapproving stare.

"Who is responsible for this?" Flare asked.

Every pony turned to point their hooves at Bleak who was trying to hide himself behind the rest of them. Having been ratted out, Bleak smiled nervously before feeling Flare's judgmental stare burn into him.

"I would like to thank every pony for donating to the reparation of Castle Char." Flare began, looking towards the pile of coin. "I'm sure that is what every pony was so happy to be partaking in. Because if there had been some gambling going on, I would have had to bust every last pony here back down to a cadet and make them take Rainbow Week all over again; twice!"

There was a lot of uncomfortable looks from every pony, uneasy at the idea of having to endure Rainbow Week again, let alone being knocked back to a cadet.

"Every pony here will get back on duty in the next ten seconds or I will have them moving rocks from one end of the Fields to the other for a month!" Flare shouted at them.

Every Pegasi Flame Pony bolted to the door.

"Not you two!" Flare shouted.

Wisp and Bleak knew that they were the ponies she was referring to. Stopping hard a couple of hoof steps from the door, hearing the small clops of Flare's hooves hitting the stone floor as she came closer.

"Would either of you like to explain what was going on here?" Flare asked, stepping around them to face them eye to eye.

"We were just… you know… taking a break." Wisp mumbled nervously.

"Wisp, you know better than any pony that I have two really big dislikes." Flare began, pulling on the collar of his chest piece, forcing his head down to look her straight in the eyes. "What are they?"

"N-N-No gambling of any kind." Wisp muttered.

"And?" Flare asked.

"Public shows of affection?" Wisp asked, not remembering the second.

Flare jabbed Wisp in the gut, her face flushing and her mane flaring. Wisp doubled over, deciding to stay down, hoping that she would let him live. Turning to face Bleak, Flare noticed that he wasn't as nervous as Wisp was.

"So what's your excuse?" Flare asked, stepping in front of him.

"No excuse, ma'am, just trying to make a bit of coin is all." Bleak replied, sounding a bit unnerved.

"I know you're new here, but surely even you would know that gambling in any way, shape, or form would be banned in this or any Academy." Flare stated.

"I did what I had to do to get ahead in life, ma'am, gambling is just one way of making sure I ate that night." Bleak replied, sounding rather sincere.

Flare seemed a bit taken aback by this. She knew what it was like having to scrape by; digging in the Dark Marsh for some roots, but times had changed for her and Bleak.

"You're not in the Frozen North anymore, Cadet, you're here, in the Ashen Fields and you will act like a Soldier Pony; do I make myself clear?" Flare said sternly.

"Crystal, ma'am." Bleak replied.

"Wisp, gather up every coin in this room and bring it to Ms. Fleece at the castle. Let her know it was a donation on behalf of the Squadrons of the Academy." Flare instructed.

"You got it… Flare Bear." Wisp wheezed, waving his hoof towards her.

"Come with me, Cadet." Flare ordered, stepping out of the barracks.

Bleak followed Flare out of the barracks and back towards her office. The shadows of Flame Pony Pegasi flying high up above streaked across the floor of the main hall. Opening the door for Bleak to enter, Flare motioned him inside before closing the door behind them.

"Alright, Ice Pony, why are you really here?" Flare asked, walking past him towards her large marble desk.

"I beg your pardon?" Bleak asked, looking confused.

"You might have fooled Ray and the other ponies out there but I'm not so easily swayed. I had Topaz bring over your file so I could get a better idea of who you are." Flare stated, holding up a couple of slates.

"Then there shouldn't be any problems then, I was assigned to help clear some rocks, but General Horizon was nice enough to give me a chance to be a Soldier Pony." Bleak replied.

"Keep it cool, Bleak, she's waiting for you to crack." Bleak thought to himself.

"That's not what I'm referring to." Flare began, looking over the slates. "It has to do with your application that you filled out at the Frozen North."

"Is there something wrong with it?" Bleak asked feigning his innocence.

"When assigning a pony to move rocks, you don't really need to do much of a background check, but I like to be a little bit more thorough with my Cadets." Flare continued.

"How so?" Bleak asked curiously.

"You got nothing on me, you hear me? Nothing!" Bleak thought to himself once more.

"It says here you have two older sisters, Cadet." Flare mentioned, reading the slate.

"Agatha and Marie." Bleak replied promptly.

"Which one is suffering from Chronic Hiccups again?" Flare asked curiously.

"Excuse me?" Bleak asked, sounding surprised.

"That's what you wrote here on your application." Flare remarked, looking up.

"I never wrote that." Bleak replied, sounding rather confused. "The application never asked me about the status of my sisters."

"I wasn't talking about your application to come to the Ashen Fields, this one is about trying to get a job in the Frozen North as an apprentice treasurer." Flare stated.

The color in Bleak's face started to drain. The sudden realization that Flare meant what she said about his file, they had brought his entire record from the Frozen North here to be viewed.

"Crud, crud, crud, crud, crud." Bleak thought to himself, finding it hard to swallow.

"He's a Soldier Report about you being arrested for selling fake deeds to Castle Fjord." Flare continued looking over the next slate.

"W-W-W-Well you see-" Bleak began, suddenly feeling his nerves start to attack.

"This one is rather interesting, your reason for having back alley gambling ring was that half your family was in the hospital, and the other half were too old to work." Flare said with a chuckle.

"I was- they- I couldn't – it-" Bleak stammered feeling his cover being blown wide open.

"What's interesting is that this file came straight from the Treasury of Castle Fjord, about you trying to scam your way through fraud claims on your taxes. It even says that you've been arrested on several counts of illegal gambling, counterfeiting, and…" Flare paused for a moment, looking rather surprised by this next part. "Impersonating a donkey?"

The jig was up. Bleak didn't predict his 'file' would follow him all the way out here but now that it had it wasn't worth trying to deny.

Bleak had been an orphan pony since he was very little, lying and swindling his way to survive in the Artic Bluff. At times he needed a new identity, other times he needed to pay back some bad ponies he had borrowed money from, and sometimes he just got carried away with his gambling dens. There wasn't much in terms of a future for a pony like him, he just wanted a fresh start, but his old habits didn't seem to stay in the Frozen North.

"You wouldn't believe how easy it is to fool some ponies when all you have to do is act like a complete jacka-" Bleak began.

"Alright, enough!" Flare cut him short, slamming her slates down on her desk.

"Okay, you caught me; I'm a con-artist." Bleak admitted, unable to fight against his paper trail. "I rip other ponies off for a living. I'm shrewd, clever, charming, and a very good liar. I didn't really want to be a Soldier Pony; I just thought it would be easier to sit around pretending to guard something instead of moving heavy rocks all day."

"So why come here in the first place?" Flare asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Bleak chuckled to himself.

"Try me." Flare replied.

Bleak narrowed his eyes at her. Flare could see that he knew he was caught, that sending him to move rocks was just a transfer away, but furthermore, he knew that she couldn't believe anything he said because he was a proven liar.

"Ice Ponies like to talk about being all mystical with their spiritual mumbo jumbo, but at the end of the day your meals don't come free. Sometimes it's too hard to care for a foal or filly, it's just easier to just..." Bleak paused for a moment; looking rather hurt from his thoughts. "Get rid of them."

Flare remained quiet. Allowing Bleak to come clean to her.

"When you're an orphan you learn real quick not to care what ponies think of you, especially when you're digging for scraps out of trash cans; you're just hungry. So I use ponies to get what I want, gambling, bribes, a charming smile, because when it comes right down to it; I can only trust myself." Bleak mumbled, not wanting to dig up his colored and troubled past.

"I'm a fair pony, Bleak. I have come to believe in second chances, which is what I'm going to give to you right now." Flare began, getting off her stone chair.

"You're kidding, right?" Bleak not looking convinced.

Flare took the slates from her desk, walking up to Bleak who narrowed her eyes at her unclear of what she was getting at. Dropping the slates from her hoof, they shattered hitting the floor, much too Bleak's surprise.

"Those were the hardcopies of your file, seeing as paper is hard to come by up North, and unusable down here in the Fields, these slates were all that any pony had on you." Flare stated.

"What's your angle?" Bleak asked cautiously.

"I believe every pony deserves the chance to better themselves, to make amends. It's what Lord Smolder used to tell us, that Equestria was willing to give us a second chance and that we should make the most of it." Flare explained to him.

Bleak stared at Flare.

"Just like that, then? No strings attached, no blackmail, or setup?" Bleak asked still unconvinced.

"You'd be surprised how many Flame Ponies are orphans around here, Bleak. You'd be even more surprised on how we take care of our own." Flare said to him.

These words seemed to resonate with Bleak, as it came from a place of understanding; a place that another pony has had to endure.

"Welcome to the Academy Cadet, what's your name?" Flare asked suddenly.

"What?" Bleak asked looking confused.

"It seems that I dropped your file, Cadet, I won't know who you are until you tell me your name." Flare stated, kicking the bits of slate away from her with her hoof.

Feeling that this was Flare's way of starting over, giving Bleak the chance to start a new chapter in his life; the chance to really start over.

"My… my name is… Bleak Weather, ma'am." Bleak stated. "I'm... from the Frozen North, Article Bluff, and I have no extended family."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Cadet, but in time I hope you can consider all those in this Academy to be your new family. Because there are two things I really dislike. Do you know what those are?" Flare stated, returning to her desk.

"Gambling and…" Bleak mumbled, realizing Wisp had gotten it wrong earlier.

"Gambling and lying, Cadet. No pony under my command is allowed to gamble for money, or with their life. No pony is allowed to lie to me or any other pony in this Academy. Understand?" Flare asked, sitting back behind her desk.

"Yes… ma'am." Bleak mumbled.

"You seem like a pony who's got a lot to prove, so you'll be with Squad Four today. You can meet them at the edge of the Dark Marsh just south of here. I want you to write up the daily report, if you don't know how just ask a fellow pony, they will help you." Flare commanded.

Bleak nodded his head. Turning to leave, Bleak felt as though he should say something, but nothing really came to mind. A thank you seemed appropriate for giving him another chance, but it was such a strange foreign concept to him. Reaching the stone door, Bleak turned back towards Flare who looked up from her desk to see him staring at her.

"Yes?" Flare asked.

"I can't make you any promises." Bleak said, as if warning her.

"If that's how you feel then you can go move rocks. Otherwise get your flank over to the Dark Marsh." Flare replied.

"Right." Bleak muttered, weighing his options.

Just as he was about to leave, Bleak turned back to ask something.

"If… If you don't mind me asking, are you and that Wisp colt a thing? Because I was wondering if you wanted to-" Bleak began to mutter.

"Good day, Cadet." Flare said sternly, her mane flaring slightly.

"Right! Right! Got it!" Bleak said quickly, opening the stone door to leave.

Bleak stopped short in the main hall, glancing back at the door where his old life lay in pieces on the floor of Flare's office. He looked back towards the open sky, feeling as though he was actually free to do things differently now.

"Do I really want to be a Soldier Pony?" Bleak asked himself.

That idea didn't really upset him. It actually made him smile. For the first time Bleak felt he had a real opportunity to make something of himself, and he already knew how to play the game, but he had become part of it now. Flaring out his wings he took to air heading off towards the Dark Marsh.